Parents Can Pay Child Support At 7-Eleven

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Parents will now be able to pay child support at 7-Eleven locations.

The program called, Pay Near Me, is available at 1,600 locations in California.

At the end of 2014, $17.6 billion was owed in child support in California.

"It can mean food, clothing, shelter," said Sheryl Watson from California Department of Child Support Services.

The state is trying to make it easier for parents to pay.

"Now they can go whenever and wherever it's convenient for them," said Watson.

Parents request a barcode through the pay near me website, and can walk into any 7-Eleven with that barcode on their phone and pay child support in cash.

The service does come with a convenience fee of $1.99.

"Just like they would scan the items you're purchasing at the grocery store. It's that easy," said Watson.

The payment posts in three to four days.

Since launching the program last month, the state says 267 payments have been made totaling $56,000.

"Now you don't have a reason not to pay child support," said local mom Elizabeth Basquez.

Earlier this year, the state started letting parents pay child support in cash through MoneyGram.

Since January, the state says that program has collected $3 million in child support.