Payment channels

Pay Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA)

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 CFPUA Customer Self-Service / UMAX portal, with CivicPlus site integration. Never enter account credentials into a lookalike site reached through an unsolicited message.

Open payment portal ↗

Telephone payment

Phone IVR

910-332-6550 for the 24/7 interactive voice-response payment system; water and sewer emergencies use 910-332-6565

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

The current CFPUA payment and customer-service pages do not publish a text-to-pay keyword or SMS payment enrollment process. Customers can enroll in paperless billing, recurring bank or card payments, use QuickPay, call the 24/7 IVR at 910-332-6550, or pay at the customer center. CFPUA's notification subscriptions are alerts and communications, not a confirmed text-to-pay program.

Mail-in address

CFPUA's current payment instructions direct check payments to Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, 235 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403. Do not send cash by mail. The payment page warns that third-party services such as Doxo or Mint are not affiliated with CFPUA and may delay posting, causing late fees or disconnection risk.

Counters, drop boxes, and office hours

The current customer-service payment center is 235 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403, generally open Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. for front-desk and QuickPay-kiosk service; CFPUA's New Customers page lists Thursday and Friday variations of 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. or Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., so customers should confirm the current holiday schedule. The bill drop box accepts checks or money orders, not cash. CFPUA closed the downtown Skyline Center lobby in June 2026; immediate reconnection or new-service customers should visit 235 Government Center Drive.

Accepted digital instruments

What you can use online

The Customer Self-Service portal supports Mastercard, Visa, and checking-account payments, with recurring bank draft or credit/debit-card AutoPay. CFPUA's customer FAQ also lists PayPal, Venmo, and Amazon Pay among payment options. Customers may use QuickPay for one-time payments, eBilling, and the 24/7 IVR; exact wallet availability and the payment vendor's checkout options should be confirmed at the time of transaction.

2026 transaction pricing

Convenience fees

The CFPUA payment vendor charges a $3.00 convenience fee for each transaction increment of up to $300 when paying by credit or debit card, whether online, by phone, or through the payment center's card channel. eCheck or bank-account payments avoid that card convenience fee. CFPUA also charges $1.00 per printed monthly paper bill beginning January 1, 2026; paperless billing is free.

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 Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) 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.

Return to utility profile →Review shut-off rules →