content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               Washington, D.C.  20549
  
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
  
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 21, 2000
  
  
  
                           ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
  
  NEVADA                            0-15245                93-0946274
  (State or other jurisdiction      (Commission            (IRS Employer
   of incorporation)                 File Number)           Identification No.)
  
  
  
           28001 Dorothy Drive, Agoura Hills, California            91301
             (Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)
  
  
  
          Registrant's telephone number, including area code (818) 706-8999
  
  
  
  
            (Former name or former address, if changes since last report)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ITEM 5.   OTHER EVENTS
  
            On August 21, 2000, the California Superior Court, County of Los
            Angeles, Central Judicial District, granted the Company's demurrers
            to four of the seven causes of action in a lawsuit filed against the
            Company by Premiere Lifestyles International Corporation.  The
            surviving causes of action for alleged damages of $10 million
            include claims for breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference
            with business relations, and tortious interference with contract.
            Management believes the lawsuit is without merit and intends to
            defend against it vigorously. A similar lawsuit was previously filed
            in Texas and subsequently withdrawn by the plaintiff upon filings of
            motions to dismiss by the Company.  The California lawsuit is
            currently in discovery and, based upon discovery to date, legal
            counsel representing the Company has informed management that there
            does not appear to be sufficient facts to support or justify
            liability against the Company.  Legal counsel is conducting
            additional discovery and investigation.
  
  
  
  
  
  ITEM 7.   EXHIBITS
  
  
  Exhibit
  Number    Description of Document
  
   99.1     Press release issued and dated September 1, 2000.
  
  
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
  
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
  
  
  
                                ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC.
                                        (Registrant)
  
  
  
  
                                By   \s\ Alice L. Cheung
                                  Alice L. Cheung, Treasurer &
                                  Chief Financial Officer
  
  
  
  Dated:  September 1, 2000
  
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
                                                                     EXHIBIT 99.1
  
  
  
  
       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
       September 1, 2000
  
  
  
                    PREMIER LIFESTYLES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                   AND ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC. IN LAWSUIT
  
     Agoura Hills, Calif.-- Electronic Clearing House, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECHO)
  announced that on August 21, 2000, the California Superior Court, County of
  Los Angeles, Central Judicial District, granted ECHO's demurrers to four of
  the seven causes of action in a lawsuit filed against the Company by Premiere
  Lifestyles International Corporation of Newhall, California. The surviving
  causes of action for alleged damages of $10 million include claims for breach
  of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with business relations, and tortious
  interference with contract.  Management believes the lawsuit is without merit
  and intends to defend against it vigorously.
  
     A similar lawsuit was previously filed in Texas and subsequently withdrawn
  by the plaintiff upon filings of motions to dismiss by ECHO.  The California
  lawsuit is currently in discovery and,  based upon discovery to date, legal
  counsel representing ECHO has informed management that there does not appear
  to be sufficient facts to support or justify liability against the Company.
  Legal counsel is conducting additional discovery and investigation.
  
     Electronic Clearing House, Inc. provides credit card processing, cash
  advance services, check guarantee, check verification, check conversion,
  inventory tracking and/or various Internet services to over 41,000 retail
  merchants, and U-Haul dealers across the nation.  ECHO also designs, develops
  and integrates software and point-of-sale hardware that is utilized as credit
  card processing terminals, automated money order dispensers, inventory
  tracking devices, and cash advance systems.
  
     To take advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
  Litigation Reform Act of 1995, you are hereby cautioned that this release
  contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations
  and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Actual operations and
  results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
  statements made by the Company.
  
