JCB expands Global Ecommerce and JCB Contactless Enablement across Europe with Worldline

PARIS & TOKYO, Feb 9, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and Worldline, a European leader in the payments and transactional services industry, announce the expansion of their partnership. This established relationship has pivoted to support both the exchange of global ecommerce and the growth of JCB Contactless enablement across Europe.

Previously, the two brands coordinated to support digital shopping outside of Europe and worked to enable JCB Contactless in regions such as Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Belgium, and Poland. Now, their collaboration will make room for more of Worldline's merchants to accept face-to-face contactless payments in other European markets from Q2 2021, especially in Nordic regions. Additionally, Worldline merchants around the globe can now welcome online JCB cardmember transactions. JCB's security payment authentication programmes – J/Secure(TM) 1.0 and J/Secure(TM) 2.0 – will be implemented for online commerce.

Worldline and JCB's partnership cements the promise of both companies to provide a simple, enhanced payment experience. Based on the commitment of Worldline, merchants will gain the advantage of 24/7 authorisation of ecommerce, manual and contactless transactions, centralised billing for debit and credit cards and a quick, safeguarded billing process. The JCB Contactless payment solution is compliant with NFC and EMV(R) Contactless Communication Protocols. The number of merchants accepting JCB Contactless is steadily expanding internationally.

Roger Niederer, Chief Market Officer Merchant Services of Worldline commented, "Worldline's ambition is to be the partner of choice for merchants. We stand by our customers' side and support their business growth with consumer-friendly and efficient services for their specific needs. Contactless payments and ecommerce are a manifest consumer trend, and I am happy that Worldline is now expanding its global partnership with JCB to apply our advanced payments technology in both face-to-face and ecommerce transactions."

Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd. said, "We are delighted that our positive relationship with Worldline has afforded us the opportunity to expand in not only one but two areas where our cardmembers are showing a spend preference – in contactless payment for face-to-face sales and through secure, easy-to-use ecommerce platforms. This is an exciting step for our 140+ million cardmembers and Worldline's extensive merchant community. It is our sincere hope that this collaboration will support recovery and growth across every region, especially in light of the challenges the pandemic presented."

*In some countries, SIX Payment Services and Bambora, who both became part of Worldline at the end of 2018/2020 respectively, are operating under those brands.
*EMV(R) is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo, LLC.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 35 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in more than 20 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information: www.global.jcb/en/

About Worldline

Worldline [Euronext: WLN] is the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry and #4 player worldwide. With its global reach and its commitment to innovation, Worldline is the technology partner of choice for merchants, banks and third-party acquirers as well as public transport operators, government agencies and industrial companies in all sectors. Powered by over 20,000 employees in more than 50 countries, Worldline provides its clients with sustainable, trusted and secure solutions across the payment value chain, fostering their business growth wherever they are. Services offered by Worldline in the areas of Merchant Services; Terminals, Solutions & Services; Financial Services and Mobility & e-Transactional Services include domestic and cross-border commercial acquiring, both in-store and online, highly-secure payment transaction processing, a broad portfolio of payment terminals as well as e-ticketing and digital services in the industrial environment. In 2019 Worldline generated a proforma revenue of 5.3 billion euros. worldline.com. SIX Payment Services has been part of Worldline since the end of 2018. Bambora has been part of Worldline since the end of 2020.

JCB Press Office:
JCB International/Europe
Contact: India Stone
Email: istone@jcbeurope.eu
Phone: +44 020 7087 4754

JCB (Head Office in Japan)
Contact: Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp
Phone: +81 3 5778 8353

Worldline Press Office:
Contact: Susanne Stoeger, Head of Communications Merchant Services, Worldline
Email: susanne.stoeger@worldline.com
Phone: +43 171701 6524

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

ACI Worldwide and JCB Boosts Merchant Acquiring Capabilities with Successful Global Rollout of Web API Payment Solution

SINGAPORE & TOKYO, Jan 12, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a leading global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions and JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCB), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, today announced that JCB has completed the successful global rollout of its JCB Web API Service, including its Web API-based dispute function. JCB's full implementation of ACI Secure eCommerce, which serves as the foundation for the service, helps acquirers, merchants and payments service providers (PSPs) drive payments acceptance in key regions across Asia and globally.

