Before you make a payment, you'll need:
- your payment reference number
- the amount you need to pay
- your bank account and sort code details if paying by direct debit
- a debit or credit card for all other methods
Ways to pay
You can pay your council bill, fine or invoice:
- by Direct Debit
- online
- using our automated telephone payments service
- by text message for housing payment by only, more about payments using mobile phone texts
- using a mobile app on your smartphone for council tax payments only
You can pay the following bill and invoices:
- Adult social care services, such as Homecare and respite care
- Allotment rent
- Catering invoices
- Commercial premises rent
- Hire of halls
- Industrial premises rent
- Meals on wheels
- Pitch hire
- Pest control
- School building hire
- Service charges for tenants and leaseholders
- Blue badges
- Business rates (NNDR)
- Council tax
- Early years training courses
- Education welfare penalty notices
- Highway licences
- Housing benefit overpayments
- Housing rent
- Leaseholders' service charges
- Penalty Charge Notices (parking fines and bus lane enforcement)
- Planning and building regulation fees
- Property licensing fees
- Residents' parking permits paper applications only
- Smoke free penalty charge notices
- Translation and interpreting services
Environmental fines
Environmental fines include fines for litter, graffiti, fly-posting and fly-tipping.
You may need a reference number to make a payment.
| Payment type | Reference number |
|---|---|
| Blue badges | 6 character reference number will be provided. Number can only be used once. |
| Business rates (NNDR) | 11 or 13 digit account number on your bill or reminder. Starts with a 5 and is usually all numbers. |
| Controlled parking zone, residents parking permits | 4 digit reference number will be provided. Number can only be used once. |
| Council tax | 11 digit account number. Starts with a 1 or 2 and is usually all numbers. |
| Early Years Training Courses | Your Booking Reference Number is the unique reference number which will have been emailed to you with the confirmation of the courses booked. |
| Education welfare penalty notices | 8 digit reference number on the Penalty Charge Notice. Starts with ED. |
| Housing benefit overpayments | 6 digit invoice number as detailed on your invoice. This is not the claim reference. |
| Invoices from the council | 10 digit invoice number on your invoice. |
| Housing rent payments | 8 digit PIN (personal identification number) or 14 digit account number on your yellow housing payment swipe card. Number is below the tenant's name on the swipe card. |
| Property licensing fees | 12 digit Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) from page 1 of the electronic application. |
| Parking scheme - residents | 12 digit application number starting with 'KN' for Kingsdown, 'CM' for Cotham and 'RE' for Redcliffe. Payment for paper applications only. |
| Penalty charge notices | 10 digit reference number. Starts with either "BS" or "OB". |
| Planning and building regulation fees | Where a reference number has been provided by the city council, this will be in the following format, for example 12/01234 or 12/51234, otherwise enter 'NEW' for New Applications. |
| Smoke Free penalty charge notices | Found on the top right hand corner of the Penalty Charge Notice, starts with '231'. |
You can pay Bristol City Council invoices by Direct Debit.
You'll need your customer reference number. These start with a 6 and are 7 digits long.
We have specific forms for some services.
Set up a Direct Debit to pay your:
If you'd like to change your Direct Debit, you'll need to fill in a new Direct Debit form.
If you have any questions, you may find the answer in our more help section.
If you have any questions, you can find the answer in our more help section.
You can pay some council bills over the phone. Call our 24-hour payment service on 0117 903 6402. Follow the instructions using the key pad on your phone.
Find out more about call charges on GOV.UK.
You'll need a valid credit or debit card to pay. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Switch and Delta cards.
If you want to stop at any time, just hang up. Your payment only happens if you get a confirmation.
Instructions
Step 1
You will be asked which service you want to pay.
- Council taxes
- Business rates
- Penalty Charge Notices. You will be asked to select 1 for Penalty Charge Notices beginning with BS, or select 2 for Penalty Charge Notices beginning with OB
- Housing rent
- Housing Benefit overpayments
- Bristol City Council invoices
Step 2
You'll need to type in the reference number from your bill or notice.
