Digital Payments in the Public Sector: Boosting Efficiency and Citizen Satisfaction

Efficiency and security of online transactions are paramount for citizens and government agencies. With many payment options available, it can be overwhelming to navigate the best solutions. However, the integration of payment connectors such as Accela to Elavon, Tyler Cashiering, iNovah, Cybersource, and Authorize.net through Velosimo's off-the-shelf solutions is redefining the way agencies handle payments, offering unparalleled ease and security. This blog explores the challenges citizens face without these connectors and the significant benefits they gain by utilizing them.

Challenges of not having Payment Integrations

Before payment integrations, citizens often encountered a range of issues that complicated what should be simple transactions. These included:

• Lack of Security: Traditional payment methods lacked the robust security measures necessary to protect sensitive information, leading to a higher risk of data breaches.
• Inefficiency: Processing payments could be slow, requiring manual intervention that leads to service delays.
• Limited Payment Options: Citizens were often restricted to cash or check payments, which are not always convenient or feasible.
• Poor Visibility: Tracking payment transactions was cumbersome, making it difficult for citizens to verify payment statuses or locate transaction references.

The Transformative Benefits of Payment Integrations

Explore a case study showcasing the real-world impact of our payment integrations on citizen experiences and operational efficiency. This case study highlights how the City of Omaha successfully leveraged our solutions to streamline processes and transformative service delivery. 

Integrating payment connectors into the Civic Platform through Velosimo enhances the payment process for citizens and agencies alike. Let's dive into the specific benefits of each connector:

Elavon to Accela Integration

The Elavon connector enhances the payment experience by seamlessly integrating with Accela Citizen Access, smoothly transitioning to Elavon payment screens, and supporting Credit Card and ACH payment methods. It prioritizes security, ease of reconciliation, and compliance with PCI standards.

CyberSource to Accela Integration

CyberSource integration offers secure payment options directly within the Civic Platform, including credit card and ACH transactions. It simplifies the payment process by automatically managing transactions, preventing duplicate transactions through automatic authorization reversal, and enabling easy lookup of payment transactions. Furthermore, it handles convenience/service fees seamlessly and provides deep insights into transactions and system outages.

Authorize.net to Accela Integration

Similarly, the integration with Authorize.net automates payment transactions, supports Credit Card and ACH payment methods, and ensures transaction references are easily traceable. This connector also emphasizes security, ease of setup, and maintenance while offering insights into the payment process.

iNovah to Accela Integration

This connector automates the synchronization of permit and payment data for agencies leveraging iNovah for central cashiering. It enables the processing of various payment types and updates the Accela system in real time, ensuring a seamless experience for staff and citizens.

Tyler Cashiering to Accela Integration

Accepting payments for permits and licenses with Tyler Cashiering provides automated synchronization between the two systems and updates Accela in real-time with payment information. The integration uses Accela Fee Account codes to automatically sync fee item payments to the correct Tyler GL accounts, thereby streamlining the reconciliation process.

Conclusion

Integrating payment connectors such as Accela to Elavon, Tyler Cashiering, iNovah, CyberSource, and Authorize.net through Velosimo's solutions significantly mitigates the pain points previously experienced by your staff and citizens. These connectors enhance security and efficiency, offer flexibility in payment options and ease of transaction tracking, and provide valuable insights into payment processes. As agencies continue to adopt these integrations, your staff and citizens can enjoy a more streamlined, secure, and user-friendly payment experience, transforming the way civic transactions are conducted.