Gokis Kiosk Self-Service

Norfolk County Sheriff Installs Inmate Kiosk

The automated kiosk – similar to an ATM – allows a person to deposit funds in an inmate’s canteen or phone account using cash or a credit card.

Norfolk County Sheriff Installs Inmate Kiosk - Canton, MA Patch

A sign of the times, inmates' family and friends can now deposit money in phone or canteen accounts via swipe of a card in the South Shore.

As part of his ongoing efforts to make his office even more consumer user-friendly for the general public, Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti has installed a new inmate account kiosk in Quincy.

The kiosk gives family and friends of inmates who deposit money in phone or canteen accounts the option of doing so in Quincy instead of driving to the jail in Dedham to use the kiosk there.

The new kiosk is located in the front lobby at Sheriff Bellotti’s Community Corrections office at 191 Parkingway in Quincy. It is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The automated kiosk – similar to an ATM – allows a person to deposit funds in an inmate’s canteen or phone account using cash or a credit card.

“The new kiosk allows us to alleviate some of the traffic at our main facility in Dedham while simultaneously improving the convenience for people,” Sheriff Bellotti said.

Parking at the Quincy location is available in a rooftop lot atop 191 Parkingway.

“This installation of this kiosk reflects our philosophy of using the latest technologies to increase convenience,” Sheriff Bellotti said.

-Press release contributed by the Office of the Norfolk County Sheriff.

Norfolk County Sheriff Installs Inmate Kiosk - Canton, MA Patch

Metrowater plans to instal bill collection kiosks

From across the pond - bill pay kiosks about to be deployed in Chennai

The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : Metrowater plans to instal bill collection kiosks

In a bid to serve its increasing consumer base and augment revenue collection, Chennai Metrowater is proposing various measures, including installation of kiosks providing information about the bills.

The agency may incur a revenue deficit this fiscal too. The expenditure is estimated to be Rs.719.28 crore whereas the expected income is Rs.622.65 crore. Officials say one of the reasons for this is that Metrowater has not increased tariff since 1998.

As part of its drive to improve tax and charges collection, Metrowater would instal kiosks in two or three locations in the city. The machines with in-built facility to read consumer cards would provide information about tax and charges arrears.

Consumers may choose the period of payment and drop the cheques. Besides issuing receipt, the machine would also provide a photo copy of the cheque deposited, said officials .

The number of assesses has increased from 6.65 lakh during last fiscal to 6.8 lakh so far this fiscal. On an average, the water agency is receiving nearly 80-100 applications every day for new connections.

The number of consumers is expected to go up by 40 per cent after the expansion of the Chennai Corporation. “We are concentrating on providing basic services and identifying additional water filling stations,” an official said.

Since April, the water agency has collected nearly 50 per cent of the tax and charges demand for the first half-yearly ending this month. Of the nearly Rs.245 crore demand raised for this half-yearly period, nearly Rs.122 crore has been collected so far. Usually, a majority of consumers pay their bills in September, an official said.

The demand raised also includes arrears of Rs.99 crore. Metrowater has not been able to collect Rs.25 crore of arrear amount due to court cases.

Text messages are being sent to consumers with details about arrears to be paid. Besides operating its collection centres during weekends, the agency is also conducting special camps to collect revenue from multi-storeyed buildings.

“We are also focussing more on consumers who have to remit tax amount of more than Rs.2 lakh and sending letters to bulk consumers, including municipalities,” the official said.

The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : Metrowater plans to instal bill collection kiosks

Credit-card kiosks ease donations at churches

SecureGive story on church tithing kiosks

Credit-card kiosks ease donations at churches - KansasCity.com

Long ago, people gave God parts of their livelihood - goats, sheep, wheat and barley. Much later, they began plopping money into collection plates.

Now, some churchgoers are swiping their bank cards at machines that look a bit like ATMs.

"It's easier," says John Muscianes, who attends New Covenant Community Church in northeast Fresno, Calif. "I don't have to write a check. It's convenient."

Places of worship have provided more options for tithing and offerings in the past decade. (A tithe is generally the 10th of one's income that is donated to a religious organization in weekly or monthly installments.)

Some install links on their websites for worshippers to give online. Some provide options for automatic deductions from checking accounts.

Now comes a new twist: Machines rolling into churches - called giving kiosk units.

SecureGive, a company in Augusta, Ga., has been selling them since 2007, but sales have taken off only in the past year. Now about 325 churches nationwide use them.

"A lot of people just don't carry checkbooks," says Stuart Baker, director of sales and marketing for SecureGive. "We're moving into a cashless society. From a practical standpoint, it allows people to do what they already want to do - give."

New Covenant Community Church has provided online giving through its website for a number of years. It installed a giving kiosk unit in the sanctuary foyer in late November.

The church's pastor, the Rev. Jan van Oosten, says so many people use debit cards these days that "the kiosk is the way to go."

New Covenant's unit is a sleek silver pedestal topped with a computer screen, numeric keypad and magnetic strip reader. Prompted by on-screen instructions, congregants swipe their bank cards and punch in some numbers. After they're done, a receipt spits out. The donation is tax-deductible.

Quincey Hollman says using the unit fits her lifestyle. She uses her debit card rather than cash or checkbook and pays bills online.

"I'm so thankful for this," says Hollman. Plus, she adds, she's grateful her donation is recorded on her monthly bank statement.

So far, New Covenant's giving kiosk is averaging about a dozen users on Sundays, when two services are held.

In Visalia, Calif., Gateway Church has been providing a giving kiosk unit in its sanctuary foyer for nearly three years. Officials say they're pleased with the results.

Gateway's congregation can also use the unit to pay for church events that charge fees, such as summer and winter camps and men's and women's breakfast meetings.

"People are used to swiping a card," says the church's finance director, Chris Williams.

He says it is important that churches continue to provide options for worshippers to give, but he says he understands anyone who hasn't warmed up to the idea of giving at kiosks.

"This church has been around a long time," he says. "We still have a good percentage of people from a generation that went to church and gave money by putting it in a basket.

"I can do cashless, but I still like to write out a check.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/30/2763681/credit-card-kiosks-ease-donations.html#ixzz1I8MPyyde

Suspects caught on camera breaking into MLGW payment kiosks

Bill Payment kiosks in Tn show robbers breaking into the units to get the cash. The units are for MLGW and are "thru wall" units. Suspects were arrested.

Suspects caught on camera breaking into MLGW payment kiosks - WMC-TV 5 - Memphis, TN

By Jamel Major - bio | email

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - At least four suspects were caught on camera breaking into MLGW kiosks and stealing customer payments.

Surveillance video showed one of the four suspects who police said broke into the two MLGW payment kiosks.

The first incident happened around 10:00 p.m. Saturday, November 13 at a kiosk in the 1100 block of East Shelby Drive. The thieves struck again around 1:00 a.m. Sunday, November 14 at a kiosk in the 2900 block of Lamar Avenue.

"We know that some suspects entered those areas at those two locations, broke in and came away with money," said Glen Thomas with MLGW.

Thomas said customers who used the kiosk will not have to worry.

"No checks were taken, only cash," said Thomas. "All of those cash payments were in our system already when the customers entered it and put the cash in the machine, and so everyone got full credit for the payments they made."

MLGW has since taken all four of its area kiosk locations out of service as a safety precaution. Thomas said it is an opportunity to examine security procedures while the police investigation is underway.

"We will be looking into increased lighting at the community offices and also enhanced video surveillance," Thomas.

Police asked if you have seen any of the suspect or have any information that can help authorities solve the crime, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.

Suspects caught on camera breaking into MLGW payment kiosks - WMC-TV 5 - Memphis, TN

Bill Payment - TIO NETWORKS 2010 ANNUAL REVENUE INCREASED 29%

The Company reported another solid year of growth and finished the year with a record-setting fourth quarter that sets the foundation for continued growth into 2011,” said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of TIO Networks. “Our business is rapidly transforming from a walkup kiosk based platform to a true multi-channel bill payment network.

TIO NETWORKS 2010 ANNUAL REVENUE INCREASED 29%

~Q4 revenue increased 61%~

Vancouver, BC, November 24, 2010 – TIO Networks Corp. (TSX-V: TNC) today announced 2010 audited annual and fourth quarter financial results for the period ended July 31, 2010.

annual and fourth quarter highlights

1) Fourth quarter revenue increased 61%.

2) Fourth quarter EBITDA* of $284,000.

3) Generated $447,770 in cash flow from operations annually before non-cash working capital items.

4) Reduced annual operating expenses.

5) Network activated endpoints increased by 81% to 23,982.

6) Currency devaluation impacted the fourth quarter’s revenue by $775,000 as compared with last year and impacted full year results by $3,500,000 as compared with last year

7) TIO experienced its 32nd consecutive quarter of growth in transactions and ended the fourth quarter with a total of 3,480,026 transactions.

8) Revenue and EBITDA* accelerated during the year – Q1 revenue and EBITDA* was $5,158,000 and $35,000 respectively while Q4 revenue and EBITDA* was $8,750,000 and $284,000 respectively representing a growth of 70% in revenue and 711% increase in EBITDA*.

Business Development Highlights for fiscal 2010:

· TIO launched payment processing services in Canada via its partnership with Mobilicity.

· TIO announced that it has been selected to provide bill payment services via web and IVR to First Data’s Money Network payroll card program.

· TIO launched its “biller direct” mobile bill payment platform.

· TIO announced that it will provide a “pay by smartphone” biller direct mobile bill payment program for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).

Quarter ended July 31
Year ended July 31

2010
2009
2010
2009
Revenue
$ 8,749,941
$ 5,437,902
$ 27,771,194
$ 21,471,403
EBITDA*
$ 284,000
$ 226,000
$ 595,000
$ 793,000
Net Income
$ (278,424)
$ (477,636)
$ (1,954,062)
$ (2,164,849)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding
46,439,905
46,149,585
46,382,913
46,117,711

The Company had a total of cash & cash equivalents and restricted cash of $2,799,010 and no long-term debt at year-end.

The Company reported another solid year of growth and finished the year with a record-setting fourth quarter that sets the foundation for continued growth into 2011,” said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of TIO Networks. “Our business is rapidly transforming from a walkup kiosk based platform to a true multi-channel bill payment network. As TIO transitions to multi-channel, we anticipate a return to higher overall profit margins as we generate revenue from new channels including mobile and web. During fiscal 2010, TIO announced substantial agreements with Fortune 1000 companies for both its mobile and web channels of business. We continue to leverage our growing prominence in the payments industry to partner with some of the most successful corporations in the world to rapidly grow the TIO Network.”

Conference Call:

You are invited to attend a conference call on Wednesday November 24, 2010 at 1:30 pm EST to review the financial results. The dial-in numbers are (416) 644-3426 in Toronto, or toll free 1-800-731-5319. Callers should request the TIO Networks Conference.

