Credit Guide

eBay and GE Business Credit Services Introduce New Small Business Financing Program

Program Allows Small Businesses That Buy and Sell on eBay to Qualify for Credit Lines With No Fees

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2004--

eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY), The World's Online Marketplace, and GE Business Credit Services, a leading business credit provider, today announced a new financing program designed to make it easy and affordable for small businesses to obtain credit.
The new program allows small businesses that buy and sell on eBay to apply for GE Business Credit Services' unsecured working capital credit lines up to $50,000. Secured credit lines over $50,000 are available for purchases, when those purchases are used as collateral.

As part of the agreement, GE Business Credit Services will waive its application fees, account opening fees and first year annual fees for businesses that apply for its credit programs through eBay.

"One of the biggest hurdles many small business owners face when establishing or expanding their businesses is a lack of financing options -- including access to capital at favorable interest rates and terms," explained Jeff Jordan, senior vice president of eBay North America. "With a simple online application process, the GE Business Credit Services programs provide eBay small businesses an easy way to get the money to be successful."

Small businesses are utilizing eBay to start, grow, and expand their businesses. Today, more than 430,000 individuals make a living by selling on eBay, and thousands of small businesses purchase goods on the site. Using eBay as a platform, small businesses have access to tools and resources to open their doors, reach customers and create new jobs.

"eBay is now home to hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and we're thrilled to be able to provide those business owners tools that they need to help their companies grow and succeed," said Chris Little, Vice President and General Manager of GE Business Credit Services. "The unsecured credit GE Business Credit Services provides can be used towards everything from unexpected or seasonal expenses, paying off high interest loans or credit card debt, or any great opportunity that a business owner otherwise would not have been able to afford."

The GE Premier Line of Credit, the unsecured credit option, provides interest rates as low as 5.75 percent. Businesses that qualify for the secured credit line must sell new, nonperishable consumer goods purchased directly from a manufacturer or wholesale distributor and have been in business for at least three years, among other criteria. For those who qualify for secured credit, GE Business Credit Services will pay manufacturer or distributor invoices while providing the business with convenient, flexible repayment terms. GE Business Credit Services also provides qualified eBay business applicants other financing solutions, depending on the business' needs.

Under the terms of the agreement, eBay will market the GE Business Credit Services financing programs to small businesses on eBay, as well as PayPal merchants, who are also eligible for the program, through emails and other direct marketing programs.

About GE Business Credit Services

GE Business Credit Services, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is the commercial unit of GE Consumer Finance. The company provides receivables management programs and marketing solutions in the business-to-business arena that support the distribution of product throughout the supply chain. Its solutions include Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) of open account trade credit, private label revolving credit programs, receivables financing and secured sales financing for national and regional clients. More information can be found online at www.gebcs.com. GE Consumer Finance, a unit of General Electric Company, with $107.4 billion in assets, is a leading provider of credit services to consumers, retailers and auto dealers in 38 countries around the world. GE Consumer Finance, based in Stamford, Conn., offers a range of financial products, including private label credit cards, personal loans, bank cards, auto loans and leases, mortgages, corporate travel and purchasing cards, debt consolidation and home equity loans and credit insurance. GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with operations worldwide. More information about GE can be found online at www.ge.com.

About eBay

eBay is The World's Online Marketplace(R). Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever growing online community.

Contacts


eBay
Jen Caukin, 408-376-7432
jcaukin@ebay.com
or
Kaplow Communications
Leah Schmerl, 212-221-1713
leahs@kaplowpr.com

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