JCB is accepted at about 35 million merchant locations globally, utilizes ACI Secure eCommerce as its JCB Web API Service – a processing interface to accelerate JCB Card acceptance in important and growing markets, especially in Asia. Acquirers benefit from an API-based interface for both authorization and clearing. The API-based dispute processing function on JCB Web API Service enables acquirers to receive chargeback notifications and request representment as a remedy for chargebacks via the Web API. The result is a more streamlined and efficient dispute handling operation for acquirers.

The full rollout of this solution enables acquirers and PSPs to support their merchants and offer more ways to pay for JCB cardmembers, who prefer to pay with their trusted brand. The ACI Secure eCommerce solution's API significantly simplifies the integration effort and cost for acquirers and PSPs while shortening their time-to-market to offer JCB payment acceptance.

"We are committed to expanding our global business and enabling our cardmembers to pay for goods and services around the world," said Kenta Seya, Executive Vice President of JCB. "ACI Secure eCommerce, which underpins JCB Web API Service, is globally proven with merchants and PSPs across geographies, industries and verticals. JCB's service, which supports both payments and dispute processing with its Web API, will help accelerate our expansion across Asia and around the world."

"The extensive capabilities delivered by ACI Secure eCommerce, including our mSDK, have enabled JCB to streamline and simplify operations while expanding their global reach," said Debbie Guerra, Executive Vice President of ACI Worldwide. "Building on our initial success with JCB and with the completion of this full rollout, we look forward to supporting JCB's long-term growth and global ambitions."

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide is a global software company that provides mission-critical real-time payment solutions to corporations. Customers use our proven, scalable and secure solutions to process and manage digital payments, enable omni-commerce payments, present and process bill payments, and manage fraud and risk. We combine our global footprint with local presence to drive the real-time digital transformation of payments and commerce. For more information, please visit: https://www.aciworldwide.com/

Related links
ACI Secure eCommerce https://www.aciworldwide.com/solutions/secure-ecommerce-payment-gateway
Real-time payment solutions https://www.aciworldwide.com/about-aci
Digital payments https://www.aciworldwide.com/solutions/aci-enterprise-payments-platform
Omni-commerce payments https://www.aciworldwide.com/solutions/aci-omni-commerce
Bill payments https://www.aciworldwide.com/solutions/aci-speedpay
Fraud and risk https://www.aciworldwide.com/solutions/aci-fraud-management-banking

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 35 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are now issued in over 20 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

Media Contacts:

ACI
Dan Ring
dan.ring@aciworldwide.com
+1 (781) 370-3600

Christopher Taine
christopher.taine@aciworldwide.com
+49 (0) 89 45230 128

JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

(c) Copyright ACI Worldwide, Inc. 2020

ACI, ACI Worldwide, ACI Payments, Inc., ACI Pay, Speedpay and all ACI product/solution names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide, Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States, other countries or both. Other parties' trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

Product roadmaps are for informational purposes only and may not be incorporated into a contract or agreement. The development release and timing of future product releases remains at ACI's sole discretion. ACI is providing the following information in accordance with ACI's standard product communication policies. Any resulting features, functionality, and enhancements or timing of release of such features, functionality, and enhancements are at the sole discretion of ACI and may be modified without notice. All product roadmap or other similar information does not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Uzpromstroybank launches JCB merchant acquiring operations across the Republic of Uzbekistan

TOKYO & TASHKENT, Jan 12, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and JSCB "Uzbek Industrial and Construction bank" are pleased to announce the start of JCB merchant acquiring operations across the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The introduction of a visa-free regime in 2018 with Japan, as well as the cooperation of Uzpromstroybank with JCB International Co., Ltd. (Japan) will expand the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, increase cashless money circulation and improve the quality of customer service.

In 2019, JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" launched a project to modernize card processing, the goals of which were the issuance of international cards with an electronic PIN code, multicurrency accounts and a credit limit on the card, and provision of service using international contactless card systems including JCB and the expansion of the acquiring network. As for today, the project has been implemented and testing and customization of new card products are underway.

