Central South Dakota News

To improve the customer experience for those who receive or pay their utility bills electronically, the City is introducing a new online payment system.

“The new platform is much more interactive than our previous system,” said Twila Hight, City Finance Director. “With the new ebills, people can click into the bill and pay, text to pay, see their payment history, and receive personalized messages.”

The system also allows the City to provide different notification options when payments are due or overdue.

“All around, it provides a better level of service for our customers,” said Hight.

The transition to the new system does require action from existing customers with recurring credit card or debit card autopay accounts. The existing ones will expire on Feb. 28, 2023. If people want to continue with recurring credit card or debit card payments, they’ll need to set up a new account in the new system. They should also cancel any scheduled payments that would overlap with the new system. 

“We have direct mail pieces and emails going out to those who need to take action, and a full explanation can be found on the finance page of the city website,” Hight said. “Additionally, with the new system, people have a lot more options for autopay –credit card, debit card, bank account, applePay, venmo, and more.”

No action is required from customers who currently autopay through their banking accounts, though transaction information may look slightly different on bank account statements.

“We’ll continue to roll out information on the new program and how it can benefit all of our customers; people should watch their mailboxes for that information,” said Hight 

The new system is live; February will be the first billing cycle to offer the new ebills.

Original source can be found here.