How do I get my password and access codes for Bank OnLine?

To get your accounts set-up for Bank OnLine access you must first register for this service. If you have one or more personal accounts, and you have a Social Security Number, you can register online by clicking on the gray box (E-Banking Register Here) on the left side of our home page. This will take you to our secure site for E-Banking Online Registration. Be prepared with your account, Social Security, ATM card and Driver License (or another form of ID) numbers. You should also plan on 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time to complete the registration. If you have a business account or do not have a Social Security number, you will need to contact your officer or Cash Management at 361-992-9900 for a manual registration form.
You will receive your E-Banking Welcome Kit in the mail within 3-7 days of submitting your registration. The password and access codes are formula driven and are explained in the Quick-Start Steps for E-Banking and in the Bank OnLine User’s Guide included in the kit.

I use Internet Explorer and I want to keep my Privacy Settings high. Can I still use Bank OnLine?

Yes, the Privacy Settings can be set as high as you want. However, you have to edit your settings to allow Bank OnLine and Bill Pay sites to override the privacy restrictions. To do this:
Open Internet Explorer 6 and from the top menu select “Tools” and then “Internet Options”. Click on the “Privacy” tab. Set the privacy level as high as you want. But then, click on “EDIT” in the Web sites box. In the next box, type in abankcc.com and then click on “Allow” for Bank OnLine. Type in online.com and then click on “Allow” for Bill Pay.

What if I forget my password or access codes?

Call our Customer Service DirectLine and they will reset your password to a default formula-driven password. Then once you login with this password, you should change your password to one of your own choosing. The phones are answered Monday-Friday (business days) from 7 am to 6 pm Central Time. In Corpus Christi call 992-9911, Port Aransas 749-7711, Rockport 727-9955, Austin 328-0999, Goliad/Victoria 645-3220, and out of these areas call toll free 1-800-257-8316.

Where do I sign-in to use Bank OnLine?

Once you have registered and received your E-Banking Welcome Kit with your password formula, go to our web site and click on the words "Login to Bank OnLine and Bill Pay" in the upper left. The very first time you log in, make sure you click on the link within the sentence that reads "If this is your first time logging in to the upgraded Bank OnLine system, or you have not completed your security setup, click here." on the initial login screen. Proceed through the security setup process. During this process, you will enter your username, password and the Random Code. After selecting ‘Next,’ you will be asked to agree to the Electronic Banking Agreement and set up your security questions and answers. Last, you will enter a Security Phrase and enter your email address. On subsequent logins to Bank OnLine, it is not necessary to go through the security setup and you can simply login from the page presented to you. It is important that you see your Security Phrase above the password field each time you log in to Bank OnLine. Verify that the phrase shown is the phrase you entered during the security setup, then input your password and click on Login. Occasionally we will have an announcement page come up before you can sign in, just click on Go To Bank OnLine to continue to the login page. When you are finished with your Bank OnLine session, you should click on "log out" to make sure that no one else can access your account if you leave your computer.

How can I change my password?

Select 'Change Password' from the 'Messages/Options' dropdown menu to access the Password Change screen. You'll first need to enter your current password, then type your new password in both boxes. Your password should be 8-14 characters long. When you type in your password, the characters do not display on the monitor for security purposes, so for accuracy you are required to type the password twice. If they are different, you will get a message indicating that the two don’t match and you need to try again. To create the most secure password, you should use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.

What can I do with Bank OnLine?

Using your Internet connection, access your account to view current and available balances, uncollected funds, interest rates, and interest earned or paid both this year and last. Also view, print or download account statements or transaction history, specific item types or a listing of all debits and credits. Search for a specific cleared check or checks, by number, date or amount. Download account statement information easily into formats suitable for importing to Quicken, Money or spreadsheet software.

You can also transfer funds between linked accounts at American Bank. (You must register for each account that you wish to set-up for Bank OnLine access, and this can be done in one online registration session, or through additional registration sessions.) Use the Bank OnLine Mail system to send the bank secure messages about your accounts, change of address, customer service or other confidential bank business.

What types of accounts can be set-up for Bank OnLine access?

Personal or business checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit accounts, all types of loans and lines of credit. All of your linked personal accounts can be included in one set-up under the same Customer Access Number and User ID. Please talk to a Cash Management representative (361-992-9900) for specifics about linking commercial accounts, multiple users and accounts with two or more signers.

