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Bossier City Implements Credit Card Processing Fees

Bossier City skyline with digital payment symbols

News Summary

Bossier City has announced new credit card processing fees for online payments of property taxes, park fees, and water bills due to rising costs from credit card companies. This change follows the City Council’s unanimous decision on November 16, aimed at offsetting significant losses incurred from processing fees. Residents still have the option to avoid these fees by paying via check or money order. Local restaurants are also feeling the impact, with many introducing surcharges. The city is extending payment deadlines for property taxes to help ease financial burdens.

Bossier City Introduces Credit Card Processing Fees – What You Need to Know!

Hey there, Bossier City residents! Have you heard the latest buzz from the Mayor’s Office? On Thursday, they announced a new ordinance that will change the way many of us pay our bills. With the adoption of Ordinance 159, Bossier City will start charging fees for credit card processing when you pay your property taxes, park fees, or even your water bills online.

Understanding the New Fees

Now, before you start reaching for your wallets in panic, let me break this down for you. The City Council passed this ordinance unanimously on November 16 as a response to the rising costs being imposed by credit card processing companies. Believe it or not, in 2020 alone, these fees cost Bossier City nearly a quarter of a million dollars! That’s a hefty price tag for the city, and it’s clear they had to do something about it.

The fees introduced are what you might call a pass-through charge. This means that the city is not making any profit off these additional charges; they just want to cover their own costs. If you’re not a fan of these fees, there’s good news! You can always dodge them by opting to pay with a check or money order either through the mail or in person at designated locations. Simple enough, right?

Local Restaurants Feeling the Squeeze

But it’s not just the city that’s feeling the pressure from those pesky processing fees. Several local restaurants in Bossier are also implementing surcharges due to rising operational costs. Places like Waterfront Grill and Dawg House Sports Grill have jumped on the bandwagon, adding a 4% surcharge on card payments.

Waterfront Grill has cited that accommodating the increased costs of food, labor, and utilities has necessitated this change. They reported that credit card processing fees alone cost them around $53,000 last year. Dawg House Sports Grill has been charging a similar surcharge for over a year, for the same reasons.

Interestingly, over in West Monroe, Burger Grind encourages cash payments but hasn’t introduced a surcharge as of yet. This approach is starting to feel like a trend, where businesses highlight payment method costs just like the different pricing for utility payments or even at gas stations.

What About Property Taxes?

Now, let’s shift our focus to property taxes. The Bossier and Caddo Parish tax assessors have mentioned that reassessments could affect your property tax notices and payments. That could mean that some property owners might see increased tax amounts, and the changes might happen without needing a vote from residents during reassessment years. Yikes!

To help ease the financial burden, Bossier City is extending payment deadlines, allowing you extra time to settle your tax bills without incurring penalties. If you’re concerned about your bills this year, this extended deadline could be a real lifesaver, giving you a little breathing room.

Wrapping it Up

So, Bossier City folks, while new fees for credit card payments may be a bit of a shocker, there’s always a way to stick it to the man—or in this case, avoid the extra fees by using checks or money orders instead. And with the city extending deadlines for property taxes, it sounds like there’s a plan to keep everything running smoothly despite these changes. Just remember to keep an eye on those bills!