In a word, finally.
Online bill pay for customers of the Belmont County Water & Sewer District was the long-awaited promise that never seemed to be fulfilled. Until now.
Announced prior to 2020, its implementation was plagued by repeated delays—delays stemming from development, implementation, and yes, given the timing, COVID played a large role in the delayed rollout.
How long?
LedeNews.com actually checked in with Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton back on December 4 of 2020 about this very subject.
Dutton acknowledged the delays but felt in his estimation, the feature would be available soon, adding “we’re hoping no later than by the end of the first quarter.”
With the information Dutton had at hand, that was his best guess, albeit still a conservative estimate. The first quarter came, and went, with no action. As did the entirety of 2021 and nearly half of 2022.
But, in June 22, online bill pay for the county’s water service finally came online.
“We have seen steady growth in the number of payments made using Paymentus channels and look forward to its continued success,” said Lisa Rankin, the Business Service Manager for Belmont County Water.
Inside the Numbers
The county already implanted a number of payment options for its customers, prior to the online payment system being an option.
A check, an envelope, a stamp, and a quick walk to the mailbox is always an option and a number of customers chose that route. A number also drove to the 67711 Oakview Drive location to either (a) pay at the window during normal business hours, or (b) place their payment inside the after-hours drop box.
ACH automatic withdrawals were available for the “set it and forget it” crowd. You could also call the IVR and make an automated payment via your telephone or cellular device.
But as times and technology change, more and more people are looking for the easiest and most convenient way to pay their monthly bills. For many, that method is paying online.
That preference seems to be holding true with the county.
Rankin noted that from launch in June of 2022, through the end of January 2023, only four percent of payments are made at-window inside the water department’s main office.
Around 14 percent of payments are made utilizing the IVR system via phone. The rest of those payments? Yep, you guessed it—online.
Rankin relayed that a whopping 82 percent of payments to Belmont County Water are made online.
The convenience factor doesn’t end with the fact it’s available online either. A number of different payment options can be utilized through Paymentus.
“The Paymentus payment channels allow customers to pay using credit, debit, checking, savings, PayPal Credit, Venmo, and Walmart Pay,” Ranking said. “The accepted forms of payment vary based upon the channel being used.”
There is a $1.89 processing fee per transaction, with a $200 per transaction limit, but that hasn’t stopped customers from shelling out the extra fee for the convenience of paying online.
It may have been a long wait for this feature for county water customers, but it certainly seems the wait was worth it.
