Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 hour ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

1 hour ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

17 hours ago

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

19 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

20 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

24 hours ago
Fresno's Payment System Breaks with Water, Trash Bills Due. Will Residents Face Late Fees?
Liz-Juarez
By Liz Juarez
Published 4 years ago on
December 9, 2021

Share

Some Fresno residents and businesses are having a hard time paying their monthly utility bills because of a glitch with the city’s electronic payment system.

For weeks, utility customers trying to pay their bills online or over the phone have hit a dead-end.

“In case you have gotten calls, or will get calls, we are having an issue with our online payment portal for utility bills,” Assistant City Manager Georgeanne White told the Fresno City Council on Thursday.

Problem has Persisted for Weeks

Council President Luis Chavez said his office has been getting calls from concerned residents worried about late fees if their bill can’t be paid on time.

Councilmember Esmeralda Soria said she experienced a problem with her own automatic payment and had been emailing the public utilities department for information.

White said city staff only became aware of the problem on Wednesday.

“We’ll be posting something on the website today and putting out on social media acknowledging the problem and making sure that our residents know that there are other options to pay their bills other than the online portal,” she said.

Outside Vendor Runs Payment System

White said the problem is being caused by a faulty online interface provided by a third party vendor. She said it is taking longer than it should to fix the problem.

She could not provide a timeline for when the interface will be working properly again.

“Honestly, I don’t want to over-promise or over-deliver. We’ve got the leadership of both teams working on it, and I think we want to make sure that people know their other options,” White said. “I would love to say that it’s going to be done today, but I don’t want to make that commitment.”

Other Payment Options Available

A message about the credit card processing problem has now been posted on the city’s website. 

The message encourages customers who normally pay with a credit card via the city’s web payment portal, automated telephone system, text to pay, or autopay to choose another method to ensure timely processing.

Options include paying by check or money order in person at Fresno City Hall, using dropbox locations at either City Hall or Manchester Mall, or sending their payment through U.S. mail. Customers can use their bank’s online or mobile bill pay function to make a payment.

Residents can also contact the city’s customer service line to speak with a representative Monday – Friday from 8am – 4:30pm at (559) 621-6888.

Will Late Fees be Charged?

City officials say they are waiving any late charges or penalties that can be attributed to credit card payments rejected by their system.

The city’s COVID emergency order remains in place, which also eliminates late fees for failure to make a utility payment on time.

“Fair to say that they are working on the problem, but your late fees will be waived, and you won’t have to go through another (fee waiver) process,” said Chavez.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

DON'T MISS

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

UP NEXT

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

UP NEXT

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

UP NEXT

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

UP NEXT

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

UP NEXT

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

UP NEXT

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

UP NEXT

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

36 minutes ago

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

37 minutes ago

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

45 minutes ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

59 minutes ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 hour ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

1 hour ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

1 hour ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

16 hours ago

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

16 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that she is working with the Justice Department to see if CNN can be prosecuted for ...

16 minutes ago

President Donald Trump and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speak with the media at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on the day of the opening of a temporary migrant detention center informally known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
16 minutes ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

Tesla CEO Elon Musk greets U.S. President Donald Trump as they attend the NCAA men's wrestling championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., March 22, 2025. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo)
19 minutes ago

Musk Promises a New Political Party if the GOP Bill Passes

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2025. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
35 minutes ago

Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers After Better-Than-Expected US Jobs Data

36 minutes ago

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

A tourist cools off in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower as an early summer heatwave hits Paris, France, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Tom Nicholson)
37 minutes ago

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2025. (Reuters File)
45 minutes ago

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

A man was shot Tuesday, July 1, 2025, morning outside the Bethlehem Center in Visalia, and police are investigating the incident. (Visalia PD)
59 minutes ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house that took place on Monday, in Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Ramadan Abed)
1 hour ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend