Federal regulations prohibit the Office of Child Support from sending support payments to private collection agencies.

This change does not stop you from hiring or signing a contract with a private collection agency if you want to use their services to help collect child support. It just changes where we send letters and payments.

It also does not end any agreement that you made with a private collection agency in the past. You are still responsible for whatever you agreed to do. You should review that agreement to figure out what you will have to do because of this change.

If you want to change how you receive payments, payments can be deposited directly into your financial account or to a prepaid debit card. You can apply for either program online at: https://oh.smartchildsupport.com.

See below for more information about payments.

Effective July 1, 2019, the Ohio e-QuickPay Debit MasterCard was discontinued and the Platinum smiONE ™ Visa Prepaid Card has taken its place.
Read more about the switch to the Platinum smiONE ™ Visa Prepaid Card.

• Introduction
• Individual Payors - How do I make a payment?
• Employers - How do I remit payments for my employees?
• Custodial Parents - What are my options for receiving my support payments?
• Payment Status - How do I find out the status of a payment?
• e-QuickPay Debit Cards
• Contact Information
• CSPC Links and Resources

All child support payments are processed by Ohio's Child Support Payment Central (CSPC).CSPC was developed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Office of Child Support, in response to Federal legislation mandating the implementation and operation of a state disbursement unit (SDU) for collecting and disbursing child support payments. Through a competitively-bid contract, Systems and Methods, Inc. (SMI) performs many of the CSPC functions.

CSPC uses state-of-the-art equipment to batch, image and process payments. All payments with valid posting information are processed on the same day they are received. Although some payments with invalid posting information are able to be researched and processed on the same day they are received, others are transitioned to the exception handling section for additional research.

Payments by Mail

Your payment may be in the form of a personal check, money order, or cashier's check. Make checks payable to Ohio CSPC and mail via standard U.S. mail to:

Ohio CSPC
P.O. Box 182372
Columbus, OH 43218-2394

• Do not send payments to the County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
• If you need to send your payment via overnight delivery, you must use the United States Postal Service's Express Mail.
• Checks $20,000 and over will be held for 10 business days to ensure fund availability before being processed to a case/order.
• Checks between $2,000-$19,999.99 will be held for up to 5 business days to ensure fund availability before being processed to a case/order. Once a payor has a history of submitting checks that have not been returned by their bank, the hold time may be reduced.
• Stop Payments: You must confirm that the payment has not already been processed by CSPC prior to stopping payment on a check remitted to CSPC. In addition, you must submit a stop payment affidavit within two business days to ohsdu.finance@smimail.net, indicating that the check was lost or stolen.

Information That Must Be Included With Payments

To ensure prompt and accurate posting to your child support case, please be sure to include the following with your payment:

• Your Name,
• Your Social Security Number (optional),
• SETS Case Number (10-digit number that begins with a 7),
• Court Order Number and
• Amount that should be applied to each case (if you have more than one case).

Returned Deposit Items (RDIs)

If you make a support payment by personal check and your check is returned unpaid by your bank, National Payment Solutions (NPS) will contact you to resolve the RDI.

• The most common forms of RDIs result from Non-Sufficient Funds and Stop Payments.
• All RDIs are handled by National Payment Solutions, 1-877-734-0673.
• As a result of the RDI, your bank account and case number will be flagged and no additional personal checks will be accepted.
• All subsequent payments will have to be made by a secured payment, such as a certified check, money order or cashier's check.

Payments On-Line

Pay by Checking Account Debit

Your first payment date must be at least five (5) business days from the date you register your account. This will allow sufficient time for your bank account information to be verified (prenote). If your account has been previously verified the payment must be scheduled at least three (3) business days prior to its payment date.

Pay by Credit Card

One-time and recurring payments using your credit/debit card can be made at https://oh.smartchildsupport.com. For recurring payments, you must create a user account. One-time payments can also be made by calling 1-888-965-2676 and selecting option 5. You may use Discover®, MasterCard®, Visa®, American Express®, China UnionPay, Diners Club® International, or JCB to make a child support payment. If you have your credit/ debit card linked to an e-wallet account such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, or Venmo, you can make your payment using these alternate payment options.

The cutoff time for payments made through the website is 5:00 P.M. EST. If a payment is made by 4:59:59 P.M. EST it will be received at CSPC one business day later. If a payment is made at 5:00 P.M. EST or later, it will be received two business days later. Allow one business day for the payment to be posted to your case in SETS. The cutoff time for payments made through the IVR is 12:00 A.M. EST. If a payment is made by 11:59:59 P.M. EST it will be received at CSPC two business days later. If the payment is made at 12:00 A.M. EST or later, it will be received three business days later. Allow one additional business day for your payment to be posted to your case in SETS.

