Last updated 15:57, Wednesday, 16 April 2008

COPELAND Borough Council is urging customers to remember their payment card or bar-coded bill now that the council has completed the changeover to new payment methods.

NOW YOU CAN pay your council tax with plastic: Coun Norman Williams launches one of the new venues, at Mirehouse Post Office, with Postmaster Frank McDowell, by paying his council tax there on Tuesday.

As part of the changes, customers can now pay any Copeland Council bill at more than 45 locations across the borough, using either their council tax payment card or a bar-coded bill.

The council has now stopped taking payments at its offices, but believes the change of payment locations will be more convenient for most of its customers.

Executive councillor Norman Williams said: “We have now completed the change to our new payment methods. So far we have heard of very few problems, except where people have forgotten to take their payment card to their chosen venue. So my advice to customers would be to make sure they take their card or bar-coded bill along with them, as this is needed to make payments. All of our latest bills have barcodes on them, so if yours does not, you should find your most recent bill or get in touch.

“Although we are no longer taking payments at our offices, there are far more payment locations for customers to choose from right across Copeland, from Distington in the north to Ennerdale Bridge in the east, Ulpha and Millom in the south,” Mr Williams added.

The council also offers a range of other payment options for different bills, including online payments, telephone payments and direct debit. For more information on payment methods, call Copeland Council on 0845 054 8600.