At 00:00:20, the first successful withdrawal in euros from an ATM in Sunny Beach was reported.
In the first minutes of 2026, the euro “entered“ into real life with the first transactions. As of today, January 1, 2026, Bulgaria officially switched to its new national currency, the euro. The transition went smoothly with minimal disruption to key services - a result of timely preparation, a tight schedule and excellent interaction between institutions, banks, payment service providers and technology operators of the infrastructure.
Payment systems, card payments and mass payment services were brought into full compliance with the changes imposed by the transition to the single European currency. The clearest test for any infrastructure is the simple question of whether it works when everyone uses it at the same time. In the first minutes of January 1, the answer was unequivocal.
00:03:00 was the first successful transaction in euro through the Borika infrastructure, carried out in Sofia, symbolically marking the beginning of a new stage for the Bulgarian financial system. Experts believe that it is a good omen that the first transaction of 2026 in the new national currency will be through the most innovative method of accepting card payments. At 00:04:55, a successful donation in euros was made on a virtual POS terminal.
When the payment goes through in seconds, the customer sees convenience. Behind this convenience, however, stands the work of many professionals who worked tirelessly on New Year's Eve to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth migration to the new currency.