Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co has launched a service for Japanese Visa cardholders to download applications to smart cards via the Internet.
Customers can download applications to GlobalPlatform Visa smart cards by inserting the card into a reader connected to a PC and entering an ID and password. Issuers can then authorise and set security codes for each new application.
David Chan, head of chip products, Visa, Asia Pacific, says the service "provides flexibility for card issuers to react to changing market conditions and cardholder needs without the expense and effort of re-issuing the card."
Sumitomo Mitsui says it expects to issue at least 100,000 cards within the next 12 months.