Direct debit terms and conditions

Direct debits are a way to pay regular bills from your current bank account, such as your council rates or utility accounts.

• A Direct Debit is an instruction from you to your bank, authorising the City of Stirling to collect payment from your account. Please note the City of Stirling is unable to take direct debit payments from a credit card.
• The money is deducted automatically on the date as per the Direct Debit Payment Schedule.

You set up the direct debit by completing a Direct Debit Application (smoothing, pay in full or pay in instalments) available through the City’s website. The ratepayer authorises for their rates payment, service charges, arrears, and applicable interest to be made by direct debit from their nominated bank account in accordance with the Direct Debit authority. Once the authorities are set up, the direct debit transactions are processed electronically.
Please note that any arrears (outstanding payments from previous years) will be added to the first direct debit instalment payment.

Applications for direct debit must be completed and submitted to the City at no later than 28 August 2026, in order for the first payment to commence on 11 September 2026. Applications submitted after the due date of 11 September 2026 may be accepted; however, penalty interest will start to accrue after the due date, and this may be included in the first payment. The first payment will be taken on the first business day after the application is approved. 

If you change the frequency of your direct debit within the financial year, a new payment schedule will be generated to reflect payments already received. A $10.00 administration fee will apply for this adjustment.

The City has three (3) different direct debit options: 

Rates smoothing

Rates smoothing gives the ratepayer the choice of a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment schedule as shown on the rates notice. The chosen payment is deducted by direct debit from the ratepayer’s nominated bank account. The City’s rates smoothing arrangement for the 2026/27 financial year is from 11 September 2026 to 25 June 2027.

Rates smoothing continues each year until the ratepayer contacts the City in writing to advise that they would like their rates smoothing arrangement cancelled. Weekly and fortnightly payments are deducted on Fridays, and monthly payments are deducted on the eleventh of each month. Should payments fall on a weekend or public holiday, payments will be processed the following business day.

Pay in full via direct debit

The ratepayer may elect to pay their rates in full by direct debit, as detailed on their rates notice. The payment will be debited from the nominated bank account on 11 September 2026. Payment in full by direct debit continues each year until the ratepayer contacts the City in writing to advise that they would like their direct debit arrangement cancelled.

Direct debit instalments

The ratepayer may elect to pay their rates in instalments by direct debit, as shown on their rates notice by option 1 or option 2. The first payment will commence on 11 September 2026. Instalments by direct debit continues each year until the ratepayer contacts the City in writing to advise that they would like their direct debit arrangement cancelled.
 

You must notify the City of Stirling in writing of any change to bank account details by completing a direct debit change of bank account details form or by emailing your details to ratesdd@stirling.wa.gov.au 

If you wish to change your payment frequency during the financial year, you must submit a new direct debit application reflecting your preferred payment frequency. The new application will replace your existing agreement. Payment amounts will continue to be based on the amounts outlined in your original rates notice. A $10.00 administration fee applies when changing your payment frequency. This fee covers the adjustment of your payment schedule. Without this adjustment, the system may treat earlier scheduled payments as overdue and may automatically deduct these amounts shortly after the new direct debit is approved.

A change in frequency is only permitted if the proposed change still results in the rates and all other charges due under this agreement being paid in full by the last payment date.
 

 It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient funds available in your nominated account to allow a debit payment to be made in accordance with the Direct Debit payment schedule.

• Check with your financial institution whether direct debit is available from your account (cheque/savings only). Please note the City of Stirling is unable to take direct debit payments from a credit card
• Ensure account details which you provide to us are correct by checking them against your bank statement
• If there are insufficient cleared funds in your account to meet a particular direct debit payment, you must arrange for that payment to be made via another method along with the $3.00 dishonour fee
• You should check your financial records to verify that the amounts debited from the nominated account are correct
• Early payment in full or payment via another payment method does not mean the direct debit will cease. You must request cancellation of the direct debit providing the City with at least 5 working days notification in writing
• Agreeing to this payment option means that your direct debit payment amount will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that the account is cleared before the end of each financial year. This means that the payment amount will automatically change each year to the new amount stated on the annual rates notice
• It is your responsibility to update the City in writing if your bank account details change.
   

