Rye Brook, N.Y., Sept. 3, 2009 -- There are 28 million Americans without a bank account and another 44 million Americans considered ‘underbanked” according to the FDIC. Today eBillme™, the online payment option that already enables consumers and small businesses to use online banking to pay securely with cash, has introduced eBillme Walk-In, a new way for consumers to shop online and pay with cash, without having a credit card or even a bank account. The company has partnered with providers including MoneyGram International (NYSE:MGI) to assemble the largest network of U.S. based walk-in locations with the lowest transaction fee.



“Millions of consumers use the Internet to browse but aren’t able to shop online because of limited credit and banking access,” says Marwan Forzley, President and CEO of eBillme. “We want every consumer to be able to pay securely with cash and benefit from the eBillme platform, which includes a rewards program and buyer protection features giving consumers all the perks of credit cards without getting into debt or incurring extra fees. For merchants, eBillme Walk-In offers an opportunity to reach a new consumer market and increase sales.”

Upon selecting eBillme Walk-In, online shoppers will be sent an eBill which can now be paid using online banking or by presenting the eBill to a participating location. A locator is available to show consumers the nearest walk-in location based on their address. Consumers can simply take their printed eBill to one of the over 75,000 walk-in locations across the U.S., including MoneyGram’s nearly 40,000 agent locations.

“We are very excited to introduce eBillme Walk-In to our customers,” says Jeff Wisot, vice president of marketing at Buy.com. “The new offering makes eCommerce more accessible and gives Buy.com shoppers another way to pay for their online purchases with cash. It also gives us an opportunity to attract a new demographic of shoppers.”



“At a time when credit card debt is burdening so many consumers, paying with cash is the appealing alternative,” says Greg Waltz, MoneyGram’s vice president and general manager of Payment Products. “We have partnered with eBillme to extend its cash checkout solution to consumers without banking and credit access, bringing them the conveniences of shopping online.”



eBillme, now offered by over 800 online merchants, is the most secure way to pay online. When shoppers choose the option at checkout, their order is confirmed with an eBill sent to their e-mail address. The transaction occurs securely, bank to bank, with no personal or financial information required or transmitted over the Internet. And with buyer protection features including a satisfaction guarantee, best price guarantee, in-transit protection, and fraud protection, consumers can shop with confidence knowing their eBillme transaction is guaranteed and protected.



ABOUT eBillme



eBillme™ is the only online payment solution that extends the convenience of online banking to the merchant’s checkout process. The service enhances security for online shoppers, and enables merchants to increase sales while reducing transaction costs. No financial data is exposed and the payment transaction is securely transferred from the customer’s bank to the retailer’s bank. Consumers can shop online, by catalog or through call centers, and pay for their purchases at their bank, credit union, or bill pay portal using the security and convenience of online banking. For more information, please visit www.eBillme.com or eBillme’s Online Debt-Free Shopping Mall.



Source: Company press release.