Lisa Roos recently checked out a few local vendors capable of handling credit card payments for customers looking to pay their City of Ripon utilities.

But she discovered a hitch. “None could provide service that would integrate with our software,” said the Ripon City Clerk at last week’s City Council meeting.

The local providers are merchants and the company that accepts the credit card from customers. Roos said the City, in order for this to work, would have to build a website that has a shopping cart so that the merchant could integrate and connect services to that shopping cart.

She noted that the best option for the City was hiring Billing Document Specialists as the facilitators and Point & Pay to handle the credit card processing of utility payments.

Council agreed, voting unanimously to go with Roos’ recommendation.

“(Roos) did a thorough job in her research, and the local vendors appreciated being considered,” Councilman Dean Uecker said.

Cost to the City is a one-time fee of $3,450, a monthly fee of $110, and an automated bank bill check of 10 cent each.

As for customers opting to pay their utility bills via credit card, they would be charged 3 percent of the payment or $2, whichever is greater.

Roos had suggested BDS and Point & Pay at the previous Council meeting. But Uecker asked to look at what local vendors had to offer.

“I knew a few could provide service but they could not provide ample service,” he said.