Press Releases

In these days of ATMs, quick-serve restaurants and pay-at-the-pump gas stations, Americans have become a convenience driven culture demanding prompt and efficient service. But sitting down and writing checks for your bills today takes the same amount of time it took 30 years ago, maybe longer, since most people have more bills to pay from cable TV to cellular phones.

"We listened to our customers tell us they wanted convenience, flexibility and choice for paying their bills. We responded," said Edgar Brown, senior vice president of First Union's Customer Direct Access Division. "Therefore we are offering our customers more quick, simple ways to pay their bills and manage their finances than almost any other bank in America."

Men will be especially interested in these electronic methods since the survey revealed that more men (36 percent) than women (27 percent) dislike paying their bills. First Union's bill payment offerings include:

• CYBERBANKING (sm) -- With First Union's Internet banking program, customers can access Cyberbanking from any computer with World Wide Web access. By simply going to First Union's home page at www.firstunion.com, customers can click on Cyberbanking, enter their passwords and check their balances in their checking, savings, money market, CAP, credit card, IRA, loans and time deposit accounts. Cyberbanking customers can also pay bills, transfer funds within First Union, check recent account activity, re-order checks and issue stop payment requests. 
  
• Quicken -- One of the leading personal finance softwares in the country, Quicken allows First Union customers to pay their bills online and schedule recurring payments such as car payments or mortgages every month. Customers can also obtain balances in their checking, savings, money market, CAP and credit card accounts and review recent account activity as well as transfer funds between First Union accounts. Quicken allows customers to download account information automatically, balance their checkbook electronically, set up and track budgets, monitor expenses and plan for future savings. 
  
• Microsoft Money -- Easy to use, Microsoft Money allows First Union customers to pay their bills online and schedule recurring bills every month. Customers can also obtain balances in their checking, savings, money market, CAP and credit card accounts and review recent account activity as well as transfer funds between First Union accounts. Money customers can also download account information automatically, balance their checkbook electronically, set up and track budgets and categorize expenses to record tax-related items. 
  
• Telephone BillPay -- For consumers who prefer not to use a computer, First Union offers Telephone BillPay 24-hours a day. From any touch-tone phone customers can pay their bills, set up recurring payments, check recent account activity, transfer funds between First Union accounts and re-order checks. Telephone BillPay also allows customers to obtain their balances on their checking, savings, money market, CAP, credit card, IRA, consumer loans and time deposit accounts.

Each of these programs is offered with a three month trial offer. All service fees will be waived if a customer maintains a $5000 average balance in their primary First Union checking account balance or is CAP account holder.  A total of 1,005 adult Americans, 18 years or older were interviewed by telephone from April 16- 20, 1997 by International Communications Research of Media, Penn. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

Charlotte-based First Union Corp. provides financial products and services to more than 12 million corporate and retail customers nationwide. First Union is the nation's sixth- largest bank holding company with assets of $137 billion as of March 31, 1997.

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