6 pitfalls to avoid in government payments
1
Overpaying on processing fees
For municipalities and government agencies, direct and indirect costs of accepting citizen payments add up fast. To optimize your costs, consider working with a payment provider who can offer tools that reduce unnecessary spend by increasing accuracy, automating payment processing and eliminating human errors.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• Transparent pricing
• No monthly portal fees
3
• Detailed invoicing
• Automated payments
Unreliable customer support
If your payment platform is lacking the dedicated, reliable support to be effective, consider switching to a purpose-built solution that is designed specifically for the needs of municipalities and government agencies. An ideal payment provider offers timely assistance to ensure business continuity and operational excellence both for you and those you serve.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• Bilingual live agent support
• Dedicated account manager
• Comprehensive training
2
Lack of payment options
When your payment provider cannot offer citizens their preferred payment methods and channels, you risk facing overdue and missed payments. Expanding payment options meets citizen expectations for speed and convenience, while boosting user engagement and ensuring more payments are made on time.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• Credit/debit cards
• ACH and eCheck
4
• Mobile payments, IVR, POS, phone
Poor user experience
Legacy platforms and generic solutions that are not custom-built for government entities lead to poor payment experiences for citizens and inefficient management for administrators. Best payment technology partners offer an advanced, centralized platform with intuitive interfaces for both administrators and citizens.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• Intuitive dashboard
• Admin and customer portal
5 6 Rigid and off-the-shelf payment software
Payment systems that cannot be integrated seamlessly within existing operational software cause disruptions and friction during transition. Consider providers that can enable easy integration with a wide range of government systems and platforms, enhancing all payment processes within a single interface.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• Robust APIs
• Real-time data sync & reporting
• Wide network of integration partners
• Multilingual dashboard capabilities
Insufficient security and compliance measures
A lack of measures to protect municipalities and citizens from data breaches and fraud can erode public trust and cost government entities their reputation and licenses. Look for providers that descope PCI compliance and utilize advanced fraud prevention technologies, ensuring all payments are secure and compliant with local regulations.
What to look for in a payment provider:
• PCI DSS compliance
• Compliance with local data protection laws (e.g. CPRA)
• Extensive fraud protection suite (AI/ML)