We received responses from nearly 50% of all local governments of varying populations from across the province. Most variation in the responses can be attributed to volume of transactions, i.e., more transactions increased the incidence of receiving an NSF cheque. Charging for NSF transactions is the norm, however just under 10% reported not charging any fee at all.
The amount local governments charge for an NSF cheque is fairly consistent.
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Mean
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$25.09
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Median
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$25.00
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Mean (“$0.00” responses removed)
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$27.00
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Highest fee reported
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$45.00
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Standard deviation
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$9.90
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Credit Cards…Did you know?
The survey found that 13% of reporting local governments accept credit cards as a form of payment for property taxes. The local governments reporting this payment method range in size from 280 to 250,000. These communities cover the processing fees with a convenience fee of around 1.75%.
Online Services
Most local governments offer online payment options for a variety of services. 83% of respondents report provision of an online payment portal for some or all services.
Thank you to all who participated in this questionnaire. The online Forum is a great place to continue the conversation.
If you have a topic for a future quarterly question please contact the office at office@gfoabc.ca or 250-382-6871.