TIO Networks Corp.

TIO is the leading multi-channel expedited bill payment processor serving the largest Telecom, Wireless, Cable and Utility bill issuers in North America. With over 23,000 endpoints to its processing network, TIO symbolizes fast, convenient and secure access to expedited payment services.

CONTACT:

Derek Lai – Acting CFO – TIO Networks

Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 269

Email: [email protected]

John Lewis Business Development – TIO Networks

Tel: 416-364-2266 / 1-877-954-6327

Email: [email protected]

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy and accuracy.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Potentially, many factors could cause our actual results to vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated or expected. TIO Networks Corp. does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

*EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation) is not a defined term under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles, nor does it have a standard, agreed upon meaning. Accordingly, the Company’s EBITDA may not be directly comparable to EBITDA reported by other issuers. Management had determined EBITDA is a useful supplemental measure in evaluating the Company’s performance as it provides investors with an indication of cash available for debt service, working capital needs and capital expenditures. This non-GAAP measure is intended to provide additional information on the Company’s performance and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The bill payment world is flat

Short advertorial piece on bill payment from Behshad of TIO Networks. Behshad and TIO have made their living at bill pay for over 10 years now having escaped the internet kiosk world.

The bill payment world is flat | selfserviceworld.com

Browsing through Thomas Friedman’s book “The World is Flat”, I came across a passage on Wal-Mart’s entry into the world of banking and financial services. The passage illustrates how a big chain retailer has positioned itself to compete in a flattened business world with a level playing field. In this case, Wal-Mart has added bill payment and other financial services to serve unbanked consumers, including millions of Hispanic households, who have no banking relationship and rely on alternative financial services. Large corporations and small companies alike recognize the limitless potential of creation and innovation through collaboration to meet consumers’ changing needs and expectations.

In the bill payment world, the ‘Customer is King’ mantra holds true, as sophisticated consumers value control and flexibility with the bill payment experience, particularly in tough economic times when they experience cash flow difficulty. Consumers prefer payment options that offer them more control and allow them to hold onto their money as long as possible. In particular, unbanked and under-banked consumers are more likely to make expedited payments towards recurring bills such as wireless, utility and cable. Meanwhile, an increasing number of businesses have embraced a multi-channel bill payment strategy to meet their customers’ needs and expectations for financial flexibility.

The multi-channel bill payment strategy empowers consumers with last minute payment options (24/7), cash flow management, and avoidance of service disruptions and costly reconnection fees. Customers benefit from convenient access to payment services in either English or Spanish and avoid long lines. The multi-channel bill payment strategy has opened the gateway to financial freedom for millions of low income, new immigrant and ethnic households. In addition, consumers across economic spectrums now have the flexibility to pay their bills through multiple access points.

My firm, TIO Networks, has teamed with some of North America’s largest bill issuers, including carriers, utilities and many others, to offer consumers access to real-time bill payment services at over 21,000 access points, including self-serve kiosks, POS/clerk-assisted locations, and smart phones. This allows customers to look up their account balances, pay their bills with cash, and receive confirmation of their payments in real time.

One can argue that the bill payment networks have flattened their segment of the payment world and created equality for banked and unbanked consumers in regards to daily financial transactions.

The bill payment world is flat | selfserviceworld.com

Parking meter kiosks get the boot

Battery powered digital parking meters prove problematic and will be replaced with the conventional mechanical.

Cape May parking meters going back into place after kiosks prove too confusing - pressofAtlanticCity.com

CAPE MAY — The city is returning to traditional parking meters on some streets where a kiosk system had caused confusion and hundreds of parking tickets.
The city was inundated with complaints this past season from people who parked in a space with no meter and then returned to find a $32 parking ticket.
The city still has hundreds of traditional meters — with a coin-eating machine for each parking space — but the city has been slowly expanding its multi-meter system, in which one kiosk collects money for multiple spaces.
City Manager Bruce MacLeod said 40 individual meter heads would be returned to four streets between Beach Avenue and the Washington Street Mall.
MacLeod said part of the problem was the signage that explained the kiosk was not always readily visible.
“That was due to our nice tree-lined streets,” MacLeod said.
The digital meters also proved hard to read, with the glare from the sun during the day and a lack of instrument lighting at night. MacLeod said figuring out how to pay was also confusing. He said the phase-in of the new system began four years ago, and the city hoped tourists would get accustomed to the kiosks, but added “we’ve gone beyond the point” where people would have figured them out.
MacLeod said there are no plans to replace the multi-meter systems on the mall or public parking lots such as Jackson Street, but he said improvements may be added include a paper receipt so motorists know they paid.
“They know they paid for the parking space, and it shows law enforcement they paid,” MacLeod said.
City Council, at a meeting Tuesday, pushed for changes.
“That’s one of the principle problems the tourists have is the parking meters,” Councilman William Murray said.
Members of the public agreed. Lafayette Street’s Dennis Crowley called meters the most annoying thing in Cape May.
“We need a comprehensive solution, and we need it now,” Crowley said.
The new high-tech meter systems have also been criticized in other parts of the country due to confusion on how to pay, credit card fees the host city must pay and the expensive batteries they use. Traditional meters are mechanical.
In related business, the city announced it will install a number of handicapped parking spaces along the south side of Beach Avenue to accommodate new handicapped-accessible beaches.
The city settled a lawsuit over its lack of handicapped access on the beachfront in 2004. Since then, it has used state grants to create several handicapped-accessible beaches but the grants required adding handicapped parking spaces.
The spaces will be marked with signs, and the city may even remove the parking meters. MacLeod said if the meters remain, the handicapped are required to put in one quarter to initiate the meter but then can let it expire without getting ticketed. Deputy Mayor Jack Wichterman suggested being “tourist friendly” and taking the meters out.
The new Beach Avenue spaces will include five near the Third Avenue Pavilion, three at Wilmington Avenue and one each at Broadway, Grant, Perry, Decatur, Ocean, Gurney, Howard and Jefferson streets, and Stockton, Madison, Philadelphia, Trenton and Pittsburgh avenues. There would also be one space added at Mount Vernon and two added on Delaware Avenue for the Corinthian Yacht Club.
Contact Richard Degener:
609-463-6711
[email protected]

Cape May parking meters going back into place after kiosks prove too confusing - pressofAtlanticCity.com

Nevada DMV wait eased with AAA automated kiosks

The program in Nevada has been tried at various AAA sites for several years, with the latest-generation machines installed in 2008. Here is another news story on the AAA kiosk.

Nevada DMV wait eased with AAA automated kiosks | rgj.com | The Reno Gazette-Journal

Nevada DMV wait eased with AAA automated kiosks

By Bill O'Driscoll
[email protected]

Convenience and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles can indeed be found under one roof. Just not the DMV's.

The American Automobile Association has an answer to long waits at the DMV: automated kiosks at seven AAA Nevada offices, including one in Reno and one in Sparks, offering selected services at no extra cost.

Officials said the aim is to ease the strain on the DMV which, under the burden of budget cuts, has trimmed locations for licensing, registration and other needs of the motoring public.

Not all services are provided at the kiosks. But they do offer vehicle registration renewals, by far the most common transaction, as SK Kibria of Reno found out recently.

"Not bad. In two minutes, I was done. No waiting three hours at the DMV," he said at AAA Nevada's South Virginia Street office. "It was really easy. You go to the DMV, and you're there all day long."

Other public-private ventures have evolved in the name of convenience in recent times, including the U.S. Postal Service opening small post offices inside certain Scolari's and Raley's supermarket stores.

Also, since 1998 NV Energy customers have had the option of paying their utility bills at various grocery checkouts across Northern Nevada.

Growing DMV program

But the DMV kiosks are a high-profile example given the daily crush of motorists seeking registration renewals and other services.

The program in Nevada has been tried at various AAA sites for several years, with the latest-generation machines installed in 2008.

According to the DMV, the Sparks AAA location recorded 1,113 transactions for the 12 months ending July 1 and the Reno office recorded 1,966 transactions.

"It's highly successful," DMV spokesman Tom Jacobs said.

The program is patterned after a similar venture between AAA California and that state's DMV, said Michael Geeser, spokesman for AAA Nevada.

"Clearly, it's a service that focuses on convenience," he said, adding that you need not be a AAA member to use the kiosk.

While there is no financial gain to AAA in having the kiosks, they're a natural fit, Geeser said.

"There is only a usage goal set by the DMV, meaning if it's not used enough, they have the right to take it out and put it elsewhere," he said. "There's a definite connection between the services of AAA and DMV as opposed to, say, putting a DMV kiosk in an ice cream shop."

And it offers relief to the DMV, which has closed express offices in Sparks and Reno as a result of budget cuts, helping to stretch the typical wait in Northern Nevada past one hour with even longer times in Las Vegas.

OtherDMV services

The kiosk program isn't alone in the DMV's search for options to its overcrowded offices. For nearly a decade, the agency has contracted with a growing list of smog-test businesses statewide to provide, for up to $10 in added fees, instantaneous registration renewals.

In addition, many DMV needs also can be taken care of online although license testing and first-time registrations must be done at DMV sites, including 305 Galletti Way in Reno and 555 Wright Way in Carson City.

"We see all of this under the umbrella of alternatives to visiting DMV offices," Jacobs said.

For Kibria, re-registering his car at the kiosk was "really cool," but he wondered about other services not offered.

"They need a machine like that for driver's licenses," he said. "That would be better."

That could come down the road, DMV officials said.

For now, the focus is on the most pressing needs, topped by vehicle registration renewals, which account for more than one-half of all DMV transactions statewide.

"It's the only way we've been able to solve this surge in population that came with the boom times," Jacobs said. "We're constantly looking for new ways."

Additional Facts
DMV KIOSKS INSIDE AAA OFFICES
Where they can be found 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.:
» 6795 S. Virginia St., Reno
» 4731 Galleria Parkway, Sparks (Sparks Galleria)
What's offered (credit and debit card only):
» Vehicle registration renewals
» Insurance suspension reinstatement
» Driver history printouts

Nevada DMV wait eased with AAA automated kiosks | rgj.com | The Reno Gazette-Journal

Multi-function Bill Pay from Pantel Press Release

Another press release from PSI on some scheduled upcoming "to be deployed" systems. These are complex machines in the bank-in-a-box model.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Dec. 1, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PSI Corp. (Pink Sheets:PSCP), operating as Pantel Systems, Inc., has signed a contract to install its multi-function kiosks, with strategic ATM services provided by MVMC, in Gristede's Inc, a premiere New York City chain of small supermarkets. The contract calls for the installation of 26 kiosks during the first quarter of 2010.

