Payments and data technology company Deluxe has officially finalized its acquisition of Celero Commerce, a financial technology firm specializing in payment solutions for small to mid-sized businesses and strategic partners. The milestone completion follows the initial transaction agreement announced on June 18.
The transaction represents a major step in Deluxe’s ongoing strategic shift toward digital payments. By expanding Deluxe Merchant Services, the combined platform is projected to process over $70 billion in annual gross transaction volume, positioning Deluxe among the top 10 non-bank merchant acquirers based on Nilson reporting rankings.
Scaling Merchant Processing and Financial Performance
The acquisition significantly broadens Deluxe’s operational reach across SMB and enterprise banking channels. Deluxe expects the deal to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share (EPS) within the first full year following the close. Additionally, management has identified more than $15 million in run-rate cost synergies, extending expected revenue expansion and EBITDA margin trajectories.
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The combined processing infrastructure provides immediate operational scale:
Expanded Client Footprint: Adds over 55,000 active merchant relationships and 130 financial institution partners to Deluxe’s current portfolio.
Enhanced Transaction Volume: Scales annual processed gross transaction volume beyond $70 billion.
Synergy Realization: Capitalizes on $15 million+ in cost efficiencies through infrastructure consolidation.
Seamless Integration: Preserves service continuity for existing merchants, financial partners, and software vendors throughout the operational transition.
“Acquiring Celero was an important strategic next step in our expansion as a major digital payments processor,” said Barry McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe. “The combination is expected to add more than 55,000 merchant relationships and 130 bank partners to our existing base, and we look forward to providing all of our customers and partners with the highest-touch merchant solutions service, deep distribution experience, and a fully scaled processing platform.”
“I couldn’t be more excited about what this combination makes possible,” said Kevin Jones, CEO of Celero Commerce. “Our shared commitment to innovation, execution, and service creates a strong foundation for our customers and partners, and I’m confident the best is yet to come.”
Industry Impact
The successful conclusion of the acquisition is an indicator of continued industry convergence in payments, as the players are striving for enhanced scale, a wider reach to various merchants, and more robust technology capabilities. Since businesses want payment processing integrated, payment-linked finance services added, and an absolutely smooth, digitally enabled shopping experience, the biggest payment platforms are using acquisitions to add to customers, not to mention services and features.
Celero Commerce’s integration into Deluxe’s business will enable the latter to better serve small and medium-sized businesses while simultaneously solidifying the relationship with financial institutions and channel partners. The upgraded payment platform is anticipated to lead to cost-saving efficiencies and Because of this better performance of operations without sacrificing the possibility of payment innovation.
