BORICA and OpenWay win PAY360 award for Bulgaria's euro payment transition

Bulgaria's national payment system operator BORICA AD and technology firm OpenWay have been awarded the "Best Partnership Initiative" prize at the PAY360 Awards 2026 in London. The recognition acknowledges their collaboration in modernizing Bulgaria's payment infrastructure and ensuring the country's successful transition to the euro on January 1, 2026.

The award highlights a long-term partnership focused on transforming critical national payment infrastructure with zero tolerance for disruption. The effort ensured the continuity of card payments and ATM services from the moment the euro was adopted.

BORICA and OpenWay's collaboration began in 2018, combining BORICA's expertise in domestic payment services and ecosystem coordination with OpenWay's Way4 digital payments platform and its payment technology know-how. The project's scale, continuity, and tangible impact were noted as distinguishing factors.

The euro program involved over 35 banks, payment service providers, and other entities. BORICA and OpenWay conducted extensive testing and simulations to ensure a seamless transition. The first euro ATM transaction occurred just 20 seconds after the currency switch. Within the first 48 hours, over 930,000 transactions, totaling nearly €42 million, were processed without unplanned interruptions.