ICBC Has Issued Over 120 Million Peony Money Link Cards

Today, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited announced that until the end of September this year, the issuance number of ICBC "Peony Money Link Card" had already reached 126.53 million, and the card-spending amount had totaled to RMB 132.6 billion. The issuance volume, average card-spending amount and deposit balance stood as the first among all other similar products in China.

Person in charge from relevant department of ICBC introduced that on the basis of advanced technological means, ICBC kept enriching services of Peony Money Link Card in order to serve the customer better in convenient and safe card-using. Peony Money Link Card nowadays is no longer simply a savings or spending card.

Instead, it is a comprehensive financial instrument with functions as deposit and withdrawal, card spending, investment finance, Internet Banking, Telephone Banking all in one card. Customer can make both current and fixed deposit of various currencies as US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and so on with Peony Money Link Card.

Customer can also engaged in many other financial activities such as securities investment, forex investment, fund and bond dealings after registering Telephone Banking or Internet Banking. Customer who is interested in insurance can also buy every type of insurances, which ICBC sells as an agent with Peony Money Link Card.

This spokesman stated that in order to meet the growing financial needs of customers, ICBC will continue to perfect the functions of Peony Money Link Card, improving the technological content, increasing the encryption measures, to make Peony Money Link Card a close and helpful financial instrument for customers in their daily lives.

News Background:
In 1987, ICBC Guangzhou Branch became one of the earliest banks in China to launch bankcard services and issued "Red Cotton Card". This newly issued Red Cotton Card changed the view of Chinese people that bank businesses were just deal with deposit books. Two years later in 1989, ICBC chose National Flower Peony as the symbol and issued Peony Card nationwide. Birth of Peony Card pushed the bankcard industry in China to another new era. In 1997, ICBC unified named the bankcard that can be used in deposit and withdrawal, transfer and savings as "Peony Money Link Card". Since then, Peony Money Link Card became a unified brand of ICBC Personal Banking Services known to the world.

ICBC development in Internet Banking, Mobile Banking and Self-help Banking also paved the way for Peony Money Link Card to usher into a new era. In 2003, AC Nielsen Report pointed out that Peony Card was the "bankcard most frequently used by consumers". Till then, Peony Money Link Card gained its real reputation after the achievement.

In 2004, ICBC upgraded and integrated functions of the original Peony Money Link Card and launched a new brand image "Peony Money Link Card e Age", which included not only all the functions of Money Link Card, but also E-banking functions of Internet Banking and Telephone Banking. Customer could now fully enjoy modern banking services with the card.

"Peony Money Link Card e Age" has received wide accord from customers since its launch to the market. "Who's who of Finance and Economics in China" organized by Hexun Website awarded "Peony Money Link Card e Age" as the "Best Bankcard" in 2004, an award arrived less than a year since the launch of "Peony Money Link Card e Age".

ICBC dedication of innovative spirit and customer services has made its Personal Banking Service well received from counterparts in China and all over the world. The Asia Banker once again named ICBC as "Best Retail Bank of China " in 2004. It is the third time that ICBC received this title in consecutive 3 years from 2002.