Worldline buys 55% stake in SoftPos to expand contactless payment

By Gloria Methri

Payment services provider Worldline has acquired a 55% stake in Polish FinTech SoftPos.eu. Founded in 2019, SoftPos provides secure payment terminals on android devices, enabling merchants to accept card payments without the need for added hardware.

The acquisition will help the company launch several partnerships, as well as a new product internationally known as ‘Worldline Tap on Mobile.’ The Android-based application allows all merchants to accept payments on smartphones, tablets, or enterprise devices through a single tap.

The tool is designed to accept small amounts simply by ‘tapping’ but can also approve larger purchases with a PIN entry on the screen.

Niklaus Santschi, Head of Merchant Services at Worldline said, “There is an appetite towards mobile payments from both consumers and businesses sides. With SoftPos.eu acquisition and the concrete business materialisation of Worldline Tap on Mobile, tis now providing its clients with a full suite of solutions adapted to all growth ambitions. Complementing our existing offers, Worldline Tap on Mobile offers convenience and flexibility to all sizes of commerce, it is all about a single – and safe – tap.”

Grzegorz Nowakowski, CEO of SoftPos.eu added, “Worldline was the first major player to believe in SoftPos, its team and its product. Back in 2020 when we were launching our co-operation, the market for app-based terminals was much smaller than it is now. Having Worldline as our strategic investor means strong support both in further product development as well as sales to other markets and merchants.”

In September 2022, Worldline acquired a 40% stake in Netherlands-based PSP, Online Payment Platform BV. In October 2022, the payments firm started collaborating with NPCI International to expand the acceptance of mobile payments for Indian tourists across Europe. Worldline became one of the first EU acquirers to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay, two products of the National Payments Company of India (NPCI), to European merchants.