Ecount Reports Fuel Spending Trends; Leading Prepaid Provider Cruises to One Millionth Fuel Transaction

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--May 4, 2006--Ecount (www.ecount.com), the prepaid experts, today announced the one millionth fuel transaction with an Ecount Prepaid Card. Also, in light of rising gas prices, Ecount issued a "Fuel Spending Trends" report which analyzes recent fuel spending trends from the millions of Ecount cardholders nationwide.

One Million Fuel Transactions

More than one thousand companies ranging from automotive to insurance to telephony use Ecount to provide custom and fully-branded payments to their customers, employees and representatives. Together Ecount and their clients have delivered millions of Ecount cards into the wallets of people nationwide in the form of rebates, payroll, incentives, rewards and more.

Recently, Ecount reached the milestone of the one millionth fuel purchase with an Ecount Card. Significantly contributing to this volume is the Ecount Fuel(TM) Card. The Fuel Card is a prepaid Visa card that has quickly become a favorite among companies and marketers alike looking to provide a valued and relevant incentive to their target audience.

"The power of the Ecount Prepaid Solutions is that companies and agencies are able to customize and configure a unique payment solution for their needs," stated Matt Gillin, CEO of Ecount. "This allows companies to deliver a universally desired reward that packs the most punch. For today's market, nothing is more powerful or significant than the Fuel Card."

The Ecount Fuel Card is available in denominations over $25 and good for gas and more, everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.

    Fuel Spending Trends*

    We know gas prices are on the rise - but how does this affect
    consumer behavior? What is the busiest day at the pump in 2006?

    --  Busiest Day of the Week

        Friday is the busiest day for gas purchases with the highest
        expenditure and most frequent trips to the pump in 2006. 15.6%
        of all gas transactions are made on Friday.

        Friday is also the day when people are spending the most.
        Since January 2006, an average of $28.15 is spent on Fridays -
        as compared with Monday (the lowest day) at $26.47. If gas is
        more expensive on the weekends, savvy shoppers should look to
        purchase at the beginning of the week. Avoid the rush and jump
        in price.

    --  The Most Expensive Weekend

        The weekend of April 22nd had the highest at-the-pump spending
        for gas in the 2 years tracked. People spent an average of
        $32.73 at the pump. This is up more than 200% over 2004
        expenditures.

    --  Higher Gas Prices Equal More Trips to the Pump

        It would make sense that as gas prices are on the rise people
        would drive less and conserve more. However data reveals that
        people are buying more and buying more often.

        According to analysis of spending trends of Ecount cardholders
        since January 2006, people actually moderately increase their
        trips to the pump as gas prices climb.

  * The Ecount "Fuel Spending Trends" report is a special issue of
    the Ecount Prepaid Index, The Leading Source for Consumer Spending
    Trends. For more information on the Ecount Index, please visit
    http://ecount.com/articles/Ecount-Prepaid-Index.pdf.

About Ecount

Ecount provides customized prepaid programs for corporations looking for a simple and convenient way to deliver or receive electronic payments. With products ranging from incentives to compensation to specialized rewards, Ecount offers comprehensive programs to corporations looking to influence and motivate consumers, employees and customers. Ecount's proprietary technology enables complete communication and brand extension coupled with a secure payment vehicle. More than 1,000 leading corporations, including more than one third of the Fortune 100, rely on Ecount's prepaid solutions to gain a strategic advantage in their market. For more information, please visit www.ecount.com.

Note to the Media:

Extensive resources are available for the media community, including corporate, client and cardholder interviews. If you are interested in specific data not published here, please contact Ecount for additional information. Please contact Theresa Wabler, Director of Marketing, at 610-941-4600x169 or twabler@ecount.com.