Arkéa signs a partnership with JCB International

JCB International, Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd. and Arkéa, a banking group with cooperative principles, today announced their strategic partnership alliance. Arkéa business partners* with face-to-face payment acceptance (payment terminals) or e-commerce sites will begin to accept cardmembers of the JCB network imminently.

All Arkéa ATMs will also be integrated into the JCB network for cash withdrawals. Given the strong tourist attractions within the French territory, this will provide retail business partners with additional revenue potential.

JCB is the leading issuer and acquirer in Japan and one of the largest payment networks in the international market. Further, it is also a partner of many of Asian major banks. It has more than 130 million cardmembers, and around 30 million merchants worldwide, who accept JCB card.

Arkéa, a progressive French banking group, is known to have innovation in its DNA. In order to support its business customers in their development and growth, Arkéa signed this partnership with JCB. This is a multi-channel acceptance offer for the entire acquisition scope: face-to-face payment, e-commerce, and ATMs. Thus, Arkéa customers, who are currently using an electronic payment terminal (EPT) or an e-commerce site (Citélis solution,) will now be able to accept JCB card payments.

Access to international customers and new revenues

For Arkéa business partners, this provides new opportunities to win customers and increase customer loyalty with additional revenue growth. In 2018, there were more than 9.2 million hotel nights booked in the territory. A real potential for French businesses.

Arkéa will gradually deploy access to JCB cards on all of its payment terminals portfolio. In addition, it will also ensure access to its online payment pages from its wider networks of partners, including Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne, Crédit Mutuel du Sud Ouest, Crédit Mutuel Massif Central and Arkéa Banque Entreprises et Institutionnels. By the end of June 2019, without additional cost, Arkéa business customers will be able to accept JCB cardmember transactions. This includes access to all Arkéa group ATMs, including those located in shopping malls and railway stations. This also ensures that JCB cardmembers can withdraw cash when they need to.

Frédéric Laurent, Deputy General Manager of Arkéa in charge of the Innovation and Operations Cluster, comments: “We are very proud to announce the deployment of this partnership Arkéa-JCB which allows us to enrich our offer of acceptance in terms of credit cards. JCB is a leader in its market and offers high quality services to more than 130 million JCB cardmembers. Arkéa’s ambition is to support its clients, regardless of their typology, in the development of their projects. Enabling merchants to expand their customer base to JCB cardmembers is a truly international opportunity. ”

Mr. Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director of JCB International (Europe) Ltd., says: “This partnership with Arkéa comes at a key juncture in JCB’s European strategy, which aims to strengthen its acceptance as close to consumers as possible. JCB cardmembers coming to France will benefit from convenient access to luxury, retail, hospitality, catering, gastronomy and cash withdrawals from ATMs. Arkéa is present at major tourist destinations such as Brittany and New Aquitaine. In addition to the purchasing power of JCB cardmembers during their travels, Arkéa can now attract new customers on the Internet, given the greater flexibility offered by this excellent omnichannel and cross border partnership.”

* Partners of Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne, Crédit Mutuel du Sud-Ouest, Crédit Mutuel Massif Central, Arkéa Banque Entreprises et Institutionnels.