Local governments are rushing to go digital, and for good reason. The COVID-19 pandemic forced citizens and businesses to move online, making digital government a necessity to deliver public services and safely collect payments. Further, citizens paying utility bills, taxes, citations, etc, now expect their local government to provide the same customer-friendly payment experience that they see in the private sector. So, now more than ever, as most citizens conduct a majority of their transactions online, local governments have the opportunity to transform the payment experience by implementing user-friendly, mobile-enabled web pay solutions.
Consumers Are Showing A Preference For Online Payments. Here’s Why
A [recent study](https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/research-department-working-paper/2020/consumer-payment-choice-for-bill-payments.aspx) by the Federal Reserve Bank Of Boston noted that around 64% or two-thirds of bills were paid online. Moreover, [in another survey](https://www.paypal.com/us/brc/article/time-for-government-agency-to-accept-digital-payments), 69% of US respondents said that they’d be more likely to pay government bills soon if they had the option to pay online. The many benefits of online payment solutions explain why citizens are showing a growing preference for digital.One of the most vital features of online payment solutions is the ability for citizens to easily pay bills, tickets, taxes, and other fees from anywhere. This means that citizens do not have to set aside time and resources to go to City Hall, the municipal court, or another government payment center to pay their dues. Web payment systems allow citizens to make secure and efficient government bill payments, making them an appealing choice.
Choose The Right Digital Payments Partner
AdComp’s web payments system is a secure, easy-to-use bill payment solution. Here are the top three features of our system that make it convenient for your citizens to pay and help local governments foster compliance.● Mobile-enabled web pay
Our mobile-enabled web portal brings the government payment center right to citizens’ smartphones. So, now, all citizens have to do is get on the web payments page — which we design with the local government’s branding so citizens feel confident and secure when making a payment — check their balance, and make a payment using e-checks or credit cards. Our QuickPay feature makes it possible for citizens to pay without creating a user account so their entire payment experience is quick and hassle-free.
● Multiple ways to look up account balance
We make it easy for citizens to look up their balance by offering multiple identification options, ranging from account number and last name for utility bills to driver’s license, citation number, and more for court payments.
● Option to send out payment reminders
We provide payment reminder services that can be integrated with our web pay solution. Through these periodic text message notifications, citizens get reminders to pay their utility bills, citations, and taxes with a link to the web payments portal.
This system has received positive feedback from citizens who find it helpful to receive reminders to ensure they do not miss a payment deadline amid the chaos of a fast-paced schedule.
The recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal acknowledged today’s growing digital landscape through a $65 billion investment geared toward broadband connectivity to ensure all Americans have access to reliable, high-speed internet. With this increasing digital push in mind, local governments should implement web pay solutions as a first step toward accelerating their digital transformation and providing a user-friendly bill payment experience.
To learn more about our web payments solution, including our reporting and customer support features, schedule a product demo here.
