To Simplify Internet Shopping, Wells Fargo Launches Secure Online Wallet; The Wells Fargo EasyOrder Service Arrives as Father's Day E-Tailing Is Set to Explode

Business Wire, June 13, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech & Banking Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 1999

Aiming to make online shopping more convenient and secure, Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) launched today the Wells Fargo EasyOrder(SM) online shopping service for use at any online store. The service is now available free at www.wellsfargo.com.

The Wells Fargo EasyOrder service stores purchasing information -- multiple billing, shipping and credit card data -- in one location for use at any online store, which means shoppers no longer need to re-enter data each time they make online purchases. Wells Fargo is providing the service in partnership with Brodia, a leader in personal ecommerce technologies.

The service comes just in time for Father's Day shopping, which is
expected to be significant this year online, based on several
indicators:

--  Mother's Day shopping online soared nearly 1,400% from last year,
    rising from $14 million in 1999 to $190 million in 2000, according
    to BizRate.com. This year's spending was more than double the $80
    million that BizRate originally projected.

--  Overall, consumers will spend $42 billion on the Internet this
    year, up from $26 billion in 1999, according to International Data
    Corporation.

In celebration of Father's Day, shoppers can receive $20 off a purchase of $40 or more at select online retailers using the Wells Fargo EasyOrder service through June 15th.

"The Wells Fargo EasyOrder service will speed up online shopping checkout the same way credit card swipes at the gas pump made it easy to fill up your tank and get back on the road," said Cathy Graeber, senior vice president of Consumer Internet Services for Wells Fargo.

"People are tired of having to re-type their shipping and credit card information each time they want to buy something from a different Web site," added Graeber. Twenty-seven percent of Web shoppers give up on their purchases when faced with filling out online forms, according to a 1999 Jupiter Communications study.

The service should be especially attractive to online banking
customers:

--  Online banking customers are more comfortable making online
    purchases than general Internet users, according to a 1999 survey
    of Wells Fargo customers.

--  In fact, 77% of Wells Fargo's online banking customers have made
    purchases online, compared to 42% of general Internet users.

"For the 1.8 million customers who already enjoy the convenience, reliability and security of Wells Fargo online banking, the Wells Fargo EasyOrder service will be the clear choice to simplify their online shopping," said Graeber.

Unlike the "online wallet" products currently available to automate the entry of shoppers' shipping and credit card information, the Wells Fargo EasyOrder service provides consumers with a comprehensive set of tools to manage every phase of their online shopping experience. These tools include password management, product research, pricing comparison, merchant evaluation, and record keeping for online purchases. In addition, the Wells Fargo EasyOrder service gives shoppers control over Internet commerce with features that allow them to define their own community of favorite shopping sites and to block unwanted merchant email. The service also presents special offers and discounts for popular products from leading online merchants in accordance with the shopper's selected preferences.

To shop with the Wells Fargo EasyOrder service, shoppers link directly to the online store of their choice and select items for purchase. At the "check-out" section of the online store, customers are requested to fill out an order form with credit card and shipping information. Instead of typing in information, customers simply click on a button, and the form is automatically completed using information stored by the service.

"The Internet offers enormous value to consumers in managing all aspects of commerce," said Ron Martinez, chief executive officer of Brodia. "By partnering with Brodia, Wells Fargo makes it easy for their customers to take full advantage of the Internet with the quality service and security they have come to expect from the Wells Fargo brand."

As the first major financial services company in the U.S. to launch Internet banking services in 1995 (www.wellsfargo.com), Wells Fargo has blazed the trail for interactive tools and features for customers. Wells Fargo started online services in 1989, and over the last decade has introduced a wide range of easy-to-use online services for customers. Both Gomez Advisors and Nielsen/Net Ratings recently named Wells Fargo the top Internet bank in terms of market share and total monthly visitor count.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is a $222 billion diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance services through almost 6,000 stores, its Internet site (www.wellsfargo.com) and other distribution channels across North America and elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo is the leading Internet bank in the world.