Independence reimposing credit card fees By Mike Genet mike.genet@examiner.net Independence utility ratepayers will again be charged a fee if they pay their bill using a credit or debit card. The City Council voted Monday to stop waiving the $4.95 credit card convenience fee for utility bill payments. The change is effective June 1. The credit card fees have been waived since April 1, 2020 – shortly after the pandemic started – as a way to help citizens cope with the sudden costs or loss of income. The city started implementing the fee in 2019, and at the time city staff said about 40 percent of utility customers paid via credit card or eCheck. The $4.95 fee covered what the city’s credit card processing vendor charged, as the city cannot make money on processing.