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I have something called "Bill Pay" from my credit union where they send the checks for payment (Rather than the company drawing from your account). That's how I

I have something called "Bill Pay" from my credit union where they send the checks for payment (Rather than the company drawing from your account). That's how I pay PG&E. You might want to investigate if your bank has the option (unless you already have, in which case never mind :)

pmiller2 6y ago
Then, I would have to manually initiate a payment, since the amount varies, which defeats the purpose of autopay.
cortesoft 6y ago
If a service takes a credit card with no fee, though, I always use that. Earn that cash back for free!
- sukilot 6y ago
  Free = taking from the vendor and/or other customers via the card processor's extortion system
pdonis 6y ago
Sending checks isn't really any different, since the checks contain the same information that you would provide the company to draw from the account. Even the one additional safeguard checks used to have, that they have to clear through the banking system so there's a paper trail, often doesn't apply any more since many companies will now process the check as an ACH transaction instead of a paper check transaction, the same as they would if they were drawing directly from your account.
- muststopmyths 6y ago
  Well, this is different in the sense that I have to initiate a payment (or schedule a payment if the amount is fixed). The other side cannot just access my account to withdraw money.
  - sukilot 6y ago
    They actually can. That's all a check is -- giving them the info they need (account number) to just access my account to withdraw money. The only difference is legal in case of later dispute: the check is evidence of how much you authorized them to take, and vendor autopay usually has fine print saying you agree to whatever. But in case of unauthorized theft, there is no difference. That's why Don Knuth stopped sending checks.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - the_pwner224 6y ago
      The check has the account and routing numbers printed on it (near the bottom usually?). These uniquely identify your account, and via ACH they allow you to deposit or withdraw money electronically without the account owner's prior approval.
- mindslight 6y ago
  AFAIK, most bill pay services move the money from your account into an account owned by the bank, and then send out a bank check. But verify this for yourself before trusting it.
  - toast0 6y ago
    When I was using my credit union's billpay, sometimes they would do that, and sometimes they would write a check against my account; it wasn't apparent why (as I recall, some scheduled checks were issued with both methods over time)

pmiller2 6y ago

Then, I would have to manually initiate a payment, since the amount varies, which defeats the purpose of autopay.

cortesoft 6y ago

If a service takes a credit card with no fee, though, I always use that. Earn that cash back for free!

sukilot 6y ago
Free = taking from the vendor and/or other customers via the card processor's extortion system

pdonis 6y ago

Sending checks isn't really any different, since the checks contain the same information that you would provide the company to draw from the account. Even the one additional safeguard checks used to have, that they have to clear through the banking system so there's a paper trail, often doesn't apply any more since many companies will now process the check as an ACH transaction instead of a paper check transaction, the same as they would if they were drawing directly from your account.

muststopmyths 6y ago
Well, this is different in the sense that I have to initiate a payment (or schedule a payment if the amount is fixed). The other side cannot just access my account to withdraw money.
- sukilot 6y ago
  They actually can. That's all a check is -- giving them the info they need (account number) to just access my account to withdraw money. The only difference is legal in case of later dispute: the check is evidence of how much you authorized them to take, and vendor autopay usually has fine print saying you agree to whatever. But in case of unauthorized theft, there is no difference. That's why Don Knuth stopped sending checks.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - the_pwner224 6y ago
    The check has the account and routing numbers printed on it (near the bottom usually?). These uniquely identify your account, and via ACH they allow you to deposit or withdraw money electronically without the account owner's prior approval.
mindslight 6y ago
AFAIK, most bill pay services move the money from your account into an account owned by the bank, and then send out a bank check. But verify this for yourself before trusting it.
- toast0 6y ago
  When I was using my credit union's billpay, sometimes they would do that, and sometimes they would write a check against my account; it wasn't apparent why (as I recall, some scheduled checks were issued with both methods over time)