This is PSI Corp.'s first integrated venture with MVMC, a subsidiary of The Egan Group, a large security and money management company servicing over 8,000 ATM locations for banks, credit unions and ISO retail ATM providers throughout the tri-state region. MVMC strategic services include vault cash, armored car service, 24-hour help desk for customer support and installation services.

PSI's multi-function Pantel kiosks supplement traditional ATMs with multiple consumer point-of-purchase (POP) services, including advertising and coupon-dispensing. PSI has recently announced contracts to install its kiosks in several major supermarket chains, including Met Foods, D'Agostinos, Key Food, and the National Supermarkets Association, operating throughout New York City as well as New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and Connecticut. In addition to providing traditional ATM services from MVMC, PSI's innovative Pantel multi-function kiosks can print on-demand coupons, redeem text-messaged and loyalty-card coupons, distribute long-distance phone cards and permit select bill-paying, serving consumers and measurably boosting purchases at the stores that carry the kiosks.

Eric Kash, CFO of PSI Corp., said, "We are delighted to move forward with MVMC, a strong regional company that is nationally recognized and locally valued. We anticipate many additional ventures in the future. Gristede's premier brand name and choice locations in New York City will continue to increase PSI's recognition among consumers and advertisers."

Bob Egan, President of The Egan Group and MVMC, stated, "The ability of MVMC to work in alliance with PSI allows MVMC to offer unique services to our traditional ATM customers. I believe this partnership will have a major impact on the kiosk and cash dispensing business. MVMC provides the all-important money management and security services, while PSI's Pantel kiosks attract new customers through their highly successful coupon redemption programs, visual ads and other popular consumer services."

About PSI Corp

PSI Corp. (PSI) (Pink Sheets:PSCP), operating as Pantel Systems, Inc., provides innovative interactive customer communications systems and applications that support targeted marketing programs with unique point-of-purchase (POP) services and information that serve shoppers and distributors and build loyalty and revenue for the Company's primary clients. Pantel Systems' Multi-Function Kiosks currently address two primary vertical markets: major Supermarket Chains and Convenience Stores, and Deep-Discount Retailers. For more information about PSI and Pantel Systems, please visit www.pantelsystems.com.

About The Egan Group and MVMC

Egan Group and its subsidiary MVMC are a large security and money management company servicing 8000 ATM locations for banks, credit unions and ISO retail ATM providers located throughout the tri-state and surrounding areas within the Northeast Region; MVMC services are complemented by a traditional armored service provider, Armored Money Services.

TIO Networks to Launch Self-Service Bill Payment Program in Georgia

Cash-paying utility customers to benefit from convenient access to bill-payment services via self-service automated kiosks in neighborhood retail locations.

Burnaby, BC, November 30, 2009 – TIO Networks Corp., (TSX.V-TNC), North America’s leading multi-channel expedited bill payment processor, and electric utility Georgia Power today announced the launch of a self-service automated bill payment program in select retail stores in metropolitan Atlanta. The self-service, cash-accepting automated kiosks will enable Georgia Power customers to make bill payments via TIO’s expedited bill payment processing system.

The kiosks are expected to be fully operational this winter. Using the touchscreen interface, customers will navigate through bill-pay applications in either English or Spanish, and insert cash directly into self-serve automated kiosks to securely complete transactions. All payments will be posted immediately to the customers’ account. The customers will have the option to either print or forward receipts to an email address of their choice. Users will pay a $2 convenience fee per transaction.

“We are thrilled to team up with Georgia Power in offering customers the convenience of real-time bill payment services,” said Hamed Shahbazi Chairman & CEO of TIO Networks Corp. “Our bill payment service has proven to be a hit with Utilites throughout the United States in providing their customers with last minute bill payment options to avoid late-fees and disruption of essential services.”

Taiwain -- Wincor Nixdorf Breaks the 2,000 Mark for Installed Kiosks at Taiwan FamilyMart

SINGAPORE, June 3 PRNewswire-- Taiwan FamilyMart, one of the largest convenience store chains on the island, has installed more than 2,200 Wincor Nixdorf self-service kiosks a new milestone for both companies. Established in 1988, the Taiwan arm of Japanese convenience store giant FamilyMart, first implemented Wincor Nixdorf's iCORe kiosk in 2007 as part of a company-wide e-business initiative. [pictures & case study]

Customers can pay utility or other types of bills at the kiosk, as well as purchase virtual electronic points to top-up special internet cards used for gaming, which has contributed to FamilyMart experiencing as many as 1000 transactions per kiosk every month. Bills used to be paid at the point of sale (POS) system but transferring it to the kiosks -- branded as the 'Famiport' -- has helped cut customer queue time at the counter.

The convenience store chain says customer traffic at stores with installed kiosks has increased by an average of 4 percent.

Customers can order traditional Chinese festival specialty food products, such as cakes and gluten rice dumplings, monitor and update credit card loyalty reward points that can be also exchanged for products in the stores, print tickets or vouchers using a thermal printer, add credit to telephone cards and pay traffic fines.

"The speed and convenience of the iCORe kiosk has certainly helped to boost customer store visits and transaction levels. We hope to increase the value of these kiosks to customers by using it as a platform to provide further services and product features in the future," said Taiwan's FamilyMart General Manager, R.D. Chang.

About Wincor Nixdorf

Wincor Nixdorf is a global provider of IT solutions and services to retailers and retail banks. The Germany-based company has more than 9,500 employees and is present in more than 100 countries. Wincor Nixdorf is the leader in Europe and among the top 3 in the world for programmable electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems and the No.2 worldwide for automated teller machines (ATMs). http://www.wincor-nixdorf.com

Contact:

Jazz Lee
Wincor Nixdorf Taiwan
Phone: +886-2-8798-1168
Email: [email protected]

Eliza Leung
Wincor Nixdorf RHQ Singapore
Phone: +65-6740-2624
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Wincor Nixdorf

CREDIT: Thanks to Kirk at Arcatech Systems for recommending.

Download case study with pictures

News - Gift card and Bill Pay solutions

News posted out on the new gokiosk.net affiliate site of interest includes featured article on Nexxo money wiring kiosks targeted at user with family members in Mexico, Central America and South America.

• Gift Card Solution
  
• Nexxo Money Wiring
  
• PG&E Bill Payment kiosks
  

Nexxo Bill Pay Kiosk adds money transfer

In depth article on new bill pay kiosks from Nexxo along with market statistics. This is one of the new TIO interations and the in-depth article is posted on gokiosk.net

"The remittance market was part of our initial thinking, but our customers steered us a lot quicker to where we wanted to go," says Alvarez, a former president of San Francisco-based credit-card issuer Providian Financial Corp., which was sold to Washington Mutual Inc. for $6.5 billion in 2005.

Considering the size of the remittance market, it's no wonder Alvarez was eager to switch gears so quickly. The remittance services market to Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to reach $67.5 billion in 2008, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, or IDB. From Texas alone, $4.3 billion in remittances were sent to Latin America this year.

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Bill Pay kiosks - Pakistan deployment announcement

From Pakistan -- PTCL is setting up Self-Service Bill Payment Kiosks to be installed by Wavetec

KARACHI, Nov 13 (APP):.

Giving details of the new facility, Adel Rashid Soufah from Etisalat and Abdul Baseer Tahir, SEVP Business South PTCL said these Kiosks work in a manner very similar to that of ATMs but the basic difference is that while an ATM dispenses cash, these Kiosks provide services and accept bill payments through cash and credit cards through a touch-screen interface.

Now, PTCL customers do not have to stand in long queues outside banks to pay their telephone bills, they said adding that with the launch of these Kiosks, people can just walk up, pay their bills through cash or credit card and get a receipt for the payment from the same Kiosk within a minute.

Ayaz Faiz, Country Manager Wavetec, highlighted basic features of these machines and said these kiosks will be great facility to PTCL customers as they would not have to wait for an available bank teller or a customer service representative.

The initial launch of these Kiosks would provide the Bill Payment facility only but in the later phase services such as on-screen bill details, complaint registration and application for a new telephone connection/PTCL Broadband would also be offered through the same Kiosks.

Ultimately, these Kiosks would not only be placed at PTCL managed locations but they would also be available at remote locations such as shopping malls, banks, airports etc.

As a result of this PTCL customers would find most of the services which until now required them to go to a PTCL office, available at convenient locations thus giving them the real feel of Customer Care for the first time ever.

Shahid Hussain Bhutto EVP Business Zone Karachi, Rizwan A. Bhutto GM Corporate & Consumer Services, Jasem Abdul Wahed Etisalat, Mushir Khan Customer Care and Wajih ul Hasan from Wavetec were also present on the occasion of contract signing ceremony.

Bill Pay kiosks - TIO reports revenue increase

TIO reported 12% increase in revenue for 2007 fourth quarter. Locations went up to almost 12,000. There was a net loss posted for quarter due to some writedowns.

www.bivinteractive.com - Fourth-quarter revenue increases for Burnaby financial services kiosk operator

Fourth-quarter revenue increases for Burnaby financial services kiosk operator Print E-mail
Monday, 01 December 2008

Despite a growing economic slowdown, Burnaby's TIO Networks Corp. (TSX-V:TNC) reported a 12% increase revenue in its fourth quarter ending July 31.

It rose to $4.1 million from $3.6 million due to increases in transactional revenue from its network of kiosks and other locations offering cash-based financial services to clients who don't have a bank account. TIO's transactional sales accounted for 95% of all company revenue, which is up from 87% in 2007.

However, the company posted a net loss of $1.7 million compared with $1.5 million in 2007's fourth quarter. The company said its earnings were affected this year by a $600,000 non-cash write-down of property and equipment relating to its network of kiosks.

In the quarter, TIO expanded its number of locations to 11,815 locations. The total included 1,380 kiosks in retail outlets, 2,381 non-kiosk clerk-assisted locations and 8,128 OEM Express locations driven by the company's application programming interface system.

TIO's share price range during the past week: between $0.14 and $0.15; 52-week high: $1.15; 52-week low: $0.10.

Technology - New Check Scanner from CTS

New checkreader ID imager from CTS. Dual check and ID card scanner color matching. Typical applications include retail kiosks for bill payment or check cashing, targeting unbanked users.

CTS Debuts Enhanced Security Color Check/Card Scanner at KioskCom - Las Vegas, Nevada

Advanced ID card validation through color matching reduces check processing risk…

LAS VEGAS – April 15, 2008 – CTS North America is introducing the SB50C, a new compact dual function check/card color scanner here at the KioskCom Self Service Expo (Booth #158) at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The new unit allows ID card color matching for kiosk check deposit applications.

The SB50C is an open frame Microsoft Windows-based peripheral designed to be built into check presentment kiosks. The unit features double-sided reading and scanning of both checks and cards. It couples card and check Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and image scanning with ID card reader color matching capabilities to significantly improve ID card validation.

