Merchant Banking Services

The City of Cedar Park in Williamson County, Texas is seeking a comprehensive Merchant Banking Services contract through Request for Proposal (RFP) #02-09-224-KS-010, targeting electronic payment processing solutions for multiple city departments. The procurement aims to replace the current credit card payment system with a new solution compatible with Tyler Incode software versions 9 and 10, to be implemented before December 31, 2024. The contract requires a payment processing partner capable of supporting 24 or more credit card readers across six departments: Utility Billing, Municipal Court, Library, Parks & Recreation, Fire Marshall, and Police Department. Proposers must support transactions via MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and other services, with capabilities including cardholder authentication, electronic check conversion, daily transaction reporting, and PCI compliance. The evaluation criteria will be weighted as follows: 25% vendor experience, 35% performance capability assessment, and 40% pricing. Proposals are due on March 29, 2024, at 2:00 PM, with vendors required to submit comprehensive documentation including conflict of interest forms, W-9, references, and detailed company and solution information.

The RFP does not explicitly indicate specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The current infrastructure includes 16 EMV Ingenico ISC250 credit card readers purchased in 2016, and the city requires seamless integration with existing Tyler Incode software. Most city departments currently absorb payment processing fees, with the Municipal Court being an exception by passing a $2.00 convenience fee for phone payments over $40. The contract will be initially awarded for one year, with the potential for automatic renewal up to nine additional one-year periods, subject to a maximum 3% escalation factor per renewal. While specific budget ranges are not detailed, the document references one merchant account processing 182,728 transactions totaling over $25 million in the most recent year, suggesting significant transaction volumes. The city requires an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for phone payments and will accept electronic signatures such as DocuSign. The new system must provide daily gross payment deposits, online reconciliation reports, a backup web solution, and compatibility with current and future credit card industry technologies.