Commerce Bank Introduces Visa Gift Card with No Purchase Fee.

CHERRY HILL, N.J. -- Elegantly Wrapped and Ready to Give, "America's Most Convenient Gift" Card Can Be Purchased Instantly for Free in 300+ Commerce Locations

On December 10, Commerce Bank (NYSE:CBH), "America's Most Convenient Bank," debuts its new Commerce Visa(R) Gift Card, the only complete packaged gift card offered by a bank without a purchase fee. Commerce customers can purchase the instant-issue Commerce Visa Gift Card for free, in any whole dollar amount between $25 to $500, in any of Commerce Bank's more than 300 retail locations.

The new Commerce card's upscale packaging delivers what shoppers might expect from the world's finest retailers. The high-impact, red foil Commerce Visa Gift Card is elegantly wrapped in a signature red box and tied with a white satin ribbon. And, unlike gift cards available from specific merchants, the Commerce Bank Visa Gift Card is accepted at millions of locations worldwide and enables recipients to buy what they want, when they want, wherever Visa debit cards are accepted.

"The new Commerce Visa Gift Card enables our customers to have choice and convenience, and naturally, we offer it for free and in a unique and memorable way - all the things Commerce is known for," said Dennis DiFlorio, President of Retail Banking and Operations, Commerce Bank. "We're launching the gift card just in time for the holidays, but, of course, the Commerce Visa Gift Card is a great gift all year long."

Gift cards have become one of the most popular gift choices among both givers and receivers. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that the average consumer will spend $80.45 on gift cards this year; overall, consumers will spend $17.3 billion on gift cards this holiday season, up $100 million from last year. Additionally, more than half of consumers (50.2%) in an earlier NRF holiday survey said they would like to receive gift cards this holiday season; that figure is up nearly ten percent from just two years ago (41.3%).

Unlike Commerce Bank, other banks charge a fee - anywhere from $3.95 to $11.95, depending upon the amount loaded on the card - for each gift card purchased. Even comparable mall-issued gift cards can carry a $1.50 purchase fee and additional charges for customer service calls.

Moreover, most other banks force customers to order gift cards online rather than making the cards immediately available through their branches and leave the added task of wrapping to the customer. Commerce is the first and only bank offering new and existing customers the convenience in-store of an instantly-available, complete packaged gift.

Customers can purchase the Commerce Visa(R) Gift Card at any of Commerce Bank's convenient locations, which are open seven days a week, 361 days a year, with extended hours:

Monday through Friday           7:30 a.m. - 8: 00 p.m.
Saturdays                       7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sundays                         11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

About Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank, "America's Most Convenient Bank(R)," is a leading retailer of financial services with more than 300 convenient stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2004, the bank plans to open 50 new locations and create 1,800 new career opportunities throughout its markets. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., Commerce Bancorp (NYSE:CBH) has more than $29 billion in assets and, in third quarter 2004, achieved a deposit increase of 34% and earnings per share growth of 25%. For more information about Commerce, please visit the company's interactive financial resource center at commerceonline.com.

A full-color jpeg of the Commerce Visa(R) Gift Card and gift box accompanies this release and is also available by emailing [e-mail] or [e-mail].