Pay for it

This online payment facility allows you to pay bills and invoices directly securely to the council.

You will need your reference or invoice number and credit/debit card to hand to complete the transaction.

Please note: The online payment facility will be unavailable from 6pm to 6.30pm on a daily basis, as an essential task is performed within the payment facility. During this time no payments can be made for the following payment types; Benefits Overpayments, Business Rates, Council Tax and Council Invoices.

	Benefits Overpayments		Council Invoices (please see details below)
	Business Rates		Pay for your child's school meals Check your child's school meals account balance
	Council Tax		Oakengates theatre tickets

Changes to payments of Council Invoices
On Monday 11 July the Council moved to a new financial management system, as a result the format of Council Invoices has changed from alphanumerical references to numerical ones.

To make a payment for a Council Invoice you will need your credit/debit card number and your Invoice & Account Numbers which can be found at the top right hand side of your invoice.

On the payment screen the 'Reference' you need to enter is your 7 digit Invoice Number followed by your 6 digit Account Number with no spaces in between (for example '4123456212345'). The 'Amount (£)' should be entered in pounds and pence (for example enter £10 as '10.00') - as illustrated below.

If your Council Invoice account number or invoice number starts with a letter rather than a number (for example 'BB AA 123456' or 'REI 12345'), then unfortunately you will not be able to pay these online after 30 June. Please call the Invoicing & Collection Team on 01952 383986, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.15pm, who will be able to take your payment for these type of invoices.

You can pay by using Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron, Visa Delta, Maestro, JCB, Solo or MasterCard Debit Card. We do not accept American Express or Diners Club.

After entering your card details, and confirm you want to continue with the payment, there will be a short delay while your card details are validated.

If your payment is successful you will receive a confirmation receipt on your screen, which you can print off or email a copy to your email address.

Once your payment has been completed, we will process it within two working days.

YES. Your transaction will take place within a secure payment system, where the transaction is encrypted between your machine and the Council's server.

The Council will use the information you provide for the sole purpose of administering your account(s) with the Council, no information will be released to any other organisation.

If you are in a public place we strongly advise you make sure you are not overlooked as you enter your details to prevent them being misused by somebody else.

Pay online

You can pay your Council Tax, business rates and benefit overpayments online. Please read our terms and conditions before using the online payment facility.

The online payments facility should work smoothly, however, if you are experiencing any problems or wish to talk to an operator to make the payment then please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01952 383838.

Our Customer Contact Centre is open Monday to Friday,8am to 6pm.

If you do not want to pay online there are a number of other methods you can use - further details are available in our 'Alternative ways to pay' leaflet.

For more information about our online payment facility view our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and read our terms and conditions.

MasterCard SecureCode or Verified by Visa are services from the major card issuers that provide added protection when you pay online via the internet. There is no need to get a new debit or credit card. You choose your own personal secure password and it is never shared with the Council or any merchant. Your private password means added protection against unauthorised use of your card when you pay online.

Please contact your card issuer for more details of these services and how to register your card with a password.