Payward Agrees to Acquire Saldo Finance in European Push

Payward has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Finnish holding company Saldo Finance Oy, whose subsidiary Saldo Bank operates under a Lithuanian banking license, in a deal expected to expand Payward’s European banking services. The acquisition is expected to close in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions, the company said in its announcement on October 14, 2026. Saldo Bank operates in Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Germany, and its authorization extends to the Netherlands. Payward says the bank’s existing infrastructure could support an expansion of its European services, including interest-bearing deposits, lending and payment products such as cards. The proposed transaction does not itself establish when or where those services would become available to Kraken customers. Payward did not disclose the purchase price or a product rollout schedule. The agreement remains conditional, and Saldo Finance and its banking subsidiary have not yet been acquired by Payward. Saldo Bank provides term deposits and lending services.