Press Release Details

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2006--H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) this tax season is providing retail tax clients with a unique prepaid MasterCard card designed to meet their needs.

The H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard(R) eliminates many of the maintenance and usage fees frequently charged by other prepaid cards. It also supports direct deposit of payroll and other funds so cardholders can enjoy year-round banking services at a fraction of the cost of traditional check-cashing fees.

The card is issued by the H&R Block Bank to H&R Block's retail tax clients who directly deposit their tax refunds onto the card. The H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard is being offered at many of the company's 12,500 tax offices nationwide.

"The new card blends the features of a traditional bank account with the benefits of a prepaid card," said Kathy Barney, H&R Block Bank president.

"It gives the cardholder easy access to a 'next generation' bank account that is FDIC insured, includes monthly statements, and provides convenient cash withdrawal."

Unlike many other prepaid bank cards, the H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard has:

    --  No overdraft fees

    --  No set-up fees

    --  No transaction fees for purchases

    --  No minimum balance requirement

The card also provides an avenue for clients without bank accounts to avoid high check-cashing fees, which can average as much as $460 annually.

"We are pleased to team up with H&R Block to provide its retail tax clients with a prepaid card for tax refunds that also supports direct deposit of payroll and offers many of the benefits of a bank account," said Bill Mathis, executive vice president, business development, MasterCard Worldwide. "This innovative combination of services provides exceptional convenience, and the savings it offers when compared to annual check cashing fees can be substantial."

The H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard can be used to make purchases anywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted, and clients can access their funds at more than 1 million MasterCard, Maestro, and Cirrus ATMs worldwide. Cardholders can add cash to the account through 43,000 Green Dot(R) Financial Network retailers such as CVS Pharmacy and Radio Shack, as a well as by using MoneyGram(R) ExpressPayment(R), which is available at thousands of retail locations nationwide including Wal-Mart. In addition, cardholders enjoy benefits under the MasterCard Zero Liability policy. For full details see: http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/ zeroliability.html (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Visit www.hrblock.com for additional information about the new H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard.

About H&R Block

H&R Block Inc. (NYSE:HRB) is a leading provider of tax, financial, mortgage, accounting and business consulting services and products. H&R Block is the world's largest tax services provider, having prepared more than 400 million tax returns since 1955. The company and its subsidiaries generated revenues of $4.9 billion and net income of $490 million in fiscal year 2006. The company operates in four principal business segments: Tax Services (income tax preparation and advice via in-office, online and software solutions); Mortgage Services (non-prime mortgage originations and loan servicing); Business Services (tax, accounting and consulting services for midsized businesses); and Consumer Financial Services (investment and financial advisory services, retail mortgage loans and banking services). Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., H&R Block markets its services and products under three leading brands -- H&R Block, Option One and RSM McGladrey. For more information, visit our Online Press Center at www.hrblock.com/presscenter.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link between financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes close to 14 billion payments each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard Worldwide serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercardworldwide.com.

CONTACT: H&R Block Inc.
Kate O'Neill Rauber, 816-854-4287
mediadesk@hrblock.com
or
MasterCard Worldwide
Tristan Jordan, 914-249-5724
tristan_jordan@mastercard.com

SOURCE: H&R Block Inc.