Online Resources Debuts Lower Cost Visa Payments for Utilities

CHANTILLY, Va. — Online Resources Corporation, a leading provider of online financial services, today announced a new program that offers a lower cost option for utilities to provide their customers the ability to pay their bill with a Visa card.

Available now through Online Resources’ eCom Advantage(SM) suite of electronic billing solutions for payments, presentment and receivables, utilities may take advantage of a program that allows for lower merchant discount rates for Visa payments made in a channel in which a convenience fee is not assessed. eCom Advantage payment channels include the Internet, email, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and call center environments. For example, utilities will have the opportunity to receive lower merchant discount rates for Visa payments made through the Internet, as long as no convenience fee is assessed for Internet payments.

Online Resources takes a comprehensive view of a utility’s available payment channels and their associated processing costs. By levering the full payment mix, utilities can take advantage of a low- or no-cost payment service that also maximizes options for as many as 60% of their customers who carry a Visa card.

"Now utilities can better serve their customers by offering preferred payment types and at the same time lower overall payment processing costs," said Robert R. Craig, executive vice president of eCommerce Services for Online Resources Corp. "We are very pleased to leverage our full suite of integrated payment channels to make processing affordable for utilities."

In November, Online Resources will join payment industry leaders from Deutsche Bank and Visa to offer a webinar designed specifically for utility treasury professionals. To register for this free event, please visit http://www.orcc.com/webinar/utilitytreasury.

Online Resources currently provides more than 70 government and private water, sewer, electric, gas, and waste utilities across the U.S. with eCom Advantage electronic billing solutions. Online Resources’ utility clients are able to provide their customers convenient options for making payments and real-time acknowledgment of payment posting, which can prevent the inconvenience of costly shut-offs.

About Online Resources
Online Resources (Nasdaq: ORCC) specializes in powering financial interactions between millions of consumers and the company’s financial institution and biller clients. Backed by its proprietary payments gateway that links banks directly with billers, the company provides web and phone-based financial services, electronic payments and marketing services to drive consumer adoption. Founded in 1989, Online Resources has been recognized for its high growth and product innovation. It is the largest financial technology provider dedicated to the online channel. For more information, visit http://www.orcc.com.