ePayPolicy Integrates with Vertafore’s AMS360

by Industry News & Company Updates

AUSTIN, TX – July 23, 2019 –  ePayPolicy, a Vertafore Orange Partner, today announced it is adding payment processing capabilities to Vertafore’s AMS360 agency management system and extending its integrations into five Vertafore management systems.

ePayPolicy supports independent insurance agency efficiency and superior customer experiences by enabling agencies to accept payment via credit card or ACH instead of check.
“It makes paying for insurance like paying for most any other purchase in today’s digital environment — instant and easy,” explained Milan Malkani, ePayPolicy co-founder.

AMS360 is Vertafore’s foundational agency management system, designed to help independent agencies to streamline workflows , improve renewals and retention , and drive new business, resulting in improved employee productivity and a superior customer experience.

“ePayPolicy has proven to be an indispensable solution partner. Its team is as avidly customer-centric in its thinking and product delivery as we are at Vertafore,” said Doug Mohr, VP of Industry Relations & Partnerships, Vertafore. “The 6,000+ agency users of our best-in-class AMS360 system now have best-in-class payment processing capabilities. This partnership is truly customer service at its technology-driven best.”

ePayPolicy shows the exact balances due. Once payments are made, activities and suspenses are created automatically within AMS360. Users will also benefit from easy on-boarding, quick setup, clean accounting and a fast, one-to-two-day go-live timeline.

“Our valued relationship with Vertafore just got deeper and stronger,” added Malkani. “Integration with such a powerhouse system as AMS360 exponentially increases our exposure within the independent agency market.  More important, it offers thousands more independent agents and brokers the ability to modernize the way they accept insurance payments.”

About Vertafore
For over 50 years, Vertafore, the leader in modern insurance technology, has built and supported superior InsurTech solutions to connect every point of the distribution channel. Vertafore agency management, ratings, regulation, compliance, and connectivity products streamline workflows, improve efficiency and drive productivity for more North American insurance professionals than any other provider—including more than 20,000 agencies, over 1,000 carriers and 23 state governments. Through a continual focus on operational excellence, development of innovative solutions, and alignment with key industry partners, Vertafore is leading the way for customers of all sizes by delivering results that make a difference.

For more information about Vertafore visit https://www.vertafore.com

To learn specifically about AMS360 visit  https://www.vertafore.com/products/ams360

About ePayPolicy
ePayPolicy is the simplest way to collect digital insurance payments. Austin, Texas-based ePayPolicy is the nation’s foremost provider of payment processing developed exclusively for independent agencies, brokers/MGAs and premium finance agencies.  The company’s  innovative electronic payment processing portal enables clients to accept credit card or ACH without messy merchant accounts or hidden fees.  ePayPolicy sets up quickly, integrates seamlessly with leading management systems, and is endorsed by independent insurance associations nationwide. To find out more visit https://epaypolicy.com

The company’s annual InsurTech Agency Award recognizes independent insurance agencies/brokerages for leveraging technology to enhance their sales, marketing, and customer service. Details and call for entry are at https://www.insurtechaward.com/

Media Contact:
Seth Nagle, Director of Marketing, ePayPolicy | 512-643-9015 | Seth@epay3.com
Alexea Candreva, SSPR | 719-475-0370 | vertafore@sspr.com

The Leavitt Group Conference 2019

by Industry News & Company Updates

The Leavitt Group
Leavitt Group Insurance, a branch off of Leavitt Group, is one of the largest privately-held insurance brokerages in the country. The agency offers employee benefits solutions, property and casualty insurance, risk management and other services. Every year, the Leavitt Group hosts an annual conference, and this year our team was honored and proud to have attended this event at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa on June 5 – 7.

“I’m truly amazed at how such a large organization can still maintain such a tight, family-oriented culture,” says Milan Malkani, Co-founder of ePayPolicy. “What really struck us, their gala, where every award recipient showed genuine admiration for their team and couldn’t stop thanking them enough for their dedication and support. Almost every other speech used the word “love” when referring to the people around them and it wasn’t uncommon for the speaker to have to take a moment and compose themselves after getting a little choked up. This isn’t just a job for them; this is truly their family.”

