Mobile Banking Frequently Asked Questions

1. General Information
2. Security
3. Text/SMS Banking
4. Mobile Web
5. Alerts
6. Customer Support
1. General Information

Q

What is Mobile Banking?
A

Mobile Banking is a simple and convenient service provided by Tri Counties Bank that gives you access to your accounts right from your mobile phone. This safe and secure service allows you to access your account balances and activity, transfer funds and receive account alerts on your mobile phone.

Q

What services are offered as a part of Tri Counties Bank Mobile Banking?

A

 Mobile Banking consists of two separate, but complementary services that allow you to access your account information from your mobile phone:

1.     Text/SMS Banking – Mobile Banking for your text messaging capable mobile phone that is able to send text commands to GoTCB (46822). With Text/SMS Banking you can also schedule and receive account alerts via text message.  Here are some popular text commands:

  • Bal – retrieves the current and available balances for the default account
  • Bal All – retrieves the current and available balances for all accounts
  • Hist – retrieves a history of transactions for the default account
  • Tr – transfer funds between enabled accounts

2.     Mobile Web – Mobile Banking for your web enabled mobile phone that is able to access our mobile website at https://gotcb.mobi.  With Mobile Web you can:

  •  View account balances
  • View account activity
  • Transfer funds between accounts
  • Search for transactions

Q

How much does Mobile Banking cost?
A

Tri Counties Bank does not charge a monthly maintenance fee.  Tri Counties Bank will not charge you a fee when you send a text message command to Tri Counties Bank, when you receive the corresponding reply, when you are sent an alert or when you access the Mobile Web feature; however, pursuant to your mobile plan or other agreement with your telecommunications carrier message and data rates may apply.  This includes your wireless carrier’s applicable SMS (text messaging) fees.  Please make sure that you understand the terms of your service with your wireless carrier before taking advantage of our Mobile Banking service.

Q

What do I need in order to use Mobile Banking?
A

All you need is an eligible Tri Counties Bank checking or savings account and a mobile phone with a wireless carrier plan that allows for the sending/receiving of text messages and/or mobile internet services.  Please note: Mobile internet services are only required when using the Mobile Web feature.

Q

Do I have to be an Online Banking customer to use Mobile Banking?
A

No.  You do not have to be enrolled in Online Banking to take advantage of Mobile Banking.  However, it is necessary to enroll in Mobile Banking via the Tri Counties Bank website.  You will need internet access to enroll, and update account information or setup alerts.

Q

How do I enroll for Mobile Banking?
A Visit www.tcbk.com, click “Enroll” under the Mobile Banking section on the right side of the page, and complete the easy, 6 step enrollment process.  During the enrollment process, you will create a username and password to access Mobile Banking settings and the Mobile Web.  In addition, you will be required to confirm ownership of your mobile phone via receipt of a verification code sent to your mobile phone.  If you have any difficulty with the enrollment process, please contact our Online/Mobile Banking Team at 1-800-922-8742 ext. 88896 to speak with a representative. 

Q

Which wireless carriers are supported by the Mobile Banking service?
A The following wireless carriers are supported by the Mobile Banking service:
  •  Verizon Wireless
  • AT&T
  • Sprint
    • Nextel (division of Sprint)
    • Boost Mobile (division of Sprint)
  • T-Mobile®
  • US Cellular®

Q

I have a prepaid wireless plan.  Can I still use Text/SMS Banking and Alerts?
A Tri Counties Bank Text Banking and Alerts will work with most prepaid plans, but we are unable to guarantee that your carrier supports the U.S. shortcode GoTCB (46822).  Please verify this information with your service provider.

Q

Are business accounts accessible via Mobile Banking?
A

Mobile Banking account access is granted in the same manner that account access is granted for our Online Banking service. This means that sole proprietorship accounts and some partnership accounts are accessible via Mobile Banking. However, corporate business accounts that utilize a separate Tax Identification Number for the entity are not eligible for access via Mobile Banking.

Q

Can I access all of my accounts via Mobile Banking?
A

Yes. All authorized accounts are accessible for balance inquiry. Please note that some products (such as Certificates of Deposit and some loans) are not available for transfer or transaction review.

Q

Can I block access from viewing a specific account?
A

Yes. You have the option of enabling as many or as few of your accounts as you choose. The Mobile Banking website allows you to select which accounts to enable, and accounts may be enabled or disabled whenever you choose.

