Official Payments Enters Prepaid Debit Market

Through its relationships with federal, state and local government entities, Official Payments Corp. facilitates payments between individuals and governments using comprehensive technology solutions. Under the terms of the agreement, Certegy will provide Official Payments with Visa-branded prepaid debit products as part of an initiative to convert government disbursements to electronic prepaid card solutions. The relationship will initially focus on the conversion of child support disbursements, expanding to include additional prepaid debit programs in the future.

Through this innovative solution, child support disbursements will be loaded on prepaid stored value cards, which automatically reload as future payments are received. Official Payments will distribute VISA, Interlink(R) and Allpoint branded cards. This unique payment program will allow recipients to receive their child support payments faster, with no-cost access to their funds.

"The convenience and cost-saving implications of a prepaid debit card program of this type are significant," said Gary Norcross, president of Integrated Financial Solutions for Fidelity. "We are very excited to partner with Official Payments to enable consumers to receive payments in a fast, safe and easy manner."

"We are delighted to work with Fidelity National Information Services to provide prepaid debit card payment options to government entities across the nation," said T. Jack Williams, senior vice president, strategic programs for Tier Technologies. "Their experience and leadership in the transaction processing and payment services industry will enable us to meet the needs of our customers more effectively."