LOS ANGELES – Following the successful launch of their multi-city financial education tour in New York City on July 22, Zelle® and national advocacy organization Consumer Action brought their second stop to Los Angeles. The free, in-person workshop offered community organizations practical tools to help members of their communities avoid fraud and scams.

The financial education roadshow, launched earlier this year, is designed to support communities across the country with vital knowledge around fraud and scam prevention.

“We’re committed to empowering organizations with the tools, training, and resources they need to educate their communities about fraud and scams,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “By equipping trusted local partners, we can help build lasting awareness from the ground up. We chose Los Angeles for the second stop of our roadshow because of its strong community networks and the opportunity to support leaders who are already making a difference on the front lines of digital safety.”

“Fraud and scams affect real people every day - our neighbors, our friends, and members of the community,” said Anna Flores, executive director at Consumer Action. “This event was about bringing together the community in Los Angeles to share knowledge, resources, and best practices. By working together, we can build a stronger, more informed community where everyone feels confident and protected.”

The Los Angeles workshop featured:

• A live introduction to the latest edition of Consumer Action's "Just Say No to Scams" educational module, a free resource that includes a multilingual consumer guide and tip sheet along with tools for conducting community education.
• A session on preventing and recovering from identity theft.
• Resources for staying up to date on the latest frauds as they emerge.
• Details on how nonprofit attendees will be able to apply for a small community education stipend to host an event in their community.

Future stops on the roadshow include Phoenix on November 6 and a to be determined location in North Carolina in 2026.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,300 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.
 

NEW YORK – With the holiday season in full swing, Zelle® today announced the return of its Scam and Fraud Elimination (S.A.F.E.) Squad campaign featuring actor and producer, Christina Ricci. In its second year, S.A.F.E. Squad is a content series developed in partnership with Vox Creative, Vox Media’s award-winning branded content studio.

Ricci stars as the leader of a group of detectives fighting financial crime thanks to her seasoned background spotlighting sinister stories.

The new campaign comes as Americans are facing an increasing threat of scam and fraud from tech-savvy financial criminals. But just as criminals are evolving, so are Christina Ricci’s advocacy and the S.A.F.E. Squad campaign. While last year’s campaign found the detectives fighting imposter scams, this year they are unravelling more complex crimes perpetrated by sophisticated and organized offenders.

With the support of their new Fin-Crime Lab, the S.A.F.E. Squad takes down criminal syndicates weaponizing tools like generative AI to commit fraud at a previously unimaginable scale. As technology evolves and criminals find new ways to exploit Americans’ good intentions, here are top tips to stay one step ahead:

• Steer clear of any phishing scams or emails. If you see spelling errors, broken links, or a faulty website or email encouraging you to instantly send your money – that’s a sign that something isn’t right.
• Update your security settings to enable multi-factor authentication which is a second step to verify that you are who you say you are.
• If you’re feeling pressure to act urgently, consider that a red flag!

“As an actor and producer, I’ve been drawn to the true crime genre. People love examining why criminals take certain actions and want to learn as much as possible to stay one step ahead,” Ricci said. “That’s why I’m proud to continue to be the face of the S.A.F.E. Squad content series with Zelle®, and to spotlight stories that showcase the financial crime ecosystem and to educate people about better spotting red flags and to help keep their money safe.”

Zelle® is passionate about educating consumers through the S.A.F.E. Squad content series as it showcases the breadth of financial scams and how they are constantly evolving. Often pressured to move quickly, or guilt-ridden that there is an emergency related to a loved one, victims end up falling prey to criminals. Because of this, Zelle® is constantly innovating and evolving to outsmart the scammers. For example, in 2023, 99.95% of Zelle® payments were sent without a report of scam or fraud.

“Zelle® fills a vital need for millions of Americans,” said Andrea Gilman, chief marketing officer, Early Warning Services. “Consumers and small businesses alike benefit from the reliability, speed, and security that Zelle® offers when paying people they know and trust. By teaming up with the incredible talent of Christina Ricci we hope to educate as many people as possible about payment safety during the holidays and beyond.

