July 22, 2020
Today, City Council approved cashless payments at the Cashiers Desk, located on the ground floor of the Civic Centre. The Cashiers Desk is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions; however, cashless payments will take effect upon its reopening as a health and safety measure to protect residents and staff.
“The Cashiers Desk has seen a shift towards digital payment methods over cash. Cash transactions account for approximately 30 per cent of the transactions processed at Cashiers while it only accounts for two percent of the revenue,” said Gary Kent, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner, Corporate Services. “Removing cash payments does help to eliminate the risk of theft, counterfeit money transactions, tax evasion and money laundering.”
As a result of removing cash payments, the City will see the following benefits:
- Receiving and depositing payments faster
- Reducing theft and counterfeit transactions
- Eliminating the need for armoured car services
- Eliminating the need to balance cash, prepare cash deposits or exchange cash
- Promoting a healthier and safer work environment
“At the City, cash is mainly used to pay property taxes, despite there being other ways to pay taxes,” said Connie Mesih, Director of Revenue & Materiel Management. “We’re encouraging residents to make electronic payments as they provide additional levels of convenience, the ability to monitor payment activities and control risks.”
The majority of the revenue processed at the Cashiers Desk is for Development Charges and for Revenue such as property taxes, accounts receivable invoices or the Mississauga Accommodation Tax.
Mesih added, “We’re making our Cashiers Desk cashless to help reduce costs associated with offering cash as a payment method. By doing so, we’re eliminating the need for counting and processing cash, preparing bank deposits, ensuring we have correct change, security, and transporting cash to the bank.”
Residents, business owners and City employees may still make payments at the Cashiers Desk using the following methods:
- Cheque
- Debit
- Credit (excluding property taxes)
For property taxes, payments may also be made using:
- Online or mobile banking
- Telephone banking
- In-person cash payments at a financial institution
- Pre-authorized payments
- Post-dated cheques, mailed, dropped off in-person or in the after-hours drop box
For more information, visit web.mississauga.ca/services-and-programs/property-taxes/contact/.