BELCO To Accept Debit & Credit MasterCards

September 30, 2013

BELCO announced as of Tuesday [Oct 1] MasterCard cardholders will be able to make their monthly payments with their credit and debit cards, as well as take advantage of making recurring payments. MasterCard is the only card service to offer the option of use for payment of BELCO bills.

The new payment option is the result of a recent upgrade of BELCO’s Customer Information System and comes at the request of many customers to receive greater payment convenience and accumulate points through their credit card loyalty programmes.

Customers choosing to make their payments with MasterCard will have their BELCO accounts immediately credited avoiding the two-day delay in processing using online banking. Options for payment with MasterCard include automatic monthly payments, paying through the BELCO website, payment by phone, or in person.

Customers using MasterCard will be charged a 2.0408% convenience fee for bank processing of the transaction. BELCO’s 5% early payment discount remains in place for all customers whose payments are received within the discount deadline date.

BELCO’s Manager of Customer Care Donna Watson said, “We are very pleased to be able to offer MasterCard payment as a new convenient option. Additionally, those customers who sign-up for recurring payment plans will have the convenience of no longer worrying about missing their discount date as the MasterCard will automatically be charged monthly on the date agreed to during the sign-up.”

Ray Merceron, VP Territory Head for the Western Caribbean for MasterCard explained, “for MasterCard, it is a priority to continuously strengthen our acceptance around the world in order to provide cardholders with easy and seamless buying experiences that make their lives easier. For this reason, we are pleased with this new partnership with BELCO, which will allow cardholders to enjoy the convenience and safety of making their payments with their cards as part of our efforts towards a world beyond cash.”

Customers who wish to sign up for recurring payments, direct debit, on-demand debit and paperless billing should contact Customer Care at 298-2800 or email info@belco.bm for further information.

BELCO and Butterfield Bank will have customer service booths at BELCO’s Head Office on Tuesday, 1 October from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. where customers can apply for MasterCard, recurring payments, direct debit and paperless billing. Customers signing up for BELCO’s billing and payment options will be entered into a draw for energy efficiency prizes.

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Comments (27)

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  1. Unbelievable says:

    “Customers using MasterCard will be charged a 2.0408% convenience fee for bank processing of the transaction”

    Why bother paying by MC if you will be charged extra for the transaction. Thanks but no thanks, I will drive my butt around as per usual.

    • Hazel says:

      I TOTALLY AGREE. Who wants to pay even more money to pay their bill. Geesh!

  2. smith says:

    so pay by Mastercard credit card then get stung by FCPT and exchange rate when paying it off. Basically you’ll be paying more and living off of credit. Don’t pay it off this month then get finance charges next month. deeper and deeper into debt – not a wise move at all.

  3. RawOnion says:

    Belco should be the last place to charge a processing fee for a transaction. All business get charged bank fees for debit and credit cards and they either include it in the price or absorb the cost. Belco should just absorb the cost…hey it’s only 2.0408% of the hundreds that each of us is paying them monthly.

  4. Nuffin but da Truth says:

    BELCO will do anything to get your money.
    The whole lot of them are a bunch of ******!

  5. Y-Gurl says:

    About time these clowns were dragged into this century, now get the rate fixing problem solved!

  6. Next says:

    Welcome to 2013! Now you can take my entire paycheck straight from my card instead of me handing in soggy notes filled with my tears.

  7. Quo Fata Ferunt says:

    Great headline with the fact that BELCO will now finally accept at least one major credit card as a payment option… unfortunately the headline is completely then offset with the “2.0408% convenience fee for bank processing of the transaction” which is disgraceful and insulting to their customers… a “Convenience fee” eh? More like an additional “robbery fee” !!

  8. Come On Man says:

    It’s about time All the Damn money they burn you for electricity and they didn’t wanna pay the bank fee for using the cards.

  9. Come On Man says:

    What what what. They are charging the the costumer the fee cheap b#&stards. Now that is criminal.

    • frank says:

      how can they do that no I will just pay on line not giving belco no more money like their facilities charge paying for the house cable and meter over and over
      stop the shareholder dividens and put the money back into the company give the share holders shares instead

  10. Come On Man says:

    Im sorry I didn’t read the whole story. You have mom and pop stores that are paying the fee and here you have this big utility company that doesn’t wanna pay the fee they wanna pass on to the consumer. Some one has to block this crap and it goes to show you they are not concerned about how much money you the consumer saves but how much they can line their pockets with. Their true colors have finally come out.

  11. My Kind says:

    Nice!

  12. Method Actor says:

    First it’s a *fuel* surcharge, now its a *payment* surcharge! What’s next? Don’t we have an Energy Commission?

  13. Malachi says:

    Any business that does not accept payment by debit or credit card is truly living in the past. The 2% fee is simply part of the cost of doing business.

    What I find really strange, however, are those entities
    which accept cheques but do not accept credit cards!

    I would much rather pay 2% on my sales then face the possibility that a cheques could bounce.

    ….who knows what goes on in the minds of some merchants!

  14. Shawn says:

    Am i reading this wrong? First a fee, Sec. Only Master Cards?

    So sad tight _S_ Belco.

  15. Keepin' it Real...4Real! says:

    as long as you continue to stay dumb then you will be played.

  16. Unbelievable!! says:

    It is high time that Belco gets some stiff competition!

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Oh yeah, do you want to see another set of poles along the roads & another set of wires hanging off those poles or do you have another method of transmitting electricity that you are keeping as a secret?

      Two power companies in such a tiny place? Complete nonsense.

  17. Triangle Drifter says:

    Wonderful! BELCO gives a discount for prompt payment then just as promptly takes most of it away.

    Great way for good customer relations.

  18. Triangle Drifter says:

    Wonderful! BELCO gives a discount for prompt payment then just as promptly takes most of it away.

    Great way to earn good customer relations.

    They are like turbuts. Nibble, nibble, nibble, till nothing is left to nibble.

  19. DreamCatcher says:

    Whoever is the lead finance/accountant person as Ascendant – needs their head handed to them. Are you kidding me? So you’re likely to reduce collections costs as you can snatch payment monthly (and hit the card every day until you get payment and probably charge a decline fee) and you’re passing on a fee for this? How many losers sat around a table and voted for this as a go ahead? Cash flow analysis anyone?

    I’m sure Bermuda’s premier “local” bank is hemorrhaging at missing out on this joint opportunity to shaft the customer. But they prefer to do that on their own. Butterfield 1, HSBC 0.

    but then again…… Bermudians will be passive and accept what ever is given to them.

  20. Ain't gonna happen ... says:

    Have to say that when I saw the headline I thought “great, now I won’t be penalized for those times I’m off island when the bill comes in so I miss the deadline” – just set it up as an automatic payment from my card.

    Then I saw the “2.0408% convenience fee for bank processing of the transaction” and decided that this was a no go.

    Funny how everyone else on the island (or overseas for that matter) simply absorbs any credit card fees but Ascendant has to find a way to stick it to us.

  21. Prayerful says:

    Not only will you pay the 2% fee when you charge the amount paid to BELCO, you will be charged an additional 18%+ fee when you pay your bill, in addition to the fcpt. So you see it is not just the 2%.

    I will continue to go to Serpentine Road with cash in hand.