The City of Syracuse in New York partnered with EngageSmart’s InvoiceCloud to launch an online billing and payment system for Syracuse residents to make tax payments, according to a press release on Tuesday (Jan. 18).
The new online tax portal officially began taking payments on Dec. 28, 2021. Previously, payments could only be made using cash, check or credit cards.
With InvoiceCloud, Syracuse residents can pay tax bills by phone, text, GooglePay, ApplePay, PayPal, or online. The platform also allows for scheduling payments on specific dates. The new system also has lower convenience fees than its previous online system.
See also: Tax Platform April Wants to Give Users Faster Refunds
“InvoiceCloud’s payment portal is a secure and simple way for residents to make payments in the way that’s most convenient for them,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “The platform’s ease of use will also save city employees time so that they can focus on other high-value interactions with each payments customer and advancing overall operations.”
Syracuse already uses InvoiceCloud for to offer residents a digital option for paying water and parking bills. Founded in 2009, InvoiceCloud is among the leading providers of online bill payment services and is a disruptor in the cloud-based electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) space, according to the release.
Read more: Regulatory Environment Still Uncertain for CBDCs
“InvoiceCloud is ideal for our operations in the City Payment Center. It uses a secure, cloud-based platform that protects customer information and it also gives residents an alternative to paying via mail or in-person. Whether we are trying to maintain social distancing guidelines or provide a thoughtful convenience for area residents during times of inclement weather, the solution is a smart approach to delivering financial services to thousands of residents and businesses,” said Syracuse Deputy Commissioner of Finance Viki Voss.
InvoiceCloud has more than 2,100 clients nationwide and has processed over 50 million payments annually. Its parent company, EngageSmart, provides vertically tailored customer engagement software and integrated payments solutions. EngageSmart serves over 74,000 customers in the SMB space and more than 3,000 clients in the enterprise solutions sector across five core verticals — health and wellness, government, utilities, financial services and giving.