Sikirapay

[tokilopov]

Hey everyone,
I'm on the lookout for a SEPA (EU based EMI) current account that can be opened online by non-EU citizens and non-EU residents, without needing an EU residence permit or a tax code from any EU country. Also, I'm looking for options that work for people from countries outside the CRS. It's a pretty tricky search, but there are a few options out there, and one of them, which I didn't know about before, is Sikirapay.
They official web page is Sikirapay.
On Trustpilot they have only few reviews, all from former Yugoslavia, and this is not surprise since the owner are also from ex-Yu (probably Croatia) - Jozic family (probably father and daughter) and other tree employees.
It's not easy to find more data about Sikirapay, address is some old resident building in Stockholm, I guess in not so nice hood.
VIES VAT number validation
Bolagsfakta (basic company info)
Does anyone have more information's or experience with Sikirapay?

Last edited: Dec 8, 2024

 

[Sols]

Sikira is just a skin/whitelabel of Intergiro.

https://www.intergiro.com/

Intergiro is decent. They have some skeletons in the closet, but so far they have been able to not run into any major issues. Just go direct with them instead (or look for other options), unless you see some compelling reason to use Sikira.

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This is the probably the answer to your question.

 

[Forester]

Sols said:
Sikira is just a skin/whitelabel of Intergiro.

https://www.intergiro.com/
Click to expand...

An interesting information that I was not aware of (the latter means nothing of course 😉, although I have thought that I knew Intergiro quite well...). Thanks for sharing. Do you know how long they are working using this setup/model?

Sols said:
Intergiro is decent. They have some skeletons in the closet, but so far they have been able to not run into any major issues.
Click to expand...

I can confirm.

Sols said:
Just go direct with them instead (or look for other options), unless you see some compelling reason to use Sikira.
Click to expand...

I guess that the motivation can be that Intergiro onboards (and always has onboarded) EEA companies only (currently even with a remarkable turnover only) ”“ TBMK. No personal accounts (directly) at all...

Last edited: Dec 8, 2024
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I am just a simple countryman. Anything I say is only a personal opinion, not a certified advice 🙂

If you think it makes sense, you can like it; if opposite, please, tell me, why I am wrong...

 

[Sols]

Forester said:
I guess that the motivation can be that Intergiro onboards (and always has onboarded) EEA companies only (currently even with a remarkable turnover only) ”“ TBMK. No personal accounts (directly) at all...
Click to expand...

Missed that. I suppose that creates an actual differentiator for Sikira.

Not sure how I'd feel about opening a personal account with a financial institution that normally only serves business accounts. I would never do the inverse and open a business account with an FI that only opens personal accounts.

tokilopov said:
It's not easy to find more data about Sikirapay, address is some old resident building in Stockholm, I guess in not so nice hood.
Click to expand...

It's in one of the wealthiest parts of Stockholm, but the address itself is a little strange. Seems to belong to a religious community.

One very interesting thing is that Sikirapay AB shares address, key people, and logo with Sikira Services AB (https://www.sikira.se/), which is a janitorial company.

Do what that information what you will.

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This is the probably the answer to your question.

 

[ilke]

Forester said:
An interesting information that I was not aware of (the latter means nothing of course 😉, although I have thought that I knew Intergiro quite well...). Thanks for sharing. Do you know how long they are working using this setup/model?
Click to expand...

I have not seen Sikirapay before but Intergiro has had a decently large BaaS program for at least a year now. Some other platforms (e.g. Ka.app/Kasta) also use it - those often issue personal accounts.

Forester said:
I guess that the motivation can be that Intergiro onboards (and always has onboarded) EEA companies only (currently even with a remarkable turnover only) ”“ TBMK. No personal accounts (directly) at all...
Click to expand...

Yes, true, they will need EU companies + probably 7 figure turnover nowadys.

Sols said:
Not sure how I'd feel about opening a personal account with a financial institution that normally only serves business accounts. I would never do the inverse and open a business account with an FI that only opens personal accounts.
Click to expand...

Intergiro has a setup to work well with individual accounts as well. They just don't serve any small-scale at all on their own - maybe to decrease support/marketing costs etc. But for the BaaS program that is being utilised by Sikira, it is fully prepared and functional.

Sols said:
One very interesting thing is that Sikirapay AB shares address, key people, and logo with Sikira Services AB (https://www.sikira.se/), which is a janitorial company.
Click to expand...

This part is somewhat strange.

