Quicken Billpay and US Bank - no longer Automatic (edit)

Jeff7@

I got a message when I signed into Quicken Deluxe today saying "Due to your current connection method with U.S. Bank - PFM Direct Connect, your previous online repeating transactions in Quicken are now manual reminders……" There is more to it, but basically I can't manage online repeating transaction with Quicken anymore. Supposedly they will still be paid by the bank, but I can't add/remove/manage them. Also, there will be manual reminders, but they may not match my online transactions.

Why the change? Why no notice?

US Bank doesn't have any kind of web interface for managing these, so now I have to call them??

So annoying…

Jeff7@

Contacted US Bank. They said they aren't aware of any changes. They also don't have a web interface for me to modify any Direct Connect online transactions. They suggested I contact Quicken.

Jeff7@

Quicken support is telling me that Direct Connect is not being offered through my bank anymore. They want me to pay for Quicken Premier. Just confirmed that it is an option though. [Removed - Speculation/Inaccurate]

UKR

I'd say, ignore the update to Premier, at least for the time being. There are alternatives.

If your bank (the one that runs your checking account) recently required you to reauthorize your checking account and/or your bank has changed from "Direct Connect" to either "Express Web Connect" or "Express Web Connect+" you can no longer use Online Bill Pay direct to the bank or Quicken Bill Manager's Quick Pay function. The bank no longer supports this function through Quicken.

You have these alternatives (in no particular order of preference):

1. Use Quicken Bill Manager's Check Pay making sure to submit payment early enough (at least 3 weeks before due date) to allow time for delivery and processing. Note: limited number of free transactions per month.
2. Logon to the bank's website and schedule your bill pay payments to be executed by the bank. In parallel to that, in Quicken use a regular Scheduled Reminder to record your payment. Repeat both actions every time another payment is due.
3. Bypass Bill Manager. Let the biller's computer system do all the work for you. Logon to the biller's website once and set up their Autopay, APS, Direct debit, etc. service to make the current payment and all future payments on Due Date directly from your checking account. In parallel to that, in Quicken, every month, record a regular Scheduled Reminder to keep track of your payments before they come due.
4. Write (or print with Quicken) a paper check and mail it to the biller, making sure to mail payment early enough (at least 10 days before due date) to allow time for delivery and processing.

I've been using method #3 for decades, since before the Internet and bank download capabilities were even introduced. It's easy to get used to this process. And I have yet to miss a single payment.

Jeff7@

I'm hesitant to use option 3, because then I don't have control over withdrawals, unless they have the option of using a credit card without a fee. I don't like ACH. Option 4 is not an option for me.

Option 1 requires an additional $9.95/month for Bill pay

I think option 2 is what I'm going to use for now.

I setup my 2 recurring payments through the bank without automatically entered scheduled transactions entered 20 days Prior in Quicken.

I talked to the bank. They are saying that Direct Connect is not going away. They are still selling it, and offering it. I guess Quicken just isn't supporting it the way they used to (for the last 20 years)…speculation?, but the Quicken Support agent told me that Direct Connect with US Bank is going away at the end of May.

Jeff7@

Also…I was able to have someone at the bank manually delete my online recurring transactions, so that I could recreate them using the bank web-site.

Boatnmaniac

@Jeff7@ - What does Quicken now show for your connection method? Direct Connect or Express Web Connect+? (You can usually see this directly beneath the account name in the upper left corner of the Account Register.)

I know that US Bank is in the process of migrating Express Web Connect connections to Express Web Connect+ but the Announcement about this did not make any reference to Direct Connect also being migrated to Express Web Connect+ at this time.

Shanna

I had to go into my “ Bill and Income Reminders“, go to each scheduled bill I wanted the bank to pay and edit it. I had to check the box that says use online bill pay. For whatever reason due to this change, they were all unchecked.

For all the transactions that were already automatically entered into my check register as scheduled, I had to add “send” to them. I then did an update. After the update, the send was changed to the check number and a lightning bolt indicating it was sent just like normal.

I use Quicken deluxe.

UPDATE-after logging out of Quicken and logging back in, all the boxes for “use online bill pay“ were unchecked again. As of now, I can still submit my payments through Quicken, but the choice to have the payments sent AUTOMATICALLY is no longer available. Quicken will still enter scheduled payments into your check register automatically if you chose, however, it will not indicate them to be automatically sent; you must manually indicate them to be sent to your bank to be paid.

I’ve been using Quicken since 1993 with the bill pay. It’s confusing what they are doing here unless it is a change that hasn’t completely been straightened out. They aren’t being very clear about it and I bet there will be many late payments from Quicken users due to this. I feel I got lucky and caught it!

Jeff7@

I'm using direct connect. When I talked to US Bank they didn't have any information about it being discontinued. It is still available and working in Quicken. Just online recurring payments don't work anymore. Seems like Quicken either not communicating very effectively, or Quicken trying to push people onto their bill manager software.

Ps56k2

@Jeff7@ - just wondering what is the exact name in the Quicken Account for your defined US Bank -

Quicken Janean

Hi All, I am very sorry for the confusion caused. To clarify, Direct Connect Bill Pay will continue to work for U.S. Bank. For more details on how to switch your accounts and changes made for U.S. Bank , please visit this FAQ: https://www.quicken.com/support/why-am-i-receiving-message-about-my-us-bank-accounts .

If you have Direct Connect Bill Pay with U.S. Bank and are a Windows user, make sure to choose, "do not add", when moving the EWC accounts to EWC+ accounts.  If you already moved your accounts, you can deactivate/reactivate for Direct Connect or use the "improve connection" option on the account list to set up Direct Connect Bill Pay again. Thanks!

tnquick

@Shanna having the same issue. Each time Quicken opens it has unchecked the box for "Use Online Bill Pay" for reminders previously set up to be sent using Bill Pay.

@Quicken Janean any guidance on why this has started happening?

Jeff7@

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20367492#Comment_20367492

So are recurring online payments re-enabled then? Or is it only working for individual transactions?

mbruun

I am having the same issue as shanna and tnquick and Each time the Quicken program opens it has unchecked the box for "Use Online Bill Pay" for reminders previously set up to be sent using Bill Pay. I even deleted the old one and set up a new one. My current work around is to change the payment type to online bill pay in the register after the "scheduled" transaction is entered which is not ideal for the long run.

I have been using the direct connect method and us bank bill pay via Quicken for over 20 years

@Quicken Janean any guidance on why this has started happening? or if it is a known issue with the software that will be fixed?

UserGreg

Direct Connect is no longer working for repeating on-line payments. It works fine for single payments. I've spent hours on the phone w/Quicken support, and the tech agrees that support for repeating on-line payments appears to have been deprecated. He escalated the issue, but I'm not optimistic for restoration of the functionality. I suspect USBank is trying to push us to their web site. Quicken should complain that USBank has reduce functional of their product. Single payment are likely next.!

Randy 415

Yes, and then Direct Connect will perhaps go away. I am using EWC+ and it has its own failings.

JohnFLand

I think this is SOLELY a Quicken problem — Quicken simply no longer correctly stores the state of the "Use Online Bill Pay" flag. I have to check it for EVERY new check, and everything works fine — until the next Quicken session, when I again have to check the "Use Online Bill Pay" flag. US Bank (new to me, as successor to Union Bank) has NO ability to change the "Use Online Bill Pay" from checked to unchecked.

Boatnmaniac

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20376541#Comment_20376541

Have you reported this to Quicken via Help > Report A Problem or via Phone or Chat ( https://www.quicken.com/support#contact-support )? If it is a Quicken problem, someone will need to tell them about it or it is quite possible that it will never get fixed.