Bankcard
News
1. CBC Bank
and China Unionpay launching the first
co-branded telecom credit card in China
Construction Bank of China-CBC and China
UniCom jointly launched " UniCom
Dragon Card ", a tailor-made credit
card for the medium and high end telecom
subscribers in China. This co-branded
telecom credit card is specially designed
to combine financing and telecom services
targeting the VIP members of China UniCom
Client Club. This credit card signifies
the new business expansion of local
Chinese co-branded credit cards from
the local banks.
The cardholders will enjoy the dual
services and privileges provided by
the CBC Bank and China UniCom, and apart
from being one of the series products
of Dragon Card, this UniCom Dragon Card
has the entire features and functions
of Dragon Credit Card, and it is a real
international credit card.
2. One-stop
Funding Bankcard Payment Model in
China
Laterly, Guangdong Development Bank,
Yifangda Funding Company and Guangzhou
Haoyilian Payment Company announced
in Guangzhou that the three parties
have successfully developed the Internet
payment service system for funding
that has been the most advanced system
of this kind in China. Hence, the
cardholders of Guangdong Development
Bank for financing card can log on
the website of Yifangda Company to
conduct the transactions. From the
introduction of the responsible representative
for the three parties, the investors
who have applied for the financing
card of Guangdong Development Bank
with China Unionpay Logo at any branch
of this Bank can use this service
and they will apply for the purchase
and complete the transaction via the
China Unionpay On-line payment gateway
operated by Guangzhou Haoyilian Company.
This system makes the breakthrough
record of remote transaction via the
Internet which is better than the
conventional sales' model at the counter
of the Bank.
3. The private
finance business growing fast at Hainan
Branch of Communication Bank
The Hainan Branch of Communication
Bank of China has contributed big
investment in the science and technology,
upgrading the financing products and
services so as to push the rapid development
of the private financing business
in face of the fierce competition
at the private financing business.
By October, 2004, the deposit volume
for RMB and Pacific Bankcard increased
at 330 million Yuan and 230 million
Yuan respectively against the early
2004, with a growth rate at 150% and
227% of the new assigned quota by
the Headquarter. The Pacific Bankcard
has achieved a total transaction of
15.8 billion Yuan, with a commission
fee totaling of 4.43 million Yuan
at a 40% increase over the same period
of the previous year. The private
load balance has grown to 48.36 million
Yuan increasing by 79%.
4. Zhejiang
Tourism entering e-currency age
Zhejiang Branch of ABC Bank and Zhejiang
Tourist Bureau have signed the agreement
of Jingsiu Tourist Card in Hangzhou,
in a joint effort to issue the Zhejiang
Jingsiu Tourist Card in order to provide
the secure, fast and privileged payment
transaction. The Zhejiang tourism
has entered its e-currency age.
It is reported that this Jingsiu Tourist
Card will be in integrated into the
e-ticketing system based on the tourist
service Internet system of Zheijiang
Province as Yikatong ( all-in-one
card ) payment, which will be incorporated
with the road transport and urban
public transport system. As the responsible
person says of the Bank and Tourist
Bureau, this Tourist Consumption Yikatong
strategic plan of " Travel with
one card around the Province "
within the next five years will be
achieved. The e-payment information
platform integrating consumption,
statistics and analysis with the tourist
Yikatong as the major settlement tool
has to be set up so that the Golden
Tourist Information Project banking
releasing platform will be completed
with the establishment of Zhejiang
Tourist Settlement Center.
5. Peony
AMExpress Card being launched
On December 8, the first AMExpress
branding credit card was launched
in China at the Inaugurating Ceremony
of the Peony AMExpress Card attended
by Mr. Jiang Jianqin, President of
ICBC Bank and Mr. Chanader, CEO of
American Express Company.
It is reported that ICBC Bank and
American Express signed the business
cooperative agreement in March of
2004. This Peony AMExpress Card will
be able to settled with both RMB and
US dollars and can be used at over
one million merchants in 200 countries,
including the merchants of Chinese
Peony Card and China Unionpay as well
as AMExpress. The local Chinese customers
will be able to apply for this Card
in the four cities of Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Later on this
Card will be launched in the rest
of the country. This Card is targeted
at the frequent travelers outside
the country. It is expected that this
Card will be issued at a total of
100,000. At the Press Conference,
Mr. Jiang said that the Peony Card
had achieved a total issuance of 110
million with a consumption value at
150 billion Yuan.
