The HB 967 Deadline: Online Payments Required in Florida

The federal government has been moving away from paper payments for decades. In an attempt to reduce costs and improve payment delivery, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act of 1999 (EFT ‘99) required federal agencies to deliver payments electronically.

More recently, a March 2026 executive order directed all federal departments and agencies to stop issuing paper checks altogether. The transition from paper to digital is well underway.

According to InvoiceCloud’s 2025 annual report, 68% of Americans who pay bills online used a mobile device to do so in the past year. Mobile is now the most preferred bill payment channel, preferred by 45% of consumers in 2025, up from 29% the year prior. Residents expect this same level of convenience from their local agencies.

Florida is now requiring what residents already prefer. HB 967 mandates that local governments accept electronic payments and offer an online payment option by January 1, 2027. This article covers the Florida payments mandate, why the shift matters, and how agencies can get compliant before the deadline.

Why Paper-Based Payments Are Outdated

Paper payments are expensive and a liability. According to the White House, Treasury checks—the federal government’s paper checks—are 16 times more likely to be reported lost, stolen, or altered than electronic transfers. The cost of maintaining the physical infrastructure to process and digitize paper records ran over $657 million in FY24 alone.

Residents are already paying bills digitally in their personal lives, and they expect the same experience from their local government. Despite the increase in digital payments, 72% of Americans report encountering issues when paying bills online. Examples include forgotten login credentials, missing payment reminders, and poor user experience.

Execution matters. Choosing the right payment solution is just as important as making the switch. Cloud-based payment software addresses those concerns by streamlining payment management, improving online security, and giving residents more flexible ways to pay.

What Florida HB 967 Requires

HB 967 requires every municipality, county, and special district in Florida to accept electronic payments and provide an online payment option for any financial obligation owed to the agency. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

The bill also gives local governments flexibility on the cost side. Agencies may impose surcharges on electronic transactions to offset processing fees, which removes a common barrier to adoption.

With 2026 coming to a close, agencies have limited time to evaluate vendors, configure systems, and test before the deadline. The pressure is real, but so is the support available.

To help local governments meet the mandate and better serve residents, we have partnered with InvoiceCloud to combine CentralSquare’s public administration platform with their electronic billing and payment tools. The partnership is designed to give agencies a compliant, resident-friendly solution without starting from scratch.

Building Security and Trust

Your agency’s payment experience is an opportunity to serve, not just a transaction to process. When a resident pays a utility bill or a permit fee online, they’re forming an impression of how well their local government works for them. A generic, one-size-fits-all payments tool doesn’t earn that trust.

The right municipal online payment solutions build confidence on both sides of the counter. For residents, that means a secure, flexible experience that works across channels. For agencies, it means controls that reduce risk and overhead.

CentralSquare Payments is built for that balance. Here are six ways local government digital payments will benefit your agency:

• Secure Payment Processing: Maintain PCI compliance and ensure payment security across every channel.
• Fully Integrated Solution: Eliminate duplicate entry and third-party gateways with built-in payment functionality.
• Automated GL Posting: Securely process transactions with daily exports to GL accounts. No manual uploads or extra connectors needed.
• Flexible Fee Models: Absorb processing fees or apply service fees by department and channel to maintain a revenue-neutral position.
• Centralized Data Management: Serve as the single source of truth for all transaction data.
• Effortless Reconciliation: Simplify reconciliation with accurate transaction and settlement data every day.

Together, those capabilities make compliance easier and the resident experience better.

Real Results at the City of Ames, IA

The City of Ames has a population of 66,427, making it Iowa’s ninth biggest municipality. A long-time Naviline customer, Ames added CentralSquare Payments in May 2022 to address a growing problem. With limited staffing, the finance team couldn’t keep up with the volume of over-the-phone payment requests.

Fortunately, the simplicity of a single, integrated solution made a difference for the city and its staff.

Training took five to ten minutes, and the system was up and running for residents. The online payment portal allowed citizens to pay without calling or visiting the office. Once payment links were added to invoice emails and paper bills, call volume dropped sharply. Staff reclaimed time for higher-priority work, IT stopped managing multiple vendors and card processors, and consolidated transactions lowered processing fees.

“We like it because it’s all one product. We like the one-stop shop. If something goes wrong, I make one phone call. I’m not stuck in between the financial vendor and the credit card payment. We like that it’s one vendor and I make one call and they just fix it.”

— Linda Sill, Systems Analyst, City of Ames, IA

Read the full City of Ames case study.

Next Steps for Modernizing Your Agency

The January 1, 2027 deadline is approaching quickly. For Florida agencies still operating on paper, now is the time to modernize your local government payments system.

CentralSquare Payments gives local governments a compliant, integrated solution built for public administration. The City of Ames got up and running in minutes. Your agency can too.

If you’re ready to learn more, book a demo to speak with one of our public administration experts. Not ready for a call? Download the solution sheet to learn more about what CentralSquare Payments can do for your agency.

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