Euronet Worldwide (EEFT) announced a definitive agreement to acquire the merchant‑acquiring business of CrediaBank S.A., the fifth‑largest operating bank in Greece. The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026 pending regulatory approvals, will add a high‑margin acquiring platform to Euronet’s portfolio and extend its reach in a country where it already operates a substantial ATM and POS network.
The transaction terms are undisclosed, but the acquisition is positioned to create significant synergies. Euronet will provide CrediaBank with its full suite of financial services, including card issuance and ATM management, while launching an account‑to‑account consumer digital wallet that will integrate with Greece’s national instant‑payment rails, IRIS. The wallet is intended to capture the growing demand for cardless, mobile‑first payment solutions across the country.
Euronet’s recent quarterly results provide context for the strategic value of the deal. In Q3 2025, the company reported revenue of $1.15 billion, a 4% decline from the prior year, and earnings per share of $3.62, beating consensus estimates by $0.01. The revenue miss was attributed to macro‑economic headwinds that dampened demand in the EFT Processing segment, while the EPS beat reflected disciplined cost management and a favorable mix shift toward higher‑margin epay and Money Transfer services. Management reiterated confidence in the company’s long‑term growth trajectory, maintaining its 2025 earnings guidance of 12‑16% year‑over‑year growth.
Nikos Fountas, Euronet’s EVP and CEO of EFT EMEA and Americas, said the acquisition would make the company “the largest payments provider in Greece,” citing the combined merchant base of over 240,000 merchants and an annual transaction volume exceeding $22 billion. CrediaBank CEO Eleni Vrettou added that the partnership would “enhance operational flexibility, support cost reduction, and drive profitability gains” through the integration of Euronet’s technology platform and CrediaBank’s extensive branch network.
Strategically, the deal accelerates Euronet’s pivot from capital‑intensive ATM operations toward higher‑margin digital platforms. By adding a robust acquiring business, the company can cross‑sell its digital wallet and other epay services to a broader merchant base, creating new revenue streams and improving customer stickiness. The transaction also positions Euronet to capture the growing European trend toward cardless payments, leveraging its existing infrastructure to accelerate wallet adoption.
The Greek payments market has seen a wave of consolidation, with several banks divesting their acquiring businesses to focus on core banking services. Euronet’s prior acquisition of Piraeus Bank’s acquiring unit in 2022 set a precedent for this strategy, and the CrediaBank deal continues that trajectory. The combined entity will benefit from economies of scale, shared technology platforms, and a unified merchant ecosystem that can drive cross‑border transactions across the EU.
Euronet expects the integration to be completed by the end of 2026, with the digital wallet slated for launch in the first half of 2027. The company anticipates that the acquisition will strengthen its competitive position in the European payments ecosystem, increase transaction volumes, and enhance profitability through higher‑margin services.
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