Convenience fee? What the crap is this? (1 Viewer)

[17seconds]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

I still pay my varying bills manually. electric, cable, etc. Manually meaning bank bill pay but not automatically.

Forces me to see it and if necessary I can time it every month in case I'm in a low cash flow situation. I like to keep the main checking account balance optimally low to avoid overspending.

 

[The Big Guy]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

I still pay my varying bills manually. electric, cable, etc. Manually meaning bank bill pay but not automatically.

Forces me to see it and if necessary I can time it every month in case I'm in a low cash flow situation. I like to keep the main checking account balance optimally low to avoid overspending.

I pay all my bills myself thru billpay monthly and make sure this way I can review what is going out and also control what date things are paid.

Nice and free. Guaranteed paid on time.

 

[lakerstan]

Capitalism - #### Yeah!

 

[johnnycakes]

Better call Saul!

 

[Mr. Cross]

It is a fee you pay to make a payment over the phone.

 

[inca911]

Doesn't hurt to ask that they waive the late fee on this payment. Many companies will waive such a fee if there is a history of on-time payments, and if you ask in an assertive but polite manner.

Same thing with your cable/internet bill. No way you should be paying the full sticker price on those. Ever.

 

[BassNBrew]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

 

[NutterButter]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

Such as? Just curious.

Come to think of it, I know the quarterly water/sewar/garbage bill from the town doesn't have an online payment option. I think my wife's bank, ing, allows her to pay the bill online and they send out the check. Someone else mentioned this feature earlier. I can't think of anything else that doesn't have an online payment option.

 

[Doug B]

Some of the advice given in this thread is from people who have a 12-24 month cushion in their bank account(s), and never have to worry about the concerns of check-to-check households. Auto-pay is awesome ... until that one time they take it out two days before your paycheck deposits, and you get a bunch of overdraft fees on other debits. That kind of stuff happens to real people every day, and it's not just happening to irresponsible eff-ups. Sorry, but it's not. I know, I know ... it'll never be you.

...

Anyway, back to Spin's OP. Wish I would've seen it earlier, but maybe this advice will help another reader.

First off, inca911's advice in post #56 is good advice in general whenever extra fees are involved. Many bank employees (never the tellers) can even reverse overdraft fees if you go into the bank and speak to someone in person. Can't do it all the time, but one-offs are often forgiven.

More specifically to Spin's situation (hopefully): by any chance is you suto loan through a credit union? Even if you don't belong to one, many dealers use credit unions to secure financing. If your loan is through a credit union, you can usually make a payment in person even if the credit union is in another part of the country. Look for the Credit Union Service Center logo on the door of any local credit unions in your immediate area (can also Google their website or call them up to confirm that they are an affiliated Credit Union Service Center). Police, fire, military, and post-office-employee credit unions are almost invariably Credit Union Service Centers. If your auto-loan credit union is affiliated, you can pay in person at any Credit Union Service Center in the U.S. for no fee.

Even if your loan is not through a credit union, there may be private affiliations that allow you to make a payment in person at a local bank. Can't hurt to ask.

If you can make the payment this way in person before or on the day it's due, it will be considered on time and you will not be assessed a late fee. You may also have a grace period in which you can pay a few days late with no penalty. Again, can't hurt to ask.

 

[NutterButter]

Some of the advice given in this thread is from people who have a 12-24 month cushion in their bank account(s), and never have to worry about the concerns of check-to-check households. Auto-pay is awesome ... until that one time they take it out two days before your paycheck deposits, and you get a bunch of overdraft fees on other debits. That kind of stuff happens to real people every day, and it's not just happening to irresponsible eff-ups. Sorry, but it's not. I know, I know ... it'll never be you.

That would a terrible place to put that much money.

 

[Doug B]

That would a terrible place to put that much money.

You know what I was getting at. People who could be out of work 6 months and not (really) feel it.

 

[MC Gas Money]

Some of the advice given in this thread is from people who have a 12-24 month cushion in their bank account(s), and never have to worry about the concerns of check-to-check households. Auto-pay is awesome ... until that one time they take it out two days before your paycheck deposits, and you get a bunch of overdraft fees on other debits. That kind of stuff happens to real people every day, and it's not just happening to irresponsible eff-ups. Sorry, but it's not. I know, I know ... it'll never be you.

...

Anyway, back to Spin's OP. Wish I would've seen it earlier, but maybe this advice will help another reader.

