News

Payconiq raises 20 million euros in capital for further development

Over EUR 20 million funding to go into new developments and closer integration with banks
From Benelux to Europe: Payconiq builds an omnichannel, multi-country, mobile payments platform

Luxembourg, 25 July 2019 – Payconiq International SA has raised over EUR 20 million in a funding round led by its existing shareholders. The Luxembourg-based mobile payments platform has built a sustainable ecosystem through an open-API approach and flexible microservices, focusing on consumers, merchants, and banks.

Increasing adoption rate in Benelux

The latest funding will be used to aggressively speed up new developments and generate a closer integration with banks and merchants, as well as to consolidate the fintech’s presence in Benelux.

So far, 60,000+ merchants across Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands trust Payconiq’s secure, plug-and-play platform. Payconiq’s surprisingly simple mobile payments provide a full omnichannel experience based on the existing bank infrastructure. Users only need a bank account and a smartphone to securely pay their friends, their invoices, instore or online shopping.

Mobile payments made easy for everyone

The mobile payments market has been thriving over the last years. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2018, digital wallets have already surpassed credit and debit cards in e-commerce. As smartphones prevail and technology advances, digital wallets will only grow stronger by 2022.

Duke Prins, CEO of Payconiq, says: “At Payconiq, we believe that every person owning a bank account and a smartphone is entitled to be part of the digital journey – no need of a credit card for that! We wanted to keep it simple and safe and we found a way of doing it while using what is already available. We’re actually using banks’ secure infrastructure to provide everyone in Europe with a simple, mobile solution for payments.”

The over EUR 20 million funding marks the renewed commitment of Payconiq’s main shareholders to support the fintech’s journey in becoming a pan-European, omnichannel, mobile payments solution.

Press Contact

Andreea Flintoacca

[email protected]

Bancontact Company and Payconiq Belgium bringing their expertise and innovative skills under one roof.

Brussels/Hasselt, Tuesday 27 March 2018 – Following a commitment agreement signed by the shareholders of Bancontact Company and Payconiq Belgium on 26 March 2018, the two firms intend to merge into a single entity to be called Bancontact Payconiq Company. The completion of the merger is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018. This new Belgian company will offer innovative products for both domestic and European payments, including a unified payment app: ‘Payconiq by Bancontact’. In the meantime the two existing payment apps – the Bancontact app and Payconiq app – will remain available. The trusted Bancontact card will continue to exist, under the same name, for use both with online purchases and in bricks-and-mortar shops.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

The merger promises the best of both worlds for both consumers and merchants. Payconiq enables mobile payments by smartphone. You link your bank account to the app and you can then pay for purchases in physical stores or on e-commerce sites by scanning QR codes, confirming your payment with either your fingerprint or a PIN code. With mobile payments, Payconiq retailers and traders receive the money in their accounts immediately without the need for any extra hardware such as a payment terminal. Bancontact Company, which offers both the Bancontact card and the mobile Bancontact app and enjoys widespread trust among web-stores, retailers, merchants and banks, will ensure broad reach among consumers. The merger will thus bring the complementary expertise and innovation capabilities of Bancontact Company and Payconiq Belgium under one roof so as to take full advantage of the fast-growing demand for safe, high-performance and user-friendly payment solutions.

Michael Anseeuw, Chairman of the Board of Bancontact Company: “It is important that Belgium maintains its pioneering role in the European payments market, where the opportunities are enormous. That requires a strong alliance of expertise and talent.”

FIVE BANKS, PAYMENT SOLUTIONS FOR ALL

Five banks are lined up behind this new Belgian provider. AXA Bank, Belfius, BNP Paribas Fortis, ING and KBC are all shareholders in Bancontact Company. Belfius, ING and KBC have for some time been shareholders in Payconiq Belgium and were recently joined by BNP Paribas Fortis. However, payment solutions for both electronic and mobile purchases will not be restricted to customers of the five banks, but will be available to all.

Ivo De Meersman, Chairman of the Board of Payconiq Belgium: “The new company has the ambition to bring mobile payments within reach of all merchants, including those who currently cannot accept such payments. It will do so by offering innovative and attractively priced solutions.”

