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Sandown Rec Commission reviews payment vendors, director to research alternatives to Clover Connect
Summary
The Recreation Commission discussed switching its Rec Desk payment processor, noting Clover Connect charges a 3% convenience fee and that alternatives (including ACH/bank-pay options) could lower costs; the director will investigate systems that integrate with Rec Desk.
The Sandown Recreation Commission on April 1 heard from its director about problems with the commission's current online payment vendor and asked staff to explore alternatives that integrate with the town's Rec Desk system. "The 3rd party system we use right now is called Clover Connect," the Director said, adding that Clover charges a 3% convenience fee that the commission does not retain.
The Director told members that a Rec Desk payments option she reviewed would charge about 3.1% in convenience fees, while an ACH/bank-pay option could be closer to 1%. She also said switching platforms could add a subscription charge of roughly $50 per month and that the payment hardware can be rented for about $35 per month; a one-time purchase option for a reader was mentioned in the transcript but the amount was unclear.
Chair and other members raised cost concerns and questioned whether a separate phone/tablet payment path would still feed transactions into Rec Desk. "It has to integrate with Rec Desk; that's the issue," the Director said, noting that stand-alone services such as Square could force staff to process payments manually, undermining the commission's current workflow.
The Director said she will contact the town tax collector to learn what the town uses and will investigate additional vendors that can integrate with Rec Desk. No formal motion to change vendors was recorded; members directed staff to continue researching options and report back.
