Sovereign Bank Announces Sovereign Debit MasterCard "Morning Rush" Sweepstakes Winners

BOSTON, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Bank, N.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, today announced the 50 winners of the recently completed "Morning Rush" sweepstakes.  Each winner will receive the value of a year's worth of coffee in the form of a $1,000 MasterCard Prepaid Card prize.

"Not paying for a coffee for a year will be great!" said one enthusiastic winner, whose purchase from a New York convenience store won him the grand prize.  "I love coffee and I never win anything," said another winner from Massachusetts, who made a winning entry $15 gas purchase and will now enjoy free coffee for the year using his $1,000 MasterCard Prepaid Card prize.

The winners represented seven states: Connecticut (2 winners), Massachusetts (20 winners), New Hampshire (1 winner), New Jersey (4 winners), New York (9 winners), Pennsylvania (8 winners), and Rhode Island (6 winners).  The majority of the winning purchases were under $30, including coffee, fast food and groceries, representing some of the small stops that can take up big time in the morning.

"It's no secret: mornings can be hectic.  Our customers rely on their Sovereign Debit MasterCard every day for the most convenient way to purchase the things that help mornings go smoothly," said Eduardo Tobon, Head of Santander's U.S. Cards Division.  "With the 'Morning Rush' sweepstakes, we're providing the 50 winners with a big reward for the small purchases that help on those busy mornings—another example of the added value our debit card customers receive by banking with Sovereign."

The winners, which include 40 debit card users and 10 student debit card users, received one automatic entry for every purchase made using their Sovereign Debit MasterCard during the sweepstakes period of February 15, 2012 through March 31, 2012.

Full details and official rules can be found at www.sovereignbank.com/morningrush.

Sovereign Bank customers can currently enter to win $1,000 with the "Celebrate Cash Independence" sweepstakes.  Sovereign Debit MasterCard cardholders receive one automatic entry into the drawing for every purchase they make under $17.76, in recognition of the year America declared its independence, through July 14, 2012. No purchase necessary.  See www.sovereignbank.com/cashindependence for official rules and restrictions.

Since January 2010, Sovereign has awarded nearly 250 prizes to winners of its various debit card sweepstakes.  The lucky winners have received prizes that include: two brand new Audi TT Coupes, a trip to see a professional sporting event and major entertainment award show, Sony Bravia® HDTVs with 3D, Sony VAIO® Laptops, PlayStation® with PlayStation® Move Bundle and a Caribbean cruise.  Customers can see photos of some of the winners at www.sovereignbank.com/realwinners.

About Santander Holdings USA, Sovereign Bank and Banco Santander
Santander Holdings USA, Inc. (SOV:US) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A., and parent company of Sovereign Bank, N.A. and Santander Consumer USA.  Banco Santander is a retail and commercial bank, headquartered in Spain, with a presence in 10 main markets: Spain, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the U.S.  Founded in 1857, Santander has 100 million customers, approximately 14,700 branches – more than any other international bank – and more than 191,000 employees.  For more information on Santander, visit http://www.santander.com.

Sovereign Bank, N.A. is a financial institution with principal markets in the northeastern United States.  Sovereign has more than 700 branches, about 2,300 ATMs, and approximately 8,600 team members.  For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit http://www.sovereignbank.com or call 877-SOV-BANK.  Member FDIC.

SOURCE Sovereign Bank, N.A.