GTL, Two-Time Winner of the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards, is continuing to expand its state-of-the-art TouchPay automated payment services, which now also assists child support agencies in 11 states.
According to a 2013 U.S. Census Bureau study on custodial mothers and fathers, 13.4 million Americans are classified as ‘custodial parents.’
When deployed by a child support agency, automated payment services can ease the process by which noncustodial parents make mandatory child support payments.
State agencies have noted added efficiencies via automated payment services – including more payments made, monies collected, and manpower hours saved.
TouchPay (which was acquired by GTL in 2014 and does business as GTL Financial Services) provides payers in various industries with a range of services and payment options, including premise-based kiosks, countertop terminals, an online payment portal, and an automated phone system.
Child support agencies that have chosen the TouchPay financial services solution have given noncustodial parents options that process child support payments in real time to avoid late fees, as well as minimize processing delays.
“Like most government entities, child support agencies must be prudent with their budgets,” said Keith Benton, Director of Government Payments for GTL.
“By leveraging our TouchPay automated payment services and using the secure and versatile payment collection technology, a child support agency takes a giant step towards saving costs associated with manpower and time while also increasing convenience and ease of use for the constituents they serve.”
A number of unique benefits have led to increased usage of TouchPay automated payment services by child support agencies, including:
- Ability to handle all payment kiosk installation, maintenance, cash collection, accounting, training, IT support, marketing, and customer service for the agency.
- Availability of multiple payment options with a reliable and proven payment process.
- Compliance of all devices with PCI standards and adherence to Money Transmitter’s License requirements in every state.
Additionally, payment platforms can simultaneously accept court payments, fees, fines, restitution, statutory surcharges, and payments for multiple agencies.
This enables government agencies to partner on their payment needs, and allow taxpayers to conduct a range of transactions through one payment platform.
“At this time, we provide payment kiosks and/or online channels, interactive voice response (IVR) automated phone systems, and/or countertop terminals to Child Support Agencies in the following states: Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, and Texas – plus we have kiosks in several Florida counties,” added Benton.
“We expect automated payment services will continue to grow in 2018 as more state agencies take advantage of the financial transaction efficiencies they provide.”
GTL Takes Two in the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
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GTL
- Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Award Winner
- GTL Inspire Tablet
- Best Rugged Computer Tablet
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GTL
- Silver ‘ASTORS’ Award Winner
- Mobile IQ/Blended Approach
- Best Cell Phone Detection Solution
American Security Today’s 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East was an overwhelming success, with distinguished guests from National, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Executives from companies allied to Government.
Over 100 professionals gathered from across North America and the Middle East to be honored from disciplines across the Security Industry in their respective fields which included:
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of Justice
- The Security Exchange Commission
- State and Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies, and
- Leaders in Private Security
Recognized for their Innovative Training and Education Programs, Outstanding Product Development Achievements and Exciting New Technologies to address the growing Homeland Security Threats our Nation is facing.
American Security Today was formed after careful reflection of 9/11 and its aftermath when the Department of Homeland Security was established and there was an immediate explosion of new products and solutions for what was perceived as an imminent second attack on primary targets in the United States.
As time moved forward from 9/11 itself and in recent years, the threats to our nation have evolved from a large scale 9/11 type attack to:
- Domestic and International Terrorist Attacks carried out by ‘lone wolves’ and coordinated individuals
- Cybersecurity breach attacks against our government agencies, financial institutions and critical infrastructure facilities
- Unprecedented urban violence
- Cultural shifts and societal media bias, which make it increasingly difficult to secure our nation in this constantly evolving threat environment.
These current circumstances have put forward another rapid expansion of new ideas, products and solutions to combat these ever changing challenges.
These changes have called for a new generation of security experts in the Homeland Security and Public Safety fields who need real time knowledge of our ever growing threats.
These experts include the Government at the Federal, State and Local levels as well as from Private Firms specializing in Physical Security, Port Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security responsible for implementing coordinated security measures to ensure our Nation’s Security and improve Public Safety.
Together, each of these entities work together seamlessly on the front lines of protecting our communities, to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
