Online Banking Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to Valley Bank’s Online Banking. This page provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions. If your question does not appear here you may:
- Visit our Online Education Center
- Click on the “Help” button located at the top of the page when you log in to Online Banking. (Please disregard the Bill Payment and Documents sections. They do not apply to our product.)
- Contact Us.
- Call our customer support line at (253)770-7680, 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 6:00pm Friday
How secure is Online Banking?
Is there a fee for Online Banking?
How do I enroll for Valley Bank’s Online Banking?
Which numbers are my account number?
How do I use Online Banking?
If I transfer money online, when is it posted to my account?
How do I
transfer funds between accounts?
I’m having trouble logging in to Online Banking. What’s wrong?
How do I change my password?
How do I view check images online?
Can I import my account activity to my Accounting software?
How do I re-order checks online?
How secure is Online Banking?
Valley Bank understands how important security is to our Online
Banking customers. We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality of
data transmitted over the Internet; however, we encrypt all data
transmissions between your computer and our data center using the
strongest SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocols available in the
industry. To provide you with a high level of security we recommend
you use a Web Browser that supports 128-bit encryption such as
Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher or Netscape
Navigator® version 6.2 or higher.
Upgrading to the newest browser version is free and easy. Visit the
appropriate Web site below.
For Microsoft Internet Explorer:
CLICK HERE
For AOL:
CLICK HERE
Maintaining security also involves you. Although our password
requirement is a minimum of six characters, consider creating a
password with eight or more, a combination of uppercase, lowercase,
numeric and special characters. Below are some guidelines for
creating a secure password.
Things NOT to do:
- Don’t choose words that can be found in any dictionary, whether English or any language (hackers use password dictionaries).
- Don’t reverse the spelling of a dictionary word.
- Don’t choose a name associated with you in any way (middle initial, wife’s maiden name, pet’s name, child’s name, your favorite team’s name, films, etc.)
- Don’t use biological terms.
Things to do:
- Use an acronym from an easy to remember phrase. !A stitch in time saves nine! can translate to !ASITS9!
- Make your password at least 8 characters long.
- Use a mixture of letters, numbers and special characters. Example: *JaFe90+
You must protect your password. Valley Bank will never need to know
your password and you should never furnish it to anyone, including
someone who claims to represent Valley Bank. If you think someone
else may know your Online Banking access ID and password,
contact us
immediately. It’s a good idea to change your password regularly.
This you can do by logging in to Online Banking and selecting
"Change Password" from the "Change Options" button located at the top
of the screen.
Always log off at the end of your online banking session.
Keeping your computer protected is important too.
- Install anti-virus software to protect against viruses, Trojan horses and worms. Perform regular scans of your computer and check for anti-virus updates.
- Make sure your firewall is updated and enabled.
- Download the latest updates for your computer and software which may include important security patches. If possible, select the automatic update option.
- Use spy-ware software to identify and delete unknown code on your personal computer that may monitor and collect your keystrokes and send personal information unknowingly to third parties.
- Secure Web sites will have an icon of a lock or key in the lower left or right corner of the screen. Never enter personal, private or financial data onto a Web site that does not have the lock or key icon displayed.
Finally, beware of “phishing”. Phishing is an Email scam that
thieves are using to “fish” for your personal financial information.
The Email will look like it comes from a reputable company that you
recognize and contains a button or link to click on that supposedly
takes you to the company’s Web site. There you will be asked for
personal information such as social security number, account
numbers, password. If you provide it, you may become the next victim
of identity theft. The best advice is, if you did not initiate the
communication, do not provide the information. Most companies or
institutions you do business will not need to update or ask for your
information. They already have it.
Click here to learn more about Phishing and ID Theft.
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Is there a fee for Online Banking?
No, Online Banking is free for consumers.
There are fees associated with Valley Bank’s business online banking
product, Cash Manager. If you would like more information about Cash
Manager, please call (253)770-7680.
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How do I enroll for Valley Bank’s Online Banking?
From our Web site at vbwa.com, in the upper left hand corner, click
on “First Time User”. You will be led to the Online Banking
Disclosure and Agreement. If you accept the agreement, the next
screen will ask for your Access ID and Password. The Access ID will
be your account number. It may be a checking, savings, certificate
of deposit, or loan number. If you have chosen an account number
other than checking, you must change the Account Type from the drop
down box. Enter your TeleBanc (automated telephone banking) Personal
Identification Number (PIN) for password. If you do not know your
PIN, please contact an account service representative at your
branch.
You will then be taken to a screen to change your Access ID and Password. You may select letters or numbers or a combination of both for your Access ID but it must contain six to twelve characters. Your Password must contain at least one alpha and one numeric character and six to twelve characters. Both Access ID and Password are case sensitive.
As an added layer of security, Valley Bank uses an authentication image and passphrase. This helps the bank identify you and you identify the bank. You will be prompted to complete a Security Data Enrollment form. Click here to learn more about this added layer of security.
Once you have enrolled for Online Banking, the next time you log in, enter your Access ID and click the Log In button on the first page, correctly answer your challenge question if prompted, then confirm your authentication image and passphrase before entering your Password. If you do not see your image and passphrase, log out and start over or call Valley Bank for assistance.
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Which numbers are my account number?
You can find your account number on the bottom of your
checks. This series of numbers is called the MICR line.
