Electronic Payments On the Rise at the Kansas Payment Center

The goal of any child support office is reliable support for families. An easy way to reach this goal these days – electronic payments. The Federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) recently released data showing that the Kansas Payment Center (KPC) received 78% of its payments electronically in federal fiscal year 2022. This accomplishment is even more impressive because the State of Kansas does not currently have legislation requiring employers to remit child support payments electronically.

“The employees at the KPC are responsible for this achievement,” said Patricia O’Donnell, Vice President of Payment Processing at YoungWilliams, who oversees the KPC. “They are constantly doing outreach to employers and payors to encourage them to switch to an electronic form of payment. They do everything possible to help make the transition easy.”

The KPC processes more than $360 million dollars in payments every year, both paper and electronic transactions. The electronic payments are processed with little to no trouble.

“Our standard is to post a payment to the case on the day it is received,” said O’Donnell. “Electronic payments make it easier to meet the standard. Paper checks are often missing key identifying information needed to apply the payment. It takes additional research to fill in the blanks.”

The KPC offers a wide variety of options for payors to make electronic payments. Employers and banks can use automated clearing house (ACH) transfers. The KPC website accepts credit card and e-check payments. The website can be accessed on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Payors can use MoneyGram or PayPal. Later this summer, the KPC will be able to accept payments from Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo.

These options all contain safeguards, which isn’t the only advantage. “Electronic payments can be made 24/7,” said O’Donnell. “We want people to find the option that works best and is most convenient for them.”

For more information on the KPC and payment options, visit its’ website, Kansas Payment Center.