How to Pay Your City of Concord Bill Online or In Person

Paying your utility bill property taxes permits, tickets, and other charges to the City of Concord can be done easily online, by mail, in person, or through auto-draft. The city offers several convenient payment options to fit your needs.

Online Bill Pay Through eCARE

The fastest and most convenient way to pay your City of Concord bill is through the online eCARE system. eCARE allows you to set up automatic payments, view past statements, and make one-time payments for the following:

• Utility bills
• Planning department fees
• Police department charges like taxi permits, parking tickets, and civil citations
• Fire marshal payments
• Tap and connection fees
• Beer and wine licenses
• Miscellaneous receivables

To use the eCARE online payment system you’ll first need to set up an account. Have your utility account number and a copy of your statement handy. Follow these steps

1. Go to https://concordnc.gov/Services/Living-Here/eCare-Utility-Services and click on “eCare Customer Account Information System”.
2. Enter your account number and 4-digit PIN. If it’s your first time, select “Sign up now”.
3. Follow the instructions to create a username and password.
4. Once logged in, you can make a one-time payment or set up recurring automatic payments.

There is a $2.95 convenience fee per online payment. To avoid fees, consider setting up automatic bank draft payments through eCARE instead.

Automatic Bank Draft Through eCARE

For the easiest bill pay option, sign up for automatic bank draft payments through the eCARE system. This automatically deducts your utility or other city bill from your checking account each month

Follow these steps:

1. Log into your eCARE account (steps above).
2. From the left side menu, click on “Log in to Invoice Cloud”.
3. Select “My Profile” then choose “Autopay”.
4. Enter your checking account information and enroll in autopay.

Bank draft payments through eCARE are completely free. You’ll save time, not have to worry about as many bills each month, and not have to pay late fees.

Paying Your Bill by Mail

To send a check by mail, you can do so at the following address:

City of Concord
PO Box 604220
Charlotte, NC 28260-4220

Be sure to include the payment stub from your bill to ensure proper crediting to your account.

Allow 5-7 business days for your mailed payment to reach the city’s processing facility. Payments must be received by the due date to avoid late fees.

Paying In Person

For cash payments or to pay by check or card in person, you have a couple options:

Payment Kiosk at City Hall

A self-service payment kiosk is located inside city hall at 35 Cabarrus Ave W. You can pay utility bills, permits, tickets and more using your credit/debit card or check.

Please note there is a $2.95 convenience fee per transaction for using the kiosk. Cash payments do not incur a fee.

Drive-Up Drop Box

A drive-up drop box is located along Market St beside city hall. Place your payment and stub in an envelope and deposit into the locked drop box. Payments left in the drop box by 5pm each business day will be processed as received that same day.

Setting Up Automatic Bank Draft Payments

For the easiest option without fees, enroll in automatic bank draft payments through your bank or credit union.

1. Contact your bank to ask about setting up an automatic draft payment to the City of Concord. You will need the city’s payment address and your account number.

2. Fill out your bank’s auto-draft authorization form. Specify the amount to be drafted each month and the account number.

3. Send in the completed bank authorization form with a voided check to the City of Concord Collections department.

Now your payments will be automatically deducted each month. Just be sure to monitor your bank account to make sure the payment amount is correct, especially if your city bill changes. Contact your bank or the city’s collections department with any auto-draft issues.

Partial Payments

If you need to make a partial payment on your utility bill or other city charges, the payment will be applied to the oldest charges first. However, partial payments do not prevent service disconnection or late payment penalties.

Your account may still incur late fees until the balance is paid in full. Just be aware – the city does not have leniency for accepting partial payments. The full balance must be paid by each due date.

Late Payments and Disconnection

City of Concord utility bills and other charges are due by the 10th of each month. Late fees apply if payment is not received by the due date.

For utility bills, a late fee of 1.5% of the unpaid balance is assessed after the 10th. Accounts 30 days past due are issued a final late notice. If the full balance is not paid within 10 days, water service is disconnected.

There is a $40 charge to reconnect water service after disconnection. Electric service cannot be disconnected but penalties continue to accrue.

Avoid late fees and disconnection by paying your bill in full each month by the 10th. Consider automatic bank draft or online payments through eCARE so your payments are always on time.

Budget Billing for Utilities

If you’re having trouble keeping up with the fluctuating amounts due on your city utility bill each month, consider signing up for budget billing.

This allows you to pay a fixed bill amount each month based on your average usage. Your account is later reconciled based on actual usage, but this makes monthly payments more predictable.

To enroll in budget billing:

• Your account must be in good standing with no overdue balance.
• Applications are accepted March 1st – June 30th each year.
• Contact the collections department for an application or find it online at https://concordnc.gov/Departments/Finance/Utility-Billing-Collections.

Account Disputes or Incorrect Payment Posting

If you find an error on your city utility bill or feel that a payment or credit is missing, contact the collections department right away to dispute the account charges. Be prepared to provide supporting documentation like payment receipts or bank statements.

Disputed balances must still be paid in full by each due date to avoid late fees. However, you can request credit or refunds later once corrections are made to your account.

Notify the city collections staff immediately if you notice your payment being applied incorrectly or credits missing from your account. This helps get any issues resolved faster.

Special Payment Arrangements

The City of Concord does not offer payment extensions or make special billing arrangements. Utility services or other city accounts cannot be maintained for any period with an overdue balance.

However, customers may qualify for assistance paying overdue utility bills through the city’s Neighbor Helping Neighbor program. This is reserved for hardship cases only, and you must meet certain income eligibility criteria.

Contact the city utility collections department for details on applying for assistance to maintain electric or water service in emergency situations or financial hardship. Applications are required along with income verification.

Payment Assistance on Past-Due Accounts

For low-income residents struggling to get their utility account caught up and avoid disconnection, these programs may be able to help:

• Social Services: The Cabarrus County Department of Social Services sometimes has funding available for utility payment assistance. Call their office or visit in-person to complete an application.

• Salvation Army: The Concord branch of the Salvation Army offers emergency utility bill assistance. Schedule an appointment to submit an application.

• Crisis Assistance Ministry: This local non-profit organization provides help paying electric, water, heating bills for qualified applicants based on income eligibility.

Payment assistance is limited so work with these organizations right away if you have difficulty paying your past-due utility balance to the City of Concord.

Avoiding Late or Non-Payment Fees

Here are some tips to avoid fees and maintain your City of Concord accounts in good standing:

• Enroll in automatic drafted payments through your bank or eCARE to ensure on-time payment each month.
• Review statements promptly and contact collections with any discrepancies or missing credits right away.
• Pay the full balance due by the 10th of each month to avoid late penalties.
• Notify the city if your financial situation changes and request budget billing or apply for assistance.
• If paying by mail, allow 5-7 days for the payment to reach the processing facility before the due date.
• For online payments, schedule 2-3 days in advance of the due date for the funds to process.
• Discuss special payment arrangements only as an absolute last resort since these are not typically approved.

Responsible bill payment helps avoid additional fees and disruption of your city services. Use the