Chase migration - how to pay bills

Adamiam

Long time (20+years) quicken user. Enter my bills in quicken using 'send' as check number and quicken connects with chase and gets the payment made. Now with the chase migration - what happens? 1) Is this no longer supported and I have to enter my transactions on chase.com? 2) Post 'update' the connection type says 'Quicken Connect' not EWC+ or whatever - is this right

Jon

1) Using Chase's bill pay via Quicken required Direct Connect. With the new connection method you'll have to use the Chase web site for that. If you still want to pay your bills from within Quicken you'll have to upgrade to Premier & start using Quicken's bill pay service.

2) Quicken Connect is what they call EWC on the Mac so it makes sense that EWC+ would show up as Quicken Connect also. That's how it shows up on my EWC+ account.

jacobs

1) You're correct: you will not be able to "send" transactions from Quicken to Chase, because there's only a one-way flow of data from Chase to Quicken compared to the old Direct Connect which allowed two-way communication. You can initiate payments on Chase's bill payment system, or you can switch to using Quicken's bill manager which gives you the ability to pay some bills electronically and generate checks to pay others. 

2) For some reason, Quicken has always used different terminology for Quicken Windows and Quicken Mac. There was no "Express Web Connect (EWC)" in Quicken Mac; it's always been called "Quicken Connect". They are not calling the new protocol "Quicken Connect Plus" in Quicken Mac, so it's correct that you're seeing "Quicken Connect". I don't know why they haven't switched Quicken Mac users to the same terminology they use for Quicken Windows connectivity to avoid exactly this type of confusion.

Jon

1) Using Chase's bill pay via Quicken required Direct Connect. With the new connection method you'll have to use the Chase web site for that. If you still want to pay your bills from within Quicken you'll have to upgrade to Premier & start using Quicken's bill pay service.

2) Quicken Connect is what they call EWC on the Mac so it makes sense that EWC+ would show up as Quicken Connect also. That's how it shows up on my EWC+ account.

jacobs

1) You're correct: you will not be able to "send" transactions from Quicken to Chase, because there's only a one-way flow of data from Chase to Quicken compared to the old Direct Connect which allowed two-way communication. You can initiate payments on Chase's bill payment system, or you can switch to using Quicken's bill manager which gives you the ability to pay some bills electronically and generate checks to pay others. 

2) For some reason, Quicken has always used different terminology for Quicken Windows and Quicken Mac. There was no "Express Web Connect (EWC)" in Quicken Mac; it's always been called "Quicken Connect". They are not calling the new protocol "Quicken Connect Plus" in Quicken Mac, so it's correct that you're seeing "Quicken Connect". I don't know why they haven't switched Quicken Mac users to the same terminology they use for Quicken Windows connectivity to avoid exactly this type of confusion.

Adamiam

@jacobs @Jon Thank you! So, if I enter the payments on chase.com, the 'UPGRADED' EWC+ connection method will allow for those transactions to be DOWNLOADED only to quicken? Hopefully, the details and memo fields will also transfer. So quicken becomes no more than a repository as more institutions force users to use their portals so they keep control of data/use experience - not sure quicken will remain worth the subscription price. Not meant to be a rant but inviting a discussion and expert opinion. Thanks again.

Jon

Adamiam said:

So, if I enter the payments on chase.com, the 'UPGRADED' EWC+ connection method will allow for those transactions to be DOWNLOADED only to quicken? Hopefully, the details and memo fields will also transfer.

I would assume so - I enter those transactions into Quicken by hand & let them sync up later.

You'll have to decide for yourself whether Quicken is still worth it or not; I like having all my finances in one place. I've got things arranged such that I don't really miss having Direct Connect & Bill Pay. I'd be logging into the bank's web site at the beginning of the month anyway to get the monthly statement, so I pay the bills I have at that time (mostly credit cards); I usually only have to log in once more a couple weeks later to pay the bills that come in later in the month. So it isn't much extra work for me.

davis.mc

See one of the problems is this...you pay for a subscription and even pay more if you exceed the Quicken Bill Manager allotment of checks. There are even some vendors that charge a fee for their service bill payment service use. Then the elimination of Chase from being able to pay via Quicken one isn't able to utilize the subscription from Quicken fully.

Let alone the constants problems I know I have with like Dish Network and Xfinity (constant!)

I got that having all the financials in one place is ideal...I totally agree with that. But the world is going more and more electronic which in part is the subscription fee. However, taking too steps back to checks and mailing??????? Quicken get with the times again. I am willing to bet that banks and credit unions will start charging fees for cashing a paper check at which point Quicken with the subscription is in serious trouble. Quicken - bring back Quick Bill Pay - the way that was. I know I didn't have problems with that throughout the many years I used it and Quicken.

The ROI on this Quicken now is seriously in question

Boatnmaniac

davis.mc said:

See one of the problems is this...you pay for a subscription and even pay more if you exceed the Quicken Bill Manager allotment of checks. There are even some vendors that charge a fee for their service bill payment service use. Then the elimination of Chase from being able to pay via Quicken one isn't able to utilize the subscription from Quicken fully.

Let alone the constants problems I know I have with like Dish Network and Xfinity (constant!)

I got that having all the financials in one place is ideal...I totally agree with that. But the world is going more and more electronic which in part is the subscription fee. However, taking too steps back to checks and mailing??????? Quicken get with the times again. I am willing to bet that banks and credit unions will start charging fees for cashing a paper check at which point Quicken with the subscription is in serious trouble. Quicken - bring back Quick Bill Pay - the way that was. I know I didn't have problems with that throughout the many years I used it and Quicken.

The ROI on this Quicken now is seriously in question

This change with Chase eliminating DC and EWC and replacing it with EWC+ is being driven by Chase, not by Quicken. 

EWC+ is Quicken's response to the new FDX protocol that was developed by a consortium of a large number of some of the biggest names in the financial industry.   Some financial institutions have started forcing Quicken (and other 3rd party financial softwares) to comply with this new protocol.  In Quicken it started last Nov with Schwab and was followed by PayPal (Mar/Apr), then Chase and now Bank of America.  Additional financial institutions transitions are pending (no I do not know which ones nor the schedules). 

EWC+ (like EWC) is a 1-way communication method (only downloads from the FI to Quicken).  Bank Bill Pay requires a 2-way communication (back and forth between the bank and Quicken) like Direct Connect.  So, Bank Bill Pay from within Quicken is a feature that will not be coming back unless and until the FDX consortium changes the new protocol to, or develops a new protocol which will, allow 2-way communications, again.

Whether we like it or not, our options are one or a combination of the following:

1. Use Quicken's Check Pay service.  (Quick Pay is no longer available...at least for now.)
2. Log into Chase and set up the Bill Payments there.
3. Set up our billers' online accounts to get paid automatically via direct debit of our credit card(s) and/or bank account(s).
4. Write out and mail checks, again.
5. Change to a bank that still supports DC.  But be prepared that at some point that other bank might transition to DC, as well (more likely than not, I think).

My bank (PNC) still offers DC Bank Bill Pay but since they are also a member of this FDX consortium I'm pretty sure it is only a matter of time before they force the transition to EWC+, as well.  I have already positioned myself with #3 so I have very few Bill Pays that now need to be scheduled.  When EWC+ does occur I will do #2 for the few Bill Pay requirements that remain.  For me, that is the least "painful" and most reliable method.