Paying your Rent, Occupation and Service Charges
last updated
03/11/2011 10:45
As a tenant it is your responsibility to make sure that your rent is paid regularly and on time. This applies whether you pay all your rent or whether some is paid through Housing Benefit. You must pay your rent in advance and you can pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly. We can offer you a number of ways to pay:
By Standing Order
Why carry large amounts of cash around when it’s safer and easier to set up a standing order through your bank? Our Housing Management Team will help set this up for you. We can provide you with a mandate which you can complete with the necessary details and which you would sign, authorising your bank to make the necessary payments. The Bank Standing Order can be set up to make weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments towards your rent directly from your bank account to Albyn’s bank account. Most people find this method of payment a very convenient way to pay their rent.
Paying with your Swipe Card
If you are going to pay rent by cash we will arrange for a swipe card to be posted to you. It will usually arrive within two to three days. If there are joint tenants, each will receive a card with both names and each tenant can use either card. On the card you will see your name, your tenancy reference number and a long number, which is your Allpay reference number.
Our customers can pay their rent, occupancy and services charges at a wide range of retail outlets - anywhere that you see any one of the signs shown on this page.
Simply take your swipe card to the counter together with your payment using cash, cheque, debit or credit cards. You will be given a receipt as proof of payment, please keep your receipt in safe place.
Allpay makes paying bills over the counter easy. Your swipe card can be used to pay your rent at the following major retailers: Spar; Morning, Noon and Night; The Co-op Group; Alldays; Mace; Somerfield, plus many small and independent retailers.
At your Local Post office
You can pay at the Post Office using your Albyn Housing Allpay rent payment swipe card.
By Pay Point
You can pay your rent by cash at many retail outlets offering the Pay Point service. All you need to do is take your Albyn rent payment swipe card and money to anywhere you see the Pay Point sign including newsagents, supermarkets, convenience stores and garages.
By Telephone using Allpay's automated payment system
You can use your swipe card to make payments over the phone using Allpay's automated payment system. This system uses Interactive Voice Response technology to enable customers to make payments from a landline or mobile telephone 24 hours per day, 365 days per week.
To pay by telephone all you will need is your payment card and a debit or credit card e.g. MasterCard, Visa, Switch or Connect; regrettably Electron cannot be used. To make a payment simply call: 0844 557 8321. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is accessible from any landline or mobile phone to give you maximum convenience.
You will be guided step by step through the telephone service. Make sure that you have your swipe card handy so you can quote the 19 digit reference number from it when prompted. You will then be asked for your bank details so the payment can be made. If any part of the system cannot be completed you will be transferred to a Customer Service advisor, who will be happy to assist you. (Customer Service Advisors are only available 9.00 am - 5.30 pm weekdays).
Once your payment has been processed you will be issued with an authorisation code as proof of payment, which we recommend that you note down for safekeeping.
The amount of your payment will be credited to your Albyn Housing Society account usually the following day depending on the time of your call.
By Telephone by calling our Invergordon office direct
You can also use your swipe card to make payments over the phone by calling our office in Invergordon. To pay by telephone all you will need is your Allpay payment card and your debit or credit card e.g. MasterCard, Visa, Switch or Connect, Maestro, Solo, Visa Electron. To make a payment simply call 01349 852978 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday-Friday and ask to speak to a member of staff in the Housing Management Team. An authorised member of staff will then be able to process your payment and provide you with an authorised receipt code.
Once your payment has been processed you will be issued with an authorisation code as proof of payment, which we recommend that you note down for safekeeping.
The amount of your payment will be credited to your Albyn Housing Society account usually the following day depending on the time of your call.
On line over the Internet
To make your payment on-line simply log on to https://www.allpayments.net where you will be prompted to enter your Payment Card Number.
-
All first-time users are asked to enter and confirm a password (which you will be asked for each time they log on with the same Payment Card Number) for added security and an email address at which you can receive a payment confirmation.
-
You will be greeted with a message from Albyn Housing Society to confirm that you are making a payment to the correct organisation. You will be prompted to enter the amount you wish to pay and the details of the debit/credit card that you want to use to make the payment before clicking ‘Pay Now’.
-
Once the transaction has been successfully completed, a confirmation page will appear providing a payment reference and an authorisation code. A confirmation email will be sent with the same confirmation details to the email address that you entered earlier.
By Post
You can send a cheque or postal order directly to Albyn Housing Society Limited, 98-100 High Street, Invergordon, IV18 0DL. All cheques or postal orders should clearly identify your rent account number and be made payable to Albyn Housing Society Limited. It would be helpful if you write your name and address on the back of the cheque, particularly if you need a receipt.
By Housing Benefit
Many tenants are eligible for help with their rent through Housing Benefit. Please make sure that you are not one of those to miss out. Even if you have applied unsuccessfully before, it is always worth trying again, particularly if you receive tax credits. You can get a claim form from us or from any of the Highland Council service points. If you claim benefit and your circumstances change, for example, if you start work or someone moves into or out of your home, you must tell the Highland Council. Failure to do so could result in a housing benefit overpayment leading to rent arrears which we will recover from you.
Do I receive a rent statement?
Statements of account will be issued to all our customers once a year. We aim to issue the statements in the April of each new financial year.
How to Budget
If you want help to plan a budget, you can use a free and confidential budget calculator using the Financial Services Authority “money made clear” calculator on www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk
