Paying your City of Fresno utility bill online is a convenient way to manage your payments. The City of Fresno offers several options for customers to pay their utility bills electronically. This article will explain the online payment options, create an account, manage payments and other frequently asked questions when paying your City of Fresno utility bill online.
Overview of City of Fresno Online Bill Pay
The City of Fresno provides water sewer solid waste and sanitation services to over 145,000 customers in Fresno, California. The Utilities Billing & Collection Division handles billing and payment collection for these utility services.
Customers can pay their utility bills through several methods:
- Online – Through the FirstChoiceTM online payment portal
- Phone – By calling (559) 621-6888 to pay with a credit card
- Mail – Mailing a check or money order to P.O. Box 2069, Fresno, CA 93718-2069
- In person – At the Utilities Billing & Collection counter at Fresno City Hall
Paying online through FirstChoiceTM offers the most features and flexibility for managing utility bill payments
Benefits of Paying Online
Paying your City of Fresno utility bill online through FirstChoiceTM has several benefits
- Convenience – Pay anytime, anywhere with an internet connection
- Payment options – Pay with credit/debit card, bank account and e-check
- Payment alerts – Get email reminders when a bill is ready
- View statements – Access up to 24 months of billing history
- Auto-pay – Set up recurring payments from a bank account or credit card
- Multiple accounts – Manage payments for several accounts
Online payments can be made 24/7. It only takes a few minutes to set up an account and begin managing payments digitally.
How to Pay Your City of Fresno Bill Online
Follow these steps to pay your City of Fresno utility bill online:
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Go to the FirstChoiceTM online payment website.
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If you already have an account, enter your username and password and click “Log In”.
If you don’t have an account, click “Register” to create one.
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On the Make Payment screen, enter your City of Fresno account number and the amount to pay.
You can find your account number on your paper bill or statement.
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Select a payment method:
- Credit or debit card
- Electronic check (e-check) from a bank account
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For credit/debit cards, enter your card information and billing address.
For e-checks, enter your bank account number and routing number.
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Review the payment details and service fees. Click “Continue” to confirm and process the payment.
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You will receive a payment confirmation page and email after the transaction is complete.
It’s quick and easy to pay your bill online in just a few minutes. You can also setup automatic payments and access other features through your FirstChoiceTM account.
How to Create an Online Account
Creating an online account with FirstChoiceTM allows you to access more features to manage payments:
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Go to the FirstChoiceTM website and click “Register” under the log in area.
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Enter your account number, email address, name, and create a password.
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Agree to the terms and conditions and click “Register Account”.
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Check your email inbox for a FirstChoiceTM verification email and click the link to confirm your account.
Once your account is verified, you can log in anytime to pay bills, view statements, set up alerts, automatic payments and more.
Be sure to keep your username, password, and account number in a safe place for future reference.
Manage Multiple Accounts
If you have more than one City of Fresno utility account, you can manage them all under one FirstChoiceTM login:
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Log into your FirstChoiceTM account.
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Click on “Manage Accounts” in the top menu.
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Enter the additional account number(s) and click “Add Account”.
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The accounts will be added to your profile. You can now switch between them using the tabs across the top.
Adding multiple accounts makes it easy to view balances and payment history and make payments for all accounts in one place.
Automatic and Recurring Payments
One of the most useful features of FirstChoiceTM is setting up automatic recurring payments from a bank account or credit/debit card. This ensures your bill is paid on time each month.
To setup automatic payments:
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Log into your FirstChoiceTM account and access the appropriate utility account.
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Click on “AutoPay” in the top menu.
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Enter your bank account or card details.
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Choose the day of the month for payments to be processed.
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Review and submit the request.
Your payments will now be automatically deducted each month on the scheduled date. You can cancel or edit AutoPay anytime through your account.
View and Receive Bill Statements
With a FirstChoiceTM account, you can view and download past utility bills electronically:
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Login to your account and select the account you want to view.
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Click “Statements” to see billing statements for the past 24 months.
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Click any statement to view or download a PDF copy.
You can also opt to go paperless and have bill statements delivered directly to your FirstChoiceTM account each month:
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Click on “Go Paperless” from the account dashboard.
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Confirm your email address.
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Check the box to opt out of mailed paper statements.
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Save your selection.
Going paperless saves time and clutter. You’ll get an email each month when your new eStatement is ready to view.
Payment Receipts and Payment History
The FirstChoiceTM online system stores your payment history for the past 24 months. You can access receipts and details for each transaction:
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Log into your account and select the utility account.
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Click “Payments” to view your payment history.
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Click any transaction to view or download the receipt as a PDF.
Your payment history makes it easy to track past transactions and access receipts for your records.
Account Alerts and Notifications
Another handy feature is setting up customized account alerts and reminders:
- Bill ready alerts – Get an email when your new bill statement is available
- Due date reminders – Receive an email before your bill due date
- Account balance alerts – Be notified when your account balance goes over an amount you specify
- Payment received alerts – Get confirmation when the City receives your payment
To setup alerts:
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Login and click “Notifications” in the top menu.
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Click “Add New Notification” and choose the alert type.
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Configure the details such as email address and threshold amounts.
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Save the alert.
Alerts help you stay on top of your account activity and ensure on-time payments.
Customer Service and Support
If you need help with your FirstChoiceTM online account, you can contact the City of Fresno Utilities Billing & Collection Division:
- Phone – (559) 621-6888 (Monday – Friday from 8am – 5pm)
- Email – [email protected]
- In person – Visit the service counter at Fresno City Hall
The customer service team can assist with account registration, making payments, automatic payments, updating personal information, and any errors or issues you may encounter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about paying your City of Fresno utility bill online:
What payment methods can I use online?
You can pay by credit/debit card or electronic check (e-check) from a bank account. Credit/debit card payments have a 2.3% service fee. E-check payments have a $0.89 flat fee.
When will a payment reflect on my account?
Online payments are processed immediately and will show as pending on your account.
How do I change the account my paper bill goes to?
You can update your mailing address through your FirstChoiceTM account under “My Profile”. Or contact customer service to change it.
What if I lost my FirstChoiceTM login information?
You can reset your password through the “Forgot Password” link on the login page. Or contact customer service to retrieve your username.
How do I cancel a scheduled automatic payment?
To cancel AutoPay, login and go to “AutoPay” settings. Click “Edit AutoPay” and change the end date to today’s date.
Paying your City of Fres
About the Utilities Billing & Collection Division
The Utilities Billing & Collection (UB&C) Division of the Finance Department is responsible for the billing and collection of the City of Fresno’s utility fees and charges. UB&C collects fees for Water, Sewer, Solid Waste, and Sanitation.
The Division serves over 145,000 customers and processes approximately $240 million of annual billings. UB&C receives more than 170,000 customer calls and processes roughly 170,000 counter transactions annually.
There are currently four sections within UB&C – Administration, Customer Service, Collections and Field Service, Payments and Special Billings. Each section performs numerous functions; however, there are two functions that most directly affect the residents of Fresno – counter service and telephone customer inquiries.
UB&C’s primary role is customer service and billing the utility services that Fresno’s utility customers receive.
- Serves over 145,000 utility customers
- Bills approximately $240 million in utilities fees and charges each year
- Receives over 170,000 customer calls annually
- Processes roughly 170,000 customer counter transactions annually
Other Remedies
In addition to discontinuation of water service, the City may pursue any other remedies available in law or equity for nonpayment of water service charges, including, but not limited to: securing delinquent amounts by filing liens on real property, filing a claim or legal action, or referring the unpaid amount to collections. In the event a legal action is decided in favor of the City, the City will be entitled to the payment of all costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and accumulated interest.