ANZ Takes Full Control of Merchant Payments Venture for A$89M

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group has closed its acquisition of Worldline's 51% ownership in Worldline Australia, the merchant payments platform operating under the ANZ Worldline brand.

The transaction values the entire business at A$89 million ($63.4 million) on an enterprise basis. ANZ estimated the implied equity value at roughly A$30 million for the purchased stake, with the deal expected to reduce the bank's Level 2 Common Equity Tier 1 ratio by approximately 6 basis points.

ANZ positioned the takeover as part of its long-term vision for client relationships and market positioning.

The acquisition aligns to the ANZ 2030 strategy, strengthening our direct relationship with our customers and reinforcing the bank's position as the transactional bank of choice, the company said.

The bank and Worldline established the joint venture in 2022 to deliver payment acceptance infrastructure for Australian merchants. The platform serves small businesses, commercial clients, and institutional customers with point-of-sale, e-commerce, and integrated payment capabilities.

Approximately 270 employees currently working for ANZ Worldline will join the ANZ Group as part of the ownership change.

The bank assured clients they would experience no operational disruptions during the integration period. Merchants will continue accessing ANZ Worldline services and products without changes to their existing arrangements.

Worldline confirmed the transaction's completion in a separate announcement, framing it within a broader asset sale strategy.

The European payments processor previously agreed to offload its Indian operations to BillDesk earlier this year, concentrating resources on its home market payment activities.

Worldline expects combined net cash proceeds from announced divestments to reach €590–640 million. The company plans to deploy the capital to strengthen its balance sheet and increase strategic flexibility.

Worldline's management remains focused on executing the North Star 2030 transformation plan with the aim of restoring the group's revenue growth and strong free cash flow generation, the company said.