In January 2021, a new processing "WAY4" has been launched in a productive environment, where all JCB cardholders will be able to withdraw cash from ATMs of Uzpromstroybank and pay for purchases in the network of the Bank's partners.

Takashi Suetsugu, the General Director of JCB International (Eurasia) LLC commented: "We are pleased to announce that JSCB "Uzpromstroybank", one of the largest and most reliable banks in the region with a high business reputation, has started to accept JCB Cards across the Republic of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is a popular tourist destination with an ancient history, rich cuisine, hospitable people. Uzbekistan attracts not only Russian tourists, but also tourists from Japan and other Asian countries and regions, where there are traditionally many JCB cardholders. The introduction of a visa-free regime in 2018, as well as our cooperation with JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" will definitely contribute to an increase in the flow of tourists, as well as creation of even more comfortable conditions for paying for purchases and withdrawing cash for JCB cardholders when traveling to the Republic."

Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSCB Uzpromstroybank Tavakkalov Ulugbek commented that the bank's ATM and terminal network serving Humo will simultaneously serve the cards of JCB international payment system. Now there are 150 of such ATMs and 16,000 of such terminals.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 35 million merchants in the world. JCB Cards are now issued in over 20 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

About JSCB "Uzpromstroybank"

JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" is the largest bank in the Republic of Uzbekistan, whose history is inextricably linked with the development of the economy, actively contributes to the implementation of structural reforms and liberalization of the economy, consistently implements a set of programs for the development of basic industries and modern infrastructure. Adhering to the strategy of intensive growth, Uzpromstroybank is implementing a set of measures aimed at increasing its authorized capital, issuing shares and actively placing them on the stock market to attract free funds from the population, business entities and potential investors. More information is available at https://sqb.uz/

Contacts

JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

JSCB "Uzbek Industrial and Construction bank"
Bekhzod Bozorov
Information service
Tel: +998 78 1204500 (1311)
Email: press_service@uzpsb.uz

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Edvantage Group (0382.HK) announced successful college conversion, Renamed as Guangzhou Huashang College

HONG KONG, Jan 11, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Edvantage Group Holdings Limited ("Edvantage Group" or the "Group", stock code: 0382.HK), the largest private higher education group in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"), is pleased to announce that the conversion of Huashang College Guangdong University of Finance and Economics ("Huashang College") into a private higher education institution has been approved and the college was renamed as Guangzhou Huashang College. The completion of Huashang College's conversion will provide beneficial impacts to school running perspective and operational perspective of the Group. After the conversion, the college will have more autonomy in school running and establishment of school running model, more flexibility in establishment of professional courses, more resources to improve educational level. It will create beneficial conditions for the future school running level development of the Group. After completion of the conversion, it will also proactively raise the Group's profitability and add value to its efficiency.

(Picture: The conversion of Huashang College Guangdong University of Finance and Economics ("Huashang College") into a private higher education institution has been approved and the college was renamed as Guangzhou Huashang College.)

School Running perspective
Inheriting the "Huashang" brand, Portraying novel prestigious education
Founded in 2006, Huashang College has been adhering to the motto of "Establishing school of the century, Nurturing talents of the nation", with the mission to develop professional talents in the GBA. The school running positioning of the Huashang College is to be an application-oriented higher education institution. Throughout the years, Huashang College has been focusing on business-related programmes to continuously output labours for the GBA. The successful conversion of Huashang College represents another landmark along the Group's development. Huashang College, in its new name of Guangzhou Huashang College, will inherit and promote the distinguished brand of "Huashang" in another dimension, maintaining a steady and healthy development of its reputation.

Successful conversion reflecting recognition for quality education
In accordance with relevant laws and regulations including the Non-state Education Promotion Law of the PRC, Provisional Regulations relating to General Bachelor Degree College Establishment and proactively responding to the call of the PRC government, Huashang College has proactively carried out procedures to improve school conditions and quality After rigorous consideration conducted by experts from the High School Establishment Consideration Committee of Guangdong Province, eventually Huashang College was selected as one of the 4 approved colleges in Guangdong Province for conversion. This demonstrates the Ministry of Education's recognition for the school quality and level of Huashang College as well as its confidence in Huashang College's developed internal governance, continuously growing teaching team and eager cooperation in optimising the conversion project.