Typical applications include retail kiosks for bill payment or check cashing, targeting unbanked users.

“The SB50C builds on CTS’ considerable experience in self-service payment systems,” said Alex Trombetta, CTS North America CEO. “With this introduction we are offering a new level of convenience, security, and usability for kiosk builders, retailers and consumers. We have already seen a great deal of interest in the product.”

The unit uses standard mounts and connects to other peripherals via a USB 2.0 interface. It features a reading speed of 420 mm/sec (16.5 in/sec) and supports DIB, JPEG and TIFF image formats. Full specifications are listed at http://www.ctsna.com. The SB50C dual function check/card scanner reader is available through authorized CTS North America resellers and systems integrators.

About CTS

CTS is a private industrial group consisting of four companies: CTS Electronics; CTS Cashpro; CTS Manufacturing and CTS North America. Founded in 1980, CTS is the leading manufacturer of cash and check solutions for tellers, back offices, self-service systems and retail point-of-sale counters. CTS has installed more than 1,000,000 banking peripherals and over 100,000 scanners at end user locations across five continents.

CTS is uniquely positioned in the banking automation industry and is ready to support the worldwide growing demand for banking solutions. The extensive CTS catalog includes Document Processing Devices (Scanners, Readers, Encoders), Card Personalization Printers, OEM Modules and Dispensers, Cash Recycling, Coin Recycling and Processing Systems.

For further information call 781-685-4999, email [email protected] or visit http://www.ctsna.com.

###

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EDITORS – For further information contact:

Alex Trombetta
CTS North America
781-685-4999
[email protected]

Sandy McLaughlin
Soucy Communications Group
781-898-7305
[email protected]

Bill Payment Kiosks - TIO Expands Model

TIO and new TIO Express ( at the counter) product activated its first 600 locations this year and is now generating revenue. This new channel is in addition to the web-enabled kiosks and hybrid ATMs it has installed. Congratulations to Hamed and Team...

IO Networks Achieves Processing Milestone and Activates first 600 “OEM Express” Locations

~ 14.5 million Customers have paid one billion dollars through TIO’s self-service and clerk assisted bill payment network ~

Burnaby, BC, March 18, 2008 – TIO Networks Corp., (TVX-TNC), North America’s leading automated bill payment and financial services network, today announced that it has surpassed the one billion dollar milestone in the total value of payments processed through the TIO Network. Since the spring of 2002, TIO has processed approximately 14.5 million transactions and the network has grown to over 3,600 retail locations primarily in the United States.

The vast majority of the bill payments occurred on TIO’s automated kiosk network where customers use self-service web-enabled kiosks and hybrid ATM devices to safely and securely pay bills, purchase prepaid products and conduct other services. TIO has been a niche-leader in establishing the “aggregate self-service bill payment” model where a number of bill payment options in categories such as wireless, utilities and cable are offered on the same terminal.

TIO Express, introduced eighteen months ago, permits customers to make in person cash payments at retail locations where store clerks utilize an “over the counter” PC or other web-enabled terminal to process payments through TIO’s real-time Internet-based gateway. To date, this platform has processed over $100 Million in payments and grown to over 1600 active locations.

The Company’s newest processing platform, “OEM Express” which leverages TIO’s new transactional API (application programming interface), was designed to integrate large networks into the TIO network to market the Company’s portfolio of products on a host of third party devices including kiosks, PCs and point of sale systems. The Company is pleased to report that it has activated its first 600 OEM Express locations and started generating revenue as of February 2008.

“The TIO Network continues to generate month over month increases in transaction volumes with February contributing our best performance to date with over $40 million worth of transactions processed,” stated Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of TIO Networks Corp. “With the ongoing deployment of our kiosk and express programs along with our new API processing platform we are well on our way to tripling the number of processing end points to 9000 in 2008.”

TIO Networks would like to thank all of its biller and retail merchant partners as well as its employees, vendor partners and other stakeholders for their role in helping TIO achieve this milestone and serve the under banked community.

About TIO Networks Corp.

TIO Networks Corp. powers the “Walk Up Financial Services” marketplace with thousands of leading edge automated self-service and clerk assisted solutions. TIO owns the largest and most convenient national network of cash accepting ATMs for bill payment and prepaid services for the ’cash preferred’ consumer marketplace in North America. TIO symbolizes fast, convenient, safe and secure access to key financial services. For more information, please visit www.TIOnetworks.com

For More Information Contact:

Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations – TIO Networks

Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250

Toll Free: 888.679.3322

Email: [email protected]

John Lewis, Business Development - TIO Networks

Tel: 416-364-2266

Email: [email protected]

###

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy and accuracy.

Financial News from NRF - Bill Pay Walk-In Services

Let's try and sort this one out -- Fiserv is now offering CheckFreePay Walk-In Bill Payment Service via Ready Credit Corporation. This is on ReadySTATION kiosk in the Supervalu network and they utilize the NCR EasyPoint. The kiosks currently allow users to buy prepaid MasterCard-branded "ReadyCards" now.

And worth noting the coincident development with TIO Networks and their deal with IPP to process walk-in kiosk billpay at IPP walk-in locations. The service will not use kiosks or clerk-assisted devices which could cut costs and increase transaction volume (always a good thing).

News

Ready Credit And CheckFree Get Set to Offer Kiosk-Based Bill Pay

(January 15, 2008) Kiosk-based electronic bill payments got another boost this week when processor Fiserv Inc.’s CheckFreePay walk-in bill-pay unit announced a deal with Ready Credit Corp. that will make bill-pay services available to consumers using cash at Ready Credit’s 55 ReadyStation self-service kiosks by early spring.

The kiosks, which already allow consumers to buy prepaid, MasterCard-branded ReadyCards, are deployed in SuperValu Inc. grocery stores, Dollar Tree Stores Inc. locations in Atlanta and Houston, Save-A-Lot grocery stores in Milwaukee, and some convenience stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and El Paso, Texas. The bill-pay service is aimed mostly at cash-reliant consumers who don’t have traditional bank accounts and will help generate foot traffic for the host retailers, Michelle Schuleman, vice president of marketing at Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Ready Credit, said in a release.

More consumers are getting comfortable with payment technology but may still want to use a walk-in bill-pay service to pay telephone, utility, or other bills without interacting with a clerk, according to Paul Harrison, senior vice president and general manager of CheckFreePay. “Having the capability for someone to pay their bill is really just another extension of what CheckFreePay does in their biller unit,” Harrison tells Digital Transactions News. CheckFreePay has a network of 11,000 agents that offer walk-in bill-payment services.

The ReadyStation service currently has two pricing points—standard processing in three business days for $1.50, and next-business-day posting for $2.50. Expedited, or same-day posting, will be added later, according to Harrison. CheckFreePay will facilitate that service by using the direct connections it has with 140 authorized billers. The company has hundreds of so-called non-contracted billers to which it transmits payments, but it wouldn’t disclose the exact number.

Harrison also says the service has a “unique capability” of enabling users to pay U.S. Visa and MasterCard issuers by simply typing their card number into the kiosk rather than trying to find the issuer’s name by sorting through a listing of thousands of banks and credit unions. The ReadyStations run on NCR Corp.’s EasyPoint Xpress kiosk platform and use CheckFreePay Link software to transmit encrypted payment information.

CheckFreePay and Ready Credit announced the initiative Monday at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York City. The deal represents first major bill-pay initiative by Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv since the bank processor bought CheckFreePay’s parent company, Atlanta-based CheckFree Corp., early last month. “We think this is a good start,” says Harrison. But he adds while he has nothing to report at the moment, he says the Ready Credit contract is non-exclusive, which means CheckFreePay could seek similar deals with other kiosk deployers.

Monday’s announcement also represents the second major development in the walk-in kiosk bill-pay market in less than two months. TIO Networks Corp. recently struck a deal with IPP of America Inc. to process bill payments at IPP walk-in locations. For the first time, TIO will be handling transactions on its network without the need to install kiosks or clerk-assisted devices, a move the company says cuts its costs and could greatly boost its transaction volume (Digital Transactions News, Dec. 4 and Nov. 29, 2007).

What Lies Behind Killer Kiosk

Press Release -- SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A study by Aberdeen Group reveals how Best-In-Class Companies are leveraging self-service to improve their costs to sales, enhance customer conversion and provide differentiated services. Infonox, the leading provider of on-demand financial solutions and custom self-service solutions, announced today the reasons why Companies avail these benefits utilizing the Active Payment Platform(TM).

What Lies Behind Killer Kiosks: The Infonox Advantage - Press Release

Infonox provides the complete suite of services that ranges from Transactional Services, Business Services and System Management Services on their Active Payment Platform(TM). The Platform has been refined after years of experience in the financial, gaming and retail industries and tens of thousands of deployments in the US and Internationally. Infonox enables both small and large companies to deploy their services on to innovative new delivery channels, such as self service kiosks, counter-top units, and mobile phones.

Sahir Anand, Retail Analyst, Aberdeen Group says, "'Best In Class' is a term used to describe the industries' top performers -- those companies that have leveraged the power of technology to successfully deliver on the promises of self service. All companies can improve the effectiveness and return of their Kiosk deployments in a number of areas ranging from automated processes, analytics, touch screens, biometrics, and remote diagnostics to further increase the benefits from a self-service strategy. Also, scalability is a key success driver for any self-service strategy."

Aberdeen Group's research further shows some revealing facts about a successful self-service strategy. In order to manage their multi-channel process and kiosk efficiencies more effectively, Companies must measure and report their kiosk usage data on a real-time basis. The Infonox Active Payment Platform supports sophisticated real-time reporting and analytics as an integral part of the solution, providing deployers, retailers, vendors and service providers with instant access to critical performance information.

The quality of customer interaction at the point of service, as well as brand differentiation, are the foremost reasons behind usage and adoption of self service kiosks, according to the Aberdeen Group study. The Active Payment Platform provides the richest, most intuitive customer experience available in self-service today. Infonox has developed an entire suite of ready-to-implement solutions that can be quickly customized and branded to the needs of the deployer, whether the environments are restaurant/QSR, gaming, retail, banking or convenience / grocery.

Companies are facing considerable pressure to differentiate their service offerings. 54% of companies believe that differentiating their service offering through improved customer and employee processes or workflow is the most significant operational pressure. More than half (50% or more) of companies surveyed believe that kiosks enable better workflow, thus positively impacting a differentiated service environment for customers. To serve different market needs, the Infonox Active Payment Platform(TM) facilitates the configuration of any workflow or business process. It is flexible, scalable and extensible, allowing the system to be modified and adapted quickly and easily. Companies are free to define their own unique work flow requirements and can refine their customer experience over time without the concern of spiraling development and maintenance expenses.

