Ecount News & Press Releases
Celebrations by Lillian Vernon® Celebrates Eliminating Checks
National Organization Chooses Ecount's 100%™ Solution
Conshohocken, PA, December 7, 2005 - Ecount, the stored value experts, today announced that Everyday Celebrations, Inc., doing business as Celebrations by Lillian Vernon (Celebrations), has chosen electronic delivery over checks to pay their independent consultants. Ecount's 100% Solution enables Celebrations to pay 100% of consultants electronically, with delivery onto Ecount's Prepaid VisaĻ cards or traditional bank deposit.
"When we launched Celebrations by Lillian Vernon in 2004, we wanted to automate our operations as much as possible. We were looking for a cost effective and simplified way to pay our consultants, and we found our answer with the Ecount 100% Solution," stated Scott Smith, spokesman for Celebrations by Lillian Vernon. "With our large network of consultants, the potential cost and administration of cutting thousands of checks regularly was astonishing. Since we started, we have completely avoided checks and unnecessary costs, and are able to maintain total organization and complete tracking on consultant payments. From an organizational standpoint, our costs and administrative burden are nominal, we have had no issues with lost or stolen checks, and our consultants love the card."
The Ecount 100% Solution allows Direct Selling and Network Marketing organizations to pay their representative network 100% electronically. With 100% electronic pay, organizations eliminate the high cost of check production, distribution and reconciliation, as well as reduce the delay and hassle of direct deposit. This allows representatives to receive their pay more immediately and in a more convenient manner, thus increasing their motivation to perform. With the 100% Solution, Ecount manages all pay delivery while reducing payment costs by more than 50%.
The Ecount 100% Solution significantly reduces the cost and hassle associated with payments, while providing representative networks with several payment options. If desired, representatives can elect the Ecount Prepaid Visa card, traditional bank deposit and/or Ecount checks. Additionally, all representatives may be provided with online account details, email and text message notifications, 1099 reporting and extensive customer service support.
"The Ecount Card has also proven to be a great retention and recruiting tool," continued Smith. "By providing more immediate pay onto a branded card, we are able to positively reinforce desired sales behavior. With everyone using their cards constantly, it has provided great brand awareness and is a powerful benefit for our sales force."
"Always at the forefront of innovation, Direct Selling and Network Marketing organizations are quickly adopting the Ecount 100% Solution and having tremendous success doing so," stated Matt Gillin, CEO of Ecount. "Because of the nature of the business, most organizations have tens of thousands of representatives spread across the country. Making sure that every individual has their correct pay in a timely manner has been a critical challenge for this industry. And traditional paper-based payments and direct deposit make for a very expensive and time intensive experience. The 100% Solution is the perfect answer - everyone gets paid on time, every time, and administrative challenges are eliminated. We are proud to have Celebrations by Lillian Vernon as our client."
The 100% Solution is a streamlined payments solution that provides companies with fully customized cards, cardholder websites, a fully branded solution, 30-day guaranteed implementation, full reporting and dedicated program support. In addition, the 100% Solution works with any current accounting software.
About Ecount
Ecount provides customized stored value programs for corporations, agencies and individuals 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 850 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.
About Celebrations by Lillian Vernon
Celebrations by Lillian Vernon is a trademark and servicemark of Lillian Vernon Corporation, used under license by Everyday Celebrations, Inc. a unit of Direct Holdings Worldwide L.L.C. Direct Holdings Worldwide L.L.C. is the parent company of Lillian Vernon Corporation. Celebrations by Lillian Vernon markets products directly to customers through independent sales consultants and hostesses in home parties.
Note to the Media:
Extensive resources are available for this article, including clients, cardholders, executive interviews, card images and more. For information and interviews, please contact Theresa Wabler of Ecount at 610.941.4600x169 or twabler@ecount.com.