PayCore
PayCore is a Turkish fintech infrastructure provider building end-to-end card management, payment processing, and SoftPOS technology for 250+ banks, PSPs, e-money institutions, and retailers across 30+ countries via its Ocean platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSariyer
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PayCore does
PayCore is a Turkey-headquartered fintech infrastructure provider founded in 2001, operating as Kartek Holding A.Ş. and now part of Param following an August 2023 combination. The company builds end-to-end payment technology for banks, payment service providers, e-money institutions, retailers, and public-sector clients across more than 30 countries, with disclosed scale of 250+ clients and 3+ billion transactions processed annually through its Ocean platform.
Its core product, the Ocean Unified Card Management Platform (with the cloud-native Ocean 3.0 release on AWS), unifies issuing, acquiring, fraud management, loyalty, tokenization, and digital wallet/acceptance functions (Apple Pay, Google Pay, QR, HCE, SoftPOS) on an API-first architecture available as SaaS or PaaS. The portfolio additionally includes L2 EMV kernel certification support across 13+ card schemes, HSM distribution (authorized dealer for Thales and Safenet/Gemalto), card personalization systems, Manage ATM and the jointly developed Smart ATM Cockpit with Diebold Nixdorf, biometric security, payment terminals, POS network devices, and the regulated TCMB PayCore Takas Sistemi clearing operation in Turkey.
PayCore monetizes through a diversified stack: recurring SaaS/PaaS subscriptions, transaction-based processing fees, one-time software licenses (notably EMV kernel), hardware resale, and project-based professional services. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with channel partnerships (Geidea for Saudi Arabia, Global Payments s.r.o. for Central Europe) and the Temenos Exchange marketplace, which exposes Ocean to approximately 3,000 banking clients in 150 countries. Certification breadth (PCI DSS PIN, ISAE 3402, full ISO suite, Mastercard GVCP, Visa Member Agent, BKM, Turkish Law 6493, KVKK/GDPR) functions as a regulatory entry barrier that anchors the company's positioning against cloud-native competitors in EMEA.
PayCore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PayCore
- Legal name
- Kartek Holding A.Ş.
- Website
- https://paycore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- PayCore is a Turkish fintech infrastructure provider building end-to-end card management, payment processing, and SoftPOS technology for 250+ banks, PSPs, e-money institutions, and retailers across 30+ countries via its Ocean platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PayCore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Software
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO), EMV Chip, Magstripe & PIN Debit Acceptance (FSAMADAG), Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), Payment Gateways & API Connectivity (FSAGABAB)
Keywords
Where PayCore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sariyer
Offices3 records
Markets served
PayCore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Processing Services: Transaction processing for issuing and acquiring operations, processing billions of transactions annually across banks and payment institutions.
- SaaS/PaaS Platform: Ocean platform offered as Software-as-a-Service or Platform-as-a-Service for card management and payment processing.
- Software Licenses: EMV Kernel, card personalization, and other software solutions licensed to financial institutions.
- Payment Hardware Products: HSM (Hardware Security Modules), card personalization devices, payment terminals, and POS network devices. PayCore is authorized dealer and gold partner of Thales and Safenet/Gemalto.
- Professional Services: Consulting, implementation, and certification support services for EMV and payment system migrations.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
PayCore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PayCore provides end-to-end payment technology infrastructure for financial institutions and payment service providers, anchored by its Ocean unified card management platform (cloud-native, API-first, available as SaaS and PaaS) covering card issuing, acquiring, fraud management, loyalty, tokenization, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), QR, HCE, and SoftPOS. The company also delivers EMV L2 kernel certification support, processing services, ATM management software, and payment hardware products including HSM, card personalization systems, POS terminals, biometric security, and POS network devices.
Product overview
PayCore provides end-to-end payment technology solutions spanning three main categories: Core Payments Solutions (software platform), Processing Services, and Payment Hardware Products. The flagship Ocean platform serves as the unified card management system (issuing and acquiring) with its cloud-native Ocean 3.0 version running on AWS. The platform supports all major card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover, JCB, CUP, Rupay, PURE, TROY) and digital payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay, QR, HCE, SoftPOS). EMV Kernel provides L2 certification support for terminal manufacturers. SoftPOS enables Android smartphones as POS terminals. Manage ATM and Smart ATM Cockpit address ATM management. Processing Services include issuing, acquiring, digital card, and clearing operations (TCMB PayCore Takas Sistemi). Payment Hardware Products include HSM, card personalization devices, terminals, biometric security, and POS network devices. The company operates API-first with cloud-native architecture and serves 250+ clients across 30+ countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ocean: Unified Card Management Platform - SaaS & PaaS enabling high-level business benefits for banks, payment service providers, and e-money institutions.
Products and services
- Ocean Unified Card Management Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 3+ billion transactions processed annually through Ocean platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use PayCore
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PayCore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
PayCore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.
- TwistoregionalEuropean fintech company using Ocean 3.0 platform on AWS with Apple Pay and Google Pay support, representing first major European reference for cloud-native processing deployment.
- TemenoscorePayCore's Ocean Unified Card Management Platform is live on Temenos Exchange, enabling deployment across 3000+ banks in 150 countries through pre-integrated fintech solutions.
- Global Payments s.r.o.regionalCentral Europe's leading payment company distributing PayCore SoftPOS in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Austria, and other Central European countries.
- GeidearegionalSaudi Arabia's largest fintech company with 70% market share in POS products and services, deploying PayCore SoftPOS nationwide to support Kingdom's cashless society goals.
- Diebold NixdorfregionalJoint development of Smart ATM Cockpit powered by Vynamic View, combining PayCore's Manage ATM product with Diebold Nixdorf's ATM monitoring software for comprehensive ATM management.
- Shell & TurcasregionalPayCore provides payment infrastructure for Shell Vehicle Recognition System enabling credit card payments at 1000+ fuel stations across Turkey for fleet cash management.
- VisacoreVisa Ready partner with PIN on Glass SoftPOS certification. PayCore became first Turkish company to receive Visa approval for PIN-supported SoftPOS.
- MastercardcoreMastercard-certified PIN-supported SoftPOS technology. PayCore received certification enabling global distribution of SoftPOS solution through financial institutions.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PayCore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PayCore social profiles
Digital presencePayCore compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
PayCore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PayCore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
PayCore subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
PayCore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PayCore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PayCore
What does PayCore do?
PayCore provides end-to-end payment technology infrastructure for financial institutions and payment service providers, anchored by its Ocean unified card management platform (cloud-native, API-first, available as SaaS and PaaS) covering card issuing, acquiring, fraud management, loyalty, tokenization, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), QR, HCE, and SoftPOS. The company also delivers EMV L2 kernel certification support, processing services, ATM management software, and payment hardware products including HSM, card personalization systems, POS terminals, biometric security, and POS network devices.
Is PayCore a public or private company?
PayCore is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was PayCore founded?
PayCore was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is PayCore based?
PayCore is headquartered in Sariyer.
How does PayCore make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are saaS/PaaS Platform, software Licenses, payment Hardware Products and professional Services.
Does PayCore have an API?
No public API is recorded for PayCore.
What industry is PayCore in?
PayCore's product category is Payment Processing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAA, Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer), with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 7374.