Brookfield, Wis., May 2, 2012 – NACHA Booth #209 – Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, announced today that it has partnered with Earthport, a specialist in cross-border payments services, to provide a solution for international payments processed through the automated clearing house (ACH). This partnership will enable Fiserv clients to seamlessly process low value, cross-border payments through PEP+^®, an online, real-time solution for originating and receiving ACH payments.

The integration of Earthport into the PEP+ solution will allow Fiserv clients that process low value, cross-border payments to improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, lower costs to serve customers and increase growth and reach by creating one solution for both domestic and international cross-border payments processing. Earthport uses an innovative payments framework specifically designed for high volumes of low value cross- border payments that provides access to local clearing schemes in more than 50 countries.

“PEP+ is the leading domestic ACH processor and now, with the integration with Earthport, we will expand that reach globally,” said Rahul Gupta, president, Digital Payments Solutions Group, Fiserv. “The commitment that we have always shown to payments within the U.S. will now expand to cross-border ACH payments – a capability our customers have requested.”

Lower value, cross-border payments is a high-growth market:

• 15 percent of eCommerce transactions are made by overseas buyers, according to research from Glenbrook Partners in their report: ‘Cross-Border Payments Perspectives’
• Research from The World Bank shows that remittance payments from foreign workers to friends and family in their native countries totaled $440.077 billion in 2010

“We see increasing demand from financial institutions’ clients for cross-border payments as a result of globalization,” said Gareth Lodge, senior analyst, Banking Practice, Celent. “The ability for financial institutions to offer an increased range of international payment options through a process that is complementary to their domestic payments strategy creates a strategic advantage and allows for greater efficiencies in processing.”

”Our partnership with Fiserv will deliver significant value to PEP+ clients and provide them one window for both domestic and international low value payments processing,” said Paul Thomas, executive director, Earthport. “Regulation is demanding more transparency for cross-border payments, and our innovative technology platform was designed from the outset to address this requirement for cross-border corporate and consumer payments.”

Recognized as the industry standard in ACH processing for nearly three decades, more than 10 billion, or roughly 50 percent, of all ACH transactions in the U.S, were processed through Fiserv technology in 2011.

About Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) is a leading global technology provider serving the financial services industry. Fiserv is driving innovation in payments, processing services, risk and compliance, customer and channel management, and business insights and optimization. For six of the past eight years, Fiserv ranked No. 1 on the FinTech 100, an annual international listing of the top technology providers to the financial services industry. For more information, visit www.fiserv.com.

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London, UK – 26 January, 2012 - Earthport, the global payment services provider, today announced that they are providing cross-border payment services to Active Management Services (ME) Ltd (AMS ), the global facilities management company, to support the delivery of payroll services.

The service, which is now live, sees Earthport facilitate payroll payments for AMS’s corporate customers. AMS offers corporates the ability to outsource their payroll and account function, allowing them to concentrate on running their core business, which is especially suitable for companies with a global workforce.

“The challenge we faced was ensuring that our clients’ employees got paid on time, every time, irrespective of the combination of where the client headquarters or employee was located. By working with Earthport we are able to receive and transfer international funds much faster and more efficiently than our previous solution, delivering a seamless experience to our customers,” Iain Morgan, Head of International Business at AMS. “Strategically, we are now in good shape to grow our business to reach £10 million profit within three years and this would not be possible without Earthport’s cost-efficient payment facility.”

“We are excited to be working with AMS, a recognised international payroll company, as it continues to grow and distinguish itself by delivering a simple, hassle-free and efficient service to its customers,” said Hank Uberoi, CEO of Earthport Plc. “They are one of several payroll company clients we have won in the past six months, showing a growing demand for a dedicated white label service that offers simple, cost-efficient and secure cross-border payments.”

London, UK – 19 October, 2011 – Earthport, the global payments utility, today announces it will extend and enhance cross-border payment services using the CashPro® Online banking channel from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, one of the world’s largest financial institutions.

Leveraging the outstanding functionality of CashPro® Online since August 2011, Earthport is already using the service to clear payments in America for some of its largest global customers. In addition, CashPro Online will provide Earthport clients with additional reach into local payment networks across Latin America, Asia-Pac and Europe in the coming months.

Hank Uberoi, Executive Director, Earthport commented: “As a company we are dedicated to solving the challenges traditionally associated with cross-border payments. By working with one of the most recognised financial institutions in the world, we are extending our offering to deliver enhanced services to our clients, breaking down boundaries to growth, improving customer satisfaction and creating new revenue opportunities for our clients.”

• Finextra  -  Earthport extends reach through BAML CashPro
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London, UK – September 29, 2011 – Earthport (AIM: EPO), the global payments provider, today announced a contract with an international bank to offer enhanced cross-border payment services to its customers. This flagship deal, which goes live this year, will see Earthport automating thousands of payments every month, as well as providing enhanced cross-border remittance services to the bank’s customers.

The bank facilitates pension payments to European individuals who have settled overseas. In addition to streamlining existing pension services, the bank will also be leveraging Earthport’s unique international money movement platform to provide low cost and secure cross-border remittance services to its customers wanting to make person to person payments.

Hank Uberoi, Executive Director, Earthport said, “As financial institutions across the globe look to take advantage of the rapid growth in cross-border payments, the Earthport service proposition of making high volume, secure and low cost payments makes us a natural partner for the bank. We are extremely excited with this latest deal, which demonstrates our ability to sign long term guaranteed recurring revenue contracts and look forward to supporting the bank’s continued expansion.”

The Earthport service is expected to go live with the bank this year.

• Yahoo Finance (UK) – Earthport plc New Business win
• Highbeam – An international bank selects Earthport to enhance pension payment services
• Banking Business Review – Earthport signs contract with an international bank to enhance payment services
• Reuters – Earthport plc New Business win
• IT Director – An international bank selects Earthport to enhance pension payment services
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• Money AM – Earthport clinches deal with international bank
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• All Digits – An International Bank selects Earthport to enhance pension payment services
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• EBA day – Earthport reports contract win
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• Mobility Techzone – An international bank selects Earthport to enhance pension payment services

The IPFA, a global not-for-profit association, was established in February 2010, to create standards based around ISO20022 to meet the growing demand for a more cost-effective, less complex, and more certain payment service with a wider reach. In addition to adopting the IPFA standards, Earthport will work to promote the benefits of IPFA participation and membership.

Earthport believes that the adoption of the IPFA standards is necessary as demand from both corporates and consumers puts pressure on cross-border payment providers. Recent research carried out by Glenbrook Partners, a consultancy specialising in payments, identified an unmet need for ‘a mid-market payment solution that is easy-to-use, highly reliable, and able to route payments globally at a reasonable cost.’

Hank Uberoi, Executive Director, Earthport comments: “With regulators calling for greater efficiency in cross-border money transfer market, we are extremely pleased to be working with IPFA and its members to meet evolving market demand. Over recent years, mass migration of labour coupled with wide adoption of the internet has led to a massive increase in demand for cross-border e-commerce and other low value payments transactions, such as expense and pension disbursements.”

Arthur Cousins, CEO, International Payments Framework Association said: “As globalisation drives broader demand for cross-border payments, the IPFA is committed to ensure that non-urgent multi-currency cross-border payments are as seamless and simple as domestic processing. Earthport shares this same vision and we welcome their involvement and contribution moving forward.”

Earthport’s cross-border payments service will be an attractive proposition for banks and other organisations who have already adopted or are considering adopting IPFA standards.

To learn more, please follow us on Twitter @Earthport.

• EBADAY - Earthport and IPFA collaborate on untapped cross border payments market
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• Paypers - Earthport adopts IPFA standards

• CFO Innovation – Cross-border Payment Market Needs Improvement, Finds Report
• 4 traders – New Report- State of the Market for Cross Border Payments
• Realwire – Global report Finds Opportunities for Improvement Over Current Practices in Cross-Border Payment Market
• GT news – Opportunities for improvement in cross border payments
• Payments views – Cross border payments perspectives
• Payments News – Global report finds cross border payments opportunities
• The Green Sheet – Global report finds opportunities in cross border payment

• Bobsguide –  Are cross border payment services fit for purpose published November 2011
• Partners in Prepaid – New opportunities for low value remittances

London, UK – 20 September 2011 – Earthport, the global payments provider, today released the results of a new report that provides a detailed understanding of the ideal cross border payment solution from the perspective of both payment professionals and payment initiators. The global survey, which is based upon responses from professionals right across the financial ecosystem, was conducted by payments strategy consulting firm, Glenbrook Partners.

According to the report, there is widespread concern and frustration over current practices and prices within the cross-border market specifically amongst payments in the ‘sub-$10,000 level, especially in the $500 to $2,000’ range.

Research also found that unlike other sectors of the payments industry – often referred to as a ‘commodity business’ with standardised features, price-based competition and low margins – this is not the case for cross-border payments. Instead, most providers enjoy attractive profit margins and don’t compete primarily on price.

Other key findings include:

• 54% of respondents want cross border payment solutions to connect to local ACH/EFT schemes around the world. This strong appetite exists for high-volume, low-value payments. If a system of this kind could scale and be reliable, then an overwhelming majority of those interviewed will be very interested (54%) or somewhat interested (35%) in this approach.
• 65% feel reduced costs is the most likely benefit to result from improved cross border payment systems. There are numerous opportunities for improvement, with the top three benefits thought likely to result from changes in cross-border payments cited as reduced costs (65%), improved payments quality (55%) and improved relationships with suppliers (49%). Other recurring themes include concerns over security, transaction fees and a need for simplified reconciliation.
• Even those Corporates with mature treasury and payment functions still face sizable challenges transacting on a global basis. Respondents cited the biggest challenges as being the length of time it takes to clear funds, difficulty tracking payment progress and with payment reconciliation as well as lack of foreign exchange fee transparency.

Hank Uberoi, Executive Director, Earthport comments: “Our research indicates that as companies conduct business with an increasing number of customers and suppliers overseas, they demand more sophisticated cross-border payment systems. Payment systems set-up decades ago, many of which have been retro-fitted to meet modern-day needs, are creaking and groaning under the strain, and the market is voicing concern over current practices and prices.”

Hank continues: “These findings are timely because globalisation and slow growth at home is driving companies of all sizes to conduct business in other parts of the world. A host of new products and services are emerging – offering an excellent opportunity for incumbent providers – arguably the largest unsatisfied opportunity in the payments industry today.”

Erin Mccune, Partner, Glenbrook Partners who conducted the research said: “Our research findings clearly show that the market is voicing concern over current practices and prices, and showing a strong interest in lower cost alternatives that are emerging. Companies like Earthport are ideally positioned to answer market demands for drastic improvements to cross border payment provision, working with incumbent providers to ensure that the frustrations experienced by corporates are erased.”

Supporting Resources

• To access the full report please click here
• Keep up with Earthport news by visiting the company’s website and follow us on Twitter @Earthport