Bill Pay sends checks electronically whenever possible, but will send a paper check via the mail if the biller is unable to accept electronic payments.
So how can you tell what kind of payment will be sent? When you set up a biller in Bill Pay, you’ll notice a little icon on their entry in the Manage Billers tab next to the Pay button. An electronic payment is indicated by a lighting bolt icon, and a paper check will be indicated by a check icon, like in the example below:
When scheduling a payment’s send date, please note this is the date that funds will be debited from your checking account if the payment is electronic. Electronic payments will be delivered to the payee on the following business day. If the bill will be paid by check, the check will be mailed on the next business day. That payee (biller) will receive the check in accordance to standard USPS delivery timeframes. Funds will be debited from your account when they cash the check. We recommend scheduling the payment send date far enough in advance to accommodate these timeframes.