Japan's JCB has entered a pact with a new payments alliance to share its contactless solution with members.
In the agreement with Munich-based White Label Alliance, JCB will provide its contactless kernel specifications to WLA members seeking to deliver contactless payments capabilities to customers.
JCB, a Tokyo-based card issuer and acquirer, has been accepted as a member of WLA, which was founded by Idemia, G+D and NXP Semiconductors to address an increasing global demand for next-generation independent payment solutions for domestic or private-label payment schemes.
"As momentum toward contactless payments is gathering on a global scale, it is becoming critical that the interoperable contactless capability is more accessible so that a wider audience can benefit from the enhanced convenience and security," Masaki Yokawa, executive vice president of brand business at JCB, said in a press release.
"By offering our technology to WLA, we are delighted to work with banks, local networks and vendors to enable contactless implementation with less efforts and shorter time-to-market," Yokawa said.
The card brand's JCB Contactless payment solution is expanding globally and is fully compliant with EMV standards. It is supported by most acceptance devices including those of major global terminal suppliers, JCB said.
The goal of the JCB-WLA agreement is for WLA members to accelerate contactless migrations and shorten time to market through the use of existing JCB Contactless terminal devices.
"We all work together to create a truly independent solution, based on tried and tested technology, with rapid time to market for domestic payment networks, transport operators, private schemes and retailers," WLA President Jacques Doucerain said in the release. "Our agreement with JCB will boost our appeal and this unprecedented payment industry initiative. It furthers our original goal to bring about a global independent standard."
JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began a worldwide expansion in 1981. The brand says its payments acceptance network includes about 35 million merchants globally, with its cards issued in more than 20 countries and territories.
JCB estimates its cardholder base at more than 140 million.
