BRAMPTON, ON (July 3, 2020) – At its meeting last week, Brampton City Council approved a new cashless payment process for property taxes and Building Division fees as part of its ongoing process enhancements and safety measures.
For safer financial transactions among residents, business-owners, and employees, effective January 1, 2021, the City will collect property taxes and Building Division fees through the following methods, as cash payments will no longer be accepted:
• Pre-authorized payments
• Online banking
• Phone banking
• In-person payments through personal banking branches
• In-person debit-card payments
• In-person credit-card payments (Building fees only)
At this time, to ensure accessibility to groups like youth and seniors, these changes will not apply to payment methods for other types of user fees, licences and charges. This includes payments for Recreation, POA court fees, Animal Services and Performing Arts.
In line with the Council’s priorities of being a Well-Run and Healthy and Safe City, cashless payments offer a modernized, convenient and safe way to complete transactions.
Background
• Receiving cash as a method of payment comes with a number of challenges such as the risk of theft and robbery, the risk of accepting counterfeit bills, and health concerns associated with the physical handling of currency.
• A very small percentage of property owners made payments using cash – with the majority of payments made in the form of pre-authorized tax payments (PTP), online banking, telephone banking, cheques or electronic fund transfer (EFT). A similar trend has also been observed with cash payments for the Building Division fees.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Natalie Stogdill
Senior Advisor, Public Relations, City of Brampton
905.874.3654 | natalie.stogdill@brampton.ca
