Automated High Volume Utility and Tax Collections for a Canadian GovTech in Salesforce using ChargeOn 

Executive Summary

The client is a specialized software provider in Canada. They collaborate with municipal corporations to manage public utility and tax collection services. The core of their business is managing high-volume transactions, specifically annual municipal tax payments and quarterly utility bills. They serve residents who expect modern digital payment options.

The client wanted to address the significant burden of manual payment processes used by municipal corporations. They required a scalable solution to handle about 500,000 transactions each year, with the ability to process massive spikes of up to 10,000 bills in a single batch during peak cycles. We implemented ChargeOn, which integrated directly with their application. This enabled automated one-time, scheduled, and recurring payments for both registered users and guests. 

Areas of Improvement

Before partnering with us, the client identified several areas where operational efficiency could be enhanced.

Operational Strain from Manual Legacy Processes

Municipalities struggled with manual and fragmented payment entry for tax and utility collections. Managing these collections led to significant operational bottlenecks, high human error rates, and a lack of real-time visibility into collection statuses, which hampered municipal cash flow management.

Performance Risks during Transactional Spikes

Municipal billing was seasonal, with massive spikes occurring during quarterly utility cycles and annual tax deadlines. The client required a system that could execute up to 10,000 payments in a single go without system timeouts or data loss. 

Rigid Recurring Billing for Variable Utilities

Unlike standard subscriptions, utility bills fluctuated based on a resident’s usage. The client faced a significant challenge in finding a solution that could automate recurring billing while accommodating different amounts for every billing cycle. All of this, while maintaining a clear audit trail for municipal accounting.

Fragmented Resident Experience and Access

To modernize public service, the client needed to offer flexible payment options for both “Authenticated” residents and “Guest” users (anonymous payers). The residents had few online payment options because there was no unified web-based payment portal. As a result, many had to return to manual or phone-based payment methods.

How ChargeOn Helped?

We customized ChargeOn for the client to meet their unique business requirements and deliver optimal efficiency in their payment workflows.

High-Volume Bulk Orchestration

To solve the requirement for 10,000-bill batch runs, we leveraged ChargeOn’s ‘Multiple Payments processed consecutively’ feature. This allowed the municipal application to trigger thousands of transactions simultaneously from a single payment object in Salesforce. It ensured that every resident’s bill is processed and recorded in the Transaction History for full auditability.

Dynamic Logic for Variable Recurring Payments

We configured the Recurring Payments feature of ChargeOn to support variable-amount billing. By utilizing the Recurring Payment Summary Preview, municipal admins were able to review and verify fluctuating utility amounts before the system executes the quarterly charges. This ensured billing accuracy for the municipality and transparency for the resident.

Unified Experience Cloud Self-Service

We implemented secure payment forms on the client’s community pages using Lightning Web Components (LWC) and Salesforce-hosted pages. This enables both logged-in residents and guest users to pay property taxes or utility bills in real-time, with data mapping directly back to the municipal records without manual intervention.

Regional Gateway and Bank Orchestration

We facilitated the integration of Stripe for Canadian PAD and provided the framework to connect Moneris and WorldPay APIs. This was done to support the Canadian market. Furthermore, by integrating bank verification services like Plaid, we ensured that ACH and PAD details are validated upfront, significantly reducing the rate of failed municipal transfers.

Granular Financial Controls and Security

ChargeOn enabled the client to add merchant fees to total transaction amounts and to restrict certain credit card types. Using tokenization, residents’ sensitive payment details were replaced with secure identifiers, ensuring that the municipality remains fully PCI-compliant while still being able to process repeat or recurring payments.

Benefits 

• 95% Reduction in Manual Workloads.
• 100% Stability During Peak Demand.
• 60% Improvement in Collection Speed
• 75% Increase in Resident Satisfaction.
• 0% Data Breach Risk