Travis County property tax service charge fee is insane! (Fulton: coupon, credit card)

[CptnRn]

I just went to the Travis County website, http://www.traviscountytax.org thinking I would use their online payment process to pay my property taxes. They wanted to add a $104 service charge fee onto the tax for the privilege of using their online service. That is just insane. I decided to send it snail mail instead.

Shouldn't it save them money to process payments digitally instead of shuffling paperwork?

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I just went to the Travis County website, http://www.traviscountytax.org thinking I would use their online payment process to pay my property taxes. They wanted to add a $104 service charge fee onto the tax for the privilege of using their online service. That is just insane. I decided to send it snail mail instead.

Shouldn't it save them money to process payments digitally instead of shuffling paperwork?

You aren't expecting logic and reason from a government entity, are you?

It's likely a percentage ding to cover the processing cost of the credit card(just guessing). Back in ATL, Fulton County hit us with a 4% smack in the head when using credit cards for 'ad valorem' taxes(automobiles and such). Bad enough that the tax was about 1% of the vehicle value(paid every year for 'tags'). Penalized for driving a nice vehicle, no matter how efficient it was...DANG!!! TICKLED not to pay that tax here in TEXAS!

[Trainwreck20]

Were you paying via direct withdrawal or with a credit card? CCs charge significant fees, so paying with a CC would reduce what the tax district would receive....

[CptnRn]

I was going to use a debit card. I did not try the direct withdrawal option. If that is cheaper the idiots should say so.

Ironically the payment coupon I filled out and mailed says at the top.

"YOUR CHECK MAY BE CONVERTED INTO AN ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER".

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

You aren't expecting logic and reason from a government entity, are you?

Yes, and I'm never going to back down from that expectation.

[Zembonez]

Our local water supply used to charge 6 bucks for using the online service to pay. Luckily somebody must have realized that it actually costs less to process an electronic payment than it does a paper one so they killed it.

Anything to do with Government or Utilities will happily add a fee to everything you touch if possible. There are so many "fees" (actually all fees are taxes) that it's hard to read a bill!

[austin-steve]

The online payment service I use for tenant payments charges a flat $2.20 per e-Check payment but 3% for Credit Cards. The County can't afford to eat the Crdit Card fees but should make available the e-Check option for a nominal fee.

If I could pay with a credit card without fees, I'd pay all of my property taxes for all my properties online with a Rewards credit card and I'm sure many others would as well.

Steve

[FalconheadWest]

We just do bill-pay from our bank account and save the stamp. It also protects us as there is immediate proof funds were withdrawn so they can't say we were late or that they didn't receive the money.

[verybadgnome]

Actually I like that they do that for CCs. Most businesses build the 1-5% CC fees into the costs of goods and services, no itemization of course. That's bad for the consumer as they can't quantify the fees but great for the CC companies who make money on the small transactions but make a whole lot more on the greater dollar amounts like a property tax bill for the year.

[centralaustinite]

Talk to the credit card companies! They are at fault here. It is their fee that the County refuses to eat (like most merchants do). I think the County is in the right here. They are collecting taxes, the exact amount is important. There is a fee for using a credit card that is charged by the credit card processors. Most retail merchants eat the fee to ensure return business and quick transactions. The County can't (probably by law). It is the fee revenue that allows CC companies to offer "rewards" in the first place. An e-check or electronic funds transfer is a completely different animal.

Credit cards fees can be substantial! I know of a non-profit whose primary revenue is donations. They allow credit card payments. Of the 2 million in revenue, I do not know how many pay with credit cards but it is substantial. The non-profit pays between $30K-$40K a year in credit card fees.

As a County taxpayer, I do not want a dime of my property tax to go to the CC companies!