MOBILE PAYMENTS BECOMING THE NEW NORMAL

The practice of paying for purchases with a smartphone is steadily gaining ground. The ‘Great Bancontact Payment Survey 2017’, whose results were published by Bancontact Company in November 2017, indicated that the way we pay for things is now at a tipping point. Two out of three Belgians rarely carry cash in their pockets nowadays. Some 29% of those surveyed even expressed the belief that cash will no longer exist in ten years’ time. On 16 March, it was Payconiq’s turn to announce the results of its own mobile payments survey. Fully 91% of those surveyed stated that they would be paying for goods with a smartphone during the coming year. Six out of ten respondents said they would prefer to pay by mobile everywhere, and hoped that retailers and the authorities would make an effort to catch up with the demand for this way of paying for purchases.

The figures clearly show how Belgians feel about this subject. The total number of payments made via the Bancontact Company and Payconiq Belgium apps quadrupled in 2017 versus 2016. In 2017 Bancontact and Payconiq together processed some 15 million mobile payments.

Ivo De Meersman: “Bancontact Payconiq Company will focus entirely on mobile payments. Paying by smartphone is now becoming as natural as paying with a Bancontact card.”

NEW PAYMENT PRODUCTS, BUILDING FURTHER UPON TRUSTED PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

Bancontact Payconiq Company will be launching new payment products such as the ‘Payconiq by Bancontact’ mobile payments app for use both in Belgium and abroad. Until then, the new company will be building further upon tried and trusted payment solutions, and consumers will still be able to use the existing payment apps and payment card as before. Both systems will also remain available to merchants.

Michael Anseeuw: “The integration between Bancontact Company and Payconiq will take place gradually. During that process, we will continue to provide consumers and retailers with the payment solutions – both those of Payconiq and Bancontact – with which they are familiar.”

Press Contact

Catherine Dhooghe (Dialogic Agency)

[email protected]

+3224266466 or +32495533886

ING and Rabobank customers can now try out Payconiq

As from today, 20.000 users will have the opportunity to experience quick and easy payments with Payconiq.

Amsterdam, January 23rd, 2018 – As from today Payconiq, the mobile payment service through which users can pay online, on the go and between friends, will offer ING and Rabobank account holders the first opportunity to try out quick and easy payments in the Netherlands. Android users can now download Payconiq from the Google Play store. Payconiq will most likely be available in the App Store for iOS users within the next two weeks.

The first Dutch merchants have already signed up to accept mobile payments through Payconiq. In anticipation of their nationwide release later this year, Payconiq will start to increase the number of merchants over time. From that time on, multiple other banks will offer a direct connection to Payconiq. The payment service will also be available through multiple online Payment Service Providers.

Pay fast and easy via QR-codes

Payconiq allows their users to simply pay online and in-stores by scanning a QR-code. Thanks to a direct connection with the user’s bank account, transactions can be swiftly processed against low costs for the merchants. Merchants can integrate Payconiq directly into their cash register or use a third party payment provider, as for example, the internet cash register Kassa Compleet or CCV.

Due to Payconiq’s collaboration with CCV, the market leader of payment terminals in the Netherlands, merchants can easily offer and accept mobile payments to their consumers. Once Payconiq is selected as the preferred payment method, the QR-code appears on the pin terminal after which the consumer can scan the QR-code and confirm the transaction via the Payconiq app. Enny van de Velden, Chairwoman of CCV: “We’re excited that we, as a major European payment facilitator, can support Payconiq with the release of mobile payments in the Netherlands.”

Guido Vermeent, CEO of Payconiq Netherlands, says: “We are incredibly proud that we’re getting started in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has always welcomed innovation and the development of Payconiq is living proof of that. We’re looking forward to establish mobile payments Netherlands.”

One European platform

With the introduction of Payconiq, it’s no longer needed to enter long IBAN numbers when making payments. Next to making on- and offline payments, users can easily transfer money to friends and family by selecting a fellow Payconiq user from the personal contactlist in their smartphone. Payconiq is free to use for consumers. Consumers can already pay at over 45.000 merchants in Belgium and Luxembourg and soon in Germany where Payconiq has been released earlier this month.

Note to the press

About Payconiq

Payconiq is a European payment initiative with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hasselt, Luxembourg and Munich. Payconiq, the 2014 brainchild of the ING innovation lab, was founded in Amsterdam. Over 45,000 shops are now actively connected to the system. Payconiq is currently being used in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

Please direct all enquiries to:

Chris Peters, Glasnost International, on behalf of Payconiq

Email: [email protected]

Payconiq launches an innovative, mobile payment system in Germany

Munich becomes the first launch region of the market entry

Munich, January 10th, 2018: The international payment provider, Payconiq, is starting its mobile payment system in Germany as of today. That means payments in stores and transfers to mobile contacts can conveniently be done via smartphone. Payconiq connects directly to the existing bank account, no separate credit or additional card is required. When completing a transaction, a simple QR code is enough to transfer the desired amount to the correct account. The cashless transfer of funds between friends and family is also a breeze as they appear in your contact list as soon as they are registered with Payconiq.

The Payconiq app is now available for free on Google Play and the App Store. Munich is the first city in Germany to put the international payment provider to the test. In support of this, a pop-up store is now open in the fashionable district of Munich-Maxvorstadt, where you can try out the new system live and access further information.

Making the transition from cash to mobile payment

Payconiq wants to help shape the transition away from cash and towards mobile payments in Europe. What has already been successful in Belgium is now supposed to find success in Germany: The product is first tested in a local community to learn more about people’s personal needs and how Payconiq will fit into their lives. “Trust is an important factor in the acceptance of a new payment method,” explains Max van Riel, Head of Business Development at Payconiq Germany. “The payment business in Europe is increasingly developing to become an international playing field. Payconiq therefore has the ambition to expand gradually in Germany and other European countries over the next years.” With the upcoming product launch in the Netherlands, the mobile payment system will soon be available in four countries of the EU.

Increasing competition through PSD2

Payconiq is additionally seen as a pioneer of the implementation of the Payment Service Directive 2 (PSD2) – an EU Directive which promotes competition in European payments and will enter into force on January 13th 2018. “In the future, European banks will need to provide appropriate interfaces to enable their customers to work with innovative FinTech providers such as Payconiq more easily. This also includes access to bank accounts of users, who must of course give prior consent,” says van Riel.

Press contact: Achim von Michel – WORDUP PR – Martiusstraße 1 – 80802 München – Tel: 089 2878 878 0 – E-Mail: [email protected]

Luxembourg, 1 September 2017

Payconiq picks Luxembourg for new headquarters

European expansion directed from Luxembourg with the support of international banks

Payconiq, the mobile payment service for online, on-thego and direct payments, has relocated its headquarters to Luxembourg. The company started in Amsterdam where Payconiq was founded and has thrived under the wings of ING’s innovation hub. Starting today, Payconiq will continue as an independent entity, putting down roots in the ‘payments capital’ of Europe.

Luxembourg will act as Payconiq’s central hub for the countries in which it is active and drive the company’s continued expansion in Europe. Following the relocation, Payconiq is supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (“CSSF”), the supervisory authority for the financial sector of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.

Along with the move, Payconiq, as sole entity, has received investment from ING, KBC and Belfius as shareholders. In the near future, more international operating banks will participate in the mobile payment service provider.

Duke Prins, Payconiq CEO: “The relocation of our headquarters to the heart of Western Europe is a new step in the development of Payconiq as a European payment service. With a number of powerful international banks as shareholders, we will be able to accelerate our growth throughout Europe.”

Payconiq is already active on the Belgian market and will soon enter the Dutch market. In Luxembourg, the company has joined forces with the Luxembourg fintech startup Digicash Payments, a mobile payments service offered by a number of banks in Luxembourg. Thanks to the cooperation with Digicash, customers will be able to use Payconiq for online, on-thego and direct payments right across the Benelux in 2018.

