Výroční zpráva\Annual Report - CETELEM ČR, as

A Company Profile
Cetelem is one of the largest non-banking consumer credit providers
on the Czech market. The company came into existence on 23 October
1996 and launched its activities in June 1997. In its business, it
relies on more than fifty years of experience of its parent company,
the French bank Cetelem S.A., since 1999 itself a part of BNP Paribas,
one of the world’s largest financial groups with offices in 85 countries
of the world.
Cetelem offers several types of credit to its clients: conventional consumer
credit provided at the places where goods or services are sold,
credit cards, personal loans, and credit for motor vehicle financing.
Through special promotion and differentiated terms and conditions of
the credit it provides, Cetelem accommodates its clients and adjusts
its offering to their wishes, needs and requirements.
As distribution channels for its loan products Cetelem uses the
points of sale and distribution networks of its more than 4,300
different trading partners, the Internet, and its own branches.
Clients who hold Aura credit cards can use their card in the
worldwide network of points of sale and ATMs that accept MasterCard
cards.
Social responsibility
Cetelem is well aware of the role it plays on the Czech financial
market. In its everyday business it therefore applies the principles
of responsible lending, and pays great attention to informing
its clients and to its trading partners’ needs.
Cetelem is actively involved in several professional associations.
It is a founding member of SOLUS, an active member of Česká
leasingová a finanční asociace [Czech Lease and Finance Association],
Sdružení pro bankovní karty [Bank Card Association], the
MasterCard International association, and Asociace pro elektronickou
komerci (APEK) [Association for Electronic Commerce].
A natural component of the social responsibility of Cetelem is
help to the needy as well. Its charitable activities focus primarily
on help to children.
Product Offering
Conventional consumer credit at shops
Cetelem provides conventional consumer credit directly at its
trading partners’ outlets. Customers seek this type of credit
primarily as a source of financing their purchases of household
electrical appliances, consumer electronics, and, lately,
IT goods. In addition to these typical commodities people use
Cetelem consumer credit to buy mobile telephones, furniture,
cameras, gardening tools, and various services. As the number
of e-shopping grows, so is the share of consumer credit provided
in on-line shops.
Credit cards
Credit cards offer one of the user-friendliest and fastest ways of
credit drawdown. In terms of the number of credit cards issued,
Cetelem ranks among the major issuers in the Czech Republic.
Cetelem started to issue Aura credit cards already in 1998. Since
2003 it has been issuing them in co-operation with the Master-
Card International association. Since August 2005 Cetelem has
been offering its clients Aura MasterCard cards with international
validity, and since October 2006 all cards have had an up to
50-day interest-free period. The new Aura Plus type credit cards
have a number of functions in addition that allow preparing an individual
targeted offer for the clients. By the end of 2006 Cetelem
had issued its clients with as many as 900,000 credit cards.
Cetelem Personal Loans
Cetelem Personal Loans are specific-purpose and any-purpose
consumer loans that Cetelem grants for the purpose of financing
clients’ more expensive projects. Clients can use them to finance,
for example, the purchase of a flat or a smaller property, or the
reconstruction and refurbishment of their flats or houses, or for
buying household furnishings and new and second-hand cars,
and for family needs. Clients can apply for Personal Loans over
the telephone, at Cetelem branches and at selected trading partners,
or over the Internet where they find them as Cetelem ON-
LINE Loans.
Motor vehicle financing
Credit to finance automobiles and motorcycles constitutes a specific
type of consumer credit. Cetelem provides its clients with the
Autoúvěr and Motoúvěr products, which serve for the financing
of both new and second-hand motor vehicles.
VÝROČNÍ ZPRÁVA\ANNUAL REPORT 2006 5