Innovative Court Program Enables Participants to Avoid Collections and Stay in Driver’s License Compliance
Catalis, a leading provider of SaaS and integrated payment solutions for government, announced a new, lower fee structure for Washington’s Unified Payment (UP) Program. The update replaces the previous flat $7 monthly fee with a 4.5% processing fee, a move designed to make the program more accessible as Catalis seeks to expand this proven model to more jurisdictions across the state.
The UP Program helps people stay compliant, avoid collections, and keep licenses in good standing. This pricing update makes the model more effective and equitable.”
— Rebecca Bollom, Director of Customer Success, Catalis
The UP Program, powered by Catalis Court Payments (formerly nCourt), allows individuals with unpaid non-criminal traffic fines in multiple jurisdictions to consolidate those obligations into one manageable monthly payment. By transitioning to a percentage-based fee, the program ensures that a larger portion of every dollar goes directly toward reducing court debt. For example, under the previous model, a participant making a $25 payment saw $7 go toward fees. Under the new structure, that fee drops to approximately $1.13, allowing nearly $24 to be applied directly to their balance.
“At Catalis, our mission is to harness technology so government can make its greatest possible contribution to the people it serves,” said Rebecca Bollom, Director of Customer Success. “The UP Program already gives people a practical way to stay in compliance, avoid collections, and keep their licenses in good standing. This pricing update makes the model even more effective and equitable as we look to bring more Washington courts into the program.”
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The program’s impact on financial stability and legal compliance has been extensively documented. Dr. Alexes Harris, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington and a leading expert on the impact of legal financial obligations, highlighted the program’s significance:
“Our interviews with UP participants highlight people’s need for support to regain their driver’s licenses and move forward towards becoming productive citizens, employees, and most importantly, family members. Based on our analysis of the UP Program, we suggest expanding the program statewide for all people to be eligible to enter and receive this support.”
For participants, the program is often the only viable path to regaining their driving privileges and avoiding the cycle of collections. “The UP Program has been a blessing for getting my life back on track,” shared one program participant. “My license was suspended, and I was unable to drive to work. Simply getting my license back has helped me get my life back together.”
As the UP Program continues to grow, advocates like Mia Richardson-Heidelberg of Advocates In Motion see it as an essential tool for community support. “The program helps people pull their tickets out of collections and set up affordable monthly payments that are automatically disbursed to all of the participating courts – a solution that brings real relief and convenience,” she said.
Catalis remains committed to providing technology that empowers public servants and improves the lives of citizens. While the monthly fee structure has been updated to be more equitable, enrollment and reinstatement fees will remain unchanged.
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