Chase Launches Chase Companion, a Digital Wallet to Make Shopping Online Quicker and More Convenient.

Business & High-Tech Editors

NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2000

The Chase Manhattan Bank (NYSE: CMB) and Brodia, a market leader in personal commerce services, today announced the launch of Chase Companion (www.chasecompanion.com), a free Internet service designed to make shopping online faster, safer, and easier.

Chase Companion, provided by Brodia, features the most advanced digital wallet technology enhanced with a broad array of services to simplify every phase of the online shopping experience. This secure digital wallet uses state-of-the-art encryption technology and enables Chase cardholders to enter and store their account number as well as shipping and billing addresses in one location for use at any online store. This means that shoppers no longer need to re-enter data each time they make online purchases. With Chase Companion, forms can be completed with one click.

Chase Companion also offers other online tools that give consumers the ability to organize shopping records and merchant e-mail. For example, with Chase Companion, consumers can block unwanted e-mail and receive only the types of offers that match their interests. Chase Companion also features additional benefits such as password management, and special offers and discounts that make online shopping even more rewarding for Chase customers.

"Through research, including talking to our customers, we know that people are tired of having to remember various passwords and having to retype their shipping and account information each time they want to make an online purchase," said Sridhar Chityala, Senior Vice President at Chase Cardmember Services. "Now, by working with Brodia, a pioneer in personal e-commerce technology, we are pleased to offer Chase Companion to speed up and simplify online shopping."

Available initially to Chase's more than 20 million credit and debit cardholders, Chase Companion is available directly at www.chasecompanion.com or through Chase's web site at www.chase.com. The launch of Chase Companion will be supported by a direct marketing campaign and Chase will continue to work with Brodia on the development of additional promotional support.

"Web enabling Chase credit and debit cards with Chase Companion is an aggressive expansion of Chase's e-business strategy," said Brodia CEO Ron Martinez. "In doing so, Chase continues to deliver to its customers superior services that enhance their everyday experiences online."

The Chase Manhattan Corporation is a premier global financial services firm with assets in excess of $396 billion. Chase combines the best of commercial and investment banking, offers world-class information and transaction processing services, and has a leading U.S. consumer franchise that serves 30 million customers. Through its newly formed business unit, Chase.com, Chase is successfully creating innovative business models for the New Economy. Chase, with offices in more than 45 countries, has a presence in all of the principal financial centers around the world. Chase can be reached on the web at www.chase.com.

Brodia, (www.brodia.com), provides financial institutions with the platform and core applications for the online form of the payment card, enabling simplified purchasing, payment and personal commerce on any Internet-connected device. These applications include password management, product research, price comparison and merchant evaluation, as well as automatic form fill, enhanced payment security, transaction record keeping, privacy protection and rewards programs. Based in San Francisco, the company is funded by Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Capital Z.