SouthernLINC - Press Releases

SouthernLINC Wireless Expands Bill Payment Services
With Fiserv’s CheckFreePay™

CheckFreePay walk-in bill payment service offers a convenient way for SouthernLINC Wireless customers to make payments at dealer locations

ATLANTA –ATLANTA – Sept. 9, 2008 – SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), today announced that participating SouthernLINC Wireless dealers now have the ability to accept payments for customers’ SouthernLINC Wireless bills through CheckFreePay™. CheckFreePay is part of Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV), a leading provider of information technology services to the financial industry. This new offering allows walk-in bill payment services at more than 45 SouthernLINC Wireless authorized dealer locations throughout the Southeast.

“With today’s on-the-go lifestyle, individuals, families and small businesses are looking for ways to save time and simplify,” said David Keith, general manager of dealer relations at SouthernLINC Wireless. “CheckFreePay provides SouthernLINC Wireless customers with an additional quick and dependable option when they need to make a last-minute or in-person bill payment. Additionally, it gives our customers peace of mind – they know their bill has been paid securely, and their check isn’t lost in the mail.”

To use CheckFreePay’s bill payment service, SouthernLINC Wireless customers need to bring their bill stub to a participating authorized dealer location. All dealer locations accept cash, and some also take Visa or MasterCard. SouthernLINC Wireless payments made via CheckFreePay are delivered the same day, and a receipt serves as proof of payment. A nominal fee of $5.00 is charged for the service at the time of the transaction. A list of authorized payment locations can be found online at www.southernlinc.com/pay.

“We’re pleased to join SouthernLINC Wireless in expanding bill payment options for its customers,” said Paul Harrison, senior vice president and general manager of CheckFreePay, now part of Fiserv. "CheckFreePay allows consumers to avoid late fees and pay critical bills quickly and conveniently. Walk-in payment services also have the potential to increase customer loyalty and satisfaction by giving consumers multiple reasons to visit their local SouthernLINC Wireless dealer store on a regular basis.”

The CheckFreePay offering comes at a time when consumer demand for such services is on the rise. Aite Group, a leading independent research and advisory firm, predicts that more than 1.3 billion walk-in bill payments will be collected annually in the U.S. by 2010. This represents a 30 percent increase in the expected use of this type of service from 2005.

About SouthernLINC Wireless
SouthernLINC Wireless, a Southern Company (NYSE: SO), is an Atlanta-based regional wireless carrier covering the major metro and rural areas in Alabama, Georgia, southeastern Mississippi and northwest Florida. SouthernLINC Wireless bundles multiple communication options into one phone including push to talk, cellular service, text messaging, wireless Internet access and wireless data. More information about SouthernLINC Wireless can be obtained by calling 1-800-818-LINC (5462) or visiting the SouthernLINC Wireless Web site at www.southernlinc.com.

About Southern Company
With nearly 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America’s fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for nine consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at www.southerncompany.com.

About Fiserv, Inc.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, provides information management and electronic commerce systems and services to the financial and insurance industries. Leading services include transaction processing, outsourcing, electronic bill payment and presentment, investment management solutions, business process outsourcing, software and systems solutions. Headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., the company is the leading provider of core processing solutions for U.S. banks, credit unions and thrifts. Fiserv was ranked the largest provider of information technology services to the financial services industry worldwide in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 FinTech 100 surveys. In 2007, the company completed the acquisition of CheckFree, a leading provider of electronic commerce services. Fiserv reported nearly $4 billion in total revenue from continuing operations for 2007. For more information, please visit www.fiserv.com.