A Columbus-based company payment company is making a $1.4 billion acquisition.

TSYS, a payment-acceptance company, is purchasing the reloadable pre-paid debit card company NetSpend. It is an all-cash deal.

The Austin, Texas company provides financial services to about 2.4 million people who don’t have bank accounts, and provides corporate payroll debit cards to those without banks. The deal will mean NetSpend shareholders get $16 a share.

In a statement, TSYS chairman and CEO Philip Tomlinson said the acquisition is a transformative event that would help diversify TSYS’ business. It will allow the company to be a “more innovative payment solutions provide,” he said. The business is expected to grow sharply in the next several years.

The purchase, which is subject to regulatory approval, is scheduled to close in the middle of the year.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Travelers pass by TSA security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. The airport had hundreds of flight cancellations over the weekend as the ongoing government shutdown continues to disrupt the aviation industry nationwide. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC