Be Free's Marketing Platform & BFAST Partner Marketing Service Attracts Industry-Leading Customers in January.

Business/Technology Editors

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2001

Microsoft's shop.microsoft.com & HomeAdvisor.com, 3Com.com &

Vermont Teddy Bear Launch Partner Marketing Programs

Be Free, Inc. (Nasdaq:BFRE), the leading provider of a marketing platform that allows online businesses to attract, convert and retain customers easily and cost-effectively, today announced that thirteen new customers launched performance-based partner marketing programs using its BFAST(sm) service in January. Microsoft's shop.microsoft.com & HomeAdvisor.com, 3Com.com and The Vermont Teddy Bear Co.(R) join a variety of industry-leading businesses in choosing Be Free to manage and track their partner marketing and referral programs - ranging from strategic partnerships and affiliates to hybrid marketing and sponsorship deals.

"Businesses surviving and thriving over the long-term - whether they be Internet-born or online divisions of traditional companies -- all have two things in common," said Gordon Hoffstein, chairman and CEO of Be Free, Inc. "Cost-effective marketing and low customer acquisition costs. By using a performance-based partner marketing strategy and continually measuring and comparing results of online marketing programs, smart businesses will expedite their paths to profitability by building market share and driving revenue cost-effectively."

"At 3Com, we see a tremendous value in forming online marketing partnerships with small businesses wishing to refer customers to our 3Com.com online store," said Susan Bartlett, Business Development Manager for E-Commerce at 3Com. "Using Be Free to power our referral program, we are able to build a strategic online marketing channel by recruiting the most appropriate referral partners and working with each partner to develop and optimize the relationship. Be Free provides 3Com with the tools and the resources to manage the program and achieve success in building online sales cost-effectively."

Be Free's Newest BFAST Partner Marketing Customers Include:

Those interested in joining any of the partner marketing programs listed below should visit http://fastapp.befree.com.

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) Santa Clara, Calif.: 3Com simplifies how people connect to information and services through easy-to-use, connectivity products and solutions for consumers and commercial organizations. The 3Com(R) Referral Program offers members the opportunity to refer customers to the 3Com.com online store by placing links on their own web sites offering their visitors access to the latest networking products for their home or business. 3Com's referral partners earn a 4% commission for each qualified sale made at 3Com.com generated from a link on their site.

Astound: Astound is a leading provider of virtual collaboration and conferencing solutions, enabling companies to communicate in real time with customers, employees and partners. The Astound Conference Center is a complete, integrated platform for one-to-one, few to few and large scale web events. Affiliate partners enrolled in the Astound Affiliate Program earn from $1-5, depending upon the size and focus of their site, for each new customer signing up for a free account at www.astound.com.

HomeAdvisor.com: HomeAdvisor.com, part of Microsoft's MSN.com portal, is the #1 house and home site on the Internet providing the most extensive content on home buying and selling, financing, home improvement, maintenance, moving and relocation, and lifestyle topics. Affiliate partners in the HomeAdvisor affiliate program earn $0.25 every time a customer clicks through from their site to www.HomeAdvisor.com during their first month as an affiliate. Thereafter, HomeAdvisor will pay affiliate partners $0.25 for each click-through generating from promotions placed in affiliate's e-mail newsletters, and $0.10 per click for all other promotional links.

Juniper Bank: Juniper Bank offers a wide array of financial products and services that empower consumers with greater flexibility and control over their finances. Juniper customers can access account information, transfer funds and pay bills via the Internet, phone or wireless devices. Members of the Juniper Bank Affiliate Program use innovative promotional links to drive traffic to the Juniper Bank Web site (http://www.juniper.com), and in return are paid $25 for each approved Juniper credit card customer generated. Juniper Bank operates as a division of Columbus Bank and Trust Company of Columbus, GA.

Liquidation.com: Liquidation.com is the only full-service solution for the $350 billion global surplus market. Its offline and online surplus exchanges link qualified buyers and sellers globally, to buy and sell bulk-quantity consumer merchandise, business equipment and industrial assets. Liquidation.com provides all the services needed to buy and sell surplus assets. Each time an affiliate partner refers a customer to buy or sell an item through the Liquidation.com marketplace, the affiliate partner earns 10% of that transaction's revenue for six months following the customer's registration. An affiliate's commissions increase to 12% if total transactions each quarter exceed $75,000.

shop.microsoft.com: Shop.microsoft.com is the Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) online store that makes shopping for Microsoft software and hardware titles more convenient than ever. It also provides customers with access to detailed product information as well as special offers and promotions. The shop.microsoft.com Associate Program allows affiliate partners to bring the store with everything Microsoft(R) has to offer - the complete line of Microsoft software and hardware titles - right to their own web site. Affiliate partners joining the shop.microsoft.com Associate Program earn a 12% commission for every sale generated through promotional links placed on their site.

Sunburst Technology: Sunburst Technology, a Houghton Mifflin Company, publishes award-winning technology products -- Internet, CD-ROM, and video -- for the K - 12 Market. The comprehensive line of software products includes language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies topics as well as tools and assessment titles. The division also offers a prestigious line of videos covering conflict resolution, character education and family life issues. Sunburst Technology's guiding philosophy is to help classroom teachers use programs that actively engage students in creative learning. Affiliate partners in the Sunburst program will earn 5-8% on all sales referred through the program.

Thompson Cigar: Thompson Cigar was founded in Key West, Florida, in 1915 and is one of the oldest mail order cigar companies in the country. Thompson Cigar is devoted to delivering a wide selection of cigar products covering all price ranges and tastes. The Thompson private label cigars reflect the keen desire to provide consumers the finest cigars at a fraction of what a comparable famous brand would cost. The newly redesigned web site makes shopping a breeze. Affiliate partners in the Thompson Cigar program will earn 10% on all sales referred through the program.

Vermont Teddy Bear: The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. helps people connect in a fun, personal and meaningful way through its Bear-Gram gift delivery service. A creative alternative to sending flowers, each Bear-Gram gift includes a customized hand-crafted Vermont Teddy Bear accompanied by a personal greeting card and chocolate treat, all packaged in a colorful gift box with an air hole and game printed on the inside. With over 100 Bears and outfits from which to choose, there's a Bear perfectly suited for any holiday, special occasion or life event. Commissions paid to affiliate partners are determined on a case by case basis.

About Be Free, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFRE)

The Be Free marketing platform allows online businesses to attract, convert and retain customers easily and cost-effectively. The company provides a uniform system for tracking, managing, measuring and analyzing all of a business's online marketing programs. These services are hosted, allowing a business to deploy its marketing programs rapidly, without placing time intensive and expensive demands on its own technical resources.

With Be Free's industry-leading BFAST(sm) services, businesses manage and track strategic partners and affiliates - compensating these selling partners based on their performance. Be Free's BSELECT(sm) service allows a business to convert visitors to loyal customers by recommending relevant products or content in real time. For more information about Be Free and its products and services, visit http://www.befree.com.

Statements in this news release about Be Free, Inc. may be considered forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the Company's current expectations, hopes, beliefs and estimates. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. Further information about the risk factors that could affect the Company's performance are contained in the company's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission, including but not limited to its S-1 dated November 3, 1999 and its S-1 dated March 29, 2000.