Papara Partners with Thales to Introduce World-First Personalization Solution for Payment Cards

Papara Partners with Thales to Introduce World-First Personalization Solution for Payment Cards

(IN BRIEF) Thales has partnered with Turkish fintech leader Papara to launch the world’s first deployment of the SketchMyCard solution, allowing users to design personalized payment cards that showcase their creativity and individuality. This collaboration has led to increased card orders, active users, and transaction volumes for Papara. Nassir Ghrous of Thales highlighted the solution’s alignment with consumer trends for hyper-personalization, while Papara CEO Emre Kenci emphasized its role in enhancing user experience and supporting Papara’s mission of financial freedom for all. The SketchMyCard solution also promotes sustainability with eco-friendly card materials.

(PRESS RELEASE) LA DÉFENSE, 10-Jul-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Thales (EPA: HO), a French multinational company active in the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets, is proud to announce that Papara, a leading fintech company in Turkey, is the first in the world to deploy Thales’ revolutionary SketchMyCard solution. This innovative technology empowers Papara users to design their own unique payment cards, reflecting their individuality, creativity, and lifestyle.

The implementation of SketchMyCard by Papara has led to a notable increase in card orders, active users, and transaction volumes. Papara, established in 2016, has quickly grown to serve over 20 million users. With Thales’ end-to-end personalization service and advanced image processing capabilities, Papara users can now take advantage of the ‘Design My Card’ feature. This allows them to create personalized artwork using drawings, sketches, or doodles, as well as choose from a wide array of pre-designed creations, fostering a personal and engaging connection with Papara.

Nassir Ghrous, Senior Vice President of Banking and Payment Services for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa at Thales, stated: “Our SketchMyCard solution perfectly aligns with modern consumer trends for hyper-personalization and social media connectivity. The unique emotional bond created through personalizing payment cards has a powerful impact on consumer behavior, leading to higher activation and transaction rates and ensuring top-of-wallet status. By integrating our solution, Papara is able to offer a service that attracts more users, builds stronger relationships with cardholders, and stands out in a competitive market.”

Emre Kenci, CEO of Papara, shared: “At Papara, we prioritize user experience above all else. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, we deliver financial services that are fast, simple, affordable, and enjoyable. Partnering with Thales on SketchMyCard allows our users to express their creativity and personalize their daily transactions. We are thrilled to collaborate once again with Thales, who previously supported the launch of our Voice Payment Card, the first-ever payment card designed specifically for people with visual impairments. These initiatives support our vision to become a super app with a clear mission: to bring financial freedom to all.”

Thales’ Gemalto SketchMyCard is an innovative customization solution available to any bank, and it supports a growing range of sustainable and eco-conscious card materials. This includes Ocean Plastic® cards, produced from waste recovered from coastal areas, and Bio-sourced cards, made from plant-based materials.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialized in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space, and Cybersecurity & Digital identity.

It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

ABOUT PAPARA

Papara is a leading financial technology company based in Turkey. Founded in 2016, Papara is committed to providing fast, simple, affordable, and enjoyable financial services for all. Papara brings an unrivaled range of products and services offering instant and free transfers to users as well as providing a one-stop shop for paying bills, enabling international money transfers, buying insurance, investing in precious metals, and tracking spending habits. In addition, Papara offers Papara Cards that are valid worldwide and online. Papara users who use Papara Cards earn instant cash rewards with the Cashback program for purchases in specific brands and categories. Papara has 20M retail users and over 4500 corporate users, such as Uber and TikTok. Papara has more than 650 employees. Papara plans to expand its products, services, and geographic reach to become the leading challenger bank in the region. Papara is listed in the latest KPMG Global Fintech100 and LinkedIn Top Startup Turkey 2022. Papara was awarded “Best Fintech Startup” by VISA and selected the “Best Startups” in the 2022 Finovate Awards organized by Finovate.

Media contact:

Vanessa Viala – Digital Identity & Security Press Officer
+33 6 07 34 00 34 vanessa.viala@thalesgroup.com
Omnia Anis – Communication Department
omnia.anis@external.thalesgroup.com

SOURCE: Thales