JCB Mobile Infrared Credit Payment JCBeam Trial

JCB, a leading international payment brand, will start a three-month pilot project for its mobile infrared credit payment system on 29 November 2004 under the name “JCBeam Trial.” JCB is actively moving ahead with both contactless payment and infrared payment systems. JCB participated in KDDI’s Kei-Credit trial and in NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode FeliCa service preview, both in 2003, and is currently running a trial of the QUICPay contactless payment system using NTT DoCoMo’s mobile wallet service.

While contactless payment using RF (radio frequency) communications is relatively simple and fast, infrared may have a cost advantage in that there is already a standardized terminal interface available to enable POS for infrared communications.

“We are keeping a close eye on developments in mobile IR (infrared radiation) credit as one of a diversifying array of payment systems,” commented Haruaki Goto of JCB’s Strategic Market Development Department. “Ongoing enhancements in the infrastructure and transaction regulations in Japan, as well as the fact that introducing IR has minimal impact on our merchants, gives mobile infrared the potential to open up new markets to credit payment.”

JCB is also a member of the Infrared CreditPayment Association, established in July 2004 to work toward standardization in infrared credit system specifications, infrastructure and regulations, and developed the JCBeam Trial based on the standards now under review by the Council.

During the three-month JCBeam Trial, about 100 participants, primarily employees of JCB, will download a credit card payment application and their own credit card information to their NTT DoCoMo phones (MOVA 505i and later, FOMA 900 and later). They will be able to pay for purchases at about 30 restaurants, clubs, and other locations in the area around JCB headquarters where POS terminals have been equipped with an infrared interface.

i-mode is a registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries.
FeliCa is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.

About JCB Co. Ltd.

JCB is an international credit card brand and the largest card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding overseas in 1981. Its merchant network includes 11.7 million merchants and spans 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 18 countries and territories, with 51.6 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with more than 320 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base.

JCB’s corporate philosophy of “Service from the heart”, a commitment to responsive and high-quality service, continues to guide it as it creates the future together with its customers, merchants and partners. For further information, please visit the JCB Co. Ltd. Home page at: www.jcb-global.com/english or www.jcbinternational.com.For further information, please visit the JCB Co. Ltd. home page at: www.jcb-global.com/english

Contact
JCB Co. Ltd.
Ai Zukawa
Ai.Zukawa@jcb.co.jp
+81-3-5623-1493