Bank BNI issues Visa Card

JAKARTA (JP): Visa International has joined state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in issuing the BNI Visa credit card, Visa International country manager Ellyana C. Fuad said on Tuesday.

She said card applicants did not need to have deposits with BNI.

"Bank BNI predicts issuing more than 100,000 Visa cards nationwide before the year 2000."

The bank had already issued 60,000 cards, despite the growing economic crisis, she said.

The card offers an interest rate of 2.75 percent. Payment is based on a 10 percent minimum fee charge from any of the bank's 600 branches and 725 Bank BNI automated teller machines (ATMs), with no administration and transfer fee charges.

The card will be accepted by more than 16 million merchants worldwide and by 400,000 ATMs with the Visa Plus logo. (cst)