How it works
Introduction to ESP
What is Easy Smart Pay?
Easy Smart Pay (ESP) is a service designed to help taxpayers split their annual property tax payments into manageable monthly installments, making it easier to meet payment deadlines.
Why use ESP?
ESP simplifies the tax payment process by reducing transaction fees, offering flexible monthly payment options, and helping taxpayers avoid large lump-sum payments. It also benefits counties by reducing late payments and increasing collection efficiency.
What does ESP do for taxpayers?
Easy Smart Pay offers taxpayers the convenience of monthly property tax payments, helping them budget more effectively throughout the year.
Where is Easy Smart Pay headquartered?
Easy Smart Pay is headquartered in Sacramento, California.
What is the story behind ESP?
Easy Smart Pay (ESP) is a service product of Smart Easy Pay (SEP), a California corporation started by the California State Association of Counties Finance Corporation to address taxpayers' need for flexible monthly installment options on their property tax bills.
What counties does ESP service?
As of this publication, ESP serves 31 of the 58 counties in California, with plans to expand to additional counties in the future.
How does ESP make money?
ESP earns revenue through interest earned on tax funds before they are remitted to the county. These fees ensure the service remains free to taxpayers and counties.
Is ESP a bank, escrow company, or financial institution?
ESP is not a government agency, escrow company, or financial institution. We act as a service provider that facilitates property tax payments for taxpayers.
Are tax funds commingled with operating dollars?
No, Easy Smart Pay separates taxes owed to the county in a taxpayer trust account from general operating funds.
Do my tax dollars earn interest?
No, your tax dollars do not earn interest for you. Any interest earned on the funds before they are sent to the county helps support Easy Smart Pay’s services.
How Easy Smart Pay Works
What types of taxes can I pay using ESP?
As of this publication, ESP supports annual secured and supplemental property tax bills. ESP does not support delinquent bills.
What happens if there are tax bill adjustments?
The system identifies tax bills that are collecting the wrong amount. We aim to catch all adjustments prior to the remittance deadline. The process is handled differently if the taxpayer is paying monthly or one-time.
If the contract is for monthly auto-pay and there is a payment left to collect, we will adjust the remaining payment, up or down, to reflect the new amount. You will receive an email with this adjustment.
If the contract is for a one time payment or there are no remaining monthly payments, ESP will either initiate a new transaction for the remaining due or a refund for the surplus. You will receive an email with this adjustment. We seek to achieve accurate collection on all bills. This process ensures property collection is correct. Please advise ESP if you are aware of a bill adjustment prior to our notification.
Can I set up payment schedules that run bi-monthly, every other month or on a custom schedule?
As of this publication, Easy Smart Pay only offers monthly payments and in some counties one-time payments. Offering more flexibility of payments is a high priority at Easy Smart Pay. We plan on rolling out more payment schedules such as quarterly, bi-monthly and, pay ahead options in the coming tax years. Stay tuned for more updates!
Which tax bills does ESP service?
As of this publication, ESP supports annual secured and supplemental property tax bills. ESP does not support delinquent bills.
When do payments start?
Payments begin on the day of enrollment, and subsequent payments are automatically scheduled on a monthly basis.
What is the last day to enroll?
Easy Smart Pay's final enrollment deadline is either 7 or 10 days prior to the installment deadline, depending on county.
When does ESP pay the county?
ESP submits taxpayer payments to the county in advance of the installment due date or on the deadline itself, depending on holidays and weekends, ensuring timely payment on behalf of enrolled taxpayers. If you have completed all payments according to your contract, you will never be late. We send the funds during this time frame because ESP accepts payments up until 7 days prior to the deadline and needs to settle and reconcile every account.
What are the benefits of ESP for taxpayers?
Easy Smart Pay helps taxpayers by ensuring on-time payments, breaking up large property tax bills into manageable monthly installments, and reducing the risk of penalties and interest from late payments.
Why aren’t my payments divided by 12 equal months?
ESP divides the total tax due for each installment by the number of months remaining until the installment due date, which may result in compressed monthly payments, especially if enrollment occurs mid-year. We, like you, are required to remit the entire installment to the county prior to the installment deadline. Therefore, we must collect the entire installment due from you.
Why do I have to pay the whole installment at once on my monthly plan?
ESP's automatic monthly system ensures that the full tax installment is covered by the due date to avoid late fees or penalties. This may require larger payments during certain months, depending on your enrollment date.
