Coda Expands Global D2C Strategy with Recharge Acquisition
Singapore-based fintech firm Coda has signed a deal to acquire Dutch prepaid payment platform Recharge to expand its direct-to-consumer reach.
This acquisition marks a pivotal step in Coda’s plan to serve the broader digital content economy beyond gaming and entertainment services.
The company confirmed that the acquisition will help integrate Recharge’s prepaid commerce capabilities with Coda’s global payments infrastructure.
In doing so, both companies aim to unlock new value across regions, platforms, and users within both B2B and B2C ecosystems.
A Coda spokesperson emphasized that this acquisition isn’t just about control, but about combining two companies with highly complementary strengths.
Their vision reflects an intent to serve content creators, publishers, and users with an unmatched blend of scale, speed, and innovation.
Tapping into Europe’s Prepaid Powerhouse
Recharge, based in Amsterdam, currently operates digital storefronts Recharge.com and Startselect.com, offering over 16,000 prepaid payment products.
These products span gaming, mobile services, entertainment, streaming, and lifestyle brands across various European markets.
Since launching its first webstore in 2010, Recharge has built trusted consumer channels and marketing operations across major EU regions.
Its recent acquisition of Giftcloud and partnership with ABN Amro strengthened its role in Europe’s prepaid and rewards landscape.
Therefore, by acquiring Recharge, Coda gains a robust foothold in Europe and significantly boosts its direct-to-consumer capabilities overnight.
This will empower Coda to connect with millions of users who rely on prepaid tools for frictionless digital content purchases.
Beyond Gaming: Expanding into the Digital Content Economy
Traditionally strong in the gaming sector, Coda has long operated services like Codashop, Codapay, and Custom Commerce to power global digital monetisation.
However, this deal signals a move into broader digital content categories, enabling Coda to diversify its product suite and user base.
Coda’s CEO Shane Happach shared that the company will now serve not just gamers but consumers seeking content across many lifestyle segments.
This transition demonstrates Coda’s long-term strategy to lead digital transactions in fast-growing verticals like streaming, mobile services, and e-learning.
Thanks to this deal, the company’s direct-to-consumer model will now cater to both niche communities and mass-market users across geographies.
Its evolving platform will bring together publisher relationships, payment channels, and consumer storefronts into a single integrated experience.
Strategic Leadership and Team Integration
As part of the acquisition, Recharge’s entire team will join Coda’s 400+ global workforce to ensure a smooth and scalable integration.
Günther Vogelpoel, Recharge’s CEO since 2017, will continue leading the Recharge business alongside Coda’s executive leadership.
Meanwhile, Coda CEO Shane Happach is expected to become Group CEO, steering the combined organization toward its next growth phase.
This leadership continuity helps preserve culture and institutional knowledge while maximizing operational alignment post-acquisition.
Additionally, integrating both company teams strengthens the back-end and front-end engines of Coda’s expanding direct-to-consumer commerce ecosystem.
Such a model fosters both operational excellence and cross-market learning across Asia, Europe, and other global digital economies.
A Fintech Match with Complementary Strengths
The synergy between Coda and Recharge lies in their distinctly complementary strengths across B2B partnerships and B2C retail execution.
Coda brings publisher networks and emerging market reach, while Recharge contributes storefront experience, catalog scale, and European brand trust.
According to a company spokesperson, the merger was driven by a shared belief in better access, affordability, and personalization for users.
Combined, they aim to offer localized content purchases, high-performance checkout systems, and adaptive pricing across global digital platforms.
Notably, both firms have demonstrated acquisition agility, with Recharge acquiring Giftcloud recently and Coda expanding regionally through payment integrations.
Together, they’re building an ecosystem that allows seamless access to digital value—no matter the product, payment method, or region.
Strengthening Direct-to-Consumer as a Growth Lever
As fintech increasingly converges with digital commerce, direct-to-consumer models are emerging as a key revenue and loyalty channel.
This acquisition accelerates Coda’s ambitions to serve consumers directly, without relying solely on intermediaries or app marketplaces.
Furthermore, with e-commerce personalization becoming a top priority, owning end-user relationships will drive higher retention and greater transaction frequency.
By fusing Recharge’s prepaid model with Coda’s content reach, the company will likely set new benchmarks in conversion and repeat usage.
With over 400 payment channels and millions of users across Codashop, Codapay, and now Recharge’s platforms, the combined business gains immense traction.
In short, Coda now owns a far more resilient, diversified, and scalable direct-to-consumer commerce engine.