City of Whittlesea revolutionises online payment and notice offering

30%

increase in notice registrations

12%

increase in revenue collected

1FTE

saved through automation

About City of Whittlesea

City of Whittlesea, located in Melbourne’s north, service a diverse population consisting of over 100,000 rateable properties who are billed quarterly. The City is always looking to provide more online offerings, and increase revenue collected.

The problem

City of Whittlesea faced significant challenges with providing online options for ratepayers, including providing electronic rates notices. They also had minimal flexible payment options, and slow, labour intensive direct debit processes.

Recognising the need for a streamlined and cost-effective solution, the council sought a partner to help revolutionise its notice distribution and payment process.

"Our Customer Service staff now resolve customer queries at the first point of contact more readily, and the ability for customers to access their notices at any time has reduced the pressure on Revenue staff to reproduce notices."

— City of Whittlesea Unit Manager, Strategic Revenue

The solution

City of Whittlesea partnered with Forms Express to implement a fully digital notice distribution platform. Leveraging Forms Express’ expertise in secure communication and payment capture solutions, the council transitioned from paper-based notices to instant electronic delivery.

The solution allowed notices to be distributed through email and SMS, ensuring residents received them in real time. Integrated payment links simplified rate payments and other transactions, while automated workflows reduced manual intervention and operational errors. The platform also provided the council with analytics and reporting tools, offering insights into delivery and engagement metrics to optimise communications.

The transition was seamless, with minimal disruption to residents and council operations. Forms Express provided ongoing support and training to ensure smooth adoption.

Forms Express increased revenue collected by 12%

"We are extremely happy with the outcome we have for our ratepayers and for our staff. "

Strategic Revenue Unit , City of Whittlesea

12 months later

The implementation of the digital notice distribution and payment platform transformed City of Whittlesea’s operations and significantly enhanced resident satisfaction. Customers could now quickly and easily register for emailed notices, and access an online portal instantly to view, download, and pay notices.
The ease of making payments directly from the notice, email, and portal, and the ability to set up a flexible direct debit led to a 12% increase in revenue collected, compared to the same month the previous year.

By embracing innovation, City of Whittlesea not only improved its operational efficiency but also strengthened its relationship with the community it serves.

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