FöreningsSparbanken and Barclays credit card operation begins trading

EnterCard, the new joint venture between Barclays PLC “Barclays” and FöreningsSparbanken “FSB”, began operations today. EnterCard is headquartered in Stockholm and has more than 600,000 customers and approximately SEK 4 billion in credit card receivables. EnterCard will offer the customers of FSB, the partly owned and independent savings banks in Sweden and EnterCard’s and EnterCard partners’ customers in Norway competitive credit cards and other consumer finance products and will also target other market opportunities across the Nordic region. An agreement to form a joint venture to provide credit cards in the Nordic region was signed in February 2005. The new Nordic credit card company EnterCard, to be jointly owned by Barclays and FSB, has acquired FSB’s Norwegian subsidiary EnterCard AS and FSB’s Swedish credit card operation. Today the transaction between FSB and Barclays has been completed. FSB thereby has a 60 percent share of the votes and Barclays 40 percent. There will, however, be joint decision making in all key areas. “The combination of FSB’s and the savings bank’s efficient distribution channels and Barclays vast international experience and competence in credit card management will give strength to EnterCard’s efforts in the Nordic market”, says Håkan Nyberg, CEO of EnterCard. “This is to be regarded as a step in FSB’s strategy, the goal of which is to become a leading bank in the Nordic and Baltic region”, says Jan Lidén, CEO and President of FSB. The sale of FSB’s credit card operation to EnterCard for an approximate amount of SEK 1.0 billion will result in an estimated capital gain of SEK 810 million for the Group. The gain affects the second quarter results of 2005. FSB’s debit card operations and acquiring of card transactions is not included in the sale. For further information: Jan Lidén, CEO and President, Föreningssparbanken, phone: +46-8-585 922 27 Håkan Nyberg, CEO, EnterCard, phone: +46-8-737 14 01 Jesper Berggren, press manager, FöreningsSparbanken, phone: +46-70-549 37 67