payment behavior changes when Collections policies change. That's not a coincidence.

Software built to show municipalities which accounts will pay, who needs relief, and what drives compliance.
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Cities don't have a collections problem. They have a policy design problem.

We've studied payment behavior in cities across the country. What we keep finding is that collection gaps trace back to policy design more than to who the customers are. Income matters, but the structure of bills, notices, and enforcement explains far more of the variation. Typical collections and enforcement policies are not designed to distinguish between people who can't pay and people who won't. Because of this, departments go underfunded and the most vulnerable get strapped with debt.

Enforcement is part of the answer, but only when consequences are credible and proportionate. Remove them and compliance drops. Make them excessive and you don't get payment. You get permanent delinquency among certain groups. Cities that balance both enforcement and relief will have stronger community resilience.

Solutions We Provide

SERVUS delivers smart and secure solutions that empowers cities to serve residents more fairly while achieving financial goals.

Data & Insights

We analyze your existing policies and payment behavior to show you exactly what's working, what isn't, and why.

Segmented Pricing

We configure our platform to implement proportionate price adjustments based on your city’s objectives. It integrates with your existing systems.

Ongoing Optimization

We stay engaged after implementation. Payment behavior shifts over time and policies need to reflect that.

Consulting & Research

We partner with cities on custom data projects across any revenue stream.

Use data, not guesswork

Administrative burden and poor public perception stem from policy. Read more >>

WHY CHOOSE SERVUS?

We start by understanding how your current policies are performing across every segment of your population. Then we help you redesign them. Our software can be configured to meet your objectives.

Data-Driven Insights

Algorithms that uncover payment behavior patterns municipalities often miss.

Equity + Accountability

Help those who need it, while holding everyone accountable to pay.

Cities that close the gap between what they bill and what they collect share one thing in common. They understand who they are collecting from.

SERVUS provides automated affordability screening that assesses every payer's ability to pay using behavioral and demographic data. Not self-reported income or crisis-level thresholds.

The result: payment expectations are calibrated to what residents can realistically pay. More payers pay something. Fewer fall into permanent delinquency. Collections improve in aggregate, not just among delinquent accounts.

This isn't a manual process. SERVUS's software incorporates your objectives, does the screening, and responds with an adjustment, so cities can apply consistent, defensible collections standards across any revenue stream without adding administrative burden.

Ability-to-pay screening works in both directions. It identifies who needs relief and who has capacity to pay at or above current rates. That's not a collections tactic. It's rate policy grounded in data.

Debt relief alone isn’t enough.

Although debt forgiveness can offer immediate support, it often provides only temporary relief. Many residents eventually fall back into debt because the deeper, structural causes of their unpaid debt remain unaddressed.

Outdated collection practices deepen the problem and conventional payment plans aren’t the answer.

Standard payment plans often ignore a person’s true ability to pay, allowing debt to snowball instead of resolve. Especially when ongoing charges outpace payment commitments.

The cost of assumptions are too high.

Many cities are losing millions in uncollected revenue—not because people won’t pay, but because outdated systems and assumptions make compliance harder. With better data, cities can design policies that are both fair and financially sustainable.

SERVUS works with cities to understand what their revenue data is actually telling them, identify where policies are falling short, and redesign them using evidence rather than assumptions.

We've tried text message reminders and flexible payment plans, but they don't solve the core problem—people still fall behind and accumulate fees. We need something that actually helps our system recoup the funds we need to operate."

— City of Portland Water Bureau Director

FAQs

SERVUS Benefits

  • SERVUS helps cities understand how they can achieve their fiscal and equity goals. Cities can use whatever data they have to make better decisions. Additionally, more people will pay on time when they have affordable options, allowing the city to collect more revenue, and prevent residents from falling into debt. It's a win-win for everyone!

  • Cities need revenue to operate. When people don’t pay, more resources are directed at compliance. By adjusting the amount due for those who need assistance, it helps cities collect the money they need in a timely manner to provide services without creating extra hardship for anyone.

  • SERVUS uses information the city already has to figure out how much each person can afford to pay.

  • With segmented pricing, people who can afford to pay the normal price of their fines and fees will, and those who can't will get the appropriate financial assistance. This means the city collects more money, and fewer people fall into debt.

  • No. SERVUS helps cities prevent people from falling behind on their bills in the first place. We use data to identify who might need help and proactively offer personalized discounts or payment plans to make things more affordable. This leads to more on-time payments and avoids the need for debt collection.

  • It's important to understand that we don't actually charge anyone more than the standard fine or fee. That would be unfair. Instead, we help cities offer adjustments/discounts to those who truly need them. Think of it like other programs cities already have:

    • Property taxes: Seniors often get discounts.

    • Bus fares: The price varies for youth, adults, and seniors.

    • Amnesty programs: Cities sometimes reduce fines for people who couldn't pay them before.

    • Existing financial assistance: Many cities offer discounts on utilities or other services for those in need.

    These programs are well accepted. Segmented pricing is a smarter version of these programs that helps ensure that everyone pays what they can reasonably afford. It's about making the system fairer, not charging some people more.

    The key difference with SERVUS is that we use data to make sure the discounts are given out fairly and consistently. This helps cities avoid bias and make the best use of their resources. Ultimately, it's about creating a system where everyone is treated equitably, and no one faces undue financial hardship because of a fine or fee.

Utility Rate Services

  • Determine if you are accomplishing your goals or if your communities are having the proper outcomes.

  • Any consultant can provide you an analysis but we have the expertise to optimize both tiered and fixed rates. We utilize proven leading-edge technologies to measure payment propensity.

  • SERVUS has partnerships with universities and professional organizations to ensure rigorous and evidence-based implementations. We conduct field experiments to validate our approach.

  • Our flagship service offers your utility the ability to increase rates while insulating financially challenged ratepayers.

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