West Florida Electric’s (WFEC) Board of Trustees and management recently took a close look at the costs associated with processing payments, namely convenience fees charged by banks and credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard.
Convenience fees are charged on every credit card, debit card, or electronic check payment (e-check) submitted to the cooperative. Over time, as more and more payments are submitted electronically, these costs have continued to rise. 

In order to make sure we are proportionately allocating the costs of the co-op to the services being utilized, effective in January  2026, convenience fees for credit card and electronic check payments will be passed along to the member making the payment. The convenience fee will be passed along by payment type, namely a 2.45% transaction fee for credit card  transactions and a flat $1 service fee for electronic check payments (e-checks).

As a not-for-profit electric provider, our goal is always to provide service as close to its cost as possible; this sometimes means making changes to be sure the cost of service is allocated proportionately to the members utilizing the service. The good news is that these fees will no
longer be subsidized by all members. Members who do not utilize these services will see no changes.

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid paying the 2.45% fee. No credit card fees will be charged to members who pay by credit or debit card in person in the office. Members can avoid these fees by opting for alternative payment methods such as automated bank drafts from your checking or savings account. You can arrange bank drafts by downloading the bank draft form from the cooperative’s website, completing it, and returning it to the co-op.

Despite the small changes that are sometimes needed along the way, we are working hard to control costs so we can all continue to receive the most value from our co-op and the electric service we have come to expect from West Florida Electric.