Mayor Mark A. Smith announced that the Shop Bayonne Property Tax Reward Program will be launched in early August. The program will encourage people to shop locally by providing property tax credits for homeowners and rebate checks for renters, every time they patronize local participating merchants. Mayor Smith said, “Bayonne stores and professional services need to increase their numbers of customers, and Bayonne property owners want to reduce their tax bills. The Shop Bayonne Card will achieve both goals. We are very excited about this program, which will be a win-win for the people and the businesses of Bayonne.  It is also important to mention that this program has no cost to our City. Bayonne Community Bank has sponsored this initiative.”

In early August, the City of Bayonne will mail 11,000 Shop Bayonne swipe cardsto every known property-tax-paying household in the community. Thousands of others will be distributed through major employers, tenant associations, at City Hall, on Broadway, at BCB, program sponsor, and through other means. The Shop Bayonne cards are similar to large chains reward cards, complete with a magnetic strip on the reverse side. Mayor Smith explained, “They can be used only at participating Bayonne businesses.” Smith continued, “Each participating enterprise will offer its own rebate, which will be collected weekly by the third-party program administrator and deposited into a dedicated bank account. Property taxpayers will receive a property tax credit in the third quarter bill each year, while renters and others will receive rebate checks. When Bayonne residents receive the cards, they will need to activate them before using

them at local participating businesses.” The cards must be registered online at www.propertytaxcard.com. Every time a shopper uses the card, the amount of the credit,

representing a percentage of the sale amount, will be registered in their account on www.propertytaxcard.com. “Consumers will be able to check their progress online throughout the year,” Mayor Smith said.

According to Mayor Smith, “Renters and others who pay no property taxes will be receiving their accumulated credits in the form of an annual rebate check.” Mayor Smith observed, “In that way, the card will benefit all categories of Bayonne residents, both property owners and renters alike. Moreover, cards will be distributed to people working in town that do not necessarily live in Bayonne. With this program we will attract more shoppers to our local stores”. Merchants will also be provided with free marketing and resources to add to their visibility in the marketplace.

Mayor Smith concluded, “The Shop Bayonne Card will produce great economic benefits for consumers and businesses alike. I would like to encourage all Bayonne shoppers and businesses to participate in this great new program.”

As of mid-July, twenty-five businesses have signed up with the Shop Bayonne Card program. According to FinCredit Inc., third party Program Administrator, a total of 30,000 cards were printed. In the next couple of weeks, the company will be distributing starter kits tothe first group of participating businesses. Each kit will include a window cling that indicates that the place displaying it is a participating business.

When they receive the cards in the mail, residents must activate them by going to www.propertytaxcard.com. They will need to enter the block and lot numbers of their homes online, in order to complete the activation. The block and lot numbers are on their property tax bills.

Renters must also register on-line by entering name and address via the card’s website.

Residents who have questions or need assistance activating the Shop Bayonne Card should call FinCredit’s Customer Service at (732) 946-0919. Help is also available at the Urban Enterprise Zone office at City Hall. Each participating business will offer a rebate to the holders of the Shop Bayonne cards. The particular business will determine the nature of that rebate, which could be a percentage or a dollar amount based on the price of the product or service. The business can change the size or type of discount it wishes to provide. The consumer will pay the full price at time of purchase and will present its Shop Bayonne card. The participating business will then process the card, thus creating a rebate. Cards can be process in two ways: 1) The business can enter the information on-line. 2) The business can use a cardswipe device, similar to a credit card machine. Consumer accounts are updated in real time. After each purchase, customers will receive an email message with the amount of the credit earned.

As of July 19, twenty-five businesses were registered to do transactions with the Shop Bayonne Card. Those businesses and their offers can be found at www.propertytaxcard.com/shopbayonne/participants . A Shop Bayonne mobile app will also be made available. Residents may also use the app to view the list of participating merchants and their offer. More businesses are expected to sign up for the program prior to card distribution. ###