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Business Owners Have More Credit Card Choices at Harris Bank

No Annual Fee, Business Rewards, and Access to the New Harris details Online

CHICAGO, IL, September 4, 2003 - - Harris Bank has expanded its Business Banking Credit Card offering with the introduction of two new credit cards and launch of Harris details Online, a Web-based account management tool.

Small business owners have very different needs when it comes to running their businesses.  While still offering Harris’ existing “Low Rate” card, now business owners can also choose from no annual fee and “Business Rewards” credit card options.  This allows Harris Bank to provide financial solutions that cater to owners’ specific credit card needs to help them better manage their businesses.

“We know how critical it is for small- and micro-business owners to have access to credit.  We also know that each owner needs it for different reasons,” said Sara Byron, vice president, Business Banking, Harris Bank.  “We expanded our credit card offering based on suggestions from our clients and also to continue to respond to Chicagoland’s growing and dynamic small business market.”

Harris Bank realizes small-business owners are a very diverse group, with very distinct needs when it comes to utilizing credit.  Some business owners:

·     prefer to carry a balance, so they would probably benefit from a low-interest card option, providing more savings over time

·     prefer to pay off their balances in full each month, so the no annual fee option would be ideal

·     would be interested in collecting points for every dollar they spend using the card, redeeming them for travel, merchandise and gift certificates (earn 1,000 bonus points when using each card for the first time) the business rewards option would give them

In addition to the new credit cards, Harris also launched Harris details Online which provides business owners a wide-range of convenient, flexible and timely Web-based tools to manage all of their Harris Business Credit Card accounts.  With Harris details Online, expense management is simplified and helps owners easily organize and analyze purchase information and use it to help run their businesses better.

NEW!  About Harris details Online

Harris Business Credit Card holders will be able to manage expenses on an easy-to-use, Web-based reporting solution that allows access to account information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The site allows clients to view statement information, including new transactions, balances and credit limits, run reports, add or delete cards, and request credit limit increases. 

NEW!  About the Business Rewards Card

Business owners can earn Business Rewards Points whenever they charge business purchases to this card.  Owners earn one point for every dollar of purchase charged to their card and their employee cards.  Employee points are rolled up into the owner’s card.  Points earned can be redeemed for valuable travel, merchandise, gift certificates or MasterCard Bonus Cards.

NEW!  About the No Annual Fee Card

There is no annual fee for either the owner’s card or optional employee cards.  There are many small business owners who prefer to pay off their statement balances in full before the due date each month so Harris is providing them an option that helps them decrease their monthly costs.

About the Low Rate Card

Launched over a year ago, small business owners have been taking advantage of the card that charges only prime + 4.5% interest rate and low monthly fees.  Many owners carry over their balances some months and this card provides more cost savings over time.

About Harris Bank

Harris Bank, with $30 billion in assets, is one of the largest community bank networks in Illinois, a nationally recognized provider of private client and personal trust services, and a premier Midwestmid-market corporate bank.   Harris Bank has more than 145 locations throughout Chicagoland.  Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO), a highly diversified financial services organization.  Visit www.harrisbank.com and www.bmo.com for more information.

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