To learn more about the S.A.F.E. Squad, the scam and fraud research report, and the extensive consumer safety education efforts by Zelle®, visit www.vox.com/safesquadhq.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.

CINCINNATI, OH – Fifth Third Bank announced today that it will join Early Warning’s Zelle^SM Network to offer customers a safe, fast way to make person-to-person (P2P) payments. With Zelle^SM, money can be sent by simply using the recipient’s mobile number or email address. Fifth Third customers will have access to real-time payments with Zelle^SM in 2017.

• Zelle^SM is safer: Fifth Third customers will benefit from the convenience of real-time P2P payments and the security that banks provide their customers.
• Zelle^SM is fast: Zelle^SM will enable Fifth Third customers to send and receive faster payments, with funds accessible by the recipient within minutes.
• Zelle^SM is simple: Fifth Third customers can use Zelle^SM through their Fifth Third mobile banking app.

“Fifth Third is excited to offer additional services to our customers allowing them to make P2P payments that are simple, safe and received in real time,” said Greg Carmichael, CEO and president of Fifth Third Bancorp. “We are looking forward to working with Early Warning to offer Zelle^SM and allow our customers to bank when they want and how they want.”

P2P payments are increasing, with a recent study showing a growth of 23 percent year-over-year.¹ One of the biggest growth areas is for consumers ages 30 to 39.¹

About 15 percent of consumers say they make P2P payments daily or weekly, according to a 2015 study on digital payments. But current products don’t allow immediate payments. More than half of consumers surveyed said they would use P2P more often if payments were immediate.²

“We looked at what our customers want. They want to make payments now; they don’t want to wait for them to process. They want it to be easy. And they want that same trust they have in their own bank,” said Larry McClanahan, Fifth Third’s director of digital delivery. “Zelle^SM will give our customers a seamless experience.”

Accessing Zelle^SM through Fifth Third is free and makes it easy to send money to a friend, whether to split the cost of dinner or pay the rent on an apartment.

“The addition of Fifth Third represents a significant milestone as Early Warning continues to expand the Zelle^SM Network making faster, safer payments accessible to almost anyone nationwide,” said Paul Finch, chief executive officer for Early Warning. ”Fifth Third is a leader in innovation, and Early Warning is pleased to work together to provide Fifth Third customers with access to faster P2P payments through Zelle^SM.”

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $144 billion in assets and operates 1,191 full-service Banking Centers, including 94 Bank Mart® locations, most open seven days a week, inside select grocery stores and 2,541 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Wealth and Asset Management. Fifth Third also has an 18.3% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2016, had $305 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $26 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

About Early Warning

Early Warning is creating the future of payments by delivering innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in financial technology that protects and advances the financial system. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.
 

¹ According to a 2015 study by FindaBetterBank.com that surveyed 800 adults.

² According to a 2015 Accenture study that surveyed 4,000 adults in the U.S. and Canada.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind Zelle, today released the results of its first Digital Payments Adoption Study (“study”). To track consumer adoption, use, and attitudes toward digital payments, the study surveyed more than 9,000 U.S. consumers who are aware of P2P, own smartphones and have accessed online or mobile banking.

The study found that adoption and usage of digital person-to-person (P2P) payments are high among all generations, with consumers pointing to trust in friends and family and trust in their financial institutions as the primary reasons for engaging in a digital payment. Boomers ranked trust in financial institutions as the most important influence on engaging in a digital payment, while Millennials and Generation X ranked recommendations from friends/family/peers as their primary influence.

“Trust is at the heart of the consumer payment relationship,” said Ravi Loganathan, Head of Business Intelligence at Early Warning Services." Our research showed that new segments of consumers engaged in a P2P payment for the first time because it was offered from their known and trusted mobile banking environment or it came recommended by friends, family, or peers.”

Try It. You’ll Like It.

Although digital P2P adoption first caught on with Millennials, adoption of P2P services continue to be popular among all generations. Of those surveyed, more than 75 percent of Millennials have used online or mobile P2P payments. Generation X is a close second at 69 percent, and Baby Boomers are closing in at 51 percent.

