SLED Opportunity · WASHINGTON · PIERCE COUNTY

    Merchant Services

    Issued by Pierce County
    countyRFPPierce CountySol. 224663
    Closed
    STATUS
    Closed
    due Mar 26, 2026
    PUBLISHED
    Mar 11, 2026
    Posting date
    JURISDICTION
    Pierce County
    county
    NAICS CODE
    522320
    AI-classified industry

    AI Summary

    Pierce County requests proposals for merchant card processing services to securely and efficiently handle electronic payments across multiple departments, supporting in-person and online payment options.

    Opportunity details

    Solicitation No.
    224663
    Type / RFx
    RFP
    Status
    open
    Level
    county
    Published Date
    March 11, 2026
    Due Date
    March 26, 2026
    NAICS Code
    522320AI guide
    Jurisdiction
    Pierce County
    Agency
    Pierce County

    Description

    Pierce County is soliciting proposals from firms to provide merchant card processing services for various County departments and offices. The County seeks a vendor that can securely, efficiently, and cost-effectively process electronic payment transactions while meeting all applicable federal, state, and industry regulations.

    The selected vendor will support the County's goal of providing convenient payment options to the public, including in-person, online, and other electronic payment channels.

    Background

    Pierce County is located in the south Puget Sound region of the State of Washington. The County is home to more than 900,000 residents and serves as a regional economic, cultural, and environmental hub. The County provides a wide range of public services to residents, businesses, and visitors, including public safety, transportation and infrastructure, environmental stewardship, parks and recreation, human services, land use planning, and administrative support functions.

     

    Project Details

    • Reference ID: 2025-RFP-279
    • Department: Procurement and Contract Division
    • Department Head: Jana Prince (Procurement & Contracts Manager)

    Important Dates

    • Questions Due: 2026-03-25T23:00:00.000Z

    Addenda

    • Addendum #1 (released 2026-03-17T15:54:19.015Z) —

      Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

    • Addendum #2 (released 2026-03-17T22:11:56.363Z) —

      Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

    • Addendum #3 (released 2026-03-18T23:02:29.254Z) —

      Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

    • Addendum #4 (released 2026-04-01T18:11:59.621Z) —

      Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Experience (25 pts)

      The experience of the firm, length of time in business, individuals assigned to this account, and other matters relating to relevant experience.

    • Service Capability and Capacity (25 pts)

      The ability of the firm to service this account based on the contemplated scope of work and volume of business.

    • Approach to Work (25 pts)

      The firm's approach to this work, including compliance with requirements, innovative offerings, services offered, and other related matters

    • Pricing (25 pts)

      The appropriateness and flexibility of pricing arrangements.

       

    Submission Requirements

    • Proposer Confirmation (required)

      As an authorized representative of the proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

      I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

      I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a sham or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a sham proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

      In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a bid or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

       

    • Please Confirm (required)

      By submitting a proposal, proposer agrees that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Contractor pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Contractor. The Contractor shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of said items submitted to the County because of this solicitation.

    • Supplemental Attachment Confirmation (required)

      I confirm I have reviewed the content of the following attachment included under this RFP; Sample Agreement and acknowledge I understand and agree to these requirements should my organization receive a contract as a result of this proposal.

    • Organization Business IDs (required)

      Please provide the Federal Tax Number (EIN), Washington State Unified Business Identification (UBI) and the *Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

      *An 'active' UEI number and cage code are required when the funding is federal and creates a subrecipient relationship between the contractor and the County. 

    • Ownership Type (required)

      Must choose at least two (2) answers.

    • Proposal (required)

      Upload Proposal

    • Project Description (required)

      Please provide a brief, one to two paragraph, description of the project.

    • Pricing table required? (required)
    • General information on Requesting Department. (required)

      Please provide General Information on your department:

      EXAMPLE:

      The Pierce County Department of Planning and Public Works (PPW) is responsible for serving the transportation and utility needs of the residents of Pierce County. The Department delivers services relating to road design and construction, long range transportation planning, road maintenance and operations, ferry and airport services, sewer systems and wastewater treatment, solid waste and recycling management, public use facilities, land management services and surface water management programs. The Department's website is a valuable resource for information about the many services provided. Please access the website at www.piercecountywa.org/ppw

    • Initial contract period: (required)

      Please enter the initial contract period:

       

      EXAMPLE:

      The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months. The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

    • Renewal Options (required)

      Plese enter the renewal options for this project.

