Our payment processing vendor recently issued an email to autopay customers regarding changes to credit card and debit card payment fees. Thankfully, these fees do not apply to customers using electronic checks.
If you are already paying your Helix water bills with electronic checks or use electronic checks for autopay, good job, you’re saving money. If you are still paying with a card, you can sign up for electronic checks and avoid the fees. Getting started is easy. Here are 6 reasons why you should and step-by-step instructions.
1. No transaction fees
When you pay a Helix water bill with a credit or debit card, you also pay a $3.95 transaction fee, and our payment processing vendor will raise the fee to $4.50 on March 6. But you don’t have to pay this fee. There is no transaction fee when you pay your water bill online with an electronic check.
2. Electronic checks are just like paper checks
An electronic check, or eCheck, is a digital version of a paper check. You authorize payment on an online payment form. Money is electronically withdrawn from your checking account, transferred over the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network used by U.S. financial institutions, and deposited into the checking account of the organization you wrote the check to. The process typically takes 3-5 business days.
3. Electronic checks are easier than paper checks
Writing checks takes a long time. But you don’t write electronic checks. When you open an online account on the Helix Water District website, you enter your checking account information once and it’s saved. After that, you just select the bill you want to pay, proceed to checkout and approve payment.
How to enter your checking account information
a. Have a personal check ready
b. Go to hwd.com
c. Log in or register for an online account
d. Click on your account
e. Click "Payment" and "Pay Online" in the dropdown menu
f. Select the bill you want to pay
g. Proceed to checkout
h. Click "New Bank Account"
i. Enter your bank account information -- from your personal check
j. Review and approve payment
4. You don’t have to open an online account
Click “Log In or Register” and then “One Time Pay” and follow steps f-j above. Note that when you use One Time Pay you must enter your checking account information each time.
5. Set up Autopay with electronic checks
Autopay is our most popular payment option. We debit your checking or savings account on the day your payment is due (or up to 3 days prior for some banks). You still receive a water bill so you can review your water use and payment.
How to set up Autopay with eChecks
a. Have a personal check ready
b. Go to hwd.com
c. Log in or register for an online account
d. Click on your account
e. Click "Payment" and "Autopay" in the dropdown menu
f. Click "Please add a new payment method before signing up for Autopay"
g. Click "Add New Bank" and enter checking account information
h. Click “Confirm” in the confirmation email we send you
6. Pay with your phone
Our customer self-service portal at hwd.com is phone-friendly so you can pay your water bill with an electronic check where and when you want to.
Ready to pay your water bills with electronic checks?
Set up your account at hwd.com