Where does Bank OnLine get its information and is it current?

Bank OnLine is integrated with the bank’s data system, so the information reflects all of the transactions that have been received and processed for your account.

What is the difference between Available Balance and Current Balance?

Your Available Balance is the amount most currently available to you if you come into the bank to make a withdrawal. The Current Balance reflects all of the transactions processed for your account at the end of our previous business day (update occurs between 7 and 11 pm on weekdays). Direct deposits, automatic payments, Bank OnLine transfers and branch deposits, and ATM withdrawals will be reflected in the Available Balance the day they are posted, but not in the Current Balance until after end-of-the-day processing.

What is the deadline for making a transfer in Bank OnLine?

To insure that you have funds available to cover checks or other payments that will clear during our end-of-the-day processing, you should make your transfer by 7 p.m. the day you want credit for your deposit (Central Time). Transfers from Bank OnLine are reflected immediately in your Available Balance, the next day in your Current Balance.

How can I get a receipt for my Bank OnLine transfer?

By printing the screen showing the reference number you receive after making an online transfer, you will have a receipt of your transaction.

Is there a charge for Bank OnLine transfers?

Using Bank OnLine is free – but if you have an account that restricts the number of withdrawals allowed, Bank OnLine transfers do count toward that total. If you exceed that total by using a Bank OnLine transfer, then you will be charged the normal fee for exceeding withdrawal limitations. (Please refer to your specific account disclosures or the Electronic Banking Agreement for details on these limits and charges.)

Is there a limit on how much money I can transfer through Bank OnLine?

You set up your transfer limits when you register for Bank OnLine. These limits apply per transaction, not per day. A pop-up window will advise if the amount you wish to transfer has exceeded your transfer limit, and Bank OnLine will decline the transaction.

Can I make transfers to accounts outside of the bank, or to another person’s American Bank account?

No, at this time you can only make transfers to your American Bank accounts registered for your Bank OnLine access and which you are a signer. You can use Bill Pay to set up payments to be made to your account at another bank or another person’s bank account at this or any other bank.

What are Uncollected Funds?

Uncollected funds consist of checks, money orders, demand drafts or similar items that require collection from the paying financial institution. For example, you deposit a check from another bank to your American Bank account. The deposit increases your current account balance, and American Bank requests the funds from the other bank. The amount of the check displays as Uncollected Funds in your account. Please refer to American Bank's Funds Availability Disclosure for more details.

When does a Direct Deposit or Automatic Draft show up on my balance and account history?

These types of credits and debits are routed to and from payees/payers banks through the Federal Reserve Bank using ACH (Automated Clearing House). The person or company that you have authorized to debit or credit your account schedules the date it will deposit or draft from your account. The day the transaction is effective you will see that an ACH Credit or ACH Debit is recorded in your Account Statement and reflected in your Available Balance. The next day, following the end-of-the-day processing, more detail about the item will appear on your statement.

How can I customize my account history or do a search for a specific item?

Select "History" from the "Accounts" drop-down menu. Next, click on the red Advanced History button. Select the desired account from the dropdown box. You will see several choices for selecting the items to view or download on a customized statement: History Period, Item Type, Check Number(s), Date Range or Amount Range. Fill in the blanks with the criteria you are looking for and then click on View Transactions or Download. If you fill in the Date Range it will overrule any History Period that might be selected. Use the drop down pick list in Item type to select whichever item type you want to capture in your history.

How do I print my account history?

On the Account History screens, enter the criteria for your search or custom history and click on View Transactions. At the upper right-hand of the history screen is a button that says Printer Friendly. Use this to set-up the page to be printed, then, click on your browser's Print button to print. Simply close the new breowser window that opened to go back to the previous screen.

How much history is available for my account statements?

Normally Bank OnLine can access 6 months or statement periods of history. Occasionally system maintenance will cause less history to be available.

How can I download my transaction history for use with my PFM software?