The first set of numbers consisting of nine digits is
the bank’s routing/transit number. Valley Bank’s routing
and transit number is 125106708. The second set of
numbers is your account number. It is a ten digit
number. The final set of numbers is your check number.
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How do I use Online Banking?
After you login to Online Banking, you will be shown a list of your
accounts and the balance in each account. If you want more detail or
want to initiate a transaction, just click the account number of the
account you would like to access.
At the top of the next screen you will see two rows of buttons. By
scrolling over the buttons you can see what options are available to
you.
You can click on the “Help” button at any time for more information or
Contact Us.
When you have completed your Online Banking session, we recommend
that you click the "Log Off" button to terminate your session.
However, if you forget to log off, the system will terminate your
session after a few minutes of inactivity. If you wish to continue
your banking session, just return to the Login area in the upper
left hand corner of the Web site and login again. As an additional
security precaution, we recommend that you close your browser after
your Online Banking session and clear your browser's history
occasionally.
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If I transfer money online, when is it posted to my account?
When you transfer money online between your Valley Bank accounts,
the transaction is “memo-posted” on your account and reflects the
new balance immediately. The transaction will be “hard posted” to
your account after 4 PM Pacific Time. Transfers made after 4 PM
Pacific Time will be “hard-posted” to your account on the next
business day. In other words, until your transaction is
“hard-posted” to your account, the transaction will be reflected in
the “Current Business Day” Transactions rather than the “Current
Statement” Transactions.
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How do I transfer funds between accounts?
Log in to Online Banking and click on the account number from which you wish to transfer funds. Click the Express Transfer button from the row of buttons at the top of the screen. Verify the “Transfer From” account number. (If available you can select a different account number from the drop down box.) Enter the amount(s) you wish to transfer in the “Transfer to Deposits” section and click “Next”. Review your transfer and click “Submit” to complete, ”Cancel” or “Back” to make changes or cancel. Print the confirmation screen or record your confirmation number. Review your new account balances to confirm the transfer.
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I’m having trouble logging in to Online Banking. What’s wrong?
If this is your first time logging in,
click
here. If not, be sure you are typing your Access ID and password using the correct
case and with no spaces. If it doesn’t work on the second try please
call. We can reset your password or help you get back online while
you are on the phone with us. Our Online Banking customer support
number is (253)770-7680. Support is available from 8:00 AM to 5:00
PM Pacific Time Monday through Thursday and Friday from 9:00 AM to
6:00 PM Pacific Time.
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How do I change my password?
After you log in to online banking, select “Change Password” from
the “Change Options” button located at the top of the screen. Enter
your current password and then your new one twice. Remember to enter
6 to 12 characters, including at least 1 alpha and 1 numeric
character. Access ID's and passwords are case sensitive. Click
“Submit”. You will get a confirmation your password has been
changed.
How do I view check images online?
For recent checks you may be able to view the image from your
"Current Statement" or "Previous Statement" if available. From
the "List of Accounts" page, click on the account number on which
the check was written. This will display the Account Activity
and Balance page. From the "Transactions" button located in
the row of buttons above, select "Current Statement" or "Previous
Statement" from the drop down menu. Click on any of the
underlined check numbers displayed.
For older paid
checks, if you know the check number of the check you want to view,
you can click on the "Transactions" button or select "Transactions
Menu" from the "Transactions" drop down. "Image Search" is
located in the lower right corner of the page. Enter the check
number only of the check you want to view and click "Display.
If the check has been paid you will see the image.* Select "File"
then "Print" to print the image and "Show Back" to view and print
the back of the check.
If you do not know the check number,
you can review prior statements which can be found under the
"Statements" button (Or "Documents" button for Cash Manager) located
next to the “Transactions” button. Then use the Image Search
tool to view the check.*
*For images of checks dated prior to
March 2005 please contact your branch.
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Can I import my account activity to my Accounting software?
Yes, we support Microsoft® Money and 2005 and newer versions of
Quicken® and Quickbooks® software. Log in to Online Banking from our
website or connect to our website through your accounting software
to log in, click the account number of the account from which you
want to download activity and from the “Transactions” button at the
top of the screen, select “Transactions Export”. Select the items to
be exported, and then select the Export Format from the drop-down
list box. Then click the "Export" button to complete the process.
Export Format Types:
- Comma Separated File (.CSV) Opens in an Excel spreadsheet.
- Intuit Quicken 2004 (.QIF)* Save to a file and import into Quicken.
- Microsoft Money (.OFX)
- Intuit Quickbooks 2004 (.IIF) * Save to a file and import into Quickbooks.
- Intuit Quicken 2005 and later versions (.QFX)*
- Intuit Quickbooks 2005 and later versions (.QBO)*
Or, select “Transactions Menu” from the “Transactions” button
and in the Transaction Search box click the "Display" button to
display a complete list of transactions. Select the "Export"
check box for each item to be exported. If the check box in the
title bar is selected, all displayed items are automatically
selected for export. If the check box is then deselected, all
displayed items will be deselected for export. Select the
appropriate file format type, and the export process will be
completed automatically.
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How do I re-order checks online?
On the Bank’s Web site, at the bottom of the homepage there is a button
that says “Re-Order your checks Online”. Clicking on that button
will link you to Harland, our check company. Make sure you select
“Personal” or “Business”. You will need to enter the bank’s
routing/transit number which is 125106708, and your account number
to proceed. If you need to make any changes on your checks, you
should order them through your branch rather than online.
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