NOTE: It can take up to seven business days, from receipt of confirmation, for CSPC to receive the payment if the credit card processor has fraud concerns.

The following are helping hints regarding credit card payments:

• There is a minimum payment requirement of $1.00 for credit/debit card payments.
• Payments to recoupment and recollection accounts cannot be made by credit/debit card.
• If you want to make payments on multiple cases/order, you must make an individual credit card payment for each case/order.
• Credit gift card can only be used for payments if they have been fully registered.

CSEA Walk-in Payments

The Ohio Revised Code provides the county Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) the option to accept walk-in payments from obligors who visit the agency in person and/or credit card payments over the phone. Please call your county CSEA to see if they accept walk-in or phone payments. If they do not, please submit payments according to the procedures outlined above. Do not mail checks to your county CSEA.

Click here for County Walk-in Payments - Locations and Types

The allocation of collections to a monthly support obligation is established by federal and state laws and policies. Collections received for the month will first be applied to the monthly obligation in the following sequence:

• Current child support.
• Current spousal support.
• Current medical support.
• Ordered payment on arrears (child support arrearage, spousal support arrearage, then medical support arrearage).
• Support obligations assigned to other states.
• Collections received for the month in excess of the monthly obligation, have a specific allocation sequence depending if it is a public assistance case or non-public assistance case.

When the source of the payment is the offsetting of a federal income tax refund, the payment is allocated to arrearages only, and then lastly refunded to the obligor.

When the source of a payment is the offsetting of state income tax, the payment will be allocated to current child support and spousal support and child and spousal arrearages. This includes medical support and medical support arrearages.

When the source of a payment is the offsetting of unemployment benefits the payment will be allocated to current child support and child support arrearages. This includes medical support and medical support arrearages.

For payment collected through a lump sum or a Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM), it is much like the standard allocation hierarchy except if there are excess dollars once all the obligations are met, the excess funds are returned to the obligor.

In an effort to make the remittance of child support payments Faster, Simpler and Safer, on October 16, 2009, legislation went into effect mandating child support payments be remitted electronically. The legislation affected employers remitting child support for at least one employee and employing fifty or more employees. However, remitting child support payments electronically is beneficial to all employers.

Remitting child support payments electronically:

• Streamlines the remittance of withheld child support payments;
• Reduces the amount of time employers spend withholding child support obligations;
• Is safer than writing and mailing checks; and
• Reduces costs associated with remitting child support.

To meet the State's requirements, there are two methods by which child support payments can be remitted electronically:

1. Pay by Checking Account Debit
   
   To make a payment by checking account debit, visit http://oh.smartchildsupport.com/employer. There is no charge for payments sent to Ohio CSPC. The payment start date must be at least five (5) business days from the date you register your account. This will allow sufficient time for the bank account information to be verified (prenote). If the account has been previously verified then the payment must be scheduled at least three (3) business days prior to its payment date.
   
   The Smart Child Support web site has additional details.
   
   
2. Pay by National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) approved ACH Credit
   
   Electronic payments may also be made via ACH credit in either the CCD+ or CTX 820 file format. To remit via ACH credit, verify that your payroll software and your financial institution have the capability to remit in one of the two approved formats. These two approved formats allow for the employee name, case number and Social Security Number to travel with the payment so that Ohio CSPC can accurately apply the funds to the correct case. Many software companies have already developed their payroll software with these capabilities included. If you have questions, contact your software provider or financial institution for assistance.

Before you send your first electronic payment, you must register online at: https://oh.smartchildsupport.com.

Additional information regarding electronic payments is available in the CSPC Employer EFT/EDI Packet, the JFS 08020 - Employer's Resource Guide to Child Support, and the Federal User Guide for Electronic Child Support Payments.

If you have questions about electronic payments, please call CSPC Customer Support at 1-888-965-2676.

