What Bank of America Bill Pay does
Bank of America Bill Pay is a service that lets you pay bills from your Bank of America checking or savings account without writing checks or visiting a biller's office. You log into your Bank of America account online or through the mobile app, enter the biller's name and address, set the payment amount and date, and Bank of America sends the money on your behalf.
The service covers most types of bills: utilities, credit cards, insurance, rent, loan payments, medical bills, and subscriptions. You can pay companies you've never paid before, and you can set up recurring payments so the same amount goes out on the same day each month. Bank of America does not charge a monthly fee for this service to most account holders.
The payment reaches the biller in one of two ways. For large companies with electronic systems set up to receive payments, Bank of America sends the money electronically and it arrives within one to two business days. For smaller businesses or those without electronic payment systems, Bank of America prints and mails a check, which typically takes five to eight business days.
Key Takeaways
- Bank of America Bill Pay is free for most checking and savings account holders and works from the Bank of America website or mobile app.
- Electronic payments to large billers arrive in one to two business days; mailed check payments take five to eight business days.
- You can set up one-time payments or recurring monthly payments, and you can change or cancel a payment up until the day it is scheduled to send.
- If a payment fails because the biller's address is wrong or the account number does not match, Bank of America will notify you and you will need to correct the information and resend.
- Bill Pay does not replace your responsibility to pay on time — if you schedule a payment for after your due date, you may still be charged a late fee.
How to set up a payment
Log into your Bank of America account online or open the mobile app. Select "Pay Bills" or "Transfers & Payments" (the exact label varies by device). Enter the biller's name — you can search from a list of common billers or type a name that is not listed.
For a biller Bank of America recognizes, the system will fill in the mailing address automatically. For a biller you are paying for the first time, you will need to enter the full mailing address and your account number with that biller. Bank of America will ask you to confirm this information before the first payment sends.
Enter the payment amount and the date you want the money to leave your account. If you choose a date that is a weekend or holiday, Bank of America will move it to the next business day. You can review the payment details one more time before confirming. Once confirmed, the payment is scheduled and you will see it listed in your payment history.
Changing or canceling a payment before it sends
You can edit or cancel any payment up until the day it is scheduled to send. Log into your account, find the payment in your payment history, and select the option to edit or cancel. If you cancel, the money stays in your account. If you edit, you can change the amount, date, or biller information.
Once a payment has sent — meaning Bank of America has released the money from your account — you cannot cancel it through Bill Pay. If the payment was electronic, contact the biller to ask them to reverse it (they may charge a fee). If the payment was mailed as a check, you can contact Bank of America to ask them to stop payment on the check, though this service may carry a fee and is not always successful if the check has already been cashed.
When payments fail and what to do
A payment can fail for several reasons. The most common is that the account number or biller address you entered does not match the biller's records. Bank of America will send you a notification (usually by email or through your account) telling you the payment failed and asking you to verify the information.
Correct the account number or address and resend the payment. If you are unsure of your account number with the biller, call the biller directly or check a recent bill. Do not guess — sending a payment to the wrong account number means the money may be applied to someone else's account or returned to Bank of America, delaying your payment further.
If a payment fails repeatedly, consider paying the biller directly through their website or by phone instead. Some billers have their own payment portals that may work better than Bill Pay, especially if they are small businesses or government agencies.
How long payments take and planning ahead
Electronic payments typically arrive one to two business days after you schedule them. Mailed checks typically take five to eight business days. Bank of America counts business days as Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.
If your bill is due on the 15th and today is the 12th, scheduling an electronic payment for today will likely arrive by the 14th. Scheduling a mailed check for today will likely not arrive until the 19th or 20th, which is after your due date. Late payments can trigger late fees even if you sent the money on time, so plan ahead and schedule payments several days before the due date.
Some billers offer a grace period of a few days after the due date, but you cannot count on this. Check your bill or call the biller if you are unsure. When in doubt, schedule the payment at least five business days before the due date.
Fees and account requirements
Bank of America does not charge a monthly fee for Bill Pay on most personal checking and savings accounts. Some account types — such as certain student accounts or accounts with limited features — may not include Bill Pay, so check your account terms or call Bank of America to confirm.
There is no per-payment fee. If you need to stop payment on a mailed check, Bank of America may charge a fee (typically $25 to $35), though this varies. If a payment fails and you need to resend it, there is no extra charge for the resend itself.
If you use Bill Pay to send money to another person rather than a business (such as paying a friend or family member rent), Bank of America treats this as a transfer between accounts, not a bill payment. Transfers between Bank of America accounts are free and instant. Transfers to accounts at other banks may take one to three business days and may have limits on how much you can send per day or per month.
Bill Pay versus other payment methods
Bill Pay is one option among several. You can also pay bills by mailing a check yourself, paying through the biller's website, setting up automatic payments directly with the biller, or paying by phone. Each method has trade-offs.
Mailing a check yourself gives you full control but takes longer and requires you to track which bills you have paid. Paying through the biller's website is often faster and lets you see your payment history with that biller, but you have to log into each biller's account separately. Setting up automatic payments directly with the biller is convenient for recurring bills but requires you to trust the biller with your bank account number, and canceling can be slow if the biller's customer service is slow.
Bill Pay is a middle ground: it keeps all your payments in one place (your Bank of America account), works for any biller, and gives you control to change or cancel before the payment sends. The trade-off is that mailed payments take longer than paying through the biller's website, and you depend on Bank of America's systems to send the payment correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set up Bill Pay on a savings account, or only checking?
Bill Pay works on both checking and savings accounts. However, if you use a savings account, be aware that federal rules limit how many transfers or withdrawals you can make from a savings account per month (the limit varies by bank). Bill Pay payments count toward this limit, so frequent bill payments from savings may trigger fees or restrictions.
What happens if I schedule a payment but then close my Bank of America account?
If you close your account before a scheduled payment sends, the payment will not go through and Bank of America will notify the biller that the account is closed. You will need to pay the bill through another method. If the payment had already sent before you closed the account, contact Bank of America to find out where the money went.
Can I pay a bill in a different country using Bill Pay?
Bill Pay is designed for U.S. billers only. If you need to send money to a person or business outside the United States, you will need to use Bank of America's international transfer service, which has different fees and timelines. Contact Bank of America for details on international options.
Does Bill Pay report my payment to credit bureaus?
No. Bill Pay is simply a way to send money to your creditors. Whether your payment is reported to credit bureaus depends on the creditor, not on how you sent the payment. Credit card companies, loan servicers, and other creditors report payment history directly to the bureaus based on what they receive, regardless of whether you paid by Bill Pay, check, or their website.
What if the biller says they never received my payment?
Check your Bank of America account to confirm the payment status. If Bank of America shows the payment as sent, ask the biller for the date they received it and the amount. If there is a mismatch, contact Bank of America with the biller's information and Bank of America can investigate. Keep records of the payment confirmation from your Bank of America account in case you need to dispute a late fee.