St. Petersburg, FL—March 16, 1998: GEN International and Cardservice International are helping businesses around the
world "get connected" and complete credit card transactions quickly and
efficiently through the Internet. GEN is one of the world's largest providers of Internet
Commerce solutions to businesses of all sizes. Cardservice is the leading provider of
credit card merchant accounts to Internet-based businesses. Together, these two companies
will distribute the GEN E-Business CD-ROM to retail companies worldwide. This CD-ROM
allows a retailer to establish a website in less than an hour and to set up a credit card
merchant account within approximately 48-hours. Cardservice operates with a greater than
97% approval ratio on these accounts. An agreement between GEN, Cardservice, and a third
company—CyberCash—will provide Internet retailers with real-time online credit
card processing.
"This partnership will benefit GEN customers by providing them with fast setup and
approval of their credit card merchant accounts," says Thomas Heimann, Chairman &
CEO of GEN. "The partnership will benefit Cardservice customers by enabling them to
quickly and easily create an Internet store that will compliment their existing retail
operation. The GEN E-Business CD-ROM offers all of this at a discounted startup fee that
includes credit card processing through CyberCash."
Cardservice will engage in a number of programs with GEN to increase the number of
companies that can grow their businesses by operating an Internet store. On-line customers
will have the ability at both GEN’s and Cardservice's websites to submit an on-line
application for the service. Cardservice's sales force throughout the U.S. with distribute
the CD-ROM to new and existing customers and encourage them to go into business on the
Web. "We are very enthusiastic about our alliance with GEN International. With our
collective demonstrated leadership in our respective area’s of the market we are even
closer to our objective of being the transaction processing solution of choice for
Internet merchants, " states Todd Whiton, Senior Vice President of Cardservice’s
Internet Commerce Group. The CD-ROM includes GEN Shop, a turnkey online retail software
package, that enables businesses to launch themselves into GEN Mall. GEN Mall will be the
world's first online mega-shopping center and is scheduled to go online in May 1998.
The partnership with GEN allows Cardservice to enter the international market. GEN
currently operates in 59 countries and will extend Cardservice's credit card merchant
account services to GEN's 40,000 customers worldwide. Thomas Heimann founded GEN (Global
Entrepreneurs Network) in April, 1995. GEN provides web hosting, website design, software,
and other Internet Commerce solutions to all types of businesses—large and small.
GEN's home page is located at
Cardservice International is an independent credit card processor and an Internet
communications company based in Agoura Hills, California.
Cardservice International is one of the fastest growing transactions processing
companies in the U.S. Incorporated in 1988, the company has more than 550 corporate
employees, 200 sales offices, and in excess of 2,200 sales representatives nationwide.
Cardservice International offers a complete range of traditional and Internet consumer
payment options.
Cardservice's website is located at http://www.cardservice.com.
