Another lure to choose Cyprus as a tourist and not only destination will have visitors coming mainly from Asian countries but also from Russia. The Japanese card issuing company JCB International announced that it has reached an agreement with the Cypriot JCC and from this year its cards will be accepted at terminals and ATMs of the company on the island.
JCB cards transact more than $ 280 billion a year, with more than 123 million cardholders, most of whom are Japanese. Specifically, 94.6 million holders are Japanese and the rest from other countries. In recent years, the company places special emphasis on its development in other markets, especially in Europe. As mentioned by Tsuyoshi Notani, CEO of JCB International (Europe) Ltd, the agreement allows the company to expand its acceptance and continued growth in Europe by offering its customers a smoother payment experience in these European countries.
The aim is to resolve the technical and other issues as soon as possible, so that the cooperation can start before the tourist season of 2019. JCB is the latest addition to the companies whose cards are served by JCC. In a similar move about a year and a half ago, the cooperation started with Union Pay, a company that plays a leading role in its sector in China, one of the largest markets in the world and a long-term goal of the Cypriot authorities to increase the tourist flow from this country. JCB and Union Pay were the latest additions to JCC's partnerships with other giant companies such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club.
It is recalled that according to JCC data, purchases of cards from foreigners in Cyprus in 2018 reached 1.1 billion euros, recording an annual increase of 20% compared to 2017. In total, purchases and withdrawals from foreigners increased by 17% to 1.4 billion euros .
Source: Philenews