ATTN: Business Editor / Internet Editor	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, January 22nd, 2003
CASHU CARD BECOMES GLOBAL Alliance with Jordan National Bank will take Internet shopping in the Arab world to new dimension Dubai: Online shopping is set to enter a new dimension in the Middle East with cashU Card confirming its strategic alliance with Jordan National Bank to resell its E-com prepaid Mastercards and offer shoppers a more convenient, inexpensive and secure method of purchasing products and services from any website in the world. As a result of the ground-breaking agreement, Internet shoppers worldwide can now purchase goods and services from websites that accept cashU Cards as well as from websites that accept Mastercard. A top cashU Card official pointed out that the innovative move was expected to further encourage e-commerce development in the Arab world and appeal to shoppers worldwide by offering hassle-free online transactions. “All e-commerce websites around the world accept Mastercard and the new development will offer online shoppers an added sense of security and reliability, besides complete peace of mind, while ordering their products online,” explained Samih Toukan, CEO of cashU Card. “This low-cost and risk-free service will undoubtedly excite the region’s shoppers,” he added. Applying for the Mastercard number is a simple and inexpensive process. The applicant opens a account and fills in his cashU points, which can be obtained by ordering cashU Cards from the website, www.cashucard.com. At present, cashU Cards are available in denominations of 10, 30, 50, 100 and 300 US Dollars. The user instantly receives a Virtual Mastercard Number, which he can use to order any product or service from any website. The required amount or cashU points are then deducted from his card balance. cashU Card is a novel e-commerce feature introduced by Maktoob.com, the largest and most popular online Arab community with more than three million registered users. Launched four months ago, cashU Card has already grown in popularity with online shoppers in the region who continuously seek flexible and safer ways of buying goods on the Internet without encountering the risks associated with credit cards.   Khoury explained that the new feature would also appeal to e-commerce websites who wish to sell products and services to a larger international audience. “Many websites face sluggish sales due to buyers’ concerns about online credit card fraud. The new development will put all such fears to rest and allow shoppers and sellers total anonymity and convenience while transacting online,” he added. A top Jordan National Bank official explained that the new development reflected the bank’s keenness to continuously diversify its operations and strengthen its e-commerce activities. “The pre-paid Mastercard allows online buyers to purchase any product on the World Wide Web, phone or mail order. This new product helps minimize the risk of misusing the credit card on the Internet,” said Nadine Fakhoury, Executive Manager of the Mastercard division at Jordan National Bank. About Jordan National Bank: Established in 1955, Jordan National Bank PLC (JNB) was the first national bank to be set up in Jordan. JNB operates 49 branches in Jordan, 6 branches in Palestine, and an international banking unit in Limassol (Cyprus), in addition to Al Ahli International Bank SAL (Lebanon). JNB offers all its banking services through a local and external network for institutions and individuals. The Bank's principal activities include retail and corporate banking services, such as deposits in JD and all principal foreign currencies, lending, trade finance, foreign exchange, credit cards and investments. Jordan National Bank is regarded as a retail bank with a strong market position and customer base. About cashU Card: Introduced four months ago by Maktoob.com, the most popular online Arab community in the world, the cashU Card concept is a novel feature that has revolutionised Internet shopping in the region. Guaranteeing a high level of safety and security in the transactions, cashU Cards have appealed to online shoppers who do not wish to reveal their credit card details on the Internet. For more details, please contact, Edward D’Mello Headline Public Relations Tel: 009714 – 3475006; Fax: 009714 – 3475013 e-mail: edward@headlinepr.com
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