Can you pay bond with a credit card? Let’s face it; you have lots of bills and putting money aside in case you needed to make bail wasn’t exactly on your to-do list. Rest easy because you don’t need to cover the cost of your bail bond in cash. Here’s how you can pay your bail without worrying about paying your bills on time.
Credit cards accepted in some places
Credit cards make it possible for lots of us to obtain things when we need them and pay off the price over time. Fortunately, it’s also possible to pull out your credit card to pay your way out of jail. According to CreditCards.com, more and more jurisdictions in the United States allow defendants to pay their bail with a credit card.
In many areas, you can swipe your card at the jail to pay the total bail amount and, often, an additional fee. Other counties allow you to post a bond using your credit card if you go through a private company that works with the court to process the credit card payments.
TIP: Don’t even think about not showing up for court if you’ve used a credit card to pay for your bail. Not only does failing to appear to court increase your legal troubles, but it can also ruin your credit rating since the credit card company is on the hook for the total cost of your bail. If you didn’t make the subsequent monthly credit card payments, which would be difficult if you were on the run, your credit rating would take a big hit.
Dauphin County
Can you pay bond with a credit card in Dauphin County? The answer is no. The Dauphin County Clerk of Courts only accepts cash and certified checks as monetary bail payment. Your other options for financing bail include (1) bail bondsman, (2) using real estate as collateral, and (3) surety company.
Don’t worry if paying with a credit card is your only option as Szar Bail Bonds, like many other bail bond companies, accepts credit cards. We’ll gladly take a major credit card, like VISA and Mastercard, as payment for our services. Depending on your credit card, you might even earn rewards points for using the card to pay the bail bond premium.
Lastly, the answer to can you pay bond with a credit card depends on the location of your arrest. Many places allow defendants to charge their way out of jail. In other areas, such as Dauphin County, a bail guarantor will accept payment from a major credit card in return for posting your bond. Contact Szar Bail Bonds for help in arranging bail in Harrisburg, PA, and the nearby counties.
