The Breakdown on Bills
Can you pay your utility bills online, for free? It’s complicated. The Gabber has received several questions about whether you can pay Gulfport utility bills online for free. Some people insisted they pay their bills online with no charge, and others were positive there was not a free online option. So, we looked into it. Gulfport residents can pay their utility bill four different ways: in person, by mail, direct debit or online. The paperless, online billing option is available to all Gulfport residents, however it requires residents to use a Visa or Mastercard, and that comes with a $3.25 fee. (More at municipalonlinepayments.com/ gulfportfl/utilities.) If you don’t have a Mastercard or a Visa, you can call city hall to make alternate online billing arrangements. For this option you must have a valid email address and an established service, according to Cheryl Hannafin, the city’s finance director. After you enroll in online payments, your bills are emailed to you instead of mailed. Residents can also mail their bills the old-fashioned way to the City of Gulfport Utilities Customer Service Department, 2401 53rd St. S., Gulfport, FL 33707. You must include your bill stub along with the check. You can also drop your payment in person at the payment drop box located through the front door of city hall. There is another option: Sign up for direct debit, and the city takes payment directly from your bank ac-
SHELLY WILSON
By Gabrielle Reeder
count. This method allows residents to link their bills to their banking information, and the process can be automatic – no more worrying about late payments. While the setup takes a minute, this online payment method doesn’t
come with an extra fee. You provide a voided check, a savings deposit slip or have your bank send the information directly. The forms can either be scanned and emailed to utilitiesinfo@mygulfport.us, or dropped at city hall.
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theGabber.com | May 13, 2021 - May 19, 2021