Operational Perspective
Breakthrough in enrolment scale and boosting endogenous growth
Since the announcement of acquiring two schools in Chengdu, Sichuan, the Group has stepped into a high-speed development to robustly promote the full-time academic and vocational education businesses with both endogenous growth as well as outreach mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The post-conversion Huashang College is expected to provide more high-quality bachelor degree capacity and proactively expand the scale of student enrolment, by utilising the massive source of students in Guangdong Province as well as the multi-layered favourable policy which enabled full-time academic programmes to recruit additional students, thus creating advantageous conditions for the Group's revenue growth. Meanwhile, the school conditions of Huashang College will also be immensely enhanced, as Sihui Campus, the new site for its bachelor's degrees, commences operation.

Student management fees declining yearly, Cost structure highly improved
For the school year 2020/21, Huashang College paid approximately RMB86 million of student management fees to Guangdong University of Finance and Economics; however, after the conversion, starting from the school year 2021/22, no management fees will be incurred for student recruitment in the name of Guangzhou Huashang College. Guangzhou Huashang College will merely be responsible for management fees in regard to bachelor's students at Huashang College Guangdong University of Finance and Economics. Such fees will diminish year by year and eventually reduced to zero in the school year 2024/25, as the Group estimated, benefitting three figures, namely cost, gross profit and net profit. The reduction in cost will allow the Group to deploy more resources in programme development, campus construction and acquisitions, thus continuously enhancing its school conditions.

As one of the first independent colleges approved for conversion, the Group has taken an active role to align with the nation in promoting conversion work and closely follow relevant policies to boost equity in education as well as the healthy development of higher education in China. Moreover, this successful conversion will favour the Group in multi directions, extensively reinforcing its revenue and brand influence. Despite the conversion, Huashang College will still maintain a decent and continuous cooperation with Guangdong University of Finance and Economics. Such cooperation will include co-construction of research institutes and external social services. Looking forward, the Group will be dedicated to ensuring orderly daily education throughout the conversion and, sticking to the conversion scheme, proactively cooperate with each party, hence continuously embrace the motto of "Establishing school of the century, Nurturing talents of the nation" and reciprocate students, parents and investors.

About Edvantage Group Holdings Limited
Edvantage Group Holdings Limited (("Edvantage Group" or the "Group", stock code: 0382.HK) is the largest private higher education group in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and an early mover in education sector in pursuing international expansion. Up to now, the Group has more than 62,000 students in school, and it owns 7 domestic and foreign schools in China and overseas.

In China, the Group currently operates two Chinese private higher education institutions in Guangdong Province, namely, the undergraduate college, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics Huashang College (now renamed as "Guangzhou Huashang College") and a junior college, the Guangzhou Huashang Vocational College with the strategic focus of major business, major health and IT as the main curriculum. As of now, the number of students is 38,351. On December 4, 2020, the Group's existing Chinese school network in the Greater Bay Area expanded to the Chengdu-Chongqing integrated regional economic belt with great development potential, and acquired two colleges, Sichuan City Vocational College and Sichuan City Technician College in Sichuan Province with the number of full-time students in the two schools is about 24,000.

Overseas, the Group operates a private vocational education institution named Global Business College of Australia ("GBCA") authorised by Australian Skills Quality Authority ("ASQA") in Australia, offering vocational education courses and non-formal short-term courses. GBCA is the first Chinese international education institution approved by the Australian government. In December 2019, the Group also acquired a private vocational education institution in Singapore with an EduTrust certification from the Ministry of Education, that is, Edvantage Institute (Singapore) ("EIS") (formerly known as NYU Language School), which provides short-term and long-term language training courses, various kinds of diploma and higher diploma programmes. Moreover, in the first half of year 2020, the Group's Edvantage Institute Australia ("EIA") was authorised and approved by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency ("TEQSA"), being the Group's first higher education institution qualified to offer and award both undergraduate and master's degrees.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

SBI, NPCI and JCB Launch ‘SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card’

Mumbai & Tokyo, Dec 1, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – State Bank of India (SBI), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCB) have announced the launch of 'SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card'. This Card has been launched on the RuPay network by SBI in association with JCB. The SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card comes with a unique dual interface feature which will enable customers to perform both Contact & Contactless transactions in the domestic market and seamless contact transactions overseas. With this card, consumers would be able to transact on ATMs & POS terminals across the globe under JCB network. They can also shop online from JCB partnered international e-Commerce merchants using this card.