      EXAMPLE:

      The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months.The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

    • Do Federal Terms & Conditions Apply to this Project? (required)
    • Estimated Contract Value (required)

    Questions & Answers

    Q (Section 4.2): For each of the 9 locations listed in 4.2 please provide the following information: 1) How many individual merchant numbers are required? 2) The breakdown location dollar volume and transaction volume by card type. 3) Are you charging a Service Fee? a. What is the rate? b. If yes, who is managing the fee? Third party or are you charging it?

    A: -There is only one merchant number per location -Addendum 1 regarding volume data. -The service fee is only for sewer payments. The fee is $3.50 per transaction, managed by Pierce County -The Auditor’s Office charges a 1.30% convenience fee on Excise Tax transactions only.


    Q (POS Systems): By Department and/or merchant number, list POS systems in use today by Company and software name. 1) Which payment gateway is being used to process payments today? a. What other payment gateways are support by the software? 2) Are you using a “preferred” partner of the software provider? 3) Are you able to choose a processor other than the preferred provider? 4) Are there terminals in use and do they have an interface to the POS system? 5) If yes, what make, model and quantity are used? a. Are they P2PE validated? b. Are the terminals integrated to the payment gateway? c. Do the terminals process PIN Debit transactions?

    A: Law Library 1. Gateway – NONE 2. Preferred Software – NONE 3. Able to choose processor – N/A 4. Terminal interface – N/A 5. Model and quantity – N/A Finance Online Public Record Requests 1. Gateway – Govolution 2. Preferred Software – GovQA online 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – N/A 5. Model and quantity – N/A PC Sewer Cashier 1. Gateway – N/A 2. Preferred Software – Infor Public Sector IPS, manual entry 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – No, manual entry 5. Model and quantity – FD150 and PIN pad RP10 (x2) Assessor 1. Gateway – N/A 2. Preferred Software – Ascend, Tyler Enterprise Tax, manual entry 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – No, manual entry 5. Model and quantity – FD150 and PIN pad RP10 (x1) PPW Planning - Permits 1. Gateway – Govolution 2. Preferred Software – PALS+ (internal software) 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – No, manual entry 5. Model and quantity – N/A PPW Utilities – SoundGro 1. Gateway – N/A 2. Preferred Software – Workday (manual entry) 3. Able to choose processor – No, manual entry 4. Terminal interface – N/A 5. Model and quantity – N/A Auditor 1. Gateway – Govolution 2. Preferred Software – Aumentum 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – No, manual entry 5. Model and quantity – FD150 and PIN pad RP10 PPW Utilities – Sewer Utility 1. Gateway – Govolution 2. Preferred Software – Infor Public Sector IPS online, IVR 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – N/A, online and IVR 5. If yes, Model and quantity – N/A Parks Fantasy Lights 1. Gateway – N/A 2. Preferred Software – ActiveNet 3. Able to choose processor – No 4. Terminal interface – No, manual entry 5. Model and quantity – Clover


    Q (IVR Payments): If you take IVR Payments, what is the annual dollar amount processed? 1) What is the average dollar amount processed or number of transactions?

    A: Please refer to question 2. PPW Utilities – Sewer Utility IVR payments average dollar amount processed $187 per ticket $3,000,000 processed annually. 16,000 transactions annually.


    Q (Standalone (non-integrated)): Do you process with standalone (non-integrated)? 1) What are the make/s, model/s and quantity of each? a. Do they process PIN Debit transactions?

    A: The following locations are standalone: Law Library: There is an FD150 with Pin Pad RP10. It does process PIN Debit transactions. Finance Sewer Payments (in person) – There is an FD150 with Pin Pad RP10, and processes PIN debit transactions. Assessor Records (plats, etc) payments - There is a Fiserv FD150 with a primary connection type of Ethernet and a dial-up backup method. This location does not process PIN debit transactions. Planning permit fees - There is a BOA FD150, and it processes credit and debit card transactions Sewer Sound Grow - There is a FirstData, FD130. This location does not process PIN debit transactions; instead, they bypass it as credit. Auditor’s Office (marriage licenses) - There are 22 machines. These are FD150 terminals with RP10 Pin Pads. This location processes PIN Debit transactions.


