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The Ashley Madison Agency, Limited FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONLINE DATING SERVICE ATTRIBUTES FIRM'S SUCCESS TO DEBIT CARDS REVENUES RISE 10% AS CUSTOMERS TAKE TO DEBIT CARD PAYMENTS. TORONTO, CANADA (April 2004) - In just 9 months since signing up with UseMyBank's online debit payment service, The Ashley Madison Agency has increased sales by 10% and attributes the up-tick in revenue to customer's being able to pay using their online bank. More options means more revenue. The Ashley Madison Agency, which operates one of Canada's busiest online dating services says that the option to add debit cards to it's stable of payment options was necessary. Ashley Madison spokesman, Darren Morgenstern says 'fickle customers want choice...and we are in the people pleasing business'. Ashley Madison signed up for the online payment solution in August 2003 after customer buying patterns and surveys suggested their members would acclimate to an instant, online debit card payment system. Online debit is similar to the experience of swiping your bankcard at a Point-of-sale terminal through the Interac Network. Under the terms of their agreement, UseMyBank will facilitate Ashley Madison's customers for all online debit transactions. As an alternative to using cheques, credit cards or money orders, members enjoy the additional payment option of using their existing online bank account. This will be advantageous to the 40%-50% of consumers that don't have or use credit cards online. Checkout abandonment occurs in nearly 50 percent of all cases at the time credit card information is requested. That's a lot of lost sales. Ashley Madison can rely on 'immediate confirmation of receipt of funds' as the payment is debited immediately from the customer's bank account and queued for settlement - without holdbacks, chargeback's or NSF's. Together with over 500 other online merchants, Ashley Madison enjoys the capability of accepting instant online debit payments from over 8.4 million major bank consumers. "We at Ashley Madison believe that UseMyBank's secure, debit card payment system offers an important payment option for our customers...partnering with UseMyBank is beneficial to our user base because it offers anonymity, convenience, security and ease-of-use which results in increased sales and high customer satisfaction", says Morgenstern. "Given their substantial market presence and customer base, The Ashley Madison Agency is an important account for UseMyBank and this agreement represents another milestone in our quest to create the standard for worldwide instant online debit payments" said José E. Reyes, Jr., Vice-President, Strategic Alliances for UseMyBank Services Inc." "Our objective is to educate the online dating sector and help them realize this over-looked opportunity!" Morgenstern agrees. "I'm not here to help my competitors but anything that improves the online dating industry will surely help us in the end as well". "I knew it was going to work. Especially since I wasn't locked into a contract or asked to ante-up any funds. That speaks volumes. You just know these guys are going to stand behind it and make it work." Reyes adds: "You can't ignore Canadian-based consumers that do not own a credit card or who simply resist using one online. UseMyBank is currently expanding with most major US and European banks to offer worldwide service. To prepare for this, their debit service now supports multiple currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the European Euro." About The Ashley Madison Agency The Ashley Madison Agency specializes in meeting the distinct needs of attached and married women wishing to meet single or attached men with a mutual desire to share novelty, excitement, romance and intrigue, and to provide these romance-seekers with a safe, discreet way to meet each other. Many Male and Female clients are in open or committed relationships and often have lingering needs inadequately served by their current partner. These individuals share a common desire to engage in a secret romance or simple casual encounter that will not compromise or replace their primary relationship. To learn more about Ashley Madison Agency, please visit www.ashleymadison.com
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Tel: 416-483-1317 About UseMyBank Services Inc. UseMyBank Services Inc. is an innovative payment processor based in Toronto, Canada, that facilitates instant online debit payments from online banking. Debit is the preferred way to pay at retail and UseMyBank delivers this capability to the Internet. The service simplifies and streamlines the client's ability to pay for goods and services over the Internet by leveraging their existing financial service provider's online banking payment systems. UseMyBank has operated in Canada since December 2002 with all major banks. The company is currently expanding with most major US and European banks to offer worldwide service. To learn more about UseMyBank, please visit www.usemybank.com For additional information, please call José E. Reyes Jr., Tel: 416.226.2878 Email: jose@usemybank.com |