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.

 

[Forester]

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?

I can confirm.

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

 

[Sols]

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.

It's in one of︀ the wealthiest parts of Stockholm, but the address itself is a little strange. Seems to︁ 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 janitorial︃ company.

Do what that information what you will.

 

[ilke]

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.
Yes, true, they︁ will need EU companies + probably 7 figure turnover nowadys.
Intergiro has a setup to work︅ well with individual accounts as well. They just don't serve any small-scale at all on︆ their own - maybe to decrease support/marketing costs etc. But for the BaaS program that︇ is being utilised by Sikira, it is fully prepared and functional.
This part is︊ somewhat strange.

Edit: I looked further into it. The company pages are seemingly rebranded from︋ 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 of︍ the unchanged GPayBack pages use Sikira contact details.

 

[Forester]

Interesting. (Well, perhaps better than janissary 😉 )

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

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

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

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

Yes, this︄ is a standard request.

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

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

 

[tokilopov]

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. The︀ 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]

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]

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.)

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

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

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

As they are in︉ 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 Intergiro︋ is good, better than many other ones.

You are right.

Yet this is not a good recommendation, IMO.

Oh well. I understand.

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 to︁ all abovesaid, I see that you are really new here – welcome on board! 🙂

 

[ilke]

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 your︀ funds 🙂

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

 

[tokilopov]

Thanks!
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 Economic︀ 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 country︂ is specific, for example, even from your side Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia looks very︃ similar, things are very, very different. Lets' we start from fact that Albania and NM︄ are in NATO, Serbia no, and everything count. of course, main reason is around 400k︅ Russian refuges and 13k Russian companies opened in my country in last 2 years, so︆ every bank abroad believe that we want to open account for Russians. So, its very︇ 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 number︉ of states in this area.

 

[Forester]

I second all of this 🙂

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

Unless you have more than 50k there, IIRC.︂

Sure.

Exactly.

thu&¤#

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

Certainly.

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

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

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

 

[tokilopov]

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/

 

[tokilopov]

😀😀😀

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]

🙂 Nice to read this.

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

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

Well, good to hear.

May be. Let's give them︁ a try then 🙂

Satchel is a︃ LT trash.