Note to the press

About Payconiq

Payconiq is a European payment initiative with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hasselt and Luxembourg. Payconiq, the 2014 brainchild of the ING innovation lab, was founded in Amsterdam. Over 37,000 shops are now actively connected to the system in Belgium, while Payconiq is currently preparing for a rollout in the Netherlands and a phased launch of the system in Luxembourg.

Please direct all enquiries to:

Chris Peters, Glasnost International, on behalf of Payconiq
Email: [email protected]

Luxembourg, August 2, 2017

Payconiq joins forces with Luxembourg-based Digicash

Acquisition establishes a Benelux-wide presence of the mobile payments initiative

Payconiq announces today that it will expand its footprint to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg by joining forces with Digicash Payments SA, the company behind Luxembourg’s mobile payments product Digicash. Payconiq aims to establish a strong partnership with Luxembourg banks and retailers, in order to capitalize on the substantial efforts made in recent years and to build one of the most advanced mobile payments setups in Europe. Combining forces will bring Payconiq’s international expertise and scale to the Grand-Duchy, further enhancing the consumer experience in online, on the-go and peer-to-peer payments.

Payconiq, already active in Belgium and expected to soon enter the Dutch market, is supported by ING and KBC in taking this important step. The acquisition of the thriving Luxembourg mobile payments company –the Digicash app is currently used by 25 percent of the local population– takes place under the supervision of the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). In the short-term, Digicash users can continue to rely on the trusted payments service, which is made available in Luxembourg through local partner banks. Payconiq aims to further expand services for consumers and (online) merchants within the first six months of 2018.

Payconiq CEO Duke Prins makes the following statement about the company’s Luxembourg expansion: “The excellent work done by banks and by the entrepreneurs behind Digicash forms another cornerstone of the combined product offer we are building. Our intention is to tightly partner with the national Digicash community of consumers, retailers and banks. Similarity of philosophies, business setups and product architecture highly facilitates our collaboration. This is also a great example of a Benelux-partnership, laying a strong foundation for a European digital future in payments.”

About Payconiq

IBAN number not required

Payconiq facilitates mobile payments for both consumers and retailers by integrating online, on-the-go and peer-to-peer transactions in its all-in-one payments app. Users no longer need to enter long IBAN numbers to settle payments. Online and in-shop payments are executed via QR code or a direct link to the Payconiq app. The app enables straightforward peer-to-peer payments by linking bank accounts to phone numbers. Access to the sender’s contact list allows the app to simply link the beneficiary’s phone number to their banking details.

International activity

By adding Luxembourg to Payconiq’s international footprint, making and receiving payments will become a reality throughout the Benelux. In Belgium, the platform is supported by Belfius, ING and KBC/CBC and over 35,000 shops are actively connected to the system. In the Netherlands, where the app is backed by ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, ING, Rabobank, SNS and RegioBank, rollout of the service for consumers and retailers is foreseen in the near future.

Consumer and merchant benefits

Payconiq is the first international cross-border payments service that enables consumers to make online, on-the-go and peer-to-peer payments with a smartphone. Retailers equally benefit, as Payconiq’s single, trouble-free method of payment can be used for both online and in-store payments, making transactions more efficient and transparent. In addition, Payconiq’s API facilitates easy integration and offers options such as links to loyalty programs. As payment terminals are not required in order to perform transactions, Payconiq’s merchant rates are very competitive. Consumers can enjoy the Payconiq app completely free of charge.

Note to the press

About Payconiq

Payconiq, the 2014 brainchild of the ING innovation lab, is a European mobile payment initiative with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hasselt and Luxembourg. Currently, over 35,000 shops are actively connected to the system in Belgium and rollout is imminent in the Netherlands.

