ACH or mail?

I online send two payments for home/auto insurance - the home was taking more the a week longer to process! Asked vendor why - they said one was transmitted electronically (ACH?) the other a check in the mail. Is that something I control?

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Answers

  • UKR
    UKR SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Are you paying to the same company, using the exact same address or two different addresses?
    I'm guessing that one address is known to the bill pay service and the other is not, therefore a check is generated.
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2020
    Hi @andre5006,

    I think you probably understand that "sending" a payment electronically will take less time than sending a payment by US Mail (and when I say "sending" I am including not just the transmittal time but also the manual processing activity & time involved).  Obviously, if we are using an intermediary to make payments we can't "control" either process (unless of course they give you a choice - and from your post it is obvious you didn't have one).

    However, what you could do would be to change insurance providers for the policy that requires a manual check from Quicken.  You might even consider bundling your home & auto insurance with the "electronic carrier" which could save you on the premium as well!

    Good luck.

    Frankx

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
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  • Sherlock
    Sherlock Member ✭✭✭✭
    The receiver of the funds has some control over whether sender is able to successfully transfer funds electronically or must fallback to sending a check.  For example, the receiver can set an amount limit for the electronic transfer.
  • andre5006
    andre5006 Member ✭✭
    Thanks all. Yes the payments are to the same receiver - my insurance company (AAA via CSAA) and the addresses are the same (policies are bundled - payments are not). Essential question is: who can I 'poke' to initiate a move from mail to electronic payments for the one policy?
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2020
    HI @andre5066,

    Are you using Quicken Bill Pay (or the new Bill Manager) to make the payments, or are you using your bank's bill payment service?

    It sounds like it could be a bill payer set-up issue.

    Frankx

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
      -  If you find this reply helpful, please click "Helpful" (below), so others will know! Thank you.  -

  • andre5006
    andre5006 Member ✭✭
    Hi Frankx, (as a long time Quicken user, I'm embarrassed to say I don't exactly know) - I open the account check-book, on the next open line I click "Send online payment" and write the check... Does that help - so what's my answer to your question? :)
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