PayIt lands partnership with the Sunflower State

PayIt Co-Founders Mike Plunkett, left, and John Thomson, right

Financial tech startup PayIt announced Monday that it will work with the Sunflower State as its innovation partner. 

The Kansas City-based firm will work with Kansas’ Office of Information Technology Services, offering its web and mobile app that streamlines financial interactions between citizens and government agencies.

PayIt CEO John Thomson said he’s excited to partner with Kansas to help its citizens pay bills and fines from their phones.

“This contract award means a lot to PayIt,” Thomson said. “It’s another signal from the market that our unique approach in government tech is resonating. We’re excited about delivering our products in partnership with the state.”

PayIt’s services offers city, county, state and federal government agencies a personalized platform on which citizens can create a profile to simplify payments and interaction. The platform, for example, can notify a user when a vehicle’s tag must be renewed and then allows payment via phone or computer, increasing engagement and cutting down on physical wait time. The platform also provides analytics information to government agencies on how citizens tap the platform.  

Unlike many software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, PayIt provides its platform to government agencies for free upfront. The company takes a small cut of the agency’s transaction fees, reducing its annual costs.

Thomson said the partnership with Kansas is directly in line with firm’s mission.

“Our mission is to simplify government for citizen consumers,” Thomson said. “Citizens already have incredibly powerful tools in their hands. We need to meet them where they are, and simplify how they interact and engage with their government.”

“We see our partnership with PayIt as consistent with our overall strategy to make State IT highly performant and financially responsible,” Phil Wittmer, Kansas’ chief information technology officer, said in a release.

PayIt burst onto the Kansas City startup scene in early January 2016 after it registered a $4.5 million capital raise. The company now has more than 20 employees.

Last November, PayIt launched its platform in St. Louis, Mo and in April it secured a contract with Grand Rapids, Mich. The startup also made GovTech’s top 100 list in 2017.

PayIt was named one of Startland News’ top startups to watch in 2017. The firm is currently hiring software developers, consultants and business development positions.