Cr\u00e9dit Agricole has acquired 100 per cent of shares in merchant payments provider CAWL, all of which were formerly held by French payment processor Worldline.<\/p>\n
France\u2019s second-largest bank initially launched the brand as a joint venture<\/a> in 2024 with the intention of creating a new leader in payment services for merchants. Now, Cr\u00e9dit Agricole said, the partnership is \u201cevolving,\u201d moving from an equity-based model to a commercial partnership.<\/p>\n The bank said the partnership has already enabled the commercialisation of offers for merchants who are clients of Cr\u00e9dit Agricole\u2019s regional banks and subsidiary LCL. It added that the combination of its acquiring solutions and Worldline\u2019s acceptance solutions has allowed the groups to win a significant amount of tenders from large merchants over the past two years. <\/p>\n The transaction is not expected to have any material bearing on Worldline\u2019s financial trajectory as communicated at its annual results announcement in February, nor on Cr\u00e9dit Agricole\u2019s financial ratios or the trajectory presented in its 3-year ACT 2028 plan.<\/p>\n Pierre-Antoine Vacheron, chief executive of Worldline, said: “Our collaboration with Cr\u00e9dit Agricole is evolving from an equity-based model to a commercial partnership, with the same ambition to best serve the needs of Cr\u00e9dit Agricole’s clients. <\/p>\n \u201cThis operation is part of the strategic refocus of our Group initiated in 2025. We remain fully committed alongside Cr\u00e9dit Agricole, a trusted long-term partner and reference shareholder.\u201d<\/p>\n Cr\u00e9dit Agricole acquired a seven per cent stake<\/a> in Worldline in 2024.<\/p>\n