CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS

Jim Hamlin

Dallas County District Clerk

Mary Cannon, Special Assistant

EVER HEAR THIS?

“CRIMINALS DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY; THEREFORE, THEY CANNOT PAY”

This statement is absolutely NOT TRUE!

After 5 years and $17.46m in collections,

they DO and they CAN!

You have to create the expectation level that costs and fines MUST be paid.

Brief Overview of Felony Collections

• Divided into Three Systems– System 1: In person interviews straight from Court– System 2: Probationers within six months of

completing probation– System 3: Jail billing for State and County Jail

Sentences• Staffed by 6 County Employees: 1 Collections

Coordinator, 3 Interviewers, 2 Clerical Support.• 100% Collection rate is not the goal. Increasing revenue

and bringing in new money is the goal.

How payments are received

• Payment in person to the Cashier

• Mailed in to the office

• Drop Box at the Courthouse– Approximately 30 to 50 payments are dropped

over a weekend period

• CREDIT CARDS– In person– INTERNET

Drop Box at the Courthouse

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS TO ACCEPT

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

• Need a contract with a bank and/or Credit Card vendor

• Need a website or a contractor to host a website (for internet payments)

AVERAGE MONTHLY COLLECTIONS

• Average monthly collections for all payment methods is $425,000

• Average monthly CREDIT CARD collections is $39,115

• Credit Card collections account for just under 10% of monthly collections

AMOUNT COLLECTEDVIA CREDIT CARD PER MONTH

$5,922

$7,818

$15,907

$18,655$17,544

$21,018

$11,709

$26,490$25,726

$22,897

$35,499

$15,139

$38,331

$39,744

$33,827$35,022

$42,192$41,979

$31,037

$49,843

$27,724

$51,466

$44,098

$35,107

$40,072$41,121

$35,017

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000

$60,000

Dec-01

Jan-02

Feb-02

Mar-02

Apr-02

May-02

Jun-02

Jul-02

Aug-02

Sep-02

Oct-02

Nov-02

Dec-02

Jan-03

Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03

Jan-04

Feb-04

NUMBER OF CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS MADE PER MONTH

19

34

60

82 81

105

76

145 145

131

176

110

186

208

156

204

217 221

205

260

169

290

258

232

248

233

199

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Dec-01

Jan-02

Feb-02

Mar-02

Apr-02

May-02

Jun-02

Jul-02

Aug-02

Sep-02

Oct-

02

Nov-02

Dec-02

Jan-03

Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-

03

Nov-03

Dec-03

Jan-04

Feb-04

Month/Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Pa

ym

en

ts

AVERAGE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT

$312

$230

$265

$228

$217

$200

$154

$183$177 $175

$202

$138

$206

$191

$217

$172

$194$190

$151

$192

$164

$177$171

$151

$162

$176 $176

$0.00

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

$300.00

$350.00

Dec-01

Jan-02

Feb-02

Mar-02

Apr-02

May-02

Jun-02

Jul-02

Aug-02

Sep-02

Oct-02

Nov-02

Dec-02

Jan-03

Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03

Jan-04

Feb-04

BENEFITS OF CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE

EASE OF PAYMENT– Clients do not have to come downtown to make a

payment. Payments can be made from home, the library or anywhere internet access is available.

– Able to make payments ON TIME.– Able to make FULL PAYMENT.

• VERY FEW CASES OF FRAUD– We have experienced only 2 cases of fraud in over

4,450 transactions.

DISADVANTAGES OFCREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS

• Bank charge to County of between 2-3%

• Per transaction charge for Client– Dallas County went from 3% of payment

made to $5.00 per internet payment. Clients paying OTC (over the counter) do not have to pay the transaction fee.

• Fraud/Credit Card Misuse– In the case fraud is discovered, we notify their

Probation Officer of the situation.

To view this presentation online, please go to our website located at:

http://www.dallascounty.org/html/citizen-serv/district-clerk/

guidelines.html