Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Payments Processing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Park staff recommends keeping current credit-card arrangement for concessions; board agrees to study alternatives
Summary
Parks staff advised the board to delay switching credit-card processors for concession stands this season because the current arrangement carries significant fixed monthly fees but staff will explore lower-transaction-cost options for next year; the board directed staff to revisit the issue after the season.
Parks staff recommended at the April 22 meeting that the board continue the existing credit-card processing arrangement for concession stands for the 2025 season and revisit potential changes in the fall.
Staff outlined the current costs and a proposed alternative. Under the current arrangement (CivicRec/Forte), the city pays roughly $100 per month for the processor integration, and board members said the existing card terminals on hand were purchased earlier (three readers at about $155 each). Staff reported that some transactions under the current arrangement carry a minimum fee that can be high for small purchases (staff cited a $1.95 minimum on small transactions under the current structure). An alternative processing arrangement discussed would eliminate the $100-per-month CivicRec processor fee and charge lower per-transaction minimums (approximately $0.30 minimum plus a percentage for card transactions), but it would require buying new readers and carrying an upfront equipment cost.
Board members expressed concerns about the cost impact to customers on small purchases (for example, paying $1.95 on a small concession purchase) and about shrinkage at concession stands. Staff said operational changes and simplified menus (reducing offered items from ~200 to ~20) and standard operating procedures for concession staff should reduce loss and help measure any future processing change. The board asked staff to collect more data through the season and to return with a proposal in October, after the season, comparing total costs (equipment, monthly fees, transaction fees) and customer impact.
There was no final change of vendors or processors at the meeting; the board agreed to continue with cash and the current structure for 2025 while staff monitors sales and reports back in October.
