State and local governments are aiming to improve the way they deliver services, manage public resources and strengthen their communities. While change may take more time and resources to implement than with companies in the private sector, governments large and small are embracing technology, streamlining fragmented back-office functions and improving the constituent experience.

JPMorgan Chase has reached a major milestone—becoming the only bank able to hold and receive government deposits in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Here are some ways that government banking can help the public sector serve its citizenry in more communities than ever before.

Modernizing payments 

E-commerce has shown that consumers prefer fast, frictionless payments. Today, many public entities are moving toward digital billing to ease payments for their constituents.

Our treasury services tools enable government entities to deliver bills electronically and accept bill payments with a range of payment methods. Constituents can pay their utility bills, parking tickets, property taxes and more with everything from debit and credit cards to ACH payments and mobile wallets. Our Digital Bill Payments solution lets governments set up a streamlined front-end format for bill payment across agencies, reducing or eliminating manual processes for public workers and providing features like automated recurring payments to constituents. The modern alternatives to cash and check transactions can lead to simpler bookkeeping, faster processing and less mail volume—not to mention shorter service lines, easier phone calls and reduced exposure to fraud or abuse.

JPMorgan Chase's virtual card service can automate payments, hold down costs and grow revenue streams. The digital payments replace traditional paper checks paid by accounts payable. Instead, vendors receive a unique 16-digit account number for each payment. As a card program scales larger by including more agencies and entities, the participants all have a chance to receive a more substantial rebate.

Greater resilience 

Older methods of payables and receivables rely on labor-intensive manual processes, and any disruptions—including those from extreme weather, power outages or cyberattacks—can bring a government’s financial operations to a halt.

We have the size and scope to help communities quickly rebuild after natural disasters. After the Gulf Coast faced a historically strong hurricane, for example, we quickly offered a $150 million line of credit toward cleanup and recovery.

Using services like JPMorgan Chase's outsourced check printing can better ensure that payments can proceed as planned, and at a lower cost than printing and mailing each check in-house. 

One of our government clients in New England found that its accounts payable process was preventing their office from going fully remote during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an existing accountholder, they were fully implemented with remote check printing in fewer than three weeks.

Even when it's not an emergency, the solution has helped reduce costs and streamline processes. In Delaware, Louisiana and other states, the tool has helped distribute unclaimed property checks more quickly, returning tens of millions of dollars to residents.