# JCB

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/jcb-card
> research date 2026-06-01 · extracted at 2026-10-07
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [JCB — official](https://www.global.jcb/en/)

## Overview

**JCB** is **Japanese card payment scheme** + **Japan's largest domestic card payment scheme + global card brand** + **founded Jan 1961 as Japan Credit Bureau** + **~130M+ JCB cards issued globally + 47M+ JCB merchant locations worldwide** + **partnerships with Discover Financial Services US + UnionPay China + RuPay India + American Express + Diners Club International + Mir Russia** <sup>[1][1], [Japan report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/JP)</sup>.

## History

**Jan 1961 — Japan Credit Bureau JCB founded by Sanwa Bank + Nippon Shimpan in Tokyo** distinctive Japanese card scheme heritage as Japan's first domestic card payment scheme.

**Apr 2006 — Discover Financial Services + JCB Co Ltd reciprocal card network acceptance partnership**.

**Jul 2010 — JCB + UnionPay reciprocal card network acceptance partnership**.

**2014 — JCB + RuPay India reciprocal card network acceptance partnership**.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **JCB Co Ltd** (Japanese card payment scheme; Japan's largest domestic card payment scheme + global card brand).

**Major shareholders**: **Japanese consortium of MUFG Bank + SMBC + Mizuho Bank + 200+ Japanese banks + retailers (Sanwa Bank + Nippon Shimpan founding consortium)**.

**Regulators**: **FSA Japan + national regulators across 30+ countries**.

## Technical integration

JCB Card mobile app (iOS + Android; ~130M+ JCB cards issued globally) + global.jcb online + 47M+ JCB merchant locations worldwide; JP Zengin + EMV + JCB Contactless + JCB partnerships with Discover Financial Services US + UnionPay China + RuPay India + American Express + Diners Club International + Mir Russia.

## Implementations & partners

**JCB reciprocal card network partners**: [Discover Financial Services](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/discover-financial) (Discover Financial Services; NYSE: DFS; US-based card payment scheme) + [UnionPay QuickPass](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/unionpay-quickpass) (UnionPay QuickPass Chinese state-backed wallet; China UnionPay) + RuPay (RuPay Indian national card payment scheme; National Payments Corporation of India NPCI) + [American Express (Amex)](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/amex) (American Express; NYSE: AXP; US-based card payment scheme) + [Diners Club International](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/diners-club-bank) (Diners Club International; US-based card payment scheme).

**Major global card payment scheme competitors**: Visa (Visa Inc; NYSE: V; US-based card payment scheme; world's largest card payment scheme by cards issued + transactions) + Mastercard (Mastercard Incorporated; NYSE: MA; US-based card payment scheme; world's #2 card payment scheme by cards issued + transactions) + [American Express (Amex)](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/amex) (American Express; NYSE: AXP; US-based card payment scheme + premium credit cards) + [Discover Financial Services](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/discover-financial) (Discover Financial Services; NYSE: DFS; US-based card payment scheme) + [Diners Club International](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/diners-club-bank) (Diners Club International; US-based card payment scheme).

**Regulators**: FSA Japan + national regulators across 30+ countries.

## Status

**Active, Japanese card payment scheme + Japan's largest domestic card payment scheme + global card brand + founded Jan 1961 as Japan Credit Bureau + ~130M+ JCB cards issued globally + 47M+ JCB merchant locations worldwide + partnerships with Discover Financial Services US + UnionPay China + RuPay India + American Express + Diners Club International + Mir Russia** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.global.jcb/en/ "JCB — official"
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JCB_Co.,_Ltd. "JCB — Wikipedia"
[jp-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/JP

- [1] [JCB — official][1]
- [2] [JCB — Wikipedia][2]
- <sup>[Japan report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/JP)</sup> In-corpus: `reports/countries/JP-japan.md`

## Source

Biography extracted from [jcb-card.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/jcb-card). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.