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Oakland to end bank autodraft; residents must re‑enroll with new processor by July 8
Summary
The town will stop automatic bank drafts for utility bills and move payments to NCR Global Pay beginning June 16; residents who want autopay must re‑enroll by July 8 and nominal eCheck processing fees (25¢ setup; 75¢ one‑time) will apply.
Town officials told the commission on May 26 that the municipal utility billing system will discontinue the current automatic draft service and switch payment processing to NCR Global Pay beginning June 16, 2026.
The current vendor (MunLink/UniLink) is ending its autodraft product; the town said it worked to limit fees but that the new processor requires nominal processing charges. Residents who wish to preserve an automated payment option must sign up through the new portal by July 8, otherwise automatic payment will stop and customers will need to pay by mail, in person, or set up payment manually.
Utility staff outlined the new fees: a one‑time eCheck enrollment setup fee of 25 cents, a one‑time eCheck payment fee of 75 cents, and unchanged credit‑card fees. Staff said they are conducting outreach by email, Facebook posts, and mailed notices and that utility billing staff can assist customers with enrollment.
"If you currently have it auto‑deducted and you want to keep it that way without disruption, you'll need to do that by July 8," a staff member said. The transition does not change billing amounts; it only affects payment processing and who handles bank account information.
Residents with questions were directed to the town utility billing office or to the town website for instructions and a municipal code reference to an existing 30‑day landscaping watering grace period for new installations.
No formal vote was required; the change is administrative and staff will continue outreach through June and July.
