Global Payments Acquires Realex Payments to Fuel International Expansion Plans

Global Payments has announced its latest acquisition, Realex Payments. The finalized contract terms indicated that the deal was worth over $126 million.

Colm Lyon, CEO of Realex Payments, mentioned, “We are thrilled to be joining the Global Payments team. The combination of Global Payments’ multinational acquiring expertise with Realex Payments’ technologies and employees will position us well for global growth and expansion.”

Lyon founded the Dublin-based company in 2000 at the age of 38. He received supplementary funding from a Business Expansion Scheme (BES) and used the support to quickly scale the company in the digital space. The company’s early offerings included electronic payment processing for online retailers.

Fast-forward 15 years later, Realex Payments now services several top-level establishments, such as Vodafone, Paddy Power, Aer Lingus, Power Poker, and Virgin Atlantic. Furthermore, it handles transaction volumes amounting to $31 billion annually from 12,500 retailers across Europe.

Global Payments plans to leverage the company’s strong presence in the area and array of financial products (enhanced analytics, real-time fraud-scoring and FX services) to boost its offerings. The fintech giant intends to win over local merchants through its omni-channel services and one-stop payments solution.

“Realex Payments represents a strategic investment to expand our international omni-channel technology offerings, enhancing our go-to-market strategy in one of our largest regions with industry leading value-added products and services. We are excited to further invest in our European businesses, continue to leverage our multinational footprint and accelerate our growth opportunities at a favorable time in Europe,” said Jeff Sloan, Global Payments’ Chief Executive Officer.

The Atlanta-based business currently extends its payments services to roughly 1.5 million merchants in 28 countries worldwide. Global Payments is expected to provide more details surrounding the acquisition early next month, during the company’s scheduled earnings call.