Online Payment FAQ

How do I know whether I should use the online payment program or the one-time payment option?

The online payment program is our most popular online payment option providing flexibility to securely pay your bill online. You can schedule an online payment, go paperless to help the environment or continue to get paper bills in the mail, and choose to store your bank account information online. The one-time online option is used for quick, last minute payments and is not recommended for monthly use. As you can see in the table below, the online payment program offers the most features and flexibility:

Online payment program One-time online payment Receive a paper bill in the mail Optional* Yes Receive e-mail notice when bill is ready Yes   Set up automatic monthly payments Yes   Schedule future payments Yes   Sign up to start/cancel to stop Yes   Stores bank account information Yes   Enter electric account & bank account information each time you pay   Yes

*Many online payment program customers choose to help the environment by not receiving a paper bill. If you'd like a paper bill, please call us at 1-800-538-4228.

How do I pay online?

For both options, you need to login to our Web site or  register a new Web account if you've never logged in to our site before. Once you register, click on "Make an online payment" under the "Pay your bill" section of the account overview page and choose the appropriate online option for your needs.

I am no longer receiving a bill in the mail. What happened?

One of the features of the online payment program is the ability to "go paperless." We will notify you via e-mail when your new bill is available online. During the enrollment process, you can choose to continue to receive paper bills. If you change your mind later, you can call us anytime at 1-800-538-4228 and request to start or stop getting paper bills.

What if I don't receive my e-mail notification?

If you don't receive your e-mail notification, chances are your e-mail was returned to us for some reason. Most often it is because the e-mail address we have on file is incorrect or outdated. Please log in to pay your bill online and verify that your e-mail address is correct by clicking on "Edit profile" under the "Your profile" section of the account overview page. Other reasons could be that your e-mail account has reached its limit or your Internet Service Provider has timed out.

What if I am currently enrolled in your automatic monthly payment program?

Our automatic monthly payment program and our online payment options are not compatible with each other. If you are currently enrolled in our automatic monthly payment program and would like to use an online option, please cancel your participation in automatic monthly payment by completing the online form. You can also call us for help.

How do I cancel my participation in the online payment program?

You can cancel online or call us at 1-800-538-4228.

What forms of payment are accepted?

You can pay your bill using your checking or savings account.

Do you accept credit or debit cards?

Currently, credit and debit cards are not accepted for online payments. However, you can make credit or debit card payments by phone for a fee. Toll-free numbers and fees vary:

Residential customers 1-800-672-2403 $2.95 per payment Business customers 1-800-608-1639 $4.95 per payment

I just made an online payment but it has not been deducted from my balance online. What happened?

The Web site is not updated in real-time. Your payment may take as long as 3-4 days to apply to your account online. As long as you get a confirmation page with a Reference ID number, your payment has been submitted for processing. If you would like to verify that the payment was requested, click on Payments and then Payment Activity in the blue menu located in the upper left hand corner of the online payment program window. If you are not sure whether your payment went through, always check the payment activity before submitting a second payment.

I already created my profile. Why do I have to enroll in the online payment program?

Your profile allows you to log in to view your account information. Enrolling in the online payment program allows you to make a payment online.

Every time I click to make a payment, the screen flickers and then goes back to the online payment page. Is the Web site broken?

No, the page you are looking for is popping behind the online payments page. When this happens, minimize the online payments page and you will see the new screen in another window. Also, depending on what browser you are using, the window could be opening up a second tab toward the top of your existing window. If this is happening, just click on the new tab to bring it forward.

What do I do if I get a message saying that a pop-up has been blocked when I try to make a payment online?

The online payment program window may have been blocked by a pop-up blocker that is installed on your system through your Internet provider or a number of tools or programs you may have downloaded onto your system. You can bypass most of these blockers by pressing and holding the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard while you click on the online payment program link with your mouse. If this does not work, please contact your Internet Service Provider for further assistance.

I am trying to log in to pay my bill and I got an error message stating that my account number is not valid. What does this mean?

There are two links at the bottom of the bill notification e-mails that you receive. Please click on the www.pacificpower.net link in order to log in. The Rocky Mountain Power link is for customers in other states and the system will not recognize your login information or account number.

How secure is online payment?

Our online payment options use state-of-the-art security, including secure socket layer (SSL) encryption and password protection to ensure the security of your transactions and personal information.

What browser version do I need to have?

These options require a minimum of Internet Explorer® version 6 or higher, Firefox version 2.1.14 or higher or Safari version 3.0 or higher. These versions support the features necessary to ensure a secure transaction. Download them below:
Internet Explorer® v 7
Firefox v 3.0
Safari v 3.1.2 

What if the padlock symbol is not displayed in the Microsoft® Internet Explorer® status bar?

Some versions of Microsoft® Internet Explorer® may not display the padlock symbol in the status bar. This is a known defect in Microsoft® Internet Explorer® versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0, 4.01, 5.x and may occur if the browser does not recognize a secure protocol or if you are viewing a secure Web page inside a frame. To check the version number of Microsoft® Internet Explorer®: 1. Select Help in the menu at the top of your browser toolbar. 2. Select About Internet Explorer.

Although the padlock indicator does not appear on the status bar, Microsoft® states on the Microsoft® Product Support Services page that the connection is still secure.
To configure your browser to prompt you each time you enter or leave a secure Web page:
    1. Select View or Tools from the toolbar.
    2. Select Internet Options.
    3. Select the Advanced tab.
    4. Scroll down to the Security section.
    5. Check the box to "warn if changing between secure and not secure mode."

What if the padlock symbol disappears?

In some versions of Internet Explorer®, the padlock symbol may disappear. If you are using an earlier version of Internet Explorer®, this problem may be resolved by upgrading to Internet Explorer® 7.

Please Note: Depending on the speed of your connection, this may take a few hours to download. Microsoft, Windows and Internet Explorer are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.