PayIt forward: Kansas renews contract with KC tech company that took DMV headaches off the road
December 7, 2023 | Startland News Staff
For the more than 1 million Kansans who’ve already avoided long lines at the DMV thanks to PayIt’s award-winning digital payments platform, that experience — and others — will only get more convenient with the mobile-first technology’s Sunflower State renewal through at least 2026.
PayIt this week announced a new deal with the State of Kansas to continue using iKan, PayIt’s resident-facing platform for renewing driver’s licenses, ID cards, and vehicle registrations, ordering birth, death, and marriage certificates, and purchasing annual park passes.
First introduced in 2018, iKan was a foundational product offering for Kansas City-based PayIt, which has since expanded internationally — scaling not only its footprint but services.
“We’ve seen a lot of evolution,” a spokesperson from the scaling company told Startland News. “PayIt has added the ability to buy park passes, leading to a 50 percent increase in purchases across the state. Residents can now securely submit eye doctor information online. We enabled legislation (through multi-agency cooperation) to make this happen. PayIt has also added full Spanish translation across the platform to make government services more accessible to all Kansas residents. We continue to enhance the platform to stay at the cutting edge of fraud, security, and ADA accessibility compliance.”
Nearly 1 in 2 Kansas residents have registered with iKan, and the platform has processed over 4.5 million transactions, representing nearly $1 billion in revenue collected for the state, according to PayIt.
The company currently has more than 225 employees distributed across North America, with its headquarters in downtown Kansas City, as well as offices in Nashville and Toronto.
Click here to learn more about PayIt.
“Since launching iKan, we’ve been pleased to see how the platform has been able to save time, money, and stress for our residents and government staff,” said David Harper, director of property valuation and vehicles divisions for the Kansas Department of Revenue. “We’re happy to continue our relationship with PayIt, ensuring Kansans have access to all the ease and convenience they have come to expect from transactions with their government.”
In addition to the state, counties and cities throughout Kansas are able to adopt iKan as their official payments platform, creating an integrated digital government experience for Kansas residents. The renewal through 2026 also allows local agencies at the city and county level currently leveraging iKan to continue doing so, ensuring a seamless experience for residents and agency staff, according to PayIt.
In Wyandotte County, PayIt’s iKan integrates with the local myWyco app.
“The iKan platform has provided a lot of value to our residents and county staff, and the PayIt team has worked side-by-side with our team to ensure smooth implementation and widespread resident adoption,” said by Andrea Vinyard, deputy treasurer of Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. “We’re delighted to continue working with PayIt, and I look forward to serving even more of our residents with a modern digital experience.”

John Thomson, PayIt, speaks during a fireside chat as part of the 2022 kickoff of Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
iKan is designed to shift residents to digital channels, offering users the ability to make payments and securely store payment methods, documents, and receipts, the company said. Government agencies in Kansas increase their operational efficiency, reduce support costs, and garner payment insights from the platform. PayIt’s turnkey process and ability to integrate with any legacy back-office systems enable government agencies to go live with the offering in as little as 90 days, delivering the value back to employees and residents quickly and effectively.
“Through our growing partnership with the teams in Kansas, both at the state and local level, we’ve been impressed with the culture of innovation and dedication to providing their residents with a world-class experience,” said John Thomson, founder and CEO of PayIt. “We’re proud to be re-selected and look forward to building on the success of the iKan platform and continuing to support Kansas as it advances its modernization goals.”
RELATED: PayIt appoints new president and COO as fast-scaling KC govtech company hits pivotal moment

2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KCSourceLink releases annual We Create KC report
In 2012, Kansas City made the bold proclamation it wanted to become the most entrepreneurial city in America. To track its progress, entrepreneurial resource hub KCSourceLink launched We Create KC, a series of reports that track metrics associated with the health of the area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. From access to capital to jobs created, the report looks…
UMKC’s Bloch Venture Hub offers multi-tier hub for startups at different stages
A new community resource space for Kansas City entrepreneurs at all stages launched Friday with the aim to build a bridge for early-stage ventures. Previously a Country Club Bank location, the facility hopes to cultivate more local entrepreneurial ventures. Located at 4328 Madison St., the Bloch Venture Hub is powered by University of Missouri-Kansas City’s…
Digital Sandbox announces funding for six new companies
On Thursday, Digital Sandbox KC announced its newest cohort of six area startups. Led by entrepreneur Jeff Shackelford, the Kansas City-based incubator welcomed 17° 73° Innovation Co, Anticipate Ventures, FEWDM, Homegrown & Happy, Live-K and TicketRx to the program. “The continued support through partnerships, like Independence, Olathe and Great Plains Energy for the Energy…
During Taste of Techstars, David Cohen offers three tips for hopeful applicants
Founder and co-CEO of Techstars David Cohen addressed Kansas City via a simulcast on Thursday morning, sharing three tips for startups. This preceded the day long workshop Taste of Techstars, which is hosted in multiple Techstars cities. Including simulcast talks, mentor sessions and pitch practice — Kansas City Techstars managing director Lesa Mitchell said she…


