JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JEA has pulled the plug on a card service fee subsidy for customers that Action News Jax Ben Becker has learned cost the utility – and rate payers - $9 million.
On Thursday, the utility announced the return of the vendor service fee for debit and credit payments made on its website or on the phone, starting Sept. 30.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
JEA waived the service fee starting in October 2022 to assist customers who were having trouble paying their bills during COVID.
The $9 million in costs incurred by the utility, is spread across all JEA ratepayers and not just the ones who choose to pay by card.
JEA says there have been nearly 4.5 million customer transactions through July 2024.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The following are the new service fees:
- For a total payment of up to $400, the fee is $2.35
- For a total payment of $400.01-$1,000, the fee is $8.95
- For a total payment of $1,000.01-$10,000, the fee is $150.00
The utility says this fee is a pass-through cost charged by its payment processing vendor. Payments made by cash, check, or using a bank account will remain fee-free.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.