Payment Options for Paying Your Rates
Council's financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Rates are invoiced in four equal instalments and the invoice is due for payment in the middle month of each quarter, as shown on each instalment notice.
Water volumetric rates charged separately
Water volumetric rates are not included in your annual rates account as a separate water account is sent to you. The water annual charge is included in your annual rates account.
See Water Charges for information on charges for water supply.
Septic tank costs
There is a myth out there that if you have your own septic tank, with no wastewater attachment, that you are still paying for this in your rates. The answer is no. If you are not connected, you do not pay for this service.
Read 'Septic tanks costs - the myth' for more information on charges for wastewater.
Receive your rates and water accounts by email
To receive your accounts electronically (by email) instead of on paper, please complete a change of contact method request form. If you have any queries regarding this service, please contact our Customer Services team on +64 3 546 0200.
Payment options
Nelson City Council stopped accepting cheques as a method of payment in 2021. This is in line with several New Zealand banks that have discontinued the use of cheques and cheque books, due to the changing ways customers do their banking. The easiest and most convenient way of making or receiving a payment is to do so electronically.
You can pay your Council charges in several convenient ways. Follow the instructions and links for the method you prefer.
- Telephone and Internet banking
- Credit card online
- Direct debit
- By post
- In person by cash, credit card, or EFTPOS
Telephone and Internet banking
You can make any payment to Council using telephone or internet banking, as long as you reference what you are paying. Please enter the details of your internet banking payment as requested using the fields below:
Payee name
Nelson City Council
Payee Account No
03-0703-0325055-00
Details to appear on payee statement
The details you enter depend on what kind of payment you are making.
What to enter in the bank details fields for each payment type
| Payment type | Code | Particulars | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rates | Valuation Roll number | Name: surname then your initials | |
| Water | Customer Billing number | Name: surname then your initials | |
| Consents | Customer number such as RM123456 or BC123456 | Name: surname then your initials | |
| Library Fees and Charges | Last four digits of your Library card number | Name: surname then your initials | Library |
| Debtors | Customer number | Name: surname then your initials | |
| Parking ticket | Vehicle Registration Number | Name: surname then your initials | Infringement Number |
| LIM | Property Address | Name: surname then your initials |
By credit card online
You can pay many bills online via Westpac and a secure interface. There is a fee associated with this. Pay online now.
Direct debit
The easy, hassle-free and affordable way to pay your accounts and avoiding late payments and penalties.
Arranging a Direct Debit
You can sign up online via the link below or you can complete and sign a direct debit authority form and return it to Council. We will send you a confirmation letter when we have processed your application, which will confirm the starting date, payment amount and payment frequency. Please allow at least 10 working days to have your application processed.
Set up a new Direct Debit Authority
- Download the Direct Debit form, form, fill out, sign and post it to us.
If you prefer not to download a form, send us an email at rates@ncc.govt.nz and we will post out an Easypay form to you.
Rates Direct Debits
A rates direct debit allows you to spread your current year’s rates payments over 12 months which may help your cash flow. You can choose to pay either;
You can sign up online via the link below or you can complete and sign a direct debit authority form and return it to Council. We will send you a confirmation letter when we have processed your application which will confirm the starting date, payment amount and payment frequency. Please allow at least 10 working days to have your application processed.
- Weekly (Tuesday or Thursday)
- Fortnightly (Tuesday or Thursday)
- Monthly on the 20th
- Quarterly – on the due date
- Annually – on the due date for the first instalment
If the date of the direct debit falls on a weekend or public holiday it will be debited on the next working day.
If you pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly the direct debit payment amounts are automatically adjusted in late July or early August to ensure your rates are paid in full over the whole year. We will notify you in advance of the payment amounts and you can cancel the payments at any time.
If you pay quarterly or annually, your payment will be the amount showing on the rates invoice.
Water Direct Debits
You can also pay your water account by direct debit. You can choose to pay either;
Residential Properties
- *Weekly (Tuesday or Thursday)
- *Fortnightly (Tuesday or Thursday)
- *Monthly on the 20th
- Six Monthly - on the due date
Commercial Properties
- Quarterly – on the due date
*Please note that we will recalculate the weekly, fortnightly or monthly Water direct debits annually based on the account balance and previous 12months consumption.
Dishonoured direct debit payments
If you set up a direct debit, you need to ensure you have sufficient funds to cover the direct debit amount. If you have insufficient funds you may be charged fees by your bank. We request that you make a manual payment for any missed payments. Alternatively you can contact us to have your direct debit reviewed or recalculated.
If more than one payment is dishonoured, the Council reserves the right to cancel your direct debit authority and cease direct debiting your account. We also reserve the right to decline any future direct debit applications that you submit for a period of one year after the last dishonour. If this happens you will be notified in writing and you will need to choose another payment option.
Read more about when to pay your rates
By post or in person
Cash, Eftpos, or Credit Card payments can be made at any of Council’s offices.
Credit card payments will incur a 2% transaction fee charged by Council’s bank, which is added to the payment amount.
Nelson City Council stopped accepting cheques as a method of payment in 2021. Please also be informed that Kiwibank stopped honouring cheques in 2020, so we are unable to process your payment.
