Living in Bay City and being a customer of the municipal water sewer and electricity services means paying your utility bill to the city each month. The City of Bay City offers convenient online payment options to easily pay your utility bill electronically 24/7. In this comprehensive guide we’ll look at creating an account, your payment choices, fees, avoiding late payments and more so you can master online utility bill pay.
Overview of Paying Bay City Utility Bills Online
Customers can safely pay their utility bills online through the City of Bay City’s online bill payment system. Before you can start, you need to [make an online account] on the city’s website.
With your account, you can then make one-time payments or setup automatic recurring payments. The available online payment options include
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Bank account payments – Free payments directly from your checking or savings account.
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Credit/debit card payments – Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express accepted for a 2.75% fee
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Set up recurring automatic payments so that money is taken out of your bank account or saved card on the due date.
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Mobile payments – Use the PSN Payments app for iPhone or Android to pay on the go.
Paying online provides fast processing, payment tracking, paperless billing and more. Let’s look further at the benefits.
Benefits of Paying Your Utility Bill Online
Online payments offer many advantages over mailing in traditional paper checks for your City of Bay City utility bill:
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It’s fast – Pay instantly anytime instead of waiting days for checks to arrive and clear at City Hall.
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Avoid late fees – Pay up to the due date to dodge late charges. Online payments process quickly.
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Go paperless – Stop mailed paper bills and pay via your online account only. An eco-friendly choice.
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Automatic payments – Setup withdrawals from your bank or card automatically on your due date.
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Payment tracking – Your online account shows payment confirmations and history at a glance.
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Mobile friendly – Pay via the website or PSN app from anywhere on your phone or tablet.
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Account access – Check your balance and view billing details anytime when logged into your account.
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Email reminders– Get bill ready and due date email alerts so you never miss a payment.
Paying online means reliable convenience, organization and savings for City of Bay City utility customers.
Payment Fees and Charges
The City of Bay City offers free and low cost online payment options:
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Bank payments – Free to pay directly from your checking or savings account.
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Credit/debit card – Cards have a 2.75% processing fee, with a 50 cent minimum fee.
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Phone payments – Talking to an automated system incurs an additional 95 cent fee per transaction.
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Late payments – If paying after the due date, late fees are still charged based on your balance.
The most cost effective options are paying directly from your bank account or setting up free auto-draft payments each month into the future. Credit and debit cards incur minor processing fees.
Avoid Late Fees with Online Payments
Paying your bill after the monthly due date results in late fee penalties assessed to your account. This can add up over time, so be sure to pay on time and avoid these unnecessary costs.
Thankfully, paying online makes it easy to avoid late fees every month:
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Recurring autopay – Set it and forget it! Automated payments on your due date means no late fees.
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Payment tracking – Clearly see your due date and payment history right within your online account.
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Quick processing – Electronic payments means no postal delays that might cause you to miss the deadline.
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Up to the due date – Pay right up until the due date before cut off.
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Reminders – Use bill reminders to get an email when your bill is ready and due.
With online payments, you can easily pay every bill on time, avoid notices and save the cost of late penalties.
Getting Started with Online Account Creation
Ready to start paying your utility bills online to the City of Bay City? Just follow these simple steps:
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Have your most recent utility bill handy to reference your account number.
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Visit the city’s website and click on “Online Payments”.
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Click the “Create New Account” button to begin.
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Fill in your contact information and account number.
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Create your username and password.
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Read and accept the terms and conditions.
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Start accessing your account’s details and bills immediately!
The online enrollment process only takes a few minutes. You’ll then have instant access to pay your bill, view past statements, change payment methods and more.
Paymentus for Credit Card Transactions
The City of Bay City uses Paymentus to process all credit and debit card transactions. When you pay your utility bill online using a card, Paymentus securely handles the payment.
Here’s an overview of how paying with Paymentus works:
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All major card brands are accepted like Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Even PayPal.
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One time payments or recurring autopay all go through Paymentus.
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A small convenience fee of 2.75% is added to the transaction amount.
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The Paymentus website is seamlessly integrated when paying by card.
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You can also pay over the automated phone system using Paymentus and your stored card.
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Your card details are securely encrypted and tokenized by Paymentus for protection.
Paymentus brings reliability, versatility and top security measures to the city’s credit and debit card transactions.
Convenient Payment Options
The City of Bay City offers both recurring autopay setups and one-time payment choices for maximum flexibility:
Recurring Automatic Payments
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Authorize automatic monthly withdrawals from your bank account or credit card.
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Payments are processed on your due date, so you never miss a payment.
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Ongoing autopay means no due date reminders needed and no late fees.
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Update your autopay details if your card expires or account changes.
One-Time Online Payments
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Make single immediate payments through your online account.
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Use credit/debit cards or bank account transfers.
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Perfect for travel, replacing a lost bill or making additional payments as needed.
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Get instant email confirmation and your account reflects the payment right away.
Automate recurring payments or manually pay one-off whenever needed – choose the option that best fits your monthly utility bill management preferences.
Is Paying Online Safe?
Yes, the City of Bay City’s online utility bill pay system is extremely safe and secure. It uses encryption, tokenization and other protections:
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HTTPS encryption – Your connection is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
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Tokenized card data – Your card details are converted to secure tokens that are useless if stolen.
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PCI compliance – Paymentus upholds industry best practices for securing cardholder data.
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No stored details – Your full credit card number and CVV codes are not stored.
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Verified by Visa – Visa’s advanced authentication provides an additional safeguard.
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Internal controls – Strict data access rules and protocols protect your information.
You can feel fully confident that the city keeps your account details and financial information safe. The online system is designed with security in mind from start to finish.
Other Important Online Account Features
In addition to online bill pay, your utility account on the city’s website offers other useful features:
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Paperless billing – Opt out of mailed paper bills to save trees and clutter.
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Usage history – View your monthly electric, water and sewer usage graphs.
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Billing history – Access 18 months of past utility bills and statements.
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Email reminders – Get bill ready and due date email alerts. Never miss a payment.
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Customer service – Submit questions directly to utility reps from your account.
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Auto account recovery – Reset passwords and usernames without calling the city.
Be sure to take advantage of everything your online account offers for a complete digital billing and payment experience!
Switching to Online Billing and Payment
If you currently still receive a paper bill in the mail each month, switching exclusively to online billing and payment is easy:
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Create your online account at the city’s website.
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Under billing preferences, select “Go Paperless”.
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Opt out of mailed paper bills.
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Supply your email to receive electronic notices instead.
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Receive and pay bills through your online account going forward.
Going paperless with online-only billing lets you access timely delivery of statements, avoid clutter, save money on stamps and go green. The process is quick and easy for existing customers.
Paying your City of Bay City electric, water and sewer bill online offers convenience, organization
Policy on Bill Payments
- No payments will be taken over the phone.
- All returned checks will be charged a $30 service fee.
Payment Arrangements:Payment Arrangement Form
| Type of Fee | Amount | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Deposit | $50 | Must be paid in order to reactivate any water that was disconnected due to non-payment. |
| Late Fee | 10% of the total balance or $10 (whichever is greater). | Added to any bill that is not paid by 5 pm on the 20th of each month. |
| Nonpayment Fee | $50 | Added to any bill that is not paid by 5 pm on the 25th of each month. |
| Tampering Fee | $100 | This fee is charged for anyone who appears to have tampered with any of the Utility Department’s equipment. If equipment is damaged a replacement and/or repair cost will also be charged. |