Press Release
July 11, 2001
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Visa U.S.A. announced yesterday the addition of Thrifty Car Rental, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday
Inn®, Holiday Inn Express® and Staybridge Suites® by Holiday Inn® hotels to Visa Business Partner
Advantage, a partnership savings program available to more than 6.5 million Visa Business cardholders nationwide.
The new members join existing partners Compaq; Maintenance Warehouse, a Home Depot Company; AAA; and Powerpay.com
-- a Ceridian Company, in bringing a comprehensive program of ongoing savings to small business owners and their
employees. By creating added value and cost savings to cardholders through the addition of these new partners,
Visa is solidifying its strong leadership position in providing payment solutions to the fast-growing small business
marketplace.
The benefits offered by the new partners include significant discounts to Visa Business cardholders:
Effective July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002, Thrifty Car Rental is offering a 20% discount off all Visa Small
Business rates on car rentals - any car, any day - within the U.S. when using the Visa Business card.
Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express® and Staybridge Suites® hotels all provide up
to a 14.5% discount off corporate rates at participating hotels.
``We are very pleased with the addition of Thrifty Car Rental, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn
Express® and Staybridge Suites® by Holiday Inn® hotels to Visa Business Partner Advantage,'' said Craig
Card, Vice President of Small Business Products and Services for Visa U.S.A. ``These new partners are leaders in
their respective industries and their addition represents a major enhancement to Visa's program designed specifically
to benefit small businesses.''
``Thrifty and its network of franchise owners have a long history of serving small businesses,'' said Bob Thunell,
Staff Vice President of National Sales for Thrifty Car Rental. ``As entrepreneurs ourselves, we know how important
it is to small business owners to get a good value for their dollar. Thrifty has always been superior in that arena.''
``Bass Hotels & Resorts is delighted to be the exclusive hotel provider for the Visa Business Partner Advantage
program,'' said Charles Brownfield, senior vice president of marketing and sales for the Americas. ``With our diverse
lodging portfolio and extensive global reach, we have the right property to meet the various needs of small business
owners and their employees, all at a great price.''
Visa Business cardholders will receive information on the updated Partner Advantage program through a variety of
channels, including direct mail and statement inserts from their Visa Member financial institution. They are able
to access these essential resources and immediately take advantage of the new program offers. Visa Business Partner
Advantage is a core and automatic feature built into all Visa Business cards and does not require its over 14,000
U.S. Member financial institutions to modify their financial institution's processing methods. Current cardholders
and potential customers alike can learn more about the program by visiting www.visa.com/partneradvantage
or calling (800) 520-8472.
About Visa U.S.A.
Visa is the world's leading payment brand and largest payment system, enabling its Members to provide their consumer
and merchant customers with the best way to pay and be paid. More than 14,000 U.S. financial institutions rely
on Visa's processing system, VisaNet, to facilitate over $830 billion in annual transaction volume - including
more than half of all Internet payments - with virtually 100 percent reliability. U.S. consumers carry more than
345 million Visa-branded smart, credit, commercial, stored value and check cards, accepted at approximately 21
million locations worldwide. Visa has long led the industry in developing payment security standards, and has been
named the most trusted payment brand online. Visa's people, partnerships, brand and payment technology are helping
to create universal commerce - the ability to safely conduct transactions anytime, anywhere and by any device.
Please visit www.visa.com for additional information.
About Thrifty Car Rental
To make a reservation with Thrifty, customers may contact their professional travel consultant, call 1-800-THRIFTY®
in the U.S. or Canada, or log on to the Thrifty web site at www.thrifty.com.
Thrifty Car Rental, with its affiliate Thrifty Car Sales, is a subsidiary of Thrifty, Inc. Thrifty Car Rental is
one of the world's largest international car rental franchise networks, consisting of over 1,200 locations in 61
countries around the world and more than 80 in-terminal locations in the U.S. Thrifty, Inc. is a subsidiary of
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTG).
About Bass Hotels & Resorts
With more than 3,200 hotels and over 500,000 guest rooms in close to 100 countries and territories, Bass Hotels
& Resorts has an established, international brand-name property to suit every guest's service, amenity and
lodging needs. Each year, more than 150 million people stay at a hotel or resort bearing one of the Bass Hotels
& Resorts' lodging brands - Inter-Continental®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®
and Staybridge Suites®. Bass Hotels & Resorts is the hotel business of U.K.-based Bass PLC. Bass PLC American
Depository Receipts trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ``BAS.''
The following are some of the service marks owned by Bass Hotels & Resorts, Inc., its parent, subsidiaries
or affiliates: Holiday Inn®, Crowne Plaza®, Holiday Inn Express®in the Americas, Express by Holiday
Inn(SM) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Holiday Inn Select®, Holiday Inn Garden Court(SM), Holiday Inn
SunSpree® Resort, Staybridge Suites® by Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Family Suites(SM) Resort, Holidex®,
Priority Club®, Inter-Continental® and Forum®. Centra® in Canada and Mexico; Centra(SM) in the
U.S.; Parkroyal(SM) in the U.S. and Canada; Parkroyal® in Mexico. Six Continents Club® is a service mark
of Bass PLC and used under license. For the latest news from Bass Hotels & Resorts, visit the online Press
Office at http://www.pressoffice.basshotels.com/.
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Contact:
Ketchum
Michael Willits, 646/935-4196
michael.willits@ketchum.com
or
Thrifty Car Rental
Jason Logan, 918/669-2379
jason.logan@thrifty.com
or
Bass Hotels
Autumn Murray, 770/604-5363
autumn.murray@basshotels.com