Those who already have P2P are using it frequently, indicating P2P is becoming part of routine banking behavior. Forty-nine percent of Millennials use P2P payment services at least once a week, followed by 42 percent of Generation X and 32 percent of Boomers.

Trust in Transactions Starts with Trust in Your Friends and Family or Trust in Your Bank

Sixty-eight percent of Millennials and 66 percent of Generation X identified recommendations from friends and family referrals as the primary reason for trying a P2P payments service. For Boomers, trust in financial institutions was cited as the key reason for changing payments behavior from physical cash and checks to digital P2P payments. A service being “offered through a financial institution I use” was found to be a significant motivator for using digital P2P payments for the first time amongst older users, with 70 percent of Boomers reporting they used a P2P service because it was offered by their bank, versus 49 percent of Generation X and 35 percent of Millennials. The findings suggest that consumers want a secure, easy-to-use service right from their online banking and/or mobile banking app that is recommended by friends and family who use the service.

Security was also identified as a “very important” feature for an ideal P2P service across all generations. Boomers ranked it the number one feature, while Gen X placed it third and Millennials fifth out of 13 choices, such as having social features or app reviews. Consumers cited accessing financial information online outside of their financial institutions’ platforms as one of the top barriers to using digital payment services.

Rent, Splitting Bills and Gifting Top P2P Use Cases

And, what are they using these services for? After reviewing the memo fields used on transactions across the Zelle Network® , it was determined that the top reasons for use in banking apps over a six-month period were rent, meals, splitting utility bills, and gifting.

Methodology

The study was based upon a 20-minute self-contained digital survey that was administered online in April 2018, to a total of 9,229 consumers ages 18-65, with a high school degree or higher. Participants were aware of P2P, owned a smartphone, sent or received money by any means, and used online or mobile banking in the past six months. Interviews were conducted in two phases: an initial phase that included baseline metrics from surveyed online U.S. consumers, and a post-qualifying phase including detailed behavior, and attitudinal data.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects the nation’s leading financial institutions, enabling consumers to send fast person-to-person payments to friends and family with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in consumer bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Creating the Future of Payments®, Early Warning delivers innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in technology that helps money move fast, safe and easy. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.

Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind Zelle, today released the results of its Holiday Survey. Scrooges and humbugs beware: the national survey found that nearly 50% of those surveyed plan to give money this holiday season, while the majority (58%) prefer to receive money as a gift. With Zelle, you can send and receive money with people you know and trust—right from your banking app.

“This year, don’t blow your budget on gifts that are probably going to end up re-gifted or in a landfill—give the gift everyone wants—money,” said personal finance expert and New York Times bestselling author Nicole Lapin. “If you think of something a friend or loved one would truly appreciate receiving, but can’t swing the cost on your own, split it with friends and family using Zelle and include a sweet personalized note.”

Money for Experiences

When it comes to how people will use the money, 63% of individuals surveyed stated they’d prefer to use gifted money to pay for experiences, bills, or personal spending. If you’re trading gifts this holiday season, keep generations in mind. Millennials are more likely to prefer receiving an experience as a gift (or the money to buy them), while 35% of Boomers surveyed and 27% of Generation X report they prefer to receive money for personal spending.

“Americans prefer the gift of money this holiday season,” said Ravi Loganathan, Chief Data Officer at Early Warning Services. “Zelle makes it easy to gift money thoughtfully by adding a special note about how to use the money—whether that’s a fun experience, a clothing item, or even just splitting costs for holiday related events, such as meals, group gifts and travel.”

Ditch Checks this Holiday Season - Send Money with Zelle Instead

The survey found that when giving money as a gift, a paper check may not be the best vehicle. More than one in five consumers surveyed report having received a check as a gift and not cashing it—and almost half say the top reason is that they lost or forgot about the check. For Millennials in particular, one in four reported having received a check as a gift and never cashing it. Among their top reasons, taking a paper check to the bank to deposit it is just too much of a hassle—so ditch the checks and send money with Zelle instead this holiday season.

