WHY IS THERE A CONVENIENCE FEE AND WHY AM I PAYING FOR THIS? 
Official Payments charges a convenience fee for processing the payment transaction. The fee is not charged by or paid to the County of Northampton. The convenience fee is assessed to cover operating costs and the costs associated with servicing thousands of card transactions.
You will be informed of all charges and fees before you authorize the payment. You may calculate the exact fee online at https://www.officialpayments.com/pc_feec.jsp.
When a consumer uses the service, two line items will appear on their card bill. One is for the tax owed to the County of Northampton
and the other is for the convenience fee charged by Official Payments.
WHO IS OFFICIAL PAYMENTS?
Official Payments is the leading provider of electronic payment options for federal, state and local government agencies. Official Payments makes it possible for citizens to pay their government taxes, using their credit or debit cards, via the Internet (www.officialpayments.com) or the telephone (toll-free, 1-800-2PAY-TAX)
(800) 272-9829. Official Payments processes tax payments for the IRS, 26 state governments plus the District of Columbia , and more than 2,200 counties and municipalities across all 50 states.
HOW SAFE IS OFFICIAL PAYMENTS' SYSTEM?
The system has been tested and proven. The IRS and more than 2,200 state and local governments have chosen Official Payments as an electronic service provider for their constituents. The information gathered is private and will not be forwarded to anyone.
WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF USING
OFFICIAL PAYMENTS?
The service makes paying government taxes more convenient in many ways:
1. Faster payment via phone or Internet—no writing and mailing checks
2. Flexibility to pay credit card balances over time
3. Rewards for your government payments from card issuers that carry such programs
4. Comfort of knowing your payment has been made through a trusted, secure service provider, Official Payments, authorized by the IRS to collect government obligations since 1999.
WHAT CARDS DOES
OFFICIAL PAYMENTS ACCEPT?
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa cards are accepted, including credit and ATM pin-less debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo. However, not all cards are accepted for all payment types. The cards that are accepted will be identified when you make your payment.
WILL I RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF MY CARD PAYMENT?
Yes. You will be provided a confirmation number at the end of the payment transaction. This confirmation number and your card statement will provide confirmation of your card payment to the County of Northampton . If you pay over the Internet at
www.officialpayments.com, you will be issued an onscreen digital receipt, which can be printed as a transaction record. Additionally, if you provide your email address, you will receive an email verification of your online payment.
Please refer to your County of Northampton Real Estate tax bill instructions for applicable payment deadlines. To avoid the loss of discount or incurring a penalty, your payment must be posted on or before midnight (12:00 AM), on the Discount/Penalty dates indicated on the bill.
HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT MY PAYMENT WAS PROCESSED CORRECTLY?
You can verify your Internet payment online at
www.officialpayments.com/pc_paym.jsp if you have provided your e-mail address to us. You will need your confirmation number and the last 4 digits of your card. You may also call
(888) 357-8394. You will need your payment amount to process your telephone inquiry.
WHO DO I CALL IF MY PAYMENT DOESN'T APPEAR ON MY CARD STATEMENT?
Call Official Payments Customer Service toll-free at
(800) 487-4567. Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish and choose option 4.
WHY SHOULD I ELECT TO USE THIS SYSTEM?
In paying government taxes with a credit card, consumers gain control of the payment. Consumers can pay their tax over time, on their own schedule. Paying by credit card may provide consumers with use of their money for an additional 30 to 60 days, depending upon the credit card billing cycle.
Example: A small business owner has a total tax bill of $5,000. He has $1,000 in the bank on April 15, but expects $6,000 cash inflow on April 30. The small business owner can apply for a short-term loan of $5,000 and begin immediately paying interest, or he can call Official Payments at 1-800-2PAY-TAX
(800) 272-9829 or visit
www.officialpayments.com to pay by credit card and pay his bill 1-2 months later. For a nominal convenience fee, the owner was able to avoid the hassle of applying for and paying interest on a short-term loan, devoting more time to his business and earning card rewards.
HOW DO I EARN REWARD POINTS?
Depending on the nature of the card reward program, consumers can earn points, miles or money back for the payments they make. The value of the reward can exceed the cost of any convenience fee incurred. For specific information on your card’s reward program, contact your card issuer directly using the number listed on the back of your card.