Since being established in 1961, JCB has maintained the position as a leader in the Japanese card industry by providing superior service -- an ability honed in response to the rigorous service requirements of Japanese consumers. In 1981, JCB began international development program with the firm commitment of offering the same quality service and the same convenience to JCB cardmembers overseas.

A JCB card issuance program was launched in Hong Kong in 1985, and from the early 1990s on, our international issuance and merchant acquisition program has attracted more and more of the world's most reputable financial institutions to become JCB partners. We continue to pursue even greater global expansion from a solid foundation as a major international card brand, and at the moment 55 million of the world's most desirable cardmembers hold JCB cards -- which are accepted at 10 million associated merchants and supported by close ties with 3,000 financial institutions worldwide.