Credit Cards Online Information

Praxair, Inc. (NYSE:PX) announced today that its Praxair Express(SM) e-business extranet web site for customers in the United States and Canada now accepts credit cards. This new capability makes buying industrial and specialty gases and related equipment, consumables and accessories from Praxair even easier.

Launched in January 2002, the Praxair Express extranet provides easy-to-use online-purchasing tools and information designed to save customers' time, improve their efficiency and reduce costs. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology ensures secure, encrypted communication of account information over the Internet.

"Praxair customers can now choose from two convenient payment options: a credit card and an established account," said Bill Gittler, director of e-business, Praxair Distribution, Inc., the company's North American packaged gases business. "Being able to use a credit card through the Praxair Express extranet makes it simpler to buy our products. It's an important addition to our e-business tools as we continuously strive to meet the evolving needs and capabilities of our diverse customer base."

The Praxair Express extranet allows customers to:

- Browse over 30,000 products

- Search Praxair's in-stock inventory

- Place orders

- Check order status

- Create custom templates that simplify reordering

- Check account and cylinder balances

- View and download Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

The Praxair Express extranet also provides customers with an easy link to Praxair's eCatalog for detailed information about more than 30,000 products. This virtual information repository stores and updates product data such as photos, descriptions, specifications, packaging, and application specific details for gases, related equipment and consumables.

"Customers can access the Praxair Express(SM) extranet directly from their web browser without additional software," Gittler explained. "Customers who are using the Praxair Express extranet regularly have been receiving their items in less than half the time, and order accuracy is greatly improved because they are able to order by their own part numbers. They also like the fact that cost information is immediately available, and they're able to view open orders. It is definitely a great productivity advantage to our customers."

Praxair's e-business solutions, Praxair Express extranet and eCatalog, are complemented by Praxair's Desktop(SM) supply management system, a simple and convenient way to manage bulk liquid supply accounts on line, and Praxair's fully-integrated Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) capabilities.

Praxair Distribution, Inc. and its subsidiaries and distributors deliver a large array of industrial and specialty gases, equipment and supplies, technical expertise, and services to thousands of customers in the United States and Canada. With hundreds of locations throughout North America, Praxair provides differentiated product and service offerings that help customers achieve their objectives faster, better and at lower total cost. For more information on the Praxair Express extranet, visit www.express.praxair.com to view the online demo.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2001 sales of $5.1 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technology bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, food and beverage, healthcare, semiconductor materials, steel, chemicals and refining, metal fabrication, water treatment, glass and others.