Q

I just opened a new account. How can I access it through my existing Mobile Banking enrollment?
A

As soon as you open your new account, it will be available for you to enable on the Mobile Banking website. Log into Mobile Banking at https://gotcb.mobi/enroll, select “Accounts,” then enable your new account, and create an account nickname.
2. Security

Q

Is Mobile Banking secure?
A

Yes.  Tri Counties Bank is dedicated to protecting your personal and account information.  We use a variety of technologies, procedures, and programs to help ensure that all of our products and services remain safe and secure.  You will not need to install any additional software to ensure security.  In addition, Mobile Banking does not disclose any information that can be used to steal your identity, or commit fraud. We use nicknames rather than account numbers and/or customer names in our alerts and TCB SMS Banking commands and responses.  In addition, no monies will ever leave the bank.  You may view our privacy policy at following location: http://tcbk.com/tcb/assets/File/documents/ADV-22-GLBA-Privacy-Notice.pdf.

Q

What if I receive a text message that I don’t think is from Tri Counties Bank?

A

You should contact our Online/Mobile Banking Team as soon as possible at 1-800-922-8742 ext. 88896 to speak with a representative.  Do not respond to the text message, and do not delete it until you have spoken to a representative who will verify the authenticity of the message.

Q

Will any confidential bank information be stored on my mobile phone?
A No.  No account number, name, or password information is contained in the text messages sent to your mobile phone via Mobile Banking.  However, it is important to keep in mind that these incoming messages are stored in your mobile phone, and it will be your responsibility to clear out your text messages periodically.

Q

What happens if I lose or replace my current mobile phone?
A

For security reasons, if your mobile phone is lost, you will need to immediately contact your wireless carrier to deactivate service on your phone. 

If the phone number will not change on your mobile phone, all Mobile Banking functions will remain enabled.  If the phone number has changed, you will need to log into Mobile Banking at https://gotcb.mobi/enroll, and select the Phones link.  You will then delete the old/unused phone number, and add the new phone number to the system.  A verification pin will be sent to the new phone number, so it will be necessary to have your mobile phone in hand while adding the new phone number.

Q

What if I switch wireless carriers, or change my mobile phone number?
A

You will need to log into Mobile Banking at https://gotcb.mobi/enroll, and select the Phones link.  You will then delete the old/unused phone number, and add the new phone number to the system.  A verification pin will be sent to the new phone number, so it will be necessary to have your mobile phone in hand while adding the new phone number.
3. Text/SMS Banking

Q

What does SMS stand for?

A

SMS stands for "Short Message Service." This is a communications protocol that allows the interchange of short text messages between mobile phones. The term "SMS" is commonly used interchangeably with "text message" or "texting."

Q

Are there limitations to SMS/text messages?

A Yes. SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, must consist of only numbers, letters, and special characters, and cannot contain images, rich text (such as bold, underlined text etc.), or other content or formats. Text messages that have content over the 160 character maximum are sent in an additional or separate text message.

Q

What is a shortcode?

A A shortcode is a 4 to 6 digit code translated from letters to numbers on a standard mobile phone keypad. The shortcode allows you to communicate with Tri Counties Bank via SMS. Tri Counties Bank’s shortcode is GoTCB (46822).

Q

Where do I send my account inquiries when using Text/SMS Banking?
A Send your text messages to the shortcode GoTCB (46822). Note: We recommend adding GoTCB (46822) to your contact list in your mobile phone for easy access and recognition when sending and receiving SMS responses and commands.

Q

What text commands are available for Text/SMS Banking?
A

The following text commands are available for use with the GoTCB (46822) shortcode:

  • BAL- retrieves the current and available balances for the default account.
    • BAL + nickname- retrieves the current and available balances for specific nicknamed account(s).
    • BAL + All -retrieves the current and available balances for all accounts.
  • HIST -retrieves a history of transactions for the default account.
    • HIST + nickname- retrieves a history of transactions for specific nicknamed account(s).
  • MORE - retrieves additional transaction history for the requested account.
  • TR - transfers funds between enabled accounts.  If no decimal place is used in the amount, whole dollars are assumed.  Input the command TR, the “from” account nickname, the “to” account nickname, and the amount.
  •  HELP - retrieves general service information regarding how to stop alerts and Tri Counties Bank website.
  • STOP- cancel alerts sent from Tri Counties Bank Mobile Banking.

Other command response:

  • Unrecognized command:  TCB SMS Banking:  Your command was not recognized. Valid commands are: BAL, TR, HIST, STOP, MORE, and HELP.

Q

Are Mobile Banking text commands case sensitive?

A No. You will receive your account balance if you type the command "BAL" or "bal."

Q

What should I not do when formatting or sending text messages to Tri Counties Bank?

A

Here are a few helpful tips.

