Bill Pay Disclosures
Service Definitions
"Service" means the Bill Payment Service offered by Citizens First Bank, through CheckFree Services Corporation.
"Agreement" means these Terms and Conditions of the bill payment service.
"Payee" is the person or entity to which you wish a bill payment to be directed or is the person or entity from which you receive electronic bills, as the case may be.
"Payment Instruction" is the information provided by you to the Service for a bill payment to be made to the Payee (such as, but not limited to, Payee name, Payee account number, and Scheduled Payment Date).
"Payment Account" is the checking account from which bill payments will be debited.
"Billing Account" is the checking account from which all Service fees will be automatically debited.
"Business Day" is every Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Reserve holidays.
"Scheduled Payment Date" is the day you want your Payee to receive your bill payment and is also the day your Payment Account will be debited, unless the Scheduled Payment Date falls on a non-Business Day in which case it will be considered to be the previous Business Day.
"Due Date" is the date reflected on your Payee statement for which the payment is due. It is not the late date or grace period.
"Scheduled Payment" is a payment that has been scheduled through the Service but has not begun processing.
Payment Scheduling
Transactions begin processing four (4) Business Days prior to your Scheduled Payment Date. Therefore, the application will not permit you to select a Scheduled Payment Date less than four (4) Business Days from the current date. When scheduling payments you must select a Scheduled Payment Date that is no later than the actual Due Date reflected on your Payee statement unless the Due Date falls on a non-Business Day. If the actual Due Date falls on a non-Business Day, you must select a Scheduled Payment Date that is at least one (1) Business Day before the actual Due Date. Scheduled Payment Dates should be prior to any late date or grace period.
The Service Guarantee
Due to circumstances beyond the control of the Service, particularly delays in handling and posting payments by Payees or financial institutions, some transactions may take longer to be credited to your account. The Service will bear responsibility for any late payment related charges up to $50.00 should a payment post after its Due Date as long as the payment was scheduled in accordance with the guidelines described under "Payment Scheduling" in this Agreement.
Payment Authorizations and Payment Remittance
By providing the Service with names and account information of Payees to whom you wish to direct payments, you authorize the Service to follow the Payment Instructions that it receives through the payment system. In order to process payments more efficiently and effectively, the Service may edit or alter payment data or data formats in accordance with Payee directives.
When the Service receives a Payment Instruction, you authorize the Service to debit your Payment Account and remit funds on your behalf so that the funds arrive as close as reasonably possible to the Scheduled Payment Date designated by you. You also authorize the Service to credit your Payment Account for payments returned to the Service by the United States Postal Service or Payee, or payments remitted to you on behalf of another authorized user of the Service.
The Service will use its best efforts to make all your payments properly. However, the Service shall incur no liability and any Service Guarantee shall be void if the Service is unable to complete any payments initiated by you because of the existence of any one or more of the following circumstances:
- If, through no fault of the Service, your Payment Account does not contain sufficient funds to complete the transaction or the transaction would exceed the credit limit of your overdraft account;
- The payment processing center is not working properly and you know or have been advised by the Service about the malfunction before you execute the transaction;
- You have not provided the Service with the correct Payment Account information, or the correct name, address, phone number, or account information for the Payee; and/or,
- Circumstances beyond control of the Service (such as, but not limited to, fire, flood, or interference from an outside force) prevent the proper execution of the transaction and the Service has taken reasonable precautions to avoid those circumstances.
Provided none of the foregoing exceptions are applicable, if the Service causes an incorrect amount of funds to be removed from your Payment Account or causes funds from your Payment Account to be directed to a Payee which does not comply with your Payment Instructions, the Service shall be responsible for returning the improperly transferred funds to your Payment Account, and for directing to the proper Payee any previously misdirected transactions, and, if applicable, for any late payment related charges.
Payment Methods
The Service reserves the right to select the method in which to remit funds on your behalf to your Payee. These payment methods may include, but may not be limited to, an electronic payment, an electronic to check payment, or a laser draft payment.
Payment Cancellation Requests
You may cancel or edit any Scheduled Payment (including recurring payments) by following the directions within the application. There is no charge for canceling or editing a Scheduled Payment. Once the Service has begun processing a payment it cannot be cancelled or edited, therefore a stop payment request must be submitted.
