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ECHO
Press Releases 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Electronic
Clearing House Inc.
to Provide Visa
Point-of-Sale
Check Services to CTW Prepaid
Camarillo, Calif., April 6, 2005 -
Electronic Clearing House, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECHO), a
leading provider of electronic payment and transaction processing
services, announced today that it
has signed an agreement with CTW Prepaid, LLC (CTW) to provide Visa
Point-of-Sale (POS) Check services to CTW's customers.
CTW specializes in customized prepaid
telecom solutions for the convenience store industry. In addition to
prepaid products, CTW, through its sister company, EZ Rewards, LLC,
provides a point-based loyalty program designed to drive repeat
traffic, increase sales and build customer loyalty for all-size
retailers. The program is powered by customized software that
delivers award points to customers through a magnetic stripe card
that is branded with a retailer's name and logo. CTW currently has
over 1,000 terminals installed.
Under the agreement, ECHO will
provide CTW with check processing services, including check
verification, Automated Clearing House processing, check return
processing and collection. This will allow CTW's customers to
receive immediate, on-line authorization for paper checks, and the
conversion of the checks into electronic transactions at the point
of sale for verification that funds are available in the check
writer's account.
"We are very excited about
partnering with CTW Prepaid and adding our Visa POS Check service to
their suite of prepaid and customer loyalty programs," said
Joel M. Barry, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Clearing House, Inc.
"No other service allows the retailer to directly access the
consumer's checking account and settle a check in a single
transaction. We believe that CTW's retailers will enjoy tremendous
savings due to reduced fraud, elimination of paper processing and
check returns."
"ECHO's Visa POS Check
service is the first truly new check processing solution in over a
decade," said Mark Rubenstein, CEO of CTW Prepaid. "We are
committed to bring the best solutions to our customers and look
forward to working with ECHO on implementing Visa POS Check
services."
About Electronic Clearing House, Inc.
(ECHO)
ECHO (www.echo-inc.com)
provides a complete solution to the payment processing needs of
merchants, banks and collection agencies. ECHO's services
include debit and credit card processing, check guarantee, check
verification, check conversion, check re-presentment, and check
collection.
Safe Harbor Statement under the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set
forth above that are not historical facts are forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements
included in this press release include the potential for expansion
of ECHO's check guarantee business and the continued strong
demand for ECHO's check products. Potential risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially
include, but are not limited to, such factors as fluctuations in
demand for the Company's products and services, the introduction of
new products and services, the Company's ability to maintain
customer and strategic business relationships, technological
advancements, impact of competitive products and services and
pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Company's
liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, and other
information detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Electronic Clearing House, Inc.
Donna Rehman, 805-419-8533
corp@ECHO-inc.com
http://www.echo-inc.com
or
Coffin Communications Group
Crocker Coulson, 818-789-0100
crocker.coulson@ccgir.com
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