  • Avoid using a signature: Many mobile phones have the capability of attaching a signature to your outgoing text messages. This is similar to the feature found in many email programs. For best results, please remove the signature from any text messages you send to Tri Counties Bank.
  • Avoid replying to a previous Tri Counties Bank text message: It is possible that when you "Reply" to any of your previous Tri Counties Bank text messages, your text message may carry additional text that isn't visible to you while you are creating the SMS message, but will make it unreadable to the Mobile Banking service. For the best possible results, always send new SMS messages to GoTCB (46822).

Q

What does a typical Text/SMS Banking command and response look like?
A

The following examples are merely displayed to show the content and possible formatting of the message.  Please note that the actual formatting (including line breaks, word wrapping, etc.) is dependent upon the display of your mobile phone.

Text/SMS Banking Example 1: Balance request for an account nicknamed “ck1”
Command:                 bal ck1
Expected Response: Ck1

   Current: $1000.00

   Available: $1000.00

              Avail Bal may incl. dbts and crs that memo

              post throughout the day.

Text/SMS Banking Example 2: Transaction history request for an account nicknamed “ck1”
Command:                 hist ck1
Expected Response: page 1 of 2

    1/20/10    $18.39 (p) DBT

    1/20/10    $500.00 (p) CR

    1/16/10    $1767.43 POS

    1/13/10    $1521.68 CK

                                             To view additional transactions, text “MORE or

                                             More +  (Acct Nickname).”       

Q

While viewing my account history I noticed a transaction with a (p) next to it. What does that mean?

A

p) indicates a pending transaction on your account. Any transactions that are being posted to your account for the current business day will show up with (p).

Q

What does it mean when I see "1/2" or "1 of 2" on my screen?

A

"1/2" or "1 of 2" means you are reading the first message in a series of two messages. This is labeled as "1/2" to ensure you will read your text messages in the correct order. Sometimes wireless carriers may deliver SMS messages out of order. Therefore, we number our messages so you can understand the correct sequence of the messages being sent to you.
4. Mobile Web

Q

How do I sign in to Mobile Web?

A To sign in to Mobile Web, navigate to http://gotcb.mobi.  When accessing Mobile Banking from your mobile phone’s browser, you will be required to enter a username and password as an additional security measure.

Q

Is the Username and Password for the Mobile Web case sensitive?

A When you log into the Mobile Web at https://gotcb.mobi, you are required to input the Username and Password that you created during the enrollment process. The Username is not case sensitive, but the Password is case sensitive.

Q

I forgot my Username and Password.  What do I do?

A

Go to the Mobile Banking website at https://gotcb.mobi/enroll, and click the Forgot Username or Password link to retrieve your Username and/or Password.
5. Alerts

Q

What is a Mobile Banking Alert?
A Mobile Banking Alerts: Enables you to receive a version of Tri Counties Bank alerts delivered to your mobile phone in the form of an SMS Message (also known as a text message). You may receive account activity alerts delivered to your mobile phone.

Q

What will I need in order to activate and receive Mobile Banking alerts?
A You will need a personal checking, savings, or money market account and a mobile phone with the ability to send and receive SMS (text) messages.

Q

What alerts can I sign up for?
A The following alerts are available to Tri Counties Bank Mobile Banking users:
  • Low Balance - provides an alert when your balance is below your defined threshold
  • Deposit Confirmation - provides an alert when a deposit is posted to your account.
  • Check Cleared - provides an alert when a check clears.
  • Overdraft Posted - provides an alert when an overdraft fee is posted.
  • Withdrawal Confirmation - provides an alert when a withdrawal is posted.
  • Withdrawal Threshold Exceeded - provides an alert when a withdrawal posts that is in excess of your defined threshold

Please Note: Message frequency depends on account settings.

Q

How do I cancel my Mobile Banking alerts?
A Send a text message with the “STOP” command to GoTCB (46822), and we will send you a confirmation message notifying you that you will no longer receive alerts from Tri Counties Bank.

Q

How do I re-enable Mobile Banking alerts after I cancel them?
A Go to https://gotcb.mobi/enroll log into the Mobile Banking website and click "Alerts" to configure alerts for your account(s).

Q

How do I change my Mobile Banking alerts?
A Go to https://gotcb.mobi/enroll, log into the Mobile Banking website and click “Alerts” to configure alerts for your account(s).
7. Customer Support

Q

Who do I contact if I need help with Mobile Banking?
A

There are several ways to obtain help for Mobile Banking:

  • Call us!  Our Online/Mobile Banking Team is here to help you!  You can reach us at 1-800-922-8742 ext. 88896
  • Email us!  Email the Mobile Banking Team at MobileBanking@tcbk.com.
  • For general information about Mobile Banking, go to www.tcbk.com.
  • Text Help to GoTCB (46822).