Casper Utility Bills Paid With Credit Cards Will Be Charged Service Fee Starting in January
The City of Casper has just announced that, beginning in January of 2023, they will be implementing service fees for utility bills paid with credit cards.
That's according to a news release on the City of Casper Facebook page, which stated that automatic bank withdrawals will not require a fee.
“We are encouraging all utility customers who currently pay bills with a credit card to sign up for automatic bank withdrawal payments,” explained Accounts Receivable Supervisor Brandy Coyle.
The release stated that the City of Casper budgeted for $120,000 for credit card fees for 2023, based on previous years' expenses.
On October 18, the Casper City Council approved a resolution that would authorize a new service fee model, requiring credit card users to pay the usage fees issued by the actual credit card companies.
K2 Radio News previously reported that the city has been paying an extra 1.3% for credit card processing, and that fee will now be charged to consumers. The fee will increase to a 2.95% fee on any transaction that users pay for using a credit or a debit card.
“To break down the math, if your bill is $68 or less, you’ll be paying a $2 fee,” Coyle said. “If your bill exceeds that amount, you’ll be paying 2.95% of the total amount, and the fee increases as your bill increases.”
As of now, this fee increase only applies to utility bills, such as water and sewer payments. But there are plans to consider applying the same fee to payments made to recreational facilities (like the aquatic center or the ice arena) and payments made to the city court and the police department.
Coyle stated that less than 20% of City utility customers currently pay their bills with credit cards.
To sign up for free, automatic bank withdrawal payments, users can visit this website.