Methodology

Early Warning’s Market Monitor provides continuing measurement of consumers’ interactions with, and usage of, payment solutions and related emerging technologies across the broad digital landscape. A twenty-minute self-contained digital survey was administered to a representative sample of more than 500 U.S. online consumers in October 2018. Participants, ages 18 – 72 with a high school degree or higher, who own a smartphone and a checking and/or savings account. They are employed individuals, homemakers, students and retirees.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects the nation’s leading financial institutions, enabling consumers to send fast person-to-person payments to friends and family with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in consumer bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Creating the Future of Payments®, Early Warning delivers innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in technology that helps money move fast, safe and easy. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind Zelle, today released the results of its second Digital Payments Adoption Study (“study”). It found that 50% of first time P2P users are aged 45 and older. Not just for younger generations, older generations are trialing P2P because of growing confidence and trust in digital payments.

The study surveyed more than 1,500 U.S. consumers in Q4-2018 to measure consumers’ trial and usage of payment solutions.

“Consumers above the age of 45 are overcoming their skepticism of P2P and are beginning to trial digital payments as part of their changing mobile and online banking behavior,” said Ravi Loganathan, Chief Data Officer at Early Warning. “Generation X and Boomers have a high degree of trust in their financial institutions. The increase in trial can be attributed to solutions, such as Zelle, being included within the banking apps these consumers are comfortable using.”

Fifty-two percent of Generation X and 46% of Boomer respondents said that they “trust” P2P payments, and are interested in using available solutions. Seventy-six percent of Generation X and 74% of Boomers surveyed ranked “offered through a financial institution they use” as a top reason to trial P2P payments.

Customers of more than 5,100 financial institutions are using Zelle for P2P whether it’s through their financial institution’s mobile banking app, or by enrolling their debit cards in the Zelle mobile app. Currently, Zelle is available in the banking apps of more than 79 financial institutions, with 271 more under contract. Zelle Network® financial institution participants and Zelle app users represent national, regional, community banks and credit unions.

Methodology

Following the first release of the Digital Payments Adoption Study in July 2018, Early Warning’s Market Monitor program—administrator of the Digital Payments Adoption Study—provides continuing measurement of consumers’ interactions with, and usage of, payment solutions and related emerging technologies across the broad digital landscape. The Q4 2018 study was based upon a twenty-minute self-contained digital survey that was administered online in Q4 2018, to a total of more than 1,500 digitally equipped U.S. consumers ages 18-72, with a high school degree or higher. Participants owned a smartphone and held either a checking and/or savings account.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers to send fast person-to-person payments to friends and family with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in consumer bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Creating the Future of Payments®, Early Warning delivers innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in technology that helps money move fast, safe and easy. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.

Zelle and the Zelle related marks are property of Early Warning Services, LLC.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, LLC, the company behind the popular Zelle® payments network, today announced a partnership with EVERFI, the leading social impact education technology company.

The partnership will provide more than 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students with free financial education courses on how to bank responsibly in the ever-changing digital era. With only 30% of college students reporting having taken a high school financial literacy course¹ , Zelle and EVERFI address an acute need for more financial education, especially given the rate of change brought on by ever-evolving technologies.

The partnership will be highlighted at the EVERFI Financial Capability Network Summit—a gathering of financial education experts—beginning today in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rose Corvo, Chief Marketing Officer at Early Warning, will be on stage with EVERFI Chief Operating Officer, Ellen Patterson, to discuss why it’s so important to provide financial education to high school students. Corvo will share insights on how financial brands have a responsibility to empower students with the knowledge and tools to drive positive change in their communities.

”Banking is going through an unprecedented rate of change, improving our lives through speed and convenience, but also introducing a new set of risks for the uninformed,” said Corvo. “We’ve partnered with EVERFI to navigate this change and are committed to making sure the next generation has access to the knowledge to help them understand the impact of technology so they may thrive in this ever-changing landscape.”

