A St. Louis alderman wants to give the city's municipal court a way to cover the cost of processing credit card payments.
It is much more convenient to pay a fine on a credit card all at once, rather than dropping off a payment in person or going to court every week. But the convenience comes at a cost for the court, because credit card companies charge for each transaction.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd has introduced legislation that would authorize the municipal court to charge a fee of up to $4 to recoup some of the expenses.
"It’s no different than the collector of revenue's office," Boyd said. "They allow you to pay your taxes with your credit card, but there’s a fee. The license collector allows you to pay for your business license with a credit card, but there’s a fee."
His bill has been sent to the Ways and Means committee, and has yet to have a hearing.
Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann
