Independent U.S. water utility directory · 2026 edition
Water LedgerU.S. utility directorySearch directory
← Back to utility profile

Payment channels

Pay City of Merced Finance Department – Utility Billing / Public Works Water Division

Use the provider’s verified online, telephone, mail, or counter instructions. Check the final confirmation screen for the amount, processing date, and any transaction fee before submitting.

Primary online route

Use the official payment portal

The direct portal is the fastest route when it is available. The provider identifies its payment gateway as CentralSquare Technologies – Click2GovCX / Municipal Services Online.. Never enter account credentials into a lookalike site reached through an unsolicited message.

Open payment portal ↗

Telephone payment

Phone IVR

(209) 388-7289 for credit-card utility payments by phone. The utility-billing page separately lists (209) 385-6841 for billing questions, account starts, and customer service; the current page does not identify a detailed IVR menu or maintenance schedule.

Have your account number and payment instrument ready. Follow the provider’s recorded prompts and retain the confirmation number.

Alternative channels

Mail, text, and in-person payment instructions

Pay by text

A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. Merced’s current billing page documents email two-factor login, online account payments, Auto Pay Direct Debit, and phone card payment, but no customer-facing text-to-pay keyword, SMS short code, or text enrollment process.

Mail-in address

A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. The current 2026 utility-billing page confirms payment by mail with check but does not publish the current remittance/lockbox address. Customers should use the mailing address printed on the statement or call Utility Billing at (209) 385-6841 before sending a check.

Counters, drop boxes, and office hours

Utility Billing is administered through the City’s Finance Department at 678 West 18th Street, 1st Floor, Merced, CA 95340; Finance is open Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The current billing page says Visa, MasterCard, Discover, qualifying Visa/MasterCard-logo debit cards, cash, and checks are accepted at the counter; checks are also accepted in the drop box or by mail. The public page does not identify the exact drop-box location or a separate counter address beyond the Finance office. Public Works water operations are at 1776 Grogan Avenue, with business hours 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Accepted digital instruments

What you can use online

Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit card online with no fee; Visa/MasterCard-logo debit card at the counter with no fee; Auto Pay Direct Debit from a bank account with no fee; and credit-card payment by phone at (209) 388-7289. The current page does not list Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or eCheck as separate portal instruments.

2026 transaction pricing

Convenience fees

No fee is stated for Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit-card payment through Municipal Services Online, Visa/MasterCard-logo debit card at the counter, or Auto Pay Direct Debit. The City’s page does not state a separate fee for the phone card channel.

Fees can vary by payment type, channel, account class, and processor terms. The checkout screen is the final fee disclosure.

Payment guidance

Choose the payment channel that fits your deadline

The safest payment path is the one published by City of Merced Finance Department – Utility Billing / Public Works Water Division and matched to the account information on your bill. Online portals are convenient, but telephone, mail, counter, and drop-box options may follow different posting schedules and may use different fees.

For a routine payment, save the final confirmation page or IVR number and check when the transaction will post. For a same-day shut-off notice, do not assume that submitting a card payment automatically stops a field order; ask the provider what amount and confirmation are required.

Never send your account number, password, card details, or bank information to Water Ledger. Those details belong only on the provider’s verified payment channel or at an authorized counter.