BBVA Compass Dedicates May As Small Business Appreciation Month

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass is recognizing small-business owners for their contributions to the economy and their communities, designating May as Small Business Appreciation Month and extending special offers and discounts to them.

The offers are available to small-business owners with revenue under $5 million, including health care and business professionals, retailers and startup businesses. This recognition coincides with the Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week May 21-25.

"We felt a week was not nearly long enough to show small businesses how much we value their contributions to our communities," said Chris Ward, small business segment director for BBVA Compass. "Extending our appreciation throughout the month allows us to recognize the more than 27 million small businesses throughout the country. These special offers let customers know that BBVA Compass has the money to lend and the solutions to help businesses succeed."

During the month-long recognition, new and existing small-business customers who qualify are eligible for discounts and products that will maximize cash flow and help businesses grow, including:

• Discounts on Staples office supplies and hotels using the BBVA Compass corporate discount
• Special offers on commercial real estate loans
• 12 months of interest-only payments on equipment loans
• Activation credit on merchant services
• No monthly fee for the first six months on remote deposit capture
• Special offers on business credit cards, including no interest for six months, balance transfer rates as low as 0 percent for 12 months, and bonus reward points for qualified businesses.

In addition, BBVA Compass is giving new and existing business owners a competitive edge with free business and economic monthly reports, which includes business news and trends. To register, visit [email protected]. Business owners are also eligible for a 20 percent discount on business journal subscriptions.  

"More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, so these companies are essential for job creation," Ward said. "Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we are committed to helping them grow and thrive. With these special offers, we are investing in our customers who operate small businesses in the communities where we serve."

For more information on BBVA Compass small business products and services, please visit www.bbvacompass.com/business or call 1-800-COMPASS (266-7277).

BBVA Compass has won 10 Greenwich Excellence Awards for small-business and middle-market banking. The awards, based on input from more than 13,000 small-business customers and 11,000 middle-market customers, are given to banks distinguishing themselves through service, products and lending. More than 750 banks are evaluated for each set of awards, and BBVA Compass was among an elite group of just 5 percent receiving the honor.

About BBVA Group

BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared to high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. BBVA ranks among the leading eurozone banks in terms of ROE and efficiency. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. The group is present in the main sustainability indexes.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates more than 710 branches, including 371 in Texas, 93 in Alabama, 78 in Arizona, 65 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 21 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading Small Business Administration lenders and was named retail bank "Brand of the Year" by a Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study in 2011. Additional information concerning BBVA Compass can be found on our website, www.bbvacompass.com.

Editor's Note:

BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank. Compass Bank, member FDIC.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Discounts on Office Supplies, Hotels and Business Journals: Offers are subject to change without notice.  Please contact a BBVA Compass banker for details.

Commercial Real Estate Loans: All loans subject to approval, including credit approval. Credit, collateral and underwriting standards apply. Loan to value and underwriting restrictions apply. All offers subject to change without notice. Please contact a BBVA Compass banker for details.

Equipment Loan: Application must be received between 4/1/2012 and 6/30/ 2012 and loan must be booked by 7/31/2012 to be eligible for this special offer. Interest-only payments for the first 12 months offer only valid on equipment loan applications received and booked within the specified offer dates. This offer applies to qualified types of equipment and qualified borrowers. Offer not valid in conjunction with any other rate discount or offer. This offer does not apply to loans used to refinance existing loans with BBVA Compass. All loans subject to approval, including credit approval. Credit, collateral and underwriting standards apply. Loan to value and underwriting restrictions apply. Customer pays origination fee. All rates and offers subject to change without notice. Please contact a BBVA Compass banker for details.

Merchant Services: Merchant Services accounts subject to approval, including credit and risk approval and the acceptance of the terms and conditions related to such service. Account must be approved between 4/1/2012 and 6/30/2012 and activated by submitting a batch of $25 or more in Visa, MasterCard, or Discover sales within 30 calendar days from approval date. Funding account for merchant sales must be funded to a BBVA Compass business checking account. Micro Businesses are defined as businesses with annual revenue up to $1 million. Small and Medium Enterprises are defined as businesses with annual revenue of $1 - 5 million. Cash bonuses will be credited to the August month-end merchant statement. Merchant account must be open and in good standing to receive bonus. Bonus may be subject to income tax reporting. One bonus per Tax ID, regardless of the number of locations or accounts opened. All offers subject to change without notice.

Remote Deposit: Activate a new Remote Deposit Service between 4/1/2012 and 6/30/2012 and the monthly service charge will not apply for the first six months. All offers subject to change without notice.

Credit Cards: All credit cards subject to approval including credit approval. The 0% introductory APR will apply for 6 months on purchases. After that, a variable APR ranging from 8.24% to 23.24% will apply to purchases based on your creditworthiness. Offer applies to accounts opened between April 1 and June 30, 2012 through your Banking Center. The introductory Balance Transfer APR of 0% or 3.99% will apply for one year on Balance Transfers requested within 90 days of account open date, based on creditworthiness. After that, a variable APR of 8.24% to 23.24% will apply to balance transfers based on creditworthiness. Cash advance APR 21.99% variable. A fee of $10 or 4% of the transaction amount, whichever is greater, will apply to each balance transfer or cash advance. Points only accumulate on Qualifying Purchases. Account must be in good standing to earn and redeem points. Earn an extra 5,000 CompassPoints if you make at least $500 in purchases within 3 months of account opening to qualify for special bonus points offers. The 5,000 bonus points offer is limited to one award per account relationship regardless of the number of individual cards associated with that account relationship. For more information and Terms & Conditions on CompassPoints, visit bbvacompass.com/rewards or call 1-87-REWARDS1 (1-877-392-7371). All offers subject to change without notice.

SOURCE BBVA Compass