Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews proposal to replace Express Bill Pay with Invoice Cloud for utility billing
Summary
Utility billing staff recommended moving from Express Bill Pay to Invoice Cloud (via Omnia Partners) because the existing integration will no longer be supported. Staff highlighted features such as guest checkout, text‑to‑pay, and lower processing fees and estimated a 90–180 day transition with a target of November for full rollout; staff will return with detailed cost comparisons at the next meeting.
City utility billing staff recommended the council move forward with Invoice Cloud (presented as NvoiceCloud in the discussion) as the replacement for the Express Bill Pay portal, citing improved customer interface and reduced processing costs.
Allison, a utility billing staff member, told council the Express Bill Pay integration with the city's billing software (Cassell) will no longer be supported and that Invoice Cloud can integrate directly with Cassell via Omnia Partners. She noted features such as guest checkout (no account creation required for one‑time payments), text‑to‑pay, and an identical bill format to the paper bill to reduce customer confusion. "It would have the same information, same format, everything," Allison said of the portal's bill formatting.
Staff cautioned that autopay and payment card data cannot be transferred from Express Bill Pay to Invoice Cloud for security reasons, meaning customers using autopay will need to re‑enter their payment information. The proposed timeline for implementation is 90–180 days, with a target of November for full transition; staff said they would do proactive communications and return with a more detailed cost comparison to ensure the city and customers will realize savings.
Why it matters: The change affects how residents receive and pay utility bills and could reduce customer service friction and payment fees. Council asked staff to provide clearer cost comparisons and to plan communications so customers understand any changes to autopay and paperless defaults.
Council directed staff to move the item forward to the next council meeting and requested additional financial detail before final approval.
