alt Hacker News> Adyen will take over GOV.UK Pay card payments for local authorities, police forces and armed forces units from Stripe, as well as pay by bank services, under a three-year contract worth up to £25.3 million.
I would prefer they take this money and either build a payment processor or use an existing UK company. The UK government is addicted to offshoring all contracts it can, and then is surprised when the cheapest possible quote actually ends up ballooning over the agreed amount.
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If you ever worked with any of the UK gov or agencies you’d understand why it happens. Despite having its own IT in every agency those same agencies buy externally because “it is too difficult”. IT is entangled beyond belief and some of the knowledge is institutionalised. Existing contracts do not make it easier either. Any high ranking clerk is afraid of any risk associated as well. Not to mention the procurement process is hard and lengthy.
I'm sorry? Did you just say you want the UK government to "build a payment processor"?
> and either build a payment processor
Risk, time, complexity, mismatched skill-sets... "getting a new thing built" didn't work so well with (for example) Fujitsu and the Post Office, or the billions spent to little or no avail on NHS digitalisation. Seems to be a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't".
> use an existing UK company
Are there established UK-based payment processors with equivalent abilities?