SmartGroup USA, a provider of card issuance and card payment solutions to the banking and card payment industry, announced the launch of SmartGroup USA.

This follows a recent announcement by the company to open two new technical support centers in eastern Canada and the western United States. SmartGroup USA also announced key partnerships with a North American card issuance provider, which was not named, and Zebra Technologies. Zebra Technologies designs and manufactures printing devices that print variable information on demand, at the point of issuance, including an array of card personalization products.

SmartGroup USA enters the U.S. and Canadian markets with a record developed in conjunction with the banks, financial and retail firms in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. These include BNP Paribas, BankAsya, CartaSi, Citibank, Dexia, Emirates Bank, Finansbank, Garanti, Migros, Network International, Unitcredito and others.

During this time, it established strong technology partnerships within the payment industry ecosystem that includes, Zebra, and other major global brands. SmartGroup USA provides its customers with card management systems, EMV, contactless, NFC-based SIM or micro SD EMV solutions, EMV prepaid or loyalty based card issuance and payment products on the market.