Stop Payment Requests
The Service's ability to process a stop payment request will depend on the payment method and whether or not a check has cleared. The Service may also not have a reasonable opportunity to act on any stop payment request after a payment has been processed. If you desire to stop any payment that has already been processed, you must contact Customer Service. Although the Service will make every effort to accommodate your request, the Service will have no liability for failing to do so. The Service may also require you to present your request in writing within fourteen (14) days. The charge for each stop payment request will be the current charge for such service as set out in the applicable fee schedule.
Prohibited Payments
Payments to Payees outside of the United States or its territories are prohibited through the Service.
Exception Payments
Tax payments and court ordered payments may be scheduled through the Service, however such payments are discouraged and must be scheduled at your own risk. In no event shall the Service be liable for any claims or damages resulting from your scheduling of these types of payments. The Service Guarantee as it applies to any late payment related charges is void when these types of payments are scheduled and/or processed by the Service. The Service has no obligation to research or resolve any claim resulting from an exception payment. All research and resolution for any misapplied, mis-posted or misdirected payments will be the sole responsibility of you and not of the Service.
Bill Delivery and Presentment
This feature is for the presentment of electronic bills only and it is your sole responsibility to contact your Payees directly if you do not receive your statements. In addition, if you elect to activate one of the Service's electronic bill options, you also agree to the following:
Information provided to the Payee - The Service is unable to update or change your personal information such as, but not limited to, name, address, phone numbers and e-mail addresses, with the electronic Payee. Any changes will need to be made by contacting the Payee directly. Additionally it is your responsibility to maintain all usernames and passwords for all electronic Payee sites. You also agree not to use someone else's information to gain unauthorized access to another person's bill.
Activation - Upon activation of the electronic bill feature the Service may notify the Payee of your request to receive electronic billing information. The presentment of your first electronic bill may vary from Payee to Payee and may take up to sixty (60) days, depending on the billing cycle of each Payee. Additionally, the ability to receive a paper copy of your statement(s) is at the sole discretion of the Payee. While your electronic bill feature is being activated it is your responsibility to keep your accounts current. Each electronic Payee reserves the right to accept or deny your request to receive electronic bills.
Notification - The Service will use its best efforts to present all of your electronic bills promptly. In addition to notification within the Service, the Service may send an e-mail notification to the e-mail address listed for your account. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that this information is accurate. In the event you do not receive notification, it is your responsibility to periodically logon to the Service and check on the delivery of new electronic bills. The time for notification may vary from Payee to Payee. You are responsible for ensuring timely payment of all bills.
Cancellation of electronic bill notification - The electronic Payee reserves the right to cancel the presentment of electronic bills at any time. You may cancel electronic bill presentment at any time. The timeframe for cancellation of your electronic bill presentment may vary from Payee to Payee. It may take up to sixty (60) days, depending on the billing cycle of each Payee. The Service will notify your electronic Payee(s) as to the change in status of your account and it is your sole responsibility to make arrangements for an alternative form of bill delivery. The Service will not be responsible for presenting any electronic bills that are already in process at the time of cancellation.
Non-Delivery of electronic bill(s) - You agree to hold the Service harmless should the Payee fail to deliver your statement(s). You are responsible for ensuring timely payment of all bills. Copies of previously delivered bills must be requested from the Payee directly.
Accuracy and dispute of electronic bill - The Service is not responsible for the accuracy of your electronic bill(s). The Service is only responsible for presenting the information we receive from the Payee. Any discrepancies or disputes regarding the accuracy of your electronic bill summary or detail must be addressed with the Payee directly.
This Agreement does not alter your liability or obligations that currently exist between you and your Payees.
Exclusions of Warranties
THE SERVICE AND RELATED DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Password and Security
You agree not to give or make available your password or other means to access your account to any unauthorized individuals. You are responsible for all payments you authorize using the Service. If you permit other persons to use the Service or your password or other means to access your account, you are responsible for any transactions they authorize. If you believe that your password or other means to access your account has been lost or stolen or that someone may attempt to use the Service without your consent or has transferred money without your permission, you must notify the Service at once by calling 800-707-1893 during customer service hours.