History downloads are electronic copies of your transaction history. You can create the history according to the date, item type, check number and/or transaction amount, then bring the information from Bank OnLine to your own computer. To download the transaction history, first click on the Advanced History button. Next, select the criteria you want to use to generate the history. Last, select the file format you want to download from the drop down list and click on Download. You can then save the file to a location on your computer. There are seven formats available for downloading: 1) QIF-Quicken Import Format which can be imported into older versions of Intuit’s Quicken Financial Management Software. 2)Comma Separated Values which can be imported into a spreadsheet or database application. 3) Microsoft Money - which may be imported into Microsoft Money or another financial management software package that supports OFC standards. 4)Quicken Webconnect - is used to upload statement information into the newer versions of the Quicken software. 5)Quickbooks Webconnect - is used to upload statement information to Pro, Premier, and Enterprise versions of the Quickbooks software. 6)Excel Spreadsheet - can be used to create a Microsoft Office spreadsheet document. 7)BAI2 - is used to upload transaction information to high end accounting software applications.
To import, open the software you are using to manage your finances, and use the Import feature to bring the information into the program.

When should I use Bank OnLine Messages?

You can use Bank OnLine Messages for any customer service request or question – especially when your question or reply requires the use of confidential financial information. Bank OnLine is a very secure method of communication between a customer and the bank, and because you can only use it after you login with your password, we can be sure that messages we receive from you are authentic. For example, you can use the messaging function to conveniently notify us of any change to your e-mail or mailing address, or phone number. Just select "Messags" from the "Messages/Options" drop-down menu, and then click on New Message to create and send your message. Bank OnLine messages are read at least once each business day, but if your request is urgent or time-sensitive, you should call Customer Service at 992-9911 (Corpus Christi), 749-7711 (Port Aransas), 727-9955 (Rockport), 328-099 (Austin), 361-645-3220 (Goliad / Victoria) or outside these areas toll free at 1-800-257-8316.

How do I read Incoming Messages?

To check to see if you have messages, Just select "Messags" from the "Messages/Options" drop-down menu. The next screen will show if you have any Incoming Messages. Click on the date of the message you want to read. You can delete the messages by choosing the Trash Can icon next to the message you want to delete.

How do I know if Bank OnLine is secure?

The security of your online accounts and banking information is taken seriously and is given the highest priority. All components of the banking system are designed, from the start, with security in mind. To protect your information as it travels through the Internet, all communication is safeguarded by multiple, overlapping layers of security. One of the key components is to send it through a dedicated set of hardware and software between the Internet and American Bank’s network. This is called a firewall. The firewall inspects all traffic that passes through it. If the information fails any security checks, the information is prevented from passing through the firewall in either direction. Your banking information is also protected by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security. SSL is a method of encoding or encrypting information and data so that only the intended recipient can decode it. To check for security, right click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh)on the page, and on the pop-up window select “Properties”. This will show you that the page is secured with SSL encryption.

What can I do to protect my accounts from unauthorized access?

Selecting the right password and protecting your password are the two most important things you can do. Using a long password (up to 14 characters) with a combination of letters, symbols and numbers provides the most secure type of password you can have. Don’t write your password down – and definitely do not keep it anywhere near your computer, in your wallet or purse, with your checkbooks or stored checks. Don’t give your password to anyone, and it is a good practice to change your password several times a year.

I am not able to login or my pages are not displaying properly.

Bank OnLine and Bill Pay use cookies to provide secure transactions and viewing of your private information. If cookies are restricted by your browser, you will be unable to log in to Bank OnLine. If this occurs you will need to adjust your browser settings.

Here's how to change your settings to get to Bank OnLine and Bill Pay:
Open Internet Explorer and from the top menu select “Tools” and then “Internet Options”. Click on the “Privacy” tab. Set the privacy level as high as you want. But then, click on “EDIT” in the Web sites box. In the next box, type in ebanking.americanbank.com and then click on “Allow” for Bank OnLine. Type in onlinebank.com and then click on “Allow” for Bill Pay.

After doing these steps, you should be able to login to Bank OnLine with your usual User Name and Password.

Bank OnLine requires the use of Internet Explorer 7 or higher.

Who can I ask if I have a question about Bank OnLine?

The representatives answering our Customer Service DirectLine can help you with most of your questions. If you need additional help, they can forward you to another bank employee with the type of knowledge and experience you need. The phones are answered Monday-Friday (business days) from 7 am to 6 pm Central Time. In Corpus Christi call 992-9911, Port Aransas 749-7711, Rockport 727-9955, Austin 328-0999 Goliad / Victoria 645-3220 and out of these areas call toll free 1-800-257-8316.