For Immediate Release

Tokyo and Neu-Isenburg, October 1, 2004 - JCB, a leading international card payment brand, and AirPlus, a global leader in business travel payment solutions, are pleased to announce the launch of JCB AirPlus Travel Payment Solution (JATPS), a new combination of the partners' distinctive best-of-breed services that will provide a broad business travel management (BTM) solution to AirPlus multinational clients with operations in Japan. The new service will begin on October 1, 2004.

"We at JCB are delighted that AirPlus has recognized our expertise as a comprehensive payment solution and chosen to work with us. We believe that its global corporate clients will benefit from our advanced business travel management system", said Mr. Hiroya Nobuhara, President and CEO of JCB Co., Ltd. "This is part of our overall strategy of evolution from a credit card company to a comprehensive payment solution provider on a global basis."

"In JCB, we have found a partner that is ideally positioned in the Japanese market. JCB's existing payment systems and long experience are an excellent fit with our know-how in international business travel management. With JCB we now have the basis for sustained growth in the region", explains Mr. Peter Metzler, Managing Director at AirPlus.

JCB created the new JATPS business model with AirPlus by combining two of its corporate solution products, the JCB international air ticket purchasing system and the JCB corporate credit card. The first, the JCB AirPlus Company Account (JACA) provides a convenient, integrated payment method for corporate purchases of air tickets and a wealth of data including air carrier name, route and seat class as well as the usual itemized information. Companies can use this central billing solution to simplify payment for air tickets from all major international airlines.

The second solution product, the JCB AirPlus Corporate Card (JACC), allows employees to pay for their other business-related expenses. During business trips, the JCB AirPlus Corporate Card serves as a powerful payment tool for all sorts of travel and entertainment-related expenses. Corporate travellers may conveniently use their card to gain access to numerous Asian points of sale and JCB Plaza services as well as extensive insurance benefits and a wide range of other advantages.

The new JCB AirPlus Travel Payment Solution (JATPS) offers AirPlus clients the benefit of JCB JACA/JACC information through the AirPlus Information Manager (AIM) system, an intelligent cost analysis tool that provides detailed expense reports which assist businesses to identify potential saving opportunities, thereby providing them with an excellent basis for price negotiations with airlines, hotels, car rental companies and other service providers. The new combination will allows JATPS client corporations to enjoy unparalleled transparency of costs and new levels of analysis of expense data from around the world.

Over 22,000 corporate customers in over 23 countries rely on AirPlus for their business travel management needs and benefit from AirPlus presence in all the leading business travel markets worldwide. In Japan, the top 500 companies in the AirPlus customer base are the key target group for JATPS. JCB is committed to developing and providing innovative solutions for partners such as AirPlus, making the most of its expertise in domestic and international payment systems.

About AirPlus
AirPlus, based in Frankfurt/Germany since 1989, is a global leader for business travel payment solutions. With AirPlus central payment accounts, corporate cards and online management tools, corporate customers can optimize all their travel payment practices. Corporations gain greater control over their travel spending, travel managers improve their ability to measure and analyze all travel expenses and travelers receive the flexibility and convenience they demand. More than 22,000 companies, including some of the world's largest global enterprises, have come to trust AirPlus. Further information can be found at www.airplus.com.

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.