Smart Solutions
Municipal Payment Gateway
An online tool hosted on the municipal website to make it easier for citizens to pay municipal fees and rent municipal inventory.
Implemented in : Patokryje
Country :
How do you rate this example?
- What’s the solution?
- What makes it smart?
- How is the solution implemented?
- In what local context has it been applied?
- Who was behind the implementation?
- What was the local journey?
- What have been the main outputs & results?
- What does it bring the village/community?
- What’s needed
- What to do…
- and not to do.
Where and when
Implemented in : Patokryje
Country :
Population : 450
Date : 07/2021 – 09/2021
Find out more
Contact person : Karel Řehák
E-mail : starosta@patokryje.cz
Link(s) :
Last updated : 11/11/22
What’s the solution?
The municipality provides a payment gateway on its website, through which it is possible to book and pay for the hiring of community spaces - such as a community hall or sports facilities - or renting local inventory, such as picnic benches or maintenance equipment.
The portal also allows users to pay all kinds of municipal fees, from regular garbage collection and dog licences to fines.
The online platform can function alongside the ability to physically visit municipal offices to pay and book for services and equipment.
What makes it smart?
The solution is smart because
- It's common in the world to pay by card and shop online
- It has made it easier for citizens to carry out their duties during the covid pandemic
- It saves time for citizens and municipal staff
- There is no need to print receipts - tax documents go directly to citizens' email
- This is a digital innovation that is not yet widespread in the Czech rural context
How is the solution implemented?
It's very simple – just contact an IT company or programmer who will create a municipal e-shop and link it to the municipal website.
In what local context has it been applied?
Patokryje is a small village in Czechia.
Citizens were used to paying all fees in person at the municipality and in cash.
At the same time, the village invested in some new sports facilities creating a new multifunctional set of astroturf sports pitches and courts, providing the possibility for local people to play a range of sports, including football, tennis and basketball. It was necessary to find a suitable way for local people to book and pay for their use of these facilities more easily.
Who was behind the implementation?
The Mayor of the municipality, whose primary profession is an IT programmer.
What was the local journey?
The initiator and creator of the smart solution is the Mayor of the municipality, who created the payment gateway based on his professional knowledge.
The entire platform is based on the free WordPress software - the municipal website and the payment gateway (e-shop).
This software was linked to the payment gateway module, which cost about 100 EUR. An external IT programmer would cost about 2,000 EUR. The pilot run was tested on several municipal volunteers.
Citizens were informed about the implementation of this smart solution through the municipal website, which is linked to social networks (Facebook) and the municipal radio and local SMS system.
What have been the main outputs & results?
The main purpose of implementing this smart solution was to make it easier for citizens to carry out their duties.
The municipality of Patokryje was the first smaller municipality in the region to offer the possibility of paying fees by credit from the comfort of their homes.
It facilitated interaction between the municipality and citizens, increasing access to municipal goods and services.
It saved time and energy of both local people and the municipality.
What does it bring the village/community?
Strengthening the trust in the leadership of the municipality. Citizens can see that the municipality is trying to make it easier for citizens to carry out their duties and make beneficial changes worthy of the 21st century.
What’s needed
Financial resources
Main types of cost:
Set up / Investment costs: EUR 2,100, covering:
• Programmer approximately 2 000 EUR).
• Purchase of the module 100 EUR.
Ongoing costs: regular web hosting and maintenance fees – approximately EUR 50 per year.
Financial needs:
Funding received:
Source | Amount | Funded |
---|---|---|
Mayor | 2,000 € | In-kind contribution through his time to develop the app |
Municipality | 100 € | IT module for the payment gateway |
Human resources
Only a person who can do programming (active IT knowledge) and time.
Physical resources
Only the IT infrastructure (municipal website and payment gateway module)
What to do…
- Be open to changes
- Inform citizens about the benefits of digital solutions