The 'SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card' supports RuPay offline wallet based transactions, enabling an additional payment mode within the Card. Consumers will be able to load the offline wallet and utilize it in transit in India (bus and metro) and retail (merchant) payments. This innovative proposition will offer customers uninterrupted shopping experience with an extra layer of convenience. Customers can also enjoy attractive discounts and offers while shopping at top brands, both within India as well as in international markets by using this Card. Additionally, customers will have access to JCB PLAZA Lounge (in-city exclusive lounges for JCB cardmembers) in prominent travel destinations such as Bangkok (Thailand), Orchard Road (Singapore) and Paris (France) which is a one-of-a-kind feature provided by JCB.

Ms. Praveena Rai, COO, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said, "We believe our collaboration with SBI and JCB will provide the cardholders compelling benefits and an unparalleled value proposition both in Indian and international markets. SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card holders can now use their cards at millions of locations in the world. It is also great to witness RuPay strengthening its foothold in international markets through our networks. We at NPCI constantly strive to offer an evolved and personalised shopping experience to the customers, and augment the existing segment of RuPay card holders."

Ms. Vidya Krishnan, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India said, "We are pleased to launch the 'SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card' through our strategic partnership with NPCI for RuPay and JCB. We believe the tap and pay technology on the Card will simplify the everyday purchases of customers with secure and fast contactless payments. With several attractive benefits and offers associated with this contactless Debit Card, we are hopeful that this Card would not only provide a rewarding shopping experience to the cardholders but also make their international travels worthwhile. At SBI, our consistent endeavour is to offer a differentiated and customised experience to our diverse set of customers in terms of their regular spends and transactions."

Mr. Yoshiki Kaneko, President and COO of JCB International Co., Ltd. said: "We are extremely happy and honoured to have the largest bank in India, State Bank of India, as a RuPay JCB Global Debit Card issuing partner. Together with our esteemed network partner, NPCI, we will bring best in class technology, access to the vast JCB global merchant network, and special offers and privileges to SBI customers. As more and more Indian customers adopt digital modes of payment to transact both domestically and internationally, we are sure this product proposition will be enjoyed and appreciated by the cardmembers."

About State Bank of India

State Bank of India (SBI) is India's largest commercial bank in terms of assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees. It is also the largest mortgage lender in the country. As on June 30, 2020, the Bank has a deposit base of over Rs. 34 lakh crore with CASA ratio of more than 45% and advances of nearly Rs. 24 lakh crore. SBI commands nearly 34% market share in home loans and nearly 33% in the auto loans segment. The Bank has the largest network of over 22,100 Branches in India with an ATM/CDM network of over 58,500 and total BC outlets of more than 62,200. The number of customers using Internet Banking facilities is about 76 million and Mobile Banking services stand a little more than 17 million. The integrated digital and lifestyle platform by SBI – YONO has crossed the landmark of 58 million downloads. YONO which has 26 million registered users, witnesses 5.5 million logins per day along with over 4000 daily disbursals of personal loans, 16,000 YONO Krishi Agri Gold Loans. The Bank recently launched the YONO Global app in the UK and Mauritius and plans to cover 9 more countries by the end of 2020. On social media platforms, SBI has the highest number of followers on Facebook and Twitter amongst all banks worldwide. For more information, visit: https://bank.sbi

State Bank of India is the market leader in Debit Cards segment with a history of offering advanced and tailor-made products to its customers through various Channels. The Bank's latest offering in the form of SBI RuPay JCB Debit Card will also allow customers to pay for transit apart from retail payments – adding an extra layer of convenience for them. This card has all the potential of being the most preferred cards for customers.

