In the United States, JCB is not a primary credit card network such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. While the brand was primarily accepted by tourism-related businesses such as airlines, car rental companies, hotels, Japanese speciality retailers and select department stores, it gained wider acceptance when on August 23, 2006 JCB announced an alliance with the Discover Network. The two companies signed a long-term agreement that led to the acceptance of Discover Network brand cards at JCB point-of-sale terminals in Japan and of JCB cards on the Discover network in the U.S. This partnership became operational in 2011.[2]