Mississauga, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/05/2010 -- Paybefore has chosen The Buffalo Sabres “Sabrebucks” Season Ticket Holder Rewards Program as a Paybefore Awards Outstanding New Entrant in the best card category.

Paybefore Awards, now in their fourth year, are the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the worldwide prepaid and stored value card industry. They are presented annually by Prepaid Media, whose Paybefore publications are the leading source of industry information for the global prepaid community.

According to Diana Fletcher, President at DCR, “It exceeded expectations and continues to be popular as subsequent card orders have been placed. Discover was able to provide the payments functionality necessary to meet DCR’s needs and ultimately help the Sabres reach their objectives. As the program continues to evolve, other NHL teams and corporate sponsors have expressed an interest in becoming involved.”

“The SabreBucks program is very popular with Sabres fans, especially our Season Ticket Holders,” said Tom Matheny, Database Marketing Manager for the Buffalo Sabres. “This season’s program is better than ever because of the flexibility offered by the TruCa$h Discover® card. Fans love the convenience the card provides and the additional rewards it offers.”

The Sabrebucks Season Ticket Holder Rewards Program was selected by a panel of five industry experts who served as judges for this year’s competition, which included a record number of entries from around the world. This is the first year Paybefore Awards included the distinction of Outstanding New Entrant, which recognizes programs the judges found particularly valuable, innovative or worthy. The Paybefore Awards judges bestowed this distinction in only 10 of 16 categories of competition.

“Paybefore applauds the Outstanding New Entrants that are offering innovative prepaid programs that benefit consumers, governments and businesses,” said Marilyn Bochicchio, Paybefore CEO and chair of the judging panel. “DCR Strategies Inc., was recognized among tough competition for its progressive use of prepaid products.”

In the spring of 2009, DCR Strategies, Inc. embarked on a journey with the Sabres to develop a multifaceted program – one that provided valuable couponing information and loyalty building opportunities. Through the Discover network and DCR’s TruCa$h Rewards program, the companies developed two different reloadable prepaid loyalty programs – one for Season Ticket and Mini-Pack Holders and one for gift card purchasers. These “SabreBucks” cards can only be used within the HSBC Arena and allow users to track purchases and the card’s balance.

As the program evolves, fans will receive discounts and privileges like invitations to watch game day practices, player introductions, seasonal promotion and discounts on team attire and stadium concessions. Fans will be able to use their cards in other unique ways, such as accessing an online catalog of autographed team merchandise for sale and other perks. The limited edition items will have a predetermined SabreBuck value and include autographed player pucks and jerseys, as well as exclusive seating in the press box and intermission Zamboni rides.

The SabreBucks Card also is available in gift card form. This stored value card replaces traditional paper gift certificates and can be purchased at the Sabres Store or arena for a minimal fee. These cards, too, are reloadable and allow the user to track purchases and balances. Gift card holders get access to special programs from the Sabres and Buffalo Bandits.

About DCR Strategies Inc. / TruCa$h®
DCR Strategies Inc. / TruCa$h® is a world renowned leader in Prepaid Programs; i.e. Incentive-based Gift Cards, Debit Cards, Retail Gift Cards, Payroll Products and Government Solutions, plus state-of-the-art Loyalty Programs.

About The Buffalo Sabres Hockey Club
The Buffalo Sabres Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

About Paybefore:
Paybefore is the leading information provider to prepaid and stored value industry professionals, offering the latest news, commentary and analysis. Paybefore’s family of industry publications include: Paybefore.com™, a searchable online information portal; Paybefore News™, daily news briefs delivered electronically; Paybefore News International™, a weekly compilation of prepaid news and events from outside the United States; Paybefore Update™, a downloadable enewsletter delivered 20 times a year; Paybefore Legal™, a downloadable enewsletter covering the legislative, regulatory and judicial developments in prepaid, as well as feature articles by leading attorneys in the field; Paybefore Magazine™, a biannual print publication highlighting the best of Paybefore; and Paybefore Buyer’s Guide™, available online and in print. Visit us at http://www.paybefore.com.