Starting Wednesday, October 15, a $3.95 transaction fee will be added to all credit and debit card transactions. The only exception is online Court, where customers will continue to pay credit card and transaction processing fees directly.
The City offers several ways for customers to avoid credit and debit card transaction fees. Customers can enroll in automatic bank drafts, a convenient option that removes extra fees and guarantees payments are made on time without worrying about due dates. Other options include paying in cash, by check, or with a money order.
Credit card fee expenditures continue to place an increasing burden on the taxpayer-funded city budget. Credit card fees are considered convenience fees for individuals choosing to pay with their credit card. Since the City offers other payment options that do not involve credit cards or their related fees, it will charge a flat transaction fee to credit card users to help cover these costs. This strategy aims to balance the convenience of using credit cards with the goal of preventing those fees from being passed on to the general taxpayer who opts for alternative payment methods that do not incur transaction fees…