The accolade recognizes a multi-year modernization effort that began in 2018. By integrating BORICA’s national payment expertise with OpenWay’s Way4 digital platform, the companies overhauled Bulgaria's card processing infrastructure. The project required the coordination of 35 banks, government institutions, and various fintech partners to ensure that national payment systems could switch currencies without interrupting everyday consumer services.

Following the successful cutover, the system handled nearly €42 million in volume during the initial two-day window. BORICA CEO Miroslav Vichev emphasized that the primary objective was to shield the public from the complexities of the infrastructure shift. OpenWay CEO Pavel Gubin noted that the project served as a definitive stress test for a payment environment built to evolve continuously. The London-based PAY360 Awards highlighted the partnership for maintaining critical financial stability during a high-stakes national transition.