Account Terms and Conditions | Consumers Energy

Online Guest Pay Terms & Conditions

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

By using Consumers Energy’s guest pay services online, provided by Paymentus Corporation, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions stated below.

Use of Third-Party Services

Consumers Energy uses third-party vendors (including, but not limited to, Paymentus Corporation. The Paymentus Privacy Policy can be found here) in the collection, storage and processing of financial information (including credit or debit card data and checking/savings account data) and the processing of financial transactions. Please note that Consumers Energy does not accept payments through this process from collection agencies and third-party agencies and does not allow access to Online Guest Pay platform to any such agencies.

Please note that Consumers Energy also does not allow access to the Text (SMS) payment platform to any such agencies. By using the Text (SMS) payment platform, you represent and warrant that you are not a collection agency, third-party agency, third-party commercial payor, or a payment aggregator. You agree that any breach of this warranty constitutes a material breach of this agreement. You agree to (i) indemnify Consumers Energy for interchange fees, merchant fees, as well as all other costs and fees in processing a payment transaction in violation of this agreement, and (ii) indemnify Consumers Energy for all other damages, costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees resulting from your breach of this agreement. By clicking on "I agree to the terms and conditions", you agree to pay the chosen amount to be paid to Consumers Energy. All authorizations are subject to the agreements governing your credit or debit card. Under normal circumstances, there are no refunds on the payments processed through guest pay online. If there is a discrepancy, please contact us at 800-477-5050 or customer@consumersenergy.com. The payment transaction will only be completed after receiving successful authorization from your credit or debit card company for the total amount charged.

Fees and Charges: Individual credit or debit card payments, ACH payments made via Guest Pay and all Easy Pay automatic payments will be charged a processing fee of $2.99 per transaction for residential customers and $9.99 per transaction for non-restricted business or commercial accounts. You can enroll in fee-free automatic ACH payments with Auto-pay and pay at ConsumersEnergy.com/MyLogin or through the mobile app.

Card Payments: Consumers Energy may limit or restrict customers from paying with a credit or debit cards. These restrictions do not apply to customers in shut off status. For information about card payment eligibility, please call 800-477-5050.

Electronic Communications Terms & Conditions
Electronic Notices

Bill notices and other important notices about your account will be sent to you electronically from unmonitored mailboxes with the following addresses: eServices@cmsenergy.com. Please add these email addresses to your address book so they are not marked as spam by any email filtering software you may use.
You may receive emails from us (or a third party acting on our behalf) containing information we think you may find helpful or interesting (“Informational Emails"). If required by law, you will be given the option to “opt out” of receiving future Informational Emails.

Consumers Energy (CECARE) – 232273 Text Message Notifications
When you opt-in to the SMS using a short code by texting REG, we will send you an SMS text message to confirm your sign-up. By sending a text message for participation in the text messaging program or by using our text program at any time, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set forth. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change.

Cancel or Opt-Out of Text Messages
You can cancel and opt-out of the text message service at any time by texting “STOP” to 232273. We will send you a text message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive text messages from us. If you want to receive texts alerts again, text “REG” to short code to register as you did the first time or sign up via our Preference Center.

Text Message Help
If, at any time, you forget what keywords are supported, just text “HELP” to 232273 for help. We will respond with several keywords supported by our service (see below for descriptions): REG, NICK, OUT, STAT, PAUSE, RESUME, STOP.

REG – to register
STAT – get a status update on your outage (good way to check and see if CE is aware of your outage)
OUT – report an outage
BAL – get your current balance
PAY – pay your bill
NICK – give your account a nickname (helps when you have multiple accounts)
PAUSE – pause messaging
STOP – opt out of alerts (we will use commercially reasonable efforts to honor intent to opt-out beyond this designated keyword)
RESUME – resume your alerts

Text Message Carrier Providers
We are able to deliver text messages to the following major mobile phone carriers and most minor carriers:

