JCB And Viva Wallet Expand Collaboration Across Europe

Viva Wallet set to bring JCB acceptance to merchants spanning 23 countries across Europe from late 2020

Vienna & Tokyo, Aug 25, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB and Viva Wallet announce an extended European roll-out, which will enable contact and contactless payment between Viva Wallet's European merchants and JCB's 140 million cardmembers through both face-to-face and online commerce transactions.

The roll-out will be extended with an additional 6 European nations, over and above the 17 countries which have already been enabled, from September 2020. This means that Viva Wallet will bring JCB acceptance to merchants spanning a total of 23 countries across Europe from late 2020.

This collaboration will support around 80,000 merchants in Greece, more than 3,000 merchants in Belgium, and more than 6,000 merchants in the United Kingdom (and other countries) across multiple industries including retail, food, and transportation.

In 2019, JCB and Viva Wallet shared their joint enablement plans, which were initially geared to serving merchants across 12 European countries, but through an extended roll-out would bring JCB acceptance to a new total of 17 various nations across Europe.

JCB Contactless provides cardmembers with a secure, fast solution for making payments at convenience and grocery stores, taxis, as well as other retail purchases. Merchants will now be able to increase their brand footprint and welcome sales from 24 countries and territories where JCB cards are issued, including Japan, China, Korea, Thailand.

Over and above streamlining face-to-face transactions, this partnership will enable online JCB acceptance with J/Secure™1.0 (based on Visa's 3-D Secure Core Protocol Specifications). J/Secure™1.0 is designed to be an additional security layer for cardmembers' online credit and debit card transactions and provides cardmembers with a safe purchase experience. J/Secure™2.0 (based on the EMV 3-D Secure Protocol and Core Functions Specification) is set to follow the additional September 2020 expansion.

Mr. Makis Antypas, CIO and Co-Founder of Viva Wallet, said: "We always strive to combine our cloud-based processing infrastructure, our multiple principal memberships for acquiring and issuing services, and our participation in various payment systems across Europe, to benefit our merchant base making their payments' journey as seamless as possible. We are very excited about our partnership with JCB, and we welcome their cardmembers, not only to make easier and faster online and offline payments, but also to accommodate the increasing demand for alternative payments methods in Europe, something not many other payment providers can support."

Mr. Thomas Heigl, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said "We're thrilled to partner with Viva Wallet and to welcome increased, secure sales for Viva Wallet's merchants across 17 European countries. This is a key achievement for us as we increase JCB cardmember acceptance in both brick and mortar establishments and through e-commerce transactions. The opportunity to extend into other territories from September 2020 is one we look forward to also."

About EMV®

EMV® is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes 34 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. Visit www.global.jcb/en/ and www.jcbeurope.eu.

About Viva Wallet

Viva Wallet are a global cloud-based digital payments factory with a localised mindset and configuration. Their mission is to change how businesses pay and get paid, and they aim to be the first payment provider that is entirely cloud-based, ensuring 24/7 uninterrupted service across Europe. Customers using a Viva Wallet card reader or payment gateway, along with a Viva Wallet Business Account, can earn back acceptance fees by making payments using their Viva Debit Card. Visit www.vivawallet.com.

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