Somerset Council’s improved 24-hour payment system will be upgraded this week.

The upgrade means that Somerset Council’s current phone and online payment systems will be unavailable from Tuesday 26 November to Wednesday 4 December.

While the phone and online systems are out of action, customers can continue to pay in the following ways:

• Bus gates and parking penalties by bank transfer
• Invoices by bank transfer
• Council Tax, housing and garage rents, Business Rates at the Post Office or a Pay Point. Setting up a Direct Debit is recommended to make future payment easy.

Customers will need to use a valid reference number to make the payment.

Whether they call or go online, customers will be automatically transferred to the new systems from Thursday 5 December.

Once the upgraded system is in place, there will be no need to wait in a queue, customers can pay for invoices, for example paying for a Somerset Lifeline subscription, Council Tax, business rates, housing rents and parking fines, 24/7.

The quickest and easiest way to pay for most council services is online. Residents can pay by visiting www.somerset.gov.uk. When the payment system re-opens customers will be transferred to the new platform.

To access the phone payment system call: 01823 210923