Buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform Klarna is expanding its partnership with gift card company Blackhawk Network (BHN).By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions .Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.The new collaboration, announced in a news relea ...

Core Insights - PayPoint Plc reported a resilient half-year performance with significant progress on key growth projects despite a challenging economic backdrop [1][3][33] - The company anticipates underlying EBITDA for FY26 to exceed the previous year, although achieving the £100 million target may take longer than expected due to operational disruptions and slower growth in new business pipelines [4][34] Financial Highlights - Revenue increased by 6.7% to £144.1 million compared to £135.0 million in H1 FY25 [2] - Net revenue remained stable at £84.7 million, a slight increase of 0.1% from £84.6 million [2] - Underlying EBITDA decreased by 0.5% to £37.3 million, while underlying profit before tax fell by 4.5% to £25.7 million [2][6] - Profit before tax dropped by 13.9% to £19.9 million, with diluted underlying earnings per share down 2.6% to 26.7 pence [2][6] - Net corporate debt decreased by 3.2% to £84.0 million from £86.8 million [2][6] Business Performance - The Shopping division's net revenue increased by 0.6% to £33.1 million, while the E-commerce division saw a 7.5% rise to £8.6 million [10][11] - Payments & Banking division net revenue grew by 4.4% to £26.0 million, and Love2shop division net revenue decreased by 9.6% to £17.0 million [13][14] - Collect+ parcel transactions grew by 20.0% to 74.3 million, supported by a strategic investment from Royal Mail [12][47] Key Growth Projects - The successful launch of the BankLocal service for Lloyds Banking Group, enabling cash deposits via app across over 30,000 locations, processed over £10 million in deposits since launch [21][22][43] - Royal Mail's strategic investment in Collect+ valued at £90 million, with plans to expand Royal Mail services across the network [24][25][47] - The partnership with InComm Payments has led to a 43.5% increase in Love2shop physical gift card billings [27][56] Challenges and Strategic Focus - The company faced challenges from the disruption caused by the harmonization of InPost and Yodel services, impacting parcel volumes [16][49] - Focus areas for the second half include cost discipline, project execution, and operational agility to adapt to market conditions [8][36] - The obconnect business is refocusing on growth areas after disappointing opportunities in Verification of Payee [17][51] Future Outlook - The company aims for net revenue growth of 5% to 8% per annum through enhanced operational frameworks and automation [37][38] - Plans for a share buyback program and a reduction of at least 20% of issued share capital are in place to enhance shareholder returns [39]