The BlackboardPay Campus Card Program was honored as the best government-funded prepaid card program in the 2011 Paybefore Awards. Winners in each of 15 categories will now compete in the Best-in-Category distinction which will be announced during an award ceremony at the Prepaid Expo USA on March 7 at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.

David Marr, president and COO, Blackboard Transact, stated that the BbPay financial aid and refund distribution offering was honored because of its ability to “(ensures) that students have free and clear access to their financial aid without being subjected to onerous service and transaction fees.”

“We are extremely honored to have BlackboardPay receive the 2011 Paybefore Award for Best Government Funded Prepaid Card by the global community,” said Marr. “This award reaffirms that we have developed a disbursement solution for our institutions that properly serves the most needy students by respecting the intent of the federal programs.”

“Paybefore Awards were created to celebrate the innovators in our industry who are using prepaid to transform payments with ever-more efficient and accessible products,” commented Loraine DeBonis, Paybefore editor-in-chief and chair of the judging panel. “Our industry is growing rapidly because companies such as this year’s winners continually improve their products and services or create new ones.”