Your Liability for Unauthorized Transfers
If you tell us within two (2) Business Days after you discover your password or other means to access your account has been lost or stolen, your liability is no more than $50.00 should someone access your account without your permission. If you do not tell us within two (2) Business Days after you learn of such loss or theft, and we can prove that we could have prevented the unauthorized use of your password or other means to access your account if you had told us, you could be liable for as much as $500.00. If your monthly financial institution statement contains transfers that you did not authorize, you must tell us at once. If you do not tell us within sixty (60) days after the statement was sent to you, you may lose any amount transferred without your authorization after the sixty (60) days if we can prove that we could have stopped someone from taking the money had you told us in time. If a good reason (such as a long trip or a hospital stay) prevented you from telling us, we may extend the period.
Errors and Questions
In case of errors or questions about your transactions, you should as soon as possible notify us via one of the following:
- Telephone us at 800-707-1893 during customer service hours;
- Contact us by using the application's e-messaging feature; and/or,
- Write us at:
Citizens First Bank
PO Box 1927
Lady Lake, FL 32158-1927
If you think your statement is incorrect or you need more information about a Service transaction listed on the statement, we must hear from you no later than sixty (60) days after the FIRST statement was sent to you on which the problem or error appears. You must:
- Tell us your name and Service account number;
- Describe the error or the transaction in question, and explain as clearly as possible why you believe it is an error or why you need more information; and,
- Tell us the dollar amount of the suspected error.
If you tell us verbally, we may require that you send your complaint in writing within ten (10) Business Days after your verbal notification. We will tell you the results of our investigation within ten (10) Business Days after we hear from you, and will correct any error promptly. However, if we require more time to confirm the nature of your complaint or question, we reserve the right to take up to forty-five (45) days to complete our investigation. If we decide to do this, we will provisionally credit your Payment Account within ten (10) Business Days for the amount you think is in error. If we ask you to submit your complaint or question in writing and we do not receive it within ten (10) Business Days, we may not provisionally credit your Payment Account. If it is determined there was no error we will mail you a written explanation within three (3) Business Days after completion of our investigation. You may ask for copies of documents used in our investigation. The Service may revoke any provisional credit provided to you if we find an error did not occur.
Disclosure of Account Information to Third Parties
It is our general policy to treat your account information as confidential. However, we will disclose information to third parties about your account or the transactions you make ONLY in the following situations:
- Where it is necessary for completing transactions;
- Where it is necessary for activating additional services;
- In order to verify the existence and condition of your account to a third party, such as a credit bureau or Payee;
- To a consumer reporting agency for research purposes only;
- In order to comply with a governmental agency or court orders; or,
- If you give us your written permission.
Service Fees and Additional Charges
Any applicable fees will be charged regardless of whether the Service was used during the billing cycle. There may be a charge for additional transactions and other optional services. You agree to pay such charges and authorize the Service to deduct the calculated amount from your designated Billing Account for these amounts and any additional charges that may be incurred by you. Any financial fees associated with your standard deposit accounts will continue to apply. You are responsible for any and all telephone access fees and/or Internet service fees that may be assessed by your telephone and/or Internet service provider.
Failed or Returned Transactions
In using the Service, you are requesting the Service to make payments for you from your Payment Account. If we are unable to complete the transaction for any reason associated with your Payment Account (for example, there are insufficient funds in your Payment Account to cover the transaction), the transaction will not be completed. In some instances, you will receive a return notice from the Service. In such case, you agree that:
- You will reimburse the Service immediately upon demand the transaction amount that has been returned to the Service;
- For any amount not reimbursed to the Service within fifteen (15) days of the initial notification, a late charge equal to 1.5% monthly interest or the legal maximum, whichever rate is lower, for any unpaid amounts may be imposed;
- You will reimburse the Service for any fees imposed by your financial institution as a result of the return;
- You will reimburse the Service for any fees it incurs in attempting to collect the amount of the return from you; and,
- The Service is authorized to report the facts concerning the return to any credit reporting agency.
Alterations and Amendments
This Agreement, applicable fees and service charges may be altered or amended by the Service from time to time. In such event, the Service shall provide notice to you. Any use of the Service after the Service provides you a notice of change will constitute your agreement to such change(s). Further, the Service may, from time to time, revise or update the applications, services, and/or related material, which may render all such prior versions obsolete. Consequently, the Service reserves the right to terminate this Agreement as to all such prior versions of the applications, services, and/or related material and limit access to only the Service's more recent revisions and updates.
