Orange sells Anytime

It was in 2021 that the Orange operator, via its banking subsidiary Orange Bank, bought Anytime, the Belgian start-up offering banking services and alternative payments to professionals. Since then, Orange's situation has changed and its ambitions in the financial services market have been reduced. The group is now looking to sell Anytime, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with its potential future owner.

FACTS

• Crédit Coopératif and Orange have formalized the signing of their Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of FinTech Anytime by Crédit Coopératif.

• Anytime offers account management and payment services to meet the financial needs of professionals and associations in particular. Its clientele consists of some 5,000 small and medium-sized associations.

• For the last two years, Anytime has been particularly involved in the proposal of advanced expenditure management tools, an activity which it will continue with Crédit Coopératif, if the operation is confirmed, by the end of 2025. Staff representatives from both companies should be consulted.

• The amount of the transfer was not disclosed.

ISSUES

• Conclude a disappearance Orange Bank hoped to rely on Anytime to enter the financial services market for professionals. But his business has been questioned on numerous occasions by his parent company, Orange, which ultimately failed to consolidate its diversification in this highly competitive market. Its strategic shift was also marked by the resumed by BNP Paribas in 2024, for the benefit of Orange Bank Hello Bank!. With the resale of Anytime and the transfer of its credit portfolio to the British Link Financial, Orange Bank is now on the verge of disappear.

• Confirm core business For Crédit Coopératif, the purchase of Anytime makes sense. FinTech is specialized in offering financial services to small associations. However, Crédit Coopératif presents itself as one of the main financiers of the major players in the social and solidarity economy and integrates the acquisition of Anytime in its strategic plan "100% committed" by 2030.

PERSPECTIVE

• The acquisition of Anytime would therefore represent a strategic reinforcement on the part of Crédit Coopératif in the market for financial services for associations.

• But the group would not be the only one to consider repositioning itself on this customer niche. The Bank Postale would in fact prepare to refocus part of its activity on the target of small associations, as Stéphane Dedeyan, President of the Executive Board of the Bank Post and Deputy Director of the La Poste Group, recently pointed out on the occasion of a hearing conducted In front of the Senate.

• The latter stated that the group would now seek to better meet the needs of small associations with less than 200 000 euros in budget and less than three employees. For example, members of these associations could benefit from a SoftPos service allowing their smartphone to accept payments and donations by 2026.

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