About 25 percent of children in Kansas are supported by non-custodial parents; more than 200,000 Kansas families rely on support payments to pay the bills. A new option for Internet-savvy parents will make payments more convenient.
Many parents have already signed up to make payments online through the Kansas Payment Center, said spokesperson Lori Hutchinson, who is traveling the state this month to get the word out about KPCpay.
Kansas Payment Center introduced an electronic system in 2008 to allow custodial parents to receive payment through a debit card. Paying parents have asked for online services, Hutchinson said.
Parents have three options: they can make payments from an existing bank account, with a Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit card or Visa or MasterCard debit card. There is no fee when using electronic checks. The credit or debit card methods carry a convenience fee of 2 to 6 percent of the amount being paid.
KPCpay benefits include:
• It is safe and secure.
• It’s faster and more convenient for paying parents.
• Payments can be scheduled up to 60 days in advance — a real advantage for military parents who are deployed, Hutchinson noted.
• It improves the timeliness of payments.
• It improves payment accuracy — the more steps that are taken out of a system, the more accurate it becomes, Hutchinson said.
• It eliminates the cost of paper and stamps, a benefit for the State of Kansas as well as parents.
• Payments never get lost or delayed in the mail.
• Paying parents receive online confirmation that the money has been received and an electronic statement of their account.
• It can be managed online 24/7.
In addition, businesses which withhold child support from payroll checks are encouraged to use KPCpay. Some states mandate that businesses remit payments electronically, Hutchinson said. Kansas does not at this time, but the option is available.
KPCpay is “great for the state, great for parents, and most importantly, is very beneficial for Kansas kids,” Hutchinson summarized.
