Chicago City Wire

Chicago has tripled the number of its EZ Pay Station kiosks, provided as part of an agreement between the  city and CityBase, a provider of government and utility payment technology, according to a Sept. 8 press release. Kiosk locations include City Hall and City Clerk's offices, libraries, police stations, family services and community centers.

The more than 70 self-service payment kiosks in neighborhoods across Greater Chicago will increase in-person bill payment options for city residents.

CityBase founder and CEO Mike Duffy | linkedin.com/in/mikeduffy1/

"The City of Chicago and CityBase have long shared the priority of improving access to public services for every single resident, no matter where they live in the city," CityBase founder and CEO Mike Duffy said. "By dramatically increasing self-service options for people who pay in person, the city is making it more convenient for people to pay for obligations like monthly water bills in their own neighborhoods, during a time that works for them."

That convenience is especially important during the current and still on-going pandemic, City of Chicago Comptroller Reshma Soni said in the news release.

"Now more than ever, it’s important that everyone has easy-to-use, self-service payment options in their own neighborhoods," Soni said. "Customers who want or need to pay in person can do so in locations near their homes."

The kiosks ensure all city residents have equal access to stay current on their important bills, Soni said.

"The CityBase kiosks provide our customers with real-time information about their balance, helping them to avoid fees and penalties," she said. "The payment technology makes it easy for people to pay multiple city bills on a single kiosk machine, with automated reconciliation to the right department, which helps our staff."

The city began working with CityBase, which maintains its headquarters in Chicago City Hall on North LaSalle Street, to provide residents with self-service payment options, online and via kiosks. At the kiosks, customers can pay utility bills, parking tickets, business taxes, citations, and other bills with cash, check, credit, debit and prepaid cards.

This year, 52 additional payment kiosks, inlcuding 30 rolled out last summer, brought the number to 74 kiosks at 70 locations citywide, including several that offer 24/7 access.

The kiosks are in downtown Chicago and in neighborhoods across the city, as far south as 131st Street, as far east as Hegewisch, as far north as Rogers Park, and as far west as Austin and Clearing.