Updated 04/02/2024

Governments today have numerous options available to collect payments, from cash to checks to credit cards. The sweet spot is in finding the balance between increasing your customers’ payment options while decreasing your costs. Certified Payments can help by introducing you to our service fee model. 

Our model works via per payment transaction fees, which are paid for by the bill paying customer. This structure allows us to provide payment enablement and related services at zero cost to your bureau.

When using service fees, here are three facts to keep in mind:

Service fees have rules. 

For consistency and security, credit card associations have rules in place for charging service fees. For example, the fee must be communicated to the payer before the payment is made. Since the regulations vary between associations, working with a payment processor that is fully knowledgeable and compliant with these requirements, like Certified Payments, will protect your organization from accidental violations.

Service fees save time and money. 

They help government entities serve more citizens while also saving substantially on transaction processing costs. The fees are passed on to the bill paying customer, at zero cost to your organization.

Service fees are fixed. 

The fees are typically charged based on a percentage rate and a dollar minimum agreed upon by the government entity and their payment processor, regardless of the value of the transaction. For example, if the service fee is set at 2.50% with a $1 minimum, the fee charged to a $100 transaction would be $2.50.

Using the service fee model, Certified Payments has helped more than 4,000 government entities nationwide, reducing their transaction processing expenses while serving populations of increasing size and complexity.

If your organization is looking to optimize its payments, reduce costs and provide better service, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Certified Payments representatives today!