The Easiest Ways to Pay Your Rapid City Utility Bills

Paying your utility bills on time every month is an important part of being a responsible Rapid City resident. But with so many options available, it can be confusing to figure out the easiest and most convenient ways to pay your Rapid City water, sewer, trash, and electric bills. As a long-time local resident, I’ve tried all the different payment methods over the years. In this article, I’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each option so you can choose the utility bill payment method that works best for your needs.

Online Bill Pay

Paying your Rapid City utility bills online is by far the most convenient way to pay. You can access your account anytime from your computer or mobile device to view your balance and make a payment.

The City of Rapid City offers online bill pay through Invoice Cloud. You just need to create an online account through the City of Rapid City website. It only takes a few minutes to set up your account with your account number service address and payment information.

Once your account is set up you can

• Check your current balance
• View payment history
• Set up automatic payments
• Make one-time payments
• Pay multiple bills at once

Online payments can be made directly from your bank account or with a credit or debit card. There is a small convenience fee for using a card. But paying from your bank account is free.

I like to set up automatic monthly payments from my checking account so I never forget or miss making a payment, The money is automatically taken out of my account on the due date each month,

The ability to pay bills anytime online is so much better than having to mail in checks or drive downtown to pay in person. I can quickly log in and pay bills from my phone too. Online bill pay definitely provides the most convenience and flexibility.

Pay by Phone

If you don’t have consistent internet access, paying your Rapid City utility bills by phone is another easy option.

To pay by phone, call 605-394-4181. The automated phone system will prompt you to enter your account number and the amount you want to pay. You can then enter your payment information.

Phone payments can be made with your checking or savings account number. Or you can use a credit or debit card, but keep in mind there is a small fee for card payments.

The phone system is available 24/7 so you can call to make a payment anytime it’s convenient for you. However, keep in mind that payments made after 4 PM will not post to your account until the next business day.

I recommend having your account number and payment details handy when you call to make it a quick process. While not as fast as paying online, using the pay by phone option allows you to take care of a utility bill payment any time your schedule permits.

Pay by Mail

For those who prefer to use snail mail, you can always pay your Rapid City utility bills by mailing in a check or money order.

Utility bills include a payment stub and mailing address to detach and send along with your payment. Be sure to write your account number on the check or money order and include the payment stub to ensure proper credit to your account.

Payments should be mailed to:

City of Rapid City
Finance Office
300 6th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701

To avoid late fees, allow 7-10 days for your mailed payment to reach the Finance Office and be processed. Payments must be received (not just postmarked) by the due date to avoid late fees.

I’d only recommend paying by mail if you don’t have access to the online or phone payment options. There is no fee to pay by mail. But having to write checks, buy stamps, and get to the post office makes it much less convenient compared to the electronic payment methods.

Pay in Person

You can also pay your utility bills in person at Rapid City City Hall downtown. Payments can be made at the cashier’s window on the first floor during normal business hours. City Hall is open 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.

When paying in person, you can use cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card. Make sure to bring your paper bill or know your account number.

The benefit of paying in person is being able to hand deliver your payment and get instant confirmation that your bill has been paid. But having to drive downtown and find parking during the workday is what makes this option much less appealing to me.

Unless I’m already downtown running errands, I don’t find an extra trip to City Hall to be worthwhile. The online, phone, and mail options allow me to pay bills on my schedule and without leaving the house.

Sign Up For Auto Pay

To make utility bill payment even easier, I highly recommend setting up automatic payments with Rapid City Utility Billing.

You can enroll for auto pay when creating your online Invoice Cloud account. Or call 605-394-4181 to have a form sent to you to complete and mail back.

With auto pay, the total amount due on each utility bill is automatically deducted from your bank account on the due date each month. You don’t have to remember to go online or call in to pay each bill. It’s all done for you automatically.

The money is deducted from your checking or savings account. Credit and debit cards can’t be used for auto pay.

You can cancel or change your auto pay arrangement at any time by updating your online account or calling Utility Billing. I’ve been using auto pay for years and love the convenience of having one less bill to remember to pay every month.

Avoid Late Fees

With so many easy ways to pay your utility bills, there’s no reason to pay late fees. Bills are issued monthly and are due 20 days after billing.

If payment is not received on time, a 10% penalty is added to the account on the day after the due date. Any past due balances then begin accruing interest at 1.5% per month.

Setting up auto pay is the foolproof way to avoid late fees. If sending payments by mail, be sure to allow 7-10 days for them to reach City Hall.

Rapid City Utility Billing does provide a one-time courtesy credit for late fees in a 12 month period. But you’ll have to call and request that courtesy credit. It’s better to just pay on time using one of the convenient methods discussed here.

Choose the Best Payment Option for You

Hopefully this overview provides a helpful summary of the various options for paying your Rapid City water, sewer, trash, and electric bills. Being a long-time local resident, I’ve tried them all myself over the years.

In my experience, paying online using bank account auto pay is definitely the easiest and most convenient method. But phone, mail, or in person payments may better suit some people’s needs and preferences.

Now that you know the pros and cons of each payment method, take some time to review your options and choose the utility bill payment process that fits your schedule and lifestyle best. Paying bills on time doesn’t have to be a hassle with all the convenient choices available to Rapid City utility customers.