SIBS

What SIBS does

SIBS (SIBS Forward Payment Solutions, S.A.) is the operator of MULTIBANCO, Portugal's national interbank payment network founded in 1983, and the company behind MB WAY, Portugal's leading mobile payment application. It runs the regulated payments infrastructure — card processing, ATM switching, POS acquiring, scheme governance, and PSD2-compliant open banking APIs (SIBS API Marketplace) — that connects all major Portuguese banks and serves national merchants across retail, fuel, mobility, and bill payment. The combined platform today reports roughly 20,000+ ATMs, 830,000+ POS terminals, 35 million cards in circulation, 17 billion+ transactions processed annually, and 2 million+ MB WAY users, supported by 31+ certified partners and 250+ registered integrators.

The business spans four commercial layers: (1) scheme and transaction processing fees on multibanco/ATM/POS volume; (2) platform and API services sold to banks, fintechs, and merchants via the SIBS API Marketplace on subscription and usage pricing; (3) managed hardware and field services for ATM and POS fleets; and (4) consumer fees and merchant integrations on MB WAY. Revenue is therefore mix-shifted between volume-based processing fees, recurring platform fees, and emerging data/SaaS lines (SIBS Analytics, Authorised Payments, SoftPOS).

Strategically SIBS is in the middle of a multi-year geographic and product expansion. In March 2026 it acquired ITCARD, Poland's largest independent payment processor, transforming SIBS from a domestic scheme operator into a multi-country payments infrastructure company. It has simultaneously built cross-border interoperability with Italy's Bancomat (EuroPA, April 2025), Spain's Bizum, Poland's BLIK (pilot February 2026), and Klarna (MB WAY integration July 2026), positioning MULTIBANCO and MB WAY as exportable brands rather than purely domestic assets.

Name

SIBS

Legal name

SIBS Forward Payment Solutions, S.A

Website

https://pay.sibs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SIBS operates MULTIBANCO and MB WAY, Portugal's national payment network and mobile wallet, processing 17B+ transactions annually across 830,000+ POS terminals, 20,000+ ATMs, and 35M cards for Portuguese banks, merchants, and 2M+ consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Infrastructure

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

A2A Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISPs) (FSAMAFAB), A2A Bill Pay & eInvoicing (Open Banking Enabled) (FSAMAFAL), Cross-Border Payouts & Mass Disbursements (Pay-outs) (FSAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• POS terminal solutions
• Open banking APIs
• Mobile payment platform
• Card payment acceptance

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction Processing Fees: Fees charged per transaction processed through POS terminals, online payments, and ATM networks. Volume-based revenue tied to payment activity across merchant network.
2. API Platform Services: Subscription and usage-based fees for API access through SIBS API Market, including PSD2-compliant APIs for TPPs and financial institutions. Sandbox free; production environment has consumption-based costs.
3. Terminal and Hardware Services: POS terminal provisioning and management services contracted through banks, including terminal intelligence applications and management backoffice access.
4. MB WAY Mobile Payments: Mobile payment solution processing P2P transfers, ecommerce, in-store purchases, and cash withdrawals, integrated with banks and merchants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SIBS operates Portugal's national MULTIBANCO payment infrastructure, providing merchants with unified payment acceptance through the SIBS PAY platform, including MB WAY mobile payments, MULTIBANCO reference-based payments, and major card networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay). The company also delivers PSD2-compliant open banking APIs via SIBS API Market, POS terminal solutions (SmartPOS and SoftPOS), real-time transaction management (SIBS Backoffice), and consumption analytics (SIBS Analytics) to merchants, banks, fintechs, and third-party providers.