Safwan Shah, CEO, Infonox said, "The Active Payment Platform from Infonox has been designed with the total needs of our customers in mind. More and more Companies want turn-key, reliable and scalable solutions that provide access to a variety of payment services and features that are critical to a successful kiosk deployment. Infonox's experience in the gaming, retail and banking industries has allowed us to develop the most robust self-service solution in the market. We enable Companies from virtually any industry to realize the benefits of self-service through integrated, end-to-end solutions that include real-time analytics, flexibility and the ability to add differentiated services on-demand."

You can request the release titled "Killer Kiosks: Reinventing the Customer Experience through Self-Service" in PDF format at the following URL: http://www.infonox.com/press/press_releases/infonox/2007/KillerKiosks.shtml

You can also request the article titled "Catch the New Wave in Self-Service" in PDF format from the following URL http://www.infonox.com/press/press_releases/infonox/2007/SIFinancial.shtml

For the report, "Killer Kiosks: Reinventing the Customer Experience through Self-Service" please see Aberdeen Group http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/benchmark/4128-RA-kiosk-reinvent.asp

About Infonox

Infonox is a leading technology company serving the financial services industry that enables the delivery of financial products and services to new markets and innovative distribution platforms, including self service kiosks, ATM's, web-based applications and mobile phones. The Infonox TransIT network provides on-demand access to a wide array of services, including check cashing, money transfers, bill payments, ATM transactions, credit/debit card payment processing, check processing, prepaid, gift cards and more. The Infonox Active Payment Platform provides end-to-end transaction lifecycle and system support management from the point of sale to final settlement. These innovative solutions enable Infonox clients to realize turn-key delivery of fully functional, robust and scalable transactional platforms that can be easily configured for new services, products and distribution platforms. Infonox offers its services in a SaaS model, allowing clients to maximize their return on investment and realize the fastest time to market.

For additional information on Infonox: Infonox, Inc. 980 Hamlin Court Sunnyvale CA 94089 Tel: (408) 744 1700 Ext. 224 Fax: (408) 744 0607 [email protected] http://www.infonox.com/

BP Rolls Out Advanced Financial Kiosks

HOUSTON -- More than 1,200 BP- and ampm-branded convenience stores across the nation will see the installation of advanced financial service kiosks, the company stated.

The kiosks are approximately the size of a traditional ATM machine, and offers a range of financial products and services -- including ATM transactions, pre-paid and re-loadable debit cards, automated bill payment and pin-based wireless top-up and pre-paid phone cards, according to the company. In addition, customers at the station will have the ability to cash both government and payroll checks through the kiosk.

Additional services -- such as money orders, domestic and international money transfers and deposit acceptance -- will be available over the next year, the company stated.

BP noted the program gives consumers several advantages, including:

-- Quick and accessible services to manage financial needs;
-- Consolidation of trips, as separate trips to pay bills, wire money and cashing a check can be done in one place; and
-- An access point for consumers with limited Internet access.

The company also plans to offer the kiosks to its jobbers and dealers, BP stated.

BP Rolls Out Advanced Financial Kiosks

Financial Service Kiosks -- ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil Expands Availability of ''ewiz'' Financial Services Kiosks at on the Run Convenience Stores; ewiz Kiosks Provide Convenient Way to Pay Bills and Conduct Other Financial Services.

TIO Networks and ExxonMobil extend strategic alliance

“New Agreement extends contract through 2012"

Burnaby, BC - May 22, 2007 – TIO Networks Corp. (TIO), North America’s leading automated bill payment and financial services network (TSX-V: TNC), today announced a five-year extension to its strategic alliance with ExxonMobil. The relationship, which began in 2004, has been extended through 2012.

Under the terms of this agreement, TIO Networks will roll out the TIO services through the E-WIZ branded kiosks and hybrid ATMs in all corporate owned On the Run and Tigermarket stores. The deployment is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2007.

TIO’s self-service program will also be available to ExxonMobil’s franchise dealers and distributors who will now have the ability to purchase E-WIZ systems and derive recurring revenues from consumer driven transaction fees.

E-WIZ is an ExxonMobil branded self-service automated bill payment and financial service kiosk program that empowers their customers to securely and conveniently pay their wireless, cable, utility and other bills in cash, purchase prepaid products, gift cards, Prepaid MasterCard®, purchases and reloads, and benefit from additional value added financial services.

The E-WIZ program serves consumers who prefer to use alternative financial service providers for convenience or the lack of direct banking relationships.

ExxonMobil, Exxon, On the Run and Tigermarket are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.

About TIO Networks Corp.

TIO Networks Corp. is North America’s largest multi-retailer network of non bank financial services for the ‘cash preferred’ consumer marketplace. The Company operates in more than 2000 locations and provides safe secure access to bill payment and other key financial services. For more information, please visit www.TIOnetworks.com
Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations – TIO Networks

Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250

Toll Free: 888.679.3322

Email: [email protected]

John Lewis, Business Development - TIO Networks

Tel: 416-364-2266

Email: [email protected]

Financial Service -- Hybrid ATM Kiosk machines

TIO with over 1,000 machines in Circle K and Exxon Mobil and running 850,000 transactions a month on its network is going to "branch out" into new hybrid ATM Kiosks. To date, diluting the ATM transaction with other services has proven problematic at best. Once heralded as the next mousetrap, it has gone by the wayside reduced to a yearly press release maybe on the now-old VCom and others. TIO has proven itself very resourceful and smart. It'll be interesting to see how they couple the two.

News

TIO Plans To Start Hybrid ATM-Kiosk Deployments by Start of ‘07

(November 22, 2006) The concept of an ATM that also serves as a kiosk for bill payment and other financial services may be getting closer to reality. TIO Networks Inc., a Burnaby, B.C.-based operator of bill-payment kiosks that serve primarily the underbanked, will begin deploying hybrid ATM-kiosk machines by the start of 2007, says John Lewis, business development executive for the company.

Lewis refuses to say where the new machines will be installed, citing “sensitivity” about their locations. Nor will he be specific about how many of the devices, which are being developed by ATM maker Tranax Technologies Inc., are in the plans. “We expect to see some pretty strong deployments early next year,” he says. TIO had expected to begin operating some 40 hybrid devices this spring in conjunction with ATM deployer Cardtronics Inc. (Digital Transactions News, March 2). The company has had to delay the project as it works through negotiations and waits for current ATM installation contracts at target locations to expire, Lewis says. “Everybody’s making money with their ATMs, so there’s some jockeying going on,” he notes. The company has also switched manufacturers since March, when it was working with Tidel Technologies Inc.

TIO currently drives about 1,000 kiosks hooked up in convenience stores that allow consumers to pay bills by inserting cash into a bill acceptor. TIO’s links to the accounting systems at utilities, telecommunications companies, and other billers—including Cingular Wireless and Qwest Communications—allow users to receive real-time electronic account updates. Merchants housing the machines include Circle K Stores Inc. and ExxonMobil Corp., which deployed 100 kiosks this fall in as many of its On the Run and Tigermarket stores in Texas. TIO also drives around 200 clerk-assisted bill-payment terminals.

Banks historically have shied away from dual-function ATM kiosks, fearing that customers wanting to withdraw from or deposit to accounts would grow frustrated while waiting for other people to complete bill payments or phone-card top-ups. At the same time, the two functions serve two often separate demographic groups. TIO’s kiosks are aimed largely at Hispanics, and draw mostly customers without bank accounts who do business in cash. By contrast, ATM users are generally accountholders at banks. But TIO, which earlier this year changed its name from Info Touch Technologies Corp., hopes the dual functionality could help it introduce its kiosks to users who might not have encountered them otherwise, allowing it to drive up usage faster. TIO charges a flat fee for bill payments, which it shares out to retailer and biller partners.

Currently, TIO is processing 850,000 transactions a month on its network. That volume is growing at a 10% rate quarter-to-quarter, Lewis says. How much of a difference the new hybrid machines might make, he says, is impossible to forecast. “It would be just some wild, crazy guess,” he says.

Presto Convenience Stores Install Bill Payment Kiosks

Presto Convenience Stores to deploy self-serve automated bill payment and financial services touch-screen terminals in Wichita, Kansas. These terminals enable cash preferred customers to pay a host of bills including wireless, utility and cable and update their accounts quickly and conveniently. Customers will also be able to use the kiosk to purchase prepaid products and services and revalue and/or activate stored value products.

TIO Networks and Presto Convenience Stores Partner to Offer Self-Serve Bill Payment and Financial Services
~ Patrons to conveniently Pay Their Utility, Wireless and Cable Bill with Cash at touchscreen cash accepting ATM-like terminals

Burnaby, BC, June 1, 2006 – TIO Networks Corp., formerly Info Touch Technologies Corp., owner of North America’s leading automated bill payment and financial services network, (TSX-V: TNC), today announced an agreement with Presto Convenience Stores to deploy self-serve automated bill payment and financial services touch-screen terminals in Wichita, Kansas. These terminals enable cash preferred customers to pay a host of bills including wireless, utility and cable and update their accounts quickly and conveniently. Customers will also be able to purchase prepaid products and services and revalue and/or activate stored value products.

TIO bill payment is a convenient safe and secure way to access accounts and view balances on select billers without the need to have account number present. Payments are made by feeding the cash directly into TIO terminal’s note acceptor. Once the cash is accepted, then TIO uses an Internet link to ensure timely posting of the payment. Convenience store patrons can navigate through TIO applications in either English or Spanish and complete financial transactions by either printing or emailing their receipt to an email address of their choice.

“I am excited about partnering with TIO networks. Their kiosk is going to allow Presto to offer services that customers want in a convenient self-serve fashion. Once customers try it and see how easy it is, they’ll wonder how they ever lived without it.” Terry Presta, President of Presto Convenience Stores.

“We are thrilled to partner with Presto, one of the largest convenience store retailers in the state of Kansas, to launch our bill payment and financial services program in Kansas. Together, we aim to offer self-serve automated financial services to the cash-preferred demographic”, said Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of TIO Networks. “From bill pay to pre-paid products such as stored value card, the issuance and reloading of cards, we are bringing a world class financial services offer to Presto’s patrons this spring“.

TIO Networks and Presto will share transactional revenues generated from various financial applications. The first 10 terminals have already been installed in the greater Wichita area.

About Presto C-Stores

Presto Convenience Stores, LLC is a chain of convenience stores based in Andover, Kansas. Presto currently has 45 store locations and is expanding every year. Presto offers convenient locations and the best in fuel from Conoco and Phillips 66.

About TIO Networks Corp.

