PayPoint is chosen by the ESB to extend bill payment facilities

PayPoint, the leading automated bill payment service in Britain, has been chosen by ESB to offer bill payment facilities in the convenience sector to their 1.6 million customers. This contact has been won in competition with other major companies and marks PayPoint’s first operation outside Britain and Northern Ireland. PayPoint will have exclusivity in the convenience retailing sector.

In the first stages of the expansion, PayPoint will install 100 terminals in agents across the Republic of Ireland. The installation process will take place in Spring 2002 with the service going live immediately following the roll out. PayPoint already operates a network of 250 agents in Northern Ireland.

Early next year, PayPoint will commence the selection process for retailers to offer the service. As with Britain and Northern Ireland, the criteria will be based on convenient location, high standards of customer service and extended opening hours. Retailer terms will be similar to those in Britain and Northern Ireland.

Retailers who are interested in applying for a PayPoint agency can obtain an Application Form via the PayPoint website at paypoint.ie. Decisions on the location of agents will be made next year.

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In addition to ESB payments, PayPoint will be marketing its services to other major service suppliers in Ireland. In the UK, the PayPoint service extends to gas, water, telephone, TV license, council payments and mobile top ups.

Tim Watkin-Rees, Business Development Director for PayPoint says, "We are very excited to be working with the ESB and to be creating an Irish network. With well placed agents and extended opening hours, we are sure that PayPoint is set to become as indispensable a part of every day life in Ireland as it already is in Northern Ireland and Britain".

Ken O’Hara, Chief Executive at ESB says, "PayPoint’s reputation and quality of service impressed us greatly. Their arrival in Ireland will give customers the benefit of more flexibility in the times at which they can pay their bill as well as extending the range of places to pay for ESB customers."

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Notes to Editors
PayPoint, the largest bill payment network in Britain and Northern Ireland, provides its service for many major blue-chip organisations including BT, British Gas, London Electricity, ScottishPower, Vodafone, Orange, BT Cellnet, Telewest, NTL, and over 140 local authorities and housing associations. More than 2 million customers use PayPoint every week to make essential bill payments and the company collects over £1 billion sterling each year. Located in over 8400 convenience stores, newsagent and petrol stations across the UK, PayPoint provides an essential service to the 12% of UK households who make payments using cash.

For further information please contact: -
Joanna Tomlin – Smee’s Public Relations. Tel: +44 (0) 207 486 6644
David Walton – Director PayPoint Ireland  01 890 3933