French payment firm Worldline enters direct merchant acquisition in India, unveils new app

French digital payment company Worldline, which deploys point-of-sales terminals at merchant outlets, on Tuesday said it has started direct merchant acquisition business in India.

It has also launched a new business application on its new generation Android-powered smart terminals which can help merchants accept payments, reconcile their daily sales, access business loans and offer pay later options to their customers.

Till date, Worldline was not into merchant acquisition in the domestic market. It only worked with banks who would acquire the merchants, while Worldline would deploy and manage the terminal.


ET wrote about the change in Worldline’s merchant acquisition strategy in September.

“Some of the key (merchant) segments that we will be pursuing are groceries, supermarkets, electronics, mobile, white goods, bakery, quick service restaurants, departmental stores, stationery and pharmacies. There are fresh opportunities emerging in the offline space as new merchants in smaller towns and cities seek digital payment capabilities,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, chief executive officer - India, Worldline.

The company will be collaborating with banks rather than competing with them, recognising the ongoing importance of banks to merchants, Narasimhan added.