Paysafecard.com Wertkarten AG, the holding company of paysafecard group and a leading provider of prepaid payment methods, has acquired 100% of the shares of payment provider Wallie Holding International Payment Services B.V. ("Wallie") as of 16 August 2011.
This move further expands the Vienna based company's position as the international market leader in the fast growing prepaid payment industry.
Michael Müller, CEO of paysafecard.com Wertkarten AG, on the deal: "We are pleased to announce the takeover of Wallie. We have further expanded our business area, underline our long-time commitment to the fast growing online games sector and strengthen our position as a leading provider of prepaid solutions."
"This successful deal is a major milestone for both companies," said Jean-Paul Roussin, advisor at Intuitucapital and Director of Wallie supervisory board and in charge of the transaction on behalf of Wallie since 2010. "Our mission over the last year was to put Wallie in a position to get integrated in a major player."
Wallie is currently live in eleven countries in Europe with their 'Wallie'-branded prepaid solution. Like paysafecard, it enables cash payments online through the use of a PIN. Wallie's portfolio of merchants is exclusively comprised of companies in the online games industry.
The Wallie deal marks the first time paysafecard.com Wertkarten AG has expanded through acquisition. The Austrian company has been steadily growing for the past ten years and now operates in 28 countries with a suite of prepaid products that includes the YUNA Card, Happy Schenkcard and Cash-Ticket payment methods. paysafecard continues to represent the core product of the family with more than 350,000 points of sale and more than 3,500 accepting merchants worldwide.