The Town of Clayton will not force residents who don’t use credit cards to share the fees of those who do. Each time a customer pays a utility bill online to the Town of Clayton, a $3.95 processing fee is charged by a vendor. The town doesn’t receive any of the processors fee.
Town Manager Steve Biggs recently recommended dropping the $3.95 fee for each transaction and roll the cost into the base water, sewer and electric bills. It would add 33 cents to the base rates for every customer. The new fee would generate about $80,000 a year, which would offset the $3.95 credit card processing fee.
Biggs’ idea behind the proposal was to encourage more people to pay their utility bills online with a debit or credit card, which in turn would mean fewer bounced checks.
However, members of the Clayton Town Council felt it would be unfair to make residents who pay by check to share the costs of those who prefer the convenience of a credit card. The board agreed to keep the policy unchanged.
