Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use Online Bill Payment?

To access bill payment information, select the account you want the payment to come from. Then from the Payments drop-down menu select “New Scheduled Payment. Enter the payee information asked for. In choosing the “Frequency”, most bills are paid “On Demand”. That means you choose the date you want to pay the bill and the amount. Complete the procedure by clicking the “Submit” button. A payment confirmation page is displayed.

Once a payment has been set up the vendor information is saved and can be accessed by clicking on “Payment List” which is on the Payments drop-down menu. To make a payment, simply click on the box by the payee name, choose the date you want to pay and type in the amount. Click the “Next” button to preview the payment, and then click on “Submit”. Today’s date will default in or you can enter a future payment date and your payment won’t be made until that date.
Remember, you should allow five business days for your payment to be received by the payee.

How do I sign up for Sandhills State Bank Online Banking?

To sign up for Sandhills State Bank Online Banking, simply visit Sandhills State Bank’s website at www.sandhillsstate.com and click on the “Enroll in Online Banking” link. After reviewing the Internet Banking Disclosures, click the "I Agree" button. This will take you to the First Time Login screen. Fill in the required information and then click "Submit." Then complete the ConnectKey security information. You will then be asked if you would like to receive your statements electronically. After you finish with that screen your first time login process is complete.

Will other people be able to see or access my accounts?

No. Only the signers of an account, using their password, can view or access the accounts. In addition, to ensure our customers have the highest level of security available, we require the use of a "strong encryption" (128-bit) browser (see Security).

What if I forget my password or it doesn’t work?

If your password does not allow you access to your accounts, please contact the Electronic Banking Department at (866) 294-3301 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or e-mail us at: support@sandhillsstate.com.

Is there a fee for Online Banking?

No. There is no additional fee to access your accounts through Sandhills State Bank Online Banking. You can view transactions, make transfers, pay bills or make Sandhills State Bank loan payments free of charge.

What is Online Bill Payment and is there a fee?

Sandhills State Bank Online Banking will soon be offering a Bill Payment feature in which you can pay all of your bills electronically. This service is completely free for personal checking accounts with Sandhills State Bank.

What type of browser is necessary to access Online Banking?

To ensure the highest security, a browser using 128-bit encryption is required. To verify if your browser is compatible, click on the "Browser Check" button located in the online banking menu under "Security". If your browser is not compatible, you may download a new browser by clicking on one of four browsers offered under the same "Security" section.

How do I bookmark my screen?

For fast and direct access to a particular screen, you can add a bookmark by using your browser’s bookmark command. This will allow you to access this particular page directly in the future.

What is ConnectKey?

ConnectKey is a new feature that is now a standard part of your sandhillsstate.com Online Banking log in routine. Sandhills State Bank is always working to protect you against identity theft and fraud. ConnectKey will add to this protection by preventing unauthorized access to your accounts while reassuring that you’re at the valid Sandhills State Bank website. ConnectKey consists of three parts: an image, pass phrase and three challenge questions that are secrets between you and Sandhills State Bank. All three parts help protect you, whether you’re signing in to Online Banking from your own computer or from somewhere else (such as work or a public computer lab).

Why do I need ConnectKey?

ConnectKey helps to ensure your information is secure by protecting you from fraud and identity theft in two ways. First, it helps you recognize that you’re at the valid Online Banking site at Sandhills State Bank, rather than a fraudulent look-alike site. Secondly, you can trust that we also recognize you as the true owner of your account because ConnectKey helps us verify your identity with your chosen image and pass phrase. We’ll ask you one of your challenge questions if we don’t recognize your computer as an additional line of defense against unauthorized access to your accounts.

How does ConnectKey work?

ConnectKey is made up of three parts: an image, a pass phrase and three challenge questions no one else knows. When you’re at your own computer, enter your Access ID and then click on the Submit button. We’ll show your ConnectKey image and pass phrase, which verifies that you’re at the valid Online Banking site at Sandhills State Bank. Now you know it’s safe to enter your password. When you’re signing in from a different computer, we ask one of your challenge questions to verify your identity. The secret ConnectKey pass phrase and image will appear after you answer correctly. You know it’s safe to enter your password and log in; and we know that it’s really you.

Has my password changed?

