The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida authorize the issuance of Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for credit card merchant processing, electronic checks and gateway services.

Merchant processing is the ability of a merchant to accept transaction payments through a secure channel.  The role of the gateway is to satisfy the security protocols required in transmitting transactions between a merchant and the merchant processor facilitating instantaneous transactions with the customers.  The City currently has   agreements with First Data and Authorize.Net to provide credit card merchant processing and gateway services for payments received by credit card and electronic check.  In addition, the City has several credit card processors and gateway providers that are embedded in propriety software that the City utilizes for billing customers for utility (OpenEdge), parking (Windcave, T2, ParkMobile), parks & recreation (CardConnect), miscellaneous city billing (PayPal) and golfing services (Cayan).  In anticipation of existing contracts expiring, the City is seeking proposals for credit card merchant, electronic check and gateway services currently provided by First Data and Authorize.Net.

Proposals are to be limited to the merchant processing services provided by Authorize.Net and First Data because the remaining service providers are embedded in the propriety point of sale software requiring the City to terminate usage of the software to change the vendors involved in the merchant processing services.  Currently, Authorize.Net is the gateway provider and FirstData is the merchant processor for used for non-embedded merchant processing services.

The prospective merchant processors and gateway providers must be able to integrate with the point of sales and software used by the City of Miami Beach. The City uses the following points of sale for the revenue items below. 

1. Parking (T2, ParkMobile, Parking Manager, Skidata, City of Miami Beach web-based payment portal)
2. EnerGov Cap,iPads & Kiosks
3. Eden (Utilities web payments)
4. Electronic checks for Eden/EnerGov
5. Citizens Self Service (Munis)
6. RecTrac
7. City of Miami Beach web-based payment portal (resort tax, off-duty, liens and in-person payments).

The above listing is dynamic and not all-inclusive; therefore, it is subject to change.

In addition, providers must be able to provide on-line resource for retrieving, reviewing, printing and/or downloading transactions and settlement data.  Providers must also have the ability to provide multiple user access to on-line reporting.

A copy of the proposed RFQ is attached to this Resolution. 

The City Manager recommends that the Mayor and Commission authorize the issuance of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 2021-030-KB, for credit card merchant processing, electronic checks and gateway services.