To conclude the night, Dixie and Anne Leavitt gave speeches from their heart. It was Anne’s speech that really stole the show for everyone. Her delivery, her way with words, and her message of kindness completely left everyone in aw.  She cited the story of Gander, Newfoundland in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to illustrate the power of human kindness. She spoke of how the right thing to do is care for others and that we have the power to do so as an individual instead of waiting for a group at large to start a movement. It was an amazing experience for the ePayPolicy team, unlike any other conference we’ve attended before.

To say we’re excited to be working with the Leavitt group and their members would be an understatement. At ePayPolicy we understand that the insurance industry isn’t just a grouping of companies but a network of families, when we can partner with like-minded insurance professionals it’s a wonderful thing.

Created by insurance experts for the insurance industry ePayPolicy provides the simplest solution for insurance agents, brokers, MGAs, and premium finance companies to collect credit card and ACH payments. Visit https://epaypolicy.com/ to learn about our Vertafore integrations and to request a demo today!

Accelerate 19 Powered by NetVU Has Started!

by Industry News & Company Updates

Accelerate by NetVU EapYPolicy
Accelerate Powered by NetVU is one of the largest conferences that ePayPolicy attends every year. This year,  we’re excited to announce a new integration during the show!  The Accelerate convention will be held at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio May 21 – 23.

Accelerate 2019 is a four day event hosted by Netvu, the Network of Vertafore users. This event is one of the largest gatherings of Vertafore users and industry professionals from across the independent agent channel. Throughout the event, attendees will be able to take advantage of hours of product and persona focused education classes, learn from different exhibitors who are showcasing their brand or new products and be able to attend Vertafore’s annual Customer Appreciation Party, held at the Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds this year.

“The ePayPolicy team is thrilled to be attending Accelerate, we’ll be sharing a big announcement with the attendees at our booth today!” said Todd Sorrel, Co-Founder of ePayPolicy. “Being a Vertafore Integration Partner we’ve been looking forward to this event for months.

Accelerate 2019 will also feature expert speakers that range from industry insiders, the Vertafore leadership crew and fellow users. Accelerate is a conference the ePayPolicy has never missed!
Want to speed up receivables and bind policies faster?

ePayPolicy is the nation’s foremost provider of payment processing developed exclusively for retail agencies, brokers/MGAs and premium finance agencies. The platform facilitates collection of online payments without the hassle or expense of technical integration, hidden fees, or separate merchant accounts. Visit our booth today and see how we interegratewithin Vertafore’s most popular management systems.

Higginbotham Insurance Makes The Switch To Digital Payments

by Client Spotlight Series

ePayPolicy Case Study: Higginbotham Insurance

Executive Summary
Tony Haas, Controller at Higginbotham Insurance, noticed that customers were frequently asking for electronic payment options to pay their insurance policies. While Higginbotham did accept credit cards, it did not offer the choice to pay via ACH. Haas began searching for a more robust processor and finally stumbled upon ePayPolicy. Signing up, he said, was a must.

“We were getting requests from clients to pay electronically, and after seeing ePayPolicy’s demo, the ACH solution was a much better solution than a wire solution,” said Haas. “A client could either set up a wire account and send money to us, or they could just pull up ePayPolicy and pay us right there. It’s a much easier process,” he said.
“The simplicity of it made it a no-brainer.”

The Goals
Offer clients electronic payments
Integrate with management system, Sagitta
Speed up receivables
Bind policy faster
Streamline reconciliation process

The Results
ePayPolicy Co-Founder Todd Sorrel met Hass for the first time at NetVU 2017, and shortly after, the Higginbotham payment page was live.

After Higginbotham was up and running, it was immediately able to offer clients the option to make electronic payments. Now, the insurance company is able to accept both credit cards and ACH, with payments seamlessly integrating into its management system Sagitta (powered by Vertafore). The technology has allowed them to bind business much faster.

“As soon as customers make payments, we’re getting email notifications to let us know that a transaction is in process,” said Haas. “We can bind things immediately and move onto the next project, instead of waiting a few days.”

Haas said the processor has cut down the reconciliation process by two business days and that ePayPolicy & its ability to integrate with Sagitta has streamlined Higginbotham’s overall process.


“Anytime you can do electronic payments, versus sending an actual check, it makes the whole process easier,” said Hass. “Handling checks is old school.”

The Extras – Hig Helps Page
After Hurricane Harvey tore through Houston last year, Higginbotham reached out to ePayPolicy for help in setting up a donation page for those affected by the storm. Harvey had completely devastated the homes of several Higginbotham team members, and the organization wanted a way to help them through the rebuilding process.

