CardFlex, Inc. Expands Innovative Financial Service Offerings to Direct Response Industry with Launch of Media Funding

COSTA MESA, Calif. –Jan. 14, 2011 – CardFlex Inc., a financial services and payment solution company, today announced a new program designed to provide flexible funding options that enable direct response marketers to expand their media buying power. The CardFlex Media Funding program provides bridge funds for acquiring commercial time on local and national media outlets, including television, radio, print and online, as well as for viral marketing and other promotional programs.

“Media is typically the single highest cost in any direct response marketing campaign,” said Andrew M. Phillips, president and CEO, CardFlex. “The problem is that media must be paid for as much as two or three weeks before a spot airs and begins generating revenues. Couple that with the complexity of accurately forecasting the impact of clearance issues on cash flow, and it’s easy to see why even highly successful campaigns end prematurely. Our Media Funding program prevents that by providing marketers with the financial resources they need to maintain the campaigns that drive sales and profitability.”

CardFlex Media Funding covers the cash flow gap that results from advance-payment requirements. It advances funds to the direct response marketer with extended repayment terms designed to comfortably fit within cash flow projections. Repayment is handled through credit card sales over a period of weeks or months.

Finance terms are tailored to each marketer’s specific needs, and the client retains complete control over the campaign.

“They decide on the buys and we advance the money,” said Ed Barbara, chief revenue officer, CardFlex. “But we also pride ourselves on being more than just a source of financing. We believe in establishing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with all our clients. Our longevity in the direct response business has allowed us to identify best practices across products, services and vendors — knowledge our clients can leverage to help ensure their campaigns generate maximum revenues. Their success drives our success.”

Natural Concepts has been utilizing the CardFlex Media Funding program since launching its electronic cigarette, Smoker’s Ally, more than a month ago. With a primary focus on local and national cable television advertising, Natural Concepts quickly realized the difficulty of managing the costs of a direct response campaign.

“It can be difficult to stay ahead of the financial demands necessary to keep successful campaigns on the air. Yet even a one-week absence can spell disaster by opening the door for competitors and weakening consumer brand awareness,” said Andrew Palosi, president, Natural Concepts. “Media Funding through CardFlex has allowed us to maintain momentum and capitalize on what is working to generate rapid sales growth and keep up with consumer demand for Smoker’s Ally. We couldn’t have done that on our own.”

With a vested interest in making sure that clients’ merchant accounts are strongly maintained and compliant within card processing regulations, CardFlex also offers a robust chargeback mitigation program. Experts assess daily processing statistics in terms of chargebacks, returns and card denials and alert clients to any issues before they can impact revenues.

Says Barbara, “We understand our clients’ challenges in these economic times. We also realize that there are opportunities upon which they can and should be capitalizing. Media deals are out there. Consumers are buying and timing is everything. They need the money to strike and that is what Media Funding from CardFlex provides.”

About CardFlex, Inc.

CardFlex, Inc. (www.cardflexnow.com) is among the nation’s premier providers of transaction processing services and payment technologies. Founded by Andrew Phillips and a management team with more than 60 years’ combined experience in the financial payments industry, CardFlex offers a first-rate suite of merchant products and flexible, industry-specific services uniquely tailored for the special business needs of financial institutions, health services, e-payment and other direct marketing retailers, as well as brick-and-mortar retailers.