How to Set Up Online Bill Pay with Bank of America (2026)

You want to stop writing checks and licking stamps, and let Bank of America send your payments for you. Online Bill Pay does exactly that: you add the companies and people you owe, pick a funding account, and schedule the money to arrive on time, either once or automatically every cycle.

The whole system is free to use, and once it is set up, paying a bill takes under a minute from a browser or your phone. There is a small amount of setup the first time, plus a few timing rules worth knowing so a payment never lands late.

Below is the complete setup, ordered fastest and most common first: enrollment, then the desktop and mobile paths to add a payee and pay a bill, then recurring AutoPay, then the timing and funding rules that decide whether your payment actually arrives on schedule.

Confirm You Have What Bill Pay Requires

Before anything appears on screen, two prerequisites must be in place.

• You must be enrolled in Bank of America Online Banking and have accepted both the Online Banking terms and the separate Bill Pay terms.
• You need an eligible funding ("Pay From") account. That means a checking account, a money market savings account, a SafeBalance Banking account, or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) during its draw period (a Texas exception applies to the HELOC).

A credit card cannot be a "Pay From" account. You can pay a credit card bill through Bill Pay, but the money always comes from one of the deposit or HELOC accounts above. To add any payee you will also want the company's full mailing address and your account number with that biller.

Enroll in Online Banking and Activate Bill Pay

If you are already enrolled in Online Banking, skip to the next step. First-time users start here.

1. 1.Go to the enrollment page at secure.bankofamerica.com and complete Online Banking enrollment, accepting the Online Banking terms and conditions.
2. 2.Log in to Online Banking and select the Bill Pay tab.
3. 3.Accept the terms and conditions for the online Bill Pay service. You can then begin using Bill Pay right away.

There is no fee to use Bill Pay through Bank of America.

Add a Payee on the Web (Pay & Transfer > Pay Bills)

You add the company or person you owe before you can pay them. From a desktop browser:

1. 1.Log in at bankofamerica.com.
2. 2.Select the Pay & Transfer tab at the top of the screen.
3. 3.Click Pay Bills.
4. 4.Select Add a Company or Person.
5. 5.Choose the Company tab (or the Person tab for an individual). Enter the business name and click the search icon. Most details populate automatically when the payee is found.
6. 6.If the company is not located, manually enter all of the information.
7. 7.Complete every required field, including the full company mailing address, then click Add.
8. 8.After confirmation, select Finish to return to Bill Pay, or Add Another Bill to keep adding payees.

Pay a Bill on the Web

With at least one payee saved, scheduling a payment is quick.

1. 1.Log in at bankofamerica.com and, from the Accounts Overview page, select the Pay & Transfer tab.
2. 2.Choose Pay Bills.
3. 3.Pick the payee you want to pay and select the Pay From account. (From here you can also view activity, set reminders, enable AutoPay, or request eBills.)
4. 4.Enter the payment amount and the deliver-by date. Repeat for additional payees if you like.
5. 5.Click Make Payments.
6. 6.Confirm the payment was scheduled and print the confirmation if you need a record. Click Return to Payment Center to modify or cancel a payment.

Your funds stay in the account until the scheduled payment date, and the payment method is shown on the confirmation screen near the deliver-by date.

Add a Payee in the Mobile Banking App

The app mirrors the web flow. Button labels appear in capitals in the official walkthrough.

1. 1.Open the Mobile Banking app and log in.
2. 2.Select Pay & Transfer.
3. 3.Select Pay Bills.
4. 4.Select Add a new payee.
5. 5.Choose Company or Person.
6. 6.Enter the company name and tap SEARCH. Most details populate automatically if found; if not, manually add the account number or browse the company list.
7. 7.Complete all required fields, including the company's full mailing address, then tap SAVE.
8. 8.On the confirmation, tap DONE to return to Bill Pay, or select Pay to process a payment, or add another pay-to account.

