PLEASANTON, CA – April 17, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, today announced its award-winning Gift Card Mall™ and popular Prepaid Center will be available in Hess convenience store locations throughout the East Coast.

Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Mall offers consumers a wide variety of prepaid cards from some of the best brands, including popular entertainment, fashion, dining, home improvement and digital content prepaid cards, all in one convenient location. Its Prepaid Center features PayPower™ Visa® prepaid debit cards, REloadit Packs and telecom products.

Hess customers are now able to purchase prepaid cards from a selection of leading brands, including Lowe’s, Sears, JCPenney, Applebee’s and Outback in over 800 Hess convenience stores locations throughout the East Coast. The Prepaid Center will feature products from Verizon, Tracfone and T-Mobile.

“Our prepaid cards and telecom products are perfect for these locations,” said Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. “This new partnership provides an important avenue to reach consumers with our innovative products that offer convenience and added-value. This is what consumers look for in Hess locations.”

In addition to offering Gift Card Mall in store, Hess-branded gift cards will also be available throughout Blackhawk Network’s network of retailers located near Hess locations.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 165 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network’s business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexicoand the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

About Hess Corporation

Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES), with headquarters in New York, is a global integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, production, purchase, transportation and sale of crude oil and natural gas, as well as the production and sale of refined petroleum, natural gas and electricity products.  Hess is one of the leading independent gasoline-convenience retailers on the East Coast with more than 1,350 stations and convenience stores in 18 states including 290 Hess branded locations in Florida. For more information, please visit www.hessexpress.com.
Contact:

Christina Witz
MWW Group for Blackhawk Network
213-405-3797
cwitz@mww.com

PLEASANTON, CA – April 5, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses in third-party locations such as grocery stores, today announced plans to cease sales of gift and prepaid cards in New Jersey as a result of New Jersey’s intent to implement a 2010 unclaimed property law. American Express has already pulled its gift cards from New Jersey as a result of this legislation.

A Federal Court injunction preventing implementation of the law was recently lifted, opening the door forNew Jersey’s Treasury Department to claim balances of gift cards purchased inNew Jerseyif consumers don’t use them for a period of two years. In addition, the law requires retailers to collect customer ZIP code information when someone buys a gift card, a practice that cannot be easily implemented at a retail point of sale, and may not be relevant, since many of the cards purchased are given as gifts to other people.

Unfortunately, grocery and other retailers selling cards are not able to comply with the requirements of this law without significantly increasing their costs, jeopardizing consumer privacy, or potentially slowing down the customer check out process. As a result, Blackhawk Network is planning to remove its third-party gift and prepaid cards from the state of New Jersey beginning in June 2012, unless the law is changed. Blackhawk Network’s third-party gift cards, representing over 175 different brands, are currently sold through over 1,300 retail locations in New Jersey.

“The passage and potential implementation of these legal changes have caused significant uncertainty for New Jerseyconsumers and retailers. We are hopeful that we can come to an agreement that will work for partners, while allowing New Jersey consumers to protect their gift card balances, data and privacy,” said Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. “As it stands now, Blackhawk Network and its retail partners do not have a cost-effective way to record data from gift card purchasers or their ultimate gift recipients. In addition, gift cards sold through Blackhawk Network’s program do not have expiration dates or dormancy fees, which means that consumers already have the right to the funds on their cards – forever.”

“The state wants to take the consumer’s funds after two years of inactivity, thereby gaining access to consumer’s money. Every penny of value represented by an unused card in Blackhawk Network’s program is available to the consumer forever, even without the state’s intervention,” said Roche. “And, if the state doesn’t take these funds, no one has to go through extensive government paperwork and process to regain access to them.  Without some agreement with the state, we unfortunately feel we have no choice but to cease sales of all third-party gift cards in New Jersey.”

About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 165 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network’s business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

Contact:

Christina Witz
MWW Group for Blackhawk Network
213-405-3797
cwitz@mww.com

TORONTO, ONTARIO-March 26, 2011 - Blackhawk Network Canada, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, today announced it has eliminated monthly fees for Visa Gift Cards sold through its Gift Card Store locations throughout Canada.

Effective immediately, Gift Card Store’s Visa Gift Cards will not include monthly service fees, expiration fees or charges for lost or stolen replacement cards, offering consumers greater benefits and cost savings.

“We have witnessed a growth in prepaid card sales as Canadians are seeing the value in prepaid cards not only for gifting, but for self-use and help staying within their budgets,” said Steve Dekker, managing director and group vice president, Blackhawk Network Canada. “We have eliminated after purchase fees on Visa Gift Cards to help consumers who are looking for ways to make their money go further.”

