Papara premieres Thales SketchMyCard

• Papara is the first fintech in the world to deploy Thales’ innovative personalisation solution which offers its users artistic freedom to customise their payment cards

Istanbul 10th July. Papara, a leading fintech in Turkey, has partnered with Thales, the global leader in advanced Technologies, to deploy Thales’ innovative SketchMyCard solution. Papara users now have the freedom to design unique and personalised payment cards that reflect their individuality, creativity and lifestyle, complemented by Papara’s highly successful and well-designed range of payment cards.

Since launching SketchMyCard, Papara has observed an increase in card orders, active users and transaction volumes. Established in 2016, Papara is a fast-growing fintech with over 20 million individual users. With the support of Thales’ end-to-end personalisation service and image processing, users requesting a new payment card can select an option that Papara has branded ‘Design My Card’. The experience creates an enjoyable and personal connection with Papara by offering users the chance to create their own wall of graffiti with a combination of drawings, sketches or doodles and ready-made creations from an extensive gallery.

Emre Kenci, CEO at Papara, said: “At Papara, we hold user experience above all else. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, we provide fast, simple, affordable and enjoyable financial services for all. By partnering with Thales SketchMyCard, we are enabling our users to unleash their creativity and bring self-expression to their everyday transactions. We’re thrilled to have partnered once again with the Thales team, who also supported the launch of our Voice Payment Card, the first-ever payment card designed specifically for people with visual impairment. These initiatives strengthen our vision to be a super app with a clear purpose: bringing financial freedom for all.”

Nassir Ghrous, Senior Vice President, Banking and Payment Services for Asia, Middle East and Africa at Thales said: “Aligning perfectly with the modern consumer trends for hyper-personalisation and social media connectivity, the unique emotional bond provided by SketchMyCard has a powerful impact on consumer behaviour. Holders are proud to share and use their self-designed payment cards. That translates into higher activation and transaction rates, and top-of-wallet status. By deploying our solution, Papara offers a service that attracts more users, forge stronger relationships with cardholders, and provide further differentiation in a competitive market.” ​

Thales’ Gemalto SketchMyCard is an innovative customisation offer that may be used by any bank in conjunction with its growing range of sustainable and eco-conscious card body materials. This includes, Ocean Plastic® cards, manufactured from waste recovered from coastal areas, and Bio-sourced cards, which are 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.