In Cherry Hill, paying taxes or sewer bills previously required a trip to town hall or a drive to the post office.
Thanks to a new program, residents now can make these payments from the comfort of their own home.
On Feb. 3, the township launched its online payment form for residents to pay their taxes and sewer bills online. The system was launched in time for first quarter tax payments.
“We just wanted to make it easier for our residents to pay their taxes or sewer bills from home,” Director of Communications Bridget Palmer said.
The goal of the program is to increase accessibility for residents and is part of Mayor Chuck Cahn’s goal of an easier to manage and more automated system.
The online payment system is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents can find the link on the township’s website to a tax information form. They then have to fill in their name, address and other information. Taxpayers will need to fill in their block, lot and qualifier or their tax account ID. Sewer bill payers need their sewer account ID.
Palmer said online payments will include a fee depending on which method of payment is used.
“There’s a 2.39 percent fee for anyone who pays with a credit or debit card,” she said. “If you pay with an e-check, it’s a 99-cent fee.”
Palmer said the fees do not go to the township; instead they are assessed directly by the company processing the transactions.
While there is not a processing fee for paying at the tax collector’s office, the new method opens up more avenues for residents, as they will be able to pay by credit or debit card now.
Previously, residents had to either mail a check to the tax collector’s office or pay their bill in person at the office during business hours. Transaction fees prevent the township from allowing debit or credit card payments at the tax collector’s office.
“We don’t accept credit or debit at the tax window,” Palmer said. “The township would absorb that 2.9 percent fee. So it’s an effort to mitigate those fees.”
Online payments are being processed by FIS. Palmer said outside of the convenience fees charged to bill payers, there is no out-of-pocket cost against the township.
The new system will also increase the speed in which payments are processed. All online payments should be applied by the next business day. The township still advises residents to pay their bills well in advance of the due date in case the system or the website goes down.
Palmer said residents have responded well to the change, with 141 residents paying online in just the first couple of weeks. Township officials are hoping to engage even more residents with this payment method as the year continues.
For more information on online payments, visit the tax collector’s page on the township’s website.
