It provides retail, corporate & investment banking, treasury and capital markets services as well as operating specialized companies on the leasing market, assets management, private pensions, mortgages and banking services through internet and mobile phone. As of 2016[update], it was the largest bank in Romania with assets of over EUR 16 billion, the largest number of clients.[2]
History
The original BCR logo used from 1992 to 2007The BCR - Erste Bank Group logo used from 2007 until 2016The BCR headquarters in Bucharest
1990 – Banca Comercială Română is established by taking over the commercial operations of the National Bank of Romania
1998 – BCR opens a subsidiary in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova
1999 – BCR absorbs Bancorex
2001 – BCR Leasing is launched on the Romanian market
2003 – BCR privatization by selling the block of shares to EBRD and IFC
2005 – BCR Asigurari de Viata is established
2006 – Austrian bank Erste Bank finalizes the acquisition of Banca Comercială Română. Erste Bank bought 61.8825%* of the BCR shares from the Romanian Government, EBRD and IFC, paying EUR 3.75 billion.
2007 – BCR Administrare Fond de Pensii enters the Romanian market
2008 – Banca Comercială Română sells its insurance operations to Vienna Insurance Group
2008 – BCR Banca pentru Locuinte enters the Romanian market
2009 – BCR adopts a Medium Term Notes (MTN) issuing program – with a total value of EUR 3 billion.
Over time, BCR has brought several innovations on the Romanian banking market, such as:
1994 - BCR becomes the first acquirer in Romania and main member of EUROPAY
1995 - BCR issues the first debit cards in Romania under an international logo.
o first transaction at an ATM in Romania
2000 - BCR launches the first treasury loan for individuals
o BCR is the first bank in Romania to trade securities on the secondary market
2002 - BCR launches the first mortgage loan on the Romanian banking market
2003 - BCR is the first Romanian bank to provide mortgage loans to retail and corporate clients
2004 - BCR is the first bank in Romania to install Currency Exchange Machines (CEM)
2005 - BCR enables the use of CHIP cards (smart-card) in its ATM and POS network
2006 – Banca Comercială Română launches for the first time, through the BCR University, the internship program – STUDENT BCR – allowing students to take internships in seven BCR branches in Bucharest
o BCR is the first banking institution in Romania to launch a national network of specialized offices – “EU Office BCR” – dedicated exclusively to European funds.[3]
BCR Group
good.bee Service RO company offering good.bee Mobile Transaction service, was established through a partnership between Erste Foundation and Erste Group.[4]