TIO Networks Corp, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the ”cash preferred” consumer marketplace in North America. The company leverages its core competencies in self-service bill payment processing, financial services aggregation and automation to create financial viability for its network and its location partners. With more than 750 locations and 6 top tier corporate owned convenience store chains participating, the TIO brand symbolizes safe secure access to key financial services. TIO Networks’ clients include: Circle K, ExxonMobil, Cingular Wireless, Speedway SuperAmerica, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. For more information, please visit www.TIOnetworks.com

# # #

For More Information Contact:

Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations – TIO Networks
Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250
Toll Free: 888.679.3322
Email: [email protected]

John Lewis, Business Development - TIO Networks
Tel: 416-364-2266
Toll Free: 877-600-6001
Email: [email protected]

Terry Presta, Presto C Stores, LLC.
Tel: 316-733-9056
Email: [email protected]

Visit http://www.kis-kiosk.com/apps/billpayment-kiosk.html for additional information.

Case Study: Kiosks and Customer Service

Through the use of innovative technology (kiosks) and public-private partnerships, service time has been drastically improved. In the Las Vegas area alone, even though DMV has experienced an increase of nearly 20 percent more customers a month since 2000, the department has reduced wait time by more than 40 percent.

A Message from Governor Kenny C. Guinn - April 5, 2006

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
Making Great Strides in Customer Service

When I first became Governor, one of my stated goals was to significantly cut wait times for people visiting a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office, and to make online vehicle registration and other DMV-related tasks more convenient to complete.

I’m happy to say that today, Nevada’s DMV is doing an outstanding job of meeting that challenge while serving the needs of the fastest-growing state in the nation. Through the use of innovative technology and public-private partnerships, service time has been drastically improved. In the Las Vegas area alone, even though DMV has experienced an increase of nearly 20 percent more customers a month since 2000, the department has reduced wait time by more than 40 percent.

A new North Las Vegas office, located at 7170 N. Decatur Blvd., opened on March 13. It is larger than the building it replaced, with 206 more parking spaces and ten more service windows. The new office is the first in the state to offer two outside self-service kiosks, which are available to customers 24 hours a day. The kiosks are similar to bank automated teller machines. DMV customers can use the machines to complete simple renewal transactions, use cash or credit cards to make payments, and receive documents on the spot.

Thanks to a public-private partnership with the American Automobile Association (AAA), the popular kiosks are also available at two Southern Nevada AAA offices: one located at 3312 W. Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas, and another located at 1000 N. Green Valley Parkway in Henderson. Those kiosks are available during normal AAA business hours. There are now 22 kiosks available to motorists statewide. Since the beginning of the program in 2004, the kiosks have been used to successfully complete more than 284,870 transactions.

Innovative technology like the kiosks has proven effective in reducing wait times and improving customer service, while also saving substantial tax dollars. Recent enhancements to DMV’s online services, including renewal of certain business licenses, license plates, and the use of electronic checks to pay fees, are also making a difference. Another web enhancement that has proven popular is the ability to design, view, and check for the availability of charitable or specialty plates. Since first unveiled a year ago, there have been more than 1.1 million inquiries for specialty plates via the web.

I applaud and appreciate the efforts of the management and staff at the Nevada DMV for their efforts and commitment to making substantial improvements in service for our citizens. The Nevada DMV’s commitment to customer service and technological solutions has enabled the department to better keep pace with our state’s growth. Motorists can view the full range of DMV-related online services at www.dmvnv.com.

Case Study: Financial Service Kiosks in Convenience Stores

Would you like some financial services with that coffee?
Convenience stores, best known to weary motorists as sources for drinks and snack chips, are starting to gain a reputation as good places to pay bills, cash checks, send money and buy cellphone minutes. Automated teller machines have long been a staple in these stores, but now several major chains are installing kiosks that are able to do a lot more.

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Way ahead of the curve is 7-Eleven, which is introducing its second wave of custom-made terminals called Vcom's this year. Often referred to as A.T.M.'s on steroids, the more than 1,000 Vcom's dispense cash, sell Verizon services, handle bill payments and let customers send money to other people. They can also cash checks to the penny, simultaneously snapping front-and-back digital images of the checks and dispensing a receipt with the images on it.

Aiming to keep up with 7-Eleven, Exxon Mobil and Circle K have introduced bill payment kiosks in some areas, with plans to take the programs national. Sunoco just set up a pilot involving the same type of kiosks. These machines are expected to become standard in convenience stores of all sizes.

"The convenience retailers want to become a bank for the unbanked," said Hamed Shahbazi, chief executive of Info Touch Technologies, a company in Burnaby, British Columbia, that supplies hardware and software for the Exxon Mobil, Circle K and Sunoco programs and others. "They're getting all this pressure from the Wal-Mart's of the world, and they're trying to respond."

The Circle K and Exxon Mobil machines are far more basic than 7-Eleven's Vcom's, which have been called overengineered. Several dozen customers polled informally outside a 7-Eleven in Winter Springs, Fla., recently said that they had never used the Vcom inside, and one woman who said she did use it once to withdraw cash complained that it was "confusing" and "complicated," and added that she would not use it again.

"There were just too many steps," said the woman, Peggy Baker, who teaches French in Winter Springs. "And the $1.75 transaction fee was too much — it was painful." She said she was not interested in the other Vcom features, which require users to enroll and enter a Social Security number on a touch screen.

But several customers using a bill payment kiosk in a Cingular Wireless store in Astoria, Queens, last month raved about the ease and convenience of the terminal, even though they had to pay a $2 fee and round their total up to the nearest dollar, because the terminal did not accept coins. The kiosk, supplied by Info Touch Technologies, is the same type used by Exxon Mobil and Circle K; clerks in the Cingular store said that at least 50 people a day used the machine — more on weekends — and that the only time it malfunctioned was when it was too full of cash to accept any more.

"I use it all the time to pay my bills; it's pretty good," said Daisy Borges, who works in the linens department of a home accessories shop near the Cingular store and who dropped in to pay her $39.99 monthly Cingular phone bill during a lunch break.

Ms. Borges said she used to mail a check to pay the bill, but switched to using the kiosk three months ago. "It goes faster, it works better," she said. "I'm pretty sure that my money goes to the right people."

And the $2 fee? Ms. Borges shrugged and said, "Nothing is free in New York."

At convenience stores, companies have found the kiosks make business sense. If a machine is handling a money transfer or a bill payment, no cashier is involved in the transaction — which typically involves $200 or so in cash — reducing the likelihood of employee theft and freeing clerks to handle other transactions. And when people come in to a store deliberately to pay a bill or withdraw cash, they may well be tempted to pick up a soda and a sandwich. In addition, the customer gains privacy and may be able to avoid a separate trip to pay a bill.

"What most companies are looking at it for is to drive new customer traffic as opposed to driving revenues from the specific kiosks," said Jeff Lenart, a spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores, a trade group.
It is difficult to pinpoint how much extra revenue the terminals generate in incremental food and product sales, Mr. Lenart said, but the idea is to get people to start changing their habits so that they shift their bill-paying or other chores to a convenience store from elsewhere.

"What is very exciting is to see a brand new person come in and use the machine and see how easy it is," said David B. Taylor, category manager for store services for Exxon Mobil, which began installing eWiz bill pay terminals in Memphis in 2004. "Some of those folks may take a bus to a bill payment center, and now they find they can just go down to the corner and pay their bills. It has made their lives easier."

But it is not just people without bank accounts who use the kiosks. ChoicePay, the company that executes the bill payments for the Vcom's at 7-Eleven, has also installed several bill payment terminals of its own in some supermarkets in Tulsa, where ChoicePay is based. Those terminals typically handle 1,500 to 2,000 bill payments a month — 85 percent of them paid in cash — and 55 percent of the customers do have checking accounts, said Greg Adelson, ChoicePay's president.

"At 7-Eleven, what we have seen is that the number of transactions has continued to increase and the average size of the transaction has continued to increase," Mr. Adelson said. "That could be utility bills going up, but it might be an indication that people feel comfortable putting that much money into a kiosk and getting instant credit" for the paid bill.

The goal of the Vcom program is to make 7-Eleven a major financial services brand, said Rick Updyke, vice president for corporate business development. Plans call for the installation of Vcom's in all 5,400 domestic 7-Eleven stores and for the imminent addition of a feature that will let customers make deposits to any bank account, which Mr. Updyke said would be "the first step in making the Vcom a branch bank or financial institution."

Other retailers, as well as banks, have taken heed. Exxon Mobil has so far installed 77 eWiz terminals but plans to make eWiz "a standard program at all our facilities," Mr. Taylor said. The biggest challenge, he said, is to get a critical mass of billers to sign up in a given market, so it will take some time before eWiz is ubiquitous.

Exxon Mobil also plans to add functions to the terminals, which charge $3 for a bill payment. Soon eWizzes will handle money orders and sell prepaid phone cards, among other things, Mr. Taylor said.

Circle K's Zaplink terminals already offer bill payment (also for $3) and Web browsing, so that customers can check e-mail. One day they will offer money orders, cellphone top-ups and a menu of other products and services, said Dan Stiel, manager of financial services for Circle K. But the stores' A.T.M.'s are unlikely to be retired anytime soon.

The machines attract "two different audiences and two different expectations in terms of speed," Mr. Stiel said. Someone eager to withdraw cash from an A.T.M. does not want to stand in line behind someone paying an electric bill, and the person paying the bill does not want to feel pressured to hurry, he said.

In choosing locations for Zaplink terminals, Circle K deliberately picked areas in Arizona, Texas, Florida and other states with high immigrant populations, with the idea that immigrants would be less likely to have bank accounts and more likely to relish a convenient option for paying bills. And in some 7-Eleven stores where there are high immigrant populations, Spanish is the top language option on the machine.

Mr. Lenart of the convenience store trade group said he tried a Zaplink terminal in Phoenix, paying $3 for Internet access and using it to create a video postcard of his infant son. "I thought it was really cool," he said.

But the idea does not appeal to all convenience store companies, Mr. Lenart said. He said he was promoting Zaplink's virtues to an executive from the Wawa chain, which is based near Philadelphia. "He said: 'It doesn't work for us. Our customers don't want to find out that they can't get a parking space because there's a couple of people surfing the Internet. They don't want to have to walk down a different aisle because there are a couple of people clustered around a kiosk.' "

Circle K Financial Bill Payment Kiosks

EL PASO, Texas – Twenty-five ZapLink kiosks from Info Touch Technologies Corp., owners of the TIO Network, are being installed in select Circle K convenience stores in El Paso, Texas..

El Paso Circle K Stores Get 'Zapped'

Through this expansion, Info Touch and Circle K will now offer cash-preferred customers secure and convenient access to bill payment and financial transactions at self-service automated kiosks, 24 hours a day.

