Maine to Test Drive Clareon's E-Payment Solution

Clareon Corp. of Portland, Maine, announced April 17 that Maine will test its PayMode business-to-business payment solution.

During the pilot project, the state will use PayMode to make payments to a select group of vendors, suppliers, partner organizations and municipalities. PayMode will reduce the cost of disbursements, improve the efficiency of its payment processes and continue the state's progress in using innovative technologies, Clareon and state officials said.

"Maine has long been recognized as an attractive place to live and work, but Maine is also establishing itself as a hub of technological innovation," said Gov. Angus King. "By piloting Clareon's Internet technology to disburse payments online, we are reinforcing Maine's growing leadership in the adoption of new technologies that deliver competitiveness, value and profitability."

PayMode transmits remittance information with payments in a digital format and links with accounts payable and accounts receivable systems of its users for posting, processing and reconciliation. The solution requires no changes to existing systems, internal payment processes or bank relationships.

The state will not pay implementation or service fees to Clareon during the pilot, but businesses receiving payments through the system will pay a $1.50 fee per transaction, according to Clareon spokesman David Goldberg.

Through the pilot, the state will encourage other Maine businesses and organizations to adopt PayMode. Currently, more than 40 Maine businesses are using the payment solution. Goldberg said the company is also talking to several other states and local governments about adopting PayMode.