6. ZhongYin
(Bank of China) VISA Olympics Credit
Card launched in Beijing
Bank of China and Visa International
Organization jointly organized inauguration
ceremony for ZhongYin VISA Olympics
Credit Card, the first credit card
specially designed for Beijing Olympic
Games in Beijing ZhongYin Building
on December 8, 2004. This credit card
has become the series of bankcard
with the first Euro Credit Card- ZhongYin
Great Wall VISA Olympics Credit Card
issued in Asia on July 22, 2004, both
of which are featured for the Olympic
Games issued by Bank of China. This
is another new finance product and
service innovation in the bankcard
business launched by Bank of China
ever since July 14, 2004 when Bank
of China became the banking partner
of Beijing Olympic Games 2008.
Telecom
News
7. China
Unicom-Changchun starting fee payment
business with Sunlight bankcard
In order to provide subscribers with
convenient payment services, Jiling
Unicom-Changchun Branch and China
Everbright Bank-Changchun Branch jointly
launched the fee payment service with
the Sunlight Bankcard, which helps
the subscribers make handy payment.
The subscribers of China Unicom who
have the Sunlight Bankcard of Everbright
Bank can use this bankcards to apply
and sign the fee payment agreement
with the Everbright bank at the business
operating offices. After the agreement
is signed, they can settle the payment
both at the counters and over the
phones. This Bankcard can accept the
multi-phone numbers.
8. Xiaolingtong
(Mini-smart phone) to be on sale in
Beijing in March, 2005
From the reliable source of Beijing
Telecom, the Xiaolingtong Smart Phones
users will use the terminals with
cards and phones separated system
between March and April, 2005 if the
system is working well. At present,
Beijing Telecom is working with China
Netcom to draft the standard for the
card and terminal separation technology.
The responsible representative of
Beijing Telecom stated that the standard
drafting is going on well and will
be launched in the next stage. By
that date, Beijing Telecom will inform
the card suppliers and Xiaolingtong
smart phone manufacturers once the
standard is ready for production.
By this stage, Beijing Telecom has
made the first communication with
the card suppliers. What the general
concerns about the compatibility of
standard between China Netcom for
Xiaolingtong Smart Phone and the one
of China Telecom has become the main
issue to be solved.
9. CBC Bank
and China Unicom jointly launching
mobile banking business
CBC Bank and China Unicom recently
started to promote the new business
of Mobile Banking operation, which
has the functions of mobile financing,
mobile payment and mobile e-business.
Those CDMA1X subscribers who have
the CBC Bank accounts will use their
mobile phones as the financing terminals
with the financing functions after
they register their mobile banking
services. With this mobile banking
operation, the subscribers will not
be able to go to the banks queuing
for the services over the counters,
but will handle the different banking
services via CDMA1X terminals at any
place or at any time.
10. Datang
Microelectronics launching new mobile
public phone SIM card
Recently, Datang Microelectronics
successfully launched one new mobile
telecom SIM card of the winning the
patent of the National Innovation.
This SIM card is named as "Easy
and Secure Card" by the telecom
operators because this card prevents
the fraud calls of the mobile public
phone SIM cards. With its leading
technology expertise and the chip-level
SIM card technology of the local patented
copy right, Datang has made the new
design of the hardware and made changes
of the software so as to secure the
mobile public phone card only applicable
for the mobile public phones. If the
mobile phone card is placed into the
mobile phone, the card will be automatically
dysfunctional in order to protect
the expansion of the mobile public
phone business.
News
in General
11. The
7th National IC Card Application Meeting
on Golden Card Projects concluded
in December
On December 29, the 7th National IC
Card Application Meeting on Golden
Card Projects concluded in Beijing.
The leading officers present at the
Meeting were from the State Leading
Group Office of the Golden Card Projects,
the People's Bank of China, Ministry
of Commerce, Ministry of Public Security,
Ministry of Construction, Ministry
of Labor and Social Security and the
National Standardization Management
Committee. There were over 400 delegates
from the local levels of information
administrative departments and electronic
bureaus, the enterprises and media.
Madam Zhang Qi, Director of the State
Leading Group Office of the Golden
Card Projects and Department of Electronic
Information Products Management of
Ministry of Information Industry made
the opening keynote address with the
analysis on the recent development
of the national golden card projects
and the national IC card applications'
status, and reported on the key issues
of the Golden Card Projects in 2005.
The official addresses made were followed
by the People's Bank of China-Department
of Science and Technology, Commercial
Reforming Department of Ministry of
Commerce, Ministry of Public Security-the
2nd Generation ID Card, the Information
Leading Group Office of Ministry of
Construction and Ministry of Labor
and Social Security etc.
