WaterSmart and Stripe Bring Innovative Payment Solution to Water Industry
Integrated engagement and payments improves adoption and performance
San Francisco — October 5, 2016 — WaterSmart Software, the pioneering water utility customer engagement platform provider today announced the launch of an innovative electronic presentment and payment solution powered by Stripe. This solution is a first for the water industry, integrating customer engagement, water consumption data, leak resolution, billing information, and multi-channel electronic payment options into a unified customer portal. In addition to the customer facing elements of the solution, utility staff can also track payment delinquencies, deliver personalized communications to customers at risk of non-payment, and drive down collection costs while improving payment performance.
“Our water utility partners have been consistently asking for an integrated payment solution to supplement our traditional customer engagement tools,” said Robin Gilthorpe, WaterSmart CEO. “With Stripe, the global leader in online payments, we’re now able to bring best-in-class electronic bill presentment and payments to the water utility industry to help our customers drive improvements in payment performance.”
Unlike single-purpose online payment options, the WaterSmart solution engages water utility customers with detailed trending data on water consumption, money saving and property protecting recommendations, and alerts and notifications which supplement and inform the bill payment experience. The WaterSmart solution drives greater adoption of online payments, helps improve payment performance, drives down print and mail costs through paperless billing, and offers utilities and their customers best-in-class interchange fees.
“It should be easy to pay for anything online—whether that’s a pair of shoes, a cab ride, or your water bill,” said Cristina Cordova, head of business development at Stripe. “We’re excited to work closely with WaterSmart to provide their water utility partners across the country with a seamless and secure way to accept payments online.”
This announcement comes as water utilities increasingly struggle with everything from infrastructure failures to growing water stress to affordability challenges. WaterSmart recognizes the key to addressing these problems is to improve the utility/customer relationship, educate end-users on the value of water, and drive greater financial resiliency for utilities to ensure reliable water services for our communities. Today’s launch represents a watershed moment for WaterSmart and the water utility industry.
To learn more about WaterSmart payments, visit watersmart.wpengine.com/payments.
WaterSmart Software provides intelligence beyond the meter to make the lives of water utility managers easier. Water providers using WaterSmart’s cloud-based, customer self-service and engagement platform have been proven to reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction by more than 25%. WaterSmart is a winner of the globally coveted World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers Award for their potential to “significantly impact business and society through the design, development and implementation of new technologies and innovation.” Come help us change the way the world uses water.
Ali Barsamian, WaterSmart Software – (415-366-8622 x 819): abarsamian@watersmart.com