Photo by Seth Johnson
The city of Gainesville will start passing along transaction fees of 2.45%, with a minimum of $1, to customers who pay online by debit or credit card when making certain payments, beginning on Aug. 1.
According to a press release, the city will start assessing the online transaction fees when payments are made on the following items:
- Building and planning permits
- Business taxes
- Domestic partnership registrations
- Gainesville Police Department background checks
- Parking tickets
- Public records charges
- Regional Transit System (RTS) mobile bus passes, including Gator Aider
- Special event permits
- Towing company and vehicle-for-hire franchise fees
- Trespass towing contract fees
Starting on Oct. 1, the credit and debit card transaction fee will also apply on payments made in person at city government offices.
Payments that are exempt from processing fees include:
- Online payments by electronic check (using bank routing and account numbers)
- Payments by physical check
- Cash payments where accepted
- Ironwood Golf Course charges and fees
- Parking fees via the PassportParking® app, the Passport website or any downtown pay station
- Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department charges
They don’t call them “convenience” fees for nothing. Convenient for you, but also convenient for GRU or anybody who wants to charge you a few extra dolla dolla bills to pay online instead of via cash or check.
The fees pay the credit card companies. Every time you use a card anywhere else, you are also paying the fee, but it’s included in the overall price and spread over everyone. The city’s approach targets the fee to the individual using the card. This is a fiscally conservative approach that incentivizes people to use fee-free methods and doesn’t make people pay for things they don’t use.
I really don’t GAF. Alachua is already charging the maximum amount of taxes they can, and GRU is already ripping of their customers. GOVERNMENT IS NOT FOR-PROFIT.
With Relish 🌭
I thought cash was bad, mmmkay? What about the germs, mmmkay? You scribes and pharisees are so ignorant and gross. Electronic payments are “convenient” for everyone involved, therefore, convenience fees should not exist. I’m going to pay my next big bill in coins because there’s no convenience fee, LOL
The worldwide goal is a cashless Society. The final result is to everybody having a chip in your hand or forehead. They will be able to access all your records from Bank, Health and Criminal etc, etc just by waving your hand over the scanner. They can get money directly from your account for fines and payments of any kind. It will also cut down on Hold ups, being mugged, or robbing stores.
And if you read the Bible, Daniel in fact, you’ll find that he had this very vision of the end times. That no one will be able to buy food without the number. That number being on your hand or forehead. DON’T TAKE THE NUMBER!
OMG City Hall Has The Personality Of A “Wet” Mop. Lol