Shift4 successfully finalizes purchase of Global Blue

Shift4 Payments Inc. has successfully completed the acquisition of Global Blue Group Holding AG, marking it as the largest acquisition in Shift4’s history. This acquisition aims to amplify Shift4’s unified commerce capacities by integrating Global Blue’s specialized technology solutions, which cater to hundreds of thousands of retail and hospitality locations worldwide.

Chief Executive Officer of Shift4, Taylor Lauber, expressed enthusiasm over this acquisition, stating that the collaboration with Global Blue will further expand their global reach and strengthen their position as a dominant unified commerce provider. Global Blue, with a prestigious 40-year history, holds a leading market position at the nexus of travel and luxury retail markets across Europe, Asia, and South America. The company is recognized for its tax-refund and currency conversion technology services, which are crucial for retailers catering to international travelers.

The addition of Global Blue’s merchant solutions to Shift4’s global payments platform aims to deliver a seamless end-to-end experience for merchants. By integrating tax refund and currency conversion capabilities into its offerings, Shift4 seeks to enhance its reputation as an innovative vendor and reliable partner to its client base. Global Blue’s extensive two-sided network connects millions of wealthy international shoppers with merchants, fostering powerful network effects and enabling future product innovations such as loyalty programs and digital marketing.

Following the acquisition, Shift4 and Global Blue plan to introduce an all-in-one payment terminal that will provide VAT refund, Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and payment processing services to merchants worldwide. This integrated solution will be the only one available on the market, offering all three services on a single device.

Moreover, as a consequence of this acquisition, Ant International and Tencent will become strategic partners with Shift4. This partnership will explore potential collaborations in global e-commerce payment products, focusing on distributing Alipay+ and WeChat Pay services to merchants within the Shift4 ecosystem. Alipay+ connects global merchants with 1.7 billion user accounts across 36 digital payment methods worldwide, whereas WeChat Pay is the most widely utilized mobile payment service in China.

The Tender Offer for the acquisition expired as scheduled, paving the way for Equiniti Trust Company, LL to complete the transition smoothly. The finalized integration of Global Blue’s technologies into Shift4’s robust payments platform sets the stage for a promising future in unified commerce solutions for businesses globally.