Manually Entering Bill Pay instructions in the Register

Dave Robinson

In the past, I would manually enter payment instructions in the register for upcoming payments. When entering, I would select "SEND" in the "Check#" field. After 'updating', the "send" entry would be replaced by a "check number" and a lightning bolt. This still seems to happen when manually entering via the register. If I set this up in "Scheduled" for automatic entry, the "Check#" field is inaccessible. After I update, there is no check number information nor a "lightning bolt" to indicate that the payment instructions have actually been sent. How can I confirm, for myself, this information has been accepted and will, in fact, be sent/delivered on the date entered?

Quicken Hugh

@Dave Robinson,

>>In QBM, if I post a payment to be sent 6 months from now, is it held in the 'cloud' to be processed? 

For Quick Pay Future-Dated Payments, yes the instructions are held in the Quicken software. Be aware, most Online Billers have some limitation they have determined as to how far in advance they allow future-dated payment instructions to be set. (Less than one month to up-to 6 months, depending on what the Online Biller accepts.)

For Check Pay, the Future-Dated Payments, no, the instructions are held on your local computer, not in the 'cloud'.

>>Do I have to predate my payments so they arrive on time?

If you are using Quick Pay, the payments are sent, received, processed and confirmed, typically in a matter of minutes, once the payment has been triggered to be sent.
If you are using Check Pay, then please do adjust the send date to allow the US Postal Service enough time to deliver the mail before the due date.

[Edited to correct miss-typed word.]

Boatnmaniac

There is an issue with Manual Bill Reminders during set up in which we can't include the the "Send" command in the repeating reminder.  "Send" can only be manually entered when manually entering the reminder into the account register. 

I strongly suspect that letting Quicken automatically enter the reminder in the register does not send the bill pay command to the bank because there is nothing in the repeating Reminder that tells Quicken to "Send" it.  But you can confirm this by logging into your bank to see if the bill pay is scheduled.

My suggestion is to not let Quicken automatically enter Bill Pay reminders into your checking account register.  Instead, manually enter them because this will allow you to enter the "Send" command.

BTW, there is a requested product improvement post to allow for us to enter the payment method, "Send", check number, etc., to Manual Bill Reminders during the set up process:  https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7334307/idea-include-check-number-field-in-scheduled-transactions#latest.  If this idea does get implement then you should be able to enter "Send" into the repeating reminder so automatic entry will actually send the Bill Pay command to your bank during OSU.  If you like this idea, please click on the Vote button (circled in red, located direcly below the 1st post in the thread).  The more votes for an idea the more likely Quicken will put it into their product development plan. 

Quicken Hugh

Hello Dave,
Thank you for posting about your concern; you have asked a very timely question as many people are now actively transitioning to the new Quicken Bill Manager and using the future-dated payment/scheduled payment function. As you have noted, the goal remains the same, but the pathway to achieve the goal has changed a bit.

The exact pathway to confirm for yourself that the future-dated payment will go out as intended can be found in Quicken Bill Manager: Scheduling Future-Dated Payments In Windows. The most relevant part to your question: 

Boatnmaniac

Dave Robinson - My response above regards bill payment commands that are sent directly from your register to your bank (the old traditional process). 

Quicken Hugh 's response regards doing Bill Pay via Quicken's process.  Please clarify which type of Bill Pay Reminder you want and have set up so the best response can be provided to you.

Dave Robinson

At the moment I reactivated Quicken Bill Pay which I have been using for over 25 years. Easy and comfortable to use and very confident in their process. They process the payment instruction to arrive on the due date, something I don't have to calculate and they cover expenses if it is late. I'm sure the new bill manager won't compare in this respect. QBP holds the payment instruction on their site so it isn't visible at the bank until they actually transmit it. My confirmation is typically the check number issued when I "update". I am not yet comfortable with the new system which does not post an indicator to the register that the payment has been transmitted to the bank or into a QBM queue. This adds stress later when I review my register and notice it appears to not have been processed. I have to go to another screen to possibly confirm this. It will take some time to get used to the new process and become confident that it is handling my payments properly.

Dave Robinson

Another topical question... In QBM, if I post a payment to be sent 6 months from now, is it held in the 'cloud' to be processed? Not on my computer? so I don't have to have my software up and running for it to complete? and do I have to predate my payments so they arrive on time?

I am sure more questions will come up as I learn "what-to-ask"

Quicken Hugh

@Dave Robinson,

>>In QBM, if I post a payment to be sent 6 months from now, is it held in the 'cloud' to be processed? 

For Quick Pay Future-Dated Payments, yes the instructions are held in the Quicken software. Be aware, most Online Billers have some limitation they have determined as to how far in advance they allow future-dated payment instructions to be set. (Less than one month to up-to 6 months, depending on what the Online Biller accepts.)

For Check Pay, the Future-Dated Payments, no, the instructions are held on your local computer, not in the 'cloud'.

>>Do I have to predate my payments so they arrive on time?

If you are using Quick Pay, the payments are sent, received, processed and confirmed, typically in a matter of minutes, once the payment has been triggered to be sent.
If you are using Check Pay, then please do adjust the send date to allow the US Postal Service enough time to deliver the mail before the due date.

[Edited to correct miss-typed word.]