Edit: I looked further into it. The company pages are seemingly rebranded from GPayBack (https://www.gpayback.io/) or maybe GPayBack just promotes them (would still be somewhat strange) which is just a Ponzi scheme but ignores KYC for the cards (apparently?). Some of the unchanged GPayBack pages use Sikira contact details.

Last edited: Dec 9, 2024

 

[Forester]

Sols said:
One very interesting thing is that Sikirapay AB shares address, key people, and logo with Sikira Services AB (https://www.sikira.se/), which is a janitorial company.
Click to expand...

Interesting. (Well, perhaps better than janissary 😉 )

ilke said:
I have not seen Sikirapay before
Click to expand...

Well, yes; I was asking about them, how long do they work in this way...

ilke said:
but Intergiro has had a decently large BaaS program for at least a year now.
Click to expand...

I am aware of it and I even think it's for a longer time, at least two years.

ilke said:
Some other platforms (e.g. Ka.app/Kasta) also use it - those often issue personal accounts.
Click to expand...

Are you aware about some other (Intergiro) whitelabels offering personal accounts? Only Kasta is known to me, I admit. (There are some offering business accounts, as far as I have heard.)

ilke said:
they will need EU companies
Click to expand...

EEA, to be exact 🙂 https://www.intergiro.com/faqs/account-opening/open-intergiro-account

ilke said:
+ probably 7 figure turnover nowadys.
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Yes, this is a standard request.

ilke said:
They just don't serve any small-scale at all on their own - maybe to decrease support/marketing costs etc.
Click to expand...

Probably. Yet the older accounts of small fish are still working flawlessly, AFAIK. (I am personally aware of one 😉 )

ilke said:
Edit: I looked further into it. The company pages are seemingly rebranded from GPayBack (https://www.gpayback.io/) or maybe GPayBack just promotes them (would still be somewhat strange) which is just a Ponzi scheme but ignores KYC for the cards (apparently?). Some of the unchanged GPayBack pages use Sikira contact details.

View attachment 8328
Click to expand...

... it does not smell much well.
(Almost like the message that Intergiro promotes Revolut 😉 😉 https://www.offshorecorptalk.com/th...u-have-an-account-with-them.40069/post-326494)

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I am just a simple countryman. Anything I say is only a personal opinion, not a certified advice 🙂

If you think it makes sense, you can like it; if opposite, please, tell me, why I am wrong...

 

[tokilopov]

Sols said:
Sikira is just a skin/whitelabel of Intergiro.

https://www.intergiro.com/

Intergiro is decent. They have some skeletons in the closet, but so far they have been able to not run into any major issues. Just go direct with them instead (or look for other options), unless you see some compelling reason to use Sikira.
Click to expand...

At the moment, they are not accepting new customers due to the "change of technical partner", which will happen until February 2025. I don't know what that means exactly.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Intergiro is for business clients, Sikira Pay is also for personal use. The second difference is, let's say, lower requirements for KYC.

 

[tokilopov]

One very interesting thing is that Sikirapay AB shares address, key people, and logo with Sikira Services AB (https://www.sikira.se/), which is a janitorial company.

I noticed immediately but was me wasn't so strange, this is typical Balkan business, every business for people from ex-Yu starting with cleaning and finish who knows where.

I suggested to check out family Jozic on internet (sometimes they also using surname "Wagner"). They look like someone who actually cleaning, not even running cleaning company.

 

[tokilopov]

Forester said:
I guess that the motivation can be that Intergiro onboards (and always has onboarded) EEA companies only (currently even with a remarkable turnover only) ”“ TBMK. No personal accounts (directly) at all...
Click to expand...

That's right, I hold a passport from one of the last European countries that is not part of the EEA, has not signed the CRS, has no sanctions against Russia... so it is almost impossible for me to open a personal account in some of the SEAP countries, that's why I am considering Sikirapay, Dukascopy or similar.

 

[Forester]

tokilopov said:
That's right, I hold a passport from one of the last European countries that is not part of the EEA, has not signed the CRS, has no sanctions against Russia...
Click to expand...

In such a case, you do not possess a bad passport. IMO. (Seriously.)
One of the countries that formed Yugoslavia in the past, I presume.
Serbia, particularly? (I must admit that about Serbia I know that they did not applied anti-Russian sanctions; I do not know how it is with Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia as another candidates.)

tokilopov said:
so it is almost impossible for me to open a personal account in some of the SEAP countries,
Click to expand...

Really? For what reason Southeast Asia & Pacific should not like you? This is the first time I hear such news, I must say.

tokilopov said:
that's why I am considering Sikirapay, Dukascopy or similar.
Click to expand...

