European payment services firm Worldline has sold its payment orchestration platform PaymentIQ to Incore Invest for an all-cash transaction valued at approximately €160 million.

Worldline said the move forms part of its wider turnaround programme, with a refocus on its core European payments activities.

The payments firm has been simplifying its current business strategy, reducing costs, and completing strategic divestments amidst weaker financial performance over the past few years.

The $500 million turnaround plan, called North Stat, involves capital raising, divestments, and a focus on restoring cash flow and growth by 2027.

The major plan also involves streamlining its fragmented structure into a unified technology infrastructure, leveraging AI and automation.

Over the past six months, Wordline has completed the divestments of Mobility & e-Transactional Services in July, North American operations in October, and Electronic Data Management activity in November, with total proceeds expected in the range of €510-560 million.

The proceeds from the transaction aim to further strengthen the group's financial profile, improve strategic flexibility in the medium term, and support the reallocation of capital to core activities.

PaymentIQ centralises managing multiple payment providers including banks through a single API, offering automate routing, fraud prevention, analytics, and support for numerous methods (cards, e-wallets, crypto) to boost success rates and efficiency for businesses.

The company’s services aim to streamline complex payment flows, allowing operators to easily add payment options and manage operations across different markets without extensive development. 

Once the transaction is complete, PaymentIQ will undergo a carve out process to operate as an independent company under the full control of Incore Invest.

The deal is expected to complete in mid 2026.

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