Methods of Payment
There are several options for paying your council bills and council rent.
Online
You can currently pay the following online, with either a debit or credit card:
- Council tax
- Business rates
- Housing rents
- Penalty charge notices
- Housing benefit overpayments
- Planning application fees
- Any invoices issued by Ashford Borough Council
Which cards can I use?
We accept most credit and debit cards with the exception of American Express.
Is it safe?
YES. Your transaction will take place within a secure payment system, which means the transaction is encrypted between your machine and the authority's server.
This uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, a standard supported by major internet browsers. All of your personal and card details are protected using 128 bit encryption, when transmitted over the Internet. In order for a transaction to take place securely your browser must support 128 bit encryption.
How do I know if my transaction was successful?
When you have finished entering your card details, and confirm you want to continue with the payment, there will be a short delay while your card details are processed by WorldPay.
If your payment is successful, a receipt will be generated and displayed that contains a transaction reference number. Please make a note of the transaction reference in case you need to contact us about your payment. We recommend that you also print the receipt or save it to file where possible.
If, during a transaction, an error occurs, your payment will not be processed. You will then have a message explaining why the transaction has failed. Once your payment has been completed, we will process it within two working days.
Direct debit
Paying by direct debit is the simplest and most convenient way of paying your council bills - and it saves the council money which helps to keep future bills down. Direct debit means:
- No queues
- No need to find a stamp, write a cheque or send it off
- You never forget to pay
- You stay in control
- You may save money if you normally pay bank charges
- Your payments are protected by your bank or building society under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
Fill out a form now!
If you need to advise us of a change of bank account details, please complete a new direct debit form.
Housing services
Download a direct debit mandate form March 2017 [pdf] 128KB and send your completed Direct Debit form to Housing Services, Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PL.
By telephone
Payments using credit and debit cards can be made 24 hours a day using our automated telephone payment system.
Telephone 01233 330625 and follow the instructions. Please ensure you have your account or reference number when calling.
You can pay your rent direct to the Housing Team by calling 01233 330688 in office hours.
PayPoint/AllPay
You can pay in post offices, garages and similar outlets that display the PayPoint/AllPay symbol.
You will need to call 01233 331111 to apply for an PayPoint/AllPay card in order to use this facility.
By using your PayPoint/AllPay card you can pay by cash, cheque, debit card* and credit card* (*please check before paying as not all outlets accept debit and credit cards).
You can pay at Post Offices and PayPoint/AllPay outlets.
For details of any of payment methods or to discuss alternative methods of payment, please email the Housing Services Team by phone on 01233 330688.
Payments for Council Tax and Business Rates using PayPoint/Allpay
we are no longer sending out plastic PayPoint/Allpay cards. All bills will now be sent printed with a barcode which can then be scanned at the same outlets. Housing Services and Housing Benefit Overpayments will continue to issue PayPoint/Allpay cards for anyone wanting to use this method of payment.
Bank transfer
Through your bank or building society.
For council tax payments the instalments need to be set up as shown on your bill and the bank details are as follows:
Bank: NATWEST
Account name: ASHFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL COLLECTION ACCOUNT
Account: 74313363
Sort code: 60-01-21
Please don't forget to quote your reference number on the instruction.
By post
Payments can be sent by post if you are paying by postal order. They should be made payable to "Ashford Borough Council" and the reference or account number written clearly on the back. If you do not know your reference or account number, please write clearly your full name and address and the name of service or bill you are paying for.
Payments should be sent to Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PL.
Please be advised that this method of payment can cause delays in processing your payments.
Remember
Genuine emails from us will always advise you to go through to www.ashford.gov.uk and will not include direct links to payment pages
If you are in any doubt as to the validity of an email or phone call from Ashford Borough Council, please contact us.
