The United States of 7-Eleven: Freedom of Choice

I figured this was a late breaking April Fools story, but it isn’t. 7-Eleven stores are now an official payment location for federal taxes. If the US Post Office hadn’t been allowed to wither due to budget slashing it might have been considered for this service but you can’t get a slushy at the P.O. usa711

The agency [IRS] has teamed up with OfficialPayments.com and PayNearMe so taxpayers can make payments up to $1,000 in cash at more than 7,000 7-Eleven locations in 34 states. Most stores are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it even easier for Americans to pay what they owe to the federal government.

Taxpayers are given a receipt, payment should post in two business days, and 7-Eleven charges $3.99 for the service.

Official Payments Corp 7- Eleven’s partner was given a $574 million dollar contract with the US Treasury Dept. in 2015.And the other partner, tech business PayNearMe a start-up that provides services to the “un-banked”  recently laid off one third of their fifty employees but is reportedly “bullish” on this new venture.

Well, why shouldn’t we be free to pay our US Income tax at 7-Eleven if we want? They are after all as fine a symbol of patriotism as next convenience store-maybe not McDonalds. And because in fact they were  “the first convenience store retailer to give guests ‘freedom of choice’ by offering all major soft drink brands at the fountain.” that is according to their own fun-facts page.

And if that doesn’t get your flag waving or float your boat-another fun-fact: enough fountain drinks are sold at 7‑Eleven stores in a year to fill Walt Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon twice (approx. 600,000 gallons)