The public sector depends on consistent revenue to serve their community. Efficient digital payment solutions do more for government agencies than improve billing and payment systems —they also meet customer needs.
Government agencies understand the importance of streamlined payment processes for both sides of a transaction. That’s why your constituents need flexible, convenient payment options accessible on the devices they use most often.
If outdated payment processes cause friction in your revenue cycle, it’s time to upgrade. In this article, we explore how updated digital payment solutions improve efficiency for your agency and residents in your municipality.
Process Designed for Improved Payment Experiences
Serving citizens begins with a fair consideration of their experience. Outdated payment solutions that once were the norm now pose challenges that many citizens today find discouraging and needlessly complicated. In the digital age, convenience is crucial.
Over one-third of government customers cite bill delivery as a significant factor in how quickly they pay.
Accessible digital payment solutions fix broken processes, and offering a modernized system gives customers a faster, more efficient payment method. Your agency can serve more citizens, receive faster payments, and reduce work for your department.
10 Questions to Assess Your Outdated Payment Experience
Your digital payment system should be modern, efficient, and secure. For efficiency, it’s vital to consider several aspects of the customer payment experience as well as the experience of your back office.
How efficient is your current payment system? Take the 10-question self-assessment to identify opportunities to deliver a customer-first payment experience. Sample questions are:
- How much time do customers spend in line when they visit your organization in person?
- How much time does your team spend on reconciliation weekly?
- How many days does it take customers to open or receive their payment invoice after you’ve mailed/texted/emailed them?
- How long does it take to collect customer payments?
- How many payment options do you offer your customers?
If your results indicate your payment experience needs improvement or immediate attention, a switch to improved digital payment solutions can positively impact your revenue pipeline.
How Better Payment Experiences Drive Efficiency for Your Agency and the Citizens You Serve
Government customers and citizens want the most modernized payment experience possible. Your constituents have come to expect the straightforward, easy-to-use payment options already adopted in modern commerce. How does your agency improve its payment experience? With similarly forward-thinking measures.
Nearly 80% of consumers put speed and convenience at the top of their priority list for a smooth payment experience, with a strong emphasis on streamlined digital payment solutions.
Solutions that offer numerous benefits to consumers include:
- Decreased wait times
- Digital invoices
- Contactless payment options
- Convenient payment channels
- Secure transactions
On the back end, digital payment options benefit your agency with reductions in:
- Manual reconciliation
- Citizen response delays
- Data entry errors
- Time spent in revenue collection
Your employees need efficient systems to increase back-office productivity. With this efficiency boost, your agency can allocate time and resources to other operations that benefit your community.
A Customer Billing and Payment Experience Checklist
A convenient, seamless payment experience for your citizens should check the right boxes. Can you answer “YES” to all of these questions?
- Are major credit card options available to your constituents when they’re ready to pay?
- Do you place digital decals for each credit card brand on your website’s “How to Pay” pages?
- Are payment options clearly stated and linked in every billing email sent to constituents?
- Are payment options clearly stated and available in every billing text sent to constituents?
- Are payment options clearly stated and labeled in every mailed billing statement to constituents?
- Are payment options visible with decals or other signs at physical locations where constituents can make in-person government payments?
Find out how you score with our Constituent Billing and Payment Experience Checklist.
Save 15-20% on Billing Costs
When government agencies implement modernized payment solutions, they get trackable transformations.
After the City of Davenport started adopting CORE’s digital payment products, the team estimated a 15-20% savings in billing costs through convenient online payment options, eBilling, IVR, and ACH payments.
With fewer metered mail and printing costs, digital services have saved this Iowa municipality more time, money, and staffing on 180,000 invoices annually.
Secure Payment Systems: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Right Fit
Digital payment solutions take many shapes. No single payment processing system will meet all your customers’ needs. Flexible payment systems offer multiple secure payment channel options to meet residents where they are.
To find the correct secure payment system for you and your citizens, answer the following questions:
- Does this payment option meet constituent expectations?
- Will the secure payment system accept more than one form of payment (credit card, e-check, bank transfer)?
- Is an in-person solution necessary in addition to a mobile or self-service payment solution?
- How does this streamline the backend payment processing system?
- Does this payment solution have the right accessibility features for customers?
- What automation features will adequately streamline the digital payment process?
Compare twelve of the most common payment solutions available at a glance below:
| PAIN POINT #1: Disconnected / Manual Processes |
PAIN POINT #2: Risk Management and Compliance |
PAIN POINT #3: Meeting the Evolving Customer Experience |
PAIN POINT #4: Reliability of Reconciliation |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBPP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cashiering | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Text-2-Pay | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Self-Service Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Mobile Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| ACH/eCheck Payments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hosted IVR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| POS/Devices Peripherals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Terminals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Wire Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
Transform Your Constituent Payment Experience with CORE
The right digital payment solution can optimize revenue operations and build valuable trust between your agency and local communities. Easier, faster payments facilitate positive citizen engagement while improving the tools and technology your agency needs to reform your revenue systems.
Revolutionize your payment experience with a trusted industry partner. Let’s discuss how CORE can help your government transform your payment systems and get more on-time payments.
