Company History

In a history that now spans three decades, Payzone has evolved from a service-driven telecoms group to Europe's largest cash acceptance network with operations across 21 countries. Over time the group’s focus has changed as Payzone sought to build a pan-European payments network that would facilitate faster, simpler payment solutions.

Historical Highlights:
1989ITG is founded as a provider of business telephony.
1995 ITG enter the PC market and the payphones market shortly thereafter.
1996 The group builds a strong presence in the terminal maintenance business acting as service provider for some of the largest banking institutions across Ireland and the UK
1997 ITG floats on the Irish and London Stock exchange
1998 The group acquires the businesses of the Telephone Company of Ireland and begins to extend itself beyond purely terminal maintenance into the ownership of terminal networks
1999ITG pioneer electronic top-up in Europe as they launch the very first electronic top-up service for Esat Digifone (now O2) in Ireland.
2000 The group expand their electronic transaction divison into the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands
2001 ITG re-brands as alphyra, completes the sale of the Voice and Data components of the group and builds a presence in France and Germany
2003 members of the management lead a management buy-out, with the backing of Balderton Capital, and purchased the entire share capital of alphyra in a deal which valued the business at approximately €85 million.
2004 Alphyra start to extend the Payzone brand identity at retail level across some of their key markets, includi
2005 Alphyra acquire the business of An Post in Spain and the UK and end the year with the establishment of a new business entity in Romania
2006The Payzone brand is launched in Ireland and the Payzone branded network is chosen by British Gas as a premier payments network partner for pre-paid and bill payment energy customers aross the UK.
2007The group extend the Payzone brand across their key European markets, completes a merger with Cardpoint Plc and on the 5th. December lists as Payzone Plc on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.