Ecount News & Press Releases

Suzuki Decommissions the Commission Check

Automaker Trades Paper for Plastic, Upgrading to Ecount's Stored Value Cards for Cost-Effective Sales Incentives

Conshohocken, PA, May 5, 2004 - American Suzuki Motor Corporation stopped writing commission checks a year ago, and the people who sell Suzuki vehicles couldn't be happier. That's because Suzuki is now using stored value cards from Ecount to pay out incentives, providing instant gratification to salespeople while also reducing administrative costs.

Ecount, a leading provider of innovative electronic payment solutions, enables Suzuki to drastically reduce compensation program hassles while speeding up the payment process. Instead of waiting weeks to receive paper checks that must be cashed or deposited, Suzuki salespeople can now access their funds through a MasterCard® - branded card within five - 10 business days after the vehicle is reported sold to Suzuki.

Before converting to Ecount's electronic payment platform one year ago, Suzuki was spending four to five times more to issue each commission check. Now, Suzuki pays 20% less per payout through Ecount cards, and the company no longer has to waste valuable resources issuing replacements for checks that were frequently lost. Salespeople can immediately spend the commissions stored on the Suzuki-branded cards anywhere MasterCard debit cards are accepted, or withdraw the funds from an ATM.

Ecount also provides a customized website so that cardholders can track their commissions, spending and transaction history. The Ecount website also links to Suzukizone.com, where car salespeople can view information about time-sensitive sales promotions (SPIFFs).

"Switching to Ecount has greatly strengthened our communication with salespeople who may also be selling vehicles from other companies," said Tim Finley, American Suzuki Sales Development Manager. "Every time that salespeople use their Suzuki Rewards Card from Ecount, they are reminded that the money came from Suzuki, and because Suzuki commissions arrive much faster than paper checks, they are more likely to achieve our sales goals."

"Ecount enables companies like Suzuki, which rely on incentives to drive sales, with the most timely and cost-effective method of compensating people involved in the sales process," said Matt Gillin, CEO of Ecount. "With Ecount cards, salespeople are motivated to deliver the results that will allow Suzuki to continue to grow."

About Ecount
Ecount provides products and services that enable organizations to easily and electronically move cash to employees and consumers in order to motivate, compensate and reward. The company's technology replaces paper-based checks, coupons and other manual payment systems with high-impact, branded stored-value solutions that enable companies to "brand cash" and more efficiently and cost-effectively distribute payments. Ecount's solutions have powered incentive, compensation and promotional programs for some of the world's leading corporations, including Verizon, Dell and Ford.

About American Suzuki
The Automotive Operations of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, Calif., was founded in 1985 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. ASMC markets automobiles in the United States through a network of 500 automotive dealerships in 49 states. ASMC's parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), was founded in 1909, incorporated in 1920 and is based in Hamamatsu, Japan. SMC is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer with 141 distributors in 127 countries.