Through this partnership, Zelle continues to demonstrate a commitment to financial education, which earlier this year included a partnership with Stacks House, the first pop-up with a purpose to promote women’s financial literacy and help close the gap between women and wealth in America. Last month, the brand began its Pay it Safe campaign aimed at educating consumers on how to safely send money digitally and avoid scams and fraud.

“Our partnership with Zelle is based on shared principles that we can do more together than alone, especially when it comes to inspiring social change,” said Ray Martinez President of Financial Education at EVERFI. “In the past decade, we have seen how education can transform lives. We welcome Zelle to our community of organizations, institutions, and educators to revolutionize the way education is developed and delivered—using today's technology to connect learning to the real world and equip communities with the skills they need for success in the 21st century.”

About EVERFI, Inc.

EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct, and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 30 million learners globally. EVERFI powers community engagement across the spectrum in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Advance Publications, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send fast digital payments to people they know and trust with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Early Warning Services, LLC is a fintech company owned by seven of the country’s largest banks. For almost three decades, our identity, authentication and payment solutions have empowered financial institutions to make confident decisions, enable payments and mitigate fraud. Today, Early Warning is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network®, a financial services network focused on transforming payment experiences. The combination of Early Warning’s risk and payment solutions enable the financial services industry to move money fast, safe and easy, so people can live their best financial lives. To learn more about Early Warning, visit www.earlywarning.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind the Zelle payments network, today released the results of its 2019 Holiday Survey. The survey details gift-giving desires and trends this season. At the top of the list for 2019 are group gifting and gifting money.

“No matter what you celebrate during the holiday season, you’ve probably noticed that holidays—and the gifting traditions around them—are changing and evolving,” said Elaine Swann, etiquette expert and founder of the Swann School of Protocol. “Gifting etiquette is changing too, making group gifts and the gift of money for experiences or personal spending not only acceptable, but preferable, for many digitally-savvy friend and family groups.”

This Year, Group Gifting With Zelle Is The Way To Go

According to the latest Zelle data, family and friends are most likely to come together and gift memorable experiences and opportunities this holiday season—over four out of five consumers (81%) have split the cost of a gift with someone else. Women are slightly more likely to split the cost of a gift, with 83% having done so previously; men are closely behind with 78% percent having split the cost of a gift for a friend or loved one.

Splitting the cost of a gift can help consumers stick to their budgets this season, alleviating the emotional and financial stress the holidays can place on consumers. The survey found 43% of consumers named not having enough money to afford gifts their top holiday money concern. This anxiety appears to be heightened with women, as 50% named not having enough money to afford gifts their #1 concern. An easy solution to alleviate those holiday financial concerns: get a group together, agree on a budget, and send money with Zelle to a designated “team captain” who will help coordinate the group gift.

If you’re thinking about giving a gift as a group, but you’re under the wire, don’t worry, digital person-to-person (P2P) payments can help! Nearly 3 in 4 people (72%) would use a P2P service, such as Zelle, to send money if they were late with a gift, and the majority (61%) of consumers would use a P2P service, such as Zelle, to send money as a gift to a family member.

Are Physical Gifts Out for 2019? Here’s What Generations Want

Group gifts are on the rise, but if you’re giving a gift solo, keep one other major trend in mind: many people prefer the gift of money. In this year’s survey, 65% of individuals stated they prefer the gift of money to pay for experiences, bills, or personal spending.

“For the second year in a row, our annual Holiday Survey found that people not only desire money as a gift, but are increasingly preferring it beyond physical gifts,” said Ravi Loganathan, Chief Data Officer at Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind Zelle. “While traditionally asking for money as a gift may have been frowned upon, today’s digital natives have a new understanding of what it means to give and receive gifts during the holidays.”

Across all generations, money for personal spending is the #1 gift when ranked against tangible gifts, experiences, and money for bills or experiences: 35% of all respondents put receiving money for personal spending as the gift they’d rather receive this holiday season, followed by the gift of an experience (22%), money for an experience (17%) and money for bills (13%).