"Zaplink and the TIO Network is an important part of Circle K's strategy to empower our customers with convenient and hassle-free ways to pay bills and manage personal finances,” said Dan Stiel, manager of financial services for Circle K. "Our customers in El Paso will discover our self-service Zaplink kiosks to be fast, friendly and reliable."

The kiosks enable cash-preferred customers to securely access personal accounts and view balances on select billers without the need to have an account number present. They can also pay a host of bills including wireless, utility and cable and update their accounts in real time. Payments are made by inserting the cash directly into ZapLink kiosk's bill acceptor. Once the cash is accepted, the payment is immediately posted through Info Touch's TIO network. Circle K customers can navigate through bill pay and other TIO applications in either English or Spanish and complete financial transactions by either printing or e-mailing their receipt to an e-mail address of their choice.

"Market research indicates that nearly half of the Hispanics are unbanked and more than 78 percent of the population [in this market] is Hispanic,” said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and CEO of Info Touch Technologies. “This data confirms there is market demand for non-traditional financial solutions. By delivering convenient access to affordable financial services, we improve the quality of life for residents of El Paso and execute on our recurring revenue transaction business."

Since September 2001, Info Touch and Circle K have launched approximately 300 Zaplink kiosks in Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

Cingular Wireless Bill Payment Services Added to Kiosk Network

Announcement that Cingular Wireless real-time bill payment has been added to the TIO kiosk network.

CNW Group

Info Touch adds Cingular Wireless Payment Services to the TIO Network

BURNABY, BC, Jan. 11 /CNW/ - Info Touch Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: IFT) today announced an agreement that enables Cingular Wireless LLC customers to make real-time bill payments with cash at Info Touch's TIO branded self-service automated terminals in the United States. Cingular Wireless LLC, a joint venture between AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS), is the largest wireless carrier in the United States.

This agreement enables Cingular customers to check their balance due and make real time cash payments on their accounts at hundreds of automated cash accepting kiosk terminals located in convenient retail locations across the United States.

The bill payment application developed by Info Touch and Cingular will be able to support most of Cingular's subscribers at any participating TIO location by June 2006, with the remaining subscribers to be enabled by
mid-2007.

About Info Touch Technologies

Info Touch Technologies, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the "TIO Network" the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the cash preferred consumer marketplace in North America. Info Touch's "Premiere" software is the industry leading software platform for the delivery of automated financial
services such as bill payment, money transfer, digital merchandising, PIN dispensing for pre-paid products and services, maps and directions, check cashing and electronic coupons. Info Touch clients include: Circle
K/Alimentation Couche-Tard, ExxonMobil, Speedway SuperAmerica, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. Details of the company are available at
http://www.infotouch.net/.

About the TIO Network

With more than 700 locations and 6 top tier corporate owned convenience store chains participating, the "TIO Network" is the largest national multi-retailer network of self-service financial service kiosks in North
America. Services offered under the TIO brand umbrella are tailored specifically for the cash preferred consumer marketplace. The TIO brand symbolizes safe, private, cost effective access to quality financial services for the cash preferred consumer. More than 250,000 people a month pay their bills in cash with TIO.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory body has reviewed and therefore does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information: please contact: Chris Ericksen, SVP - Info
Touch Technologies Corp., Tel: (604) 298-4636 extension 266, Toll Free:
1-888-679-3322, Email: [email protected]; John Lewis - Linear
Capital Corp - Info Touch Investor Relations, Tel: (416) 364-2266, Toll Free:
1-877-600-6001, Email: [email protected]

New Bill Payment Kiosk website launched by Info Touch

InfoTouch launched new website which features the TIO self-service financial bill payment kiosk network.

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Excerpt:

a cash preferred bill payment network transacting via nationally deployed self serve kiosks

TIO customers� lives move quickly and so when it comes to paying bills or conducting financial services, they look for the most convenience and efficient way to pay their bills. TIO enables its consumers to quickly, safely and effortlessly pay their bills and participate in a wide range of additional financial services.

From California to Florida, TIO Kiosks currently process a payment every 12 seconds!. Fully secure and based on cash input, TIO kiosks are the fastest way to pay your bills - right in the comfort of your local convenience store.

TIO - the fastest way to pay in cash!

TIO provides a close and convenient cash solution for your bill payment and financial service needs. From paying your bills to purchasing wireless airtime to conducting other financial services, TIO makes it easy, quick and convenient to take care of your financial needs.

Kiosk Systems and Bill Pay Kiosks Reach Unbanked

Kiosk bill pay and bill payment solutions for the unbanked are gaining in importance.

Original story on Selfservice World

SelfServiceWorld News

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Reaching the unbanked

Twenty-two million households in the United States do not have a checking or savings account, according to a May 2005 research report by the Chicago-based Center for Financial Services Innovation. And bringing financial services to those households is quickly becoming big business.

The unbanked are a good market to reach, said Will Sowell, general manager of CashWorks, an automated check-cashing and bill payment solutions provider. "The underserved population � spends an estimated $10 billion annually on transactions such as check cashing, money orders, money transfers, prepaid cards and bill payments."

In general, the unbanked are people who have been ignored by financial institutions, so they�ve had to seek services like check cashing from other outlets.

Potential for revenue

According to CFSI�s report, the majority of the unbanked and underbanked are more likely to go to retailers for financial services. As a result, banks and credit unions have their work cut out to get them in their lobbies.

Salisbury, Md.-based ESP Consulting Group found that only 52 percent of the U.S.�s ATMs are owned by financial institutions. The rest are owned and operated by independent sales organizations or retailers. The CFSI report noted, "A fifth of ATM transaction volume growth, which represents 1.19 billion transactions and $2.4 billion in revenues, has been picked up by non-bank firms. This substantial growth in non-branch ATMs signaled a major turn in retailers� involvement in the provision of financial services."

In other parts of the world, FIs have spearheaded the effort to reach unbanked and underbanked populations. But in the U.S., alternative service providers such as check-cashing companies and retailers stepped up to the plate before FIs.

There is a great deal of excitement about automated financial services at the retail level in the U.S., according to Dave Grano, president and CEO of Oregon-based VERO, a financial technology company that is developing check-cashing methods to help FIs and retailers reach unbanked customers through ATMs. That excitement is why many companies are joining the force.

"We�re in the process of launching several projects in urban areas," said Vijay Chattha, spokesperson for advanced-function financial management firm Swipe USA. "Overall we are coming at it from a retail standpoint. Basically, our goal is to bring dignity to some of those customers who are underserved or unserved right now."

Kiosk developers Info Touch Technologies and Kiosk Information Systems have partnered to develop solutions to reach the unbanked. It�s a niche the two companies fell into, said Info Touch chairman and CEO Hamed Shahbazi.

"Phoenix was our original market, and it�s a heavily Hispanic market," Shahbazi said. The 2000 U.S. Census shows that of the unbanked, 46 percent are black and 34 percent are Hispanic. Some experts believe even those estimations are far too low.

"Just by matching some of the services up with a demo, we were able to see what services were going to take off. � We were the first in the market to work with this segment of the population, and that�s where we�re focused."

TIO Network expands with Speedway SuperAmerica LLC

Info Touch Technologies Corp. (TSX-V: IFT) today announced the deployment of 15 Speed e-connect kiosks at select Speedway SuperAmerica LLC (SSA) locations in Toledo, Ohio.

This expansion follows the successful January 2005 launch of a �Speed e-connect� network in Dayton, Ohio. Through this initiative, �cash preferred� convenience store patrons now can securely and conveniently pay their bills in cash anytime at their local Speedway store. �Cash-Preferred� Speedway customers at 15 stores now have access to Bill Payment and Financial Services through computerized TIO self-service terminals

Powered by Info Touch's industry leading Premiere software, �Speed e-connect� terminals provide customers with convenient access to a wide variety of services, including bill payments for wireless, utility, cable and other service providers. Bill payment services typically carry a small convenience fee for usage.

�Speed e-connect� terminals are affiliated with Info Touch�s TIO Network, which is currently serving customers in 22 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and British Columbia. Info Touch and SSA plan to unveil additional �Speed e-connect� products and services such as money order, money transfer, prepaid credit and debit cards, check cashing and mobile content. The services will be geared toward the growing, cash-preferred market.

�SSA and Info Touch are focused on delivering a host of tangible benefits to cash preferred customers," said Hamed Shahbazi, chairman and chief executive officer, Info Touch. �Our research supports the notion that the cash preferred customers are a growing, vital and underserved demographic all over the U.S.�

About Speedway SuperAmerica LLC

Speedway SuperAmerica LLC, headquartered in Enon, Ohio, is the nation�s third largest company-owned and -operated convenience store chain with more than 1,600 stores located in 9 states. Most of the stores are operated under the Speedway and SuperAmerica brand names. Further information about Speedway SuperAmerica can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.speedway.com.

About Info Touch

Info Touch Technologies, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the �TIO Network� the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the non-banked consumer marketplace in North America. Info Touch�s Premiere (powered by Surfnet) is the preferred software platform for the delivery of automated services such as bill payment, money transfer, digital merchandising, PIN dispensing for pre-paid products and services, maps and directions, check cashing and electronic coupons. Info Touch clients include: Circle K, ExxonMobil, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Speedway SuperAmerica, Kum&Go, Maverik, NOCO, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. www.infotouch.net.

About the TIO Network

The �TIO Network� is the largest national multi-retailer network of self-service financial service kiosks in North America. Services offered under the TIO brand umbrella are tailored specifically towards the non-banked consumer marketplace. The TIO brand provides a beacon that symbolizes fair, convenient and secure access to financial services for non-banked consumers.

For further information, please contact:

Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations � Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250
Toll Free: 888.679.3322
Email: [email protected]

John Lewis, Business Development � Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 416-364-2266
Toll Free: 1-877-600-6001
Email: [email protected]

Linda Casey, Public Affairs�Speedway SuperAmerica LLC
Tel: 419-421-3262(office)
419-348-4851(cell)
Email: [email protected]

Financial Services to Grocers and C-Stores

Convenience and grocery stores are in trouble. Long-standing revenue streams like cigarettes are disappearing in a puff of smoke. Intense pricing pressure from Wal-Mart has flattened margins for the foreseeable future.

An aging store asset portfolio drains available working capital. And the channels have blurred � with Starbucks coffee at Safeway and gasoline at Wal-Mart.

story link

Convenience and grocery executives are desperately looking for new growth drivers. And smartly, they�re looking beyond physical products � you can only stock the shelves with so much stuff � and they�re finding success with services.

