Changes to Pay by Phone
In order to accept credit cards at Lamar Electric, we must comply with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. Each year Lamar Electric is required to validate it is complying with these standards. If we are not in compliance, we could lose our ability to accept credit cards and could be fined thousands of dollars per day. An updated guide for PCI validation was released in June, and accepting payments verbally over the phone is not in compliance with these standards. It’s our top priority to keep our member’s card and banking information safe against a potential data breach.
What does this mean for our members? Our member services representatives cannot accept payments verbally over the phone. If you want to pay your bill by phone, you will be transferred to our Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system where you can follow the prompts and securely process your payment using a credit card or check. Our members are also able to make secure payments in person, by mail, on our website or through our SmartHub app.
You will need your account number and a four digit PIN to pay by phone. Our member services team will help you set up a PIN if you do not have one, or you can set it up yourself by answering some security questions.
The “My Usage” feature in the SmartHub app offers our members a quick snapshot of how much energy is used, and allows members to compare that usage over time and against weather data.