MasterCard to Send an Atmos Energy Customer to a MLB(R) World Series(R) Game

In October, a lucky Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) customer and a companion will travel to a Major League Baseball® World Series® Game courtesy of MasterCard Worldwide. The Grand Prize winner also will receive a $1,000 MasterCard Gift Card. Atmos Energy and MasterCard are conducting a "convenience pay” awareness campaign from August 1 through September 30, 2008 to inform Atmos Energy Residential Service customers that they now can pay their monthly Atmos Energy bills using their MasterCard card. Customers who pay their Atmos Energy bill using a MasterCard card during this period will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win.1 Each customer who signs up for Atmos Energy’s Automatic Payment Plan online using his or her MasterCard card will receive two entries. Now no additional fee will be charged by Atmos Energy for bills paid using a MasterCard card. "We’ve had many customers request the added convenience of paying their bill with a credit card,” said Jeff Hardgrave, Atmos Energy vice president of customer service. "They want to eliminate the hassle of writing and mailing a check every month. MasterCard makes it easy for our customers to keep track of due dates and avoid late payment fees.” "By offering customers the choice to pay their gas bills using their MasterCard cards, Atmos Energy is providing tremendous convenience to consumers who increasingly prefer to pay with cards instead of cash or checks,” said Steve Carnevale, vice president, New Markets, MasterCard Worldwide. "Atmos Energy can automatically charge a customer’s card account each month, or a customer can simply use his or her MasterCard card to make a one-time payment with no fee.” In addition to the Grand Prize package, MasterCard will award a new 50-inch high-definition television to three lucky First Prize winners so they can watch the MLB® World Series® from the comfort of their own homes. Prizes will also be awarded to 20 Second Prize winners. To pay their natural gas bills with their MasterCard cards and receive an automatic entry in the sweepstakes or to obtain more information, Atmos Energy customers can visit www.atmosenergy.com/mastercard. 1 No Purchase, Bill Payment, or Enrollment Necessary. Void where prohibited. Atmos Business Service, PIN-based & international transactions ineligible. Sweepstakes begins August 1, 2008 & ends September 30, 2008. Eligibility & other restrictions apply. Visit www.atmosenergy.com/mastercard for Official Rules & complete details. About Atmos Energy Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country’s largest natural-gas-only distributor, serving about 3.2 million natural gas distribution customers in more than 1,600 communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy also provides natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers primarily in the Midwest and Southeast and manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. Atmos Energy is a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com. About MasterCard Worldwide MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, go to http://www.mastercard.com.