FAQ

A: You can make a payment for property taxes, utilities, courts and vehicle registration by visiting our website at www.certifiedpayments.net. You may also call 1-866-549-1010 to make a payment over the telephone.

Each Government Agency is issued a Bureau Code for each department that accepts payments through Certified Payments. You must obtain the Bureau Code from the Government Agency, prior to payment, to use this service. Our website will guide you through the payment process. All bold fields are required to complete your payment.

A: The Government Agency you are paying must be registered with Certified Payments in order for a customer/cardholder to make a payment.

Each Government Agency is issued a Bureau Code for each department that accepts payments through Certified Payments. You must obtain the Bureau Code from the Government Agency, prior to payment, to use this service.

A: Due to privacy concerns, we do not provide a full list of Government Agencies that are registered with Certified Payments

A: Yes. A service fee applies to every transaction; however, the amount of the fee may vary by payment type. Once the payment amount has been entered, the service fee amount will be calculated and displayed. You will have the option to continue or discontinue your payment at that time.

The service fee is non-negotiable and will appear on your credit card or bank statement as a separate line item from your payment amount to the Government Agency.

A description of the fee will include an abbreviation of the Government Agency in addition to an abbreviation of the service fee. The Government Agency does not receive any part of this fee.

A: If a valid email address was provided and the payment was processed successfully, an electronic confirmation is sent immediately. You may also call Certified Payments and speak with a customer service representative. Customer service is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST 1-866-539-2020.
 
On the payment site (certifiedpayments.net) you can now search your payment using the Review Payment History tab. By clicking the tab you can search by name and the last 5 digits of the card or bank account number .

A: Yes. Your payment is processed immediately and you will receive a Payment ID when the transaction is complete. You will also have the option of an electronic confirmation via email as proof that your payment has been made, if a valid email address is provided. Upon completion of your payment, a receipt page is displayed with your Payment ID. The receipt page may be printed and kept with your records.

A: No. The purpose of the Payment ID is to provide proof to you that your payment has been processed.

A: For all payment types, you do not need to mail in a payment voucher to the Government Agency. Once your payment is completed, you may print the receipt page that displays your Payment ID and keep it with your records.

Certified Payments provides the Government Agency with the information needed to post your payment.

A: The payment date will be equal to the date your transaction is approved and completed. Certified Payments suggests that you make your payment at least 3 days in advance of the due date. The Government Agency may not credit your account until the funds are deposited into their bank account. This process may take up to 72 hours.

A: No. We do not send your credit card number to the Government Agency. We store all information on our secure servers and the Government Agency only has access to the payment types, not the numbers.

A: You may make a full or partial payment through this service, if allowed by the Government Agency. However, you will still need to pay the remaining balance by the payment due date to avoid penalties and/or interest.

Courts and Property Tax offices generally do not allow partial payments. You must read your citation, warrant or tax statement to determine if the Government Agency will accept a partial payment.

A: Yes. To use 2 different credit cards you must make 2 separate transactions. You will also incur 2 separate convenience fees.

A: There are several advantages to paying with your credit card.

1. The convenience of going online and making your payment without writing a check and mailing your payment.

2. Your credit card may provide revolving credit.

3. You may potentially gain valuable points or miles from your card issuer.

A: Refunds, Credits, and Voids must be approved by the Government Agency to which the payment has been made. Once permission has been granted by the Government Agency, Certified Payments will refund any monies due that were paid to the Government Agency.

A: Certified Payments accepts payments on behalf of Government Agencies. Most Government Agencies accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. American Express is offered and optional to each Government Agency. Accepted card types will be displayed when making a payment.

A: If your payment is declined, you should contact your card issuer or banking institution for further assistance.

A: You should contact the Government Agency first and ask what amount was due and what was charged. If a refund is due, the Government Agency will contact Certified Payments and credit will be issued.

If you believe your card number was used fraudulently, you should contact your card issuer for assistance.

A: Certified Payments uses 128-bit SSL encryption throughout the entire website and for payments that are made via the telephone. Certified Payments is a Verisign Secure Site.