Using a Credit Card To Pay Unemployment Insurance Tax to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina

Which credit cards does ESC accept?
The Employment Security Commission of North Carolina accepts both MasterCard and Visa.

Can I use a debit card?
The card must have a MasterCard or Visa logo; it may be either a credit card or a debit card.

Can I make a payment at any time?
The credit card payment option is available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Saturday hours are from 6:00 a.m. until 12:00 midnight; Sunday hours are from 12:00 noon until 11:30 p.m. Due to unexpected problems, the computer may not always be available during these hours. Should you encounter a problem connecting with our computer, try again later.

Will I be charged a fee for using my credit card?
Yes. A fee of $5.00 will be assessed for credit card payments. This fee is non-refundable.

You may wish to consider enrolling for the Debit ACH method of payment which has no fee associated with its use.

Do I need to preregister with the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina to use a credit card?
As long as the credit card is valid, it may be used at any time. There is no preregistration requirement or waiting time.

Is my payment information submitted in a secure manner?
All credit card transaction data is transmitted with the industry standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. Our bank keeps the credit card numbers encrypted on a server during the capture and settlement phases.

How will I know that my payment has been accepted?
As soon as our bank accepts your payment, you will be given a Confirmation Number. Please note the Confirmation Number and include it with the records you keep of this transaction.

How do I begin a credit card payment?
Go to the Employment Security Commission’s web site, www.ncesc.com, and click on Business Services. Scroll down the Business Services page to Electronic Payments and click on Use a credit card to pay your taxes.

What information must I have when making a payment?
You must know your Employer Account Number and the Quarter/Year for which UI taxes are due. In addition, you need to know how much you are going to pay.

After providing these three items, you will be switched to our bank’s credit card site. There you will be asked to provide your First and Last Name or business name, telephone number, and Email address; the billing address for the credit card, including City, State, and Postal (ZIP) code; the name on the credit card; the card number; the expiration date of the card; and the card verification value.

Can I pay taxes for more than one quarter at a time?
During any session and providing you do not exceed your credit limit, you may make as many quarterly tax payments as you want. However, to ensure that your payments are credited to the desired quarters, you will need to repeat the payment process for each quarter. You will have the option to pay taxes for an additional quarter after receiving a Confirmation Number for a completed payment.

Note: Controls in the credit card application prevent multiple payments against the same quarter in a single day.

What happens if I make a mistake?
If the information you just keyed into the form does not match that on file for your credit card, the form will be represented with the error(s) noted in a red message box. You will then have an opportunity to correct the mistake.

What happens if I have exceeded my credit limit?
If you have exceeded your credit limit, the form will be represented with this information in a red message box. The transaction will be terminated.

What happens if I my card has expired?
If your card has expired, the form will be represented with this information in a red message box. The transaction will be terminated.

Questions Not Answered?
If you have questions about using a credit card to pay North Carolina Unemployment Insurance taxes that were not answered above, please contact your local Tax Auditor with the North Carolina Employment Security Commission or call our Cashiers office at (919) 707-1142.