Please direct all enquiries to:

Catherine Depoorter, Glasnost International, on behalf of Payconiq
Tel: +352 27 86 02 22
Email: [email protected]

Brussels, 2 December 2016

Belfius joins ING and KBC in Payconiq

No card, no terminal, no contact: Paying with your smartphone has never been easier, thanks to Payconiq
Belfius, ING and KBC/CBC are working to promote fully mobile payments as a practical and secure alternative to cash payments. With Belfius now onboard, the three banks will continue to develop Payconiq solutions and to add loyalty programmes. Accepted in more than 11,000 shops in Belgium already, Payconiq will also be integrated in the Citie platform supported by Belfius, bpost and Proximus. This agreement will help increase the share of mobile payments via smartphone further and to promote the use of digital loyalty programmes.
75% of Belgians have a smartphone and Belfius, KBC and ING together have nearly two million customers who make an active and regular use of Mobile Banking for an ever wider range of transactions. Through this partnership in Payconiq, Belfius, KBC and ING want to provide shopkeepers and consumers with an innovative, secure and inexpensive cardless and terminal-less payment solution that meets their needs in an increasingly more mobile and constantly changing world.

Easy, fast and inexpensive

Available from App Store and Google Play, the Payconiq app can be used to reimburse a friend who paid your share of the restaurant bill, to pay for a visit to the doctor, for purchases in a shop or (shortly) on the Internet, etc.
Payconiq does not require a terminal to be installed and the charges per transaction billed to the shopkeeper are particularly low. Moreover, there are no additional costs. Furthermore, Payconiq will soon be integrated in the Citie platform, enabling users to benefit from discounts, advantages, points or coins granted under loyalty programmes by partner shopkeepers.
The app is accessible to all consumers with a current account, irrespective of whether they are customers at Belfius, ING or KBC. It can be used to make payments rapidly and free of charge everywhere, at all time, without contact. The beneficiary is recognised automatically by the app, and his or her account number does not even have to be entered any more. The user simply indicates the amount to be paid, then confirms the transaction with his or her PIN code. The operation is then displayed in near real time on the beneficiary’s screen (PC, smartphone or tablet).

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, April 20, 2017

Dutch banks join forces for European payment service Payconiq

Today, Dutch banks ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank and SNS announce a joint initiative to launch payment app Payconiq in the Netherlands this summer. Payconiq is a new mobile payment service that enables online, on-the-go and one-on-one payments. The Dutch launch follows a successful pilot phase and introduction in Belgium, with ING, KBC, CBC and Belfius banks supporting the platform.

Payconiq facilitates payments by integrating all payment methods in the app: online, on-the-go and one-on-one. Payments can be executed to online merchants, bricks-and-mortar shops as well as individuals. The app connects directly to the client’s checking account at participating banks. IBAN details for payments between family and friends are no longer required, as these are generated automatically after selecting the beneficiary from a contact list in the phone.

Collaboration between banks

ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank and SNS will actively support Payconiq in the Netherlands. The association between Payconiq and the banks anticipates the introduction of the new European Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2), due late 2018. This directive will allow clients to permit third parties to verify payment details with banks and make payments from the client’s checking account.

‘Numerous payment apps have been developed, but not all of them work in regular shops, web shops, between individuals as well as internationally’, says Payconiq CEO Duke Prins. ‘Our initiative anticipates digitalization as well as the upcoming changes in the European payment regulation. The successful pilot and subsequent launch in Belgium has increased our ambition to effect big changes in other European countries as well. The collaboration with Dutch banks is a promising step for Payconiq.’

Available in the Netherlands this summer

Payconiq makes executing payments surprisingly simple. There is no need for entering long IBAN numbers, as beneficiaries can be selected from a contact list. Shops are identified through geolocation or by scanning a QR code. Online payments can be made via QR code or a direct link to the Payconiq app.

Over 25,000 shops are actively connected to the system in Belgium. In the Netherlands, payments with the app will be possible in select web shops and stores this summer, when a direct link with Dutch banks will be available.

Note to the press

About Payconiq

Payconiq is a European mobile payment initiative headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with subsidiary offices in Brussels and Hasselt in Belgium. Initiated in the ING innovation lab, tested among the student population of Leuven, Belgium, currently more than 25,000 Belgian shops are connected to the app. Payconiq’s ambition is to roll out its service across other countries in Europe. Payconiq is supported by ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank and SNS in the Netherlands, and ING, KBC, CBC and Belfius in Belgium.

Brussels, 2 December 2016