UK based payments technology provider Dojo is making Ireland its European headquarters, after it received authorisation to begin offering its services directly to customers here.

It follows the decision by the Central Bank to grant its local parent, Paymentsense Ireland Ltd, an e-money institution licence.

Dojo offers in-person and digital payment systems to businesses, particularly in the experience economy, including physical card machines and online solutions.

In the UK it is already used by 150,000 businesses of all sizes and is now aiming to expand across Ireland and the rest of the EU.

Parent Paymentsense launched in the UK in 2009 and has been offering payment services since then using the systems of third parties.

However, in order to provide its own transaction processing system, it set up Dojo three years ago.

Paymentsense has had a presence in Ireland for some time and has offered services as an intermediary for merchant services operator Valitor.

But now it has an e-money licence, it can offer its own services here through Dojo with the company expected to outline its plans in due course.

"We're delighted to be granted our Irish EMI licence – a significant milestone as we seek to bring the growth and success Dojo has had in the UK to Ireland," said John Irwin, CEO of Paymentsense Ireland Limited.

"Dojo’s market growth in the UK speaks volumes about our relentless focus on our customers, innovation, and empowering hard-working businesses to focus on the things that really matter to them."

"Our leading, cloud-native payment platform and data-driven insights empower businesses to thrive in the Experience Economy. Our success in the UK, built on customer obsession and innovative technology, will now extend to Ireland and other EU countries in the future."

In 2022, Dojo processed over 1.6 billion transactions in the UK, worth over €38 billion.

It reported revenues of €278m in the year to the end of March, a 48% increase on the same period a year earlier.

Dojo already has offices in London, Bristol, Hull and Belfast.