About Online Banking   |  About Online Bill Payment   |  General Questions   What is Alden State Bank Online Banking? Online banking is your free tool to connect with the bank when you may not be able to visit our offices.  Online banking allows you to safely and securely perform immediate or scheduled transfers of funds among your accounts, check real-time balances, make loan payments, order checks, request stop payments on checks, view and print images of paid checks, view and print current and past statements, pay bills and more… all in the convenience of your own home, office, or even while you’re on vacation - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!    Is there any charge for using the Alden State Bank Online Banking System? No. There is no charge for using the online banking system itself.  Charges for services such as issuing stop payments, copies, and special requests will still apply.  The bill payment feature requires a separate registration and does have nominal charges for its use by business account holders.      What accounts are accessible online? Almost any account held at the bank is viewable online. - Checking - Savings - Individual Retirement Accounts - Certificates of Deposit - Loans - Mortgages   What type of accounts can I transfer funds to and from? You can transfer money between any of your checking or savings accounts except for your passbook savings accounts. You will still be able to view your passbook savings balance online.    When will my funds be transferred? All transfers initiated before 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, will be made when entered. Any transfer initiated after 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time will be made on the next business day.   When I make a transfer or a bill payment what assurance do I have that the transfer has occurred and how can I identify my transaction to the bank? When you make a bill payment or a transfer of funds you will receive a confirmation number.  This number is proof that the transaction has taken place.  The confirmation number is also used by the bank in resolving any problem with the payment or transfer that may occur. Please record the confirmation number in your check register or print the confirmation screen in case you need to verify the payment at a later date.   What computer processing and security requirements are necessary for me to use the Alden State Bank Online Banking System? A web browser is special computer software that allows you to visit internet web sites and view web pages on a computer screen.   The Internet web browser must be one of the following:   Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista: Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher Netscape Navigator version 6.1 or higher Mozilla Firefox version 1.0 or higher Opera version 7.54 or higher Mac OS X: Netscape Navigator version 7.0 or higher Mozilla Camino version 0.8.1 or higher Apple Safari version 1.0 or higher Mozilla Firefox version 1.0 or higher Opera version 7.54 or higher   In order to insure that the exchange of information over the Internet is kept secure and confidential, special encryption (coding of the information), and decryption (decoding of the information) is necessary.  Web browsers utilize this encryption methodology and allow varying degrees, or levels of security to be used.  The Alden State Bank Online Banking System uses the Verisign Global Digital  Certificate to verify its web authentication and identity for secure e-commerce and communications over the Internet.  Older personal computers have their web browsers defaulted  to 40-bit encryption.  We  require that browsers use 128-bit encryption to exchange information. This is the highest level of online security available and it poses the least risk for external violation.  If your encryption is not 128-bit, upgrades to 128-bit encryption can be downloaded free of charge from Microsoft and Netscape.    For Netscape 128-bit encryption downloads visit:   http://www.fortify.net/    For Microsoft Internet Explorer 128-bit encryption downloads visit:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/downloads/recommended/128bit/default.mspx   One of the features of the Alden State Bank Online Banking System is the ability to retrieve checking or savings statements and view them on the computer screen.  In order to view these statements, your personal computer needs to have the following software installed:   Adobe Acrobat Reader - version 4.0 or greater   This software is free of charge and can be downloaded from the Internet at the following Internet address: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html How do I enroll to use the Alden State Bank Online Banking System? Click on the “Online Banking” menu item or button from the home menu at this website.  At the online banking system web page, click on the “First Time Log On” button.  Complete the information required and click the submit button.  Within a couple of business days you will receive in the mail an initial Access ID and Password that will allow you entry into the banking system.  You will be required to choose a new access ID and a new password for use with the online banking service.  You should keep your access ID and your password confidential and in a secure location separate from the computer, related equipment and software you use for the online banking service.   Can I view my current savings and checking statements in the Alden State Bank Online Banking System? Yes. The system will show the current activity on your account since your last statement. The system will also show the previous 12 months of statements for your accounts. You can display archived statements on your screen and even print them on your home printer.  For archived statements, first click on the Account and then choose Documents.   Can I view a copy of a check I wrote? Yes. On the “transactions” tab, click on current statement.  Click on the check number you would like to view. You can also print a copy of the check. To view the back of the check, click once on the face of the check.   What number can I call for Online Banking support? You can call 716-937-3381 or email support@aldenstate.com.   What does it cost to use the Alden State Bank online bill payment system? For consumer accounts, this service is FREE.  For business accounts, the first 30 days after you register, you can use the bill payment feature for free. After the first 30 days, you will be charged $4.95 per calendar month for up to 15 bill payments.  For each bill payment in excess of 15 during any calendar month, you will be charged $.50 per bill payment. The monthly fee and any per transaction charges will be charged to your account on the last calendar day of each month.   