You have a lot of bills and you set aside money in case you need to pay a deposit without being exactly on your to-do list. Rest peacefully because you don’t have to pay the deposit in cash. Can you pay bond with a credit card?
Credit cards accepted in some places
Credit cards allow many of us to get things when we need them and pay back the price over time. Fortunately, it is also possible to pull out a credit card to get out of prison. According to CreditCards.com, an increasing number of jurisdictions in the United States are allowing defendants to pay a deposit using a credit card.
In many areas, you can swipe the card in prison to pay the total amount of the deposit and often an additional fee. Other counties allow you to issue a bond by credit card if you go through a private company cooperating with the court to process credit card payments.
Private companies handle bail transactions
In other prisons, the accused have credit card transactions handled remotely by a company that processes bail releases by choosing a call center. One such company, Government Payment EXP, works with over 1,100 agencies, including states, counties, and municipalities. It works like an merchant would do by contacting card issuers to check if credit was available and informing cardholders whether their credit cards had been declined.
Jeff Katz, director of marketing and company strategy, deals with withdrawals via credit or debit cards in over 30 states. Once the payment is approved, the company sends an electronic notification to the jurisdiction. Credit or debit card transactions are treated as if they were paid in cash. “After sending the payment, we disappear from the image,” says Katz. He says they must go back to the image if the cardholder later disputes the bail payment.
The deposit is transferred online
The Westchester Department, which allowed detainees to send bail by credit card for at least five years, added in 2011. The ability to use a credit card to send bail online. The multi-functional kiosk allows the prisoner – friend or relative – to bail. Friends and relatives can also pay by computer. These were not typical options in 2007.
While market research companies did not analyze the increase in credit card bail payments, sheriffs, arrest administrators, and service providers say they have increased. The short answer is yes, the use of the card on bail increases.
However, as with any evolving new technology service, national prisons and detention centers do not have a standardized approach to using credit cards. Neither the size of the facility nor the age determine whether it offers credit card support at all.
