Swiss technology firm SICPA has secured a major contract with the United Kingdom’s tax authority to deliver a new traceability and duty stamp system for vape products, marking a significant expansion of its secure track and trace operations in Europe.
The project, awarded following a multistage procurement process launched in July 2025, will see SICPA partner with Cartor Security Printers, a subsidiary of Spectra Systems Corporation, to provide secure tax stamps and digital monitoring solutions to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The programme will run for an initial five-year term, with an option for a one-year extension.
Under the agreement, the consortium will introduce a phased system beginning with a transitional duty stamp in April 2026, followed by an enhanced stamp integrated into a full track and trace platform from October 2026.
The solution is designed to strengthen excise duty collection, improve regulatory compliance, and combat illicit trade in the rapidly growing UK vape market. It will combine banknote-grade physical security features with advanced digital monitoring systems.
Cartor will oversee the printing of tax stamps with core security features, while SICPA will provide additional material and digital security layers. SICPA will also manage tax stamp coding, stakeholder and product registration, ordering and payment processes, as well as compliance monitoring across the vape supply chain.
The system will incorporate digital market intelligence tools aimed at identifying suspicious trading patterns and potential fraud hotspots. Enforcement authorities will be equipped with audit devices, and consumers will have access to verification applications to detect counterfeit products.
Philippe Amon, Chairman and CEO of SICPA, said the company was pleased to support HMRC in strengthening its efforts against illicit trade, citing its decades of experience in secure traceability systems for excisable products.
Andrew Brigham, Managing Director of Cartor, described the partnership as delivering a trusted solution for both HMRC and the UK vape market, supporting the protection of public revenues and consumers.
SICPA, founded in 1927 and headquartered in Switzerland, is widely known for securing the majority of the world’s banknotes and providing technology solutions that support revenue mobilisation and sovereign asset protection. Spectra Systems and its subsidiary Cartor specialise in authentication, brand protection and high-security printing solutions for governments and regulated industries worldwide.
The contract reinforces SICPA’s position as a global leader in secure tax stamp and track-and-trace technology as governments intensify efforts to regulate emerging nicotine and vaping markets.
