Frequently Asked Questions
The answers to some of our most frequently asked questions are below.
Please check this list and see if your question, or one like it, is here.
If it is not, our contact information can be found at the bottom of the page.
1. How do I confirm my account?
2. Why do I keep getting sent back to the homepage? -or-
Why can't I log in?
3. What are cookies, and why must I allow them?
4. How do I set my web browser to allow cookies?
5. What is a credit card security code?
6. How can I find my Utility Account Number?
7. Why is my payment status "pending"? -or-
What is an eCheck?
8. Why do I need to contact my provider?
9. Is there a fee for using SecureUtilities.com?
10. What is the refund policy?
Still can't find what you need? Contact us.
When you registered, a message was sent to the email address you provided
with a link to confirm your account. Simply click that link and your
registration will be completed. If you need a new email to be sent,
enter your Username below and click "Resend".
(Please note: Your confirmation time limit will be reset
and any prior confirmation email links will become invalid.)
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-or-
Why can't I log in?
One of two things is probably happening. Either you are allowing the page to stand idle
for too long (usually 20 minutes or more) or your web browser is not allowing cookies to be set.
If you think your web browser may be blocking our cookies, click the "Test Cookies"
button below to check.
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A "cookie" is a small piece of information that is stored temporarily with your
web browser while you are visiting a website. In some cases, this information may be written
to your hard drive so that it can be reloaded the next time you visit that same website. Each
website can only access cookies that it has sent to you. Therefore, there is no way that a website
can use cookies to get any information from your hard drive or the cookies of other websites
unless you specifically give that information to it in the first place.
At SecureUtilities.com, we use cookies for many reasons. When you sign in, a cookie is sent to your
web browser that indicates to us that you have a valid account and a right to view pages that
pertain to that account. This allows us to add another layer of security to help protect the
information you have chosen to share with us. When you click a link on our website, a cookie may
pass information to the next page that tells it which message to display or what information should
be automatically filled in on a form to save you time. These cookies will cease to exist when you
click the "Sign out" button or close your web browser. During the sign in procedure, if you
check the box that says "Remember me on this computer", a cookie will be written to your
hard drive with your Username, so that the next time you visit SecureUtilities.com your Username
will already be filled in and you will only need to supply your Password.
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In order to allow cookies for this website, you must either add SecureUtilities.com to your list
of Trusted sites or enable cookies in your web browser. Instructions for enabling cookies in
some of the most common web browsers can be found below.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 & 7.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0
Netscape Communicator & Navigator 6.0
Netscape Communicator & Navigator 4.0
Mozilla Firefox
To specifically allow cookies from SecureUtilities.com:
- Click Tools and select Internet Options from the menu.
- Click the Privacy tab.
- Adjust the slider so that it does NOT say Block All Cookies.
- Click the Sites button.
- Enter secureutilities.com in the Address of Website box.
- Click Allow.
- Click OK.
- Click OK.
To allow cookies from all sites:
- Click Tools and select Internet Options from the menu.
- Click the Privacy tab.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Check mark the box next to Override Automatic Cookie Handling.
- Click the Accept radio button under First-party Cookies.
- Click the Accept radio button under Third-party Cookies.
- Check mark the box next to Always Allow Session Cookies.
- Click OK.
- Click OK.
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- Click Start, select Settings and Control Panel.
- Double-click Internet Options to open Internet Properties.
- Click the Security tab.
- Click Custom Level.
- Scroll down to the Cookies section and select Enable.
- Click OK.
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- Click Start, select Settings and Control Panel.
- Double-click Internet Options to open Internet Properties.
- Scroll down to the Security section, and look for the Cookies option.
(If you do not see an option for cookies, double-click the Padlock icon next to Security.)
- Click to check mark the box next to Always accept cookies.
(If there is not an option for Always accept cookies, double-click on the cookies icon.)
- Click OK.
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- Click Edit and then select Preferences on the Netscape menu bar.
- Select Privacy and Security.
- Select Cookies from the drop down menu.
- Select Enable all cookies.
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- Click Edit and select Preferences on the Netscape menu bar.
- Click Advanced.
- Select Accept All Cookies.
- Click OK.
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- Click Tools and select Options on the Firefox menu bar.
- Click the Privacy Icon on the option menu bar.
- Click the Cookies tab.
- Check mark the box for Allow sites to set cookies.
- Select "until they expire" in the Keep Cookies field.
- Click OK.
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The credit card Security Code, also called the Card Identification Number (CIN),
is a special security code feature on the Visa, MasterCard, American Express and
Discover credit cards.
By requiring the Security Code to be entered with
your credit or debit card information, we are verifying that the payment is being
made by the card holder. The Security Code offers protection to the card holder
as well. The Card Identification Number (CID) is not raised, so they are not
scanned into standard credit card readers. In theory, these numbers are only
visible to the card holder.
Visa, MasterCard and Discover
Flip your card
over and look at the signature box. You should see a 16-digit credit card number
followed by a special 3-digit code. This 3-digit code is the credit card Security
Code.
American Express
Look for the 4-digit code
printed on the front of
your card just above and to the right of your main credit card number. This 4-digit
code is the credit card Security Code.
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Your Account Number is located on your utility bill. Please contact your utility provider for your PIN number.
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-or-
What is an eCheck?
A successful payment made directly on our website by credit card or through PayPal via instant
bank transfer or credit card will list a status of "completed" and funds will be available to
your utility provider the next time they update, usually within 24 hours or less. However, PayPal offers
an additional option called an eCheck. An eCheck is treated by PayPal exactly as a paper
check would be in that it takes 3-4 business days to clear. During this wait time, your payment
status will be listed as "pending". Once the eCheck has cleared and PayPal has
released the funds to our website, your payment status will be updated to "completed"
and the funds will be released to your utility provider during their next update.
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If you are being told to contact your provider directly, it usually means that your utility provider has
chosen to temporarily stop taking online payments for your account. Although there can be many different
reasons for this action, one possible cause may be a scheduled service disconnect. If that is the case,
it is important that you contact your provider as quickly as possible to prevent a service interruption.
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There is no charge to register with us or check your account balances.
There is a small convenience fee involved in making a payment to help cover the costs of developing
and maintaining the website. Your portion of this fee is determined through an agreement with your
utility provider and is displayed on your screen before you give your final approval for the
payment to be completed. If you so choose, you may cancel at that time and no fee will be charged.
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Due to the nature of our system, funds are not kept by SecureUtilities.com for any type of holding period
but are instead immediately made available to the utility provider for deposit into the appropriate accounts.
Therefore, all refunds must be handled directly by the utility provider; NO refunds can be made through
SecureUtilities.com.
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Contact us: You can contact us at
support@SecureUtilities.com and we will get back to you as soon
as possible. Please include your Name, Account Number, and Utility Provider when emailing us. Thank You.
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