Contacts Ljudmila Bratko Tel 01 2917 686 Ljudmila_bratko@europe.mccann.com Vlatka Pacelt Tel 01 6103 564 vlatka.pacelt@hypo-alpe-adria.com ouise Herbert
First MasterCard Electronic™ Business Card Launched in Croatia
Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank d.d. introduces MasterCard Electronic Business card targeted to small and medium businesses Zagreb, March 17 2004 – Croatia is the first country to launch MasterCard Electronic BusinessCard, targeted for the small and medium business sector as well as sole traders, and Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank is the first bank to issue the card. Programme MasterCard Electronic Business is designed to answer to the growing needs of business sector, with special focus on SME (small and medium enterprises) segment. Beside simplifying the process of risk management and ensuring the highest levels of control and safety, MasterCard Electronic Business card shows a high degree of flexibility. With a growing SME business sector in Croatia, which employs over 98% of the country’s entrepreneurs and more than half of all Croatian workforce employed in big, medium and small businesses, the programme offers exciting new opportunities and benefits for MasterCard members banks and business executives in the country. “MasterCard Electronic Business card enriches the offer of MasterCard products targeted for businesses and offers the possibility of expanding the potential users base”, emphasized Mr Zdenek Houser, General Manager for Croatia and Hungary, MasterCard Europe. “I am very happy that it is Croatia, one of the most developed countries in the region, that is the first one to launch MasterCard Electronic Business card.” Key Features of the MasterCard Electronic BusinessCard include: 100% issuer authorization - € floor limit For use only at terminalised merchants (face-to-face transactions only) Signature-based Cross-border with optional “local-use-only”
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Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank emphasized the benefits of MasterCard Electronic Business card: Cash availability – card can be used at all merchant locations in the country with MasterCard Electronic sign and at all ATM's with Cirrus sign Flexibility – customer always have his/her money, with no risk if lost or stolen Security – every transaction is signature authorized, and at ATM's exclusively by PIN Finances control – spending is limited by the amount on user's account; every cash withdrawing on ATM is included in the bank statement; user can check his/her account through bank statement, HYPO-net or at the ATM. «Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank has been opening the path for many new product on Croatian bank market. By issuing Mastercard Electronic Business card we have the offer for the SME segment, in line with the world business trends, said Mr Alberto Skendrović, director of Organisation and Informatics Department Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank. We expect that MasterCard Electronic Business card will help us, especially in the strenghtening of long term relationship with SME segment, which is becoming more and more important in Croatia. This card is targeted to every company and freelancers who has opened account in Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank, and it will enable them to withdraw cash in Croatia on ATM's and pay on POS terminals in amount they have on their account». Commenting on the new programme, Tuuli Perkio, Associate Vice-Presidentr, MasterCard Europe Corporate Payments Solutions; “For small and medium businesses, the card is the ideal tool to help managers manage their company finances. Not only can they gain from the safe environment of MasterCard Electronic, but they can also choose to separate their business and personal expenses, track purchases with a payment history on the card and help their business, with less reliance on the company’s petty cash and less time in queues waiting to withdraw money from the Bank”. - ends About the MasterCard Electronic™ Card The MasterCard Electronic™ Card debit card programmes contribute to expansion of MasterCard members' cardholders base by attracting consumer segments that are underserved by traditional payment card programmes. These segments include consumers that are in the process of establishing banking relationships, have no previous or poor credit history, pose high credit risks, are served by private-label store cards or non financial institutions, and those who primarily use cash. MasterCard Electronic provides excellent opportunities for incremental revenues and growth. The programme has been launched in the Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East/Africa and Latin America/Caribbean Regions. Note to Editors In the first six months of 2003, there were 58,158 small and medium businesses in Croatia. These companies employed more than 420,000 employees, or 54.7% of all work force employed in big, medium and small businesses. More than 37% of all investment made in
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business in Croatia is made in this sector. In the period 1993 to 2003, the sector grew from over 35,000 to more than 58,000 enterprises. In period January – June 2003 Croatia had 99.989 sole traders.
About MasterCard International MasterCard International is a leading global payments solutions company that provides a broad variety of innovative services in support of our global members' credit, deposit access, electronic cash, business-to-business and related payment programs. MasterCard International manages a family of well-known, widely accepted payment cards brands including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus® and serves financial institutions, consumers and businesses in over 210 countries and territories. The MasterCard award-winning Priceless® advertising campaign is now seen in 98 countries and in 46 languages, giving the MasterCard brand a truly global reach and scope. For more information go to www.mastercardinternational.com About Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank Except in Croatia, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank is present in six other countries (Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegowina, Serbia and Monte Negro, Lihtenstein) and employs more than 3,000 people, in Croatia 1,300. HAAB Croatia has a net consisting of 22 banks and plans to open seven more branches until the end of 2004. HAAB is known for longterm strategy of financing with special emphasis on investment in local infrastructure and tourism. For the reason of constant growht HAAB decided to build a new business premises and the works have begun in July 2002, to be finished at the beginning of 2006. This investment is worth 80 millions EUR. Additional information: www.hypoalpe-adria.hr