Fairfax Water and (Lack of) Online Payment (Reston: credit card, utilities)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

I recently signed up with Fairfax Water and realized that it only offers a credit card-based online payment system that exacts a service charge on top of the actual water usage fee.

Does anybody know why, in this day and age, in Fairfax of all places, the water company here has such an antiquated online payment system?

My other option is to *mail* in an auto-debit form! I think I can use my bank's online bill pay system, but the only one I found with a name even close to Fairfax Water was "Fairfax County Water Auth NC," which is presumably in NC (I think Fairfax Water's payment handling facility is in NC, but I am not sure).

What gives?

[ChristineVA]

We use Virginia American Water and they are still livin' in the 80s. No online payment and I had to mail in a form to get it automatically debited from my account and it takes them 3 months to get it set up. Ridiculous.

[JfromReston]

I use my bank's online bill pay system to pay Fairfax County Water Authority.

[djp4305]

I use the electronic check site that is just above the credit card link. It is free.

[URL]https://www2.fairfaxva.gov/selectAccount.asp[/URL]

[cdmurphy]

Loudoun Water has a similar set-up to Fairfax - you can pay online, but they charge a fee. Ridiculous. I just send in a check, since $0.44 for a stamp is still cheaper than the fee (and I do still have checks because I have to pay my car payment via mail [again, ridiculous]).

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

Loudoun Water has a similar set-up to Fairfax - you can pay online, but they charge a fee. Ridiculous. I just send in a check, since $0.44 for a stamp is still cheaper than the fee (and I do still have checks because I have to pay my car payment via mail [again, ridiculous]).

I use Loudoun Water as well and it accepts Bill Pay from my bank.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by djp4305

I use the electronic check site that is just above the credit card link. It is free.

https://www2.fairfaxva.gov/selectAccount.asp

That's City of Fairfax. My original post was about the County of Fairfax.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by JfromReston

I use my bank's online bill pay system to pay Fairfax County Water Authority.

Was it "Fairfax County Water Auth NC"?

[sullyguy]

Yeah, I was totally floored at the antiquated manner utilities, especially FCWA, handled payments. I went through the mail-in-the-debit-form route, however, and all has been fine since. But one would htink they would spend the effort (time and money) to get their systems into the 21st century, huh. Anyway, here's their web page about this: Fairfax Water

[sullyguy]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

I think I can use my bank's online bill pay system

That one costs, too - the only "free" methods are letting FCWA debit your account or paying them straight up witha check or cash.