If you have to pay child support, you have a number of different options. A lot of parents have support withheld by their employer, but income withholding is not always possible. For example, some parents do not have jobs that allow support to become withheld from their earnings, and these orders do not always take effect right away (meaning that a parent has to find another way to fulfill child support obligations).
It is essential to go over your child support payment options in order to find the method that works best for you.
Paying child support by mail
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services goes over some of the different options parents have in this state with respect to making child support payments. For example, you can pay support by sending a check or money order to the State Collection and Disbursement Unit (SCDU). Using this method, the SCDU does not charge a fee and they process the payment as soon as they receive it.
Other child support payment options
You can use your bank account to pay support online, but it can take up to four banking days to process. You can also pay online with a credit card or debit card, but you will have to pay a fee. In addition, there are various locations around the state that allow you to make cash payments in person, but this option will result in a fee and these payments can take up to seven banking days to process.
Regardless of how you decide to pay child support, pay attention to processing times and the details of the transaction in order to make sure you pay on time.