Major carriers: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile/MetroPCS, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Google Voice
Minor carriers: Advantage Cellular (DTC Wireless), Aio Wireless, Alaska Communications Systems (ACS), Appalachian Wireless (EKN), Bluegrass Cellular, Carolina West Wireless, CellCom, Cellular One of East Central IL (ECIT), Cellular One of Northeast Arizona, Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania, Chariton Valley Cellular, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Cricket, Coral Wireless (Mobi PCS), Cross, C-Spire (CellSouth), Duet IP (Maximum Communications New Core Wireless), Element Mobile (Flat Wireless), Epic Touch (Elkhart Telephone), GCI, Golden State, Hawkeye (Chat Mobility), Hawkeye (NW Missouri), Illinois Valley Cellular, Inland Cellular, iWireless (Iowa Wireless), Keystone Wireless (Immix Wireless/PC Man), MetroPCS, Mosaic (Consolidated or CTC Telecom), MTA Communications , MTPCS (Cellular One Nation), Nex-Tech Wireless, NTelos, Panhandle Communications, Peoples Wireless, Pine Cellular, Pioneer, Plateau (Texas RSA 3 Ltd), RINA, Sagebrush Cellular (Nemont), SI Wireless/Mobile Nation, Simmetry (TMP Corporation), SouthernLinc, SRT Wireless, Thumb Cellular, Union Wireless, United Wireless, U.S. Cellular, Viaero Wireless, and West Central (WCC or 5 Star Wireless).
Alert Delivery: Alerts sent via SMS may not be delivered to you if your phone is not in range of a transmission site, or if sufficient network capacity is not available at a particular time. Even within a coverage area, factors beyond Verizon’s control may interfere with message delivery, including the customer's equipment, terrain, proximity to buildings, foliage, and weather. You acknowledge that urgent alerts may not be timely received and that Verizon and T-Mobile/MetroPCS do not guarantee that alerts will be delivered.

Consumers Energy -- Live & Automated Voice Notifications and Text Messages
When you provide a phone number that is a landline, a cell/wireless phone or a landline that is later converted to a cell/wireless phone to Consumers Energy and/or elect to participate in voice alerts and notifications and/or text message alerts and notifications, you agree that we may contact you by automatic telephone dialing systems and by automated, prerecorded or live calls. Your agreement includes telemarketing as well as non-telemarking calls and text messages.

Network, Message and Data Rates
NETWORK, MESSAGE AND DATA RATES MAY APPLY. MESSAGE FREQUENCY VARIES. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TEXT PLAN OR DATA PLAN, IT IS BEST TO CONTACT YOUR WIRELESS PROVIDER. FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY CONSUMERS ENERGY, YOU CAN VISIT preference center help page.

Electronic Communications Privacy
Please refer to our privacy policy for details on how Consumers Energy manages your email information. Additionally, Consumers Energy uses third-party vendors such as iFactor Consulting Inc. and Silver Springs Networks to deliver our electronic communications. Such third-party vendor(s) may change from time to time. If you have any questions regarding the privacy of your electronic communications data, please visit: http://www.ifactorconsulting.com/privacy.

User Conduct
You agree not to send or otherwise make available content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another’s privacy, or contains hate speech.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES
YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE TEXT PROGRAM IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE TEXT PROGRAM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY & iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, , LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT (A) THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; (B) THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL BE UNINTERRRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; OR (C) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE TEXT PROGRAM WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY
YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY & iFACTOR CONSULTING INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, CONTRACTORS, CONSULTANTS, LICENSORS, AND SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES OR ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE TEXT PROGRAM.

Termination
Consumers Energy reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend any or all of its Text Program, in whole or in part, for any reason, with or without notice to you. to you.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions
By participating in Consumers Energy’s online account services, and/or any of Consumers Energy’s electronic options, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions stated below.

You are not obligated to, but you may choose to register and create an online account (referred to as a “User Profile”) in order to access and participate in certain features offered on the Site. When you register, you will be asked to disclose personal information (including your name, email address and birth date). Consumers Energy may refuse to grant you, and you may not use, an email address that is already being used by someone else, impersonates another person, violates the intellectual property or other rights of any person, is vulgar or otherwise offensive. You agree to notify Consumers Energy of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security with respect to your account. Consumers Energy will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized use of your account. You agree to provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself as requested in the registration form. You also agree to update the information about yourself as necessary to keep it current and accurate.

Online Payment Enrollment
Enrollment in a payment option is completed through the payment section of your online account. By enrolling, you represent and warrant that you either: i) are using your actual identity and all information you provide to Consumers Energy is accurate and complete or ii) are authorized to access information related to the accounts attached to the User Profile. In either case, you will notify us immediately and cease using the system if you are presented with account information you are not authorized to access. You also agree that the information you provide to Consumers Energy may be verified for accuracy, and that Consumers Energy has the right to obtain financial information regarding your account from your financial institution in order to resolve payment posting problems.

Electronic Bill Presentment
You may enroll in Consumers Energy eBill through the preference center within your online account. When a new eBill is available, you will receive an email notification, containing a link to where you may log in and view your eBill. Consumers Energy will attempt to present your eBill notification promptly; however, it is your sole responsibility to provide a current email address for bill notification purposes, and to log in to access your bill if you do not receive the notification email. You must contact Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 if you cannot access your bill online. It also is your sole responsibility to ensure timely payment of all bills. Billing and payment history is available through your online account. Contact Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 for additional information about your bills.

