Photo: Pixabay
By Zendelle Bouchard
Sanford and Springvale residents will soon have a new option for paying transfer station fees. Beginning in April, the Department of Public Works will have card readers available to take electronic payments in addition to the cash and checks that are already accepted.
Public Works Director Matt Hill told the City Council on Jan. 6 that the move to electronic payments was prompted by a problem with one of the transfer station’s cash registers, when it was discovered that they are no longer being sold and cannot be replaced. The company servicing them is under new ownership and their technician has retired.
Hill said most customers prefer to pay electronically while others try to haggle over cash, a practice prohibited by transfer station policies. He expects revenues to increase due to the formalization of prices when the new system is implemented.
There will be a fee of 2.65% for paying by card, with a minimum charge of $1. While private entities are prohibited from charging card use fees, it is legal for municipal governments to do so.
Over the next few months, the necessary equipment will be purchased, set up and tested, and all employees will be trained on the electronic payments system before it is ready to roll out.
The post Put It On Plastic: Electronic Payments Coming to Transfer Station appeared first on Sanford Springvale News.
