Embedded microchip is new global standard for protection against credit
    card fraud

    TORONTO, March 25 /CNW/ - CIBC today announced the introduction of chip
technology on CIBC Visa cards. CIBC Visa cardholders in Kitchener-Waterloo,
Ontario began receiving their chip enabled credit cards as part of an industry
market trial. The increased security that comes with chip technology is timely
- March is the industry's Fraud Prevention Month.
    The Kitchener-Waterloo market trial will give CIBC customers and
employees an opportunity to use new CIBC chip cards and PINs and provide
feedback on the experience. CIBC debit cards will be joining the market trial
in the spring. During 2008, CIBC plans to start to roll out chip credit and
debit cards to all customers. Already, all CIBC bank machines are chip
enabled.
    "CIBC is the leading credit card issuer in Canada. We will place close to
40,000 of the customer cards into the industry market trial in
Kitchener-Waterloo and a significant number of the chip enabled ABMs will be
from CIBC," said Cheryl Longo, Senior Vice-President, Card Products Division,
CIBC. "We are excited about this latest innovation for our customers, offering
enhanced security and fraud protection."
    Chip cards contain an embedded microchip to encrypt information, making
it more difficult for unauthorized users to copy or access data from the card.
Chip technology is quickly becoming the new global standard for enhanced
safety and security.
    This past year CIBC also introduced free value-added safety and security
features on all CIBC credit cards through CIBC CreditSmart, which helps
clients monitor changes to their credit reports, be aware of potential
fraudulent uses of their credit cards, and deal with identity theft. CIBC
CreditSmart is unique to the marketplace and CIBC cardholders have responded
positively to the offer.
    New chip cards will still have the familiar magnetic stripe to ensure
that they will be accepted at all retailers, including those who have yet to
upgrade their payment terminals to accept chip cards. PINs will be required
for all Visa chip card transactions at merchant locations that have become
chip enabled. This will mean credit cards, as well as debit cards, will use a
PIN rather than a signature at chip enabled point of sale terminals.
    As a leader in the payments industry, CIBC has been involved in the
Canadian industry chip initiative from the outset to ensure that the
transition to the new cards is a positive experience for CIBC clients. CIBC
will be communicating directly with clients about this new initiative, and
when they can expect to receive their new cards.
    More information on CIBC chip cards is available at
www.cibc.com/chipcard.

    CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with nearly
11 million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of
products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network,
branches and offices across Canada, in the United States and around the world.
You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press
Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.