Payment Options
Electronic Payment Options – Consumers Energy bills may be paid electronically in three different ways

For Accounts Enrolled Prior to January 29, 2017
If you choose this electronic payment option, you agree to have your payment processed on the date your bill is generated and presented to your financial institution for payment that evening. You must enroll in the Auto-pay option at least one business day before your bill is generated to use this payment option in any particular month. Note: If you have made a payment on an account(s), either by personal check and/or by one-time payment online, and that payment has not yet been posted to your account(s), such balances will be treated as outstanding balances and will be paid according to the preceding sentence.
For Accounts Enrolled on or After January 29, 2017
If you choose this electronic payment option, you agree to have your payment processed on the date your bill is due and presented to your financial institution for payment that evening. You must enroll in the Auto-pay option at least one business day before your bill is generated to use this payment option in any particular month. Note: If you have made a payment on an account(s), either by personal check and/or by one-time payment online, and that payment has not yet been posted to your account(s), such balances will be treated as outstanding balances and will be paid according to the preceding sentence.

Auto-pay with checking/savings account — You may set up automatic payments to be withdrawn from your checking or savings account. If you choose this electronic payment option, your payment will be processed on the date your bill is due and presented to your financial institution for funding that evening. Any outstanding balance could be debited from your financial account within 24 hours of your successful enrollment, which will be sent to you in a confirmation email.

Easy Pay with credit/debit card/digital wallet — You may set up automatic payments to be withdrawn from your credit or debit card or digital wallet. If you choose this electronic payment option, your payment will be processed automatically on the date your bill is due. All Easy Pay transactions, will include a fee of $2.99 for residential accounts and $9.99 for business accounts. Any outstanding balance could be debited from your financial account within 24 hours of your successful enrollment, which will be sent to you in a confirmation email.

Outstanding Balances and Past Due Amounts — If you enroll in automatic payments with Auto-pay or Easy Pay, any past due balance(s) will be posted to your financial account within two business days from the date of enrollment. The remainder of your balance will be posted on the next due date.

Payments made prior to the enrollment date that have not yet posted to your account(s) will not be reflected in your balance.

One-time online payment with checking/savings account or credit/debit card/digital wallet — If you choose to use the one-time online payment option, you must log in to your online account each month and designate the amount and date of withdrawal of your payment prior to your bill’s due date to ensure timely payment.
Same-Day Payments
If you choose to submit a same-day payment, your Consumers Energy account will be credited automatically. You agree that Consumers Energy can immediately send the transaction to your financial institution for processing. Same-day payments cannot be canceled. Note: Although your Consumers Energy account will be credited immediately, it may take 2-3 business days for the payment to be reflected at your financial institution, depending on processing time.
- Card Payments: Consumers Energy may limit or restrict customers from paying with a credit or debit card. These restrictions do not apply to customers in shut off status. For information about card payment eligibility, please call 800-477-5050.
Future Scheduled Payments
If you choose to submit a future scheduled payment, your Consumers Energy account will be credited on the payment date chosen. You agree that Consumers Energy can send the transaction to your financial institution for processing on the chosen date. Future scheduled payments can be canceled up until 7 p.m. ET on the business day prior to the payment date. Note: Although your Consumers Energy account will be credited on the date selected, it may take 2-3 business days for the payment to be reflected at your financial institution, depending on processing time.

Note: You may change your preferred method of payment at any time by visiting the payment information section within your online account; however, it may take several days for a new payment method to take effect. It is your sole responsibility to ensure the timely payment of bills.

Non-electronic Payment Options – Consumers Energy bills may also be paid by mail or in person at company offices and authorized pay stations. Click here for payment mailing address and locations near you.

Electronic Payment Authorization
When you elect an electronic payment option, you authorize Consumers Energy to withdraw funds from your designated Payment Account for the amount you authorized. You also represent and warrant that you are legally authorized to make withdrawals from your designated Payment Account, and to permit others to make withdrawals from that account on your behalf.

Canceling Pending Electronic Payments
Same-Day Payments – Customers using a same-day payment method cannot cancel their payments.

Scheduled Payments - Customers who use an electronic payment feature may cancel future scheduled payments up until 7 p.m. ET on the business day prior to the payment date.

Customers who have elected an Auto-pay payment options must de-enroll from these payment options in order to stop the automatic withdrawal of future payments. De-enrollment from Auto-pay may not prevent the withdrawal of the first payment due after the de-enrollment date.

Consumers Energy will not assist with stop payment requests. Please contact your financial institution directly to stop payment. Your financial institution may charge a fee for this service.