If you’re trading gifts this holiday season, keep generations in mind. Gen Z is most likely to appreciate money as a gift, with 66% of respondents stating they prefer it because it allows them to spend on whatever they want or need.

“It is absolutely acceptable and well within the guidelines of proper etiquette to give money as a holiday gift,” added Swann. “I recommend you send the money with Zelle instead of giving cash or a check that could be misplaced or lost. After all, giving money is the one gift that is guaranteed to be used, and you can add a note to the recipient on how you intend for them to use your monetary gift.”

Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for friends and family to share the cost of giving amazing gifts and experiences this holiday season, right from your banking app¹.

Methodology

Early Warning’s Market Monitor provides continuing measurement of consumers’ interactions with, and usage of, payment solutions and related emerging technologies across the broad digital landscape. A ten-minute self-contained digital survey instrument was administered to a representative sample of U.S. online consumers in October 2019. Participants were ages 18 – 72 with a high school degree or higher, who own a smartphone and a checking and/or savings account. They include employed individuals, homemakers, students and retirees.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send fast digital payments to people they know and trust with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Early Warning Services, LLC is a fintech company owned by seven of the country’s largest banks. For almost three decades, our identity, authentication and payment solutions have empowered financial institutions to make confident decisions, enable payments and mitigate fraud. Today, Early Warning is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network®, a financial services network focused on transforming payment experiences. The combination of Early Warning’s risk and payment solutions enable the financial services industry to move money fast, safe and easy, so people can live their best financial lives. To learn more about Early Warning, visit www.earlywarning.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Zelle®, in partnership with EVERFI, the leading social impact education technology company, today launched “Money Moves: Modern Banking & Identity Protection^TM”. The free digital education course, available to high schools across the United States, covers four essential areas of personal finance: 1) Foundational Financial Concepts; 2) Modern Digital Banking; 3) Identity Theft and Fraud Protection; and, 4) Peer-to-Peer Transactions.

“This course empowers students with the knowledge to make informed personal finance decisions in an ever-changing digital world,” said Rose Corvo, chief marketing officer at Zelle®. “Financial literacy is proven to be a key to future success. This course has the potential to change the lives of thousands of students, and we’re proud to offer it.”

A most recent Zelle® Consumer Payments Behavior report highlighted that 62% of Gen Z (ages 18-21) do not consider themselves the most financially literate generation. However, there is an appetite to learn and understand, as 76% of Gen Z consumers polled were interested in improving their financial literacy. EVERFI and Zelle® are helping ensure the next generation has access to the financial education they need and want.

“As our youth are coming of age in an increasingly cashless society, it is important that we teach them how to effectively manage their finances in a digital world,” said Ray Martinez, co-founder, and president, EVERFI. “Research has shown that providing basic financial education to children not only gives them essential financial knowledge and helps them acquire some planning capabilities but also helps them to develop some good financial habits at a young age. The focus of this course on digital banking and avoiding identity theft and fraud has been a much needed but missing piece of the financial education equation.”

Zelle® has committed to offering the course in 650 schools across the U.S. through 2021. Bank and credit union partners are invited to co-sponsor the program, bringing the course to even more students in their communities.

About EVERFI, Inc.

EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and was featured on Fortune Magazine’s Impact 20 list. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education, Rethink Impact, The Rise Fund, and TPG Growth. To learn more about EVERFI and how you can #answerthecall please visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle® makes it fast, safe, and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send fast digital payments to people they know and trust with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Early Warning Services, LLC is a fintech company owned by seven of the country’s largest banks. For almost three decades, our identity, authentication and payment solutions have empowered financial institutions to make confident decisions, enable payments and mitigate fraud. Today, Early Warning is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network®, a financial services network focused on transforming payment experiences. The combination of Early Warning’s risk and payment solutions enable the financial services industry to move money fast, safe, and easy, so people can live their best financial lives. To learn more about Early Warning, visit www.earlywarning.com.

Zelle and the Zelle related marks are property of Early Warning Services, LLC.