Understandable.
Just be advised that
1) Dukascopy is not much good bet, IMO;
2) you have probably another possibilities, too.
Feel encouraged to start a new thread at this forum to discuss that if you like, as this thread should remain devoted to Sikirapay.

tokilopov said:
At the moment, they are not accepting new customers due to the "change of technical partner", which will happen until February 2025.
Click to expand...

You are talking about Sikirapay, I presume? (Intergiro accepts /selected/ new customers, TBMK.)

tokilopov said:
I don't know what that means exactly.
Click to expand...

As they are in fact re-selling technical solution developed and maintained by a partner who is backing them (BaaS), they are changing this partner, apparently.
I do not consider it much positive as Intergiro is good, better than many other ones.

tokilopov said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Intergiro is for business clients, Sikira Pay is also for personal use.
Click to expand...

You are right.

tokilopov said:
The second difference is, let's say, lower requirements for KYC.
Click to expand...

Yet this is not a good recommendation, IMO.

tokilopov said:
One very interesting thing is that Sikirapay AB shares address, key people, and logo with Sikira Services AB (https://www.sikira.se/), which is a janitorial company.

I noticed immediately but was me wasn't so strange, this is typical Balkan business, every business for people from ex-Yu starting with cleaning and finish who knows where.
Click to expand...

Oh well. I understand.

tokilopov said:
I suggested to check out family Jozic on internet (sometimes they also using surname "Wagner"). They look like someone who actually cleaning, not even running cleaning company.
Click to expand...

Well. To do cleaning for living is definitely nothing bad, on the contrary. Yet I am afraid that it is not a good background for running an EMI ”“ on condition that these people have no similar experience some time before...

In addition to all abovesaid, I see that you are really new here ”“ welcome on board! 🙂

Last edited: Dec 9, 2024
Toggle signature
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I am just a simple countryman. Anything I say is only a personal opinion, not a certified advice 🙂

If you think it makes sense, you can like it; if opposite, please, tell me, why I am wrong...

 

[ilke]

Forester said:
Well. To do cleaning for living is definitely nothing bad, on the contrary. Yet I am afraid that it is not a good background for running an EMI ”“ on condition that these people have no similar experience some time before...
Click to expand...

From doing cleaning in Sweden to running an EMD Agent with T&Cs produced by GPT and promoting non-KYC Mastercards. Now that's a Balkan rags to riches story..

But maybe the service is not so bad. Still, I would stick to some more reliable solutions. Experimenting with new solutions is cool, but it's better not to do so with your funds 🙂

Dukascopy is not too bad of a solution, IMO. The limits are quite low and difficult to increase, which is the main disadvantage. However, the account is free to operate, many currencies are supported, the cards are fine, and it is crypto-friendly. I think that discussions for a suitable account option for OP should probably be left to a new thread, though.

 

[tokilopov]

Forester said:
In addition to all abovesaid, I see that you are really new here ”“ welcome on board! 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Forester said:
Understandable.
Just be advised that
1) Dukascopy is not much good bet, IMO;
2) you have probably another possibilities, too.
Feel encouraged to start a new thread at this forum to discuss that if you like, as this thread should remain devoted to Sikirapay.
Click to expand...

Yes, I should open a new topic on this, but I should search a little more and find out if there is a topic with "my combination": no citizenship/residence in the European Economic Area, passport of an "enemy of the West" country that has not signed the CRS, but also, in general, lack of many standard bilateral contracts with Western countries... Every country is specific, for example, even from your side Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia looks very similar, things are very, very different. Lets' we start from fact that Albania and NM are in NATO, Serbia no, and everything count. of course, main reason is around 400k Russian refuges and 13k Russian companies opened in my country in last 2 years, so every bank abroad believe that we want to open account for Russians. So, its very difficult to respond on "For what reason Southeast Asia & Pacific should not like you?" - I believe the number of different stories is at least equal to the number of states in this area.

 

[Forester]

ilke said:
From doing cleaning in Sweden to running an EMD Agent with T&Cs produced by GPT and promoting non-KYC Mastercards. Now that's a Balkan rags to riches story..

But maybe the service is not so bad. Still, I would stick to some more reliable solutions. Experimenting with new solutions is cool, but it's better not to do so with your funds 🙂
Click to expand...

I second all of this 🙂

ilke said:
Dukascopy is not too bad of a solution, IMO. The limits are quite low and difficult to increase, which is the main disadvantage.
Click to expand...