If you do not meet the requirements for mandatory electronic remittance, you may remit your payment via personal check, money order, or cashier's check. Make checks payable to Ohio CSPC and mail via standard U.S. mail to:

Ohio CSPC
P.O. Box 182394
Columbus, OH 43218-2394

• Do not send payments to the County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
• To send your payment via overnight delivery, you must use the United States Postal Service's Express Mail.
• Checks $20,000 and over will be held for 10 business days to ensure fund availability before being processed to a case/order.
• Checks between $5,000-$19,999.99 will be held for up to 5 business days to ensure fund availability before being processed to a case/order. Once a remitter has a history of submitting checks that have not been returned by their bank, the hold time may be reduced.
• Stop Payments: You must confirm that the payment has not already been processed by CSPC prior to stopping payment on a check remitted to CSPC. In addition, you must submit a stop payment affidavit within two business days to ohsdu.finance@smimail.net, indicating that the check was lost or stolen.

Information that Must be Included with Payments

To ensure prompt and accurate posting to your child support case, please be sure to include the following with your payment:

• Employee Name.
• Employee Social Security Number (optional).
• SETS Case Number (10-digit number that begins with a 7).
• Court Order Number.
• Amount that should be applied to each case/order. If the employee has multiple cases and/or cases with multiple orders, you must list each unique case and order separately along with the amount that should be applied to each.
• If the payment is a lump sum payment, the remittance must be clearly marked "Lump Sum."

You may create your own remittance statement and attach it to your payment, but be sure to include all of the above information.

Returned Deposit Items (RDIs)

If you make a support payment by personal check and your check is returned unpaid by your bank, National Payment Solutions (NPS) will contact you to resolve the RDI.

The most common forms of RDIs result from Non-Sufficient Funds and Stop Payments.

• All RDIs will be handled by National Payment Solutions, 1-877-734-0673.
• As a result of the RDI, your bank account will be flagged and no additional personal checks will be accepted.
• All subsequent payments will have to be made by a secured payment, such as a certified check, money order, or cashier's check.

Per ORC sections 3121.036 and 3121.037, changes in an employee's status must be reported to the County CSEA that administers the order. In the event of a layoff, termination, leave of absence without pay, or any termination of pension or retirement benefits, the employer must notify the CSEA in writing within ten (10) days of the occurrence. The notice must include the employee's last known address and any available information regarding a new employer or income source. Failure to notify the CSEA of significant changes could result in unnecessary legal consequences for the employee.

Effective October 1, 2005, Ohio implemented a law (HB66) requiring a mandatory electronic disbursement program for support payments providing you a faster, simpler, safer way to receive your support payments.

• No check cashing fees
• No worries about stolen checks
• No waiting by the mailbox

There are two ways to receive your payments electronically.

1. Direct Deposit
   
   With direct deposit, your support payments are deposited directly to your account at your financial institution. Your payment should be deposited into your bank account within three business days of the date your payment was posted to your case. The statement you receive from your financial institution will provide you with a record of your deposit. Always remember to make sure your payment has been deposited into your account before accessing the funds.
   
   
2. Platinum smiONE™ Visa ® Prepaid Card
   
   The Ohio Child Support debit card program offers the Platinum simONE Visa Prepaid Card to receive and use your support payments. Support payments are credited to your smiONE card within one business day of the date your payments are posted to your case. You do not need a bank account to enroll.
   
   You can use your smiONE card at any place that accepts Visa debit cards to:
   • Make secure purchases in person or online
   • Go contact-free with the "tap to pay" option
   • Pay for purchases with your Apple™ Pay, Google™ Pay or Samsung Pay mobile wallet
   • Withdraw cash at banks, credit unions, and ATMs that display the Visa®, Interlock®, Plus®, Allpoint ®, or Fifth Bank® acceptance marks. Fees are not charged at Allpoint or Fifth Third Bank ATMs to withdraw cash or for any purchase transaction.
   
   
   A list of Allpoint ATMs can be found at http://www.allpointnetwork.com/locator.aspx.
   
   A list of Fifth Third Bank locations can be found at https://locations.53.com/.
   
   A $2.50 (out-of-network) fee applies to non-Allpoint and non-Fifth Third Bank ATM withdrawals. You may also be charged an additional fee by the ATM operator, even if you do not complete a transaction.
   
   The Platinum smiONE™ Visa Prepaid card brochure contains features and benefits of the card, as well as information about the Platinum smiONE mobile app.
   
   

smiONE™ Card Balance, Transaction, and Usage Information  

You can securely view your available balance and transaction history by visiting http://www.smionecard.com. You can also visit the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to download the free Platinum smiONE app for IOS or Android to:

• Activate your card
• Check your balance
• View transaction history
• Transfer funds to authorized users
• Set up alerts
• Pay bills

You can add other funds to your smiONE card by having your payments such as your paycheck or tax refund direct deposited to your smiONE card. You can also use the Platinum smiONE mobile app to deposit checks with Mobile Check Load or visit a Visa ReadyLink location to reload your card with cash. (A third-party fee may apply; please see the Cardholder agreement, which is provided to you when you receive your card, for additional details.)

