Title
Approval of AGR22-930 with Paymentus Corporation in the Amount of $120,000 plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax for the Purpose of Credit Card and Electronic Bill Payment Services.
Recommended Action
I move that the Board of Public Utilities approve Services Agreement AGR22-930 with Paymentus Corporation in the amount of $120,000.00 plus applicable gross receipts tax and forward to Council for consideration.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board approve the motion as presented.
Body
DPU is seeking approval for AGR22-930 with Paymentus Corporation for credit card and electronic bill pay services. For the past 7 years, Paymentus Corporation has provided these services to DPU customers successfully. AGR16-4289 expired at the end of December and DPU must solicit for a replacement for these services. AGR22-930 is a one-year term contract to allow DPU staff to complete the procurement process without interrupting this popular service to customers. These services were planned into FY2022 budgets and will not create any significant impacts to budget, and we remain confident the service provides good value for the department and our customers in terms of payment ease and flexibility. Once the procurement process has been completed this contract will be cancelled and replaced with a long-term contract for the services.
Covid and the renewed emphasis on contact-less payment alternatives, has increased the usage of credit card payment alternatives and the resulting fees.
Additional background on DPU’s history with Paymentus Corporation, previously presented to the BPU, is repeated here for clarity and ease of reference: For years, the Utilities Department had a “convenience fee” model for accepting credit card payments for utilities bills. Under this model, customers were charged $4.95 per transaction with a transaction limit of $450.00. The department received substantial customer feedback that this model was unacceptable in th...
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