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ARTICLE · 16 MARCH 2023

Five Trends Shaping Payments M&A

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The last 12 months have seen dramatic falls in fintech and payments valuations, but with the payments sector now a core part of the financial services ecosystem, strategic imperatives...

United StatesFinance and Banking
Gavin Weir
Gavin Weir
Jasper Helder
Jasper Helder
Simon Rootsey
Simon Rootsey
Deborah M. Festa
Deborah M. Festa
Scott Pettifor
Scott Pettifor
Jenny Arlington
Jenny Arlington
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The last 12 months have seen dramatic falls in fintech and payments valuations, but with the payments sector now a core part of the financial services ecosystem, strategic imperatives will continue to drive deals despite macroeconomic headwinds.

We outline five key trends that will shape payments M&A in 2023.

Payments deal valuations have endured a bumpy ride since hitting a peak in 2021.

As inflation, rising interest rates and market uncertainty took a toll on the wider technology and fintech sectors, deal values in the payments space slid by almost 66 percent, according to US consultancy The Strawhecker Group1.

Deal count, however, was only 14 percent off 2021 levels, and although the outlook for 2023 remains challenging, the relative resilience of deal volumes illustrates how the payments sector has matured and become a core part of the financial ecosystem.

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