Lebanon and Tokyo, Oct 5, 2011 - (JCN Newswire) - CSC Bank (CSC), a major financial institution in Lebanon and JCB International (JCBI) announced today that they have signed a card issuing license agreement. Through this agreement, CSC will issue JCB Cards to CSC's customers, becoming the first bank to issue JCB Cards in Lebanon. CSC will also enable all of its merchants to accept JCB Cards across the country increasing the level of convenience for JCB cardmembers.

"Being chosen as the licensed issuer of JCB Cards for Lebanon is an enormous honor for our company", said Mr. Marwan Kaddoura, Chairman and CEO of CSC, "We have had a longstanding relationship with JCB for card acquiring in Lebanon and we believe that the commencement of issuing will allow us to further strengthen this partnership by offering our customers a new and exciting alternative to our existing range of products."

Mr. Koremitsu Sannomiya, President and COO of JCBI, said "Lebanon is a dynamic country with a rich history of business innovation in the region. I am extremely pleased that CSC, one of the major financial institutions in Lebanon, will commence JCB card issuance. This will significantly increase JCB's presence in Lebanon and in the MENA region. This is a continuation of JCB's strategy of expansion in the MENA region."

JCB began its merchant acquiring business in Lebanon since 1997 through alliance with CSC. CSC with its extensive experience and state-of-the-art systems in the industry, already offers a wide range of services for more than 80 banks and institutions in 26 countries. This will be the beginning of a new era for JCB expansion in the MENA region starting with Lebanon, where there are many countries with fast-growing economies. JCB and CSC are also engaged in discussion to further expand their relationship throughout the region.

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About CSC BANK
CSC Bank SAL is a Lebanese Specialized Bank registered at the Central Bank of Lebanon. CSC was incorporated in 1992 with the specific intention of servicing the card needs of banks in an efficient, dedicated, and cost effective manner, offering financial institutions a complete turnkey solution that spans the whole card business spectrum: card issuing to merchant acquiring (face to face or e-commerce) to ATM and counter cash dispensing. CSC currently services 109 banks in 29 countries and manages - on behalf of client banks - over 1,000 branded product permutations (including debit, charge, credit, prepaid and virtual) in over 20 currencies.
About JCB
JCB is a major global payment brand and leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding overseas in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 18 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in 190 countries and territories. JCB cards are now issued in 15 countries and territories, with more than 69.3 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with more than 350 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For further information, please visit the JCB home page at: www.jcb-global.com/english or www.jcbcorporate.com/english  .

Note: JCB statistics included in About JCB are as of the end of March 2011.

© Press Release 2011