From the Herefordshire Council press office:

People in Herefordshire are now able to pay council tax bills and other council payments at their local post office.

Herefordshire Council has teamed up with local company allpay to provide more choice and convenience for residents, in a move that will promote greater use of village shops and post offices in rural areas.

From now, local people can also pay any council bill with a PayPoint outlet. All bills issued will be bar-coded to make it easier to use this service. allpay Limited, the payment specialist company, will also be providing a fully automated, round-the-clock telephone payment service so that paying bills can be easy for everyone.

Head of benefits and exchequer services at Herefordshire Council, Mike Toney, said: “The idea is to provide a much greater choice of where and when residents can pay their bills.

“Many outlets will be also be far more convenient for people, with longer opening hours, and because rural shops and post offices will benefit from greater patronage, it helps sustain communities too.

“It means residents do not have to go to a council info centre, so those cash offices will from April, cease taking payments where a bar-coded bill is issued. As well as cutting down on unnecessary travel, the provision of a more local service helps the county to reduce its carbon footprint”.

And in response, from allpay:

We’re very proud to be working with Herefordshire Council to provide our County’s residents with a convenient payment service. We’re certain that allpay’s easy payment options for council tax and other council bills will prove a big hit. Bill payers can use our telephone service which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or they can take advantage of going to their local Post Office or PayPoint outlet.
Tony Killeen, managing director of allpay.