Address or Banking Changes
It is your sole responsibility to ensure that the contact information in your user profile is current and accurate. This includes, but is not limited to, name, address, phone numbers and email addresses. Changes can be made either within the application or by contacting Customer Service. Any changes in your Payment Account should also be made in accordance with the procedures outlined within the application's Help files. All changes made are effective immediately for scheduled and future payments paid from the updated Payment Account information. The Service is not responsible for any payment processing errors or fees incurred if you do not provide accurate Payment Account or contact information.
Service Termination, Cancellation, or Suspension
In the event you wish to cancel the Service, you may have the ability to do so through the product, or you may contact customer service via one of the following:
- Telephone us at 800-707-1893 during customer service hours; and/or
- Write us at:
Citizens First Bank
PO Box 1927
Lady Lake, FL 32158-1927
Any payment(s) the Service has already processed before the requested cancellation date will be completed by the Service. All Scheduled Payments including recurring payments will not be processed once the Service is cancelled. The Service may terminate or suspend Service to you at any time. Neither termination nor suspension shall affect your liability or obligations under this Agreement.
Payee Limitation
The Service reserves the right to refuse to pay any Payee to whom you may direct a payment. The Service will notify you promptly if it decides to refuse to pay a Payee designated by you. This notification is not required if you attempt to make a prohibited payment or an exception payment under this Agreement.
Returned Payments
In using the Service, you understand that Payees and/or the United States Postal Service may return payments to the Service for various reasons such as, but not limited to, Payee's forwarding address expired; Payee account number is not valid; Payee is unable to locate account; or Payee account is paid in full. The Service will use its best efforts to research and correct the returned payment and return it to your Payee, or void the payment and credit your Payment Account. You may receive notification from the Service.
Information Authorization
Your enrollment in the Service may not be fulfilled if the Service cannot verify your identity or other necessary information. Through your enrollment in the Service, you agree that the Service reserves the right to request a review of your credit rating at its own expense through an authorized bureau. In addition, you agree that the Service reserves the right to obtain financial information regarding your account from a Payee or your financial institution (for example, to resolve payment posting problems or for verification).
Disputes
In the event of a dispute regarding the Service, you and the Service agree to resolve the dispute by looking to this Agreement. You agree that this Agreement is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between you and the Service which supersedes any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other communications between you and the Service relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. If there is a conflict between what an employee of the Service or Customer Service Department says and the terms of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement will prevail.
Assignment
You may not assign this Agreement to any other party. The Service may assign this Agreement to any future, directly or indirectly, affiliated company. The Service may also assign or delegate certain of its rights and responsibilities under this Agreement to independent contractors or other third parties.
No Waiver
The Service shall not be deemed to have waived any of its rights or remedies hereunder unless such waiver is in writing and signed by the Service. No delay or omission on the part of the Service in exercising any rights or remedies shall operate as a waiver of such rights or remedies or any other rights or remedies. A waiver on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any rights or remedies on future occasions.
Captions
The captions of sections hereof are for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions of this Agreement.
Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions.
THE FOREGOING SHALL CONSTITUTE THE SERVICE'S ENTIRE LIABILITY AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE SERVICE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS (EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE INSTALLATION, USE, OR MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, AND/OR THE SERVICE.
Privacy Policy
At CheckFree Services Corporation, a subsidiary of Fiserv Solutions, Inc. ("CheckFree"), we know privacy is important to you. It is also vital to our business. This Privacy Policy describes the types of "Personal Information" (information that is identifiable to a particular person) that we collect in connection with products and services offered through the website at https://www.mycitizensfirst.com/onlineserv/HB/HomeBanking.cgi (the "Site"), and explains how we safeguard your privacy as a user of those products and services. For more details on what your rights and obligations are when using the products and services offered on the Site, please refer to the Terms & Conditions found on the Site.
Coverage
CheckFree offers many products and services, some of which are available through other organizations such as banks, credit unions, brokerage firms, Internet portals, and others. This Privacy Policy applies only to electronic billing, electronic payment, and other products and services offered by CheckFree through the Site. CheckFree products and services offered through other organizations comply with the Privacy Policies of those organizations.
What Types of Personal Information We Collect
The Personal Information that CheckFree collects from or about you may include:
- Contact Information such as name, postal address, and e-mail address;
- Account numbers and other information on bills you would like to view online;
- Information about bank checking accounts and credit card accounts, if you decide to make payments from those accounts through the Site;
- Information maintained about you by consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus; and
- Information to help verify your identity and authenticate your access to your information, products and services at the Site, including a password, secret question and secret answer.
