Quest Payment Systems wins major NSW Government contract

In a significant development for Australian technology firms, Melbourne-based company Quest Payment Systems has won a contract to supply payment technology to the New South Wales (NSW) Government. This contract positions Quest, Australia's only owned and operated payments terminal operation, alongside global giants like Verifone, PAX, Visa, and Apple.

The contract allows Quest to deliver its payment solutions to all NSW Government agencies. The company's CEO, Jan Mason, highlighted the benefit of their technology, which includes Android-based terminals like the new QT850. These terminals are designed not just for current traditional payment methods but are also equipped to handle emerging payment types such as QR codes and Account to Account payments.

Quest's success in securing this contract is a testament to the NSW Government's approach to centralising financial services and fostering competition within the sector. According to Mason, this strategy has opened up opportunities for proven Australian technology companies to compete directly with large banks and international payments giants. This initiative aligns with broader governmental efforts to streamline tender processes and provide more opportunities to local firms.

The NSW Government is a major player in the payments landscape within Australia, processing more point-of-sale transactions than any other government entity in the nation. This makes the win particularly significant for Quest, which already supplies payment technology to Service NSW. This existing relationship is anticipated to make the transition seamless for other NSW Government agencies adopting Quest's solutions.

Mason underscored the importance of local innovation, noting that while many organisations discuss the need to support Australian technology businesses, the NSW Government is actively making it a reality. The result is increased local competition, innovation, and job creation. Quest itself employs over 150 people and boasts more than 30 years of development expertise in the Australian market, offering the country's only locally designed range of payment terminal hardware.

This contract win comes at a time when issues around small business access to government contracts are under scrutiny. A recent report by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman highlighted ongoing challenges small businesses face in navigating government procurement processes. Despite initiatives like the Buy Australian Plan, unveiled in the Federal Labor Government's October 2022-23 Budget Measures, a significant proportion of Australian tech SMEs reported that procurement processes remain complex and slow.

The Government SME Procurement Survey 2024 by InnovationAus.com supports this, showing that over 75% of Australian tech SMEs found procurement processes challenging. Furthermore, 81% of SME respondents felt that the Buy Australia Plan or the Future Made in Australia Office had not made it easier to sell to the government.

Against this backdrop, Quest's CEO, Jan Mason, believes there is still more that can be done, particularly at the federal level, to streamline processes and support smaller Australian technology companies. This could further boost innovation and job creation within the country.

Quest Payment Systems provides a variety of payment solutions to businesses and financial institutions both locally and abroad. Their products range from mobile POS software to gift card and online payment solutions, all of which are supported by over three decades of development expertise.