First off, inca911's advice in post #56 is good advice in general whenever extra fees are involved. Many bank employees (never the tellers) can even reverse overdraft fees if you go into the bank and speak to someone in person. Can't do it all the time, but one-offs are often forgiven.

More specifically to Spin's situation (hopefully): by any chance is you suto loan through a credit union? Even if you don't belong to one, many dealers use credit unions to secure financing. If your loan is through a credit union, you can usually make a payment in person even if the credit union is in another part of the country. Look for the Credit Union Service Center logo on the door of any local credit unions in your immediate area (can also Google their website or call them up to confirm that they are an affiliated Credit Union Service Center). Police, fire, military, and post-office-employee credit unions are almost invariably Credit Union Service Centers. If your auto-loan credit union is affiliated, you can pay in person at any Credit Union Service Center in the U.S. for no fee.

Even if your loan is not through a credit union, there may be private affiliations that allow you to make a payment in person at a local bank. Can't hurt to ask.

If you can make the payment this way in person before or on the day it's due, it will be considered on time and you will not be assessed a late fee. You may also have a grace period in which you can pay a few days late with no penalty. Again, can't hurt to ask.

Yep. Its another tax for being poor

 

[Da Guru]

My wife found a 50.00 gift card in the back of a drawer. I read the fine print and it says $2.50 a month will be deducted per month on any balance left on the card. My wife never used the card, I call to check the balance and it is $15.00. So $35.00 was pissed away in fees.

Don`t see why an unused gift card should be subject those kinds of fees since they already have your cash. With inflation the money paid is worth more than the card anyway.

 

[Sweet J]

Your anger is misplaced.

Perhaps, my wife should have told me we've been paying this ridiculous "fee" the whole time which we could have avoided by using a paper bill and checks, but that's just so damn inconvenient...

Regardless this has to be a form of extortion.

Hence the fee for offering something that is more convenient for you.

If we only had a name for this. . . .

 

[NutterButter]

That would a terrible place to put that much money.

You know what I was getting at. People who could be out of work 6 months and not (really) feel it.

Yeah, I know what you mean. You really should have a 6-9 month emergency fund, but I realize that's not possible for a lot of people. As as overdraft, in previous years, when it has happened to me, I've just sent a message to the bank, in my case PNC, using their website asking them to reverse it and they've done so. Same think with my credit card, in my case Check, in regards to late payment fees. I don't abuse it, but its always worked for me when I've done it every 1-2 years.

 

[Doug B]

Don`t see why an unused gift card should be subject those kinds of fees since they already have your cash. With inflation the money paid is worth more than the card anyway.

That's straight-up theft, IMHO. Or at best, false advertising as I'm sure that arrangement is in the finest print legally allowed.

 

[SeaDogStat]

Your anger is misplaced.

Perhaps, my wife should have told me we've been paying this ridiculous "fee" the whole time which we could have avoided by using a paper bill and checks, but that's just so damn inconvenient...

Regardless this has to be a form of extortion.

Hence the appropriately named convenience fee

 

[Spin]

Your anger is misplaced.

Perhaps, my wife should have told me we've been paying this ridiculous "fee" the whole time which we could have avoided by using a paper bill and checks, but that's just so damn inconvenient...

Regardless this has to be a form of extortion.

Hence the fee for offering something that is more convenient for you.

If we only had a name for this. . . .

 

[Spin]

Some of the advice given in this thread is from people who have a 12-24 month cushion in their bank account(s), and never have to worry about the concerns of check-to-check households. Auto-pay is awesome ... until that one time they take it out two days before your paycheck deposits, and you get a bunch of overdraft fees on other debits. That kind of stuff happens to real people every day, and it's not just happening to irresponsible eff-ups. Sorry, but it's not. I know, I know ... it'll never be you.

...

Anyway, back to Spin's OP. Wish I would've seen it earlier, but maybe this advice will help another reader.

First off, inca911's advice in post #56 is good advice in general whenever extra fees are involved. Many bank employees (never the tellers) can even reverse overdraft fees if you go into the bank and speak to someone in person. Can't do it all the time, but one-offs are often forgiven.

More specifically to Spin's situation (hopefully): by any chance is you suto loan through a credit union? Even if you don't belong to one, many dealers use credit unions to secure financing. If your loan is through a credit union, you can usually make a payment in person even if the credit union is in another part of the country. Look for the Credit Union Service Center logo on the door of any local credit unions in your immediate area (can also Google their website or call them up to confirm that they are an affiliated Credit Union Service Center). Police, fire, military, and post-office-employee credit unions are almost invariably Credit Union Service Centers. If your auto-loan credit union is affiliated, you can pay in person at any Credit Union Service Center in the U.S. for no fee.

