Visa awarded Millennium Bank's campaigns for Cashback Debit Card and Credit Card Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate

Millennium Bank received "The best advertising campaign” award within Visa Forum conference, for promoting usage facilities attached to its debit and credit cards. The award is a recognition for the bank's advertising campaigns dedicated to the Cashback Debit Card and the credit card Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate facilities.

Launched this fall, the Cashback Debit Card returns clients up to 100 lei monthly of the amount spent for purchases made at supermarkets and gas stations throughout Romania. The feature is available for the debit card attached to the bank's Salary account. Customers receive back 3%, up to 100 lei monthly, of the purchases' value of at least 300 lei. The minimum amount of 300 lei can be cumulated from an unlimited number of transactions at supermarkets and gas stations, regardless of their individual value. The bonus is transferred over the following month directly to the Salary account and clients can use it however they wish.

The credit card Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate was launched in the spring of 2011 and brought new features on the Romanian market. The benefit allows clients to reimburse the amounts spent at any merchant in Romania or abroad in equal monthly payments, without interest or any other fees. This feature is available at any of the 30 million merchants located in 200 countries that accept Visa payments, which is a premiere for a Romanian market issued credit card. The Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate can be activated for transactions of at least 1,000 lei, and this minimum amount can be reached either from single or from cumulated smaller transactions performed over the previous month. The number of monthly installments ranges from four to 12 and the feature can be activated twice a year by a single phone call to the bank's Call Center.

"This award recognizes the advertising efficiency and Millennium Bank's dedication to creating a full-fledged card offer for individuals, with innovative features that offer added value to the customers”, Eliza Erhan, Head of Retail Product Development with Millennium Bank, stated. "The Cashback facility attached to Visa debit card rewards clients for shifting their salary usage from ATM to POS spending through tangible benefits. And the Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate attached to Visa credit card gives customers the freedom to choose the transactions they want to repay without interest, with no limitation in terms of transaction currency, merchant location or bank partnership network. This award also acknowledges our efforts in encouraging card usage, Millennium Bank being the only bank that promoted in 2011 card usage on a full media mix, including TV and radio”, Eliza Erhan added.

"Millennium Bank's campaigns were among the most visible in the market. The Cashback debit Card and the Installment Plan with Zero Interest Rate for the credit card bring innovation on the Romanian market and also provide important benefits for customers, which differentiates them among similar products”, Catalin Cretu, Country Manager Romania with Visa Europe, stated.

The annual Visa Forum is organised by Visa Romania for the member banks and presents the annual results, news and programmes developed by the company over the previous year.

Visa is the association of over 4,000 financial institutions and other payment service providers that ensures an European payment system.