Japan – JCB, Resona and ODAWARA MOU to Advance Hands-Free UWB Payments for a Next-Generation Bus Experience

JCB, Resona and ODAWARA MOU to Advance Hands-Free UWB Payments for a Next-Generation Bus Experience

Intending to Resolve Bus Operator Labor Shortages and Seamlessly Transform the Passenger Experience

TOKYO, July 9, 2026 – (JCN Newswire) –JCB Co., Ltd. (JCB), Resona Holdings, Inc. (Resona) and ODAWARA AUTO-MACHINE MFG. Co., Ltd. (ODAWARA) have actually participated in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collectively establish and execute Ultra-Wideband (UWB) cordless payment services for public bus services.

This effort constructs on the fundamental contract signed on March 4, 2026, in between JCB and Resona for the commercialization of UWB payments. With ODAWARA– Japan’s leading maker of fare collection devices for transit operators– signing up with the alliance, the 3 business will speed up the useful application of this innovation in the general public transport sector.

UWB is a next-generation cordless interaction innovation that includes high-speed information transmission and extremely precise placing abilities. Unlike standard contactless (NFC) or QR code payments, UWB allows entirely hands-free deals. Guests can board and alight perfectly without the requirement to tap smart devices or scan gadgets.

Background and Objectives

While international expectations for UWB applications in basic ticket gates and retail checkouts are increasing, hands-free services for open-boarding mass transit– such as buses and trams without physical gates– have actually stayed highly challenging.

Simultaneously, the Japanese bus market deals with vital obstacles, consisting of chauffeur lacks and an aging labor force. Chauffeurs are progressively strained by handling varied payment approaches and helping guests with fare queries, which typically triggers hold-ups throughout peak blockage.

To resolve these pushing problems, JCB, Resona, and ODAWARA will release a joint task in partnership with active bus operators. Technical and payment confirmation (consisting of exact boarding/alighting information capture) will begin in FY2026, with small business rollouts in FY2027, going for full-blown business implementation in FY2028.

Roadmap

FY2026: Launch of technical trials and Proof of Concept (PoC) with bus operators
FY2027: Initial small industrial application
FY2028: Full-scale business implementation and growth

Anticipated Benefits

For Passengers (Users):

• Entirely Hands-Free: No requirement to get smart devices, wallets, or cards when boarding or leaving.
• Individualized Mobility Services: Real-time, location-based worth shipment by means of mobile phones or in-vehicle display screens, consisting of targeted vouchers, commitment points, transit assistance, and congested-route signals.

For Bus Operators:

• Functional Efficiency: Considerable decrease in motorist work by removing manual fare handling and onboard payment troubleshooting.
• Boosted Safety and Punctuality: Much shorter boarding times reduce hold-ups, enabling chauffeurs to focus completely on safe driving.
• Data-Driven Operations: Leveraging high-precision UWB place information to picture blockage patterns and enhance fleet scheduling.

Future Outlook

As part of this tactical partnership, ODAWARA has actually formally signed up with the FiRa ® Consortium to actively promote the worldwide standardization of UWB innovation in transit payment usage cases. Together with consortium partners, JCB, Resona, and ODAWARA will drive technical architecture standardization and user experience (UX) style.

Looking beyond public transport, the 3 business plan to team up with a varied variety of domestic and global partners to broaden the UWB payment environment into wise retail, MaaS (Mobility as a Service), and wise city facilities.

Business Profiles & Media Contacts

About FiRa Consortium

The FiRa Consortium is a member-driven company committed to changing the method we connect with our environment by allowing accurate place awareness for individuals and gadgets utilizing the protected fine-ranging and placing abilities of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) innovation. FiRa does this by driving the advancement of technical specs and accreditation, promoting for efficient policies, and by specifying a broad set of usage cases for UWB. To find out more about UWB and the FiRa Consortium, check out: www.firaconsortium.org.

About ODAWARA AUTO-MACHINE MFG. Co., Ltd.

Assisted by our business slogan, “Serving society with a pioneering spirit,” we concentrate on fare collection devices for public transport, such as regional buses. By providing ingenious items, services, and digital improvement (DX) services, we intend to enhance the sustainability of mass transit and renew regional neighborhoods.

For more details, please check out: https://www.odawarakiki.com/

About Resona Holdings, Inc.

With the Group’s function of “Beyond Finance, for a Brighter Future.” we continue to handle the obstacle of change and production in order to change the future into a favorable one with concepts that surpass the structure of financing. Sticking to our fundamental position of “customer joy is Resona’s joy,” we will work to “strengthen value creativity” and “next-generation management infrastructure” to react to clients and regional neighborhoods.

To find out more, please check out: https://www.resona-gr.co.jp/holdings/english/

About JCB Co., Ltd.

JCB is a significant worldwide payment brand name and a leading charge card provider and acquirer in Japan. JCB introduced its card company in Japan in 1961 and started broadening worldwide in 1981. Its approval network consists of about 72 million merchants all over the world. JCB Cards are now provided primarily in Asian nations and areas, with more than 181 million cardmembers. As part of its global development technique, JCB has actually formed alliances with numerous leading banks and banks internationally to increase its merchant protection and cardmember base. As an extensive payment service company, JCB dedicates to offering responsive and premium product and services to all clients worldwide.

To find out more, please check out: www.global.jcb/en/

Media Contacts

JCB Corporate Communications
Anna Takeda
Tel: +81 -3 -5778 -8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

ODAWARA AUTO-MACHINE MFG. Co., Ltd.
Email: contact_NBPD@odawarakiki.com