City to offer online bill payment

CELINA - In the coming weeks, city residents will be able to pay their utility bills and other fees online.

Not only will the new system make paying bills easier, it should save the city thousands of dollars, city auditor Betty Strawn said.

"We're excited about getting the public aware of this additional (option)," she said. "They'll be able to view their bills online on the city website and they'll also be able to pay the payment online."

The online payment option, administered by Payment Service Network, should be operational in the next few weeks, she said. It will be accessible on the city's main website page at www.ci.celina.oh.us.

After clicking on the online payment option, customers will be asked to enter their names and debit or credit card information - American Express, Visa, Discover or MasterCard.

Then they'll be able to view and pay their monthly utility bill for electric, water and wastewater services, as well as any fees for engineering services such as building permits and park and recreation fees for children's sports programs.

Customers paying online will be charged 2.75 percent for bills of $100 and more. For bills less than $100, users would be charged 2.75 percent, plus 50 cents, according to Strawn.

Strawn stressed the convenience fee goes to PSN, not the city.

"The city does not receive any of that," she noted.

Online users will have the option to go green and halt their monthly paper bill, Strawn said.

Customers can continue to pay in person at the city administration building, by mail or through Automated Clearing House, which automatically deducts the monthly utility bill from bank accounts.

Contracting with PSN also will save the city thousands of dollars in credit-card processing fees. Strawn estimates the city spends as much as $20,000 a year in the processing fees.

Once PSN begins processing all credit and debt card transactions - including those made in the utility department - those fees will end. But it will come at a slight cost to customers.

All city customers paying with a credit or debit card, whether online or in person, will incur the 2.75 percent convenience fee, Strawn pointed out.

They will, however, have the option to back out of the transaction before it's complete if they don't want to pay the extra charge, Strawn said.

Customers paying with check, cash or ACH will not pay the fee, Strawn said.

"A lot of folks are going to the ACH because there's no fee involved," Strawn said.

City council members last year unanimously approved legislation authorizing Strawn to enter into a three-year agreement with PSN to provide electronic payment and billing services for utilities, engineering fees and park and recreation fees.

She has the option to opt out of the contract at any time.

Councilman Fred LeJeune hailed the move as progress in the digital age.

Under the agreement, the city will pay PSN about $1,100 annually.