Countywide : Credit Card Use OKd for Property Taxes

Residents will be able to pull out the plastic when it comes time to pay the tax collector later this year.

The county Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to accept Discover credit cards for payment of property taxes.

There are about 394,000 Discover cardholders in Orange County, representing more than half of the county’s 764,000 households, according to a county report.

Officials hope the new policy will be a convenience for taxpayers and help them pay bills promptly.

But some supervisors expressed reservations about approving a program that could cause people to incur credit card debt.

“I don’t like to see this trend, everyone using plastic,” said Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, adding that he hopes the new service is not heavily used.

Stanton and the rest of the board approved the plan, however, saying it would benefit county government.

Taxpayers who use the credit card service will have to pay transaction fees that range from $1 to $5, depending on the size of each tax bill. The fees will go to the credit card company.

The Orange County system will go in effect on Nov. 1. Property taxes are due Dec. 12. For more information on the service, call (714) 834-5701.