Even when military members are deployed, they still have to pay their bills. Not paying your bills or constantly making late payments can wreck your credit score. Being in the military, there can also be consequences for not being financially responsible. A deployment is stressful enough without having the additional worry of how to pay your bills.
Back in the old days, well, before the internet anyway, soldiers and sailors had to either have their bills forwarded to them or trust a family member to pay their bills for them. There was always the risk of not receiving the mail on time or the person who you entrusted to pay your bills not actually doing it.
The internet has made life much easier. Not only is it a communication and information tool, it is also an excellent way to pay bills. Online bill pay is available at most banks. Before you deploy, check with your bank about setting up an online bill pay account. There may be a small monthly fee, but it is usually just a few dollars which is less than the cost of stamps to mail your bills.
A few days after opening your account, your pin number will arrive in the mail. Most banks allow you to change it but remember to use a unique pin number, not your address or birthday. Round up all of your current monthly bills and access your online checking account. On the main account screen, there will be a tab for bill payments. Click on that tab and access that screen by logging in with your pin number. You must set up an account for each bill which will take a few minutes. To do this, you need to know the account numbers and the mailing addresses for each payment.
Most companies have electronic payments available which means the payment goes through anywhere from one to three days. There may be a few payments which are paid by check. The bank will process your payment and mail a check from the bank to the creditor. This can take up to ten days so it is important to know if the payment will be electronic or check so you can make the payment on time. When you set up the accounts, it will tell what kind of payment it will be for each account.
With online bill pay, you can pay your bills as they come due or set up automatic payments. If you have limited internet access when you deploy, automatic payments are the way to go. Just set up the amount to be paid each month and you will never have to worry about missing a payment. Relieve some of the stress of deploying with online bill pay and you will have the peace of mind knowing your bills will be paid on time, no matter where you are.