Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) is acquiring key parts of Germany’s critical payment infrastructure: the company is purchasing the Payments & Banking Services division of Bank-Verlag GmbH, a subsidiary of the Association of German Banks (BdB). With this transaction, G+D is expanding its portfolio to include central payment and banking services for the German financial industry. Around one in four card and internet-based payments in Germany is processed via this infrastructure.
By combining technological expertise and market presence, G+D is strengthening its role as an innovation driver for the financial sector. At the same time, Bank-Verlag’s customers and employees will benefit from long-term growth and development prospects. The completion of the acquisition is subject to antitrust approval.
Expansion of the Financial Platforms segment
With this acquisition, G+D is adding a key component to its Financial Platforms segment. In future, its end-to-end offering in digital payment and banking will range from electronic payment systems to digital banking, wallets, authentication, and transaction authorisation. As a security technology provider, G+D combines proven expertise in payment solutions and authentication with many years of experience in protecting digital and critical infrastructures. This makes G+D an operator of payment services in a regulated environment. The integration will take place within the G+D subsidiary G+D Netcetera, which specialises in financial software.
Bank-Verlag has established itself as an IT service provider to the German financial sector over more than six decades. Customers will benefit in future from higher performance, shorter time-to-market cycles for digital innovations, and reduced integration complexity. This opens up additional innovation potential – from improved fraud prevention to simplified e-commerce checkouts.
Investments in the double-digit million range
G+D is investing a high double-digit million amount in the modernisation of IT (cloud-enabled architectures, analytics, fraud prevention) and in the scalable operation of critical payment infrastructure. The growth of the acquired activities is to be driven forward sustainably, with G+D relying on the expertise of the teams at the Cologne location.
‘As a security technology company, we combine security technology and payment infrastructure to create a trustworthy ecosystem,’ says Ralf Wintergerst, CEO of the G+D Group. ‘With this acquisition, we are expanding this core: G+D offers the banking industry seamless, secure end-to-end solutions – regulatory compliant and with European DNA.’
For the Association of German Banks, the transaction marks the completion of a strategic transformation process. Heiner Herkenhoff, Chief Executive of the BdB, emphasises: ‘With G+D, customers gain a strong, innovative and future-proof partner. At the same time, continuity is guaranteed for customers and employees.’
The Business Support division of Bank-Verlag, with around 20 employees, will remain with the Association of German Banks. It is primarily responsible for producing forms, publications, and training courses.
