SIBS has agreed to acquire Polish payments operator ITCARD, expanding its presence in ATMs, POS terminals and card services across Central and Eastern Europe.
ITCARD also manages card issuance and maintenance for Visa and Mastercard. The deal, which still requires regulatory approval, will see around 470 employees join SIBS.
The transaction marks a significant expansion for SIBS in Central and Eastern Europe. Once completed, the group will oversee about 5,500 ATMs in Poland and add over 181,000 point-of-sale terminals to its existing infrastructure. Globally, SIBS expects to manage more than 20,000 ATMs, over 827,000 terminals, and around 35 million cards, handling upwards of 17 billion transactions each year.
ITCARD’s role in SIBS’ regional strategy
ITCARD has built a presence in Poland by offering ATM and payment processing services to banks, merchants and cardholders. Company officials noted that joining a larger European group would provide resources to expand services in ecommerce, omnichannel payments and mobile applications. They added that employees are expected to benefit from new development opportunities as part of a wider international organisation.
Representatives from SIBS described the acquisition as part of their European growth strategy. They emphasised that the company intends to build on ITCARD’s operations by drawing on its own experience across the payments value chain, from card issuing to ecommerce services. According to SIBS, the move also reflects its commitment to supporting Poland’s digital economy.
SIBS has been active in Poland since 2008, initially in ATM management, transaction processing and fraud prevention. The group reinforced its position with the acquisition of Paytel in 2018, followed by Kar-tel in 2023. In the wider region, it also integrated Romcard in Romania in 2020.
The company said it would continue investing in local partnerships, new services and technological developments in line with its long-term regional plans. Advisers on the transaction included Rothschild & Co, DLA Piper and KPMG.
