Soft Space and JCBI recently signed an agreement to enable Soft Space to work with local acquirers, such as HLB, to promote JCB Card acceptance in Malaysia.
Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara is one of HLB’s merchants that has begun accepting JCB Card payments.
“As Japanese tourist arrivals in Malaysia begin to ramp up again, we are pleased to be able to enable and promote cross-border payments between Japan and Malaysia via our partners,” said Joel Tay, CEO of Soft Space. “This merely represents a first step in our ambition to roll out similar agreements in Southeast Asia, boosting JCB Card acceptance and riding on the wave of increasing contactless card payments in the region.”
“We decided to expand the collaboration with another global leader who shares similar values in enhancing user experience through state-of-the-art technological application,” said Yoshiki Kaneko, President and CEO of JCB International Co., Ltd.
According to Andrew Jong, Managing Director of Personal Financial Services at HLB, this partnership with JCB and Soft Space signifies the Bank’s commitment to providing financial products and services that are centred around the needs of both its merchants and their customers.
“With an influx of tourists and expats coming from Japan into Malaysia, the option to accept JCB Cards will ensure convenience for its cardholders and provide businesses with an additional opportunity to capture more tourists and grow their business. This partnership will enable us to serve the customers who are increasingly going cashless as well as help our merchants increase their sales and customer transaction value.”
The agreement showcases the partnership progress between JCB and Soft Space since the former investment in the fintech in January 2022. This includes a series of business collaborations that are aimed at leveraging on Soft Space’s fintech-as-a-service business model, technology and regulatory knowhow, and JCB’s global recognition, vast alliances and brand reach.
