Online Payments Terms & Conditions

Online Payments is a web facility operated by the City of Ryde (the Council) through its web site for the public to pay their bills issued by Council.

These Terms and Conditions of Use constitute an agreement between you (the user) and Council, including the use of information, graphics and materials provided by Council and sets out the basis of user legal relationship with the Council.

General principles and responsibilities

A bill is a tax invoice issued by Council for services provided by the Council.

Online Payments can only be paid using a current and valid Credit Card.

Council allows for the following credit card types:

  • Mastercard; and 
  • VisaCard (Visa).

Users accessing the Council’s web site and Online Payments facility acknowledges and accepts responsibility for:

  • all monetary amounts are in Australian currency (AUD); 
  • the minimum credit card transaction amount is $5.00 and the maximum transaction amount is $5,000.00; 
  • a credit card transaction may consist of many bill payments where CoR bill categories allows such design options
  • users must provide valid bill details supplied by Council; 
  • users must provide relevant current and valid credit card details; 
  • users accept that providing credit card details to Council is an authorisation to charge the users nominated bill amount to the user’s nominated credit card account; 
  • users are responsible for the accuracy of entered information and that if incorrect information may result in non-processing and non-payment of bills and accept that penalties for late payment may be imposed by Council without recourse; 
  • users acknowledge and accept that Council applies a processing fee up to 1% on transactions of the nominated bill payment amount which will be charged to the users credit card for a successful transaction; 
  • users accept that where a declined payment occurs that any fees and charges imposed by the users credit card provider are the sole responsibility of the user; 
  • users accept that the user’s credit card provider may charge a transaction processing or usage fee for the payment of the user’s bills; 
  • users acknowledge that declined payment transactions means that that a nominated bill payment will not have been paid; 
  • users accept that Council may charge a declined payment fee where a payment is declined due to insufficient credit card funds or incorrect user supplied information; 
  • users accept that Council has no authority and will not intervene or represent the user in discussions on a payment transaction whether the transaction was successful or declined for any reason; 
  • user is responsible for ensuring sufficient funds are available for a successful payment transaction; 
  • users acknowledge that payment transaction history is the property of the Council; 
  • users acknowledge and are responsible to validate payment transactions and where a user believes a payment transaction is incorrect or was not processed as entered or is unauthorised, must commence investigations by advising Council in writing in the first instance; 
  • users accept that where a dispute exists between the user and user’s credit card provider for resolution purposes or for verification/balancing purposes that Council may provide relevant payment transaction information to the credit card provider or Council’s banking institution, without user notification; and 
  • users accept that Council has sole discretion in determining if a transaction is valid or invalid without reservation and further accepts that Council is not responsible for its third party credit card processors, its online payment system and interfaces with associated processors, and bank processing arrangements.

Fees

Council charges a credit card surcharge of 0.941% of the user nominated payment amount for using Council’s Online Payments facility. A user of the nominated credit card may be charged a fee for using the credit card by the credit card issuer/financial institution.

Fees or charges applied by a credit card provider are the responsibility of the user or owner of the nominated credit card used to pay Online Payments. This includes fees or charges for successful and declined transactions.

Security

Online Payments uses high security levels, which are standard for internet banking and large scale e-commerce sites and involve the use of 128-bit encryption.

Users may confirm the security level of a web page by clicking onto the user’s Internet browser's padlock or key icon.

Encryption is the standard way of protecting information as it is transmitted between the user and Council and its third party processors. This involves converting the information into an unreadable code using a "key" (and also decoding it using this "key"). Council uses best practice industry encryption standards.

Privacy

Personal information collected through Online Payments includes your credit card details and account information. This information is required to process your bill payments and may be shared for these purposes between the Council, credit card providers and financial institutions associated with an online payment processing by the Council.

If you wish to request access to any personal information the City of Ryde has collected about you for the purposes of Online Payments, please contact City of Ryde Customer Service using the contact details provided below.

Warranties

While every effort has been made to ensure that information is free from error, the Council does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the Online Payments material. All information is subject to change without notice.

The Council does not warrant that Online Payments will be free from viruses, or that access to Online Payments will be uninterrupted, or that the data transferred through Online Payments is secure and will not be read or monitored by others.

Jurisdiction

Online Payments is provided for use by Australian residents only. Council makes no representations that Online Payments complies with the laws of any country outside of Australia. If you access this site from outside Australia you do so at your own risk and are responsible for complying with the laws in the place where you use Online Payments.

The law applicable to use of Online Payments and disputes arising out of Online Payments is the law of the State of New South Wales, Australia.

Copyright and trademarks

Copyright in the Online Payments material is owned or licensed by the City of Ryde Council.

Withdrawal and suspension of service

Online Payments, or your access to it, may be withdrawn or suspended for a period of time for any reason, including, without limitation, the following: 

  • if there is an interruption or fault in any applicable computer or telecommunications system; 
  • if you breach any of these Terms and Conditions of Use; 
  • if you use Online Payments for an inappropriate purpose, including the storage or transmission of inappropriate or offensive material; 
  • any applicable web site computer or telecommunications systems are subjected to any virus, unauthorised access, denial-of-service or other malicious attack; 
  • for maintenance or security purposes; or 
  • if Council no longer wishes to provide an Online Payments facility. Withdrawal of Online Payments facility does not release you of any responsibility to pay outstanding fees, charges or other liabilities incurred prior to the date of the facilities withdrawal.

Community Facility Bookings - Refunds/Cancellations

  • Regular Hirers (10 or more bookings in a calendar year) and Casual Hirers (less than 10 bookings in a calendar year) must provide one months’ notice to cancel a booking to avoid being charged for the booking.  Exceptional circumstances will be considered.  
  • Bookings may be cancelled, postponed and / or rescheduled for a future date, or you can cancel your booking and receive a refund (less an administration fee).
  • Refunds will be made via the initial payment method e.g. credit card, direct deposit, cheque. 
  • When applying our cancellation policy, we will take into account any changes to the government guidelines on COVID-19 since you made your booking.
  • Cancellations or amendments for hire will only be accepted in writing (email is accepted). 

Acceptance and changes to these Terms of Use

You acknowledge and accept that your use of Online Payments indicates your acceptance of these Terms of Use.

These Terms and Conditions of Use are the current Online Payments Terms and Conditions of Use and it replaces any other Terms and Conditions of Use for Online Payments published by Council to date. Council may at any time vary these Terms and Conditions of Use by publishing the updated Online Payments Terms and Conditions on Use on this web site.

By accessing or using Online Payments, you accept that Online Payments has provided you with sufficient notice of the variation.

Customer Helpline

If you have any queries in relation to Online Payments you may contact the City of Ryde Customer Service on (02) 9952 8222, 8am to 5.30pm Eastern Standard Time on business days.