The afternoon session covered the
topics of local reports on the IC
card projects development, the presentation
on the EMV Migration and RFID application
from the different perspectives for
the future applications.
12. 2004
Workshop on ISO Logistics Standard
and RFID convened in Beijing in December
Coordinated and co-organized by RFID
China Forum, 2004 Workshop on ISO
Logistics Standard and RFID convened
at Beijing New Century Hotel on December
1 - 4, 2004. The ISO Identity and
Telecommunication Standardization
Working Group and the Packaging/Containers
Standardization Joint Working Group
conducted the discussions on the standard
issues of RFID in the supply chain
applications. The attendants to the
Workshop were two standard chairman
of ISO Organization and the responsible
representatives from the National
Standardization organizations of Singapore,
Germany, Russia and USA, as well as
the delegates from the leading companies
such as Wal-mart, Home Depot and Target.
The topics addressed at the Workshop
ranged from the standardization issues
for RFID application in the supply
chains - the products packaging/containers
standardization to the Identity and
telecommunication standard - the electronics
packaging with label standardization
for containers and the talk with the
leading Chinese vendors in China and
the Chinese officials.
13.
ATM and E-banking Forum to be held
in Hong Kong in April, 2005
Organized by ATM Industry Association-ATMIA,
the annual ATM and E-banking Forum
is scheduled to start at JW Marriot
Hotel on April 7-8, 2005. This is
the sixth event of this Forum, covering
the topics on the development perspective
of ATM and E-banking in Asia. The
invited speakers are from UK, China,
India, Bangledash, Singapore, USA.
The attendants are expected to be
over 200. Mr. Frank Xu, Executive
Director of Smart Card Forum of China-SCFC
will make one presentation at the
Forum.
14. The
Audit Survey on IC Cards Application
in the Public Utilities under way
In order to further enhance the application
and development of IC cards in the
public utilities in
China, to have a better understanding
of the needs of the users from the
different sectors, one Audit Survey
on IC Cards Application in the Public
Utilities has been launched under
way. This Survey is conducted by the
IC Card Application Service Center
of Ministry of Construction, covering
the end-users of urban transports,
public buses operators, water/gas/heat
supply and the card, terminals suppliers
nationwide.
The Notice has been issued to these
end-users and suppliers. Those who
have received the Notice should take
active attitudes and fill in the Forms
before faxing or mailing to the IC
Card Application Center. The website
is ready at www.cin.gov.cn/ic
to download the forms.
15. Bankcard
Test Center launching new testing
services
The recent release from China Unionpay
discloses that the Bankcard Test Center
of China Unionpay will launch new
test business for Financing and Tax-control
Terminals, and the personalization
test of bankcards with China Unionpay
logo.
The test business of financing and
tax-control terminals directly linked
with China Unionpay is a new test
task following the tax-control cashiers'
test. This part is limited to the
test of the bankcard, subject to the
test of the tax-control authority.
According to the official Notice issued
by China Unionpay ( No. 14-2004 )
- "the Notice on the Test of
Financing and Tax-control Terminals",
and following the GB/T 18240.4-2004
"Tax-control Cashiers Part 4:
the Regulation on the Bankcard Acceptance
Terminals" and "the Regulation
on the POS Terminals directly Linked
with China Unionpay", the Bankcard
Test Center has upgraded the test
system, drafting the "Test Specifications"
and "Test Items". At present,
the preparation is done and the tests
have commenced from December 30, 2004.
In order to secure the safety and
quality of the personalization process
for bankcards with the logo of China
Unionpay, and to re-enforced the management
of the manufacturers of bankcards
with the logo of China Unionpay, China
Unionpay has distributed the official
norms such as "the Implementing
Rules on the Manufacturers of Bankcards
Personalization with the Logo of China
Unionpay". The Bankcard Test
Center will start the test businesses
for the bankcard personalization from
December 30, 2004, in conform with
the "Test Standards for the Magnetic
Card Personalization with the Logo
of China Unionpay".
16. The
Research Lab set up at Zhongshan Dahua
by the Comprehensive Transport Institute
In conform with the Norm (No. 11-2004)
issued by the Comprehensive Transport
Institute of the State Commission
of Development and Reforming, the
Research Lab of Intelligent Information
System Application for the Comprehensive
Transport will be set up. This Lab
is a R&D body under the Comprehensive
Transport Institute of the State Commission
of Development and Reforming with
its daily operating body established
in the ZhongShan Dahua Smart Science
& Technology Co.,Ltd.
