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Treasurer/Collector - Invoice Cloud FAQ's

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1. What is Invoice Cloud?

Invoice Cloud is a secure web based electronic invoice presentment and payment system that provides customers a convenient way to pay their bills online. All data collected is double encrypted and stored on secure servers. The data is not sold or released for any purpose other than to complete transactions.

2. Is there one account number for all of my bills?

No, account numbers vary for different payment types. For instance:

• Real Estate: Account number
• Motor Vehicle: Year and bill number
• Water/Sewer Bill: Account Number
• Refuse Bill: Account Number

3. If I pay different bills (i.e. property tax and sewer bill) do I need to register twice?

Yes, one time registration is required for each bill type to access the resident portal. You need to register for each bill type and account you wish to pay online. If you own two parcels, you will need to register both parcels. Once the initial registration process has been completed for each of your accounts, viewing and paying future invoices will be in place.

If you register your accounts with the same email and password, you will get a list of accounts to choose from in your customer portal.

4. Can I put my sewer bill on auto-pay, but keep my real estate taxes as a scheduled payment?

Yes, each bill type operates independently. When you sign up for auto-pay, you will be asked to select which bill type you want to put on auto-pay. Those bills selected will be paid on the day they are due.

You will need to respond to an Invoice Cloud email to confirm autopay.

5. How does the system work?

1. Customer accesses account via the Town’s website by clicking on the Online Bill Pay link.
2. Customer locates and views invoice and either enters payment information for a one-time payment or registers account to schedule a payment.
3. Customer receives an email confirmation with their payment amount and payment date.

6. Do I have to enter an email address to make a payment?

Yes, an email address is required for payment confirmation. A payment receipt is sent via email.

7. When I try to pay my bill, it asks for credit card information and I want to pay by electronic check.

Under “How would you like to pay”, click on the drop-down box and choose EFT Check.

8. Will I receive a confirmation email that my bill has been paid?

Yes, you will receive a confirmation email.

9. Do I need to register to pay a bill?

You need to register to receive electronic bills by email, but registration is not required for one-time payments. One-time payments require that you enter your payment information each time you make a payment. By registering, you avoid that step and gain access to your payment history.

10. Why should I register to pay a bill?

By registering, you have access to all of your invoices regardless of type and all of the features of the payment portal. These features include the ability to view all current invoices, see previous invoices and payment dates, update your profile information, access the online customer service system, go paperless (if bill type allows), schedule payments for specific dates, and sign up for auto-pay. You also avoid having to enter your payment information each time you pay a bill.

11. How do I register?

Registering can be done when you make a payment. When you receive an email notification that your bill is ready to be paid, simply click on the “View Invoice or Pay Now” button. You will be directed to the Town’s “Pay or View Bills” page, powered by Invoice Cloud. Once there, you can register or make a one-time payment. If you choose to register, you will be asked to provide a password and accept the terms and conditions to use the system. The payment information you enter in your profile will then be securely encrypted and saved for your next visit.

12. How do I find my account number to login?

Once you have registered, you will only need your email address and password to log in. To login the first time, you will need your account number or customer ID from your bill. The “Locate Your Bill” screen gives instructions regarding the required information.

13. I forgot my password, how do I find it?

You should click on “Forgotten Password?” at the bottom of the login screen. You will need your account number and email address to retrieve your password.

14. Can more than one person pay bills online for the same account?

There are two ways that payment responsibilities can be shared. If the other payer is part of your household, you may choose to share your login information with that individual. In a situation where personal financial data is not shared, you may forward your email notification to the individual, who will then click on the “View or Pay Now” button and elect to make a one-time payment. You may also send them a courtesy email through the system.They will need to enter their name, email address, address, and payment information. They will receive the payment confirmation. You can verify their payment by viewing the invoices in your account.

15. What forms of payment can I use?

You can pay by credit or debit card or you may issue an electronic check from your bank account (checking or savings). The Town will accept Visa, Discover, and MasterCard.

16. What is a service or convenience fee?

A non-refundable fee added to an invoice to cover various administrative costs associated with billing and accepting payment. These fees are collected and sent to Invoice Cloud and are not deposited with the Town.

17. If I don’t have email can I still process an electronic payment?

No, to complete the online payment process, you will need an email address so that the system can deliver your payment confirmation. If you do not have an email address, you can obtain a free email account from any of the following services: yahoo.com, outlook.live.com, or gmail.com.

18. Which bills can I pay online?

You can pay current real estate tax bills, motor vehicle excise tax bills, refuse bills, and water/sewer bills.

19. What are the costs for paying online?

When paying by an ACH transfer (electronic check) from your checking or savings account, you will be charged $0.40 per transaction. This convenience fee is non-refundable.

When paying by credit card, you will be charged 2.95% of the transaction.  This convenience fee is non-refundable.

The convenience fee is automatically calculated and is shown on the payment page before you submit your payment for processing.

There are fees imposed by the Town/Invoice Cloud for returned payments, and your bank may charge you a fee based on the bank's fee schedule.

20. May I pay my tax bill by credit card at the Treasurer/Collector’s Office?

Yes.

21. How should I enter my credit card information?

The information you enter on the payment screen must be exactly the same as it appears on your credit card. This information collected will be used to authorize your payment.

22. How will I know that my payment has been accepted?

After you submit your payment, you will see a payment confirmation screen. It will contain a payment confirmation message and show an approved number for credit cards or a processed number for electronic checks.

