Paying the bills each month isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience, but it can’t be overlooked. Whether you’re paying for this semester’s classes or sending in your utilities bill, the process requires some organization and prior planning. Online bill pay is a great way to ensure those water and cable bills are sent in on time, especially when your life is as hectic as the next person's.

What exactly is online bill pay? Think of this service as a virtual checkbook, as you can balance your finances and send out payments directly from the Internet. Many sites allow you to select payees and coordinate scheduled payments, so there’s no chance you’ll incur any late fees.

Star Reviews notes that one bill pay service, Quicken, will even cover your back up to $50 in late fees if their service contributed to that overdue letter you received from Comcast. Some services like Quickbooks, while attuned more for small business, allow you to pay any company or anyone in the United States. Have multiple invoices from one vendor? You can combine them into one and lighten your paperwork load.

When choosing an online bill pay service, it’s a good idea to check out which features you cannot live without. For example, if you’re one to forget bills frequently, choose a service that allows you to schedule payments up to a year in advance. You can also save money by choosing a site with many listed payees and late payment coverage. Since we all lead busy lives, paying and organizing our bills online sure beats running to the mailbox to send out a check that was due a week ago.