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Lincolnwood to waive card fees on donations after discussion of transaction charges
Summary
After staff detailed that the village absorbed about $140,000 in card-processing fees in 2024 and explained limitations across payment platforms, the board directed staff not to pursue the Visa utility-rate option and agreed staff should waive credit-card transaction fees for donations to village programs.
At its Feb. 3 meeting, the Lincolnwood Village Board discussed implementation of a new credit-card transaction fee intended to recover processing costs. Finance Director Elizabeth Hallock told the board that the village absorbed roughly $140,000 in card-processing fees in 2024 and that staff had worked with vendors to apply a fee set at the lesser of the authorized fee or 3% as a pass-through.
Hallock described operational limits across the village's payment systems: Springbrook (with CivicPay) supports one-time credit-card payments but treats certain autopay credit-card transactions differently and may not allow passing the fee for autopay; CivicRec (parks and recreation) initially could not distinguish between credit and debit cards so staff applied the fee consistently across card transactions and added an ACH option to avoid fees; Llama (community development) and other systems likewise could not reliably differentiate credit vs. debit for autopay. Hallock said Illinois ePay offerings are pending discussion with the state treasurer's office but will include an ACH eCheck option to avoid fees; she recommended waiving the fee for donations to village programs like the assisted family student achievers and Giving Tuesday.
Trustees discussed whether to apply for Visa's discounted utility program, which would prohibit passing fees to utility payments if the village accepted that rate. Board members raised equity and practical concerns about uneven treatment across payment methods and about customer experience for large permit and business-license fees. Mayor Patel and trustees agreed staff should not pursue the Visa utility-rate option and that the village should waive processing fees for donations. "We do not want to assess a fee on donations," Mayor Patel said.
Staff said they will implement the donation waiver where technically possible (e.g., via Illinois ePay) and continue to offer non-card alternatives such as checks and ACH for residents and businesses who prefer to avoid card fees. No final ordinance or resolution was adopted at the meeting; the item returned to staff for implementation and follow-up.
