History
Originally established in Oslo, Norway in 2001 by four individuals; Tor Erland Fyksen, Jan Grenth, Eirik Holtedahl, and Raimond Pettersen, having raised approx. USD 20 million from Norwegian investors. Its customer base was sold to a Spanish Financial Institution in Spring 2005 for NOK 435 million (ca. US$70 million), and the name was changed from Bankia Bank to Santander Consumer Bank. It had become Norway's most profitable bank in terms on return on equity
It specializes in offering deposit accounts and credit cards to consumers, focusing on issuing VISA credit cards. It was the only Norwegian bank not having fees on any of its products, until Spring 2005 when its customer base was sold to the Spanish Financial Institution Grupo Santander; which introduced additional fee-based products. The Bank achieved about 110,000 clients. The name was changed to Santander Consumer Bank.
Santander Consumer Bank in Norway offers a self-serve service, where clients do not have access to regular banking services, but are offered a few niche consumer products. Most notably savings accounts that are used to fund a single specific product like credit cards. Total purchase turnover on international credit cards issued by Norwegian banks increased by 978% from 1998-2007, while debit card usage was up 106% for the period - however, credit cards remain a small component of total card usage with only 9% of turnover. Total card usage in 2007 was NOK 557 billion.
In December 2005, Fyksen, Grenth, and Holtedahl established a second bank in Luxembourg offering the same products. The new bank, Advanzia Bank, had by year-end 2006 become the largest Luxembourg credit card issuer, being the only bank offering no-fee credit cards in Luxembourg and Germany. DKB offers a Visa Classic deferred debit card without any fees, except foreign exchange fees - being one of the more competitive payment card alternatives.
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