The SBI RuPay JCB Contactless Debit Card is designed to enable banks to reduce their customers' effort of cash handling and provide them with the convenience of single tap payment. RuPay Contactless specifications are open standards, interoperable and scalable and can be adopted by all Card schemes. RuPay Contactless specifications have been developed to offer a vendor-agnostic, interoperable, secured and cost-effective ecosystem of low value payments to facilitate the government in building a less-cash economy. The SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card has all the elements to offer customers with ultimate choice of customising their payment decisions based on their comfort and needs, thereby creating for them, an ultimate transformative yet gratifying shopping experience.

About NPCI

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India. NPCI has created a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in the country. It has changed the way payments are made in India through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay Card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag) and Bharat BillPay. NPCI also launched UPI 2.0 to offer a more secure and comprehensive services to consumers and merchants.

NPCI is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems through use of technology and is relentlessly working to transform India into a digital economy. It is facilitating secure payments solutions with nationwide accessibility at minimal cost in furtherance of India's aspiration to be a fully digital society. For more information, visit: https://www.npci.org.in/

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading Credit Card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Backed by its vast global acceptance network, JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide.
For more information, please visit https://www.global.jcb/en/index.html
All information is current as of 4th November 2020

Corporate contacts:
NPCI
Swagata Gupta
98200 88951
swagata.gupta@npci.org.in

SBI
Ritesh Mehta
9930125097
Ritesh.mehta@sbi.co.in

JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
+81-3-5778-8353
jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Post Bank launches JCB merchant acquiring operations

Moscow & Tokyo, Nov 25, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – JSC Post Bank, a universal retail bank established by VTB Group and Russian Post, has launched JCB merchant acquiring operations. JCB cardholders now have the opportunity to withdraw cash from all ATMs of the bank (over 4,800 ATMs), as well as to pay for goods and services using Post Bank's POS terminals (over 55,000) located in the offices of the Russian Post.[1]

"Post Bank is actively developing cooperation with payment systems to provide convenient payment services and tools. Thanks to the partnership with JCB, more cardholders will now be able to use our ATMs and POS-terminals," said Elena Mokhnacheva, Member of the Board, COO of Post Bank.

"Post Bank's ATMs and POS terminals are installed in almost all post offices throughout Russia, which is very convenient for both bank customers and JCB cardholders. We are glad that Post Bank, one of the largest universal banks in Russia, started accepting JCB cards. We are committed to providing comfortable service possible for our cardholders. Our cooperation with Post Bank is a new step forward in achieving our goals," commented Takashi Suetsugu, General Director of JCB International (Eurasia) LLC.

The project was implemented with the technological support of MultiCarta, a processing company that carried out software updates, testing and coordination of work with the payment system.

[1] As of November 2020.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 34 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers.

As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

About Post Bank

Post Bank is a universal retail bank established by VTB Group and Russian Post in 2016. VTB Bank and Russian Post each own 49.999993% of the bank's shares, two more shares are held by D.V. Rudenko. The Bank is developing a regional network based on Russian Post branches. According to the results of the first half of 2020, more than 19 thousand bank service points were opened in 83 regions of the Russian Federation, and the client base reached 14.6 million people.

In post offices, the bank is presented in the format of sales windows with a bank employee or an employee of the Russian Post. Post Bank operates without cash centers, all operations are performed by customers using ATMs with a closed cash flow function. Post Bank is the only bank in Russia whose ATM network (more than 4,800 machines) consists entirely of such devices. The bank's website is http://www.pochtabank.ru/.

Contacts
JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

FE Credit to issue JCB Card in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH & TOKYO, Nov 19, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – VPBank Finance Company Limited (FE Credit) and JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand announced the launch of the FE Credit JCB Credit Card.

FE Credit JCB Plus Card

FE Credit JCB Gold Card

The new FE Credit JCB Card has 2 different card grades: FE Credit JCB Plus Card and FE Credit JCB Gold Card. The holders of FE Credit JCB Card can access JCB's acceptance network with about 34 million merchants around the world.

FE Credit pioneered Credit Cards for category entrants and first time card users in Vietnam. These two products from FE Credit Card powered by JCB are loaded with features and benefits which resonate with the needs of the target segment. A few examples of these unique offerings are, Oi Plus Program – a flagship loyalty program that rewards cardholders on their everyday spending, EasyPay – one of Vietnam's largest 0% retail installment program, and Selfie PLUS – one-click mobile-to-card image upload solution.

