Companies will donate one tree for each customer that pays a bill online to help educate consumers about the environmental benefits of online banking
BROOKFIELD, Wis. & FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fiserv, Inc., a leading provider of information technology services to the financial industry, and BankAtlantic, “Florida’s Most Convenient Bank,” today announced they will donate a tree for every BankAtlantic customer who signs up for online bill pay and pays at least one bill online between April 3 and May 31, 2008 at www.BankAtlantic.com. With assistance from the Arbor Day Foundation, BankAtlantic and Fiserv will plant up to 10,000 trees in forests throughout Florida.
According to a 2007 green banking study by Javelin Strategy and Research, if all U.S. households viewed and paid bills online it would save 16.5 million trees each year. A single tree in one day can provide oxygen for up to four people and discharge up to 100 gallons of water from the ground into the air, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“More consumers are realizing that paying bills online is not only convenient, it also contributes to a healthier environment,” said Jarett Levan, president and chief executive officer of BankAtlantic. “We believe the best way to educate our customers about the green advantages of online bill payment is through this initiative, which will have a direct ecological impact on the state of Florida.”
BankAtlantic provides customers with Fiserv’s online bill payment solution, CheckFree Web RXPsm, under an agreement with FundsXpress, a value-added reseller and provider of Internet-based solutions to financial institutions. Customers can register for BankAtlantic’s Totally Free Online Banking & Bill Pay at www.BankAtlantic.com or at any of its more than 100 locations throughout Florida. In addition to the environmental benefits, paying bills online rather than sending paper bills through the mail provides consumers with better security and control of their finances. Consumers can schedule payments on the date of their choosing and more easily monitor and manage account balances. Because recent studies show that identity fraud is more common offline than online, electronic bill pay also helps to reduce the risk of identity theft.
“We recently sponsored a survey in which more than half of American consumers who responded said it was very important to them that receiving and paying bills online benefits the environment,” said Todd Lesher, executive vice president and general manager, CheckFree Electronic Banking Services, now part of Fiserv, Inc. “We are committed to working with our banking partners to further educate the public about the positive impact that online banking and bill payment can have on the environment.”
Fiserv, Inc. and CheckFree are committed to educating consumers and businesses through the PayItGreen™ campaign about the environmental benefits of choosing electronic billing, statements, and payments instead of paper. Learn more at www.payitgreen.org.
About BankAtlantic
BankAtlantic, “Florida’s Most Convenient Bank,” with $6 billion in assets and more than 100 stores is one of the largest financial institutions headquartered in Florida. BankAtlantic is open 7 days a week and offers holiday hours, extended weekday hours, Totally Free Online Banking & Bill Pay, a 7-Day Customer Service Center, Totally Free Change Exchange coin counters and free retail and business checking with a free gift. BankAtlantic has been serving communities throughout Florida since 1952 and currently operates more than 250 conveniently located ATMs. The bank has supported thousands of charitable, civic and professional organizations since the inception of the BankAtlantic Foundation in 1994. For further information visit www.BankAtlantic.com.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at www.arborday.org.
About Fiserv, Inc.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, provides information management and electronic commerce systems and services to the financial and insurance industries. Leading services include transaction processing, outsourcing, electronic bill payment and presentment, investment management solutions, business process outsourcing (BPO), software and systems solutions. Headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., the company is the leading provider of core processing solutions for U.S. banks, credit unions and thrifts. Fiserv was ranked the largest provider of information technology services to the financial services industry worldwide in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 FinTech 100 surveys. In 2007, the company completed the acquisition of CheckFree, a leading provider of electronic commerce services. Fiserv reported nearly $4 billion in total revenue from continuing operations for 2007. For more information, please visit www.fiserv.com.