Euronet Worldwide to Acquire CrediaBank’s Merchant Acquiring Business: Strategic Expansion in Payments and Financial Infrastructure

In a move that highlights the continued consolidation and expansion within the global payments industry, Euronet Worldwide, Inc., the U.S.-based electronic payments and fintech services provider, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the merchant acquiring business of Greece’s CrediaBank S.A. — a decision that builds on Euronet’s existing footprint in the Greek market and reinforces its strategy of acquiring merchant portfolios and payments infrastructure from traditional banks.

This transaction, subject to regulatory approvals and expected to close by Q3 2026, also includes a wider strategic payments partnership between the two firms — moving beyond a simple asset purchase toward a collaboration that integrates acquiring, ATM services, card management, and digital wallets across Greece.

Details of the Deal and Business Scope

Under the agreement, CrediaBank will sell its merchant acquiring business — the division responsible for processing card payments for merchants — to Euronet Merchant Services Payment Institution, which operates in Greece under the trade name epay. Once the acquisition completes, the merchant acquiring arm will be fully integrated into Euronet’s broader acquiring infrastructure, expanding the company’s portfolio of merchant clients, POS terminals, and transaction flows in the region.

In addition to the acquisition of the acquiring business, the transaction encompasses several key elements:

• Transfer and management of CrediaBank’s ATM network: Euronet’s Card Services division will take over and operate both on-site and off-site ATMs, enhancing its physical payments footprint in Greece. Euronet’s ATM network already operates more than 2,500 machines nationwide, offering customers broad access to cash services.

• Card management and transaction processing services: Euronet Card Services will provide card issuance and processing for debit, credit, and prepaid products, leveraging its technology to support secure and efficient payments.

• Exclusive collaboration on digital wallet services: The agreement includes a three-year partnership on payment and digital wallet solutions, combining CrediaBank’s distribution channels with Euronet’s digital payments capabilities.

This broader partnership signals an evolution in the relationship between traditional banks and specialized payments providers, with traditional banks leveraging global technology partners to modernize their payments stacks and broaden service offerings.

Why This Matters in the Payments Industry

1. Merchant Acquiring as a Strategic Growth Area

Merchant acquiring — the process by which businesses are enabled to accept card and digital payments — has become one of the most strategic segments in the financial technology landscape. As consumers increasingly shift toward non-cash and card-based transactions, banks and payments companies are racing to capture transaction flows from merchants of all sizes.

For Euronet, this acquisition strengthens its position in a key European market, expanding the scope of its acquiring services in Greece while benefiting from the existing merchant base and institutional relationships that CrediaBank has cultivated. This is similar to previous strategic acquisitions in the region, such as Euronet’s purchase of Piraeus Bank’s merchant acquiring business in earlier years, which gave it a significant share of POS terminals and online acquiring volume in Greece.

2. Strategic ATM Network Expansion

Beyond merchant acquiring, the inclusion of ATM network management and operations expands Euronet’s physical payments infrastructure, dovetailing with its existing Independent ATM Deployment (IAD) assets and digital processing capabilities. This combination of digital acquiring and physical ATM presence positions Euronet as a comprehensive payments partner capable of serving both retailers and individual consumers.

The Role of Partnerships in the Digital Payments Era

The deal also reflects a broader industry trend: traditional financial institutions partnering with specialized fintech and payments firms to enhance technology, reach, and customer experience.

CrediaBank, like many regional banks, is seeking growth and modernization without bearing the full cost and complexity of building digital payments infrastructure in-house. By partnering with a global technology provider like Euronet, the bank gains access to proven platform capabilities and international scale.

For Euronet, partnerships like this serve as distribution channels and growth levers. Instead of solely relying on organic expansion, Euronet acquires established portfolios and integrates them into its global processing platforms, boosting transaction volumes and revenue streams.

Regulatory and Market Considerations

Like all cross-border payments deals, this acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in Greece and potentially other jurisdictions where the integrated business operates. Regulators typically assess the impact on competition, customer protection, network security, and systemic risk.

In this instance, Euronet is building on a track record of successful acquisitions in the region, including the previously mentioned Piraeus Bank acquisition and other partnership ventures. This experience positions the company favorably when navigating regulatory reviews that hinge on continuity of service, data security, and financial stability.

Implications for Merchants and End Customers

For merchants currently served by CrediaBank’s acquiring business, the transition to Euronet’s platform could yield several advantages:

• Access to more advanced payment processing technology, including enhanced terminal capabilities and online payments.
• Greater integration with digital wallet services, enabling mobile or contactless payment acceptance.
• Better access to a broader suite of services offered by Euronet’s technology stack, which includes tokenization, fraud management, and analytics.

For consumers, the continued operation of ATMs and expanded payments services means improved access to cash and digital payment options — important in markets like Greece where cash usage remains relatively high compared to some Western European peers.

How the Industry Is Evolving

The Euronet–CrediaBank deal reflects several broader changes in the fintech and banking world:

• Specialization over commoditization: Banks increasingly recognize payments processing and digital wallet services as areas better served by specialists with global scale and technology investments.
• Consolidation of acquiring portfolios: Large payments players are absorbing merchant portfolios from banks looking to reduce capital intensity and focus on core banking services.
• Partnership ecosystems: Strategic partnerships are emerging as substitutes for outright banking infrastructure, blending the strengths of local banks with global technology leaders.

This trend is not isolated. Other banks and financial institutions are engaging in similar offloads or partnerships to modernize payments technology and improve competitive positioning.

What Comes Next

Once regulatory approval is secured — potentially by Q3 2026 — Euronet will begin integrating CrediaBank’s merchant acquiring operations into its epay platform in Greece. Integration work will likely involve:

• Migrating merchant accounts to Euronet’s processing systems.
• Updating point-of-sale (POS) devices and online gateways.
• Onboarding services to the broader card and digital wallet ecosystem.
• Aligning ATM and card issuing operations under Euronet’s management frameworks.

The three-year collaboration on digital wallet solutions also suggests ongoing joint product development, enabling new offerings and potentially driving deeper penetration into Greece’s digital payments economy.

Conclusion

Euronet Worldwide’s acquisition of CrediaBank’s merchant acquiring business is a significant strategic step that underscores the evolving dynamics of the global payments industry — where scale, technology, and partnerships matter more than ever. The transaction not only expands Euronet’s payments footprint in Greece but also strengthens its overall merchant services capabilities and ATM operations.

For CrediaBank, the deal provides a pathway to modernizing its payments technology while maintaining customer service continuity through collaboration. And for merchants and end customers, it promises improved technology, broader service access, and continued innovation in a rapidly digitizing market.

As the payments landscape becomes more competitive and interconnected, deals like this illustrate the intersection of banking heritage with fintech agility, shaping the future of how consumers and businesses accept, process, and manage financial transactions.

#CrediaBank#MerchantAcquiring#PaymentsInfrastructureDigitalWalletEuronetfintechGreeceTheFinRate