The success convenience and grocery chains are having with prepaid wireless has led them to look for other services beyond prepaid and to evaluate the consumers who are purchasing prepaid phones and refill. These chains are finding a plethora of deliverable services which, like prepaid wireless, are targeted toward the unbanked market � people who through choice or necessity manage their finances outside of the traditional banking system. Some call this activity �fringe banking.�

The unbanked population, estimated at over 40 million strong, or over 30 percent of the U.S. population, is made up primarily of teens and young adults, minorities and the working poor. They�re already shopping in convenience and grocery locations, yet these locations have not offered the services they need in order to manage and access their money, forcing them to make special trips to outlets outside of their daily routine.

Services expand
Convenience and grocery stores will now become �banks� for the unbanked. They�ll seek to offer point-of-sale or kiosk-driven services, which will allow unbanked customers to manage their money, pay their bills, purchase and consume products and services, and make their lives a bit simpler.

Prepaid wireless is one service already offered at many of these stores. This market has exploded from $4.5 billion in 2000 to over $23 billion in 2004 � driven by youth, minorities and unbanked customers. Another service, prepaid debit cards, is currently a $600 million market. The Pelorus Group expects it to grow to over $5 billion by 2007. Next Estate Communications reports that 65 percent of prepaid debit users are under the age of 35 years.

Payroll check cashing can also be offered. The Financial Service Centers of America (FiSCA) reports that this $60 billion industry processes over 180 million checks a year, growing 10 percent annually. Walk-up bill payment would be another convenience for the unbanked. Checkfree, the online bill-payment service, reports that 20 percent of American households regularly pay their bills in person.

Offering money transfer service can be lucrative for convenience and grocery stores. Celent expects the global money transfer market to surpass $170 billion in 2006. InterAmerican Bank reports that over 60 percent of foreign-born U.S. Latino adults send money back home regularly.

Retailers look for partners
Overburdened convenience and grocery merchants will look to one-stop full-service distributors to carry the load � bringing in the offers, enabling the transactions and developing the signage and display. For these distributors, banking services would allow them to establish deep relationships with the merchant from a product portfolio and technology perspective and would enable them to cash in for years to come.

Distributors of prepaid telecom have been playing a key role in the U.S. prepaid supply chain � securing the locations, deploying the delivery technology, communicating the offer and enabling the transaction. But margins are getting squeezed; many of the best locations have been secured, competition is fierce and consolidation is rife. The addition of new revenue-driving products and services to the portfolio is crucial.

Offerings that appeal to the same consumer base as prepaid telecom, utilizing the same point-of-sale or kiosk-based delivery technology, make fringe banking, or banks for the unbanked, a natural for distributors to take on and for retailers to migrate toward.

To be successful in this space, distributors will need to:
� develop the relationships with the necessary product and service providers to form the comprehensive bank for the unbanked offering
� educate their retail partners as to the opportunity and the requirements
� create the point-of-sale and/or kiosk delivery network necessary to successfully deliver the offering
� design clear, concise and relevant marketing communications inside and outside the store to drive adoption and demand
� develop a deep and continual understanding of the unbanked consumer, including who they are, what they need, how they want it delivered and how to reach them

Achieving critical mass
This year promises to be the year fringe banking breaks out. Circle K and 7-Eleven are rolling out check-cashing services to all stores. Stored value gift and debit cards are all the rage. Prepaid wireless continues to explode. Kiosks and multiapplication point-of-sale devices make product delivery possible. All of this is happening while the nation sees a continued explosion in Hispanic population, an increase in population living below the poverty level and a reduction in the number of traditional banking outlets.

Retailers, distributors, processors and product and service providers are all taking note, and many will develop a sense of urgency in 2005 to win in this space, to prosper and to survive. Will you?

The author is president of Tefisto Partners, a consultancy focused on the stored value and fringe banking space. He can be contacted at (602) 750-8055 or visit the company website at www.tefistopartners.com.

Billpayment and QuickTrip

New Bill Payment and Check Cashing Kiosk Expected to Drive Increased Store Traffic and Sales; QuikTrip and CashWorks Team to Rollout New Easy-to-Use Kiosk.

Research shows 65 million underserved Americans lack fundamental financial services.

Read More

Next Gen POS Delivery

Kiosks Are The Next Generation Of POS Delivery

The Prepaid Press
Jan 10 2005 : With about 30 per cent of the US population standing in line every week to pay bills at utility firms, retailers have an opportunity to profit from offering bill payment functionality over their POS network. As an example, a retailer selling mobile phones can offer a customer paying a bill, a plan that is better value than their current contract, and often a new phone. Evidence suggests that nine times out of ten, a bill-paying customer faced with this offer, will switch to the new plan on the spot, which in turn could generate up to USD 300 in commission for the retailer that sells the new phone plan.

If a convenience store offering bill payments at the POS processes 2,000 to 3,000 bills a month, this translates to USD 2,000 or USD 3,000 in extra revenues for minimal effort. Retailers wanting to accept bill payments at the POS can install a module that also delivers PIN-based products such as prepaid wireless. Kiosks, the next-generation of POS delivery, will grow by 20 per cent to 2008 in acceptance terms, according to the Prepaid Press, and can deliver up to USD 1,200 in gross revenues. Depending on whether a kiosk is owned by the store or by a distributor, retailers can take 10 to 20 per cent of these revenues.

Bill Pay Kiosks at Denver Airport

Info Touch Technologies Launches Cricket Bill Pay Service at Denver International Airport

BURNABY, BC, Aug. 24 /CNW/ - Info Touch Technologies Corp.
(www.infotouch.net) (IFT: TSX Venture Exchange) announced a new distribution
point for its automated self-serve bill pay services at 32 "Shibby Branded"
kiosks at the Denver International Airport. The kiosks are co-owned and
operated by RHMES Communications of Denver, CO and Kiosk Information Systems
of Louisville CO.
Powered by Info-Touch's industry leading Surfnet Premiere software, the
kiosks will enable airport employees and air travelers to pay their Cricket
wireless bills in cash and/or credit card as well as other post paid bill
payment and financial services applications. Payments by check are expected to
follow soon afterwards.
The stakeholders of the project expect to derive revenues from the
convenience fees paid by consumers in order to pay their Cricket or other
bills of their choice. All applications will be available in Spanish and
English.
"We're always looking for new ways to enhance our customers' experience,"
said Tom Williams, area general manager for Cricket. "With self-serve bill
pay, we're providing another easy and convenient payment option. We look
forward to being part of this growing technology focused on serving our
customers."
President and CEO Rick Malone said, "The Denver Airport is the fifth
busiest airport in the US and is an ideal location for this sort of
application due to its approximately 23,000 employees. Also, new low-cost
carriers have changed the demographic of air travel and we believe that the
Shibby terminals at DIA are a compelling opportunity for bill payment
services."
"There is a growing demand for alternative modes of payment amongst
approximately 30% of America's population who fall within the 'unbanked' or
'underbanked' demographic, as they may not have a bank / credit card account
or prefer cash to other methods of payment," said Hamed Shahbazi, CEO of Info
Touch Technologies Corp. "Shibby is a great example of the Company's 'indirect
distribution' model where IFT can leverage its software application and
monetization program without funding new kiosk infrastructure."

About Cricket Service

Cricket is a simple and affordable wireless solution offering unlimited
anytime minutes within your Cricket(R) calling area over our high quality,
all-digital network. Cricket(R) service is an affordable wireless alternative
to traditional landline service. With a commitment to predictability,
simplicity and value as the foundation of our business, Cricket designs and
markets wireless products to meet the needs of everyday people. We offer
unlimited anytime minutes starting at $29.99 a month (plus taxes and fees)
with no long-term agreements required. Operating in 39 markets in 20 states
stretching from New York to California, Cricket(R) service is available to
customers in more than 840 different municipalities. For more information,
please visit www.mycricket.com.

About KIS

Founded in 1993, KIS is the established leader in the design and
manufacturing of indoor and outdoor kiosks, public Internet stations and other
electronic self-service informational terminals. Recognized as one of the
fastest growing companies in the United States, KIS' growth over the last nine
years has earned the company a place on the Inc. 500 list and on both the
Colorado Fast 50 and the nation's Technology Fast 500 by Deloitte & Touche.
KIS has provided innovative kiosks for a who's who of corporate clients
including McDonalds, Citibank, IBM, Disney, Borders, Mercedes Benz and Conoco,
as well as numerous government agencies and universities. Having produced
thousands of kiosks for over 1000+ different applications, including human
resources, interactive and transactional retail, and security applications,
KIS has the most in-depth experience and expertise in the kiosk industry.
Contact KIS at 303-466-5471 or www.kis-kiosk.com for more information on its
complete line of kiosks and contract manufacturing capabilities.

About Info Touch Technologies

Info Touch Technologies provides software, and personal financial
services through secure kiosk networks. Surfnet is Info Touch's trademarked
technology for the secure and convenient delivery of e-services, including but
not limited to bill payment, wireless Internet access, maps and directions,
money transfer, PIN dispensing for pre-paid products and services, electronic
coupons, video/text/photo e-mail and general Web-browsing. For more
information, visit www.infotouch.net.

(*)The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed this news release and
does not accept responsibility for its adequacy and accuracy.

%SEDAR: 00010068E

For further information: Cricket Media Relations: Kristin Parsley
Atkins, Tel: (858) 882-9105, [email protected];
Cricket Colorado Office: Tom Williams, Tel: (720) 374-1825,
[email protected]; KIS Kiosks: Tom Weaver,
Tel: (303) 661-1652, E-mail: [email protected]; Info Touch Technologies
Corp.: Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations, Tel: (604) 298-4636, Ext. 250,
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Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is hoping a new outreach initiative will attract customers to its discount program for low-income households.

PG&E officials said new statistics show that many cities continue to lag behind in taking part in the California Alternative Rate for Energy, or CARE, program.

In a push to boost enrollment in the free program, PG&E has unveiled a self-service kiosk system at customer service centers around the Bay Area.

Under the program, eligible customers can save 20 percent on monthly gas and electric bills. The average household saves between $15 and $50 a month.

Although some East Bay cities have a high number of CARE customers, many continue to lag in participation.

Dublin and Pleasanton both have 35 percent of eligible customers enrolled in CARE; Fremont has 60 percent of eligible customers participating. In contrast, 88 percent of Oakland eligible customers have signed on.

"We don't know why the numbers are low for some cities," said Jason Alderman, a spokesman for PG&E. "It might be language or cultural issues. It may be people are reluctant (to sign on) because they don't like to ask for help."

CARE eligibility is based on household size and annual income. A household of up to two people must have a yearly income of $23,000 or less; a household of three must have $27,000 or less; a household of four must have a maximum income of $32,500.

The new CARE self-service kiosks allow customers to quickly apply for CARE while waiting to pay their PG&E bills. PG&E has placed 45 kiosks in its Northern and Central California offices.

The one-page confidential application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Customers can request CARE applications by calling PG&E's toll-free line at (866) 743-2273. Applications can also be filled out at www.pge.com/care

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