Banks Chart A New CourseBanks Chart A New Course

Postbank, one of Germany's leading consumer banks, provides access to TradeCard services through a Web connection that has the look and feel of its brand. Postbank, whose parent company, Deutsche Post World Net, recently acquired shipping company DHL International, regards TradeCard as an opportunity to expand its corporate-banking license into trade finance.

Concerned over the apparent ease with which TradeCard is forming partnerships, some banking observers suggest the company is trying to muscle its way into banking territory. "TradeCard tries to replace the bank. Then they'll bring the bank in as a partner," Bank One's Yavorsky says.

TradeCard is focused not so much on increasing its share of the market as on making the market bigger, says Kurt Cavano, TradeCard's chairman and CEO. "Greater transaction volume means greater demand for our financial services, such as export finance."

Illustration by Bryan Leister