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Oakland to end auto‑drafts; utility billing moves to NCR Global Pay with small e‑check fees
Summary
The town announced a June 16 platform change for utility billing that ends the town's auto‑draft process; residents must enroll in the new processor (NCR Global Pay) by July 8 to maintain automatic payments. Fees were described (25¢ for e‑check auto‑pay setup; 75¢ for a one‑time e‑check payment); staff is mailing notices and posting online.
Town manager and utility billing staff notified residents at the May 26 commission meeting that the town’s current automatic draft (autodraft) payment processor will be retired and replaced by NCR Global Pay starting June 16. As a result, the town will no longer automatically draft customers’ bank accounts on residents’ behalf; customers who want automatic payments must enroll in the new vendor’s system by July 8.
Staff said the vendor would charge nominal processing fees: an e‑check enrollment/setup fee of 25 cents for recurring auto‑pay and a 75‑cent fee for a one‑time e‑check payment. Staff said they negotiated a lower fee from an initial $1 to 75 cents for one‑time e‑checks. Credit card processing fees will remain in line with the vendor’s standard rates.
The town is sending emails, Facebook posts, letters (being mailed in batches) and water bill notices to help residents complete the transition. Staff said if a resident does not enroll by July 8 and currently relied on town auto‑draft, they must make payments by mail, in person, or set up the new online account to avoid missed payments. Utility staff offered in‑person help for residents having trouble enrolling.
