Why is there a service fee if I use my credit / debit card?

Unlike a retail business whose credit card fees are hidden in the cost of the merchandise, the Douglas County Treasurer's office uses the option of credit/debit card payments as an optional service to the individual taxpayer. The merchant costs associated with credit/debit card acceptance cannot be absorbed by the County without tax increases for everyone, therefore the fee is charged separately to the customer. The fee is remitted to a third-party vendor, not Douglas County.