JCB/NFC Press Release

Mobile J/Speedy™ NFC Mobile Pilot Project
Successfully Launched in Europe by Team Collaboration Led by JCB

AMSTERDAM, October 12, 2006 – JCB, the global payment brand, in cooperation with CCV Holland B.V., Gemalto, KPN, Nokia, PaySquare, NXP, and ViVOtech, announced that they have successfully launched Mobile J/Speedy™, the Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payment pilot project in early September in Amsterdam. The project marks the first contactless international credit payment scheme using a mobile phone with an NFC chip in Europe.

This project is being carried out with close collaboration among these regional and global enterprises. Selected JCB cardholders are provided with a mobile phone by Nokia, which is equipped with NXP’s NFC chip loaded with the JCB payment application specified and developed by Gemalto. Cardholders can purchase low-value items by just waving their mobile phone at the contactless payment terminal provided by ViVOtech at selected PaySquare merchants. KPN is taking the role of installing the application and personalizing the mobile phones, and CCV Holland processes the transactions. JCB designed and coordinates the scheme based on its successful experience in contactless technologies in Japan.

The first transaction of the pilot was conducted at Sushi Time, the Japanese sushi restaurant in the World Trade Center in Amsterdam. The manager of Sushi Time enthusiastically told JCB that the customers who pay by Mobile J/Speedy are very happy with the speed and ease of this payment solution. Approximately 100 selected JCB cardholders are now enjoying fast, easy, and convenient low-value payment with Mobile J/Speedy at selected merchants, where they used to pay by cash. Pilot merchants have received many questions from customers who are not part of the pilot but were interested in this contactless mobile payment when they saw it being used at the cash register. Although it has only been a month, the increasing number of repeaters already shows the success of the pilot.

“Mobile J/Speedy has proven very popular since it was launched”, said Hajime Matsuura, manager of JCB International’s Amsterdam branch, who is taking a leading role in the pilot project. “One customer mentioned how quick and easy it was to pay for a cup of coffee on a busy day. Since there are a lot of business offices located in and around the World Trade Center, Mobile J/Speedy is being especially well received by busy business people. They do not need to fumble in their pocket or purse to find small change. And merchants benefit from the fact that lines move a lot faster at the cashier.”

Mr. Matsuura continued, “Along with a wallet, a mobile phone is becoming a must-have item when going out. Uniting mobile and contactless payment increases the level of convenience. Mobile J/Speedy is the product that answers the needs of the times. JCB has already been successful with a contactless payment solution in Japan. With this additional success in Amsterdam, I am even more confident that credit payment will start taking more share in the low-value payment market.”

About JCB
JCB is one of the global payment brands 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 13 million merchants and spans 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 20 countries and territories, with 55.99 million card members. 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. As a comprehensive payment solutions company, JCB is committed to providing high-quality payment services to customers, merchants, and partners. For further information, please visit the JCB home page at www.jcb-global.com/english/ or www.jcbcorporate.com/english/.

About ViVOtech
ViVOtech (www.vivotech.com) is the market leader in contactless/NFC payment software, transaction management systems, and readers. These innovative solutions allow consumers to make contactless payments with radio frequency-enabled credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, and NFC-enabled mobile phones. ViVOtech's products are used by some of the most prominent retailers in the United States. Currently, with more than 190,000 units in 18 countries, ViVOtech's products are in use at movie theaters, fast food restaurants (QSR), casual dining establishments, convenience stores, gas stations, drug stores, grocery stores, buses, taxicabs and vending machine locations, enabling a wide variety of businesses to accept contactless/NFC payments. In 2005, ViVOtech received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan technology award for its role in transforming the contactless payment industry, as well as winning the first annual ETA Technology Innovation Award.