Why The IRS Loves 7-Eleven

PayNearMe, which helps connect government agencies to cash payments, said on Wednesday (April 6) that, for the first time, U.S. taxpayers can make payments through conduits other than bank accounts or credit cards.

The firm said in a press release that taxpayers can scan a PayNearMe barcode across a smartphone at thousands of 7-Eleven stores, and if they need to use cash to pay the taxes, they can do so at the register “just as if they were purchasing a gallon of milk or a cup of coffee.”

Convenience is key here, as the stores are typically open all day and night, as well as year-round, with the ability for taxpayers to pay locally and on their own time. To get the barcode, consumers can go online, choose their tax form type and choose the “Pay with Cash” option. They then receive the barcode and get a list of 7-Eleven locations where they can pay. Receipts are sent via mail or mobile device as proof of the transaction. Payments must not go past $1,000 per day, and payers can make two payments total using this method.

In a statement that accompanied the release, Carolyn Homberger, group president of ACI Worldwide, said: “Our bill payment solution is quick, easy, reliable and secure, which is why OfficialPayments.com is the longest-tenured bill payment site for the IRS, having processed $14 billion in IRS tax payments since 1999. Today’s consumers want convenience, as evidenced by the more than 75 percent of IRS electronic payments that are made through OfficialPayments.com via online or a mobile browser. Adding a new cash payment option that is mobile-accessible brings convenience and another flexible payment option, which is powered by PayNearMe.”