JCB Announces Sublicense Acquiring Agreement
with :
Widespread Acceptance in Turkey
For Immediate Release
Tokyo, March 31, 2004 - JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), a leading
international payment brand, announced that
(Isbank), one of Turkey's largest banks, is now authorized for JCB
merchant acquiring through a sublicensing agreement. The license
was granted to Isbank by JCBI's direct licensee, Anadolu Kredi
(AKK). With this new agreement, the number of merchants accepting
JCB card in Turkey will increase to more than 100,000 throughout
the country, helping increasing numbers of Japanese tourists to
shop more conveniently.
"We are very pleased to have this opportunity to partner with
Isbank, one of the top acquiring banks in Turkey," said Kunio
Yoshizawa, President & COO of JCBI. "Having Isbank's POS
terminals accept JCB will be sure to benefit both of us significantly
in terms of sales. Turkey, standing between Europe and Asia, is
a popular destination for JCB cardmembers attracted to the country's
historical and cultural resources, and we believe that this will
meet their essential needs for travel and entertainment service,
and thus strengthen our business."
Mete ,
Deputy Chief Executive of Isbank, added, "The JCB card is widely
used all over the world, not just Japan. We know that the Japanese
like to travel, and we believe that widespread availability of JCB
in Turkey will help promote income from tourism, and the national
economy. And of course, this agreement will increase the sales volumes
of our member companies."
Zorlu, Member of Executive Board of Anadolu Kredi
(AKK), another JCB licensee, commented, "Our agreement with
JCB in 1993 helped us increase sales at our 11,000 merchants. We
are very happy to see JCB brand presence rise even higher with this
new agreement."
This new partnership will expand JCB acceptability in Turkey, while
the JCB brand will further increase the strength of the bank's merchant
network.
About 
(Isbank) is the fourth largest bank in Turkey with 839 branches
nationwide. The sublicense acquiring agreement with JCB is via AKK
Bank. Isabank maintains a network of 113,000 merchants and 121,000
POS terminals, representing 17% of the market, specializing in the
consumer retail sector, including supermarkets and retail clothing
outlets. The Bank records international credit card sales volume
of more than US$19 million per annum. For further information, please
visit the Isbank homepage at:
www.isbankasi.com.
About JCB International 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 11.4 million merchants and spans 189 countries and territories.
JCB cards are now issued in 18 countries and territories, with 49.6
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, 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.
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