Payments at motor vehicle registration offices generally have to be made in cash. But now the City of Cape Town has started piloting the use of card payment facilities.
Initially, this service will be available only at the motor vehicle registration office in the Cape Town Civic Centre. But the City said in a statement that it hopes to roll out the idea to other customer centres across the metro in the near future.
After a one-week trial at the Civic Centre, the service is scheduled to be rolled out next to the office in the Promenade Mall in Mitchells Plain, which will be followed by weekly roll-outs to offices in Milnerton, Khayelitsha, Plumstead and other centres across the metro.
According to the statement, the city-wide roll-out 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, however, take a bit longer as “system upgrades are required”.
The City says it will accept payments of up to R5 000 per transaction by credit or debit card, or “any other means of payment that does not hold any cost implications for the client”.
“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,” it said in the statement.
Interestingly, the City of Cape Town also allows motorists to renew their vehicle licences online.