· Strategic milestone: Through an asset deal with First Data and about 2,500 new customers, UniCredit Bank Austria is positioning itself as one of the largest players in the Austrian payments market
· Following the sale of its stake in card complete, UniCredit Bank Austria has entered the credit card and payments sector and is continuously strengthening this new business area
· Launch of Clover products on the Austrian market: UniCredit Bank Austria is expanding its product portfolio and will become provider of Clover products in Austria
The payments business in the domestic market is gaining momentum. Through a cross-border asset deal with the German company First Data, UniCredit Bank Austria gains about 2,500 new customers in the SME sector of TeleCash - the brand under which First Data operates in Austria - with around 4,000 terminals, a volume of 750 million euros and 16 million transactions - thereby making a significant mark in the acquiring business segment.
Dieter Hengl, Board Member Corporates at UniCredit Bank Austria, emphasises: "The cross-border asset deal with First Data is an important step towards significantly expanding our market position in the cashless payments sector. We offer our customers comprehensive solutions featuring the latest generation of payment terminals. For us, this deal is a great way to open doors to faster growth across the entire SME sector."
The parties have agreed not to disclose details of the asset deal with First Data, such as the purchase price. The migration of the 2,500 new TeleCash customers to the UniCredit Bank Austria platform will be completed by September 2026. The deal thus represents a significant boost to UniCredit Bank Austria's SME new-customer drive, through which over 1,500 new customers have recently been acquired organically.
"This deal focuses on SME customers, a sector where we aim to continue growing at a very dynamic pace," emphasises Dieter Hengl. "Through our expertise in payment processing, we can demonstrate just how well we look after our customers. For existing merchants, nothing will change initially; they will be seamlessly transferred to our payment platform and will subsequently benefit from significant service upgrades."
UniCredit Bank Austria sets a strategic milestone with its entry into the payments market
Payments are one of the most dynamic sectors in banking. By entering the credit card issuing business, acquiring POS card payment terminals and offering modern e-commerce payment solutions, UniCredit Bank Austria has brought significant business areas in-house. Issuing business involves providing credit cards to customers, whilst its acquiring business supplies businesses with the relevant POS payment terminals and e-commerce solutions. The entire division was built from scratch last year - in a highly competitive market. In doing so, the company implemented a complete infrastructure alongside state-of-the-art technology and in-depth expertise.
The existing partnership with Fiserv, the parent company of First Data, is further strengthened by the availability of terminals under Fiserv's "Clover" brand, which are known for their innovative design, ease of use, and integrated business tools.
UniCredit Bank Austria thus offers a complete package of payment solutions: from payment terminals and online payment solutions (e-commerce) to SoftPOS, which is the low-threshold option for card payments where a mobile phone is used to make payments (Tap to Pay). SoftPOS is available for both Android and iOS. The focus for customers is on reducing complexity, as they can now access the full range of payment services at UniCredit Bank Austria from a single source - a real added value from the customer's perspective.
The focus is on intelligent tools for merchants with integrated data analysis, fraud monitoring and tailor-made solutions that are secure and scalable. The platform grows with the business, whilst UniCredit Bank Austria ensures first-class risk management.
"We're not just making payments easier - we're helping to shape how money will be moved in the future. Speed, security, simplicity - only when a payment meets all three criteria does it meet modern quality standards," concludes Dieter Hengl.
Enquiries:
Media Relations
e-mail: MediaRelations@unicredit.eu