How to enroll in monthly payments?
Step 1: Search your property
Option 1: Dropdown by address: Enter full address (123 Maple Way, City, CA, 12345)
Option 2: Dropdown by Property ID: Select your county, enter Parcel number (assessment number/APN) *can be found on paper bill
Step 2: Review your payment schedule, then scroll down until you see the blue “Enroll in monthly payments” banner. Click on blue banner.
Step 3: Click “Create a new account”, and enter your info in each box. Make sure to check the terms of service box. Note: Blue “create my account” button will light up when all boxes are adequately filled out.
Step 4: On the checkout screen, click on the dropdown “Select Payment Method”. Select “Add a new ACH or credit card payment” (Either one you prefer). If credit card; once all boxes are adequately filled, you may check the box and “Add Payment Option”. If ACH; once all boxes in each section are adequately filled, you may check the box and “Add Payment Option”.
Step 5: Verify successful enrollment. Review order receipt email. Confirm APN and Bill number. Confirm payment withdrawal from selected payment method. Review account details.
Payments & Transactions
Why does the transaction show up on my statement as PayPal?
Since Easy Smart Pay uses Braintree, a PayPal subsidiary, as our payment processor, you may see 'PayPal' on your bank or credit card statement.
Which payment processor does ESP use?
Easy Smart Pay uses Braintree, a subsidiary of PayPal, to process transactions.
What payment methods do you accept?
ESP accepts ACH bank transfer and major debit and credit cards including Visa, MasterCard and Discover. ESP does not accept AMEX at this time.
Are there any transaction fees?
There are no fees for payments made using an ACH bank account. For debit or credit card payments, a small 1.99% transaction fee applies. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover; but not AMEX at this time. Keep in mind, this is the fee that the payment processor charges ESP for facilitating these transactions.
The transaction fee for card payments is the same whether you choose monthly or annual payments.
For example, if your bill is $1,000 and you pay one time: $1,000 x 1.99% = $19.90 total fees
For example, if you pay monthly in 5 payments: $200 x 1.99% = $3.98 each payment x 5 payments = $19.90 total fees
Why does ESP charge a transaction fee for credit cards?
The transaction fee for credit cards covers the cost charged by our payment processor. We pass this fee to the customers to keep Easy Smart Pay free for taxpayers and counties.
Can I make a payment early?
Currently, ESP does not support early or custom payments. All payments are automatically deducted based on your scheduled payment plan.
Can I change the date of my payment schedule?
Yes, you can request a change to your payment date by contacting customer support. Please make sure to request changes at least a few days in advance to avoid processing issues.
What happens if my payment fails?
If your payment fails, you’ll receive a notification with instructions on how to resolve the issue. We will attempt to process the payment again, but recurring failures could result in cancellation of your enrollment.
How does ESP determine my monthly payment amount?
ESP calculates your monthly payment by dividing the total amount due for each tax installment by the number of months remaining until the due date. This means the payment amount may vary depending on when you enroll.
Why is the payment schedule showing an estimate?
Before the county releases the official tax bill, we provide an estimated payment schedule based on the prior year’s tax amount. Once the official bill is available, your schedule will be updated.
What will the transaction with ESP show up as in my statement?
On a credit or debit card statement it will up as something similar to "EASY SMART PAY 9169133279 CA". On a bank statement it will show up as something similar to "PAYPAL TRANSFER EASY SMART PAY"
Account & Profile
How do I create an account?
To create an account;
Step 1: From the home page, click the three lines and then “Sign In” at the top right corner.
Step 2: Click “Looking to create an account”, or go to https://easysmartpay.net/create-account
Step 3: Enter your info in each box. Make sure to check the terms of service box. Then, click Create My Account
If you are having issues creating your account, see Troubleshooting Tips.
How do I sign in?
Step 1: Visit our website Easysmartpay.net and click ‘Sign In’ or the three horizontal lines in top right corner. You can also start at https://easysmartpay.net/auth/sign-in
Step 2: Enter email used to create account and password and click ‘Sign In”
If you are having issues signing in to your account, see Troubleshooting Tips.
How do I reset my password?
Step 1: From the home page, click the three lines and then “Sign In” at the top right corner.
Step 2: Click “Forgot your password”.
Step 3: Enter email address on file and click “Submit”.
Step 4: Check your email and set a new password.
What are the password requirements?
