Q. Why has the Council introduced an online payments system?
With the accessibility to computers and Internet use growing every day, and peoples lives becoming increasingly busy, the Internet is becoming more and more popular for people to carry our their personal business outside of normal working hours. By introducing an online payment system, the Council is making itself more accessible in response to your needs.
The Council also recognises that the trend for using a card to pay for things instead of cash or cheques is growing rapidly, and will continue to do so in the future. This new system is responding to community demands for more choice and flexibility.
Miscellaneous fees, these include:
Go to the Oldham Council Online Payment system page.
Select the item you wish to pay (these are listed above)
Account Number/Invoice Number
Your
Account Number is your reference number, which you will be able to find on your Payment Bill. Your Invoice
Number is shown on your bill or letter as ‘Invoice Number’
Account Name
This is the name of
the person that will appear above the postal address on the Payment Bill, and for whom the
account is to be paid. This should be entered exactly how the name appears on the bill e.g. Mr B P Jones,
or Mr and Mrs B P Jones. If two names appear on the bill e.g. Mr B P Jones and Miss S S Smith, please
enter the first name only.
Address
Enter the first line of address
for whom the bill is to be paid.
Post Code
The postcode of the person
for whom the bill is to be paid. No spacing between digits is necessary.
Amount
The total amount of the payment
to be made in pounds and pence. Enter the number of pounds in the first box and then select the second
box to enter the pence. You do not need to enter the decimal point. Please check that the amount that
you have entered is correct.
Select ‘continue’
If this is all
you wish to pay select ‘continue’ again.
If you want to pay another item select ‘To add
another item.’
Enter Card Details
Amount
Please
check that the amount that you have entered is correct. If it has been entered incorrectly click the
'Cancel' button to start again.
Card Number
Please
enter your credit or debit card number. The card number is the long number across the centre of the
card, this should be entered without any spaces. You can pay by using any of the card types shown on
the page.
Card Holder Name
Please
enter the name of the card holder as it appears on your credit or debit card.
Card
Holder E-mail
If you wish to receive an e-mail confirming your card transaction
and details, please enter a valid e-mail address. For security reasons your full card number will not
be sent in the confirmation email.
Note: If you do not have an e-mail
address please leave this box blank. You can print the confirmation once you have completed your payment.
Expiry
Date
The card expiry date is made up from the month of expiry (mm) and the year
of the expiry (yy). Please select each element of the expiry date from the appropriate drop down lists.
Issue
Number
The issue number is only required if you are paying by Switch/Maestro or
Solo. Please enter the issue number as shown on your card. For example, if the number shown is 03 type
03, if the number shown is 3 type 3.
Security Code
This
is the last 3 digits on the security strip on the back of your card
AVS
Address
The Number(s) from the address at which your Card is registered, which
will be shown on the statement that you receive from your Bank / Building Society (e.g. if the address
is 'Flat 7, 32 Broad Street' you would enter 732)
AVS Postcode
This
is the postcode of the address that the card is registered to
Check
all the details are correct.
If correct select ‘make a payment’
If
incorrect select ’back’ to amend details
When ‘make a payment’ has been selected
If
your card is password protected you will be asked for your password, enter this and you will then be
given an authorisation code.
If your card is not password protected you will be given
an authorisation code.
The links below will take you to the page to check your account balance:
Q. Why do I have to give my name and address details to make a payment?
When you make your payment, the Council's system receives an acknowledgement from the bank to advise whether or not the payment was successful. This is the same acknowledgement that you will receive. In the unlikely circumstance that an error occurs in the payment process (for example, in the event of a power cut) we may need to contact you. Your personal details are also used to ensure that the payment is credited against your bill in our systems.
Q. Can I pay more than one bill?
Yes.
The system uses "shopping basket" technology that allows you to pay a selection of bills in one go. There are simple instructions on the payment screens that guide you through how to add additional payment items to your basket. You can then pay for them all in one easy transaction.
Q. Does the Council keep my card details on the online payments system?
No.
The Council uses a service provided by Capita and Streamline, the card payment company, who communicate directly with your bank to gain authorisation that the payment can be made.
Q. Is it possible to get a receipt when I pay my bill online?
Yes.
When you pay your bill online and your payment is accepted, you will receive online confirmation. You have the opportunity to make a note of the transaction ID and authorisation code, or you can print a copy of the page as a receipt for your records. Also, if you provide your email address in the appropriate field when making your payment, you will be sent an email as payment confirmation.
Q. How soon will it take to find out the payment is successful?
When you have entered your card details and pressed the "Make a Payment" button, the system will communicate with your own bank to seek authorisation for the payment. This should only take a few seconds. The payment page will refresh automatically to confirm that payment has been authorised. At this point, your payment has been taken from your bank account. We will credit the payment against your bill on the following working day.
Q. What if my card is refused?
If the card type is valid but payment is refused, you should check directly with your own bank or the card issuer
If you encounter any problems using the online payment service please contact us 0161 770 6611 during normal office hours (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays), or email contact@oldham.gov.uk, and advise us that a problem has occurred. Once notified, we will monitor the system to see if the payment has completed and let you know whether you need to make the payment again.
Q. Do I get charged if I pay online?
No.
The Council will not pass on any administration charge to you if you choose to pay online. With the exception of Direct Debit payments, online payment by debit card is the most cost effective way for us to do accept payments and we would as such encourage you to pay your bills this way.
Q. What bills will I be able to pay online in the future?
The online payments system will be reviewed regularly and as the Council develops its range of online services, the facility to make payments online will be extended accordingly wherever this is possible.
Q. If I have a problem, who should I contact?
If you encounter any problems, or just have a good idea about the online payments service that you want to pass onto the Council, please e-mail contact@oldham.gov.uk, or you can telephone us on 0161 770 6611 during normal office hours (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday).
Q. Can I pay by card over the phone?
Yes.
You can pay by our 24 hour automated telephone payment service. The Telephone Payment Number is: 0161 770 6611.
With touch-tone keypad, follow the voice prompts and enter your payment and card details via your telephone keypad. Payments are processed automatically and you will not need to speak to a Council officer. You will be told that your payment has been authorised and you will be given an authorisation code as confirmation that the payment has been processed.
If you would prefer to talk to a member of staff at the Council when you make a payment, please telephone 0161 770 6611 between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday and select option 2. The member of staff you speak to will use the online payment service on your behalf to process your payment. Online authorisation will still take place and the member of staff will provide you with the transaction ID and authorisation code as confirmation that your payment has been processed. In addition, if you provide us with an email address, we will send you an email to confirm the details of the payment you have made
Q. How else can I pay my bills to the Council?
Oldham Council provides several options for the payment of services provided by the Council.