City imposed rates, charges, underground power (where applicable) and Emergency Services Levy (ESL) including brought forward / arrears balances from prior financial years and applicable overdue interest calculated on unpaid amounts.

• The payment amount calculated includes rates, charges, levies, administration fee and interest based upon the number and frequency of payments being made under the Direct Debit Agreement divided by the number of proposed payments.
• Administration charge for any adjustment to the agreement schedule, as notified in the adopted budget fees and charges schedule.
• Any costs incurred by the City as a result of the ratepayer failing to perform their obligations under this agreement and any charges imposed by the City’s bank in relation to the Direct Debit Authority.
• Late payment interest as per Section 6.51(1) of the Local Government Act 1995 and Regulation 70 of the Local Government (Financial Management) Regulations 1996 which will accrue over the payment period 
• Any charges imposed by the ratepayer’s financial institution in relation to the Direct Debit Authority.
• The City of Stirling reserves the right to alter direct debit amounts to cover any: 
  1. Increase or decrease in rates (such as Interim Rates) 
  2. Additional interest, costs, levies or charges payable by the ratepayer to City. Confirmation will be sent advising of any revised amounts for payment.
• This agreement applies to current and future rating years until the ratepayer notifies the City in writing that the Direct Debit Authority is to no longer apply.

• If you are unable to make a payment pursuant to this agreement, you must contact the City’s Rates Team by Monday 5pm, prior to your direct debit payment for a deferment of the payment to take effect and to avoid dishonour fees
• If a payment is deferred the City will increase the next scheduled direct debit payment to account for the deferred payment unless otherwise requested in writing by the ratepayer to make payment via an alternative method.

You may terminate this agreement at any time by providing the City with at least five working days in writing. If either party (ratepayer or City) cancels the direct debit arrangement, then full payment including overdue interest and charges is required immediately. Debt recovery proceedings may commence without further notice.

Any overdue balances due to cancellation of this agreement will accrue overdue interest at the rate of 5% (11% ESL) per annum. Interest is not applicable to fully entitled pensioners and seniors.
 

If a direct debit fails, due to insufficient funds, closed account or stopped payments, the City will notify the ratepayer in writing, and a dishonour fee will apply and will be charged to the ratepayer’s rates account. The fee for a dishonoured direct debit is $3.00 per default. The City will cancel the direct debit agreement if any of the following circumstances occurs;

• The ratepayer’s direct debit dishonours on a total of four (4) occasions for the smoothing option during the rate year for any reason
• The ratepayer’s direct debit dishonours on a total of two (2) occasions for the four-instalment option during the rate year for any reason
• The ratepayer’s direct debit dishonours on a total of one (1) occasion for the two-instalment option during the rate year for any reason.

If the City cancels your direct debit payment plan, this payment method will no longer be available. The total amount outstanding including any dishonour fees will become due and payable immediately. Overdue interest of 5% will apply on the overdue rates balance. Debt recovery proceedings may commence without further notice.
 

If you believe that a direct debit payment has been deducted from your account incorrectly, please contact the Rates Team on (08) 9205 8555, complete an online general enquiry form here or email rates@stirling.wa.gov.au.

Notification of a disputed direct debit payment will be investigated. You may also need to contact your financial institution. If, following an investigation, they City concludes that the ratepayer's account has been incorrectly debited, the City will; credit the overpayment against the next payment due, and direct the ratepayer's financial institution to adjust the next payment accordingly. The City will also notify the ratepayer in writing of the outcome. 

If the City concludes, as a result of investigations, that the account has not been incorrectly debited, the City will provide an explanation in writing, along with any evidence for this finding.
 

We will keep any information (including your account details) in your direct debit request confidential.

We will make reasonable efforts to keep any such information that we have about you secure and to ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information. We will only disclose information that we have about you to the extent specifically required by law; or for the purposes of this agreement (including disclosing information in connection with any query or claim).

To contact the City in relation to the direct debit agreement, the ratepayer can contact the City in the following ways: 

• Email: ratesdd@stirling.wa.gov.au 
• By post: City of Stirling, PO Box 1533, Osborne Park, Western Australia 6916 
• Telephone: (08) 9205 8555 
• Complete an online general enquiry form here.