Companies will donate one tree when select customers pay five or more bills
CheckFree, now part of Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading provider of information technology services to the financial industry, and Fifth Third Bank, a $111 billion diversified financial services company, announced a campaign promoting the environmental benefits of online bill payment.
Between April 21 and June 30, 2008, Fifth Third Bank and Fiserv will donate a tree on behalf of targeted customers who pay five or more bills online. To promote the campaign, select customers will receive direct mailers that use eco-friendly recycled paper embedded with wildflower seeds, and ready for planting. With assistance from the Arbor Day Foundation, Fifth Third and Fiserv hope to plant more than 10,000 trees as part of the campaign.
According to a 2007 green banking study by Javelin Strategy and Research, if all U.S. households viewed and paid bills online it would save 16.5 million trees each year. A single tree in one day can provide oxygen for up to four people and discharge up to 100 gallons of water from the ground into the air, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"More consumers are realizing that online bill payment is not only convenient, but it also contributes to a healthier environment," said Karen Dee, senior vice president and head of retail for Fifth Third Bank. "This campaign is a great way to raise our customers’ awareness of the green advantages of paying bills online, while at the same time having a direct ecological impact."
Customers can register for Fifth Third’s online bill payment at www.53.com, or at any of its 1,230 Banking Centers. Consumers can start paying bills right away and it’s free to get started. In addition to the environmental benefits, paying bills online rather than sending paper bills through the mail provides consumers with a fast, easy and more secure alternative to controlling their finances.
"We recently sponsored a survey in which more than half of American consumers responded that it was very important to them that receiving and paying bills online benefits the environment," said Todd Lesher, executive vice president and general manager, CheckFree Electronic Banking Services, now part of Fiserv. "CheckFree is committed to working with our banking partners like Fifth Third to further educate the public about the positive impact that online banking and bill payment can have on the environment."
Fiserv, Inc. and CheckFree are committed to educating consumers and businesses through the PayItGreen™ campaign about the environmental benefits of choosing electronic billing, statements, and payments instead of paper. Learn more online at www.payitgreen.org.
About Fifth Third Bancorp
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $111 billion in assets, operates 18 affiliates with 1,231 full-service Banking Centers, including 108 Bank Mart® locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,221 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Georgia. Fifth Third operates five main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, Investment Advisors and Fifth Third Processing Solutions. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of December 31, 2007, has $223 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $33 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® National Global Select Market under the symbol "FITB."
About The Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at www.arborday.org.
About Fiserv, Inc.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, provides information management and electronic commerce systems and services to the financial and insurance industries. Leading services include transaction processing, outsourcing, electronic bill payment and presentment, investment management solutions, business process outsourcing (BPO), software and systems solutions. Headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., the company is the leading provider of core processing solutions for U.S. banks, credit unions and thrifts. Fiserv was ranked the largest provider of information technology services to the financial services industry worldwide in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 FinTech 100 surveys. In 2007, the company completed the acquisition of CheckFree, a leading provider of electronic commerce services. Fiserv reported nearly $4 billion in total revenue from continuing operations for 2007. For more information, please visit www.fiserv.com.