Your password requires the following:
12 character minimum
At least one number (#)
At least one of these special characters: # % ! @ $ * + _ ?
How do I update my payment method?
Step 1: Once you are signed in, click on “Profile” in the top right corner. (For mobile: 3 lines, then “Profile”)
Step 2: Click on “Payment Methods”.
Step 3: Click the edit pencil icon to edit an existing ACH Payment or Credit Card. (Plus icon “+” to add a new payment method.)
Step 4: Either assign the payment method to a property, or set your payment method as default. Save changes.
How do I reassign my payment method to a property?
To reassign a payment method to a specific property, sign in, go to 'Payment Methods,' and select the payment method you want to edit. Assign it to the correct property and save the changes.
How do I change my personal information (email, phone number, etc.)?
Step 1: Sign in to your ESP account.
Step 2 : Click ‘Profile’ in the upper right corner.
Step 3: From the Profile screen click ‘Account Details’.
Step 4: Enter new email address and/or new phone number and click ‘Save Changes’.
How do I delete my account?
To delete your account, please contact our customer support team by email at support@easysmartpay.net or via online chat bot for assistance.
Can I enroll for automatic semi-annual payments?
Semi-annual payments consist of two one-time payments for each installment. Automatic semi-annual payment plans are not currently available.
How do I view my payment schedule?
To view your payment schedule, sign in to your ESP account. Then click on the property tile and go to the 'Payments' section, where you can see the detailed breakdown of your payments.
Troubleshooting & Support
What happens if my property is unpaid or locked or payments do not display for my property?
Although it is different for some counties, ESP generally receives tax roll data every 2 weeks. That is when the system will update your property and unlock payments for the next installment. ESP locks out properties that have a missing installment from enrolling in monthly payments because we do not currently process delinquent tax bills. ESP staff can manually unlock a property if you give us notice that it is paid on the county site. Please reach out if you want us to unlock your property.
What happens if I make duplicate payments?
Our system is set up to scan county tax rolls and identify any enrolled property that has already paid the county before the deadline. As a result, ESP will cancel the current installment contract and refund the duplicate payments back to the original payment method. If we are notified by a county that a payment ESP remitted is a duplicate payment, ESP will receive a refund from the county.
Note: Refunds from the county may take 30-120 days. ESP will cancel the current installment contract and refund the duplicate payments back to the original payment method. If ESP gets notification from the tax roll that the property is paid by an escrow and the property is enrolled in auto-pay then ESP will cancel auto-pay and refund any associated payments.
How does ESP handle chargebacks or disputes?
If the chargeback occurs before the installment is sent to the county, ESP will cancel the contract and refund all payments associated with that installment. In this case, the chargeback is accepted.
If a taxpayer submitted the chargeback by mistake, they are welcome to re-enroll in payments for the current installment at any time prior to the ESP deadline, 7 days before the installment deadline. The payment schedule will be different than the original schedule due to timing.
If the chargeback occurs after the installment is sent to the county, ESP automatically disputes the chargeback because the funds were already remitted to the county on the taxpayers behalf. The dispute process sometimes returns the funds to the taxpayer. In which case, the taxpayer will owe ESP funds to rebalance the account. We will need to re-run a transaction or receive a check in the mail for the amount disputed. If ESP is unable to successfully re-collect the funds, we will be required to escalate to small claims, arbitration or litigation.
What if my property search fails?
If you are having trouble finding your property on Easy Smart Pay (ESP), here are some steps you can take to find the property:
Step 1: Verify county participation: ESP's services are available in the majority of California counties, but there may be exceptions. Verify that your county is participating in ESP's program.
Step 2: Check for tax bill eligibility: ESP services annual secured property tax. Other bill types may not be eligible for enrollment. Ensure that your property meets the eligibility requirements.
Step 3: Double-check your search criteria: Ensure that you are entering the correct address or APN (Assessor's Parcel Number) and not the bill number. Small typos or missing 0's can lead to the property not being found.
Step 4: Try different search methods: If searching by address is not yielding results, try searching by APN or vice versa. The property may be listed under a different identifier.
Step 5: Contact Customer Service: If you are still unable to find your property, reach out to ESP's customer success team via the online chat function for assistance. They can help you locate your property.
What are some general troubleshooting tips?
Here are some general troubleshooting tips for logging into or creating your online account if you are experiencing issues:
Double-check your credentials: Ensure that you are entering the correct username and password. Check for any typos or incorrect capitalization.
