Westmoreland to charge fee for paying criminal court costs via credit card

Criminal defendants who make restitution and court cost payments by credit card now have to pay for that service.

Westmoreland County commissioners this week authorized a 2.95% surcharge on all credit card transactions made in the county’s Clerk of Courts office. Until now, Westmoreland County taxpayers paid the credit card fees as part of a statewide program, which averaged about 1.7% per transaction, according to Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline.

Kline said the change could generate nearly $30,000 in savings to county taxpayers. His office processed nearly $1.6 million in credit card payments last year, he said.

“The culture has changed and we are becoming a cashless society, and the demand for these services has increased. The convenience fee for services like these are widely accepted by the consumers, more so today than in the past. I feel that these fees should not be a burden to the taxpayers and should be incurred by the defendants,” Kline said.

The office will continue to accept payments by cash and checks without additional fees, he said.

Other county court-related offices, including the prothonotary and register of wills accept credit card payments. Surcharges for their use are assessed to payers, officials said.