OANDA and Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services Partner to Offer
Foreign Exchange Fulfillment Over the Internet
More than 100 Foreign Currencies Available for On-line Purchase and
At Home Delivery via 13,000 Web Sites
NEW YORK - August 7, 2000 - OANDA, the Internet's leading provider of
currency localization tools, information and transaction services, and
Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services, the premier provider of currency
exchange solutions to leading corporations, financial institutions and
individual consumers worldwide, today announced that they have entered
a partnership to provide potentially millions of travelers with the option
of purchasing currency via the Internet.
This new currency exchange service, called FXDelivery, is available to
users of OANDA's online currency converters. Initially available only
in the U.S., FXDelivery, powered by Thomas Cook Global & Financial
Services, will allow web surfers on over 13,000 of the Internet's most
popular travel, airline, financial and general news sites to purchase
international currencies prior to departing on leisure trips and business
travel.
In the past, web surfers using OANDA's currency converter on partner
web sites could research the exchange of 164 currencies, in any number
of combinations or quantities.
Now, on the results page of the currency converter, surfers seeking currency
exchange services will have the option of pressing a button that says,
"Buy Currency Now." Next, an online form will pop up asking
for delivery and payment information. Thomas Cook Global & Financial
Services concludes the process by fulfilling the order, packaging and
sending it to the customer, via either 2nd day or overnight courier.
Among OANDA's current clients are AOL.com, Alta Vista, Swissair and Trip.com,
and the individual travelers that frequent those sites. The two companies
plan to launch the service to 25 percent of OANDA's clients by Aug. 7,
2000, adding another 25 percent each week until completion. After rolling
it out to US clients, the service will be expanded to include Canada,
the U.K., Europe and Australia.
"With OANDA's extensive Internet distribution capabilities and Thomas
Cook Global & Financial Services' international fulfillment services,
this partnership will offer a valuable proposition to travelers seeking
currency exchange services on the Internet," said Tim Kelly, Chairman,
CEO and President of OANDA. "This has been a very exciting project.
With projections rising for travelers booking trips online, ordering currencies
over the Internet will offer the final solution for business and leisure
travel."
"By partnering with OANDA, Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services
is offering end-consumers yet another avenue to meet their foreign exchange
needs," said Barney Zeng, Senior Vice President & General Manager,
Business Partners, Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services. "In
addition to the world's largest network of retail foreign exchange bureaus,
we hope to reach more customers than ever before through this partnership.
About Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services is a premier provider of currency
exchange solutions to leading corporations, financial institutions and
individual consumers worldwide. For more than 100 years, the company has
continued its history of service and innovation by offering a variety
of products via retail, wholesale and corporate relationships to best
serve customers' foreign exchange needs. From its leading Web-based foreign
exchange and payment applications to the world's largest network of retail
foreign exchange bureaus, Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services
offers the convenience and flexibility required in today's marketplace.
In addition, Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services offers travelers
an extensive range of emergency and specialty travel services through
Global Traveller Services, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
in more than 30 languages.
About OANDA
Established in late 1996, OANDA is a leading developer of currency conversion
and localization applications for owners of e-commerce web sites, the
travel industry and the financial community. With over 13,000 customers
using its applications and currency information and 20 million page views
a month on its web network, OANDA is committed to making essential currency
information easily accessible to anyone including currency investors and
traders, professionals in corporate procurement, and business and private
individuals who buy and sell globally. Actively providing currency conversion
services for the Internet users of CNNfn.com, AOL.com, Alta Vista Concierge.com,
Swissair, Trip.com, among others, OANDA has won wide acclaim as the best
source for foreign exchange rates. For more information, please visit
the company's web site at www.oanda.com.
OANDA Press Contact:
Damon Leavell Megan Hayden
Spring O'Brien (973) 267-8800 damonl@spring-obrien.com
Thomas Cook Global & Financial Services Press Contact:
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
(312) 240-2836
megan.hayden@edelman.com
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