[Trevor Holland]

Hello Fellow Revenue Professionals

Blue Mountains are reviewing the direct debit payment options that we currently offer customers.

Currently we offer weekly, fortnightly, monthly, instalment and annual direct debits.

I am interested in finding out whether other Council’s offer direct debits in a similar way or offer the service for payment of only instalments and annual rates.

Any feedback will be appreciated.
Regards
Trevor

[nucleo]

Hi Trevor.
Inner West have recently changed to allow direct debit as a payment method for quarterly and annual only. (former Ashfield and Leichhardt currently have weekly, fortnightly and monthly) These will be phased out in preparation as we head into our new you beaut CiA software system.
Cheers
Glynes

[Suzi Flynn]

Hi Trev,
Sydney has two methods: annual and instalment only (setup on the rates system) and debit from bank accounts only; or user initiated and controlled direct debit setup for a recurring amount, including monthly frequency, from bank account or credit card (direct setup between user and our bank).
Regards,
Suzi

[Simone Fisher]

Hi Trevor,
Wollondilly has weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly & annual from cheque or savings account only.
Thanks,
Simone

[Matthew Saunders]

Hi Trevor,

Penrith City Council offers general direct debits by quarterly or annual payments and are done on the due date. We offer weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment options for overdue accounts only and these are processed once a week on Fridays. We do not offer general weekly or fortnightly payments by direct debit due to the work needed to recalculate amounts each financial year. We encourage customers to setup their own weekly or fortnightly payments using BPay.

In all cases we only do from savings/cheque accounts (not from credit card).

Kind regards,

Matthew.

[Robert Hay]

Hi Trevor

At Ku-ring-gai we only do annual and instalments and only from cheque or savings accounts. Same as Matthew if they want anything different we encourage them to set up their own weekly and fortnightly dd’s through BPay.

Cheers

Robert

[Nicholas Lew]

Hi Trevor

Bathurst Regional Council offers full payment, quarterly payment, or a fixed amount monthly, fortnightly or weekly. Payment is only made from a cheque or savings account only.

Regards

Nick

[Suzy Melki]

Hi Trevor,
Fairfield City Council also has weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly & annual from cheque or savings account only.

Kind Regards
Suzy

[Cherie Muir]

Hi Trevor and all

Randwick has D/D on savings accounts only: in full, instalment, monthly and fortnightly. The fortnightly run is on a Friday only (very few takers on both fortnightly and monthly … I’m talking less than 30 for each run out of 52,000 ratepayers).

I’m interested in D/D on credit cards … looks like Sydney has it, does anyone else do D/D’s on credit card?

Regards
Cherie

[Tracey Walker]

Hi Trevor,
We only process direct debits for frequency and only on savings and cheque accounts. We don’t have a allocated day that we run the direct debit file.

We are looking at other avenues to introduce credit cards and automate the process. Although this is a work in progress.

[Carla Mete]

Hi Trevor, At Shellharbour City Council we offer Weekly. Fortnightly, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly Direct Debits from Savings Accounts.

I have a question for all Council’s offering Weekly, Fortnightly and Monthly Direct Debits – Do you charge interest if the quarter is not paid in full by it’s due date, even if the direct debit was calculated to have the full years rates paid in full by 31 May the following year?

For our new Direct Debit Customers who take up the DD plan during August (for example), when they start paying weekly, fortnightly or monthly, the first quarter is never paid by the due date (and usually the second isn’t either) unless they pay a lump sum. We charge interest even if on a direct debit plan but are looking at reviewing this…

Any comments would be most helpful
Thank you, Carla

[Simone Fisher]

Hi Carla, one of the conditions of our periodical direct debits is that the ratepayer is responsible for reviewing their direct debit & ensuring that each instalment is paid by the due date. Sometimes they’ll need to make an extra payment or lump sum payment for this.

If not paid by the due dates we charge interest on anything left overdue.

Thanks,
Simone

[Andrea Dolan]

Hi Trevor,

Canterbury-Bankstown now only offers annual or instalments.

Previously Canterbury offered the additional options but since January it is no longer offered. We wrote to all the ratepayers who were on weekly, fortnightly or monthly and advised them that Council will no longer be offering the service and that they needed to either set increment payments up with their bank for BPay or apply to us for instalment or annual.

We only had a handful of enquiries as to why we were cancelling the option, but no major backlash.

Andrea

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