Do I need to register to use the Alden State Bank online bill payment system? Yes. You must first be enrolled in the Alden State Bank Online Banking System.  Once enrolled, you will receive a bill payment registration form in the mail to request the service and you can designate the checking or NOW account you wish to use for bill payment.  The monthly fee and any per transaction charges will also be deducted from this account. Simply return the form by mail or drop it off at either of our locations and you will be ready to pay bills with a click of your mouse.   Can I use my savings account at the Alden State Bank for bill payment? No. Savings accounts cannot be directly used to pay bills - a checking or NOW account is required.  However, you can transfer money from a savings account to a checking account prior to submitting your bill payment request during the same online session.   Can I make future bill payments using the Alden State Bank online bill payment system? Yes. You can schedule bill payments up to one year in advance.  You indicate if a bill is to be paid immediately or on a future effective date.   How soon are funds actually taken out of my account? Your account will be debited on the payment date you have indicated. Bills must be submitted prior to 3:00 pm on the payment date desired or they will not be paid until the following business day.    What if there is not enough money in my account on the date a payment is to be made? The bill payment system will look for funds three times (three business days including the payment date) in order to pay your bill.  After the third business day no further attempts will be made to pay the bill.   What if my payment date falls on a non-business day? When will it be paid? The payment will be made on the following business day.   How much time do I have to cancel a bill payment? You can cancel any bill payment up to 3:00 pm on the payment date it is to be paid.   Who can I pay with my Alden State Bank online bill payment? You can make a payment to almost any individual or business that presents you with an invoice for a service or purchase.  You cannot pay bills online to government entities, for court directed payments such as alimony and child support, or to payees located outside of the United States. You may not pay the same vendor more than once per business day.  Entering a second payment for a vendor will cause any earlier payments for that business day to be cancelled.    Should I make the payment date the same as the due date on the invoice? No.  You should allow 5-7 business days for the payment to be sent and processed.  An attempt will first be made to pay the bill electronically; if this is not possible then a manual check will be created for you and sent to the payee using the normal mail system.   What if the payee has not posted my payment? You should allow (7) business days for a payee to receive your payment. If your payment has not been posted within (7) business days after your scheduled payment date, you may send us a request to verify that the Online Bill Payment was made.  Click on “Contact Us” on our home page to send us an e-mail with your request. We will research your payment and get back to you within one business day.   What if I no longer wish to use the bill payment option? You may cancel the service at any time by contacting us by mail, telephone, e-mail or in person.  You must have available the account number of the account to which bill payment is tied. If you are a business account customer and have used the bill payment option during the calendar month we receive your request to cancel, you will be billed a final charge of $4.95 for that month. We may require written confirmation of your authority to cancel the bill payment service.     How do I make a bill payment? Using the Alden State Bank online banking system, highlight and click with your mouse, the checking account number that was selected to be used for your online bill payment.  Click on the Payments button and select either “New Scheduled Payment” to create a new payment, or choose “Payment List” if the payment was previously set up. Creating a New Scheduled Payment To create a new scheduled payment, simply complete the following required fields where indicated:  Payee – the individual or company you wish to pay Address - the street address of the payee City, State, Zip code – the remittance address of the payee Phone Number – Most invoices have a phone number to call or an 800 number.  If there is none, fill the phone number fields with zeros.  Contact – not required but if it is indicated on your invoice, please include it. Click on “Next”, and a second page will appear. Verify the information already entered then enter the following:   Amount – enter the amount of your payment, using a decimal point for the cents. Date – Enter the date, (MM/DD/YYYY), you wish to pay the bill (allow 5 to 7 business days for processing). Frequency – Choose the frequency for the payment.  On Demand means one payment will be made on the date entered.  If you wish to set up a series of recurring payments, select the frequency of payment, for example, monthly or biweekly, and enter the number of recurring payments you would like made, for example 12 or 26, in the appropriate field.  The first of your recurring payments will be made on the date entered and subsequent payments of the same amount will be made at the selected frequency thereafter. Number of Payments – Complete this field only if you wish to make a series of recurring payments.  If you enter a 1 in this field, the bill payment system will make one payment and then drop your payment from the payment list.  By leaving this field blank, the payee information you have entered will remain on your payment list for future payments. Description – Any information you wish to enter which will describe the payment. This is not a required field. Account Number with Payee – Enter the account number as it appears on your invoice. Do not leave spaces between the numbers.  This field is required. Enter “Submit” and you will receive a confirmation screen for the payment with a payment confirmation number. Using the Payment List To use the payment list, simply check the vendor that you wish to pay and type the date and amount of the payment. Enter submit to pay and a confirmation screen will appear.   What is the Alden State Bank’s routing or ABA number? 022309611   How do I report a lost or stolen debit or ATM card? Immediately notify the Alden State Bank if you have lost your card or suspect that it is stolen.  Call our Bookkeeping Department at 716-937-3381 during normal office hours, (see “Locations” on our home menu for our hours of operation) or, if our office is closed, call 1-800-528-2273 immediately and notify us at 716-937-3381 as soon as office hours permit.