    Q (eCheck payments): Do you process eCheck payments? 1) Are you accepting eCheck payments via a payment gateway? a. If yes, what is/are the name/s of the payment gateway or middleware that processes the payments?

    A: The Sewer Utility location processes e-check payments. The payment gateway is Govolution.


    Q (Live Agents processing payments): Do your live agents process payments via the phone by key entering the data into a terminal or payment gateway? 1) If yes, what is/are the name/s of the payment gateway or middleware that processes the payments?

    A: No


    Q (IVR Service): Do you accept payments via an IVR service that you host? 1) If so, what is the gateway/middleware connected to the IVR service?

    A: The Sewer Utility location accepts payments via IVR. The payment gateway is Govolution.


    Q (Recurring Payments): Do you have recurring payments? 1) If so, do you accept/process recurring payments for credit card, eCheck or both? 2) What is/are the name/s of the payment gateway or middleware that processes the payments? 3) Will they need to be migrated to the new gateway if the existing is no longer an option?

    A: None of the locations accepts recurring payments.


    Q (RFP Response Date): We are interested in submitting a proposal and wanted to inquire whether an extension to the RFP response date might be possible. Additional time would allow us to provide a more complete and responsive proposal. Two weeks would be ideal to allow for sufficient time for the County staff to respond to our questions and then for us to incorporate the data into our analysis and response. We appreciate your consideration of our request.

    A: Please reference addendum #1


    Q (Credit + Debit Card Splits + Absorbed or Convenience Fees): Can you provide the # of annual items and annual volumes for credit cards and debit cards (separated values) for all 9 depts. How are the fees paid currently for those 9 depts. = convenience fee, absorbed, hybrid? If there's a convenience fee charged, what is it for each dept.?

    A: Refer to question #1 response for volume by location.


    Q (Software Systems In Use): 1. What does your sewer utility is for finance + billing? 2. Same question for: Planning Permits, Auditor's Office, Parks, Law Library, Public Records, Assessor

    A: -Auditor uses Aumentum -Permitting uses PALS+ -Parks uses ActiveNet -Law Library doesn’t use software -Public Records uses GovQA -Assessor doesn’t use software


    Q (UEI Requirement): Under this non-federal government RFP, will you accept a proposal from a vendor that does not have a federal UEI?

    A: A UEI number is not required.


    Q (Integrations): Sect. 4.1 – Scope Details - You mention “all software must be compatible with County Financial systems and third-party software”. What systems are you referring to? Can you be a bit more specific? Also, what is the level of integration required for all the software systems listed? We assume that currently a batch file is provided by the credit card processor to the software system (or vice versa), for nightly update(s)? How is the current credit card processing vendor and software integrated? (Real- Time, Bi-Directional, Batch File, etc.). If real time integration is desired, will enough time be allowed for our developers to complete the API integration to the respective systems?

    A: -Public Records Requests (online) – The software GovQA. It is integrated through Govolution -Planning permit fees – The software is Palsplus. It is not integrated -Auditor’s Office (marriage licenses) - The Auditor’s Office has an HPP with Harris Recording Solutions. It is not integrated -Sewer Utility - The software is Infor Operations and Regulations (formerly known as Infor Public Sector - IPS), and it connects to the gateway, Govolution, which connects to the payment processor. Online credit card payment is integrated in real-time. IVR is a batch integration.


    Q (Equipment): Sect. 4.1. – Scope Details/Equipment and Technology - You mention the “Purchase of lease any equipment necessary …”. Does the mean the County is looking for free equipment for all departments? If so, what is the total number of terminals needed?

