Bell Atlantic Mobile Taps Huge Retail Market Need for Faster Cheaper Credit Card Processing

Bell Atlantic Mobile Taps Huge Retail Market Need for Faster Cheaper Credit Card Processing

Company Signs Joint Marketing Agreement with U.S. Wireless Data

March 31, 1998

BEDMINSTER, NJ - To address the growing need of more than 3.5 million
retail merchants for faster, cheaper credit card processing, Bell
Atlantic Mobile today announced the establishment of its AirBridge(r)
Wireless Retail Solutions Group. Using its wireless data technology,
Bell Atlantic Mobile is providing merchants with a secure,
high-speed, wireless alternative to traditional dial-up credit card
swipe machines.

Supporting this initiative, Bell Atlantic Mobile also announced today
a joint marketing agreement with U.S. Wireless Data, Inc. (OTCBB:
USWDA) to distribute USWD's proprietary TRANZ( Enabler wireless credit
card processing system for the retail market. The system uses Bell
Atlantic Mobile's AirBridge® Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD)
network.

Beginning today, Bell Atlantic Mobile representatives will work with
U.S. Wireless Data to target U.S. merchants who currently own and
operate more than 3 million VeriFone TRANZ 330, 380, or 460 dial-up
terminals and offer them a complete wireless system using their
existing terminals. The solution will also be marketed to merchants
using other types of credit card terminals, as well as to merchants
and service providers who may not currently accept credit card
payments.

USWD's proprietary enabling technology, TRANZ Enabler, converts a
merchant's existing dial-up TRANZ VeriFone credit-card terminal into a
high-speed wireless terminal. It gives merchants a faster, cheaper
way to transact business. The wireless transaction using Bell
Atlantic Mobile's AirBridge CDPD network takes 3 to 5 seconds, vs. 11
to 20 seconds with a dial-up service. Going wireless means the
merchant no longer needs a dedicated or shared telephone line to carry
transaction traffic, thereby eliminating delays, busy signals and the
cost to install or pay for monthly telephone service. And because
it's wireless, the merchant can transact business anywhere the
customer wishes to buy, instead of being confined to a service counter
with a telephone line. Because of this flexibility, this solution is
also attractive to mobile merchants and service providers, such as
mall kiosk retailers, taxi/limo drivers, plumbers/electricians, and
delivery personnel, who may have previously limited payment to cash
and bank checks.

"In today's retail environment, superior customer service is the name
of the game, and merchants are relying on companies like Bell Atlantic
Mobile for new technologies to provide their customers with better,
faster and more convenient services," stated Jack Plating, chief
operating officer of Bell Atlantic Mobile. "Our new AirBridge
Wireless Retail Solutions Group provides solutions, such as today's
agreement with USWD, that give merchants flexible options for
conducting credit card transactions - and ultimately capturing more
sales."

Commenting on the agreement, Evon Kelly, CEO of USWD stated, "This
agreement with Bell Atlantic Mobile brings U.S. Wireless Data one step
closer to having nationwide distribution of our TRANZ Enabler product
using CDPD carriers. It is of significant importance because Bell
Atlantic Mobile is the largest wireless service provider on the East
Coast, the most densely populated area in the United States. The
potential market for this service is immense as more than 32 billion
credit card transactions in over 3.5 million merchant locations
throughout the U.S. take place each year."

Bell Atlantic Mobile's AirBridge CDPD network will provide merchants
connectivity that offers speed, portability and reliability. CDPD
efficiently and securely transmits packets of data over the wireless
network and is well suited to point-of-sale transactions. CDPD is
fully encrypted and operates on its own dedicated channels to provide
a clear path for transmission at all times.

Bell Atlantic Mobile is the largest wireless service provider on the
East Coast and the second largest in the United States. The company
owns and operates the most extensive network in the East, covering
111,000 square miles, and the largest chain of wireless retails outlets
offering a full range of wireless personal communications services,
including voice, data and paging. Based in Bedminster, N.J., Bell
Atlantic Mobile has more than 5 million customers and 7,000 employees
in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and -- through a separate
subsidiary -- the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..."
community relations program, which includes HopeLine voice mail
service, Bell Atlantic Mobile uses its wireless technology to help
individuals and communities improve security and emergency
communications.

U.S. Wireless Data, Inc. has developed, tested and is now delivering
new proprietary products, programs and standards for the transaction
processing and credit card industry which utilizes wireless networks
such as the Bell Atlantic Mobile's AirBridge® CDPD network. USWD
delivers the fastest and most cost-effective transaction processing
solution to retail merchants in the United States today.

Merchants Enjoy Benefits of Wireless Credit Card Processing Today

Bell Atlantic Mobile's AirBridge® Wireless Retail Solutions provides
merchants with a secure, high-speed wireless alternative to
traditional dial-up credit card swipe machines. Following are
examples of merchants using Bell Atlantic Mobile's wireless data
technology combined with a wireless credit card processing system from
U.S. Wireless Data, Inc.

• Woodward Liquor, Burlington, MA -- Dissatisfied with the slowness
  of their credit card processing equipment, Mike Woodward looked for a
  product that would provide faster and more efficient processing. The
  wireless system reduced credit card processing time from 30 or 40
  seconds a card down to 6 or 7 seconds resulting in better customer
  service, increased sales and even less credit card fraud. The success
  of the system was most evident during the holiday season when
  customers were pleased to find that their orders were processed and
  bagged simultaneously without the usual wait.

• Rapunzel, New York, NY -- Susan Freeman, sole owner of Rapunzel, a
  kiosk selling upscale hair accessories, used to balk at taking credit
  cards because of the hassle. She accepted one company's card -- but
  then she had to find a phone to process the credit card charge.
  Today, it's easy for Freeman to accept all credit cards and process
  them almost instantly. "People often ask me if I'll take a credit
  card. They'll be holding one item, and when I say, 'yes,' they'll
  pick up three more," said Freeman.

• Boston Gardens, Boston, MA -- Brandon McCue owns Boston Gardens, a
  thriving florist serving the Greater Boston area with a retail store
  and outdoor flower stand in historic Faneuil Hall. By using a
  wireless system, he has been able to process charge sales without
  delays and increase his outdoor stand sales. Formerly, card
  processing was impossible on Valentine's Day because Boston Gardens
  processed sales through a network that also processed sales for every
  other florist in the nation. With the wireless equipment there are no
  delays, customers are happier and receive a more professional-looking
  sales receipt.

• Columbus Perfumery, New York, NY -- Mike Sethi, co-owner of
  Columbus Perfumery, knows that speed in credit card processing can
  make the difference between making a sale or losing one at the upscale
  retail fragrance boutique. People often stop in to browse during a
  night on the town. "Within seconds, a customer can put down a
  purchase, and say 'Forget about it. I'll come back tomorrow.' That's
  more likely to happen if they're kept waiting in line. With this
  equipment, sometimes people even say, 'Oh, that was quick.'"

• Klock Kart, Boston, MA -- Jean Lechten's Klock Kart, located in
  Faneuil Hall Marketplace, offers novelty, unusual and
  collectible/limited edition clocks. Before using a wireless system,
  Jean had dreaded taking credit card purchases, which is 50% of her
  business, because she had no way to process them at the remotely
  located vendor cart. She had to wait until the end of her workday to
  process them. This procedure wasted time and she lost up to 15% of
  sales because of fraud, stolen cards, or rejected credit. Since using
  the new system, the Klock Kart has increased sales by at least 10%,
  customers are serviced more rapidly and Jean now feels confident taking
  charge card sales.

  Contact: