Nebraskans who pay child support can now make their payments by cash, check, credit card, or debit card at two new self-serve payment kiosks in Lincoln and Omaha, State Treasurer Don Stenberg said today.
The U.S. Bank E-payment Service Kiosks are located in the lobby of the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center, a division of the State Treasurer’s Office, at 233 S. 10th St., in Lincoln and in the entryway of the Douglas County Clerk of the District Court on the third floor of the Hall of Justice, 1701 Farnam St., in Omaha. The kiosks are available during regular weekday business hours at each location.
“The self-serve payment kiosks introduce yet another convenient way for non-custodial parents to make child support payments and to stay current with their child support obligation,” Stenberg said. “The kiosks make it possible to pay support quickly in a secure setting during regular business hours and are another example of our ongoing effort to provide customer-focused services.”
More than 1,300 transactions have been processed at the two kiosks since early September when the Lincoln kiosk was put into service. The kiosk in Omaha was first used in early October. To date, child support totaling more than $470,000 has been paid at the two kiosks.
Stenberg said the kiosk at the Child Support Payment Center frees up employees who previously staffed a walk-up payment window. While cash and check payments can still be made at the window, many people seem to prefer to make their payments at the kiosk instead, he said.
The kiosk in Omaha provides the same convenience to people who live in the Omaha area, Stenberg said. A third kiosk is being considered in western Nebraska, but no location has been chosen.
People are able to complete a child support payment in one minute or less at the user-friendly kiosks; whereas, it takes from two to three minutes to make a payment at the walk-up window, and multiple payers at once extend that time even longer. On a busy day, as many as 160 people make payments in person, either at the window or at the kiosk, in Lincoln.
Payments made at the kiosks are converted to electronic payments that do not require manual processing by the Child Support Payment Center staff. Electronic payments reduce errors, speed up the processing time, and get money to families sooner.
Before the kiosks were installed, an estimated 8,300 payments by check, cash, or money order were received monthly and processed manually. The Child Support Payment Center expects to see that number drop significantly with the new kiosks in use. The total number of child support payments received monthly is about 125,000.
The Child Support Payment Center encourages people to pay child support electronically or through their employers. Eighty-five percent of child support payments in Nebraska are remitted by employers on behalf of their employees through income withholding practices.
Using the new kiosks, non-custodial parents will be able to make their payments in cash, check, credit card, or debit card. The kiosks accept VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit and debit cards. No fees are charged except for a 2.49 percent surcharge on credit card payments. The person making the payment will need to provide his or her ARP ID number.
The Child Support Payment Center’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Hours for the kiosk at the Douglas County Clerk of the District Court Office are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The kiosks will not be available on holidays when the respective offices are closed.
Child support payments made at the kiosks are processed through U.S. Bank. Software and hardware for the kiosks were designed and developed by CityBase.
The Nebraska Child Support Payment Center has been recognized nationally for its innovative and cost-effective systems and its use of electronic money transfer. Currently, 80 percent of all child support payments are received electronically, and 98 percent of all child support payments are distributed electronically, saving money in postage, paper, and processing.
For more information, users may contact the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center’s Customer Service team at 1-877-631-9973, Option 3, or visit childsupport.nebraska.gov.