You will also receive a confirmation email after your transaction is submitted. The email will include your account number, invoice number, amount paid, and confirmation message. If your electronic check does not pass through the bank, you will receive an email informing you of the rejected payment.

23. How long does it take for a credit card transaction to process?

Credit card transactions typically take 48 hours to settle. An authorization is issued immediately; however, it takes 48 hours for the money to be moved.

24. How long does it take for an EFT (electronic funds transfer) transaction to process?

EFT transactions typically take 48 – 72 hours to settle.

25. Do I need to notify my bank or change bank accounts?

No, your current bank account (checking or savings) will work.

26. What information do I need to make a payment?

If you are registered, the only information you need to have available is your email address and password. If you make a one-time payment, you will also need your bank account or credit card information and your account number.

27. When can I pay?

You can make a payment or review your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is always a good idea to pay or schedule a payment at least a few days before the due date to allow time for processing.

28. Can I tell if my payment has been posted?

Yes, simply login to your account and select “View Paid or Closed Invoices”. If you are a registered customer, you will receive an email notification.

29. Will I have online access to my account?

Yes, you will have 24/7 access to your account for invoice review, payment, payment history, and customer service requests.

30. How long will my payment history be maintained?

24 months is the standard retention period.

31. Will I be able to print a copy of my bill?

Yes, each invoice is presented in PDF and HTML format.

32. What is auto-pay?

If you elect to opt in to auto-pay, it means that your bills will be paid automatically on their due dates using your default credit card or bank account. This will avoid any late fees and free you from having to remember when to pay.

33. Can I cancel auto-pay?

Yes, simply go into your profile and uncheck the auto-pay box that you had previously checked when you elected to opt into Auto-pay.  You will need to reply to an Invoice Cloud email to confirm.

34. I signed up for auto-pay but do not see any information under “My Scheduled Payments.”

The auto-pay date will not appear under scheduled payments. Auto-pay will be debited from your account on the due date.

35. What are scheduled payments?

Scheduled payments are scheduled individually by you for each bill on your specified date.

36. Can I schedule payments?

Yes, you can set up a future payment at any time prior to the bill due date.

37. Can I change a scheduled payment?

Yes, as long as it is changed before the date it was scheduled to be paid.

38. What is the difference between auto-pay and a scheduled payment?

Auto-pay is an automated process which pays your balance in full each billing cycle at 2am on the due date. Scheduled payments are manually entered by you for the date you choose for each bill you choose.

39. What if I already have auto-pay or a scheduled payment set up with my bank?

You will need to contact your bank and cancel your automated or scheduled payment before the payment is due (typically payments are made a couple days in advance of the due date, so don’t wait until the last minute).

40. When I sign up to “Go Paperless,” will I still receive a paper bill in the mail?

No, you will receive an email notification each time a new bill is ready for you to view and pay. Email notifications go to the email address used when you registered, a second email address may be added if you wish to send notifications to an additional or back up email address.

41. Can I start receiving paper bills again?

Yes, go into your profile and under Paperless Options, select “No, I don’t want to go paperless.” Be sure to update/save the change.

42. What is Account Linking?

Account Linking means that payers are able to view and pay all open bills with a single transaction. When registering bills under the same email address, payers are given the option to link their related accounts.

Linked accounts provide the following efficiencies:

• Faster, simpler payments across bill types. For example, a customer with two real estate tax bills, one personal property tax bill and three motor vehicle excise bills can login to any one account and view, manage preferences (auto-pay, paperless settings, etc.), and pay all of the accounts at the same time.
• Linked accounts can access the same encrypted credit card and bank account information, so payers only need to enter it once.
• Multiple email notifications scheduled for the same day, are grouped into one email rather than sent separately.
• Upon receipt of the email notification, the payer can view or pay all bills together, including any open or unpaid bills from other bill types.
• Payment receipts are always sent out individually.
• Editing an email or password changes it for all accounts in the linked group.

43. Who do I contact with questions about a bill?

If you are unable to find the information you need in your online payment history or open invoices, please call the Treasurer/Collector at 617-730-2020 or email [email protected].

44. I accidentally deleted my current email notification, what should I do?

If you are registered, you can login via the Treasurer/Collector’s Pay or View Bills webpage and view the bill there, or you can email [email protected]  and ask them to resend the email.

45. If I have additional questions or I am having trouble registering, who should I call?

Call the Treasurer/Collector at 617-730-2020. If the website is down or inoperable, please call Invoice Cloud’s Customer Service at 866-342-9267, Option 2.

46. Is my information secure?

Account information displayed within the customer and biller portals is truncated to protect confidential data. Any information retained is not shared with third parties.

47. Are my credit card and checking account information safe when I pay online?

Invoice Cloud safely stores all of your financial information using Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliant systems. This includes truncating (abbreviating) account numbers so that even the Town does not see your complete account information.

48. What is PCI Compliance and why is it so important?

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry, and compliance with the industry standards is a requirement for those that accept the major credit cards and for software providers who have applications which involve the transmission and/or storage of credit card information. If breaches are found on systems that are not PCI compliant, the major credit card companies have the ability to levy significant fines on the offending parties.

49. Who has access to my account?

The Treasurer/Collector’s authorized staff. No one will have access to your financial information as all check routing numbers and credit card numbers are truncated, so you never have to worry about security. As a security precaution, Invoice Cloud does not show your full financial information back to you.