JCB International (JCBI), the international operations unit of Japanese credit card issuer and acquirer JCB, has partnered with Italian lender UniCredit for merchant acquiring business in Italy.

The deal will enable the use of JCB cards at UniCredit ATMs and Italian merchants who are clients of the banking group.

JCBI head of sales and marketing headquarters for America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa Ryuji Shinzawa said: "We are pleased to welcome our new partner to the JCB network. Italy is one of the favorite destinations of Japanese, Asian, and European tourists, so this enhancement of JCB card acceptance will bring more benefits and convenience to JCB card members."

UniCredit retail manager Remo Taricani said: "By accepting the JCB payment cards, UniCredit extends its offer of direct payment services. This agreement represents an important step towards the goal of achieving a payment service model fully managed in-house.

"A few months after agreeing to this launch, we can confirm that our merchants have expressed a high interest in the service and have started accepting JCB cards."

In recent years, JCBI has bolstered its presence in Europe by expanding its merchant network. Currently, JCB cards are accepted by about 29 million merchants worldwide, including several million in Europe.