eBillme has introduced eBillme Walk-In, a new way for consumers to shop online and pay with cash, without having a credit card or even a bank account. The company has partnered with providers including MoneyGram International to assemble what it calls "the largest network of U.S. based walk-in locations with the lowest transaction fee." READ MORE

eBillme has announced it will give consumers 1% cash back for every purchase made using its cash checkout option. According to the company, "in order to qualify, online shoppers select eBillme for checkout at one of over 800 online merchant sites offering the credit card alternative payment option. Consumers can then sign-up for eBillme's cash back rewards and immediately start earning 1% cash back for every order. Once $10 in rewards has been earned, the cash can be redeemed on eBillme merchant sites, or shoppers may choose to continue earning before redeeming." READ MORE

Fifth Third Processing Solutions has announced a new partnership with eBillme to refer the payment alternative to its merchant processing customers.

In an article titled "Retailers Offering New Payment Choices", Kelli B. Grant writes for the Wall St. Journal about payments options available to consumers this holiday shopping season.

eBillme has announced its latest quarterly eBillme Online Spending Index finding that the impact of the credit crunch is expected to effect holiday shopping as projected consumer spending online remains steady at $100 - $250 on average - and finding "that the credit crunch is causing shoppers to reduce their credit card usage and impacting consumer access to credit resulting in a shift to cash alternatives." READ MORE

eBillme has announced closing a $12 million financing round led by Canaan Partners with participation from existing investor Celtic House Venture Partners. Maha Ibrahim, General Partner at Canaan Partners, and Pierre-André Meunier, P.Eng., Partner at Celtic House, are joining eBillme's Board of Directors. READ MORE

Glenbrook's Russ Jones will be on hand at this year's Direct Response Forum (DRF) to lead a session on August 12th entitled "What We're Watching in Emerging Payments". Looking beyond the current generation of payment alternatives, Russ will be discussing TrialPay, eBillme, Secure Vault Payments, Amazon Payments, RevolutionCard, eLayaway, PaidByCash, and the Green Dot MoneyPak.

Russ will also be participating in a round table discussion on best practices in recurring payments on August 13th. The DRF 2008 conference is being held in San Diego. The full agenda is available online. If you're going to be at the conference, - he'd love to meet you!

Crutchfield has announced that customers who shop online or through their call center can now choose to pay securely with cash using eBillme, an alternative payment option which brings online banking to the eCommerce checkout. READ MORE

Reminder: eBillme has announced a webinar this Wednesday, May 14, where Russ Jones of Glenbrook Partners will provide an in-depth look at the retailer integration process for several alternative payment options including: Bill Me Later, eBillme, Google Checkout, and PayPal. Registration for the webinar is available online.

eBillme has announced it will host a webinar on Wednesday, May 14, where Russ Jones of Glenbrook Partners will provide an in-depth look at the retailer integration process for several alternative payment options including: Bill Me Later, eBillme, Google Checkout, and PayPal. READ MORE

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

• Carol Ann Korpi has been named Vice President of Sales and Ken Silver has been named Vice President of Alliances at eBillMe. Korpi was previously Vice President of Sales for CNET Channel. Ken Silver previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Enterprise Integrations with Chase Paymentech Solutions.

JupiterResearch has published results of a new national survey of 2,706 consumers sponsored by eBillme finding that "while fraud protection and security are the most important factors for online shoppers, 68% of online shoppers who pay with a credit card do not know their liability coverage."

Francine Kizner writes for Entrepreneur.com about alternative payments providers Bill Me Later, eBillMe, Revolution Money, and Bill-to-Phone. "Alternative payment companies entice buyers who may not have credit cards, feel wary about sharing their information online or just want an easier checkout experience."

SmartMoney's Kelli B. Grant writes about alternative ecommerce payments - Bill Me Later, PayPal, and eBillMe - and identifies "four reasons you may want to think twice before hitting the "checkout" button using one of these services."

Suzanne Choney writes for MSNBC about Bill Me Later - but also about eBillMe and PaidByCash. Sounds ominous: "The Electronic Retailing Association advises consumers to make sure they read the fine print and know their rights when dealing with alternative online payment programs."

RBS Lynk has announced it is now offering its merchants a way to reach online banking users who want to pay cash at eCommerce checkouts by offering MODASolutions eBillme payment option. eBillme provides consumers with "the ability to safely and securely pay cash using their online banking bill pay service."

MODASolutions eBillMe, an alternative payment option that allows consumers to pay merchants directly through their online bank account, has introduced a new Buyer Protection Plan.

In an article titled 'Paying without Plastic', Don Davis writes for Internet Retailer about alternative payment options for ecommerce retailers - including PayPal, Bill Me Later, eBillMe, and PaidByCash.

MODASolutions has announced the results of a new consumer eCommerce survey examining the relationship between online bill payers and online shoppers. J.C. Williams Group, a global retail consulting firm, was commissioned by MODASolutions to conduct the survey and analyze the implications for the industry.