Eliminating bail fees on payments made with credit cards

Increasingly, New Yorkers who have contact with our criminal legal system come away with unaffordable debts that extract wealth from vulnerable communities and create obstacles to success. Fees on credit card bail payments are one example of these harms perpetuated by the criminal legal system, disproportionately affecting communities of poverty and communities of color.

The Zero Profits Coalition worked with New York City Councilmembers Keith Powers and Rory Lancman to pass Intro 1199 and eliminate the credit card bail payment fees imposed by New York City. Until now, the city charged a 2% fee for online bail payments and an 8% fee for bail payments made by credit card at a Department of Corrections facility.

We understand that thousands of New Yorkers will continue to languish in jail pretrial, unable to afford the bail that prosecutors request and judges set. But eliminating credit card bail payment fees will nonetheless mitigate the harms caused by money bail so long as that system is still in place.

Selected Media:

• New York City Council Passes Bill to Eliminate Bail Payment Fees, NYC Council Progressive Caucus

• New York City Looks to Eliminate Hidden Bail Fees, CityLab

• New York City Looks to Eliminate Hidden Bail Fees, The Appeal