Even if your loan is not through a credit union, there may be private affiliations that allow you to make a payment in person at a local bank. Can't hurt to ask.

If you can make the payment this way in person before or on the day it's due, it will be considered on time and you will not be assessed a late fee. You may also have a grace period in which you can pay a few days late with no penalty. Again, can't hurt to ask.

Nope, Santander. I did request the paper bills and will begin paying that way/set up auto payment.

Still, $11 to use your debit card over the phone is insane. And charging even more than that to pay online is worse.

 

[Buckna]

Don`t see why an unused gift card should be subject those kinds of fees since they already have your cash. With inflation the money paid is worth more than the card anyway.

That's straight-up theft, IMHO. Or at best, false advertising as I'm sure that arrangement is in the finest print legally allowed.

Lots of state gov't ruled it is illegal to make gift cards expire so now everyone charges a few dollars a year as a "fee."

 

[Wooderson]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

 

[MC Gas Money]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

I wish my bank gave me beer

 

[Doug B]

Nope, Santander. I did request the paper bills and will begin paying that way/set up auto payment.

No chance you're in the NE U.S., is there? If so, you could walk into a Santander Bank (formerly Sovereign Bank locations) branch a make an in-person payment. Of course, at a certain driving distance/time, the $11 fee becomes worth it, IMHO.

 

[Doug B]

Lots of state gov't ruled it is illegal to make gift cards expire so now everyone charges a few dollars a year as a "fee."

Yeah, but Guru's example was $30/yr on a $50 gift card.

One thing I'm learning from this thread is that Louisiana's consumer protections are pretty strong compared to some places.

 

[Wooderson]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

I wish my bank gave me beer

Yours doesn't ?

 

[MC Gas Money]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

I wish my bank gave me beer

Yours doesn't ?

Nope

 

[The Big Guy]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

Such as? Just curious.

Come to think of it, I know the quarterly water/sewar/garbage bill from the town doesn't have an online payment option. I think my wife's bank, ing, allows her to pay the bill online and they send out the check. Someone else mentioned this feature earlier. I can't think of anything else that doesn't have an online payment option.

There is no bill that can not be paid through bill pay in online banking. I know for a fact that even if the payee is not set up to receive electronic payments then they will be mailed a paper check by the bank. I think your confusion is based on the fact that you are going to the website of the bill and not the website of your bank.

Unless you are 50+ then bill pay and online banking is too easy to not be doing.

 

[Da Guru]

Lots of state gov't ruled it is illegal to make gift cards expire so now everyone charges a few dollars a year as a "fee."

Yeah, but Guru's example was $30/yr on a $50 gift card.

One thing I'm learning from this thread is that Louisiana's consumer protections are pretty strong compared to some places.

I just looked it up on Michigan's Government website. It is illegal in Michigan to deduct any fee for non-use of a gift card. It said example "If you purchase a 25.00 gift card that card should be worth 25.00 until it is used no matter how long you wait to use it. You can charge a "one-time" only fee at the time of purchase for anything.

Looked at the back and it is Bank of America and they give a number for gift cards. Of course it has been busy for an hour.

 

[Buckna]

Lots of state gov't ruled it is illegal to make gift cards expire so now everyone charges a few dollars a year as a "fee."

Yeah, but Guru's example was $30/yr on a $50 gift card.

One thing I'm learning from this thread is that Louisiana's consumer protections are pretty strong compared to some places.

That is definitely pretty excessive. I know the rules are different if it is like a prepaid debit card (like a Visa or Mastercard type brand) but that seems pretty crazy. There must be exceptions for gift cards as part of a promotional deal too, because I have gotten gift cards from companies as "rewards" and such and they always seem to expire in like 60 days or something stupid.

 

[Wooderson]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

I wish my bank gave me beer

Yours doesn't ?

Nope

Hmmm...

 

[NutterButter]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

Such as? Just curious.

Come to think of it, I know the quarterly water/sewar/garbage bill from the town doesn't have an online payment option. I think my wife's bank, ing, allows her to pay the bill online and they send out the check. Someone else mentioned this feature earlier. I can't think of anything else that doesn't have an online payment option.

There is no bill that can not be paid through bill pay in online banking. I know for a fact that even if the payee is not set up to receive electronic payments then they will be mailed a paper check by the bank. I think your confusion is based on the fact that you are going to the website of the bill and not the website of your bank.

