From passports to marriages; municipalities in the Netherlands and Belgium can save time and money while making things convenient for residents by offering online booking and payment. This is made possible through the T:MEBLOCKR appointment platform and the online payment solution from Worldline Direct via Business to You.
The shift to digital
Many municipalities still handle their services for residents through physical service desks and cash register systems. However, modern residents expect the convenience of 24/7 accessibility and the ability to arrange matters directly online, similar to commercial platforms. By digitizing not just the appointment but also the payment, municipalities can meet this need while streamlining their internal processes.
Koen Pardoen (Account Manager) and Florian Lems (Customer Success Specialist) at T:MEBLOCKR explain their solution: “Our appointment platform manages the entire scheduling process, from capacity planning to final processing, including the right communication to both the resident and internally within the municipality.”
Business to You facilitates the seamless online payment solution via Worldline GoPay. Patrick Rutjens, Account Manager at Business to You: “Residents pay quickly and easily online within their trusted banking environment, and the municipality receives the funds directly into their account. Together, we offer a robust system that meets the needs and requirements of local governments.”
Versatility for municipalities
The solution can be widely used for any product with a price tag, such as passport applications, official certificates, waste disposal passes, and even the rental of sports facilities and swimming pools. A prime example is the process surrounding a marriage or civil partnership:
Marriage as an example
• Booking an appointment: The resident fills out the “Intended marriage” or “partnership” form online via T:MEBLOCKR on the municipal website. An appointment can then be scheduled immediately after this notification. Choosing options: During this appointment, the resident makes choices regarding, among other things, the location, marriage certificates, and other preferences. These choices incur costs, which are automatically added to the shopping cart.
• Payment: Upon confirmation, the resident is redirected to Worldline’s secure payment environment to pay using their preferred payment method.
• Confirmation: Following a successful payment, the appointment is confirmed, and the resident automatically receives a confirmation and an invoice via email.
• Insight: As a municipality, you have a clear overview of the status of all appointments and payments throughout the entire process. Appointments are routed directly to the staff member with the appropriate expertise, ensuring maximum automation and optimization.
The benefits for municipalities
An automated appointment process with online payment offers numerous advantages, Florian explains: “You get fewer no-shows because when residents pay in advance, we see that they are much more likely to show up for their appointments. Additionally, it reduces administrative work because the system automatically links payments to appointments, eliminating the need for manual tracking and reminders.”
Colleague Koen adds: “You also offer your residents more convenience and 24/7 service: they can fully handle their transactions at any time, even outside of business hours. And as a municipality, you have everything in one dashboard, from scheduling to payment status. Any incomplete payments can be easily resolved by sending a new payment request.”
Two strengths, one smooth experience
The power of the collaboration between T:MEBLOCKR and Business to You lies in their deep industry knowledge. This combination perfectly aligns with the needs of local governments. In addition to the added value of T:MEBLOCKR’s appointment platform, Business to You understands what is critical when it comes to payment solutions in the public sector.
For many Dutch municipalities, for instance, it is vital that funds are deposited directly into their own account at the Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG). Business to You handles this, Patrick explains: “Through Worldline, it is possible to transfer payments directly from the resident to the municipality. Unlike other payment solutions, Worldline does not hold the funds during the transaction; it acts solely as a ‘technical power strip’ to facilitate the payment.”
Because the technical integration between T:MEBLOCKR and Worldline has been established for years, new municipalities can get started quickly and worry-free.
About T:MEBLOCKR
T:MEBLOCKR supports the entire service spectrum from appointment scheduling to video calls, including online identification. Residents manage everything digitally in one smooth process, while employees work from a single central platform. T:MEBLOCKR utilizes the building blocks of VNG Mijn Services, is fully digitally accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.2 AA, and aligns completely with the Common Ground growth pact. In this way, T:MEBLOCKR provides a future-proof, secure, and user-friendly solution for modern municipal services. Users already include the municipalities of Arnhem, Schiedam, and Ninove, as well as the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency), De Mandemakers Groep, and D-Reizen.
Interested?
Various municipalities, such as Terneuzen, are already successfully using the combined solution from T:MEBLOCKR and Business to You. Curious about the possibilities for your municipality? Contact Business to You at info@b2u.eu.
