Paying your bills online is becoming more and more common these days. It can save you time and money compared to mailing in paper checks each month. If you live in Siler City, North Carolina, you can take advantage of online bill pay through the city’s website at www.silercity.org. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to pay your city bills conveniently online.
What Bills Can I Pay Online?
The Town of Siler City allows residents to pay their water/sewer bills online through their website. So if you receive a monthly bill for water/sewer service from the city, you can pay it electronically on their site.
Unfortunately at this time property tax bills and other city fees cannot be paid online. The online payment system is only set up for water/sewer bills. But having the ability to pay your water bill online is still a great convenience.
What Information Do I Need to Pay Online?
Paying your Siler City water/sewer bill online is easy. You just need a few pieces of information:
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Your account number – this is found on your paper bill.
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Your service address zip code – the zip code where you receive service.
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Your PIN number – also listed on your paper bill.
As long as you have those three pieces of info you can log right into their system and make a payment.
How Do I Pay My Bill on the Website?
Here are simple step-by-step instructions for paying your water/sewer bill online
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Go to www.silercity.org.
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Click on the “Departments” tab at the top of the page.
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Select “Finance” from the dropdown menu.
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Click on “Payment Information” on the left side of the Finance page.
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Scroll down and click the link that says “PAY BILL ONLINE.”
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On the payment page, enter your account number, service address zip code, and PIN number.
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Select whether you want to make a one-time payment or set up recurring payments.
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Enter your payment amount.
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Provide your credit/debit card information or bank account info.
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Verify all the details and click Submit to complete your payment.
It only takes a few minutes to complete the process online once you have your bill information ready. The online payment page has easy-to-follow instructions as well to guide you through each step.
Are There Any Fees for Paying Online?
The Town of Siler City does charge a small $3.00 convenience fee for each online payment transaction. This fee helps cover the costs of providing the electronic payment system.
Even with the small fee, paying your bill online can still save you money compared to a paper check. You avoid postage costs, gas for driving to the payment dropbox, and time spent processing paper bills. For most residents, the $3.00 fee is worth it for the convenience of paying from home.
When Can I Pay My Bill to Avoid Late Fees?
If you want to avoid late fees on your Siler City water/sewer bill, you need to pay by the 15th of each month. Bills are generated on the 1st of the month, so you have until the 15th for on-time payment.
Payments made after the 15th will incur a $5 late fee. If you miss the late fee deadline, your service could ultimately be disconnected if the bill remains unpaid.
With the online bill pay system, you can easily pay your bill any time before the 15th right from your computer or mobile device. No need to worry about mailing delays or missing the payment dropbox cutoff time.
Can I Set Up Recurring Payments?
Yes, the Siler City online payment system gives you the option to set up recurring payments. When you go through the payment process, you can choose to make it recurring either monthly or bi-monthly.
Setting up automatic payments is a great way to avoid late fees. Your bill will be paid on time each month automatically without you having to remember to go online and submit payment.
You can cancel or change your recurring payments at any time if needed. But auto-pay can take away the stress of tracking bill due dates every month.
What Payment Methods Can I Use to Pay Online?
The Town of Siler City offers a few different payment method options for online payments:
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Credit/Debit Card – All major cards are accepted including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
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eCheck – You can pay directly from your bank account by entering your routing and account numbers.
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Digital Wallets – Platforms like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal are also accepted.
Whichever method you choose, your payment is processed quickly and your account is credited immediately. Using a credit/debit card or digital wallet means you don’t have to log into your bank account.
Can I View My Payment History Online?
Unfortunately, Siler City does not currently offer an option to view your past payments and billing history online. Their online portal is limited to only making a payment.
To view past billing statements and payment history, you would need to contact the utility department directly and request copies. This is one area where the online system could be improved – adding self-service access to your account history and bills.
But for now, the focus of the online portal is strictly making quick one-time or recurring payments on your active water/sewer account. It’s still a useful tool even if you can’t view full account details online yet.
Are There Any Account Security Measures?
Whenever you provide financial information online, security is always a potential concern. The Town of Siler City utilizes a few layers of security to keep your account information safe:
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Encryption – Data entered on the payment site is encrypted using secure sockets layer (SSL) protocols. This scrambles the information so it cannot be intercepted.
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PIN Number – Requiring your account PIN provides an additional layer of identity verification when logging in to pay your bill.
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Trusted Vendor – The payment processing is handled securely by an established financial services company.
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No Storage – Your full credit card number is not stored in the system after use. Only the last four digits are kept for reference.
While no system is 100% bulletproof, Siler City has implemented reasonable precautions to protect your data. Make sure you use a strong and unique password for your account PIN number.
Who Can I Contact for Help with Online Payments?
If you ever have trouble using the online bill pay system, experience an error making a payment, or have general account questions, you can contact the Siler City Utility Department directly for assistance:
Phone: (919) 742-4732 (Water Department)
(919) 742-4733 (Finance and Tax)
Email: [email protected]
Address: PO Box 769
Siler City, NC 27344
The customer service team can help troubleshoot any issues you run into. They can also take payments over the phone if you are unable to use the online system.
Paying your bills online with the Town of Siler City is fast, easy, and secure. By following the steps outlined above, any resident can take advantage of this convenient payment option and avoid the hassles of paper bills.
With mobile and recurring payment abilities, you can manage your water/sewer account fully on your own schedule. The small $3 convenience fee is a reasonable trade-off for saving time and effort each month. Just have your account number, zip code, and PIN handy to log in and pay your bill anytime before the 15th.
Acceptable Forms of Payment
For our customers’ convenience, we offer the following payment options:
- Payments may be paid at City Hall downtown by cash, check, money order, and debit or credit card. There is a 3% charge with all card transactions.
- Drive-up drop box is located at New Mexico Gas Company parking lot labeled Town of Silver City.
- Call-in payments to 575-538-3731 and select option 1 and 1 again.
- Mail payments to: Town of Silver City P.O. Box 1188 Silver City, NM 88062
- To set up a bank draft, call City Hall for more information.
Note: If you have a previous balance, please bring your payment in to City Hall to provide the quickest acknowledgement of your payment. Please note that waters turned off for non-payment will be reinstated after the account is paid in full. If payment is made after 2:30 pm, water will not be turned on until the following business day.
Guidelines for Utility-Water Accounts
- An application for new service must be filled out and a photo ID attached. A $200 deposit is required at the time of application.
- All services including transfers, finals, temporary service, new service, and bank draft can be done through Doc U Sign. Please call City Hall for details and fees.
When calling City Hall on water bill questions please dial 575-538-3731, select Option 1 and Option 1 again.
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