                         #               #               #
  
  Media Contact:
     Donna Rehman, Corporate Secretary              URL:http://www.echo-inc.com
     818-706-8999, ext. 3033                        E-MAIL: corp@echo-inc.com
     Electronic Clearing House, Inc.
     Agoura Hills, Calif.
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "0001.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5508}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE INC", "cik": "0000721773", "assigned-sic": "6099", "irs-number": "930946274", "state-of-incorporation": "NV", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-15245", "film-number": "715757"}, "business-address": {"street1": "28001 DOROTHY DR", "city": "AGOURA HILLS", "state": "CA", "zip": "91301-2697", "phone": "8187068999"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "28001 DOROTHY DRIVE", "city": "AGOURA HILLS", "state": "CA", "zip": "91301"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "BIO RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY INC", "date-changed": "19860122"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               Washington, D.C.  20549
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 21, 2000
  
                           ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC.
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  NEVADA                            0-15245                93-0946274
  (State or other jurisdiction      (Commission            (IRS Employer
   of incorporation)                 File Number)           Identification No.)
  
           28001 Dorothy Drive, Agoura Hills, California            91301
             (Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)
  
          Registrant's telephone number, including area code (818) 706-8999
  
            (Former name or former address, if changes since last report)
  
  ITEM 5.   OTHER EVENTS
  
            On August 21, 2000, the California Superior Court, County of Los
            Angeles, Central Judicial District, granted the Company's demurrers
            to four of the seven causes of action in a lawsuit filed against the
            Company by Premiere Lifestyles International Corporation.  The
            surviving causes of action for alleged damages of $10 million
            include claims for breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference
            with business relations, and tortious interference with contract.
            Management believes the lawsuit is without merit and intends to
            defend against it vigorously. A similar lawsuit was previously filed
            in Texas and subsequently withdrawn by the plaintiff upon filings of
            motions to dismiss by the Company.  The California lawsuit is
            currently in discovery and, based upon discovery to date, legal
            counsel representing the Company has informed management that there
            does not appear to be sufficient facts to support or justify
            liability against the Company.  Legal counsel is conducting
            additional discovery and investigation.
  
  ITEM 7.   EXHIBITS
  
  Exhibit
  Number    Description of Document
  
   99.1     Press release issued and dated September 1, 2000.
  SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC.
                                        (Registrant)
  
                                By   \s\ Alice L. Cheung
                                  Alice L. Cheung, Treasurer &
                                  Chief Financial Officer
  
  Dated:  September 1, 2000
  EXHIBIT 99.1
  
       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
       September 1, 2000
  
                    PREMIER LIFESTYLES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                   AND ELECTRONIC CLEARING HOUSE, INC. IN LAWSUIT
  
     Agoura Hills, Calif.-- Electronic Clearing House, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECHO)
  announced that on August 21, 2000, the California Superior Court, County of
  Los Angeles, Central Judicial District, granted ECHO's demurrers to four of
  the seven causes of action in a lawsuit filed against the Company by Premiere
  Lifestyles International Corporation of Newhall, California. The surviving
  causes of action for alleged damages of $10 million include claims for breach
  of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with business relations, and tortious
  interference with contract.  Management believes the lawsuit is without merit
  and intends to defend against it vigorously.
  
     A similar lawsuit was previously filed in Texas and subsequently withdrawn
  by the plaintiff upon filings of motions to dismiss by ECHO.  The California
  lawsuit is currently in discovery and,  based upon discovery to date, legal
  counsel representing ECHO has informed management that there does not appear
  to be sufficient facts to support or justify liability against the Company.
  Legal counsel is conducting additional discovery and investigation.
  
     Electronic Clearing House, Inc. provides credit card processing, cash
  advance services, check guarantee, check verification, check conversion,
  inventory tracking and/or various Internet services to over 41,000 retail
  merchants, and U-Haul dealers across the nation.  ECHO also designs, develops
  and integrates software and point-of-sale hardware that is utilized as credit
  card processing terminals, automated money order dispensers, inventory
  tracking devices, and cash advance systems.
  
     To take advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
  Litigation Reform Act of 1995, you are hereby cautioned that this release
  contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations
  and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Actual operations and
  results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
  statements made by the Company.
  
                         #               #               #
  
  Media Contact:
     Donna Rehman, Corporate Secretary              URL:http://www.echo-inc.com
     818-706-8999, ext. 3033                        E-MAIL: corp@echo-inc.com
     Electronic Clearing House, Inc.
     Agoura Hills, Calif.