Comparing Vendor Fees: The Real Cost of Paying Your $25 Visitation Background Check
That "$25 background check" can cost more than $25 once vendor transaction fees get tacked on. Here's how the common payment vendors compare, and how to keep those extra charges as low as possible.
If you're an adult applying to visit, expect to pay the $25 visitation background check fee. It's a one-time, non-refundable charge, and it applies whether you're signing up for in-person visits, phone visits, or video visits.
Exception: If you only want to accept phone calls (and are not applying for visits), you do not have to pay the $25 background check fee.
The payment has to be electronic. You can't pay cash at a facility counter for the background check. Instead, you'll pick from an approved electronic payment option, and that's where vendor transaction fees come into play.
Before you start the payment, grab your Application Visitor ID number and keep it handy. You'll need it when you submit your electronic payment for the visitation/background check fee. Having it ready saves you from pausing mid-checkout to hunt it down.
Vendor Fee Comparison
- ✓ Keefe (Internet transactions): No vendor fee
- ✓ Keefe (Mobile app transactions): No vendor fee
- ✓ Keefe (Telephonic transactions): No vendor fee
- ✓ Keefe (Storefront transactions): No vendor fee
- ✓ JPay (Internet transactions): $0.95 vendor fee
- ✓ JPay (Mobile app transactions): $0.95 vendor fee
- ✓ JPay (Telephonic transactions): $0.95 vendor fee
- ✓ JPay (Storefront transactions): $0.95 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (CheckFreePay, Internet transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (CheckFreePay, Mobile app transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (CheckFreePay, Telephonic transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (CheckFreePay, Storefront transactions): $2.50 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (Western Union, Internet transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (Western Union, Mobile app transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (Western Union, Telephonic transactions): $1.00 vendor fee
- ✓ GTL (Western Union, Storefront transactions): $4.50 vendor fee
Quick takeaway: On this $25 background check transaction, Keefe shows no vendor fee across Internet, app, phone, or storefront methods. JPay adds $0.95 across methods. GTL adds $1.00 online/app/phone, with higher storefront fees ($2.50 via CheckFreePay, $4.50 via Western Union).
- Check the vendor fee for your payment method - The same $25 background check can have different add-on fees depending on which vendor you use and whether you pay online, by mobile app, by phone, or at a storefront.
- Pick the lowest listed surcharge option - Based on the listed examples, choosing a vendor and method with no vendor fee (such as Keefe across the methods shown) keeps the total closest to $25.
Before you submit payment: Payments must be made electronically, and you’ll need your Application Visitor ID number during checkout.
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