A reader shares this:
From the City’s site:
The fee on credit card payments will be 2.5%. eChecks will incur a 2.50 transaction fee for each transaction
I also haven’t found a way to combine the tax bills into one payment like I can do in person. For me, that means paying four separate bills (car, motorcycle, scooter, utility trailer) at a 2.5% premium with a credit card or a $10.00 premium with an eCheck. If the four bills could be combined into one transaction, it would only cost me an extra $2.50 to avoid city hall altogether. As it is, I’m not very impressed.
Paying by card in person also comes with a surcharge: “The City of Hartford does accept Master Card ONLY at the Tax Office Window. For those taxpayers who choose to pay with Master Card there is a 2.50% convenience fee charged. This fee does not go to the City but to the bank for the transaction processing costs.”
Writing a check and dropping it off is always an option if a receipt is not required.
Frank Lord
The US Postal Service and personal checks have worked fine for me for over 35 years.
Hakaan Loob
Almost all colleges (including a few local colleges that I am aware of) charge a similiar surcharge for using a credit card. The rational is the same, to cover the bank costs, but it is also possible this is a violation of law if challenged. This is why gas stations offer “discounts” for cash and don’t charge “surcharges” for using cards.