Currently, Credit Agricole and Worldline are negotiating the creation of a joint venture that could become a major payment operator providing financial services to sales representatives in France.
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The details of the negotiation process available to the media state that the new enterprise will begin work by 2025. Within the framework of this cooperation, if events develop according to a positive scenario, a structure will be created that combines Credit Agricole’s product acquisition capabilities, proximity to the market, and distribution with Worldline technologies and global infrastructure in the format of a single market player.
As part of the first stage of joint activities, the investment of partners for a total of 80 million euros is envisaged. This money will be spent on product development and proposals and their subsequent implementation. The controlling stake of the company will belong to Worldline and will be fully consolidated due to its 50% of the total capital contribution plus one share.
Jean-Paul Mazoye, Deputy General Director of Credit Agricole for Technology, Digital Technologies, and Payments, said that the implementation of the partnership project will strengthen the bank’s position in the French financial services market and is an intention fully consistent with the aspirations to exceed the growth rate of retail payments. According to forecasts, the French payment market will double by 2025.
Worldline is already a partner of Credit Agricole Group. The deepening of strategic cooperation will allow for the development of comprehensive offers for French sellers throughout the value chain of trade services. Partners will be able to offer sellers innovative solutions that integrate into their ecosystem and allow them to provide business services with added value.
In France, there is still a high level of use of cash, the share of which in the total volume of payments is about 40%. At the same time, experts say that the local market is already fully ready to switch to payment cards. The total annual sales volume in France is 700 billion euros.
Gilles Grapine, CEO of Worldline, says that the partnership with Credit Agricole Group will allow the company to expand its presence in the market.
As we have reported earlier, BNP Paribas Selects Worldline to Reduce Iban Fraud in Sepa Direct Debits.
