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visitation-background-fee-vendor-comparison

Paying the $25 Visitation Background Fee: Which Vendor & Method Costs the Least

• 3 min read • corrections.az.gov
Paying the $25 Visitation Background Fee: Which Vendor & Method Costs the Least

You can pay the $25 visitation background fee for ASP-Phoenix West (ADCRR) through three vendors: Keefe, JPay, or GTL. All three offer the same payment channels - storefront, phone, mobile app, or online. Your choice comes down to convenience and how much the vendor fee adds to your total.

Paying the $25 Visitation Background Fee: Which Vendor & Method Costs the Least

Want to pay the least? Go online. Keefe charges no vendor fee for internet transactions, making it the cheapest option. JPay adds $0.95 per $25 transaction, and GTL charges $1.00 (whether you use GTL through CheckFreePay or Western Union). Phone and app payments follow the same pattern. Keefe has no vendor fee for mobile app or phone transactions. JPay charges $0.95 for both. GTL charges $1.00 for both - again, that applies to GTL (CheckFreePay) and GTL (Western Union).

Heads up on storefront costs: Storefront/walk-up fees can be noticeably higher, especially with GTL. GTL (CheckFreePay) charges $2.50 per $25 transaction at the storefront, and GTL (Western Union) is the most expensive storefront option at $4.50.

  • ✓ Internet: Keefe = no vendor fee; JPay = $0.95; GTL (CheckFreePay) = $1.00; GTL (Western Union) = $1.00
  • ✓ Mobile app: Keefe = no vendor fee; JPay = $0.95; GTL (CheckFreePay) = $1.00; GTL (Western Union) = $1.00
  • ✓ Phone (telephonic): Keefe = no vendor fee; JPay = $0.95; GTL (CheckFreePay) = $1.00; GTL (Western Union) = $1.00
  • ✓ Storefront/walk-up: Keefe = no vendor fee; JPay = $0.95; GTL (CheckFreePay) = $2.50; GTL (Western Union) = $4.50

ADCRR requires all visitation-related payments to be made electronically, regardless of which vendor or channel you use. Have your Application Visitor ID ready before you start - you'll need it when submitting the payment, and having it handy avoids delays.

Pay online or through a mobile app to keep costs down. Keefe is the clear winner - no vendor fee at all for the $25 transaction. If you use JPay or GTL instead, the difference between $0.95 and $1.00 is negligible. Pick whichever platform you can access fastest. The real money trap? Paying at a storefront. JPay's storefront fee stays at $0.95, but GTL fees jump to $2.50 through CheckFreePay and $4.50 through Western Union. Save storefront payments for when you truly can't pay online, by app, or by phone.

  • ✓ If you can, use Keefe online or in the app (no vendor fee for the $25 transaction)
  • ✓ Prefer internet/mobile/phone over storefront to avoid higher walk-up fees
  • ✓ Have your Application Visitor ID in front of you before you submit the payment
  • ✓ If you’re choosing between JPay and GTL for online/app/phone, expect $0.95 (JPay) vs $1.00 (GTL) in vendor fees per $25 transaction

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