How BCP Council unified payments and improved financial control

BCP Council was created through local government reorganisation and today serves over 400,000 residents across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Consolidating multiple legacy payment systems without disrupting frontline services was critical in the first months of the new authority. Access PaySuite (formerly Pay360) partnered with BCP to streamline payments, support a staged transition, and strengthen financial reporting.

The challenge

Unifying payments after local government reorganisation.
When BCP Council launched, it inherited three different payment systems and needed to maintain continuity for residents and staff while moving to a single approach. The priority was a “safe landing” on day one - keep services running, rebrand, and then plan the transition to a unified platform without introducing risk.

The solution

A staged programme with Access PaySuite to consolidate and simplify:

• Discovery and governance: A shadow authority guided decisions while teams documented all finance and payment interfaces to identify day‑one essentials.
• Design and approvals: A detailed solution design, UAT, and sign-off set the path to a single payments platform.
• Mentoring and enablement: Access PaySuite supported BCP with training and mentoring, enabling the council to make many changes independently and at their own pace.
• System consolidation: Moving from three inherited systems to one unified platform, with configuration flexibility to reduce third‑party dependency.

The impact

Operational resilience and better financial control:

• Minimal service disruption during transition.
• The council continued to take payments from residents, suppliers and employees.
• Improved financial reporting for the new authority.
• Greater flexibility and control via configurable payment services and reduced reliance on third parties.

Implementation timeline

1. Project definition and scoping: Focus on a safe day‑one landing and a single finance system.
2. Information gathering and engagement: Audit of existing infrastructure; engage third‑party partners.
3. Solution design and approval: Detailed planning, UAT, and shadow authority sign‑off.
4. Communication and training: Inform finance services, train staff on new processes.
5. Solution delivery: An intense execution period to implement changes.
6. Project closure and review outcomes.

Why Access PaySuite

Access PaySuite is a secure, cloud-based payments platform designed to help councils simplify income collection, reduce manual processes, and deliver a better experience for residents.

Key benefits for local authorities:

• Unified payments across all channels:
  Take card, Direct Debit, and digital wallet payments online, by phone, or in person, all through one platform.
• Seamless integration with finance systems:
  Connect easily with leading ERP and revenue systems to improve reconciliation and reporting.
• Automation that saves time:
  Reduce manual reconciliation and eliminate duplicate processes, freeing staff for higher-value work.
• Compliance and security built in:
  PCI DSS Level 1 certified, with features to support GDPR and PSN requirements.
• Scalable for complex estates:
  Proven in large unitary authorities and multi-site environments, supporting phased rollouts without service disruption.
• Expert support and mentoring:
  From discovery to go-live, our team works alongside yours to ensure a smooth transition and knowledge transfer.

Councils can collect income faster, cut costs, and improve resident satisfaction, while maintaining full control over their payment processes. Book a demo to discover how Access PaySuite can help your teams and provide better experiences for citizens.