Council ratifies InvoiceCloud as new utility payment provider; city says customers won't see added fees

The Tyler City Council on Dec. 10 ratified InvoiceCloud (referred to in the presentation as NvoiceCloud/InvoiceCloud) as the new payment-provider platform for the Water Business Office, a change staff said will modernize customer payment options without direct implementation cost to the city.

Chris Gamber, Water Business Office manager, described features customers can expect: email and text bill reminders, pre-authenticated payment links sent by customer-service staff, faster automated-telephone (IVR) payments, new in-person terminals that accept tap-to-pay and mobile-wallet payments, and expanded account-management features for property managers (cart-style checkout for multiple properties). Gamber said the vendor processes millions of transactions annually for numerous Texas cities and that staff will implement the system in early 2026, with training starting immediately.

Asked whether customers currently on automatic draft must re-enroll, Gamber said yes: customers on autopay will need to sign up for a new username and password in the new system. He also addressed transaction costs: "The overall cost to the City is 0," Gamber said, and he added "customers will not see any additional charges to use these new services." The city will continue to absorb per-transaction processing costs rather than pass convenience fees to customers.

Council members praised staff for progress on utility billing improvements and asked staff to promote paperless billing to reduce mailing costs. Staff said a phase 2 rollout will enable online payments for developers to pay for meters and taps through the same platform.

Council approved ratification of the vendor as recommended by staff.