Unless you are 50+ then bill pay and online banking is too easy to not be doing.

That's what I said

I said that my wife's bank allows her to pay

 

[FUBAR]

Pretty standard practice. You are already costing them money by using a card online since they pay a processing fee. In this case you also had an employee on the phone which isn't free for them. So you pay. Don't like the fee? Mail your check on time.

This. Or auto pay.

Yep, only way I can avoid the fees with Infiniti Finance is to let them direct draw on my checking account on the same date every month. If you're responsible enough to make sure the car payment payment auto-draw is covered in your checking/savings every month on the same date, there are no fees.

If you want to pay ad-hoc, grab your ankles.

you can't make them a payee through your online bill pay with your bank?

I don't use online bill pay. I've got a good enough hold on my bills where it's not necessary. Guess it's worth looking into with your respective bank, I can't speak to it.

Really? Costs less than $11 to use online bill pay.

 

[FUBAR]

Auto pay from your bank is great. But it has one major fault that doesn't allow me to use it. I like to use my CC for as many purchases as I can to get reward pints. It's free money.

I wish my bank gave me beer

Yours doesn't ?

Nope

Hmmm...

Mmmm Burbank.

 

[FUBAR]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

Such as? Just curious.

Come to think of it, I know the quarterly water/sewar/garbage bill from the town doesn't have an online payment option. I think my wife's bank, ing, allows her to pay the bill online and they send out the check. Someone else mentioned this feature earlier. I can't think of anything else that doesn't have an online payment option.

Yeah, for those I just have the bank send a check. Only payment we've missed in years was a water bill that somehow we never received.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Pretty standard practice. You are already costing them money by using a card online since they pay a processing fee. In this case you also had an employee on the phone which isn't free for them. So you pay. Don't like the fee? Mail your check on time.

This. Or auto pay.

Yep, only way I can avoid the fees with Infiniti Finance is to let them direct draw on my checking account on the same date every month. If you're responsible enough to make sure the car payment payment auto-draw is covered in your checking/savings every month on the same date, there are no fees.

If you want to pay ad-hoc, grab your ankles.

you can't make them a payee through your online bill pay with your bank?

I don't use online bill pay. I've got a good enough hold on my bills where it's not necessary. Guess it's worth looking into with your respective bank, I can't speak to it.

Not really sure what this means.

 

[FUBAR]

Pretty standard practice. You are already costing them money by using a card online since they pay a processing fee. In this case you also had an employee on the phone which isn't free for them. So you pay. Don't like the fee? Mail your check on time.

This. Or auto pay.

Yep, only way I can avoid the fees with Infiniti Finance is to let them direct draw on my checking account on the same date every month. If you're responsible enough to make sure the car payment payment auto-draw is covered in your checking/savings every month on the same date, there are no fees.

If you want to pay ad-hoc, grab your ankles.

you can't make them a payee through your online bill pay with your bank?

I don't use online bill pay. I've got a good enough hold on my bills where it's not necessary. Guess it's worth looking into with your respective bank, I can't speak to it.

Not really sure what this means.

It means get off his lawn

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Set up a recurring payment through your online banking. Then you don't have to worry about forgetting Done.

And if your bank doesn't offer it, find a new bank.

 

[The Big Guy]

Do this many of you not use the bill pay feature of online banking? Easiest thing ever.

Why the hell would anyone manually pay a bill anymore. I don't even know where my checkbook is. Paycheck is direct Deposit and every last bill is auto-paid.

Several of my bills don't take online payments. Worst yet, Bank of America now charges you $5 to pay online if you don't pay 25 days early. #### them, I tie up their teller while I multi task on the phone.

Such as? Just curious.

Come to think of it, I know the quarterly water/sewar/garbage bill from the town doesn't have an online payment option. I think my wife's bank, ing, allows her to pay the bill online and they send out the check. Someone else mentioned this feature earlier. I can't think of anything else that doesn't have an online payment option.

There is no bill that can not be paid through bill pay in online banking. I know for a fact that even if the payee is not set up to receive electronic payments then they will be mailed a paper check by the bank. I think your confusion is based on the fact that you are going to the website of the bill and not the website of your bank.

Unless you are 50+ then bill pay and online banking is too easy to not be doing.

That's what I said

I said that my wife's bank allows her to pay

Sorry wasn't commenting on your post, was more about the one prior from BNB. You sound like a normal online bill pay user.