Galway-founded payments software company Planet will recruit 100 people in Ireland for roles across product development, technology and finance based in Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin over the coming months.
The positions to be filled in Ireland will be a blend of hybrid and remote working roles and form part of a global hiring spree by Planet, counting for a fifth of 500 new jobs being created by the company.
"We are delighted with this expansion, and proud that our teams in Ireland will continue to be the driving force developing the most innovative solutions for merchants globally," said Peter Daly, president of Planet.
"This announcement is great news for the city of Galway, where Planet is headquartered. We expect these 100 new jobs will have a great impact on the city and further excel Galway’s reputation as a great city for business and innovation," Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton said.
Planet provides integrated payment services for merchants on a single platform that can handle acquiring, processing digital wallets, alternative payment methods (Klarna, PayPal), tourist tax-free shopping and currency conversion services.
In Association with
It was founded by Aidan Daly, Jim Ward and Gerry Barry -- who worked together at NUIG -- as Cashback Ltd in 1985 and has its headquarters in Galway, which also serves as a base for many core group functions including product development and testing, quality assurance, legal, HR, treasury, finance and marketing functions.
The company was initially established to simplify the payments process for people shopping overseas and became the first firm to introduce the Double Sale System to eliminate back office administration for merchants.
Cashback Ltd expanded internationally in the 1990s, launching in France, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, and acquired several other payment services before changing its name to Planet in 2018.
The Planet group now employs 2,500 people worldwide, serves 600,000 merchants and 100 partner banks, and it has managed over 800m transactions worth some €50bn.
Planet has in recent years spearheaded the creation of a single end-to-end digital platform to allow retail and hospitality businesses to support unified shopper journeys across all channels, including click-and-collect, shop-and-ship and advanced return management.
In 2021 the group secured investment from private equity payment specialist Advent International and Eurazeo, valuing the business at €1.8bn, and this year it has combined with Proximis, Datatrans, Protel Hotel software and Hoist Group, to create a vertical technology provider for commerce enablement.
Planet's partner brands include the Radisson, Hilton and Marriot hotel groups as well as Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Furla, Bottega Veneta, Coach, Ecco Shoes and Hugo Boss and a majority of retail and tourist businesses in Ireland.
Photo: President of Retail Europe for Planet Peter Daly. (Pic: Andrew Downes/Xposure)
