CheckFree Business Unit, APS, Extends Marketing Agreement with BillMatrix; Relationship Spans All Major Bill Payment Channels

Business Wire, Oct 13, 2004

ATLANTA & DALLAS -- American Payment Systems, the market leader for walk-in payment solutions and a business unit of CheckFree Corporation (Nasdaq:CKFR), today announced the extension of a joint marketing agreement with Dallas-based BillMatrix Corporation, a provider of outsourced telephone and Internet-based payment services. The extension will enable both companies to continue offering complementary electronic payment channels to billers to help them meet needs of all their consumer customers. The agreement, first signed in 2001, has allowed each company to offer its respective clients a more comprehensive range of payment offerings by providing referrals to the other company. CheckFree Corporation completed its acquisition of APS in June 2004.

"Extending this agreement across all channels allows clients to see how outsourcing all of these payment methods can reduce costs, increase cash flow and improve customer satisfaction," said Sean Feeney, executive vice president of CheckFree and general manager of APS. "This relationship enables our organization to offer comprehensive on-demand payment methods that are desired by our clients and prospects. Our continued alliance with BillMatrix supports our strategy of providing a full array of electronic billing and payment solutions to billers."

"With this collaboration, a recurring biller can meet the financial preferences of each individual in its customer base," said Scott Walker, President and CEO of BillMatrix. "On-line bill payers can access their bills and make payments via the vast range of Internet banking and biller direct sites supported by CheckFree. The on-demand payers can use the convenient BillMatrix service, and the walk-ins can take advantage of APS' extensive network of payment agents. Our relationship with CheckFree is the best way to address consumers' desire for control and choice in managing their finances."

In addition to extending the range of payment options for biller clients, this collaboration enables billers to extend their databases of "high risk" accounts of which electronic or in-person payments have been returned due to insufficient funds or fraud in the past. Using decision rules set in concert with the biller, APS, CheckFree and BillMatrix will be able to direct these accounts to guaranteed funds methods, such as ATM cards or cash at the walk-in location, that limit the billers' exposure and cost.

About BillMatrix Corporation

BillMatrix Corporation provides outsourced payment services for the nation's largest companies using the latest automated consumer interface technologies. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, BillMatrix works with corporations in the telecommunications, utility, insurance, mortgage and financial services industries to replace expensive, paper-based methods of remittance with a set of convenient, labor- and cost-saving electronic transactions. Consumers are able to make payments in a private and secure manner, via the Internet and telephone, using a variety of credit card, ATM/debit card, and electronic check payment options. BillMatrix maintains a fully staffed customer service organization to support both its clients and their consumers with any payment issues. For more information, visit www.BillMatrix.com or call 800-596-0221.

About American Payment Systems

As a market leader for walk-in bill payment solutions, American Payment Systems (APS) has been processing in-person payments for numerous billers since 1990. Through more than 10,000 retail locations, APS acts as the authorized payment agent network for billers whose customers want or need to pay their bills in person. APS offers billers either a real-time or a batch payment solution. Real-time payments post to the biller within seconds of being entered at the retail location, while billers utilizing the batch system receive transactions at intervals throughout the day. APS maintains agents in all 50 states, and operates as a licensed money transmitter in the 36 states that require such licenses to process walk-in bill payments. APS is a business unit of CheckFree Corporation.

About CheckFree (www.checkfreecorp.com)

Founded in 1981, CheckFree Corporation (Nasdaq:CKFR) provides financial electronic commerce services and products to organizations around the world. CheckFree Electronic Commerce solutions enable thousands of financial services providers and billers to offer their customers the convenience of receiving and paying their household bills online or in person through retail outlets. CheckFree Investment Services provides a broad range of investment management solutions and outsourced services to thousands of financial services organizations, which manage more than $900 billion in assets. CheckFree Software develops, markets and supports software applications that are used by financial institutions to process more than two-thirds of the 10 billion Automated Clearing House transactions in the United States. The division also provides global trade processing, reconciliation, financial messaging, compliance and electronic billing and statement software to thousands of organizations across the globe.