Prepaid Industry Names H&R Block Emerald Mastercard(R) Best in Category

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Mar 4, 2014) - Just days after Hollywood's stars gathered to celebrate the industry's best, the prepaid debit card industry gathered in Las Vegas to crown its best of the best. Wearing that crown this year is the H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) Emerald Prepaid Mastercard^®, named Best in Category by industry publication Paybefore.

H&R Block President of Financial Services Greg Quarles, who earlier this year compared this prestigious industry honor to winning an Oscar^®, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

"This is the culmination of eight years of hard work by a number of people," Quarles said. "We have worked to make the Emerald Card one of the lowest cost, most consumer friendly prepaid cards in the industry. I'm honored to accept this award on their behalf."

Stocking the trophy case

The Best in Category win is in addition to the Top of the Wallet award announced in January and is the latest in what is becoming a long list of industry accomplishments. In the past year alone, the Emerald Card received recognition from top publications due to the card's low fees, user-friendly features, online functionality and security.

The Emerald Card, one of the three largest prepaid card portfolios in the country, was also ranked among the top three consumer-friendly prepaid cards by Bankrate.com. Last year the Emerald Card Mobile Banking™ app was named the Outstanding Mobile Wallet and Mobile Application by Paybefore. Also, earlier this year the company announced a partnership to increase the reload locations.

Close to 2.5 million H&R Block clients opted for the Emerald Card in 2013, loading more than $8.7 billion. Since the Emerald Card's launch in 2006, more than $50 billion has been loaded onto Emerald Cards.

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is the world's largest consumer tax services provider. More than 625 million tax returns have been prepared worldwide by and through H&R Block since 1955. In fiscal 2013, H&R Block had annual revenues of $2.9 billion with 25.4 million tax returns prepared worldwide. Tax return preparation services are provided in company-owned and franchise retail tax offices by over 80,000 professional tax preparers and associates, and through H&R Block At Home™ digital products. H&R Block Bank provides affordable banking products and services. For more information, visit the H&R Block Newsroom.