No. The ConnectKey image, pass phrase and three challenge questions and answers you provide are separate from your regular Online Banking log in password.

Does ConnectKey use cookies?

One of the ways we recognize you is by placing a cookie on your computer when you sign up for our ConnectKey service. When you sign in after that, your Web browser sends us this cookie, which lets us know that you’re using your own computer. The cookie is visible only to the Online Banking site at Sandhills State Bank and does not contain any personal information.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a piece of securely-coded information sent by Sandhills State Bank to your computer when you sign up for our ConnectKey service. Cookies include a randomly generated, unique number used as a sign in or registration identifier. Every time you log in from that same computer, your Web browser then sends us back this cookie, which is a security feature that lets us know that you’re using your own computer.

How is ConnectKey more secure?

ConnectKey helps you know that you are at the valid Online Banking site at Sandhills State Bank before you enter your Password. Plus, we know it’s really you signing in because we recognize your computer or we ask you a challenge question to verify your identity.

What if someone steals my password? How will ConnectKey prevent them from accessing my account?

When an unauthorized person tries to sign in from another computer, we will recognize that they’re using a different computer, and so we’ll ask one of your challenge questions. They won’t know the answer and will be unable to log in to your account.

Why do I need to set up challenge questions?

Challenge questions help prevent unauthorized people from getting access to your Online Banking information. That way, even if they’ve stolen your Access ID and Password, they won’t know the answer to the secret question. And if someone signs in from a computer that we don’t recognize (for example, if you sign in from a public library), we’ll ask you a challenge question to verify that it’s really you.

What keeps somebody from stealing my ConnectKey image and pass phrase?

After you click on the Submit button, we only show your ConnectKey image and pass phrase automatically if you sign in from a computer we recognize as your computer. If you’re at a different computer, we ask one of your challenge questions before showing the image.

When I enter my Access ID, it asks me a question instead of showing my ConnectKey image. Why?

This is to help verify that it’s really you signing in. We ask a challenge question when you sign in from a computer we don’t recognize. Your correct answer confirms that it’s really you.

How do I know I’m at the genuine Online Banking site?

ConnectKey will help you figure that out. Type the correct address (www.sandhillsstate.com) into your Web browser. When you arrive at the site and enter your Access ID, click on the Submit button, and your secret Connectkey image and pass phrase will appear. That’s confirmation that you’re at the bank’s legitimate website. If you do not see your secret image and pass phrase, and are not asked your secret challenge question, do not enter your password. Since this may represent a fraudulent website, please report this immediately to us at support@sandhillsstate.com.

How do you know that I’m signing in from my own computer?

When you sign up for our ConnectKey service, we put a secure cookie on your computer. This cookie contains a randomly generated, unique number used as an identifier. When you sign in after that, you Web browser sends us this cookie, which lets us know that you’re using your own computer. The cookie is visible only to the Online Banking site at Sandhills State Bank and does not contain any personal information.

Can I access Online Banking from multiple computers?

Yes, you can access Online Banking from any number of computers and have the same ConnectKey protections. If you sign in from a computer that you haven’t used for Online Banking before, you just need to answer one of your challenge questions to verify your identity. Once you answer the question correctly, we will ask you if you would like us to recognize that computer in the future. If you answer yes, you will not need to answer a challenge question in the future.

I share my computer with someone who also uses Online Banking. Can both of us sign in from this computer?

Yes. You can both use the same computer to sign in to your individual Online Banking account safely; you won’t see each other’s information. There’s no limit to how many people can sign in to Online Banking at Sandhills State Bank from the same computer. Just remember not to share your Access ID, password or answers to your challenge questions.

What if I get a new computer?

You will need to answer one of your challenge questions to verify your identity. Once you answer the question correctly, we will ask you if you want to recognize that computer in the future. If you answer yes, you will not need to answer a challenge question again.

Can I change my ConnectKey image, pass phrase and challenge questions?

Yes, you can change your ConnectKey image, pass phrase and challenge questions at any time. We will never ask you to change your ConnectKey information and we will never change it for you. To make the change, sign in to Online Banking and go to the Options tab at the top of the page. Then click Change Security Data.

Is there a fee for using the ConnectKey service?

ConnectKey is free. It’s just part of our ongoing commitment to safeguard your privacy and security.