    A: Law Library – 1 terminal. Finance Sewer Payments (in person) – 1 terminal Planning permit fees – 1 terminal Sewer Sound Grow – 1 terminal Auditor’s Office (marriage licenses) - 22 terminals


    Q (Settlement and Reporting): Sect. 4.1 – Scope Details/Settlement and reporting - Given the fact that the number of departments to be serviced is quite large, is the county’s desire to streamline the citizens’ cost with ONE unitary convenience fee model, instead of Interchange Plus model? That is to say, a pricing structure whereby the County won’t incur any Interchange fees, PCI compliance fees, statement fees, hardware fees, documentation fees, implementation fees, etc. The majority of our government clients are enjoying this pricing structure much better than the Interchange Plus.

    A: No


    Q (No subject): Transaction Processing - Can you please list the current pricing for credit card processing, debit card processing, and echeck for each department?

    A: Current pricing is not available for release. Proposers should base their responses on the requirements outlined in the solicitation and provide their proposed pricing accordingly.


    Q (Extension of RFP due date): Will the County consider extending the RFP submission deadline to allow respondents sufficient time to allocate appropriate resources and provide the most accurate and comprehensive information in response to the RFP requirements?

    A: Please reference addendum.


    Q (RFP Response Extension ): Given the complexity of the RFP and the short interval between the County’s clarifications and the current due date, we respectfully request a two week extension to the response deadline. This additional time will allow us to: • Fully vet requirements and provide complete, high quality responses. • Digest and incorporate the County’s answers into our proposal for accuracy and alignment. • Ensure our submission reflects a thorough understanding of the County’s needs and delivers the strongest possible solution. Thank you for your consideration.

    A: Please reference addendum.


    Q (Merchant Processing Statements): Will the County please provide merchant processing statements for each current processing MID being used?

    A: This information is not available for release. Proposers should base their responses on the requirements outlined in the solicitation.


    Q (Current Software Vendors): Can the County please provide a complete and current list of all software vendors that are integrated with or support the processing of credit card transactions across the entire payment processing spectrum, including: • Card Present transactions • Card Not Present transactions • Internet / E Commerce transactions

    A: Refer to question 11


    Q (Service Fee): Does the County currently charge Service/Convenience fees on credit card transactions? In no, would the County be interested in passing on the processing fees to the cardholders via a service/convenience fee?

    A: Refer to question 1


    Q (ECheck): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate the anticipated Number of Payments (#) collected per year via the proposed solution by eCheck?

    A: This information has not yet been determined.


    Q (ECheck): For each type of payment to be collected, please indicate the anticipated Average Payment Amount ($) OR Total Amount ($) collected per year via the proposed solution by eCheck?

    A: This information has not yet been determined.


    Q (Gatways Required): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate name of the gateway currently utilized (if any)?

    A: Refer to question 2


    Q (POS/Terminal List): Can the County please provide a list of Point of Sale and/or processing equipment currently being used for all processing MIDS?

    A: Refer to question 2


    Q (Customer Information Collection): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate from which system(s) (if any) the solution must receive customer information and/or billing data regarding obligations due?

    A: The following location must receive customer information: Public Records requests (online) – This location collects Name, Company Name, Address, Phone Number, and Email. The system is GovQA.


    Q (Remittance ): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate to which system(s) (if any) the solution must make available remittance information for posting of payments received?

    A: Refer to question 11


    Q (Current Billing Statements): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution please provide 12 month of billing statements received from existing merchant processors and electronic bill presentment and payment-related service providers?

    A: This information is not available for release. Proposers should base their responses on the requirements outlined in the solicitation.


    Q (Required Payment Channels): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate which payment channels the solution should provide (e.g., Web, IVR, POS, County agent by phone, Recurring/Auto-payment, Kiosk, Text, Retailer Location, etc)?

    A: -Law Library - The payment channel is a retailer location. -Public Records requests (online) – The payment channel is online only -Finance Sewer Payments (in person) – This location is in-person card present only -Planning permit fees -The payment channel is POS, County agent by phone. -Sewer Sound Grow - The payment channel is POS -Auditor’s Office (marriage licenses) - The payment channel is Web and POS. -Sewer Utility - Debit card, credit card, eCheck is allowed via web, IVR, and recurring/auto-pay -Parks Special Events - The payment channels are Web, POS, Agent-Assisted Phone Payments, Retailer Locations, and Digital Wallets/Contactless.