Effective 9-14-2022, if you receive multiple support payments for the same case/order on the same day, instead of receiving multiple deposits, you will now receive one payment for the total dollar amount that will be deposited to your smiONE Card.

You can also contact smiONE Customer Support at 1-855-279-2744.

Expiring smiONE Cards  

smiONE cards contain a magnetic stripe that over time can become worn, as can the card itself through regular usage. As such, the smiONE cards expire five years after the date they are issued. One month prior to the card's expiration date, a new card will be mailed to you.

To avoid delays in your support payments, and to ensure delivery of reissued smiONE cards, please keep your County CSEA informed of your current address. The Valid Thru date on the front of your card is the expiration date.

The Expiring smiONE™ Questions and Answers Reference Guide provides additional information about expiring cards.

Enrollment  

Enrollment is simple! Visit http://oh.smartchildsupport.com and follow the instructions to enroll in either direct deposit or smiONE card. You can also complete the Ohio Child Support Program e-Disbursement Enrollment Form, and follow the mailing instructions.

Deceased smiONE Cardholder Fund Removal Process  

If the cardholder is deceased, please contact smiONE Customer Support at 1-855-279-2744 or email at smionecard@smimail.net. With the appropriate documentation and authority, the card will be cancelled immediately and options will be provided to the estate for fund removal, compliant with state and federal banking and probate regulations.

The Ohio Child Support Customer Service Portal allows customers with an active child support case a secure environment in which they can view their child support case information on demand. Customers are able to view and print up to two years of child support payment data, as well as view address, employment, health insurance, and support order information that is on file with the child support agency. 

NOTE: Provided all the required posting information is included with the payment, a payment received by CSPC is disbursed within two working days. Failure by an obligor, an employer, or other remitter to include the required posting information with a payment causes posting delays. From the date a payment posts to your case, please allow one business day for the payment to be applied to your smiONE card, three business days for the payment to be deposited into your direct deposit account, or seven business days for the U.S. Postal System to deliver your check.

Prior to July 1, 2019, participants who were enrolled in Ohio's debit card program received their payments on the Ohio e-QuickPay Debit MasterCard. Participants who have a balance on their e-QuickPay card should continue to use their card until the balance is zero.

If you still have a balance on your e-QuickPay card and it expires, you will receive a replacement card as long as the e-QuickPay Card Services has a valid address for you. To update your address, contact e-QuickPay Customer Support at 1-800-503-1283. You should also update your address with your county CSEA.

If you lose your e-QuickPay card or need to report it stolen, contact e-QuickPay Customer Support at 1-800-503-1283 immediately.

If you have a balance on your e-QuickPay card and there is no client-initiated activity for approximately three years, your balance may be escheated to the Department of Commerce of the state in which you reside. For more information, contact e-QuickPay Customer Support at 1-800-503-1283.  

Case Information - County CSEA 

Withholding Amounts - County CSEA 

Employee Status Changes - County CSEA 

Lump Sum Payments - County Lump Sum Coordinator   

Payments sent to CSPC - CSPC Customer Support - 1-888-965-2676

Stop Payments - CSPC Customer Support - 1-888-965-2676

Electronic Payments - CSPC Customer Support - 1-888-965-2676

smiONE Customer Support - 1-855-279-2744

e-QuickPay Customer Support - 1800-503-1283

• Ohio Child Support Customer Service Web Portal
• Make a payment by ACH Credit, ACH Debit, or credit/debit card.
• Additional information regarding electronic payments:
  • CSPC Employer EFT/EDI Packet
  • JFS 08020 - Employer's Resource Guide to Child Support
  • Federal User Guide for Electronic Child Support Payments
• smiONE Card brochure: Contains features and benefits of the card, as well as information on the Platinum smiONE mobile app.
• View your smiONE card balance and transaction history:
  • https://smionecard.com/
  • Call smiONE Customer Support at 855-279-2744
  • Download the mobile app at the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store
• Expiring smiONE™Visa Debit Cards Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
• Ohio Child Support Program e-Disbursement Enrollment Form
• County CSEA Lump Sum Coordinator List: Determine your county's Lump Sum Coordinator(s)
• Determine if you have available child support unclaimed funds (CUF) at the Ohio Department of Commerce (ODC).
• Ohio CSPC Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
• CSPC related Ohio Administrative Code rules