WEST CHESTER, Pa., 4 November, 2003 

MEI, the world’s leading developer of electronic payment systems, announced that its bill acceptor has been integrated into the Creative Cashiering System from Atlanta-based F&B Creative Management Systems, Inc. The system — currently deployed in sixteen independent daycare centers – enables parents to self-pay for daycare services among other features.

The Creative Cashiering System doubles as a payment center and an information center, and is intended to be used by parents and employees of the daycare. Parents can log drop-off and pick-up times for their children and pay their bills 24/7 with cash, debit, credit or check.  Because bills are fed right into the MEI bill acceptor and stored in a sturdy cassette, employees no longer need to handle money, increasing daycare security. 

Daycare employees can clock in and out through the system, check children’s’ immunization records, food program category, DFACS certificates, etc. They can even send e-mails to parents about their child’s progress. Daycare administration can create computer-generated reports for payment history, attendance history, and employee records at the touch of a key.

“The response to this self-serve system has been terrific,” said O’Neil Foster, vice president of F&B Creative Management Solutions, Inc. “The system not only gives daycare centers a service advantage and cuts paperwork, it pays for itself in the first six months. For example, an 80-child center can save over $1300 per month.”

Foster continued, “We specified MEI bill acceptors from the very beginning because they are known in the industry as the best quality product. We didn’t even look at competitive products. Since we had the best, why look elsewhere?”

In addition to serving independent daycare operators, F&B Creative Management Systems is currently marketing its self-serve system to daycare franchises.

F&B Creative Management Systems, Inc, based in Atlanta, GA, develops management tools that assist daycare owners with the day-to-day financial management of their center. www.fbcreativemanagement.com. 
 
About MEI
Today, MEI payment systems are relied upon for more than1 billion transactions per week in 90 countries. The company developed the first electronic coin mechanism in the 1960s followed by the first electronic bill acceptor, and today has the largest worldwide installed base of unattended payment mechanisms. In 2002, MEI reached a company milestone of selling more than 3 million bill acceptors, 3 million coin mechanisms and 1 million control boards worldwide. Its products are in widespread use in the vending, soft drink, gaming, amusement, transportation, retail, and kiosk markets.

For more information on MEI and its products, visit www.meiglobal.com/kiosks or call 1-800-345-8215.