Pay a Bill in the Mobile Banking App

1. 1.Log in to the Mobile Banking app.
2. 2.Select Pay & Transfer.
3. 3.Select Pay Bills. Your existing payees appear here; tap Go to Bill Pay, and to add a new recipient, scroll down and tap Add a new payee.
4. 4.Tap the circle next to the payee you want (you can select more than one), then tap Pay.
5. 5.Choose the Pay From account, enter the amount, select the frequency and deliver-by date, and optionally add a reference note.
6. 6.Tap Pay.
7. 7.On the confirmation screen, save, print, or email the payment details, then tap Done.

The "Payment Type" shown on the confirmation indicates how the payment is delivered to the merchant. If you prefer voice, the Erica assistant in the Mobile Banking app can add a new payee, pay a bill, and cancel a bill payment.

Set Up AutoPay for Recurring Bills

AutoPay sends a payment on a schedule so you never have to remember it. On the web, open the payee's page and select Add AutoPay, then pick one of two options.

• Based on the eBill amount and due date: in the AutoPay section choose "Based on eBill's amount and due date," then set your payment source, amount, and delivery date and select Save. This requires that the biller sends you eBills.
• A fixed amount and date: choose "Using an amount and date you choose," then enter the amount, how often the payment should be sent, and when the first payment is delivered.

You decide how long the recurring payment continues, and you can turn on email notifications for upcoming payment status.

Set Up AutoPay for a Bank of America Credit Card

Credit card AutoPay specifically requires eBills first.

1. 1.Confirm eBills is active for the card in the Bill Pay tab.
2. 2.If the card is not yet a payee, select Add a Company or Person to add it.
3. 3.Select Add AutoPay, then Based on eBill's amount and due date.
4. 4.Choose your payment source, amount, and delivery date.
5. 5.Select Save.

One catch: if you are already receiving eBills when you set up statement-based AutoPay, you must pay your current eBill manually. AutoPay begins with your next eBill cycle.

Schedule Around the Cutoff and Delivery Rules

Timing is where payments succeed or slip. Keep these rules in mind.

• Schedule payments at least five bank business days before the due date, and keep the funding account in good standing with sufficient funds. This is also the window required for Bank of America's Bill Pay reimbursement guarantee to apply.
• For non-Bank of America billers, payments started before 5:00 p.m. ET on a business day begin processing that same business day; after that, they process the next business day.
• Bank of America payees have their own cutoffs: credit cards by 11:59 p.m. ET for same-day credit, mortgage before 5:00 p.m. ET, and vehicle loans before 3:30 p.m. ET for vehicle-loan-only customers or 5:00 p.m. ET when paying from a checking or savings account.
• Not all billers accept electronic payments. When a biller does not, Bank of America mails a paper check on your behalf, which takes longer, so the five-day lead time matters.
• SafeBalance accounts process withdrawals before the payee delivery date.

How and when your account is debited depends on the payment method. For electronic transmissions or corporate checks, funds are debited on the scheduled delivery date. For a personal check, your account is debited when the check is presented for payment, which may happen before, on, or after the delivery date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bank of America charge a fee for Bill Pay?

No. There is no fee to use Bill Pay through Bank of America.

Can I pay a bill from a credit card?

No. Bill Pay funds come only from a checking, money market savings, SafeBalance, or HELOC (draw period) account. A credit card can be a payee you pay, but never a "Pay From" source.

How far in advance should I schedule a payment?

Schedule it at least five bank business days before the due date. Some payees receive a mailed paper check rather than an electronic payment, and that takes longer to arrive.

What is the difference between the two AutoPay options?

One option pays based on the eBill's amount and due date, which requires that the biller sends you eBills. The other lets you choose a fixed amount, how often it is sent, and when the first payment is delivered, with no eBills needed.

What is the Bill Pay Guarantee, and when does it not apply?

If Bank of America fails to process a payment according to your properly completed instructions, it will reimburse you for any late payment fees. It does not cover customer error, such as a wrong account number or address, or insufficient funds.

Do my funds leave my account immediately when I schedule a payment?

No. Your funds remain in your account until the scheduled payment date. The exact debit timing depends on whether the payment goes out electronically, as a corporate check, or as a personal check.