The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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November 22, 2009

City of Enid offers option to pay bills online

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer

A system recently was implemented by the city of Enid to make it easier for Enid residents to pay their city utility bills online.

Assistant Finance Director Joan Riley said the system uses credit cards and is protected from hackers. The city technology department reported since going online the week of Oct. 26, there have been 143 people paying bills in that manner, Riley said.

“The system is still fairly new and is growing,” she said.

To pay bills, customers should link onto the city Web site, go to the “I want to” section and click to pay their utility bill online. A username and password was sent to residents in their utility bill, and that information will be used to identify the customer in the online system. Sin-ce those were sent out, a place to contact the city has been established if residents do not have a username and password. It gives an option to obtain the information by telephone or e-mail.

The next step is to list the account under the customer’s name, whose name the account is listed under and then a list of options will appear. Those options include checking the balance, payment, verifying name, status of the balance, billing history, account transaction or to simply click “pay.” The customer inserts the amount they would like to pay, which then leads them to the credit card information.

The city system does not store credit card information so there is no chance of hacking into the system for customer information, Riley said.

“You have to re-enter your credit card information each time, but that is a security measure; it’s more secure that way,” she said.

One thing to remember, she said, is if there is a problem accessing the system, call the customer service representative in the utility billing department and they will walk through it with the customers. Utility billing director is Scott Morris.

Online bill paying is another way for the city to make it easier on residents, said City Manager Eric Benson.

“We’re looking to increase participation, of course, but I think the citizens of Enid would like us to make their life easier,” Benson said.

The automatic bill-paying system is extremely popular with people 35 and younger, and Benson said the response from them has been overwhelming. The new system does not mean the old ways of bill paying will be discarded, Benson said. Those still will be continued.

“This is not a way to reduce jobs. It’s just an added facet for those who want online payment,” he said.

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