Merchant Risk Council Adds TARGUSinfo as Premier Member

VIENNA, Va., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Merchant Risk Council (MRC), the retail industry's leading trade association dedicated to preventing online fraud and promoting secure e-commerce, has received a Premier Sponsorship from TARGUSinfo, the leading provider of On-Demand Verification services.

The new sponsorship builds on an existing relationship between TARGUSinfo and the MRC. Nearly 50 percent of the Merchant Risk Council's Platinum Members (those doing at least $75 million in card-not-present business annually) use On-Demand Verification(SM) services from TARGUSinfo to accelerate their approval process, create more revenue and improve customer satisfaction.

"The MRC is a driving force in making sure the Internet is a safe place to do business, and TARGUSinfo is proud to actively support those efforts," said Dennis Ainge, TARGUSinfo Executive Vice President.

TARGUSinfo risk management services help online retailers such as MRC Members to approve good transactions and enrollments instantly and automatically. On-Demand Verification services confirm the accuracy of consumer and business name, address and phone-number information - and the relationship between those three pieces of data - at the instant it is submitted. TARGUSinfo customers have used this quicker, more cost-effective decision making to release more revenue and increase productivity.

To prevent Internet fraud, the MRC advises organizations to employ best practices. The industry association educates businesses by disseminating information among members about the most effective fraud prevention practices and encourages connections between members within the industry.

"TARGUSinfo products and the company's commitment to customer service complement the MRC's mission to prevent online fraud and promote secure e- commerce for merchants and all constituents," said MRC Executive Director Tom Donlea. "We are pleased to have TARGUSinfo participate as a Premier Member."

About The Merchant Risk Council

The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is the leading trade association for merchants, vendors, and e-commerce risk management professionals. The MRC's mission is to foster a secure e-commerce environment and ensure the Internet is a safe and preferred place to shop and do business. The MRC is made up of more than 7,500 members including 120 of the world's largest Internet retailers who account for a large segment of e-commerce revenue. The MRC headquarters are in Seattle, Washington.

About TARGUSinfo

TARGUSinfo is the leading provider of On-Demand Information for consumer- facing businesses. Its unique identification, verification and location services enable Web-based marketers, call-center operators, retailers, communication service providers and others to dramatically increase the quality of their services and the effectiveness of their marketing. A privately held company, TARGUSinfo is headquartered in Vienna, Va. Please visit www.TARGUSinfo.com or call 800.6.TARGUS (800.682.7487).

Press Contacts: Pete Simpkinson TARGUSinfo 703.272.6200 pr@TARGUSinfo.com www.TARGUSinfo.com Karen Pantinas Beaupre & Co. Public Relations 603.559.5836 kpantinas@beaupre.com www.beaupre.com Susannah David Merchant Risk Council 206.364.2789 susannah@merchantriskcouncil.org www.merchantriskcouncil.org