NSW govt embraces PayPal, Apple Pay

NSW residents should be able to pay for a licence renewal or parking fine with PayPal, Apple Pay from their smartphone, or streamlined credit card payment processes like Visa Checkout within 12 months. 

Apple Pay in use

NSW Minister for Finance and Services Dominic Perrottet today announced the state government would integrate the modern payment capabilities into Service NSW’s new whole-of-government payments platform.

“While consumers and businesses are embracing newer forms of payment, many public sector agencies are stuck in the past, limited by old infrastructure,” he said in a statement.

“It’s time for government to support our citizens in paying the way they want to – and that’s using new payment methods online or on mobile devices.”

This year Service NSW - the government’s designated customer service agency - will formally take over responsibility for Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) transactions, which make up the bulk of countertop transactions within the state.

To make the handover possible, Service NSW is building a back-office payments platform that will link up all the agency-based payments systems used to conduct such services.

The government has awarded the contract to Sydney firm Azuron, and work has already begun. The state also recently signed the company to implement a number of new viewing applications for geospatial data at NSW Land and Property Information.

“The payment services platform is due to be in service for transactions delivered through Service NSW by the end of the year. This solution will reduce duplication of payments infrastructure, streamline payment processes and deliver value for money,” Perrottet said. 

The new back-end also means Service NSW shopfronts will no longer need to maintain two separate EFTPOS systems in order to reconcile payments with the various agencies they represent.