Euronet to buy merchant acquiring biz in Greece; Lloyds to shutter invoice financing biz

Company Overview - CrediaBank, based in Greece, is selling its merchant acquiring business to Euronet Worldwide as part of a broader partnership, with the deal expected to close in Q3 2026 [1][7] - CrediaBank, formerly known as Attica Bank, is the fifth-largest bank in Greece, holding €6.7 billion in deposits and operating 24,000 point-of-sale terminals across 20,000 merchants [3] Deal Details - Under the agreement, Euronet Merchant Services Payment Institution will take over CrediaBank's merchant acquiring business and manage the bank's ATM network, providing customers with free access to Euronet's 2,500 ATMs in Greece [2] - Euronet will also offer card management and transaction processing services for debit, credit, and prepaid cards [2] Industry Context - Greek banks have been divesting their merchant acquiring businesses in recent years, with notable transactions including Euronet's acquisition of Piraeus Bank's merchant acquiring business for €300 million in 2022 and Worldline's acquisition of an 80% stake in Eurobank's for €256 million [4] - The trend of divestment in the merchant acquiring sector is evident, as banks seek to streamline operations and focus on core banking services [4][7]