Paying The Villages Community Development District Bill (Utilities)
 

I currently have Auto Pay to pay my bill coming directly from my checking. Does anyone pay your bill through a debit card that would come out of checking but routed through the debit card. I called and they said that there would be a 2.75% addt'l charge. I can understand that for a credit card but not a debit card. I watched a video that is on their website and there is not indication of the extra charge. I'm purposely wanting it through my debit for better interest rate reasons. Thank you.

This is on their website:
E-Check went from $1 with Point and Pay to $.95 with Invoice Cloud.
Credit/Debit Card went from 2.3% with Point and Pay to 2.75% with Invoice Cloud.

The changes with autopay have not changed. If you pay with your banking account (checking or savings) there is no fee. Same thing with BillPay services.
Accounts can be accessed either by Name, Address, or Account Number
Name – Enter the last name associated with the account
Address – Enter the street address (beginning numbers only)
Account Number - Enter the Complete Account Number including letter at the beginning - X000-0000-00

You can avoid the $0.95 Invoice Cloud fee by making the payment directly from your bank account to the District using your bank's online bill pay system. And, you don't need to use autopay. When I get the email bill, I log in to my Truist account and make an electronic payment. No charge.

Thanks, but I'm not charged any fee.

I send them a check. I put it in the slot at the post office. No stamp required.

Good. But I think some people, who don't want to use autopay, are paying $0.95 to Invoice Cloud, when they could just make the payments through their online banking system for free. Frankly, I don't understand what Invoice Cloud does for the $0.95.

Your bank online bill pay sent electronically

Chase had Bill Pay with their accounts. I imaging any reputable bank does also. Set up the bill pay to pay it with the checking account. It’s an electronic check payment.

Interesting that we are charged a substantial amount to pay online, given that it saves The Villages quite a lot, compared to having a real person open the envelope and deal with the check. People can save themselves about $5 a month by putting the check in an envelope without a stamp and putting it in the free Villages slot at the Postal Center for each village.

It's NOT The Villages.

///

As I understand it, the new payment system, including the hiring of Invoice Cloud, was designed to encourage more customers to use autopay. But, some people, including me, do not like autopay.

Note that on page 2 of your utility bill, there is a section entitled "paying your bill". This section conveniently omits the option of paying the bill using your own bank's online bill pay system. I think that is because they want you to use Invoice Cloud and pay the $0.95 fee, or to sign up for autopay. But you can use your bank's bill pay system, if you want.

Payment
 

Very easy and convenient to pay at your postal station. Pickup your mail, drop the payment into their mail slot. Easy peasy.

How do you get a better interest rate with a debit card?

///