If you're a resident or business owner using ClearForms to complete a permit, license, or request created by a government:
There's no cost to use ClearForms. If the process you're using requires a payment, and you pay online via ClearForms, there is a small convenience fee added to your permit or license fee (usually a total of about 5%). Part of this fee is the cost of processing your credit card, and part goes to ClearForms.  Some governments absorb this fee for their applicants. If the fee is passed on to applicants by your government, you'll see it as a separate line on your fee payment step.

If you work for a government:
ClearForms believes in transparent software pricing for government. We are committed to providing affordable workflow automation software for all municipalities, counties, states and countries, whether big or small. 

All plans include:

Governments subscribe to our cloud-based, constituent-supported software. Subscription cost depends on the size of your population. All pricing tiers include additional per-application payment processing fees (2.8 - 4.9% + $.30 for each permit or license fee paid, depending on payment method). Most governments choose to pass these fees along to applicants.

To find out pricing for your community, please book a demonstration with the ClearGov team.

Q. What does it cost to process payments through ClearForms?

A. 2.8 - 4.9%+$0.30 per transaction processed on the platform, depending on whether the applicant uses ACH or credit card. This fee is made up of the payment processing costs plus a 2% ClearForms fee. ClearForms has developed an Illinois-specific fee structure to conform with State of Illinois law. If your state or jurisdiction has limits on payment processing fees, please talk to us and we can discuss how we adjust our pricing when required.

Q. What credit cards does ClearForms accept?

A. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club. We also accept accept gift and prepaid cards that are one of the listed types.

Q. Who pays the ClearForms fee?

A. That's up to you. ClearForms can be configured to either charge the payment processing fee to the end user (the constituent) or the government can opt to absorb the cost. This can be configured on a process-by-process basis, although we find that most governments prefer to be consistent across the board and use one approach for their permits and processes.

Q. What is the fee for a payment by check or cash?

A. There is no fee when constituents pay you by check or cash. A government can configure a process to accept cash and mailed check payments in addition to credit card payments.

Q. What happens to each government’s funds?

A. Local government funds are transferred to your connected bank account on a schedule you select (daily, weekly, or monthly), after a 2-day hold for fraud prevention. You set a specific time schedule for funds to be transferred. The funds are not commingled with other entities' funds at any time. 

Q. How are refunds and disputes handled?

A. ClearForms will notify you of chargebacks and disputes. If a payment is disputed, ClearForms will automatically deduct the disputed amount and a chargeback fee of $15.00 per dispute from the government’s account. If the government wins the dispute, ClearForms will deposit the amount back into the government’s bank account on the following day. ClearForms will send any evidence the government submits to the credit card’s issuer (the “Issuer”). The Issuer will then make a decision about whether or not to resolve the dispute in the government’s favor. The disputed amount is refunded to the government’s bank account if the dispute is resolved in the government’s favor. ClearForms will notify the government immediately if any dispute occurs. If the government chooses to respond to the dispute, ClearForms will submit any information the government provides to the User’s credit card Issuer and forward to the government any related correspondence.

Refunds are processed by a government's staff on the platform. We strongly recommend you issue a refund before any balance from that payment is transferred to your government's bank account.

Q. Is there a cost to issue a refund?

A. No.

Q. Can we use ClearForms for a workflow if there is no payment involved?

A. Yes! We designed ClearForms to be an easy, quick, and powerful solution for local governments. We want cities and towns to use the platform even if there is not a payment associated with the process. This unique pricing structure makes ClearForms a compelling solution for volunteer and job applications, as well as for internal/ HR workflows.