Reset your password: If you are unable to log in, try resetting your password. Follow the instructions provided on the login page to reset your password.
Clear your browser cache: Sometimes, browser cache can cause issues with logging in. Try clearing your Easy Smart Pay site data from the browser and then attempt to log in again.
Try a different browser: If clearing the cache doesn't work, try accessing the website using a different web browser to see if the issue persists. Google Chrome is preferred.
Check for service outages: Sometimes, the site may be experiencing technical difficulties. If the outage is obvious, please let us know at Support@easysmartpay.net
Disable browser extensions: Browser extensions can sometimes interfere with the login process. Try disabling any browser extensions and then attempt to log in again.
Check your internet connection: Ensure that you have a stable internet connection. Try restarting your router or connecting to a different network.
Contact customer support: If none of the above steps work, contact the customer support team of the website or service you are trying to access for further assistance. Provide them with details of the issue you are experiencing for a quicker resolution.
Cancellations & Refunds
How do I cancel my enrollment?
At Easy Smart Pay (ESP), we understand that circumstances can change, and you may need to cancel your contract. You can cancel your ESP plan at any time before the payment is sent to the county. Automatic cancellation may occur if payments consistently fail or if your account becomes inactive for an extended period. Reach out to our customer support team via live chat or email at support@easysmartpay.net to cancel your enrollment.
What are the automatic cancellation rules?
Automatic cancellation may occur if payments consistently fail or if your account becomes inactive for an extended period. There are no penalties for automatic cancellations.
Can I cancel and get a refund?
Yes, you may cancel and receive a refund if we have not yet sent your funds to the county.
What happens if I cancel within 10 days of the installment deadline?
After the payment has been sent to the county, ESP cannot process refunds directly. In such cases, refunds can only be initiated through a duplicate payment or refund first from the county.
Will I be refunded my transaction fees if I cancel my contract?
ESP will refund all transaction fees only if a transaction is refunded in full and back to the payment method originally used for that transaction. Otherwise, if a payment is only partially returned, ESP is required to withhold the transaction fees. We are charged those fees from our payment processor when the payment is not fully refunded.
What if my payment method expires or is closed at the point of refund?
Refunds are processed to the payment method on file. If your payment method expires or is closed, update your account information to avoid issues with refund processing. Note: ESP cannot refund to closed or restricted bank accounts.
What if my refund is unable to be sent to the payment method on file?
In cases where we are unable to refund to the payment method on file, we will need to initiate a check refund. By default, the check will be mailed to the customer's billing address or an address they have provided. In such cases, transaction fees are withheld.
Notifications & Process
When will my payment show up on the county website?
It may take 2 or more weeks for your payment to appear on the county website after ESP submits it. Please allow time for processing and contact us if it hasn't appeared after a reasonable period.
Do we get a notification when it is paid?
You will receive an email when your funds have been remitted to the county.
What reminder emails are sent out?
You will receive monthly payment reminder emails letting you know if your funds have processed or if the transaction has failed.
Security & Privacy
How does ESP protect my privacy and ensure security of my financial information?
Privacy and security are top priorities at ESP. We use advanced encryption and security protocols to protect your financial information, ensuring that your data is transmitted and stored securely. We do not collect or store credit card information or sell any information about you to anyone for any reason.
To learn more about our commitment to privacy and security please review our privacy policy at
What happens to the tax funds that ESP holds?
ESP holds the funds in a secure taxpayer trust account.
Are my tax dollars held securely?
While the tax funds are not FDIC insured, they are held in secure accounts.
Calendar & Scheduling
What is the tax calendar?
Here is the California property tax cycle. Please note, the delinquency date is the final due date for each installment and the date ESP guarantees payment to the county.
July 1: Fiscal year begins, and the Assessor's Office assesses properties.
September/October: Tax roll is finalized. Secured property tax bills are mailed out.
November 1: First installment due date.
December 10: First installment delinquency date.
February 1: Second Installment due date.
April 10: The second installment delinquency date.
When do monthly payments for the next tax year begin?
After April 3rd, payments collected will go towards the next tax year.
Contact Information
What is ESP's contact information?
Email: Support@easysmartpay.net
Phone:(916)913-3279
Can I request a phone call?
Yes, you may request a phone call via email or chat.
What are ESP's working hours?
Our standard business hours are
Monday - Friday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM PST
Where is ESP based?
ESP is based in Sacramento, California
