Bank of the West Now Offering Choice ATM Checking Account to Oklahoma Customers

Choice ATM Checking enables Bank of the West customers to use any financial institution’s ATM worldwide free of charge for one year

SAN FRANCISCO (March 9, 2010) - Bank of the West, known for excellent customer service, today announced that its branches in Oklahoma are now offering Choice ATM Checking, an account which allows customers to withdraw cash from any financial institution's ATM free of charge for one year.

"With Choice ATM Checking, we invite new customers to come into one of our Bank of the West locations in Oklahoma and experience our excellent service and relationship-banking approach, while enjoying convenient access to cash at any ATM," said George Stanfield, Southwest Division Executive for Bank of the West. “As an additional incentive to this great product, new checking customers through April 16 will receive $100 when they establish monthly recurring direct deposit or use Online Bill Pay, both of which are free.”

For new consumer checking customers who open a Choice ATM Checking account, Bank of the West will waive its standard fee for using another bank's ATM to withdraw cash and also automatically refund surcharges assessed by other financial institutions for one full year.

The expansion of Choice ATM Checking to Oklahoma, where Bank of the West has 18 branch locations, follows the success and popularity of Choice ATM Checking in California, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon and in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In Oklahoma, Bank of the West branches are located in Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Midwest City, Ada, Seminole, Ardmore, Tulsa, Bixby, Cushing, Enid, Bartlesville, and Ponca City.

"Bank of the West has always focused on superior service that responds to our customers' needs, so it is no coincidence that we are waiving ATM fees at a time when consumers are looking to reduce expenses," Stanfield said. "We encourage consumers to visit a Bank of the West branch for details."

The launch of Choice ATM Checking in Oklahoma follows Bank of the West's announcement in early January that it would help customers reduce their banking expenses by eliminating overdraft fees when customers overdraw their accounts by $5 or less, and charging no more than four overdraft fees per day. These overdraft policy changes, which reflect Bank of the West's commitment to customer service, will take effect in the second quarter.

About Bank of the West
Based in San Francisco, $60 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services. The Bank operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. In 2009, for the second consecutive year, Bank of the West was ranked the highest in customer satisfaction among retail banks in the West by J.D. Power and Associates. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, among the six strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor's.

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