The QUICPay system offers users simple and speedy offline payments in less than one second, and can be used in a variety of contactless chip media. The current trial will implement the system in mobile phones compatible with NTT DoCoMo's mobile wallet service.

Twenty employees of the Kanachu Hire taxi company, based in Atsugi, in the suburbs of Tokyo, will receive NTT DoCoMo mobile wallet service handsets to download the QUICPay application, while about 30 of the company's cabs will be equipped with contactless readers. The POS readers and data processing system at Kanachu Hire will be provided by SAXA, Inc.

"Everybody knows that people are busy in the Tokyo metro area. That's where the convenience and speed of QUICPay can make a big difference. QUICPay is signature-free and stress-free - just tap and go," said Mr. Go Masaki, Assistant Vice President of JCB's Strategic Market Development Department. "Not only is payment more convenient for the customer, but the time saved frees the cab driver to serve the next fare even faster than before."

QUICPay ("Quick and Useful IC Payment") is significantly faster and more convenient than cash. Part of the customer's existing credit limit is assigned to a contactless IC chip, which may be embedded in a plastic card, or incorporated in the customer's i-mode(r) FeliCa(r) mobile wallet service phone as in the current trial. The QUICPay amount is billed to the customer's existing credit card just like any other card purchase.

Payment of taxi fares with a credit card used to mean a cumbersome process in which the driver used a manual imprinter to capture data on a sales voucher. But in recent years, more automated on-line processing of card payments at some taxi companies has already resulted in a significant increase in payment by card. "Credit cards eliminate the problem in paying the fare in cash when the driver has to handle big bills and make change. And now with QUICPay, payment is going to be easier and smoother than ever before," commented Masaki.

The trial will run for two months. JCB will use the feedback provided by riders and drivers at the end of the trial in preparation for the full-scale release of the QUICPay system in the spring of 2005. The significant reduction of payment transaction times makes QUICPay suitable for a number of markets where quick throughput is critical, such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

Recent advances in JCB product development include the Offica corporate solution, as well as projects involving mobile payment system implementations and biometric authentication. JCB is continuing to move forward both in international standardization and in devising innovative solutions targeting specific local market needs, which will benefit both merchants and consumers.