IDEMIA and Banca Transilvania Launch Light-Up Card for Music Fans

Banca Transilvania (BT) and IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) expand their partnership to launch a co-branded light-up card with UNTOLD, one of Europe’s largest electronic music festivals.

BT, Romania’s largest bank, is a national leader in digital banking and payment innovation, offering an advanced mobile banking experience. While placing a strong emphasis on digital services, the bank also emphasizes the aesthetic and functional design of its physical payment cards. In 2018, BT became the first bank in Romania to introduce metal cards, offering this premium feature exclusively to its high-end clients.

Demonstrating its consumer-centric approach, the bank stayed ahead of trends through the co-branded UNTOLD BT digital card in 2024, which saw over 10,000 activations in under two days. The digital card stood out with a bold, festival-inspired design that reflected UNTOLD’s vibrant energy and visual identity. Now, the partners are elevating the experience with a physical edition featuring a striking new design based on IDEMIA’s Starlight card—an illuminated payment card that lights up during contactless payments, powered entirely by NFC technology and requiring no battery.

Available for pre-registration on the Banca Transilvania website in April 2025 for a limited time, the card offers a unique payment experience along with exclusive benefits for cardholders.

More than a payment tool, the card represents an aspiration shared with the UNTOLD community. As one of Europe’s largest electronic music festivals, UNTOLD brings together world-renowned artists and thousands of passionate fans. Held in Cluj-Napoca, often considered the cultural capital of Romania, the festival takes place in a city with a rich history in art, music, and literature.

We are proud to be the chosen partner for this exciting launch alongside Banca Transilvania, UNTOLD, and Visa. In an increasingly digital age, this special edition card with our newest illuminating feature stands out as a unique experience to prolong the spirit and emotion of an iconic event. This collaboration is a great example of the physical card design is ever more important in this digital age, and how we at IDEMIA Secure Transactions are working to turn our cutting-edge technologies into unique consumer experiences.
Tomas Kovarik, Vice President Central and East Europe for Payment Services, IDEMIA Secure Transactions

With the BT Visa UNTOLD card, we’re telling the magical story of this festival beyond the actual event. After the successful launch of the digital card, 2025 marks the launch of the physical version of the BT UNTOLD card, transforming the contactless payment experience with a card that lights up. Its success is the result of an exceptional collaboration with IDEMIA Secure Transactions, playing a vital role in what Pay-With-Magic means to the UNTOLD community.
Oana Ilaș, Deputy General Manager of Retail Banking, Banca Transilvania