The Customer Search page is the starting point for handling a customer service call. Once you have performed a customer search, you can access the Customer Detail page for a specific customer from the search results list. The Customer Detail page displays general information about the customer and provides links to additional information, such as e-bills, payments, and bank accounts.

Note: If you are providing single biller service, the Customer Search page appears immediately after you log on. If you are supporting multiple billers, it appears after you select a biller from the Merchants List page.

When you open the Customer Search page, it shows only the search boxes. Once you conduct a search, the page expands to display a list of the search results above the search options.

To find the support information you need quickly, Biller Care allows you to search for a customer's account information by any of the following search options:

• Customer Account Number
• Last Name and First Name
• E-mail Address
• Remit Account Number
• Business Name
• Subscriber ID

When you perform a search, Biller Care returns a list consisting of the first customer that matches your search criteria and the other customers in the list from that point forward. When you select an individual customer or business name from the list, all information on the pages you view relates to that customer until you select another one from this page.

Note: If you have access in CheckFree Customer e-Care to information for both sponsors and merchants, the Customer Search page allows you to access information for subscribers in Web Sponsor Care.

Search Results

If only one customer matches the search criteria you entered, Biller Care takes you to the Customer Detail page for that customer. If more than one customer match the search criteria you entered, Biller Care displays them in the Customer Search Results section of the Customer Search page.

For each result, the Customer Search Results list includes customer or business name, account number, phone number, whether the customer is a business, and service address. Thegraphic next to an account number indicates that the account is activated for e-bills. The graphic next to an account number indicates it is a business. Though you can search for a customer by e-mail address, remit account number, or subscriber ID, Biller Care does not display that information in the Customer Search Results list.

The results are sorted in ascending order by the search option you selected (for example, by customer account number, if that was the search option).

If your search produces more than 50 records and does not return the desired customer record, you can refine the criteria and search again. If the search fails to locate any matching records, Biller Care displays the message "No Data Available."

Note: If you have access in CheckFree Customer e-Care to information for both sponsors and merchants and the results of a customer search include subscribers whose information resides in Web Sponsor Care, the Customer Search page displays the graphic next to those subscribers� names. Clicking on the subscriber�s name takes you to the Subscriber Detail page in Web Sponsor Care.

Repeating a search

If your search produces either no results or incorrect results, try conducting a new search using the same option and different criteria or using another option. The more information you enter for a customer's name, address, or numbers, the more likely you are to produce the desired record.

Note: If it is necessary to select another account for the same customer after you have left the Customer Search page, you will need to repeat the search. Once you move to other pages, the results from the last search are cleared when you return.

Refining a search

A search returns a maximum of 50 entries in the list. If your search finds more than 50 records, you can refine your search criteria to reduce the number of entries appearing in the results list. Simply repeat the search, using criteria that will narrow the results. For example, if a search on the last name produced too many records, try using the first name in combination with the last to limit the number of matches.

Wildcard character searches

To make locating a specific customer record easier, Biller Care allows you to use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character in place of one or more letters or numbers in the search criteria. When entering your criteria, you must type at least two characters before the asterisk. For example, if you are not sure whether a last name is spelled Johnson or Johnston, you can type Johns* or as little as Jo*. The search will return both spellings of the names if they are located in the system.

Note: The fewer characters you type before the wildcard, however, the more likely it is that the search results will be extensive.