For council tax, this will be the 11 or 13 digit account number on your bill/reminder. This reference starts with a 1 or 2 and is usually all numeric. Replace any alpha characters with the * button when keying in your reference.
For business rates, (NNDR) this will be the 11 or 13 digit account number on your bill/reminder. This reference starts with a 5 and is usually all numeric. Replace any alpha characters with the * button when keying in your reference.
For Penalty Charge Notices, this will be the 10 digit notice number on your Penalty Charge Notice. This reference starts with either BS or OB followed by 8 numbers. Replace any alpha characters with the * button when keying in your reference.
For housing rent, this will be the 8 digit PIN (personal identification number) or 14 digit account number on your yellow Housing Payment swipe card. This number appears immediately below the tenant's name on the swipe card.
For Housing Benefit overpayments, this will be the 6 digit invoice number on your invoice and not the claim reference.
For Bristol City Council invoices, this will be the 10 digit invoice number at the top right hand side of your invoice. Replace any alpha characters with the * button when keying in your reference.
The system will take a few seconds to validate your reference. If your reference is not recognised you will not be allowed to proceed with your payment. If you think you may have entered the reference incorrectly, you will be given the option to re-enter it.
Step 3
You will be asked how much you wish to pay. Use the * button to separate pounds and pence
Step 4
You will be asked for your credit or debit card details.
It will take a few seconds for the system to get authorisation for your payment. If the authorisation is refused, no transaction will take place. Cards are not refused by Bristol City Council, they are refused by your bank. There are many reasons why this may happen, so we suggest you contact your bank directly.
If successful, you will be advised that authorisation has been successful. Depending upon your bank, please allow up to five working days for your payment to clear.
Call charges
Calls are charged at the local rate. You can check the charge with your phone provider. Calls from payphones can cost more.
- Start by selecting the 'Pay online' button
- You will be taken to our online payments site, run for us by Capita
- Choose your service
- Enter your payment reference number
- Enter your reference number, any other information requested, and the amount you want to pay. If your reference is not recognised you will not be allowed to carry on with your payment. If you think you may have entered the reference incorrectly, please re-enter it.
- Enter your credit or debit card details
- Confirmation of your payment will be displayed
- You can take a screen print as proof of the transaction
- If you have entered your email address a confirmation will be sent to you
It is safe to pay online
When you enter your information, it is sent safely through a secure system. No one else can see the details you give. Your credit or debit card details go straight to the secure payment system and do not pass through Bristol City Council.
Data protection
We take care of your privacy and work hard to make sure your online payments are safe.
The information you give us is only used to process your payment. We follow the rules of the Data Protection Act 2018 to keep your data safe, and we don't share it with anyone else, except for our partner, Capita plc.
How much you owe
Look at your most recent bill or notice to see how much you need to pay.
You can choose how much to pay, but if you don't pay the full amount, your account won't be fully up to date.
When your payment will be processed
Once your payment has been approved your credit or debit card will be debited.
All payments paid up to 4.15pm will usually be processed on the same day. Payments after 4.15pm will usually be processed the next working day.
Your account with the council is usually updated the day after your payment is processed.
Getting a receipt
After you pay, a confirmation will appear on your screen. You can print it as proof of payment.
If you give an email address, we'll send you a payment confirmation.
Maximum amount you can pay
You can pay up to £5000.
Card refused
If your card is refused, it's because of your bank, not the council.
Contact your bank to find out why.
Who provides this service
Your payment is processed securely by Capita plc, a company that specializes in this service. If you choose to get an email confirmation, it will come from Capita.
If successful, you will be advised that authorisation has been successful. Depending upon your bank, allow up to 5 working days for your payment to clear.
Contact us about a problem
If you're having problems paying online, email us using the address on your bill or invoice document. Include your customer reference number and the date and time of your problem.
Do not send your card details by email.
If you can't email, call the helpling shown in your documents during normal working hours.