About FE Credit

A pioneer in Consumer Finance, FE CREDIT has established a solid foundation to become the market leader in the unsecured consumer loans and credit card market with more than 20,000 employees. FE CREDIT currently provides consumer finance services such as personal loans, two-wheeler loans, consumer durable loans, credit cards and insurance. FE CREDIT has served nearly 15 million customers, co-operating with 9,000 partners across 20,000 Point of Sale (POS) outlets nationwide.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 34 million merchants in the world. JCB Cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

Contact
JCB
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

JCB sees contactless growth among cardmembers and retail partners, as economic uncertainty accelerates mobile payments

London & Tokyo, Nov 16, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today reveals substantial growth of JCB Contactless usage by cardmembers and adoption by retail partners.

The findings are part of an exclusive new whitepaper issued by JCB International Co., Ltd., titled 'Payment Perspectives and Future-Gazing'. The whitepaper includes insights from JCB business leaders evaluating some of the challenges and opportunities presented to stakeholders in the payments sector as well as the heightened expectations of customers as a result of the changing times.

Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd. comments:

"With the pace of change being forced by recent events, there is an even greater opportunity to accelerate the evolution of payments. This means adopting a growth mindset and not retrenching to 'the old' normal. The payment industry is fulfilling an increasingly more important role in the economic recovery phases, and as such, it is essential to find ways to diversify the way in which we meet customer needs alongside our partners."

"There are now many options for people to pay for goods and services and preferences vary region to region and country to country. There is a marvellous opportunity for businesses to innovate and create engaging shopping experiences, but it does mean payment networks need to keep one step ahead by utilising market intelligence and providing fresh solutions to meet customer needs."

"We are well-placed to help solve the challenges ahead as an established voice in the global payment ecosystem. Long ago we recognised the importance of creating a smooth and secure transactional journey for customers. We began our international expansion in 1981 and, in 1991 we launched the J/Smart™ EMV(R) compliant chip card application for issuing partners, and in 2001 J/Smart™ card issuance commenced. There have been many milestones since.

"As the payments gateway for Asian customers, we will continue to collaborate with our partners in Europe and internationally to build confidence and to find cutting-edge payment solutions for our 140M+ cardmembers worldwide. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories."

Download and read the full whitepaper here:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6725429756592041984

[1] JCB Proprietary Data (July 2020)
[2] JCB World Conference 2019, 'Future of Payments and Authentication'. (October 2019).
[3] JCB Proprietary Data (February 2020)
[4] JCB Proprietary Data (March 2020)

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes 34 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information: www.global.jcb/en/

Contacts:

Propeller Group
Contact: Mykayla Carr
Email: jcb@propellergroup.com / mykayla.carr@propellergroup.com
Phone: +44 7445 067604

JCB International/Europe
Contact: India Stone
Email: istone@jcbeurope.eu
Phone: +44 020 7087 4754

JCB (Head Office in Japan)
Contact: Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp
Phone: +81 3 5778 8353

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Pacer Ventures set to solve the funding gap for African Startups

JOHANNESBURG & LAGOS, Nov 12, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Pacer Ventures LLC, a venture firm for sub-Saharan Africa, has launched a $3M fund for early-stage startups, aimed at solving the most critical problem on the continent. Registered in Delaware, with operational offices in Lagos and Johannesburg, Pacer VC is focusing on verticals that are expedient to the African continent, including healthcare, financial inclusion, education and agriculture.

The UN projects that Africa will have a population of 1.68 billion people by 2030, while the GSMA Mobile Economy Report states that 84% of Africa's population or 1 billion people will have access to a SIM connection by 2025.

"We see a huge opportunity to support early stage founders who are making meaningful contributions to their local economies and communities by leveraging the high mobile penetration on the continent," said Gbemi Akande, General Partner at Pacer Ventures. The firm has already begun to support early stage founders by participating in seed rounds, including VPD.Money and others.

