Ryan Ostry
Bugle Reporter
@RyanOstry_BR18
rostry@buglenewspapers.com
Currently, there is an estimated 1.27 billion credit and debit cards in use.
Americans configure roughly 183 million people who do have credit cards.
Now, Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry’s office has begun accepting credit card or debit card payments from visitors who purchase copies of birth, marriage, or death certificates.
“It was very important to have this convenience for our customers,” Staley-Ferry said. “Since I’ve been in office, I’ve realized we have only taken cash and check and most people that I know don’t even carry those two things any longer.”
Staley-Ferry had promised to modernize operations in the interest of convenience for local taxpayers before she took office in December.
One of her first steps after the Consolidated Election was to open discussions with GovPayNet, an Indianapolis-based company that is a leader in accepting credit and debit card payments on behalf of government agencies.
Previously having to deny customers because they did not accept credit or debit cards, too go along with having a $4 service fee for the ATM, Staley-Ferry is excited about the change that has taken place.
“What’s most important is the convenience for all of our customers here,” Staley-Ferry said. “The people at the front desk and I are very excited for the change.”
After finalizing an agreement with GovPayNet and organizing the training of her staff, the County Clerk began accepting credit and debit card payments on two weeks ago.
The first visitor to use a credit card Friday morning was Ashley Granlund, who came to the Clerk’s Office to pick up copies of her marriage certificate.
“The feedback has been great every since we started,” Staley-Ferry said. “We have around 30 credit card transactions a day which is a lot, and the reaction has just been very positive.”
Though credit and debit cards are now accepted, it still comes with a tiny price.
Cardholders pay a small service fee at the time of their transaction, which is $1.50 for payments of up to $50, and it increases as the purchase amount rises.
The fee schedule is clearly posted at every customer station, and there are no charges to the County Clerk’s Office for participation in the GovPayNet service.
GovPayNet accepts Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express® and Discover®, and GovPayNet also has a fully staffed, bilingual call center available around the clock for customers convenience.
With more than one million cardholders annually make payments to more than 2,000 agencies in more than 40 states through GovPayNet, the company processes nearly $200 million annually in payments to government agencies.
“It’s a great vendor,” Staley-Ferry said. “We are certainly seeing more traffic in our office and we hope to continue that pattern down the line.”