After announcing last June their strategic partnership project in payments, BNP Paribas and BPCE have finalized their agreement on schedule and created Estreem, the new French leader in payment processing. A 2028 timeline has also been set. The ambition is to make Estreem one of the Top 3 European processors.
This new company combines the expertise and leading technologies of both groups in payment processing, to best serve cardholders clients with physical and digital cards, as well as merchants. Estreem will process all card payments for BNP Paribas and Groupe BPCE in Europe, amounting to 17 billion transactions per year, positionning Estreem as the French leader in processing with 30% of card payments volume in France. The newly formed company’s aim is to also be among the Top 3 processors in Europe. The creation of this joint venture aligns with the shared ambition of both banks to maintain payments at the heart of their offer. In time, Estreem’s services are also to be offered to other banks.
With both groups owning a 50% stake of Estreem, BNP Paribas and Groupe BPCE intend to create a processing platform that integrates the best technological standards in the payments field, including instant services, multi-scheme solutions (Visa, Mastercard, CB, etc.) and features adapted to many domestic markets. Estreem will also integrate new digital payment schemes, particularly Wero.
The processor will cover allcard activity technology scope (software edition and IT operation) as well as the operations management activities. The creation of this new player is part of the growing digitalisation of uses (acceleration of mobile payments, expansion of e-commerce, rising need for immediacy). By combining expertise, advanced technology and a thorough understanding of market needs, Estreem will offer an optimised experience to BNP Paribas and Groupe BPCE clients, with the development of new services and new payment card management features.
Estreem will employ more than 300 people, including teams already in place as part of the partnership initiated in 2005 between BNP Paribas and Groupe BPCE for the payment software edition (Partecis). Antoine Leclercq is appointed Chief Executive Officer and Vincent Querette, Deputy CEO.
The following timeline reflects Estreem’s development plan in the coming years:
2025-2026: construction and evolution of the payment processing operations management platform.
2027-2028: migration of payment processing operations from both banks to Estreem in France.
From 2028: launch of the platform for other banking institutions, subject to the required regulatory approvals, and development of priority European markets (Belgium, Italy).
« We’re proud to be launching Estreem, the future French leader in payment processing, in the aim of becoming one of the top three players in Europe. This strategic partnership with BNP Paribas demonstrates our commitment to innovate to overcome our sector’s challenges, combining our expertise and skills to offer cutting-edge solutions that are fast, safe and adapted to clients' needs. The long-term experience of the Estreem management team and all employees involved in this project are the best guarantees of our ability to meet this challenge and thus build the future of payments in France and Europe.» Yves Tyrode, Chief Executive Officer, Digital & Payments, Groupe BPCE
« Estreem is a real strategic step forward to face the profound transformation of the payments market, where reliability, security and fluidity are at the heart of transactions and expectations. Thanks to this platform, and with a strong European dimension, we are significantly strengthening our ability to offer efficient and innovative services to our individual and professional clients, most notably by anticipating their needs. We are very enthusiastic about this partnership with BPCE: our complementarity, the pooling of our skills and technologies and the quality of our teams give us full confidence in our capacity to be a major player in payments in France and in Europe. » Thierry Laborde, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial, Personal Banking & Services, BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 63 countries and has nearly 183,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.
Groupe BPCE is the second-largest banking group in France. Through its 100,000 staff, the group serves 35 million customers – individuals, professionals, companies, investors and local government bodies – around the world. It operates in the retail banking and insurance fields in France via its two major networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne, along with Banque Palatine and Oney. It also pursues its activities worldwide with the asset & wealth management services provided by Natixis Investment Managers and the wholesale banking expertise of Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking. The Group's financial strength is recognized by four credit rating agencies with the following senior preferred LT ratings: Moody's (A1, stable outlook), Standard & Poor's (A, stable outlook), Fitch (A+, stable outlook) and R&I (A+, stable outlook).
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