Integration JCC Smart for a website in Cyprus

What is JCC and why do you need it in Cyprus

JCC Payment Systems - the leading Cypriot acquirer established in 1989. Owned by Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic Bank, MCB, and Astrobank. Processes over 70% of all payment transactions in Cyprus. For local businesses - standard: best rates for Cypriot bank cards, transparent contracts with local legal entities, support in EN/EL.

When to choose JCC over Stripe

• Local audience — most clients with Cypriot bank cards (BoC, Hellenic, MCB, Astrobank)
• A contract with a legal entity in Cyprus is needed. — some contracts with government bodies require a local provider
• Low average order value — for small payments, a fixed Stripe fee of €0.25 makes it more expensive
• POS terminals — JCC provides offline card acceptance terminals, all in one contract

When is Stripe best used?

• International audience — Stripe optimized for global traffic, best conversions
• Subscription model — Stripe Subscriptions is more flexible, while JCC is only token-based recurring.
• Complex scenarios — Split payments, escrow, conditional charges
• Best developer experience — Stripe API is documented more thoroughly

What we do often Both simultaneouslyJCC for local VISA/Mastercard from Cypriot banks (low fees) + Stripe for international cards and Apple/Google Pay. Auto-routing selects the optimal provider for each payment.

JCC commissions in Cyprus

JCC does not have a public pricing list - commission is determined individually by agreement. Approximately:

• Small business (turnover up to €10k/month): 2-2.5% per transaction
• Average (€10k-100k): 1.7-2.2%
• A large (€100k+): 1.4-1.8%
• Without a minimum fixed part — only percentage
• Setup feeA one-time payment of €100-300.
• Monthly fee: €15-50/month for most contracts

We help you agree on optimal conditions with JCC based on your turnover and business model.

How to open a JCC merchant account

For activating JCC, the following are required:

• Cyprus Limited Company with active status
• Cyprus bank account (BoC, Hellenic, MCB, Astrobank - priority)
• VAT number
• Business and website description (URL is mandatory)
• UBO and director passport
• Financial reporting (last 6-12 months)

Activation - 5-15 working days. We help prepare documents and pass KYC. Conditions differ for high-risk businesses (gaming, adult, crypto) - discussed individually.

Hosted Page vs Inline Checkout

JCC supports two integration options:

• Hosted Payment Page — The client is redirected to the JCC page, enters their card there, and then returns to your site. Easier to integrate with minimal compliance requirements. The downside is that it takes the user out of your site.
• Inline Payment Form - JCC form in an iframe on your site. The customer stays on your site, but you take on more PCI DSS obligations. Best conversion (+5-10%)

For most businesses, we recommend Hosted - simpler, safer, faster to launch. We do inline for the premium segment where conversion is critical.

Recurrent payments on JCC

JCC supports token-based recurring — card is tokenized on first payment, subsequent charges proceed through the token without customer involvement. Suitable for:

• Subscriptions to services and membership (gym, spa)
• Regular payments according to the schedule (insurance, rent)
• Payments after service consumption (taxi, delivery)

Minus points: no built-in customer portal (like Stripe), no automatic smart retry for failed payments, no in-built churn analytics. We implement these features separately on the website/CRM side.

Apple Pay and Google Pay via JCC

JCC supports Apple Pay and Google Pay for Cypriot merchants. What's needed:

• Registration with Apple Developer ($99 per year) for Apple Pay
• Domain verification — Apple verifies domain ownership
• Merchant capability in JCC - activation of Apple Pay in the personal cabinet
• Apple Pay / Google Pay button on the checkout page

Conversion with Apple Pay is 20-30% higher, especially on iPhone. Essential for premium segments and mobile-first audiences.

3D Secure and SCA on JCC

JCC supports 3D Secure 2.0 - mandatory for EU PSD2/SCA. Features:

• Frictionless authentication for verified customers (no challenge)
• Push notifications through bank app (BoC, Hellenic) for challenge
• SMS-OTP fallback if the app is unavailable
• Exemptions: amount < €30 (low value), trusted beneficiary, recurring

Refunds, chargebacks, reconciliation

• Refunds — via JCC dashboard or API. Duration: up to 30 days
• Chargebacks — The client disputes the payment through the bank. JCC sends a notification, you have 7 days to respond with evidence.
• Reconciliation - Daily payment reconciliation with bank statements. Automate via Excel or 1C export.
• Settlement — Funds to your account within 1-3 working days after transaction

Integration timelines

Basic integration (hosted page, single payment) — 3-5 working days. With brand customization and multilingual support — 1-2 weeks. With recurring payments and complex logic — 2-3 weeks. Integration of JCC + Stripe + Apple Pay with auto-routing — 3-4 weeks. Activation of JCC merchant account proceeds simultaneously (5-15 business days).