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At last! Now you can swipe for licence renewals in the Cape

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has rolled out the use of card payment facilities at its motor vehicle registration office in Cape Town. At last!

Ever stood in a never-ending queue at the vehicle registration office, only to get to the front and and realise you only brought your bank card, and forgetting it's 'cash only' payments?

Easing congestion

The City of Cape Town claims it has started piloting the use of card payment facilities at its motor vehicle registration office in the Cape Town Civic Centre.

According to the City, the first day pilot (Monday June 27) saw more than 100 credit and debit card transactions processed. The City hopes to roll out this service to other City customer centres across the metro.

READ: SA car licence renewal confusion - 5 questions answered

The city-wide roll out to motor vehicle registration offices is expected to take approximately two months. The expansion of card payment facilities for the payment of rates and tariff accounts, building plan and land use applications and traffic fines will take a bit longer as system upgrades are required, says the City.

The City’s executive deputy mayor, Alderman Ian Neilson, said: "Payments of up to R5 000 per transaction by credit or debit card, or any other means of payment which does not hold any cost implications for the client, will be accepted. This amount covers most transactions by our clients, be it for motor vehicle licences, rates and services bills, or other sundry payments. The City will, however, reclaim the relevant banking fee for any payment over R5 000.  
 
"Clients are thus encouraged to make electronic payments for large transactions with the City, as this will result in minimal bank reclaims of banking charges. Electronic (EFT) payments carry the lowest bank charges. Currently, more than 60% of payments to the City are via EFT payments.

READ: SA car licence renewal pain: Users respond 

Neilson said the first day of testing went well and 103 card transactions to a value of approximately R45 000 were processed.

He said: "The roll-out of credit and debit card payments at all of the City’s customer centres further enhances the City’s ongoing improvement in convenience to assist our clients to pay their municipal bills and minimises their need to handle cash. 
 
"The success of our online offerings, such as receiving municipal accounts by e-mail, the option of registering for the City’s e-services portal which allows for online payments of rates, tariff and motor vehicle licence payments for City clients, as well as the option of making payments at third-party sites such as supermarkets, is now complemented by the improved functionality at the City’s own customer centres."

READ: What's your biggest car-licence gripe? 35 000 users respond

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