SimpleCity vs FrontDesk

FrontDesk is the portal in Public Users where citizens view and manage utility account payments, submit account change requests, update general account settings, communicate with the city, fill out and submit forms, and more. Agency Users will use FrontDesk to view and manage Public Users, associated Utility Accounts, payments, forms, citizen requests, and more. However, much of the payment, account, and Public User data actually comes from SimpleCity Utility Billing desktop software (“SimpleCity”). Below is a more detailed breakdown of the differences between FrontDesk and SimpleCity along with some troubleshooting tips.

How does billing work?

Utility Bills are created through SimpleCity Utility Billing desktop software. The actual amount due for each utility service is calculated in SimpleCity based on the settings for your Agency. FrontDesk will reflect the amounts due.

If a Public User has access to FrontDesk (meaning their status is Active FrontDesk), they will automatically receive eBills through FrontDesk and, depending on their Payment Preferences, pay their bills through FrontDesk. If a Public User has a status of Active AutoPay, they will still receive paper bills through SimpleCity but payments will be made through FrontDesk. If a Public User has a status of either Active or Inactive, all bills and payments will still need to be managed through SimpleCity.

Due to the synchronization between FrontDesk and SimpleCity, a record of all payments is available in FrontDesk. This means an Agency User can log into FrontDesk to see all payments from FrontDesk through Forte or through SimpleCity. Any information that comes from SimpleCity has "created via SimpleCity" next to it in the Activity log for that Public User or Account.

Bills for items created in FrontDesk, such as Forms, are created in FrontDesk.

How do I void a payment?

If the payment is made through FrontDesk, such as an AutoPay or via a credit card entered by an Agency User, then it must be voided in FrontDesk and not in SimpleCity desktop. This will void the transaction with Forte, as well as the payment in FrontDesk and SimpleCity. You can only void payments the same day they are received. Once the payment has been sent to Forte, you will no longer be able to void it in FrontDesk. If a payment that needs to be voided is outside the void window, the agency will need to issue a refund via SimpleCity in Accounts Payable or Utility Billing. See detailed instructions here: Voiding FrontDesk Payments.

Managing Account and Public User information

Account and Public User information can come from SimpleCity through a regular synchronization process. In addition, Public User information can come directly from a citizen who creates a FrontDesk account. However, once the account or Public User information is in FrontDesk, it should be edited and update through FrontDesk and not through SimpleCity. Read more details here: Updating Account Information.

Trouble-shooting

For trouble-shooting errors in FrontDesk, the first thing you should do is check out the Resource Center by clicking the gWorks logo in the bottom right corner. This is a powerful tool that contains in-app guides and articles to help you resolve any issues. You can click "Explore App" to view specific guides based on the FrontDesk page you are on. Alternatively, you can click "Help Center" to view or search for articles.

For trouble-shooting errors in SimpleCity, refer to the SimpleCity Knowledge Base to search for any helpful articles. If there are no articles or you are unable to resolve the issue, you can submit a ticket through our Support Portal and one of our Client Success Representatives will assist you.