Brookfield, Wis. Fiserv Inc., a leading provider of information technology services to the financial industry, and Wyomissing, Pa.-based Sovereign Bank have announced they are partnering to help educate consumers about the benefits of receiving and paying bills online. Based on the success of last year’s Go Paperless campaign with CheckFree, now part of Fiserv, Sovereign Bank and Fiserv will donate a tree for every electronic bill (e-bill) activated between April 14 and June 15, 2008. This year, the companies will also donate a tree on behalf of customers who make three or more new online bill payments during the campaign.

“The response from our customers to last year’s Go Paperless partnership with CheckFree was so tremendous we were able to exceed our goal of planting 10,000 trees, and we are hoping to duplicate that success again this year,” said David Fingerman, director of Retail Online Banking, Sovereign Bank. “In addition to consumer convenience, online bill payment contributes to a healthier environment, and we know that the best way to raise our customers’ awareness of the green advantages of e-bills and online bill payment is through initiatives such as this one that can have a direct ecological impact.”