Its main function is to conduct the
R&D and build up application demo
of the information process technology
for the intelligent transport system
in study of the characteristics of
the transport industry following the
advice of the National ITS Coordination
Leading Group. The Lab will outline
the directions of the researches and
the application perspectives of the
transport industry, and also it will
present the methods and channels of
the industrilization for the research
outcomes so as to promote the development
of the ITS transport industry in China.
17. 2/3
of the booths sold out for PTE and
7th Smart Cards + Smart Label (RFID),
China 2005
From its recent press release, the
Organizers of 7th Smart Cards + Smart
Label(RFID), China 2005
announced that there are tremendous
progresses for the booths sales of
the above show thanks to the positive
and enormous supports from the organizers
of China Federation of Logistics and
Purchasing, China National Registration
Center of IC Cards and China Information
Industry Society - the Tax-control
Informatization Equipment Committee
as well as the might efforts done
by AIT Events Co., Ltd. within the
short two months' time. The two third
of the booths have been reserved and
sold out for a total of 5,500 sq.m
exhibition space. The leading international
vendors are from Philips Semi-conductors,
Texas Instruments, Muelhbauer, INSIDE,
Bielomatik, SAGEM, Verifone, Ingenico,
Delo, ASK. The local vendors are from
DaTang Micro-electronics, Hauhong,
Fudan Microelectronics, Einoda, Shenzhen
Hongka, POE, Silone, Sinocard, Jinxiang
Golden Card, E-smart, Shanghai BEST,
Jiangnan Gemong etc.
The present good situation is due
to the well-positioning of this event
focusing on the refreshing promotion
of RFID products and new technology,
which attracts the strong interests
of the confirmed exhibitors.
The Organizers will start its next
program of making strategic planning
and organizing the conference, they
are 2nd Asia Smart Label (RFID) Conference,
2005 E-passport Forum, 2005 China
Forum on Tax-control Cashiers Informatization
and 2005 Bankcard and EMV Forum. Those
who have the interests in presenting
featured topics are welcome to contact
the Organizers' office.
Smart
Cards News in China
18. IC card
train tickets to be launched for the
New Speedy Train of Guangzhou and
Shenzhen
Our reporter has the news from the
Guang-Shen Railway Holding Co., Ltd.
one IC card ticketing will be introduced
to the Guang-Shen Railway. The trains
between Guangzhou and Shenzhen will
be handy and faster with the auto-ticket
purchase and check up. This IC card
ticket has been named as New Speedy
IC Card for the time being. There
are two types: one is single trip
suitable for one trip and will be
collected upon exit; the other one
is multi-trip prepaid, loadable and
recycling ticket. The cover of this
ticket is the same with the present
paper train ticket printed from the
computers, including the arrival stations,
dates of departure, seats and its
numbers, price and date of expiration.
This IC card ticket can be reprinted.
This ticket will be put into use early
1005.
19. Highway
between Chendu and Pengzhou introduing
IC card
The Chendu Transport Department will
build up one non-stop toll gate between
Chendu and Pengzhou highway. The whole
system will be put into operation
by the first half of 2005. This non-stop
toll gate is of international standard,
which will install one reading device
to read the RFID tag installed on
the vehicles. The tag stores the information
of the toll payment record, the balance
fees and times of the passage. At
each entrance of the toll gate, the
fee will be automatically deducted
from the tag. At the gate with the
RFID tag system, the vehicles will
go without stopping once the reading
devices receive the data and give
automatic order upon entrance.
20. RFID
tags replacing the military vehicle
plates in China
Recently, the four Headquarters of
the People's Liberation Army decided
to replace all military vehicles with
new plates on December 1, 2004. This
plate has introduced the high-tech
counter-fraud technology with visible
identification of the vehicles belonging
to the different military units, easy
to identify and easy to supervise.
At the front cover of the plate, there
has been introduced the most advanced
3 dimensional Flashing counter-fraud
technology, very clear and easy for
the identity.
The new plates have the contactless
counter-fake and RFID card with the
basic data for the hand-held readers
to check for the status of the plates.
At the backside of the plate, there
is a specially printed colored patterns
for anti-fake purpose. The management
of the plates has been put in the
connection with the 310 Internet of
the overall military headquarters.
The contactless RFID card is laminated
with special technology and advanced
process of Zhongshan Dahua Smart Science
& Technology Co.,Ltd. which meets
the strict requirement of the Military
units and suits the environmental
circumstances.
Vendors'
News
