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What are User Fees?

Ken Black
Ken Black

User fees are a type of charge levied only against those who take advantage of a product or service. In most cases, these fees are distinguished from other fees and government charges, which are assessed to the general population as taxes. As one of its main sources of revenue, a government typically closely watches and adjusts user fees in an attempt to produce the maximum amount of income from such revenue streams.

One of the most apparent user fees in government is that of toll roads. While these roads may have originally been built, in part or full, with the use of tax money, often the maintenance and expansion of the system is paid for using tolls. These user fees are optional, because motorists often can avoid the toll roads, though it may make their trips longer. In essence, governments believe that enough motorists will use these roads, trading payment for convenience and time.

Swimming pool user fees often go toward maintenance of the pool.
Swimming pool user fees often go toward maintenance of the pool.

Though some politicians may attempt to stretch the language to fit their definition, a distinct difference exists between fees and taxation. A user fee is not compulsory, meaning there is no such thing as a mandated fee. Any fee that is mandated is, in essence, a tax because the user cannot choose to avoid the fee legally.

User fees are most often used specifically to preserve or enhance the product or service being paid for. In the case of camping, for example, the user fee is used as a way to provide a natural resources or conservation agency with a way of maintaining the land for natural recreational use. The same is true of fees for public swimming pools, which generally go toward the maintenance of the pool and, possibly, its eventual replacement.

User fees charged at public pools may be used to maintain hygienic shower facilities.
User fees charged at public pools may be used to maintain hygienic shower facilities.

In the case where the user fees do not adequately provide for the funding of the service or product, the government has several options. It can use tax revenue to supplement fee revenue for such services, which often comes from a general fund. It may also decide to raise those fees. Another option the government has is to simply suspend the service. The option chosen is often based on political goals and fallout.

On the other hand, user fees may also more than adequately pay for the service, leading to a surplus in the fund set aside for that fee. Governments may also have several options in such cases. Some may choose to save the money in a reserve fund in case future years bring in lesser amounts of revenue. Others may simply move the money into a general fund, or some other type of usable fund.

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Discussion Comments

irontoenail

@Ana1234 - People will always get upset about user fees and it's usually the same people who get upset about taxes. One way or another, these big projects need to be paid for. It happens whenever my local swimming pool puts up its user fees. People start complaining about the extra 10 cents or whatever it is, and the swimming pool has to explain that the money needs to come from somewhere. They actually are subsidized by the local council and that's the only way they manage to keep their fees as low as they do.

We take this kind of thing for granted, because we're used to it being cheap, but it takes millions of dollars to maintain a swimming pool complex to the required standard.

Ana1234

@croydon - It's almost certainly not been done for that reason. The thing most people hate about toll bridges isn't that they charge, but that they take so long to get through. If you're there on a busy time, then they can take forever, when the whole point of placing a bridge is usually to cut down on traffic, not create more lines of it.

If you can zip through and get the bill later, that's a lot more convenient (although I don't know if it's particularly good for the environment).

Besides, they would have put up all kinds of signs letting her know about the fee. It's just something you have to remember and work into the cost of the journey.

croydon

My mother recently went over a toll bridge when she was visiting her mother and was surprised to get a bill in the mail afterwards. They didn't charge her on the bridge itself, they just took a photograph of her car and then automatically sent out the user fee to her address.

I'm not opposed to toll bridges in general, but I don't like this idea of charging people after the fact. It seems slippery, like they are trying to make it so that you don't realize you've got to pay until after you've done whatever it is that you were doing.

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    • Swimming pool user fees often go toward maintenance of the pool.
      By: nyul
      Swimming pool user fees often go toward maintenance of the pool.
    • User fees charged at public pools may be used to maintain hygienic shower facilities.
      By: Andreas Schindl
      User fees charged at public pools may be used to maintain hygienic shower facilities.