    Q (Billing Requirements): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, for which electronic bill presentment is desired, please indicate what party provides the paper bill print service?

    A: This is outside of the required scope.


    Q (Web Portal Integration): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate with which existing web portal should web channel payment capabilities be integrated (if any)?

    A: -Public Records requests (online) - GovQA is the existing portal, with Govolution as the gateway to merchant services. The web channel payment capabilities should be integrated. -Planning permit fees - Velocity is the existing portal. The web channel payment capabilities possibly need to be integrated. -Sewer Utility - Debit/Credit card and eCheck are currently available via the web portal. The web channel payment capabilities should be integrated.


    Q (POS Devices): For each type of payment as applicable, please indicate with which cashiering solution the POS channel is to be integrated (if any)?

    A: Refer to question 11


    Q (IVR Integration): For each type of payment to be collected via the proposed solution, please indicate with which existing IVR system should IVR channel payment capabilities be integrated (if any)?

    A: Refer to question 3


    Q (POS devices): How many kiosks, if any, are used/required? And what kind are they (i.e., provider, model)?

    A: There are no kiosks involved in this procurement


    Q (Section 4.2 ): Are the departments identified in Section 4.2, the only ones in scope for this RFP? If there are any others, please provide those, thank you.

    A: Yes


    Q (Software Integrations): For the County departments in scope for this RFP, please provide the billing software system they use. Do any require real-time integration, or can the vendor integrate via other methods?

    A: Refer to question 11


    Q (E-checks): Does the County wish to accept e-check (ACH) payments?

    A: Refer to question 5


    Q (Kiosks): Does the County currently take any payments via self-service kiosk?

    A: Refer to question 34


    Q (POS devices): Approximately how many point-of-sale devices is the County using to accept in-person payments?

    A: Refer to question 2


    Q (Integrations): Does the County use any integration with existing systems for their in-person payments?

    A: Refer to question 13


    Q (Clarification): Can the County clarify the intent behind this requirement: “Capability to credit the bankcard transactions in gross amount and be billed through analysis at month end for the sales discount and fees.”

    A: Pierce County prefers to receive the gross proceeds each day with fees being deducted from the County’s KeyBank Depository Account once month-end reports are available.


    Q (Price/cost submission): Does the County require a specific format for the pricing/cost submission?

    A: No


    Q (Volumes clarification): Section 4.2 of the RFP has a header of “Monthly Volumes" and then shows "annual" in the tables. Please confirm if these are monthly or annual volumes.

    A: Please reference the addendum.


    Q (Dept. clarification): Why is the Assessor-Records’ payments under this procurement, but other Treasurer-Assessor payment types are not?

    A: Other Treasurer-Assessor payments are not in the scope of this procurement


    Q (Service fee model): Is the Planning Permit Fees the only payment type under this contract that uses the service fee model? If not, do any other departments under this contract use them?

    A: Yes, the Planning Permit Fees are the only payment type under this contract that uses the service fee model.


    Q (AMEX): Does the County accept American Express cards today?

    A: No


    Q (POS debit): Can the County break out POS Debit card transaction volume and annual revenue from the location totals?

    A: Refer to question 1


    Q (Authentication): RFP Section 4.1, Equipment and Technology, states that “Software must support Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) v2 to authenticate individual Pierce County employees” and that the SAMLv2 solution must support Microsoft Azure AD and ADFS via Web Application Proxy. Will Pierce County consider proposals from vendors that do not have SAMLv2 support available at the time of proposal submission, provided that the proposed solution can meet the County’s authentication and security requirements through an alternative, County-approved method?

    A: Please reference the scope requirements.


    Q (Bank): Can the County share the bank it uses today for its deposits?

    A: Pierce County currently contracts with KeyBank for Depository services.


    Q (No subject): Section IV (Scope of Work) outlines detailed requirements for merchant services. Should proposers provide a line-by-line response addressing each item within this section? If so, please confirm where this information should be included within the proposal format outlined in Section V (Submittal Information).

    A: We are open to your approach in addressing the requirements outlined in the Scope of Work, provided that your response adheres to the format specified in the Submittal section.