No fee after purchase applies to new and already purchased “The Perfect Choice,” “My Treat” and “Gift Card” VISA gift cards sold across Canada. Other terms may apply, please see Visa® Gift Cards Terms and Conditions for foreign transaction fee detail and other non-fee terms and conditions, which remain in effect. “The Perfect Choice,” “My Treat” and “Gift Card” Visa® Gift Cards are issued by Citizen’s Bank pursuant to a license from Visa Inc.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 165 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network’s business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexicoand the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.

On February 28, 2012, the same jury directed Blackhawk to pay damages in the amount of $3.475 million to the plaintiff for the period from August 2009 through February 2012, with no further payments due as the result of Blackhawk’s removal of the lines of code. While the damages represent an immaterial impact to Blackhawk’s financial results for these periods, Blackhawk is weighing whether to file an appeal.

The same court previously found that Blackhawk did not infringe the claims of a second patent asserted by InComm relating to adding value to customer accounts at retail points of sale.

About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company’s Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products. Gift Card Mall reaches more than 165 million people each week through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, and specialty stores and is available through Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network’s business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com.

Contact:

Christina Witz for Blackhawk Network

MWW Group

Email: cwitz@mww.com

Phone: 213.405.3797

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LONDON – February 28, 2012 – Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, today announced its Gift Card Store is available in Homebase, the UK’s leading home enhancement retailer.

Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Store destination is an in-store fixed location display featuring branded gift cards in a variety of categories including music, dining, fashion and entertainment. Homebase customers can now purchase gift cards in the UK from top global and local brands including Debenhams, iTunes, Pizza Express and Ticketmaster.

“Consumers around the world continue to embrace gift cards sold in third-party locations,” said Jim Strabo, Managing Director, Blackhawk Network’s European operations. “We are thrilled with our new relationship with Homebase as we can now provide consumers with flexibility to choose from an assortment of gift cards through this respected home enhancement retailer.”

Gift Card Store is available in 330 Homebase locations in the United Kingdom, and will soon be in Ireland locations also. In addition, Homebase branded gift cards will be distributed through other retailers throughout the Gift Card Store network in the UK.

“We are focused on providing customers with high-quality, innovative products that offer convenience,” said Killian Quinn, Retail Trading Manager, Homebase. “By launching Gift Card Store in Homebase, we are able to expand our current gift offerings so our customers have more options in-store to make shopping easier.”

In the United States, Gift Card Store’s counterpart, Gift Card Mall™, offers more than 300 leading brands and access to 165 million unique customer visits per week. Consumer demand for gift cards is projected to grow in the US and throughout the world, in countries such as Australia, Mexico, Canada and France.

About Blackhawk Network’s European Operations

Blackhawk Network is a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. As a leading third party prepaid provider, Blackhawk offers the industry’s most popular prepaid gift cards in thousands of retail distribution locations. The company has revolutionised the way consumers give and receive gifts through the gift card destination program, which offers the convenience of buying leading retail gift cards in a network of top supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience, pharmacy, specialty and Internet retailers. Leveraging its strong retail heritage and expertise in the grocery channel, Blackhawk Network currently partners with many of the top retailers in Europe.

Blackhawk Network’s European operations are headquartered in London with an office in Paris. In addition to the UK and France, Blackhawk Network has offices in Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United States.  For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com.

About Homebase

Homebase is the UK’s leading home enhancement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service.  It has more than 340 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. In the financial year to February 2011, Homebase sales were £1.6 billion and it employed some 19,000 people across the business.

Homebase sells over 38,000 products across its home enhancement ranges, and has a growing Internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk. Homebase serves over 65 million customers per year through its stores and offers customers the convenience of home delivery for bulky, high-value items.

Homebase was the first UK DIY retailer to achieve Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification and the first national DIY retailer to be recognised with a Government TrustMark Award, achieved for its kitchen installation service.

Homebase is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.

Home Retail Group has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard which certifies that we have genuinely reduced our carbon footprint. We call our responsible approach ‘the basis of good business’. Find out more at www.thebasisofgoodbusiness.co.uk.

Contact:

For press and publicity enquiries speak to Break Communications

e: Stephen@break-comms.com / Louise@break-comms.com

t: 07779 666 725 / 07968 429 301

Homebase Media Relations

e: press.officer@homeretailgroup.com

t: 0845 1204365

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