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ACH Standard Entry Class (SEC) Code

What does CIE mean on a bank statement?

CIE

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08/05 BANK BILL PAY CIE COMCAST 84920 $45.20

Plain-English Definition

CIE stands for Customer-Initiated Entry. CIE is used for credit transfers initiated by a consumer through their bank's online bill payment platform to push funds to a company.

Important: What this code is NOT

CIE is not an unauthorized merchant charge or fee. Because CIE is a credit transfer initiated from within your authenticated banking portal, it represents an outgoing bill payment schedule created by you or an authorized signer on the account.

Understanding CIE (Customer-Initiated Entry)

CIE (Customer-Initiated Entry) indicates a transaction where you, the account holder, instructed your bank to send money (a credit push) to a biller or merchant.

Unlike PPD or WEB debits where the merchant pulls money from your account, CIE represents you initiating the payment directly from your bank's bill pay screen.

The consumer's bank debits the consumer account and transmits an ACH credit entry to the designated payee with an account reference addenda.

How to Locate the Actual Merchant

Because CIE specifies the underlying payment rail or transaction type, you must examine the accompanying text on your statement to identify where you actually shopped or paid:

  1. Step 1 Log into your bank's online or mobile bill pay section and view your recent payment history.
  2. Step 2 Check the biller nickname and account number listed alongside 'CIE' on your bank statement (e.g., 'CIE COMCAST ELEC PMT').
  3. Step 3 Review your scheduled recurring payments inside your bank's bill pay manager to adjust or cancel future transfers.

Common Statement Line Formats

Financial institutions typically format CIE entries like this:

  • BANK BILL PAY CIE COMCAST 84920
  • ONLINE PMT CIE CITY WATER DEPT
  • BILLPAY CIE CHASE CREDIT CRD
  • CIE CON EDISON BILL PAY

Verified Primary Sources

Every technical definition on this page is checked against official banking and regulatory rules: