|
ATLANTA, Nov. 26, 2002 - Every day, more than a million small
businesses welcome the friendly UPS (NYSE: UPS) driver as the
most visible symbol of UPS's commitment to help their businesses
run more smoothly. Today UPS is extending its small business solutions
with the launch of the UPS Capital Visa® Business card.
The card, issued by Bank One, rewards shippers with credits toward
UPS shipping services and provides small business owners with
online tools to manage expenses, effectively giving them the ability
to monitor and control individual employees' expenditures. The
specifics of the card include:
- No annual fee.
- Quarterly management reports summarizing business expenses by category and employee.
- Additional cards for employees upon request, with spending limits assigned by the business owner (or the authorized officer).
- For every dollar charged on the card, including shipping at ups.com and authorized retail shipping locations such as Mail Boxes Etc., card members earn one credit toward UPS coupons. For every US$2,500 in expenditures, a US$25 coupon good toward UPS shipping services is awarded (monthly cap of two coupons).
- Low introductory rate for 9 months on purchases and balance transfers.
- Consolidated billing statements.
UPS certainly understands the needs of small businesses. In the 2002 Responsiveness Survey of U.S. small business owners, UPS was cited most often as the large company that was "particularly responsive." The survey, by Cicco and Associates, asked small businesses to list large companies, if any, that responded effectively to small business needs.
Not only was UPS named more often than any other large company,
but within the shipping industry UPS was named by 57 percent of
the respondents.
"UPS wants to help small businesses better manage their
flow of goods, information and funds," said Bob Bernabucci,
CEO of UPS Capital Corp. "This card and the additional services
offered by Bank One as our issuer are tailor-made for the unique
needs of small business owners."
UPS Capital's small business credit card will be launched through
a direct mailing to small business shippers in the U.S. Customers
can apply via phone (800) 456-5402 or online www.upscapital.com.
"The UPS Capital Visa Business card provides exceptional
value to small business owners in two important ways," said
Dan Frate, chief operating officer of Bank One's card services
unit. "It offers UPS shipping rewards for everyday spending
and helps small business owners monitor, control and manage their
expenses."
In addition to providing Daily Pickup Account service to small
businesses, UPS offers more than 63,000 shipping locations for
convenient access to drop off packages. Small businesses also
can develop virtual shipping rooms at MyUPS.com. It is ideal for
infrequent shippers who want to print labels directly from desktop
printer, bill shipments to either a credit card or UPS account
number, track shipments, maintain an address book, request pickups
and more.
UPS Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS. Combined with
other UPS subsidiaries, UPS Capital's financial services can leverage
technology, transportation, e-commerce and logistics solutions
for efficient supply chain management, allowing companies to focus
on their core businesses.
Bank One Corporation is the nation's sixth-largest bank holding
company, with assets of more than US$270 billion. Bank One currently
serves 53 million credit card customers, 7 million retail households,
including 485,000 small businesses, and 20,000 middle market companies.
It also manages US$149 billion of clients' investment assets.
Bank One can be found on the Internet at www.bankone.com.
# # #
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of UPS and its management regarding the company's strategic directions, prospects and future results, involve certain risks and uncertainties. Certain factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, governmental regulations, our competitive environment, strikes, work stoppages and slowdowns (or customer behavior in anticipation of such events), increases in aviation and motor fuel prices, cyclical and seasonal fluctuations in our operating results, and other risks discussed in the company's Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated herein by reference.
Laurie Mallis
UPS
404-828-7183
|
 |
|
