Shelby, MT Checking Accounts and Reloadable Debit Cards

Shelby Banks and Credit Unions in FindABetterBank

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Do You Know?

Why Banks Offer Free Online Billpay

Did you ever wonder why banks let you use online billpay for free? After all, it's not free for them -- they pay vendors like CheckFree big bucks so they can offer you free online billpay services. Are you worth it? Clearly, the banking industry is convinced you are -- almost all banks and credit unions provide free online billpay with all their checking accounts. Some banks even reward you to use it.

The simple answer is that bankers believe online billpay users remain customers for more years than customers who don't use online billpay. And an extra year of your business is worth providing you with free online billpay.

Look at the math: Let's estimate the average cost (to the bank) to offer you billpay at $0.50 per transaction and the average customer sends out 8 bills per month. That means it costs the bank about $4 per month or $48 per year to offer you free online billpay. So if their assumption that you'll stick around longer is correct, free online billpay makes sense. Why? The average checking account customer generates about $300 in revenue per year (fees, $ on your deposits, etc.).

The Difference between Reloadable Debit Cards and Prepaid Gift Cards

Both reloadable debit cards and prepaid gift cards can be used as replacements to bank-issued debit cards because they are accepted pretty much anywhere major credit cards are accepted. But unlike prepaid gift cards that are only meant to be used until the intended funds run out, reloadable debit cards can be continually refilled with funds. Reloadable debit cards can act like a replacement or accessory to a traditional checking account because they let cardholders withdraw money from ATMs, pay bills, and enroll in direct deposit. In addition, many reloadable cards come with FDIC protection and fraud protection.

Tips About Checking Accounts and Reloadable Debit Cards

How To Avoid ATM Fees

Most checking accounts come with free debit cards. These cards allow you to make purchases and withdraw money from ATMs. These ATMs ("Automatic Teller Machines") allow you to check your balance, withdraw and deposit money, and transfer money between your accounts. Read more...

Online Banking and Billpay Basic Features

Online Banking offers you unprecedented access to your account history and check images, and includes many features that make the trip to the branch a thing of the past! If you've never used online banking or wonder if your bank's online banking service are up to par, read on. Read more...

Overdraft Protection Options

An overdraft occurs when you make a purchase or transaction that takes your account into a negative balance. You may overdraft when you write a check, make a debit card purchase, or commit any transaction that pulls too much money from your account. You can avoid this trouble altogether by keeping track of your account's balance in a ledger or checking your balance frequently through online or mobile banking. But dire situations might require you to overdraft sometime, so it's good for all account holders to understand the overdraft policies. Read more...

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