With an average cheque size of six figures, Pacer Ventures is positioned to add substantial value to its portfolio companies. According to Antoinia Norman, General Partner at Pacer Ventures in charge of Southern Africa, "We won't just write a cheque, we will enable founders to work in and on their business, by supporting them along every step of their journey, with resources and access to markets."

The General Partners of Pacer Ventures have over 30 years of combined experience in entrepreneurship and start deal flow sourcing. The key differentiator is the fund's focus on sourcing high potential African startups, leveraging its strategic partnership with Founder Institute in Africa as a funnel.

"This collaboration with Founder Institute gives us an undeniable edge particularly with quality deal-flow at an early stage and we will leverage this to spread our footprint quickly," said Chukwuemeka Agbata, Regional Director of Founder Institute in Africa and Co-founder of techbuild.africa.

Speaking on the Pacer VC investment thesis, Geoffrey Weli-Wosu, General Partner at Pacer Ventures and Co-Founder of VoguePay and Domineum, stated, "We are leveraging our in-depth experience in startups and ecosystem development to take advantage of the early-stage funding gap in Africa."

About Pacer Ventures LLC
Pacer Ventures is well positioned to support the growth of startups within Sub-Saharan Africa. A combination of attributes enables our deal-flow, sourcing and portfolio management which promises realistic returns to our investors.

Pacer email: info@pacer.vc
Official website: https://pacer.vc/
Pacer blog: https://pacer.vc/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pacerventures
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pacerventures/

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Alinma Bank signs acquiring agreement with JCB International for local acceptance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh & Tokyo, Nov 9, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Alinma Bank has partnered with JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co. Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, to enable the acceptance of JCB Cards through its POS and ATM network devices deployed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The expansion is in line with the Kingdom's strategic vision to promote both a cashless society and financial inclusion as part of Vision 2030.

The partnership is also a continuation of JCB's plan for entering the market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a destination of ever-increasing importance for its cardholders around the world for both business and tourism. The partnership will significantly give added convenience to JCB cardholders from the Islamic world, who frequently travel to Saudi Arabia for religious tourism.

"I am delighted that we have entered into this partnership with Alinma Bank for the acceptance of JCB Cards," said Mr. Yoshiki Kaneko, President and COO of JCBI. "Saudi Arabia has always been a very important destination for many of JCB cardholders, from both a business and religious perspective. With the strategic plan for Vision 2030, the country is now increasingly an important destination for tourism as well. Alinma Bank's extensive reach in the market will ensure that JCB cardholders will be able to use JCB Cards at their convenience. The partnership will also enhance the already close fraternal ties between Saudi Arabia and Japan.

H.E. Mr. Abdulmohsen Al-Fares, CEO of Alinma Bank said: "We at Alinma Bank are so pleased to partner with JCB, whose reputation for the quality and reliability of their services precedes them. Through this agreement, Alinma will deepen its commitment to continually enhancing its service offerings for its partners (customers). Furthermore, this partnership will help Alinma support the kingdom's ongoing progress toward the realization of Vision 2030, as well as the enablement of daily life and business activities of those who visit the kingdom each year."

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes 34 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and card member base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

About Alinma Bank

Alinma Bank strives to deliver forward thinking, innovative, exemplary products and services that meet customer needs and expectations. Alinma today owns one of the most advanced banking infrastructures with regard to technological capabilities, branch network, remote channels, and product and service innovation. In addition, Alinma's products and services are designed to meet the real and pressing needs of a growing and changing market. With full commitment to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, Alinma understands the importance of continually transforming and refining its business in order to be of true value to its partners, the community, and the kingdom as a whole.

Alinma Bank has four wholly owned subsidiaries: Saudi Financial Technology Company, Alinma Investment Company, Al-Tanweer Real Estate Company, and Alinma Cooperative Insurance Agency. The bank also holds a stake in and is a founder of Alinma Tokio Marine Company, which provides Shariah-compliant, cooperative insurance products and services, ERSAL Financial Remittance Company, and Bayan Credit Bureau Company.

Contacts:

JCB Co., Ltd.
Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

Alinma Bank
Mohammed Abdulrhman Al Muwannas
Marketing & Corporate Communications General Manager
Tel: +966112185777
Email: malmuwannas@Alinma.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com