Transactions
Consumers Energy shall not be responsible for its failure to post electronic payments authorized by you under the following circumstances:

Your Payment Account does not contain sufficient funds to complete the transaction
You have not provided Consumers Energy with correct Payment Account information, or with your correct name, address, phone number or email address
Circumstances beyond the control of Consumers Energy prevent the proper execution of the transaction. Such circumstances include, by way of example and not limitation, flood, fire, interference from an outside force, or malfunction of a third-party payment processing center

PROVIDED NONE OF THE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST, CONSUMERS ENERGY’S LIABILITY FOR AN IMPROPER WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT OF THE IMPROPER WITHDRAWAL.

Fees and Charges
Consumers Energy does not charge a fee for eBill. Individual credit or debit card payments, Guest Pay and all Easy Pay automatic payments will be charged a processing fee of $2.99 per transaction for [SP1]residential customers and $9.99 per transaction for non-restricted business or commercial accounts. We reserve the right to impose and/or modify fees or charges in the future. Fees are collected by our secure third-party payment processor to offset the processing charges. Consumers Energy does not benefit from this fee. You will be notified in advance of the processing fee and any use after the notification will constitute your agreement to pay the fee. Any fees imposed by your financial institution are your sole responsibility. You also are responsible for any and all telephone access fees and for Internet service fees that may be assessed by your Internet service provider.

Changes in Your Information
It is your sole responsibility to ensure that the contact and account information in your online User Profile, including but not limited to your name, address, phone number and email address, remain current and accurate. You must sign in promptly to your account and update this information if it changes.

User ID and Password Security
You are solely responsible for the security of your online User ID and password, and all payments and transactions that are authorized using them. You should not give your User ID or password, or your Consumers Energy account number out to others. If you feel your online account information has been compromised, or that someone may attempt to transfer money from your Payment Account without your permission, you should notify Consumers Energy immediately at 800-477-5050, and change your password. In addition to notifying Consumers Energy, you should contact your financial institution or credit/debit card company to report any unauthorized transactions.

Use of Third Parties for Payment Processing
Consumers Energy uses third-party vendors such as Paymentus Corporation in the collection, storage and processing of financial information (including credit or debit card data, and checking/savings account data) and the processing of financial transactions. Such third-party vendors may change from time to time. The Paymentus Privacy Policy can be found here.

Errors and Questions
Contact Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 to report errors in your eBill or electronic payment transaction(s), or to ask questions about your online account.

Disputes
In the event of a dispute regarding your Consumers Energy online account, you agree to resolve that dispute according to these Terms. Disputes involving a credit card payment, including but not limited to chargebacks and fraud, must be resolved by your credit card company. Consumers Energy is not responsible for research or resolution of credit card payment disputes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you agree that Consumers Energy may obtain financial information regarding your payment account from your financial institution for certain purposes (for example, to resolve payment problems or to verify that you are the owner of the account).

Disclaimer of Warranties
YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:

YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND ELECTRONIC PAYMENT OPTIONS (COLLECTIVELY, “THE SERVICE”) IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS-IS” AND “AS-AVAILABLE” BASIS. CONSUMERS ENERGY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.

YOU FURTHER EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT CONSUMERS ENERGY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE SERVICE OR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE SERVICE WILL BE ERROR-FREE. CONSUMERS ENERGY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN COMBINATION WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT, OR THAT THE FILES, CONTENT, AND/OR OTHER INFORMATION, IF ANY, ACCESSED OR DOWNLOADED FROM THE SERVICE WILL BE FREE FROM INFECTION BY MALICIOUS OR DESTRUCTIVE CODE.

Limitation of Remedies and Liability
YOU AGREE THAT YOUR SOLE REMEDY ARISING FROM YOUR INABILITY TO USE OR ACCESS THE SERVICE, FROM DEFECTS IN THE SERVICE OR CONSUMERS ENERGY’S WEB SITE, OR FROM ANY OTHER MATTER ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR THE SITE, IS TO MAKE PAYMENT ON YOUR ACCOUNT USING A NONELECTRONIC PAYMENT METHOD. IN NO EVENT SHALL CONSUMERS ENERGY BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS RESULTING FROM BUSINESS DISRUPTION, LOSS OF DATA, LOST PROFITS, LOST GOODWILL OR DAMAGE TO SYSTEMS OR DATA, WHETHER IN AN ACTION FOR CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF CONSUMERS ENERGY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.

Consumers Energy’s Reserved Rights
In addition to all other rights granted to Consumers Energy hereunder, Consumers Energy reserves the right to terminate, cancel or modify, in whole or in part, the online services at any time and from time to time, in its sole discretion.

Entire Agreement
You agree that these Terms and Conditions are the complete and exclusive statement of the services to be provided, that they supersede any prior agreement, and that they can be modified only in writing. These Terms and Conditions may not be modified or altered verbally by any Consumers Energy employee or representative.