Pay your rates online

.TCDC's on-line rate payment service is now available by credit card.

Ratepayers who prefer to pay their Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) water and land rates from the comfort of their home or mobile internet device can pay online from today.

The service is provided by EFTPOS New Zealand Limited and payments can be made using Visa or MasterCard cards.

There is no change to the traditional option of paying at any TCDC service centre with cash, cheque or EFTPOS, but the new option of paying by Visa or MasterCard (only available online) provides a welcome addition to the bundle of services for ratepayers who normally live or work out of the region or overseas.

TCDC Financial Controller, Steve Baker also reminds ratepayers "they need to make separate payments for each rate account." For example, if a person has two or more accounts to pay and pays them all on the one account, he says "it will just look like someone has made a larger payment on one account and has forgotten to pay the others."

Those using cards issued outside New Zealand should check the terms and conditions of the cards because some card issuers charge currency conversion fees.

In addition, an Online Convenience Fee of 2.1 per cent of the payment amount including penalties, fees or interest is charged by EFTPOS New Zealand Limited. (A minimum charge of $3.00 applies.) TCDC does not receive any part of this Online Convenience Fee.

Card users should check with their card issuer about any other fees that may be applied to their transaction, under their agreement with the card issuer.

The new online payment service is available at http://www.tcdc.govt.nz/eservices/OnlinePayments/