COMMERCE BANK IS TOP LOCAL BANK UNDERWRITING SBA LOANS WITH $10.7 MILLION IN 2003

Kansas City, Mo. - Nov. 14, 2003 - Commerce Bank announced today the company is Kansas City's top Small Business Administration loan underwriter for the 2003 fiscal year as measured by total dollars. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which annually lists the top 25 lenders of SBA loans, Commerce Bank extended more than $10.7 million in loans to small companies in the Kansas City metro area.

"Not only have we been able to significantly increase the total dollar amount this year, we've also increased the actual number of loans by 71%," said Kathy Hunter, Vice President and Manager of Commerce Bank's SBA program. "This is more than $10 million that are flowing into our local economy through small businesses."

Commerce Bank has a long history of supporting small businesses in the Kansas City area reaching back more than 135 years. According to the SBA, Commerce has ranked as one of the top two lenders in the Kansas City Metro area during the SBA's last four fiscal years. This year, Commerce Bank closed 67 SBA-guaranteed loans with a total value of $10,762,800. Commerce approved 239% more SBA loans than the next locally-based bank on the list. According to Hunter, Commerce believes this reflects the bank's commitment to small businesses in the Kansas City area while offering more breadth and flexibility in its loan offerings. "We work hard and listen to our small business customers and provide banking solutions based on their needs. This is why we became an SBA Preferred Lender in the first place," Hunter added.

Other area banks can follow Commerce's lead, according to Gary Cook, Director of the Kansas City District of the SBA. "We view the efforts of Commerce, particularly the significant increase in both the number and dollar amount of SBA-backed loans, as an outcome that we would like to see spread to other financial institutions in the district," Cook said.

"We are excited about our partnership with the SBA. As their partner, we are most proud to be able to provide financing for those businesses that will employ more people and have a greater impact on our local economy because of these funds," said Kevin Barth, President, Commerce Bank, Kansas City. According to Barth, as small businesses go, so does our general economy. "Small businesses are the engine that drives our economy. It's very encouraging to see small businesses borrowing because it speaks very well for the future of Kansas City's economy," he said.

About Small Businesses
The Small Business Act states that a small business concern is "one that is independently owned and operated and which is not dominant in its field of operation." The law also states that in determining what constitutes a small business, the definition will vary from industry to industry to reflect industry differences accurately. SBA's Small Business Size Regulations implement the Small Business Act's mandate to SBA. SBA has also established a table of size standards, matched to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries. See the SBA website at www.sba.gov for details.

About Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank is the principal subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $13.6 billion regional bank holding company. For more than 135 years, Commerce has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses. Commerce provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management and estate planning and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce Bancshares operates across three states with more than 330 banking locations and also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities. For additional information, please visit www.commercebank.com or email mymoney@commercebank.com.

For more information contact:
Dan Grubbs
Public Relations Representative
816-234-1930

Website: www.commercebank.com
e-mail: mymoney@commercebank.com
SYMBOL: CBSH

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