ROCKY MOUNT, N.C., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Centura Bank (NYSE: CBC)
announced today it is the first bank in North Carolina and one of the first
financial institutions in the country to offer online banking and bill payment
services through America Online(R).  AOL's more than six million subscribers
can connect to Centura using easy BankNOW(R) software developed by Intuit,
makers of the popular Quicken(R) financial software.
    Centura Online Money Management with BankNOW is available to AOL
subscribers effective today.  Last fall, Centura was one of 20 financial
institutions, and the only one in North Carolina, to introduce online banking
and bill payment through Intuit's Quicken and Microsoft Money(R), the leading
personal finance software packages.
    "This is the latest example of our commitment to expanding financial
access so customers can manage their money when and where they want," said
Robert R. Mauldin, Centura's chairman and chief executive officer.  "We have
been very pleased with the success of our Online Money Management through
Quicken and Money and believe that BankNOW software will create even more
opportunities for new client relationships."
    Mauldin said Centura decided to offer the BankNOW service through America
Online as part of its Online Money Management program because it will reach a
segment of customers who are interested in the advantages of online banking
but don't use personal financial management software such as Quicken.
    Customers using Centura Online Money Management with BankNOW software on
AOL can check account balances, transfer funds between accounts, schedule
bills to be paid and communicate with the bank by e-mail.  The service will
cost the same as Centura Online Money Management with Quicken or Microsoft
Money: Online Banking is free and Online Bill Payment is $5.95 per month with
no limit on the number of bills that can be paid.  The software can be
downloaded free from Centura's site in the AOL Banking Center, and AOL
subscribers will not be charged for the download time.
    Customers can get to Centura's site on AOL simply by entering the key word
CENTURA.  The service is protected with a personal identification number to
authenticate each banking transaction.  Security measures also feature
1024-bit master key encryption for session key exchange and 128-bit DES
encryption for data encryption.
    With assets of $5.8 billion, Centura provides a complete line of banking,
investment, insurance and trust services to individuals and businesses
throughout North Carolina.  It provides services through 155 financial
centers, more than 200 ATMs at financial centers, Wal-Mart and Sam's stores,
the Centura Highway telephone banking center and Quicken and Microsoft Money,
the leading personal finance software packages.  Centura is opening 33 bank
offices in Hannaford supermarkets in the Carolinas and Virginia by the end of
1997.
    Intuit Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., develops and markets the
Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax families of PC-based financial solutions.
These best-selling personal finance, small business and tax preparation
software products are integrated with online services such as free access to
Intuit's World Wide Web site, personalized investment information and banking
from leading financial institutions to help people automate their financial
lives and make smarter financial decisions.  Intuit, the Intuit logo,
QuickBooks, Quicken, TurboTax and BankNOW are registered trademarks of Intuit
Inc.
    America Online Inc., based in Vienna, Virginia, is the largest and fastest
-
growing provider of online services in the world, with the most active
subscriber base.  AOL offers its more than six million subscribers a wide
variety of services, including electronic mail, conferencing, software,
computer support, interactive magazines and newspapers, and online classes, as
well as easy and affordable access to services of the Internet.  AOL has a
global workforce consisting of more than 2,500 people.  Founded in 1985, AOL
has established strategic alliances with dozens of companies, included Capital
Cities/ABC, Viacom, Bertelsmann, Hachette, IBM, Compaq, and American Express.
Personal computer owners can obtain America Online software at major retailers
and bookstores, or by calling 800-827-6364.
    Microsoft Money is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

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