What does JCB stand for in credit cards?

JCB stands for Japan Credit Bureau.

The name belongs to JCB Co., Ltd., a Japanese payment network and card company headquartered in Tokyo. JCB was founded in 1961 by Sanwa Bank and Nippon Shinpan, making it one of Japan’s early domestic credit-card organizations. The company later expanded internationally through partnerships and overseas issuing arrangements.

JCB is both a card brand and a payment network, rather than a bank serving only one institution. Its cards are issued by various financial institutions, and acceptance is especially strong in Japan and other parts of Asia. International acceptance has grown through agreements with networks such as Discover.

The initials are often misread as “Japanese Commerce Bureau” or “Japan Central Bank,” but neither is correct. “Japan Credit Bureau” is the company’s former English name; the business now generally presents itself simply as JCB. The abbreviation remains in the brand even though the corporate name is JCB Co., Ltd.