Rêv and Searchlight Complete Acquisition of Netspend for $1 Billion

Netspend founders combine assets to expand global footprint and increase access to digital innovations in payment products

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International payments company Rêv Worldwide (Rêv), in partnership with funds advised by Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. (Searchlight), today completed its purchase of the Netspend consumer business from Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) in an all-cash transaction valued at $1 billion.

The carve-out transaction sees Netspend come back under the control of its founders Roy and Bertrand Sosa, prepaid industry innovators who also founded Rêv. Netspend will remain a partner to Global Payments, supporting the company’s retained pay card business.

“This acquisition represents both a reunion and reimagining of the vision of financial empowerment we pioneered at Netspend more than 20 years ago,” said Roy Sosa, Rêv Chairman and CEO, who assumes the same role with Netspend. “Netspend has a well-deserved reputation for creating and delivering innovative products tailored to fulfill the important needs of all its customers, from the underserved to the affluent. This transaction sets us up for strong future success and profitable growth.”

Since its founding in 1999, Netspend has become a clear industry leader in prepaid debit cards, processed hundreds of billions of dollars of cardholder purchases, and established the world’s largest retail partner network comprising 100,000 locations where consumers can load or purchase prepaid and debit card products. Those locations span large grocers, financial service centers, convenience stores and pharmacies, among others. Netspend is also the product and payments processing partner behind numerous well-known brands and offers its consumer products via mobile and web channels.

Together, Netspend and Rêv create an international payments powerhouse with a broad array of products and services and strategic partners which include ADIB, Banco Itaú, Correos (Spanish Post), and Etihad Airways. The combined companies are uniquely positioned to expand their current programs across the world, and to drive growth across market segments.

“From day one of Netspend’s founding we have been focused on helping customers gain access to payment products that simplify their lives and deliver real value,” said Rêv President, Bertrand Sosa. “This acquisition allows us to continue building on our commitment to deliver financial empowerment to more people in more places by leveraging Netspend’s industry scale and Rêv’s technology platform and digital product innovations.”

Commenting on the deal, Christopher Cruz, Partner at Searchlight, added: “The transaction allows Netspend to combine its market-leading position with Rêv’s geographic reach to offer an enhanced customer value proposition, introduce innovative products, and grow partnerships on a global scale. The combined company can uniquely serve the entire market with its differentiated distribution capabilities, including direct-to-consumer, partner-enabled, and digital partnership models.”

About Rêv

Rêv is a fintech company, founded by prepaid debit industry founders Roy and Bertrand Sosa, dedicated to delivering innovative payment experiences to consumers worldwide. Its solutions are powered by the company’s proprietary multi-currency and multi-language payments processing platform. With vast experience pioneering a number of payment industry firsts, Rêv focuses on the international banking and travel sectors. Rêv has partnered with companies across the globe to launch products in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Learn more at www.revworldwide.com.

About Searchlight

Searchlight is a global private investment firm with over $11 billion in assets under management and offices in New York, Miami, London and Toronto. Searchlight seeks to invest in businesses where its long-term capital and strategic support accelerate value creation for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.searchlightcap.com.

About Netspend

Netspend is a leading provider of payments and financial solutions for consumers and businesses. From prepaid and debit card solutions to digital account and money movement services, Netspend has a broad suite of products and technologies that deliver exceptional experiences for its customers and business partners. For more information, visit www.netspend.com and follow Netspend on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.