The ATMs of Japanese financial services provider Seven Bank are now accepting JCB cards that have been issued outside of Japan, providing JCB cardmembers with cash advance services at more than 12,000 of its ATMs throughout Japan.

Seven Bank operates a nationwide network of ATMs that are open around the clock, primarily located at convenience store 7-Eleven. The screen, audio messages, and receipts of all Seven Bank ATMs are available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese, providing both tourist and business travelers with even greater convenience.

With the addition of Seven Bank ATMs, JCB cards issued outside of Japan can now be used at more than 44,000 ATMs in the countryside, as well as in major cities across the country.

The credit card issuer has been expanding overseas since 1981. Over the years, JCB’s global strategy has evolved, with increasing numbers of JCB brand cards being issued by JCB partner banks and financial institutions to local residents of 18 countries/territories in addition to Japan, with particularly strong growth in Asia.

At present, around 3.75 million JCB cardmembers outside Japan use their cards for purchases and cash advances in their home countries and abroad. Meanwhile, the number of travelers to Japan has been growing in recent years. In 2005, more than 6.8 million inbound tourists and business travelers came to Japan, and the demand for ATMs has also been rapidly growing.

JCB has always provided the careful service that Japan is famous for, such as special benefits at selected merchants and our exclusive service desks, said Tamio Takakura, JCB’s president and CEO. Thanks to the arrangement with Seven Bank offering a convenient ATM network nationwide, JCB will be able to offer even better service to the increasing number of travelers carrying JCB cards to Japan.