OREANDA-NEWS. October 19, 2011. Small businesses in Beijing face the capital burden while moving ahead. In view of the situation, lately, ICBC Beijing Branch set up "Merchant Friend Club", an exclusive service platform tailored to private proprietors and individual industrial and commercial households. "Merchant Friend Card" and a range of preferential policies were also launched. The objective is to help them maintain healthy and robust growth. Customers holding "Merchant Friend Card" can sign up the personal remittance package services exclusively designed for the members to enjoy the premium remittance prices. At present, there are more than 12,000 customers in Beijing who enjoy the membership of ICBC Merchant Friend Club, reported the press-centre of ICBC.

As related, Merchant Friend Card is a service medium specially designed for the members of ICBC Merchant Friend Club. The Card is dedicated to provide settlement, financing, wealth management and other financial services tailored to key financial needs of the members, a symbol for all members to enjoy ICBC's exclusive products and unique services.

Besides all the functions of a general bank card, Merchant Friend Card is also a highly efficient payment settlement tool to help customers reduce monetary transfer cost once they choose exclusive package for frequent personal remittances. Holders of Merchant Friend Card can draw loan via "Card-Loan Link", use revolvingly, borrow and repay anytime, very convenient to arrange and use money. Moreover, through the Club, they can communicate, share experience with other members, look for business opportunities together and achieve win-win through the heartfelt value-added services offered by ICBC Merchant Friend Card.

ICBC has leveraged its advantage to extend a full range of comprehensive financial service to small businesses since 2010. "Merchant Friend Club" offers unique services (payment and settlement, business loans, investment and wealth management) and value-added services such as networking for the individual industrial and commercial households in merchandize marts, small and mid-sized private proprietors, shareholders of private enterprises and other personal customers.

An executive with ICBC said, customers only need to bring own ID card, documentary proof of business operation (one of the following: business license for corporate entity, individual industrial and commercial business license, business certificate for operating in the merchandize mart, certificate of shares or partnership), go to nearest ICBC outlets, fill in the application form, and join the ICBC Merchant Friend Club. In the next step, ICBC will cater for the actual needs of the members to launch exclusive products and services based on their business characteristics, and offer exclusive loan products with various guarantee options and simple procedures to apply.