How We Collect Your Information
CheckFree may collect Personal Information about you from the following sources:
- Your enrollment applications, or similar forms;
- Your use of the Site and the products and services offered through it, including data transmitted to CheckFree through cell phones and other mobile devices;
- Companies that provide content, such as electronic bills, to the Site, or that use CheckFree's electronic billing and/or electronic payment services at their sites;
- Consumer reporting agencies; and
- Other sources, as allowed by law.
Cookies and Other Related Issues
When you visit the Site, we receive certain standard information that your browser sends to every website you visit, such as your IP address, browser type and language, access times and referring website addresses. This data does not identify you uniquely. However, it is used to assist in "authenticating" who you are when you access the Site.
We may also receive additional information about your visit to the Site, including the pages you view, the links you click and other actions you take in connection with the Site and the products and services offered through it. This data is used to make the site design more efficient.
Like most websites, the Site also uses "cookies," which are small text files placed on your computer by the web server when you visit the Site. Most such cookies are "session" cookies that are only used for a specific period during which you are on the Site (such as when you are going through the authentication process or using webchat), but a few are "persistent" cookies that stay on your hard drive and are read by the web server when you return to the site. The Site uses cookies to store your preferences and other information on your computer in order to save you time by eliminating the need to repeatedly enter the same information and to display your personalized content on your later visits to the Site. Cookies cannot and will not be used to deliver or run programs on your computer. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. However, if you choose to decline cookies, you will not be able to sign in or use other interactive features of the Site that depend on cookies.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Personal Information
Citizens First Bank treats your Personal Information as confidential. Citizens First Bank does not sell or rent your Personal Information. Citizens First Bank does not share your Personal Information in a manner that differs from what is described in this Privacy Policy without your prior consent. We may use and disclose your Personal Information for the following purposes, including limited disclosures to nonaffiliated third-party service providers performing services on our behalf, and to certain other non-affiliated entities as described below:
- To complete transactions and render products and services authorized by you (such as sharing the information with an electric company or other biller as necessary to allow the biller to authenticate you, to pay a bill, and to send messages to you related to the authorized products and services);
- To send you information about additional products and services that have been or will be offered through the Site by Citizens First Bank and others; although you may opt out of receiving commercial email marketing messages from Citizens First Bank by following the opt-out processes described in those messages;
- To perform fraud screening, to verify your identity, determine your credit history, collect on accounts, furnish delinquent account information to credit reporting agencies, and verify the information contained in your account (such as sharing information with a credit reporting agency during the account enrollment process);
- To comply with laws and regulations, including compliance with court orders or lawful instructions from a government agency, to protect the personal safety of subscribers or the public, to defend Citizens First Bank from claims, and to protect Citizens First Bank 's rights and property, and as otherwise permitted by applicable law; and
- As otherwise authorized by you.
Access to Your Information
You may review and update the Personal Information maintained about you in the "My Profile" section of the Site at any time to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date.
How We Keep Your Information Secure
To ensure that your Personal Information remains confidential, CheckFree uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to transmit and receive your Personal Information in an encrypted form.
Additionally, we maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to help prevent unauthorized access to your Personal Information. We update and test our technology frequently to improve these protections and to ensure the integrity of your Personal Information.
CheckFree has policies and procedures that limit employee access to your Personal Information to those with a business reason to have such information. We educate our employees about the importance of confidentiality and customer privacy, and we take appropriate disciplinary measures to enforce our privacy practices.
Protection for Former Customers
We treat the Personal Information of our former customers with the same care and respect as that of our current customers.
Compliance with Applicable Laws
CheckFree complies with applicable laws and regulations pertaining to information about you, including U.S. federal laws pertaining to "nonpublic personal information" and "consumer report information." CheckFree uses and discloses those types of information only as permitted by applicable law and described in this Privacy Policy.
Keeping Up to Date with Our Privacy Policy
The most current Privacy Policy is kept posted on the Site. For a printed copy of the most current Privacy Policy you may contact us by mail, by telephone, or by e-mail at the addresses listed below.
Contacting Us
Your privacy and the protection of your Personal Information are central to our business. Our products and services are developed with your privacy and security as a priority. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us in one of the following ways:
In writing:
Citizens First Bank
PO Box 1927
Lady Lake, FL 32158-1927
E-mail:
Telephone number:
Contact us toll free at 800-707-1893 or 352-753-9515 during business hours.