A municipal payment kiosk provides citizens with a flexible, self-service, and fast solution to pay their bills in person and after hours. For local governments planning to purchase a kiosk, it’s key to remember that one of the primary drivers of successful payment kiosk implementation is choosing the right vendor to design and launch the machine.

Here are some important questions local governments should ask when evaluating payment kiosk vendors. You can also download our checklist to use as a reference when assessing vendors.

Click here to download.

To see why we’re the right kiosk partner for your government, schedule a product demo here.

- Can the vendor customize their kiosk’s hardware and software components to fit your government’s requirements?

For instance, if you need a kiosk that can scan the barcode on a bill or a kiosk that dispenses change, check if the vendor has the capability to incorporate the necessary hardware. If you also manage municipal utilities and require a technology that does not give out change but can apply any excess customer payment to their next bill, it’s important to ensure that your vendor can customize their kiosk software according to your needs.

- Is the vendor experienced in designing varied kiosk models, such as machines that can be installed indoors, outdoors, or through the wall?

Make sure your vendor is skilled in building different kiosk models so they understand the nuances of each and incorporate features that make the machine accessible and easy to maintain for your staff, whether the kiosk is installed indoors, outdoors, or through the wall.

- Can the kiosk vendor offer a solution that supports multiple payment options?

Your vendor should have a kiosk that can be designed to accept cash, check, and credit cards so you have the option to choose and provide payment methods that would best serve your citizens.

- Is the vendor’s kiosk technology and interface user-friendly?

Customers using your kiosk should be able to navigate through the interface and make a payment quickly and without much assistance. Make sure your vendor can provide a user-friendly bill payment kiosk that allows customers to look up their account balance using multiple identification options. If the kiosk is bilingual, that’s another great benefit.

- Does the vendor provide 24/7 customer support?

This question is especially crucial if your government wants to launch a kiosk with 24/7 payment availability. All customers, including those making after-hours payments, should be able to get support when they need it. You don’t want citizens calling your office for technical assistance or leaving frustrated because they couldn’t get the support they needed to complete a payment. Your vendor should have 24/7 remote access to their kiosks to fix any technical issues and assist your citizens.

- Does the kiosk vendor provide real-time transaction updates?

The vendor should update payment information in real-time, so your customer accounts are up-to-date. Any delay in reporting a transaction could mean your citizens risk facing penalties or service interruptions, which is a tedious affair for both citizens and staff. Choose a vendor that provides real-time payment reports so you can track transactions.

- Can the vendor integrate their kiosk with your financial software?

It’s important for the vendor to integrate their kiosk solution with your existing financial software to seamlessly capture and record customer transaction data. Discuss the integration process with your vendor and options such as batch integration or real-time integration to identify the right approach for your government.

- Can the kiosk vendor integrate with multiple departments to facilitate payments?

Would you prefer if citizens could make in-person payments for all their municipal utility bills, taxes, citations, permits through one kiosk? If yes, then make sure your vendor can provide a kiosk solution that integrates with multiple departments so you can offer a one-stop payment solution to all your citizens.

- Does the vendor provide PCI-compliant kiosks and follow industry-leading security standards?

Security features should be a major consideration when evaluating a payment kiosk vendor. Your kiosk vendor should regularly review and update their payment processing systems to maintain PCI compliance. This is essential to ensure the security of your citizens’ data.

- Does your vendor regularly monitor and update their kiosk software?

Choose a vendor that routinely updates their kiosk software to ensure it’s up-to-date and secure. This way, you can rest assured that your kiosk technology is in line with industry standards.

- Has the vendor launched a kiosk project with similar scope?

Evaluating the vendor’s past projects and successful kiosk client network will give you a strong idea of their reputation, capabilities, and work ethic. It’s key to choose the right kiosk partner to ensure your machine is durable, secure, user-friendly, and well-maintained.

For years, local governments have chosen AdComp Systems Group as their payment kiosk manufacturer because of our strong expertise in building custom kiosks and providing 24/7 customer support. Our self-service Justified Automated Cashiering Kiosk (JACK) is PCI-compliant, supports diverse payment options, and can be placed indoors, outdoors, or through the wall for drive-through or walk-in payments.

Learn more about our kiosk here.