Haluk Yum: Our user base has exceeded 7 million with our next-generation payment solutions
While expanding the use cases of the next-generation payment solutions we developed for the retail and SME segments in 2025, we have established a stronger structure for the integration of our digital and physical channels. The omnichannel service model we offer through nearly 600 transaction centers and more than 15,000 physical service points across Turkey was at the center of our strategy this year. We have reached a user base exceeding 7 million. As a member of Aktif Bank, Turkey's largest financial technology ecosystem, we have built our 2026 strategy on three main pillars. We will focus on increasing operational efficiency, developing new business models compliant with open banking, and expanding integrated solutions through international collaborations.
Haluk Yum, General Manager of Paynkolay
Could you summarize 2025 for Paynkolay in a few sentences? What were the prominent developments in the company's strategic roadmap this year? In 2025, we managed to accelerate our technology investments while strengthening our operational scope for Paynkolay. While expanding the use cases of the next-generation payment solutions we developed for the retail and SME segments, we established a stronger structure for the integration of our digital and physical channels.
The omnichannel service model we offer through nearly 600 transaction centers and more than 15,000 physical service points across Turkey was at the center of our strategy this year. Thanks to the power provided by this widespread network, we were able to offer faster, more flexible, and more secure solutions to both our individual users and thousands of commercial businesses. By reaching a user base exceeding 7 million, we reinforced our commitment to the idea that payment systems must work seamlessly anytime and anywhere.
2025 was also a year in which our data analytics and automation-focused product development journey yielded concrete outputs. We made our solution sets smarter—simplifying the financial operations of businesses and providing real-time transaction tracking, detailed reporting, early fund release solutions, and speed in transfer processes.
These developments were planned to support the rapidly changing dynamics of the retail ecosystem. This is because customers now expect not only secure payments but also a personalized experience, digital speed, tailored financial products, and an accessible service across every channel. As Paynkolay, we anticipated these demands in advance and shaped our infrastructure accordingly.
What topics take priority in Paynkolay’s corporate strategy for 2026? Could you evaluate your agenda in terms of operational efficiency, new business models, or partnerships? As a member of Aktif Bank, Turkey's largest financial technology ecosystem, we have built our 2026 strategy on three main pillars. We will focus on increasing operational efficiency, developing new business models compliant with open banking, and expanding integrated solutions through international collaborations.
In the new year, we plan to take our infrastructure to a deeper level with a focus on security and data. Expanding smart systems, particularly in areas like fraud detection, transaction risk analysis, customer segmentation, and campaign personalization, will bring a new standard in both speed and security. This technological transformation will create value not only for digital users but also for our broad customer base utilizing our physical channels.
On the operational side, our goal is to offer a stronger platform that manages the financial flows of businesses under a single roof. By expanding the scope of the Paynkolay Panel, we want to support a broad ecosystem ranging from accounting integrations to payment models linked with inventory management. In terms of collaborations, we will elevate the network of relationships we have built with both local and international players to a more strategic level. Especially with the maturation of open banking models, we believe that infrastructure partnerships established with fintechs in different countries will expand the service set we offer to our customers.
We are seeing an expanding fintech ecosystem that is not limited to just payment services. What are the innovations Paynkolay has developed this year or the new solutions it has planned on the product and service side? With the expansion of the fintech sector's boundaries, we at Paynkolay are also focusing on developing solutions that go beyond the traditional payment perspective. We are working on financial decision support tools backed by data analytics, automation systems that analyze customer behavior models, and smart payment flows tailored specifically for businesses. We aim to offer a structure that gathers a business's entire financial ecosystem on a single platform, is supported by predictive analytics, and does not impose an operational burden on the user.
During this period, we are also expanding our open banking-compliant solutions. We want to deliver a service model to our customers where different financial service providers are united under one roof, fund flows are faster, and data integration is simplified.
Thanks to local and international collaborations, our plans also include solutions that will make cross-border payment products operationally faster and more cost-efficient. On the product side, we are strengthening our next-generation POS devices and mobile payment solutions with advanced security modules in particular. By the end of 2026, we anticipate that Paynkolay's identity as a platform that not only processes payments but manages financial processes from end to end will come to the forefront.
