An automatic payment is a regular payment that is set up and controlled by the customer, while a direct debit is a payment plan that has been agreed between the customer and Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Automatic payments are typically set up via online banking, and you’ll need to manually change the payment amount yourself from year to year.
Direct debits are different from automatic payments as they are set up with your bank by Bay of Plenty Regional Council after you have agreed to the payment plan. Council adjusts the payment for you each year and notifies you at least 10 working days before the amount changes.
Please note
If you choose to pay by automatic payment, you will need to self-monitor your rates account and make sure you clear your balance by 20 October 2023 to avoid incurring a penalty.
For this reason we recommend setting up a direct debit as then your payments are calculated out across the year to 30 June 2024.