“It was fantastic what ePayPolicy did to help us get that page up and running. We raised about $150,000,” said Haas. “It was a big help to get money and help out to our employees that were hurting.”


Higginbotham Insurance offers risk management and financial services, providing access to commercial and personal property/casualty coverage, employee benefits, retirement plans, life insurance, and executive compensation plans through more than 250 regional and national carriers. As of 2017, the company is ranked #18 on Insurance Journal’s annual list of Top 100 Property / Casualty Agencies. There are over 25 Higginbotham offices in the state of Texas.

Paradiso Insurance, a Yardstick of Quality

by Client Spotlight Series

The value of good marketing cannot be overstated. If your marketing plan isn’t working (or worse, if you have no marketing plan at all), your organization won’t last long.

You can count on that.

The Internet and social media have made marketing more accessible. But they’ve also created a massive cloud of competition and a hailstorm of noise.

We live in a world of sensory overload. Every company is fighting for consumer attention. With millions of organizations vying for eyes and business 24/7, how do you make yourself stand out?
“Be a yardstick of quality.”

The advice comes from someone who knows a thing or two about marketing, the iconic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs.

When I think about the insurance space and who makes a good “yardstick” of quality, one name in particular stands out – Chris Paradiso.

Paradiso started his own insurance business in 1998 with just three employees. Today there are over 15 team members and counting, and Paradiso has grown his company and brand into an insurance powerhouse.

Paradiso Presents, LLC is at the forefront of that powerhouse. It began as an endeavor Chris started in order to “teach small agencies how to survive in today’s complex online marketing world.” Since the LLC’s inception, it has grown into one of the most reputable resources for small agency survival.

One facet of Paradiso Presents is the popular industry magazine Be the Last Agent Standing. The publication is one of those tools that belongs in any agency’s survival kit. New and experienced insurance professionals alike will benefit from Last Agent. Readers can expect insight like marketing tips, tricks, and tools designed specifically to help insurance folks grow their business.
Everything from building a brand to search engine optimization to Google Analytics is discussed. Nothing is off the table. Nothing is overlooked. With so much information on the Interwebs these days, it’s difficult to sift through what’s valuable and what’s just fluff. Fortunately, Last Agent is chalk full of rich, valuable, pearls of wisdom from the man himself.

“What Chris does with Paradiso Presents and Last Agent is truly a testament to how well he knows the insurance landscape,” said Milan Malkani, my partner and fellow ePayPolicy co-founder.
“He’s been in this business a long time and still finds all these ways to keep things fresh and fun and current. I think a lot of agencies can learn from him.”


Digital marketing is undoubtedly a frontier that is overwhelming for many. There are a lot of new tricks to learn and insurance is an old business. One that has historically used more “traditional” methods.

For example, using print ads (instead of digital ones), and paper checks (instead of electronic payment processors). However, insurance has gradually been shifting towards a more tech-based industry. And while some are happy with this shift, many are not.

Luckily, there are organizations like Chris Paradiso’s that are dedicated to helping those who do feel overwhelmed. The goal is to elevate the industry and level the playing field. With Paradiso, even the little guys and underdogs have a fighting chance.

What the magazine represents is so much more than articles printed on paper. Be the Last Agent Standing is an integral part of a larger puzzle — a good marketing foundation for budding insurance agencies.

“Any agency worth their salt will pick up Chris’ magazine,” said Malkani. “Everyone can learn something from Last Agent.”

Do something great with the ePayPolicy InsurTech Award!

by InsurTech Award

Do something great with the ePayPolicy InsurTech Award!

We’re less than a month away from closing applications for the ePayPolicy InsurTech Award!
ePayPolicy believes that great technology can change the insurance world. That’s why we are committed to recognizing the agency that has best adapted and leveraged technology to grow and improve their sales, marketing, and customer service in 2018.

Additionally, each applicant will receive an Insurance Technology Adoption Score (i.e. an “ITA Score”), a subjective measure of an agency’s tech adoption in the insurance space, along with comprehensive reporting including feedback, tips, and opportunities to improve that score.
If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time!

Apply now to win $7,500 in prizes, including:

– A $1,000 cash prize
– $1,000 toward an insurance conference of winner’s choice
– Two FREE years of ePayPolicy’s Custom Plan
– Consulting time with Mike Stromsoe and Chris Paradiso
– Website services with Alicor Solutions
– A gift basket stocked with local treats from AustiNuts
– BRAGGING RIGHTS!

