O'ahu homeowners can now pay their property taxes with credit cards or electronic checks, starting with tax bills being mailed out this week.

Property owners will be able to use Visa or MasterCard credit cards or e-checks when paying over the Internet or by telephone. A small fee will be charged to the property owner by Official Payment Corp., the same company that accepts payments for the Internal Revenue Service and 25 states, TurboTax and 2,500 municipalities.

Official Payment will charge a "convenience fee" of 2.49 percent of the amount paid on a credit card. For e-check payments, the company is charging $3.30 for payments of $10,000 or less, and $15.30 for payments of more than $10,000.

The city will neither make nor lose money from the program.

Electronic payments can be made at www.hnlpay.com or 877-309-9117, and will be available 24 hours a day through the end of the collection period on Feb. 22.

Councilman Charles Djou, who introduced the resolution that led to the change, noted that all three other Hawai'i counties already allow credit card payments. He also pointed out that the city has long accepted credit cards for vehicle tax payments but had refused to accept them for real property tax payments.

Homeowners may continue to pay by mail, or in person at Honolulu Hale, Kapolei Hale or any satellite city hall.