RFP-26-27-006-Enterprise Customer Payment Platform and Payment Processing

The City of Danville, Virginia is requesting proposals for an Enterprise Customer Payment Platform and Payment Processing Services under RFP-26-27-006, with sealed proposals due September 3, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The pre-bid meeting occurred August 11, 2026; written questions were due August 18, 2026. The City processes approximately 193,602 payments annually totaling $46.8 million across roughly 43,000 utility accounts.

The platform must support multiple payment channels including online portals, interactive voice response (IVR), point-of-sale (POS) terminals, text-to-pay, and mobile payments. The solution must integrate with Harris CIS Infinity version 4.1.63.134266 (internally hosted) via REST and SOAP APIs and with the Smart Energy Water SmartCX customer engagement platform. Required functionality includes real-time payment posting, daily reconciliation reporting, customer self-service capabilities, and payment management tools. The City currently operates under a hybrid fee model: residential customers have transaction fees absorbed by the City (currently $3.75 per transaction, transitioning to percentage-based pricing), while commercial and industrial customers pay fees with a $500 maximum per transaction. Current payment mix comprises debit cards (50.15%), credit cards (33.19%), and ACH transactions (12.41%).

The platform must support approximately 5 POS terminals. Settlement timing must occur within 1–3 days with daily activity reporting in Excel format. Vendors must provide SOC 2 Type II reports and penetration test results under non-disclosure agreements. Harris licensing, configuration, and professional services costs required for integration must be included in vendor pricing. The City will not migrate stored payment tokens, AutoPay enrollments, customer profiles, or historical payment data, nor require disconnect/reconnect functionality. Any new payment processor must be certified by or an existing partner with Harris Advanced Utility Systems.

The contract term is five years with options to renew for two additional five-year periods. Implementation is anticipated to start October 1, 2026 (or November 1, 2026 per one clarification), with production go-live on March 31, 2027. The anticipated award date is late September 2026. Professional liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and comprehensive general liability coverage of $1 million per occurrence and aggregate are required. Performance and labor and material bonds are not applicable. The current Paymentus contract expires December 2027. Award will be made to the lowest responsible and responsive vendor with consideration given to completion time and overall proposal quality.