Do something great,
apply for the ePayPolicy InsurTech Award today.

Accelerating with NetVU

by Industry News & Company Updates

Accelerating with NetVU
If the yearly conference circuit is equivalent to the NFL’s football season, then NetVU’s Accelerate is the insurance industry’s Super Bowl. And like any good Super Bowl, Accelerate 2018 was exciting, buzzing with energy, and an absolute blast!

In the months leading up to the much-anticipated show, the entire ePayPolicy team worked with our heads down, toiling away on prepping our booth, swag, travel plans, and more. When it was finally showtime, Todd and I were more than itching to get to Atlanta.

Anyone in the insurance space knows that Accelerate is all about taking advantage of opportunities. Whether your goal is to build relationships, spend time with customers, network, pitch, or just have fun, opportunity is there for the taking.

Luckily for us, all of those aforementioned things were goals of ours, and I’m proud and pleased to say we were successful in hitting each of those goals — and then some.

Any chance we have to spend time with current or potential customers, as well as the Vertafore team, is a chance to build and solidify relationships, which is the most important thing for us at ePayPolicy.

And it might be the most important thing for anyone in the insurance industry, for that matter.
Todd, myself, and the rest of the team are all still coming down from the adrenaline high of last week. (Is it too early to start thinking about Accelerate 2019?) Thanks to all that stopped by our booth to learn about our payment processor (and grab some swag, which we completely ran out of!).

And an especially big thank you to NetVU for hosting the insurance event of the year, Vertafore for chatting, laughing, and sharing meals with me and Todd, and all of our amazing clients that stopped to snap pictures with us.

Cheers!

InsurTech Takeover

by InsurTech Award

InsurTech Takeover

Technology has the uncanny ability to influence and shape our lives. From the invention of paper in 105 AD to the unveiling of the first iPhone more than 10 years ago in 2007, great tech has the power to solve problems, altering the way we do things forever.

This is especially true for the insurance industry.

Insurtech, the practice of using new technology to help modernize the insurance space, is at the forefront of the industry, and changing the way agents, brokers, carriers, and insureds all interact with each other and do business. In an industry where so many processes are rooted in tradition and face-to-face interaction, the individuals that are utilizing technology are nudging the landscape towards more cost-effective and efficient practices.

Payments, for example, used to all be handled manually. Not long ago, if an insured needed to make a payment on their policy, the only available options were to pay either via cash, wire, or paper check. That was it.

But here’s the thing — Cash has to be handed off in person. Wire transfers can take as many as five days to be processed. And paper checks have to be handed off in person too, plus deposited at the bank.

What if the agent needed that payment immediately? Talk about inconvenient.

Today, however, there are more options. Electronic payment options, to be exact. Fueled by passion and empowered by tech, our team created a payment processor that simplifies the entire process of submitting and accepting insurance payments. Agents and brokers now have the luxury and ability to offer insureds the choice to pay electronically. And the positive implications of that are crystal clear for ePayPolicy customers.

“It used to be that if a policy was due to cancel that day, agents were scrambling to figure out how to get the funds to us,” said Teresa Hamm, Accounting Specialist for Towerstone Inc. “But now, agents can go online and immediately make payments. They’re helping their insureds’ policies from canceling, and I can turn around and get the funds to the carrier. It’s a win-win situation.”

Our integration capabilities also play a huge role in making things easier for agencies. ePayPolicy is integrated with several management systems, including Vertafore’s AIM, Sagitta, and FinancePro, as well as NowCerts, MGA Systems, and i-Engineering’s ALIS. These seamless system integrations mean that agencies, and more specifically, agency accounting teams, can process invoices faster and more efficiently. Gone are the days of paper checks and manual payment reconciliation.

“ePayPolicy has significantly improved the user experience for us as well as our clients,” said J. Archer Butler, Underwriter for Piedmont Premium Finance. “And, it saves our accounting team the extra work of going between multiple systems,” said Butler.

Insurtech has the power to improve communication in-house as well. Using a cloud-based service like Slack significantly cuts down on pesky back-and-forth emails between colleagues, for one, and offers a plethora of other bells and whistles to keep teams organized (i.e. Chat room “channels” organized by topic, direct messaging, search functionality, integrations with Dropbox, Trello, GitHub, and much more).