    Q (8. Evaluation Criteria): Per your scoring explanation, Pricing is to receive 25 of 100 points. Can you provide more details: Does the lowest price receive all 25 points? Is there a formula that pro-rates the 25 points among some/all of the bidders? Thank you.

    A: Pricing will be evaluated based on a comparative analysis of all responsive proposals. While the lowest price will be considered favorably, the County reserves the right to apply a proportional scoring methodology to distribute the available points among proposers.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Can the County provide a breakdown of transaction volumes and dollar amounts by payment type (credit card vs. debit card) for each department or merchant location.

    A: Please reference the addendum.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): While the RFP specifies an interchange-plus pricing model, would the County consider a single-rate pricing model that incorporates interchange and processing fees into one transparent rate, provided it meets all other requirements, simplifies reconciliation, and improves cost predictability?

    A: No


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Can the County clarify whether any payment processing fees are to be absorbed or passed on to residents? If passed through, please indicate which departments and payment channels this applies to. Please note any changes from current state to future state if any.

    A: Yes, permitting fees from Planning and Public Works will be passed through to the customer. All payment channels.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Aside from vendor consolidation, what are the County’s key goals for this procurement (e.g., increased digital adoption, reduced in-person or mailed payments, increased staff efficiency, improved resident accessibility)?

    A: Please reference the Scope of Work.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Given the County’s stated objectives of expanding convenient, accessible payment options across channels and streamlining operations through vendor consolidation, can the County confirm whether property tax payments are included within the scope of this procurement? If so, please describe any required system integrations, including the tax system(s) of record and associated data exchange requirements.

    A: Property tax payments are excluded from the scope of this RFP.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): For any new department/service added during the term, what onboarding steps does the County expect (e.g., collection of business details, banking, beneficial ownership where applicable, program parameters), and what implementation timelines/approvals should proposers assume?

    A: Onboarding is to be determined during contract negotiations.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Does the County have goals or evaluation criteria related to modernizing the online payment experience (e.g., improved UX, mobile friendliness, accessibility, digital-first communications, reduction of in-office/phone payments), or is this procurement strictly for processor/merchant services replacement?

    A: This procurement is strictly for merchant services replacement.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): The County has referenced website modernization/user-friendliness in other materials—should proposers assume any coordination with web redesign efforts for payment journeys (branding, content, fee disclosures, receipts, ADA), and if so, what timeline?

    A: Not at this time.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): The County is in the process of replacing its backend tax system—should proposers assume the County may change systems during the contract term, and does the County require the vendor to support payment acceptance independent of system-of-record vendor (i.e., integrations to whichever tax/billing platform is selected)?

    A: Property tax payments are outside of the scope for this RFP.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Can the County provide a current-state map of which vendors support which payment types today at the county (e.g., sewer, PTAX, permits, courts, in-person cashiering, online, phone/IVR), including which are expected to transition under this award?

    A: Refer to question 29.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): For evaluation purposes, does the County plan to score or value offerings that include end-to-end payment experience capabilities (payer UX, configurable fees by service, consolidated reporting, operational support), versus evaluating primarily on processing rates and standard merchant services?

    A: Not at this time.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Agreement-related questions Ownership of items produced vs vendor platform/IP: The sample agreement states all “writings, programs, data, public records, or other materials” prepared in connection with performance are the “sole and absolute property” of the County. For a payment facilitator/processor model where the vendor provides a hosted platform, can the County confirm it will treat: -County data and County-created deliverables as County-owned, but -vendor pre-existing software/platform, configurations, and processing systems as vendor-owned, with the County receiving appropriate use rights for the term.

    A: As outlined in the Submittal Section, proposers may include any exceptions to the County’s requirements within their response.


    Q (2025-RFP-279 MERCHANT SERVICES): Agreement-related questionsThe RFP contemplates a 4-year initial term plus a 4-year option, while the sample agreement includes multiple term/renewal “Option” clauses. Can the County confirm which term structure will govern the final agreement for this RFP award.

    A: The final agreement will be a 4-year initial term with an additional 4-year renewal option.


    Key dates

    1. March 11, 2026Published
    2. March 26, 2026Responses Due

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