header icon
Solutions
header icon
Products
header icon
Platform
header icon
Developers
header icon
Company
English
English
HOW SMI AND GALILEO HELP MILLIONS OF FAMILIES ACCESS CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS

How SMI and Galileo Help Millions of Families Access Child Support Payments

January 10, 2024

For more than 50 years, Systems & Methods Inc. (SMI) has made it easier for families to access critical government-administered payments that improve the quality of their daily lives. SMI provides custom child support disbursement solutions for dozens of U.S. state and local agencies that collectively serve millions of families, processing more than 76 million payments annually, with a 99.99 percent accuracy rate, according to the company. 

A cornerstone of SMI’s offering is its smiONE Visa prepaid card, which enables child support recipients to receive payments directly into a prepaid account and then spend those funds wherever Visa is accepted, whether online or at physical locations.

Galileo recently spoke with Bill Stone, CEO at SMI, about how SMI and Galileo are making it easier to receive and spend crucial support funds.

Mission: “Our mission is going the extra mile with a passion to serve,” said Stone. “We love serving families–especially those who are unbanked or underbanked–receiving child support payments. Our customers are typically unbanked or underbanked individuals who receive child support payments. Our solution provides them with a stored value card, making it more efficient for them to access their funds compared to traditional checks.”

Founding: SMI was founded in 1971 in Carrollton, Georgia, originally providing accounting services, batch processing and data entry for local businesses. The company began supporting the issuance of food stamp benefit payments for the State of Georgia in 1981 and since has grown its benefit payments business to 16 states. 

What Galileo Does for Them: Galileo provides payment authorization and processing technology for the smiONE Visa prepaid card, issued by The Bancorp Bank, which offers features including free direct deposit, a mobile app and 24/7 live agent support. 

“The partnership with Galileo started around 2008-2009,” said Stone.

“We were looking for a more reliable authorization engine, and Galileo’s accuracy and dependability stood out. This partnership has been crucial in efficiently processing and managing child support payments.”
Bill Stone
CEO of SMI

Stone went on to cite Galileo’s assistance in helping mitigate risk stemming from SMI’s fraud and dispute resolution responsibilities as the program manager for the smiONE card. 

The Road Ahead: “We’re looking to improve our product by focusing on financial literacy and education,” noted Stone. “We aim to offer a product that helps build credit for our cardholders, providing them with more opportunities.”

Spotlight
April 24, 2024

How Mo and Galileo Are Paving the Way for All Types of Credit

Learn how Mo Credit Management Platform, in partnership with Galileo, is transforming credit management across Latin America. With a focus on innovation and accessibility, they offer competitive, scalable credit products, from microloans to credit cards.

See More
Platform
April 23, 2024

Why Banks Should Use Customer Experience as a Roadmap for Tech Modernization

For banks setting out on the journey of tech modernization, focusing on solving customer problems can serve as a North Star to guide the way.

See More
Platform
April 18, 2024

Is Banking’s Future Composable? Here's What FIs Need to Know

To compete with digital-native fintechs, traditional financial institutions must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Composable banking enables FIs to reimage their role and stay relevant in the industry’s digital future.

See More
Spotlight
April 17, 2024

How SoFi and Galileo Work Together to Help People Get Their Money Right

Explore the synergistic relationship between SoFi Technologies Inc. and Galileo Financial Technologies, as they join forces to redefine financial services. Learn how SoFi, with its comprehensive suite of financial tools, collaborates with Galileo's advanced payment processing and technology solutions to empower individuals to manage their finances effectively.

See More
Product
April 15, 2024

Why Banks Should Rethink Their Digital Wallet Strategy

Research shows digital wallets usage is booming, but banks risk losing out on this growth opportunity unless they adopt a more aggressive strategy to offer their own wallets.

See More