First Bank Customers Now Have Access to Almost 50,000 Free ATMs!

TROY, N.C., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to offer their
customers access to more no-fee, surcharge-free ATMs, First Bank, a subsidiary
of First Bancorp, announced that they have joined the MoneyPass surcharge-free
ATM network, one month after announcing that they have also joined the
AllPoints surcharge-free ATM network. First Bank customers now have access to
almost 50,000 no-fee, surcharge-free ATMs through First Bank's alliances with
MoneyPass and AllPoints. In addition, First Bank customers also have free
access to CashPoints, the N.C. State Employees Credit Union's surcharge-free
ATM network.
Notes Jerry Ocheltree, President and CEO of First Bank, "The availability
of free ATMs is an important benefit to many customers, especially those who
travel frequently. We've taken the steps necessary to make sure that our
customers have access to free ATMs almost anywhere they travel within the
United States. It's quite an accomplishment for a community bank to provide
their customers with completely free access to almost three times as many ATMs
as the largest bank in the nation."
The MoneyPass ATM network is comprised of over 850 financial institutions,
including community banks and credit unions that have each agreed to not
charge each other's customers for the use of one another's ATMs. MoneyPass,
one of the fastest growing surcharge-free networks in the nation, recently
entered into an alliance with the Intercept surcharge-free ATM network,
bringing their total combined locations to over 15,000 ATMs beginning the
first quarter 2008.
AllPoints, the largest surcharge-free ATM network in the nation with over
32,000 ATMs, houses their ATMs in popular retail outlets such as Target,
Costco, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Cash Points has over 1,000 ATMs
exclusively across North Carolina.
According to Joe Arundell, Senior Vice President of Marketing, "There are
a handful of banks that offer their premium customers access to an expanded
ATM network, but to the best of my knowledge, we are the only area bank
offering every customer, big or small, regardless of which checking plan they
are in, access to almost 50,000 free ATMs. We do not charge any fees at these
locations and the member bank or store that owns the ATM has agreed not to
impose a surcharge, no strings attached."
First Bank has also added an advanced-technology ATM Locator Service on
their website (FirstBancorp.com) that will allow customers to key in any
location in the United States and get a list of the closest free ATMs. In
fact, the system will even provide a map with directions on how to get to that
ATM. Adds Ocheltree, "We're going the extra mile to take care of our
customers... all of our customers. That's what community banking is all
about."
About First Bancorp
First Bancorp is a bank holding company based in Troy, North Carolina with
total assets of approximately $2.3 billion. Its principal activity is the
ownership and operation of First Bank, a state-chartered community bank that
operates 70 branch offices, with 63 branches operating in a twenty-one county
market area in the central piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina, 3
branches in Dillon County, South Carolina, and 4 branches in Virginia
(Abingdon, Dublin, Radford, and Wytheville), where First Bank does business as
First Bank of Virginia. The Company also has a loan production office in
Blacksburg, Virginia. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ
Global Select Market under the symbol FBNC. Member FDIC. Equal housing lender.
About MoneyPass
MoneyPass is a network of Elan Financial Services, one of the nation's
leading providers of comprehensive ATM and debit card processing solutions for
financial institutions, Independent Sales Organizations and retailers. Elan
Financial Services processes transactions for more than 2,500 financial
institutions nationwide and manages over 38,000 ATMs for a variety of
industries. MoneyPass provides over 11,000 surcharge-free ATMs across the
United States, growing to 15,000 in First Quarter 2008, allowing cardholders
of participating financial institutions to access their money where they live,
work and travel.
SOURCE First Bancorp

Lauren Rivers of Rivers Agency, 888-784-8477, for First Bancorp