Additional Payment Options Coming This Spring

At FirstEnergy, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve your experience. That includes enhancing your options when you pay your bill electronically. This year, we’re switching to a new third-party electronic payment processor – ACI Speedpay®. 

“We know time is a precious commodity for all of us, and that’s why we want to make it easy for you to pay your bill quickly and securely,” said Michelle Henry, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. 

What to Expect

The transition will occur in two phases, beginning with credit and debit card payments this spring. As part of this phase, we will start accepting payments through Venmo and PayPal, giving you new options when it’s time to pay your bill. Later this year, additional electronic payment options like bank draft/ACH will be processed through ACI Speedpay.

For both residential and commercial customers who make individual payments each month, there will be some changes in fees later in 2024. These fees are charged by the new third-party electronic payment processor and apply only to one-time payments:

• For residential customers, the third-party service fee for a one-time credit or debit card payment will decrease from $4.75 per transaction to $2.75 per transaction. 

• For commercial customers, the third-party service fee for a one-time credit or debit card payment will decrease from 3% to 2.75% of the total transaction. 

• There will be a new service fee of 50 cents per transaction for both residential and commercial customers paying by electronic check (ACH).

To avoid fees associated with one-time payments, you can schedule automatic payments by enrolling in the AutoPay Credit Card or AutoPay Bank Account programs. These programs help ensure you stay up to date on your electric bills while avoiding third-party service fees.

You may notice some changes in the way the transaction appears on your billing or credit card statement. This can vary depending on your financial institution. Throughout this transition, you can continue to expect the same level of support and security when making your payments with FirstEnergy. 

What do I need to do?

Our goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible. If you are enrolled in automatic payments, you will be transitioned into the AutoPay Credit Card or AutoPay Bank Account programs, and your payment will be processed as normal. 

If you prefer, you can still call or mail in your payment; however, we will no longer accept payments via text or Boost. If you currently use these methods, we encourage you to explore one of our many other payment options. 

Have more questions? 

As additional phases and features of the new electronic payment platform are rolled out, we will continue to keep you updated so that you have the information you need to manage your electric account according to what works best for your household. 

“We’re here to support you every step of the way,” said Henry. “We are relentlessly reviewing our processes to provide the best possible experience for our valued customers.”  

You can find more information and answers to FAQs and learn about additional electronic options like eBill at firstenergycorp.com/payFAQ.