Duke and Duchess Shoppes Launch BioPay

First Convenience Stores in Ohio to Speed Checkouts with Finger-Based Transactions

Columbus, OH — December 1, 2005

Ohio residents can now conveniently and securely pay for goods with just their finger at Duke and Duchess Shoppe locations near Columbus, Ohio, using technology from biometric payments leader BioPay, LLC. The service is the first of its kind in a convenience store in Ohio. Duke and Duchess Shoppes, a chain of 100 stores across Ohio and West Virginia, will implement BioPay's payment system with an initial launch of 10 of its convenience stores to give their customers faster checkouts and greater convenience when making a purchase. BioPay Payments, a processing solution that allows customers to make purchases with a simple, secure placement of the finger, offers merchants a low-cost form of payment, while reducing incidents of fraud.

"We are providing our customers with the most secure payment method available and at the same time speeding up the checkout process for them," says Jason Collins, Information Technology Manager at Englefield Oil, owner of Duke and Duchess Shoppes. "With BioPay Payments, consumer convenience is up and retailer costs are down. BioPay costs us 70% less than processing credit or debit card transactions, and we can pass that savings along to the consumer."

Duke and Duchess Shoppes will be offering a free cup of coffee or soft drink at enrollment and receive a "buy one, get one free" coupon after the consumer's first BioPay purchase.

The BioPay system uses a person's unique finger image and their chosen BioPay number (usually a phone number) to authorize a secured debit direct from their checking account. BioPay combines biometrics and ACH debit to deliver the lowest cost form of payment, where transactions are reduced up to 75%. When customers use their check card to pay, more than 50% of the retailer profits disappear.

The one-time enrollment can be completed at any merchant that offers the biometric payment service, and the entire process takes less than two minutes. Once enrolled, the customer can purchase in seconds with their finger at any BioPay Payments location across the United States. The BioPay service is free to the consumer.

"Our goal is to provide the convenience of a secure, wallet-less world where consumers feel secure that none of their personal information is being left behind at the time of transaction," says Tim Robinson, president of BioPay. "We also believe that retailers pay too much in credit and debit card fees, and BioPay solves that problem. With low flat-fee-per-transaction pricing, BioPay is dramatically less expensive than Visa's typical two percent fee to merchants."

BioPay is installed coast to coast, serving a broad range of merchants, from owner-operated single locations to larger chains most frequented by today's busy consumers, including grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, beverage stores and other lifestyle retailers.

About Duke and Duchess Shoppes

A concept Englefield Oil Company began in 1970, Duke and Duchess Shoppes are always the wave of the future. Conveniently located, over 100 Duke and Duchess Shoppes throughout Ohio and in West Virginia are there to serve you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Offering quality products at a competitive price together with bright, clean facilities with fast, friendly service make the Duke and Duchess Shoppes your one-stop convenience store. To find out more about Englefield and the Duke and Duchess Shoppes visit www.englefieldoil.com.