FAQs • Falls Church, VA • CivicEngage

What is PCI Compliance and why is it so important?: PCI stands for Payment Card Industry and compliance with the industry standards is a requirement for those that accept the major credit cards and for software providers who have application which involve the transmission and / or storage of credit card information. If breaches are found on systems that are not PCI compliant, the major credit card companies have the ability to levy significant fines on the offending parties.

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Treasurer

1. What system is the city Treasurer using to offer this service?: The City Treasurer has partnered with Invoice Cloud, a web-based, electronic invoicing and payment processing company to provide faster, more convenient billing services to customers. By automating billing and collections, customers can click and pay online while helping the environment and reducing clutter in their home or workspace. Customers may also have bills automatically emailed by opting out of paper billing entirely.

2. Is my information safe?: Yes! This online service uses the strongest security tools available. All the data collected is double encrypted and stored on secure servers. The data is not sold or released for any purpose other than to complete city payment transactions.

3. How do I pay online?: To pay your bill online, you will need the bill number and your property account number (PPID# for Personal Property and RPC# for Real Estate) which will be printed on the bill you receive in the mail. You may then visit our online bill pay service and pay your bill online.

4. What forms of payment can I use?: You can pay by credit or debit card or you may issue an electronic check from your bank account (checking or savings). Please check the treasurer's page on the City's website for the credit and debit cards that are eligible.

Yes, your bill can be paid in any of the following ways:

6. What are the costs for paying online?: There are no signup costs or subscription fees. As of April 2012, the convenience fee for using an e-check from your checking or savings account has been waived. There is no fee for paying by e-check!
The convenience fee when using credit cards is a percentage-based or flat rate fee that varies depending on the card type and the bill you are paying. The convenience fee is automatically calculated based upon the type of credit card used and the dollar amount of the bill being paid and is shown on the payment page before you submit your payment for processing.

7. May I use my debit card?: Yes, your debit card will be processed like a credit card and you will not be asked to enter a pin number. The convenience fee is the same as the one for credit cards. The exact convenience fee amount will be displayed during the payment process prior to submitting the payment.

8. Can I tell if my payment has been posted?: Yes, simply log in to your account and select "View paid or closed invoices".

9. Will I have online access to my account?: Yes, you will have 24/7 access to your account for invoice review and payment, payment history and customer service requests.

10. Will I be able to print a copy of my bill?: Yes, each invoice is presented in PDF and HTML format. However, electronic storage is recommended because it saves paper and has a beneficial impact on our environment.

11. How do I change my account information?: Simply log into your account and change any of your personal information under "my profile". You must be registered with the service in order to do this.

12. What is Auto-Pay?: If you elect to opt in to Auto-Pay, it means that your bills will be paid automatically on their due date or date you choose using your default credit card or bank account. This will avoid any late fees and free you from having to remember when to pay.

13. Can I cancel Auto-Pay?: Yes, simply go into your profile and uncheck the auto-pay box that you had previously checked when you elected to opt into Auto-Pay.

14. What are scheduled payments?: Scheduled payments are set up individually for each bill due on a specific date by you.

15. Can I schedule payments?: Yes. You can set up a future payment at any time prior to the bill due date.

16. Why am I being charged a late fee?: If you feel a fee has been assessed in error or you would like more information about late fee charges, please contact the Treasurer's Office by calling 703-248-5046.

17. What is the difference between auto-pay and a scheduled payment?: Auto-pay is an automated process, which pays your balance in full each billing cycle 2 days prior to the due date. Scheduled payments are manually entered by you for the date you choose each time you make a payment.

18. What if I already have auto-pay or a scheduled payment set up with my bank?: You will need to contact your bank and cancel your automated or scheduled payment before the payment is due (typically payments are made a couple days in advance of the due date, so don't wait until the last minute).

19. Who do I contact with questions about a bill?: If you are unable to find the information you need in your online payment history or open invoices, please call the Treasurer's Office at 703-248-5046.

20. What if this website is down or for some reason I am unable to use this site?: Please be aware that interest and late payment fees will not be waived if this website is inoperable for any reason or if data entry errors occur. If the website is inoperable, payments can be made by mail, by phone or at the Treasurer's office, City Hall at the following location:
300 Park Ave.
Falls Church, VA 22046
However, the due date remains the same. It is up to you as the taxpayer to make sure your tax bill is paid on time. So be wise. Don't wait til the last minute!

21. If I have additional questions who should I call?: The Falls Church City Treasurer's office at 703-248-5046 can answer most questions, but if you are having trouble accessing the system, please call Invoice cloud's customer service at 877-Cloud 30 (877-256-8330) Ext. 2700.

22. Is my information secure?: Invoice Cloud uses the highest standards in internet security. Account information displayed within the customer and biller portals is truncated to protect confidential data. Any information retained is not shared with third parties.

23. Is my credit card and checking account information safe when I pay online?: Absolutely. Invoice Cloud will safely store all of your financial information using Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant systems. This includes truncating (abbreviating) account numbers so that even the Treasurer's Office cannot see your complete account information.

24. What is PCI Compliance and why is it so important?: PCI stands for Payment Card Industry and compliance with the industry standards is a requirement for those that accept the major credit cards and for software providers who have application which involve the transmission and / or storage of credit card information. If breaches are found on systems that are not PCI compliant, the major credit card companies have the ability to levy significant fines on the offending parties.

25. Who has access to my account?: You and the city Treasurer's office authorized staff. No one will have access to your financial information as all check routing numbers and cc numbers are truncated, so you never have to worry about security. As an added security precaution, we don't even show your full financial information back to you.