Thursday, 27 September 2018, 14:00 HKT/SGT

- The leading Russian bank and one of the most developed international payment systems start to cooperate.
- By developing the collaboration with JCB, Sberbank will facilitate card payments for tourists from East and Southeast Asia.
- Sberbank and JCB began working together thanks to increasing tourist flow from Asia and as a result of JCB Cards issuing development by Russian banks.

Moscow & Tokyo, Sept 27, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia, and JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., are pleased to announce the launch of JCB Card acceptance on the bank's merchant acquiring network in Russia.

JCB Card acceptance will be automatically enabled for all new clients, who have signed an acquiring agreement with Sberbank. JCB Cards acceptance for the clients who are already included in Sberbank's acquiring network will be expanded gradually.

JCB is one of the largest international payment brands. There are more than 117 million JCB Cards, most of which are issued in Asia. According to the Russia Tourism Agency, the number of inbound tourists from Asian countries and regions is growing[1], which creates increased demand for servicing JCB Cards.

Svetlana Kirsanova, Director of Sberbank's Acquiring and Bank Card Division: "The development of cashless transactions in Russia is one of our strategic priorities. That is why the connection of Sberbank's merchant acquiring network to the JCB payment system is a logical step, aimed at creating comfortable conditions for the active use of JCB Cards by foreign guests and residents, and promoting business growth of merchants using Sberbank's acquiring system."

Takashi Suetsugu, General Director of JCB International Eurasia: "We are pleased that Sberbank, the largest bank in the Russian market, is starting to accept JCB Cards. Increasing the number of JCB Card acceptance points is a key stage in our company's goal to create a stable base of cardholders in Russia. We believe that cooperation with Sberbank is a big step in the development of the JCB payment system in Russia."

Contact
Sberbank
Anastasia Vakhlamova
Press Office
Tel +7(495) 957 5721
media@sberbank.ru

JCB Co., Ltd.
Kumiko Kida
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

Sberbank is Russia's largest bank and a leading global financial institution. Sberbank holds almost one third of aggregate Russian banking sector assets, it is the key lender to the national economy and the biggest deposit taker in Russia. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is the founder and principal shareholder of Sberbank owning 50% of the Bank's authorized capital plus one voting share, with the remaining 50% held by domestic and international investors. Sberbank has more than 145 million customers in 21 countries. Sberbank has the largest distribution network in Russia with almost 15,000 branches, and its international operations include UK, US, CIS, Central and Eastern Europe, India, China, Turkey and other countries.

The Bank holds the general banking license No.1481 issued by the Bank of Russia. Official websites of the Bank: www.sberbank.com (Sberbank Group website), www.sberbank.ru.

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. 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 card member base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.ru.jcb/ru/ or www.global.jcb/en/

[1] http://opendata.russiatourism.ru/7708550300-entryofforeign

Topic: Press release summary
Source: Sberbank / JCB
Sectors: Cards & Payments, Daily News
http://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Corporate News Network