Communications platform helps banks cope with Reg. E. changes.

• Position: NEW PRODUCTS - Austin and Williams - Brief article

A SYSTEM TO HELP BANKS combat the likely loss of fee income and customers due to the revision of Regulation E has been developed by Austin & Williams, a financial marketing communications firm located in Hauppauge, N.Y.

The Web-based Opt-IN Optimizer Communications Platform comes just in the nick of time: Beginning Aug. 15, 2010, for existing customers and July 1, 2010, for new customers, banks cannot charge nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees for honoring debit card overdrafts at the point of sale (POS) or ATM machines unless those customers first "opt-in" and agree to the banks' overdraft protection plan.

What makes the Opt-IN Optimizer platform different is that it reaches customers in more ways and more frequently between now and Aug. 15, the cut-off date for existing customers' to opt-in to their banks' overdraft fees.

According to the company, the system reaches customers at no fewer than 12 touch points and offers banks a secure, easy to deploy solution to...