Google Drive, another cloud-based tool, is something we use in-house that continues to keep our practices up-to-date. Drive is a file storage service that comes with a suite of tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Think of these like the cousin to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, respectively. What’s great about these tools is that they are auto-saved to Google Drive, and, users can collaborate on projects together, in real-time.

For insurance professionals, the advantages of Slack, Google Drive, and various other tech and software applications are plentiful. We live in a fast-paced world where things are expected (and where we expect things) to happen immediately. Thankfully, there are mobile apps for Slack, Drive, and just about anything these days, making the desire for immediacy a reality.

Old habits die hard, but when electronic payment processors, mobile banking, messaging services, file sharing, and the whole darn world can fit in your back pocket, it’s hard to justify not adopting technology.

With insurtech, the question isn’t “why?” it’s “why not?”

The ePayPolicy team is so passionate about insurtech and the positive impact it has on the insurance industry, that we’ve launched our first annual ePayPolicy InsurTech Award. The award aims to recognize the insurance agency that has best adopted and leveraged technology to grow its sales, marketing, and customer service in 2018.

The winning agency will receive $7,500 in prizes, including a $1,000 cash prize, complimentary consulting time with insurance experts Mike Stromsoe and Chris Paradiso, a free two-year subscription to our industry-leading payment processor, and much more.

Additionally, each applicant will receive an Insurance Technology Adoption Score (ITA Score), a high-level score of an agency’s adoption of tech. Applications are free to submit, open to all agencies in the United States, and not exclusive to ePayPolicy customers.

For more information, or to apply for the ePayPolicy InsurTech Award, visit www.insurtechaward.com.

ePayPolicy is NetVU’s newest Silver Corporate Partner

by Industry News & Company Updates

Netvu Silver Partner

We’re excited to finally announce that not only is our product is offered as a Technology Solution Provider, ePayPolicy is also NetVU’s newest Silver Corporate Partner.

About NetVU:
NetVU is an independent, national member organization committed to providing industry advocacy, world-class education and networking to the more than 30,000 insurance agencies, carriers, MGAs and compliance organizations, and over 500,000 users of Vertafore solutions.

About Us:
ePayPolicy provides a simple and efficient way to collect
online insurance payments. We help clients speed up receivables, bind business faster, and create a positive payment experience for their customers.

We enable organizations to accept both credit card and ACH payments, effectively eliminating the need for paper checks and improving an agency’s bottom line.

Product Benefits:
– Pass on transaction fees
– Integrates to with many management systems, including Vertafore’s Sagitta, AIM and FinancePro
– Endorsed by over 10 independent insurance associations
– Convenient and user friendly
– & more!
About the Partnership:
Thanks to our new partnership, ePayPolicy is now part of the NetVU Community (NCOM) – a gathering place for other members to share the latest automation information, as well as trends and tips on how to make their businesses more successful.
We’re jazzed to be part of a community with other like-minded, tech-focused insurance professionals. From agencies, to carriers, to compliance officers, the group of individuals and organizations that make up NCOM are diverse and talented, and our team is proud to call ourselves a Technology Solution Provider of NetVU.

To learn more about ePayPolicy:
https://epaypolicy.com/
To learn more about NetVU:
https://www.netvu.org/web/

Technology that just makes sense

by Digital Payment Processing

Technology that just makes sense

Premium finance companies are already familiar with FinancePro. It’s a powerful, web-based solution that helps with loan management, carrier and rate tables. What takes it to the next level is its easy integration within the Vertafore agency management ecosystem.

If you’re serious about growing your agency or premium finance business, then we encourage you to become familiar with Vertafore. Here’s a link to a demo page that’s loaded with content. One huge benefit of using ePayPolicy, Vertafore, or even FinancePro is that they are all web-based solutions. There’s no software to install. That just makes sense. These are intuitive new technology solutions for the insurance industry.

As many of you know, FinancePro simplifies premium finance loan management and agent quoting. It gives you all the tools you need to manage your business, accept one—the ability to accept online payments. Until now you could only manage reports, notices, payment processing, quoting and account status, and compliance in all 50 states.

ePayPolicy and FinancePro integration provides seamless payment processing within Vertafore’s web-based platform. That’s two powerful tools to move your premium finance company to another level. Already a FinancePro user? We’re ready to help you marry these two powerful financial tools. Contact us to find out how.