Taking our strong position in Turkey to the global arena is part of our long-term strategy
What is Paynkolay’s global vision? Do you have plans such as entering new markets or forming global collaborations in the upcoming period? As Paynkolay, we consider taking our strong position in Turkey to the global arena as part of our long-term strategy. In the upcoming period, we aim to deliver fast and low-cost solutions in cross-border payments to our customers by establishing deeper technological collaborations with international payment service providers.
While developments in open banking make it more feasible to work with global players, they also enable us to develop secure and compliant models in international data flow. In this context, we are conducting studies on common API standards, integrated wallet structures, and next-generation payment protocols with companies that are part of the international fintech ecosystem.
Our goal is to enable businesses in Turkey to expand into global markets more easily and to implement projects abroad that will make Paynkolay's technological power visible.
Our next-generation POS devices, virtual POS solutions tailored for e-commerce businesses, and mobile payment systems directly increase operational efficiency
Payment technologies are continuously evolving for SMEs, retail businesses, and digital business models. What new value propositions does Paynkolay aim to offer for these segments? SMEs and retail businesses are among the primary segments that must adapt most rapidly to changing consumer expectations. For this reason, as Paynkolay, we position speed, cost advantage, and integrated financial control at the center of the solutions we develop for this segment. Our next-generation POS devices, virtual POS solutions tailored for e-commerce businesses, and mobile payment systems directly increase the operational efficiency of these segments.
Another solution that lightens the financial processes of SMEs is the Paynkolay Panel structure, where all transactions can be managed from a single platform. The simplification of crucial operational functions such as real-time reporting, early fund release resolution, money transfers, and transaction tracking stands out as a critical element that increases the competitive power of SMEs. At the same time, thanks to customer behavior analytics and data-driven smart recommendation mechanisms, we aim to offer insights that boost the sales performance of businesses.
In the current environment where regulations are rapidly maturing, what are the key priorities Paynkolay has set regarding compliance, security, and operational transparency? In the fintech sector, regulations are among the primary factors determining the direction of innovation. As Paynkolay, we have defined our most fundamental priority as maintaining transparency, data security, and full compliance with regulations at a sustainable level across all our processes.
We position the secure processing of customer data, the deployment of real-time risk analyses for transaction security, and the proactive detection of fraud attempts at the core of our strategy. We support our increasing responsibilities under regulations with technological tools that simplify our operational processes and leave no room for error. New security modules, which particularly strengthen transaction verification mechanisms and encompass integrations compliant with open banking, hold a significant place in our preparations for 2026.
Our goal is to enable businesses to expand into global markets more easily
Developments in the field of open banking make it more feasible to work with global players while simultaneously allowing us to develop secure and compliant models in international data flow. In this context, we are carrying out studies on common API standards, integrated wallet structures, and next-generation payment protocols with companies that are part of the international fintech ecosystem. Our goal is to enable businesses in Turkey to expand into global markets more easily and to implement projects abroad that will showcase Paynkolay's technological power.
We developed a strong technology strategy to take a leading role within the transformation
Areas such as open banking, digital wallets, data analytics, and cross-border payments are growing rapidly. How is Paynkolay preparing for this transformation? What kind of position do you target in the sector in the medium-to-long term for 2026 and beyond? In this period where the pace of transformation in financial technologies is accelerating, we at Paynkolay have developed a robust technology strategy not just to adapt to these areas, but to take a leading role within the transformation. Many critical functions—such as models that predict customer behavior, fraud detection mechanisms, personalized user experience designs, and automated financial flow management—are among the core components of our journey to 2026.
We see the expansion of open banking applications to encompass all financial categories as a significant area of opportunity. Thanks to this expansion, it will become possible to offer our users an integrated financial experience that brings investment, insurance, pension, and payment systems together under the same roof. Paynkolay's vision aligns with this direction: to create a secure, fast, and modular financial ecosystem that unites multiple service providers on a single platform.
Digital wallets and cross-border payments constitute a significant portion of our long-term growth areas. We are continuing our research and collaborations on topics such as blockchain-based payment infrastructures, solution models supported by stable crypto assets, and integration into international money transfer protocols.
In the medium and long term, our goal is to transform into a strong fintech player on a regional scale by combining our identity as the payment institution with the most widespread service network in Turkey with technological leadership.