Product overview

SIBS is a Portuguese financial payments systems company operating a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on payment acceptance infrastructure. The core SIBS PAY platform unifies online (SIBS Gateway) and physical (SmartPOS/SoftPOS) payment acceptance for merchants, supporting MB WAY, MULTIBANCO references, and major card networks. Supporting this core are SIBS Backoffice for real-time transaction management, SIBS Analytics for consumption insights, and SIBS API Market for PSD2-compliant open banking connectivity. The portfolio extends through innovation (SIBS LAB), partner enablement (SIBS Partner Programme), digital signatures (Sign'Stash), and vertical solutions for electric mobility. Following the ITCARD acquisition, the group expanded to over 20,000 ATMs, 830,000+ POS terminals, 35 million cards, and 17 billion annual transactions across Portugal and Central Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SIBS PAY: Payment acceptance solutions for online and physical stores including MB WAY, MULTIBANCO references, and bank card payments
• SIBS API Market
• SIBS Backoffice
• SmartPOS
• MB WAY
• SIBS LAB
• Sign'Stash

Products and services

• SIBS PAY Unified payment acceptance platform enabling merchants to accept MB WAY, MULTIBANCO references, and bank cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay) in online and physical stores. Provides payment gateway, POS terminals, management backoffice, and analytics.
• MB WAY Leading Portuguese mobile payment app with over 2 million users, enabling phone number-based P2P transfers, online purchases, in-store NFC/QR payments, virtual card generation, and cash withdrawals via smartphone.
• MULTIBANCO Payment scheme and network providing reference-based payments (referência MB), ATM services, and merchant payment acceptance across Portugal with established consumer trust.
• SIBS Gateway Online payment gateway enabling e-commerce merchants to accept MB WAY, MULTIBANCO references, and card payments. Offers Standard Integration (Payment Form) and Custom Integration (Server-to-Server) options.
• SmartPOS Android-based point-of-sale terminal with touchscreen display (5" or 5.5"), Wi-Fi connectivity, quad-core processor (1GB RAM), and integrated cameras for barcode/QR code scanning and facial recognition. Accepts MB WAY, cards, and digital wallets via contactless technology.
• SoftPOS Software-based payment acceptance turning Android smartphones/tablets into payment terminals. Accepts MB WAY, credit cards, and NFC-enabled devices without additional hardware.
• SIBS Backoffice Real-time management platform for merchants to monitor transactions across online and physical stores, manage refunds, track peak sales times, and control multiple POS terminals from a single dashboard.
• SIBS Analytics Data analytics platform providing consumption insights in Portugal through activity across SIBS-managed payment channels, including MB WAY, MULTIBANCO, and POS terminals.
• SIBS API Market Open API marketplace providing PSD2-compliant Account Information APIs, Payments Initiation APIs, and Availability of Funds APIs, along with MB WAY API for payment integration. Connects TPPs and fintechs with Portuguese financial institutions.
• Sign'Stash Digital signature and document custody service by Multicert, providing eIDAS-compliant qualified electronic signatures for electronic invoices, secure document storage, and temporal validation via timestamps.
• Electric Mobility Solutions Integrated payment solutions for electric vehicle charging, including online payments for CEMEs and EV apps (MB WAY, Authorised Payments), POS terminals with pre-authorisation functions, and payout management for charging network operators.
• EuroPA Cross-Border Instant Payments Cross-border payment interoperability platform connecting European mobile payment systems (Bancomat, Bizum, SIBS) enabling instant P2P transfers across Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Andorra.
• Pagamentos Autorizados (Authorised Payments) Subscription and recurring payment solution for merchants enabling implementation of recurring billing and subscription models through SIBS payment infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76% of consumers choose MB WAY when available for online payments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration41 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, standard and strategic.

• ITCARDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026SIBS completed acquisition of ITCARD, one of Poland's leading payment processing outsourcing companies. ITCARD operates ATM services under Planet Cash brand, electronic payment processing through Planet Pay terminal network, and issues and manages Visa and MasterCard cards. The acquisition expands SIBS Group to over 20,000 ATMs, approximately 830,000 POS terminals, 35 million cards, and processing of more than 17 billion transactions globally.
• EuroPA (Bancomat, Bizum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025Cross-border instant payment capabilities launched across Europe through EuroPA initiative, allowing users in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Andorra to send and receive money instantly. SIBS represents Portugal in this European payment interoperability initiative.
• Portuguese Financial Institutions (API Connected Banks)coreTechnology or IntegrationConnected banks include ActivoBank, Atlantico, Bankinter, BPG, BPI, CGD, Cofidis, CCCAM, Eurobic, Millennium BCP, Montepio, Novo Banco, Santander, Unicre, and credit cooperatives. These institutions comply with PSD2 through SIBS API Market infrastructure.
• SIBS Partners (Premium)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium partners include AirMenu, AMI, ARV Solutions, Card4B, CEDIS, Elecctro, Javali, Jumpseller, Moloni, NewNote Solutions, Something Apps, Thinkpay, VIA, Zetes, and Zone Soft. Partners provide integration, implementation, and resale of SIBS payment solutions.
• SIBS Partners (Standard)standardChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStandard partners include EF tecnologias, ELEVEN, Fresoft, Fujitsu, ICGPG, Labsit, Necomplus, RightCo, VTEX, CMAS Systems Consultants, Impact Commerce, Retail4People, Soltráfego, SVDI-RETAIL, WEDEV, and Wingsys. Partners provide specialized integration services across various sectors.
• Nova SBEstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nova School of Business & Economics for Voice Leadership Initiative - a training and mentorship program for Portuguese SMEs and startups. SIBS is founding partner subsidizing training for partners. Program includes 80 training hours over 18 months.
• Recuperar PortugalstrategicOthersSIBS LAB integrated into Rede Nacional de Test Beds, recognized and co-financed by Recuperar Portugal program. The program's mission is to accelerate digital transition in Portugal.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Stripe is a leading global online payment processor with developer-first APIs and broad European merchant coverage. It competes with SIBS Gateway for Portuguese e-commerce merchants through its payment gateway, developer tooling and standard payment method support.
• Worldline: Worldline is Europe's largest payment processor and acquired SIBS's former CEO Madalena Cascais Tomé to lead its Financial Services division. It offers merchant acquiring, payment processing and digital services across Europe, directly overlapping with SIBS's core business while operating at much larger scale as a broad incumbent.
• Fiserv: Fiserv is a global fintech and merchant acquiring giant (formerly First Data) with European acquiring and processing capabilities. It competes with SIBS at the enterprise merchant acquiring layer and provides comparable POS, gateway and card-issuing technology infrastructure.
• Adyen: Adyen is a global payment processor providing unified online, mobile and POS acquiring for enterprise merchants including European retailers. It directly competes with SIBS for large Portuguese enterprise merchants (Continente, Fnac-class accounts) and represents the global acquiring benchmark that SIBS must match on pricing and product velocity.
• Nexi: Nexi is Italy's leading payment processor and the parent of Nets, providing merchant acquiring, card issuing and payment infrastructure across Europe. It overlaps with SIBS in merchant services, card programs (Visa/Mastercard issuance) and digital payments, with strong parallels to SIBS's ITCARD-acquired card and acquiring operations.
• Checkout.com: Checkout.com is a global digital payment processor with strong European merchant coverage and a developer-first gateway. It targets the same Portuguese enterprise merchant accounts as SIBS Gateway and represents another global acquirer competing for SIBS's flagship retail and ecommerce relationships.

Direct peers

• Redsys (Sistema de Tarjetas y Medios de Pago): Redsys is Spain's national payment processor, operating the analogue of MULTIBANCO for the Spanish market — processing card transactions and managing ATM/POS infrastructure through a shared bank-owned model. It is the most structurally comparable company to SIBS given its national-scheme role, bank ownership and similar product portfolio.
• BLIK: BLIK is Poland's leading mobile payment standard, used by most Polish banks and integrated at major merchants. It is functionally equivalent to MB WAY in the Polish market and a direct comparison point for SIBS's ITCARD-acquired operations, including BLIK's recent EuroPA pilot with MB WAY.
• Bizum: Bizum is Spain's dominant mobile P2P payment platform with 25M+ users, connected to virtually all Spanish banks. As SIBS's EuroPA partner, Bizum is the closest functional analogue to MB WAY in another market — same phone-number-based mobile payment model with deep bank distribution.
• Bancomat: Bancomat operates Italy's national ATM and payment scheme and is SIBS's partner in the EuroPA cross-border instant payment initiative alongside Bizum. It is a direct structural analogue of MULTIBANCO for the Italian market, with similar bank-owned scheme and consumer brand dynamics.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/multibanco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sibs

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIBS