Tokyo, April 1, 2004 -- JCB Co., Ltd., a leading international payment brand, is pleased to announce the introduction of a pilot project at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry(METI) for JCB contactless credit cards.

The project, which began on March 29, introduces the new e-METI JCB Business Card, based on dual interface technology, which not only allows employees to pay at canteens throughout the government agency's facilities, but can also be used as a regular credit card at any store or merchant currently accepting JCB. This pilot marks a first for the introduction of contactless technology to regular international credit card payment in Japan, where payment access is realized with both contact and contactless interface with the dual interface chip card.

The new card features a contactless interface that allows payment by simply holding the card near the surface of a card reader. Not only does the new card eliminate the need to carry cash, but the customer does not have to hand the card over to a store employee to process payment. The contactless technology was developed in cooperation with Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

"JCB is very pleased not only to be working with the Japanese government in this pilot program, but to extend the knowledge and technology that we have been acquiring through earlier solutions," said Go Masaki, Assistant Vice President of Advanced Technologies at JCB. "It is our ongoing challenge at JCB to develop new payment systems that reflect not only the most effective solutions for new customer requirements, but employ the latest innovations and technologies available in the market."

The e-METI JCB Business Card incorporates JCB's DualPlus™ dual interface technology, which complies with ISO/IEC 14443 Type B standards for contactless applications and also equipped with the contact interface EMV-standard credit application J/Smart™. The card allows for increased security, and in conjunction with the card's public key data authentication, reduces the risk of fraudulent alteration of financial data.

JCB has been offering a similar product with its Offica corporate smart card, which also incorporates contactless IC chip technology, as well as a wide menu of functions on a single card including office access control, network authentication, employee attendance tracking and cashless purchasing at the office. The e-METI JCB Business Card released today was developed with much of the expertise and practical know-how JCB has acquired through its Offica solutions, and its long line of various other payment technology solutions.

The new e-METI JCB Business Card pilot project will run for 6 months through the end of September, 2004, during which time JCB and its partners will be using feedback from card users and merchants to fine-tune the solution for METI's on-going use. JCB's payment solutions, including the e-METI JCB Business Card, will continue to offer a technological edge that enhance security and convenience in the international credit card payment system.

About JCB's DualPlus™
DualPlus is a dual interface technology with both contact and contactless interface in a single chip. This technology not only reduces the cost of a smart card by eliminating the need for two separate chips, it also enables data sharing by applications using either type of interface, a major improvement in usability and convenience for consumers.

About ISO/IEC 14443 Type B
ISO/IEC 14443 Type B is a world standard widely used for contactless chip transactions. This standard has been adopted for the Japanese government's Basic Resident Register Card among other applications.

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 11.4 million merchants and spans 189 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 18 countries and territories, with 49.6 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, 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.