Complaints about Austin and Travis County (Spur: credit card, hotel, property taxes) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Ivory Lee Spurlock · 01-23-2019, 01:32 PM

I went to pay my property taxes at the Travis County Tax Office on TX HWY 71 past Oak Hill today. I handed the guy my tax papers put my driver's license and debit/credit card ready for him and he said they charge 3.78% to pay with a debit/credit card. My property taxes are right at $1600 and if I would have agreed to that fee it woulda cost $47 and some change to pay with a debit card.

That has to be one of the most ourageous things I've heard of in a long time. I don't know why the City of Austin or County of Travis wants to be so contrary and disagreeable with the people they are suppose to be serving. I can go to 7/11 and the HEB and use the card for free, or a small charge thats reasonable. And then the city wants to charge $47 for using the same debit card. Gouge the public.

m1a1mg · 01-23-2019, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I went to pay my property taxes at the Travis County Tax Office on TX HWY 71 past Oak Hill today. I handed the guy my tax papers put my driver's license and debit/credit card ready for him and he said they charge 3.78% to pay with a debit/credit card. My property taxes are right at $1600 and if I would have agreed to that fee it woulda cost $47 and some change to pay with a debit card.

That has to be one of the most ourageous things I've heard of in a long time. I don't know why the City of Austin or County of Travis wants to be so contrary and disagreeable with the people they are suppose to be serving. I can go to 7/11 and the HEB and use the card for free, or a small charge thats reasonable. And then the city wants to charge $47 for using the same debit card. Gouge the public.

3.78% is what the credit card companies charge them. So, if they do it for no charge, they lose money.

Bp25 · 01-23-2019, 02:23 PM

Agreed with m1a1mg. Looking at travis county website, they process debit card as a credit card (which costs them ~3%). That explains why even debit card incurs so much charge. You could use echeck for paying directly from your bank account. You can still do that online and pay $1 convenience fee.
Just FYI, most of the government offices charge fees for credit card transactions. The only exception is post office, as far as I know.

ashbeeigh · 01-23-2019, 02:34 PM

There are ads on tv all the time (like KXAN, KEYE, KVUE) about paying via e-check online. That's free.

https://tax-office.traviscountytx.go...ayment-options

I lied. It's a dollar. But still.

DMChicago · 01-23-2019, 03:05 PM

I'm in the Merchant Services business. This is becoming more common and will continue to do so unless the Card Issuing companies (Visa, MC, AMEX) step in to stop it.

I offer it to small, local business as a way to keep their costs down so that can try to survive. Want that cool, local dress shop to stay in business? That helps so another Lily store doesn't put them out of business.

Local donut shops love it as well.
The smaller the ticket size, the easier it is for the customer to accept.

I do not suggest it for larger ticket sales. I have a well known outdoor furniture store as a client that was interested and I told them that if I bought $5000 worth of furniture and you wanted to charge me $200 bucks for paying with my AMEX. I'd be pissed.

Also, retailers are tired of paying for their customers free flights and hotel rooms from points based credit cards. Those cards have a higher cost to us and that gets passed on to the merchant.

Moonlady · 01-23-2019, 03:15 PM

Agree - the tax office only charges you what they have to pay. I actually paid the fee once both to get rewards points and to take advantage of a 0% interest period. A written check is the cheapest option, the e-check the second if you don’t want to pay a cc fee.

riaelise · 01-23-2019, 03:16 PM

For those types of transactions, just pay by check.

Trainwreck20 · 01-23-2019, 03:28 PM

HEB doesn't do it for free, they just pass the cost along in the price of the goods...even if you DON'T use a CC.

10scoachrick · 01-23-2019, 03:29 PM

Heck, I'd happily pay a 100% fee if my property taxes were only $1600

in cash!

Ivory Lee Spurlock · 01-23-2019, 04:45 PM

Why doesn't the City of Austin get the same kind of deal from the banks that these businesses get that they are able to accept a debit/card with no fee or a minimal fee to the customer?

Push a couple of buttons and the money goes from one account to another account without ever touching human hands. It makes more sense to charge a fee for writing a check because it has to be checked and verified with human hands and eyes.