Yes, and this is the problem that I had in mind. I would not even say “quite low“ but “unusably low“ and “really very difficult to increase“ instead of “difficult to increase“ 🙁

ilke said:
However, the account is free to operate,
Click to expand...

Unless you have more than 50k there, IIRC.

ilke said:
many currencies are supported, the cards are fine, and it is crypto-friendly.
Click to expand...

Sure.

ilke said:
I think that discussions for a suitable account option for OP should probably be left to a new thread, though.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

tokilopov said:
Yes, I should open a new topic on this, but I should search a little more and find out if there is a topic with "my combination":
Click to expand...

thu&¤#

tokilopov said:
no citizenship/residence in the European Economic Area, passport of an "enemy of the West" country that has not signed the CRS, but also, in general, lack of many standard bilateral contracts with Western countries...
Click to expand...

I am not sure but I think you can at least dig some useful information in the existing threads.

tokilopov said:
Every country is specific,
Click to expand...

Certainly.

tokilopov said:
for example, even from your side Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia looks very similar,
Click to expand...

Not from my side, be assured 🙂 I see very, very remarkable differences between the above named.

tokilopov said:
things are very, very different. Lets' we start from fact that Albania and NM are in NATO, Serbia no, and everything count.
Click to expand...

Albania is an AEOI/CRS country, Serbia and North Macedonia not. Albania and Serbia are engaged (Serbia suffers) in the Kosovo case, North Macedonia not. Etc.

tokilopov said:
of course, main reason is around 400k Russian refuges and 13k Russian companies opened in my country in last 2 years, so every bank abroad believe that we want to open account for Russians. So, its very difficult to respond on "For what reason Southeast Asia & Pacific should not like you?" - I believe the number of different stories is at least equal to the number of states in this area.
Click to expand...

May be. Feel encouraged to open a thread sharing your experiences. As I have said, never heard this.

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I am just a simple countryman. Anything I say is only a personal opinion, not a certified advice 🙂

If you think it makes sense, you can like it; if opposite, please, tell me, why I am wrong...

 

[tokilopov]

Forester said:
I am not sure but I think you can at least dig some useful information in the existing threads.


May be. Feel encouraged to open a thread sharing your experiences. As I have said, never heard this.
Click to expand...

I'm digging around, maybe I'm just excited, but didn't see long time ago so informative forum and level of discussion same as in person. This is so rare today, in time where "you are fascist" arriving after 2min of writing.
I opened new topic, so we can left this one to very interesting case of Sikirapay.
Please check: https://www.offshorecorptalk.com/th...eking-for-a-sepa-account-brainstorming.46765/

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 9, 2024

 

[tokilopov]

ilke said:
From doing cleaning in Sweden to running an EMD Agent with T&Cs produced by GPT and promoting non-KYC Mastercards. Now that's a Balkan rags to riches story..

But maybe the service is not so bad. Still, I would stick to some more reliable solutions. Experimenting with new solutions is cool, but it's better not to do so with your funds 🙂
Click to expand...

😀😀😀

They responding on emails in 30min, second quickest is Revolut - in 2 days. I'm' ready to lose some money with them and I believe that they are much better then many other, established EMIs. For example, Satchel ask for 575€+ (for non-EU) just for opening account, and then close your account immediately after.

 

[Forester]

tokilopov said:
I'm digging around, maybe I'm just excited, but didn't see long time ago so informative forum and level of discussion same as in person.
Click to expand...

🙂 Nice to read this.

tokilopov said:
This is so rare today, in time where "you are fascist" arriving after 2min of writing.
Click to expand...

Morons are not welcome here. (We have also a decent forum police in action 😉 )

tokilopov said:
I opened new topic, so we can left this one to very interesting case of Sikirapay.
Please check: https://www.offshorecorptalk.com/threads/a-non-eea-non-aeoi-crs-specific-country-resident-seeking-for-a-sepa-account-brainstorming.46765/
Click to expand...

Fine. I have just modified the thread title, to be really informative (and to attract a proper attention).

tokilopov said:
They responding on emails in 30min,
Click to expand...

Well, good to hear.

tokilopov said:
second quickest is Revolut - in 2 days. I'm' ready to lose some money with them and I believe that they are much better then many other, established EMIs.
Click to expand...

May be. Let's give them a try then 🙂

tokilopov said:
For example, Satchel ask for 575€+ (for non-EU) just for opening account, and then close your account immediately after.
Click to expand...

Satchel is a LT trash.

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I am just a simple countryman. Anything I say is only a personal opinion, not a certified advice 🙂

If you think it makes sense, you can like it; if opposite, please, tell me, why I am wrong...