Investment firm takes payment processor Retail Decisions private

Palamon Capital Partners, a European mid market private equity firm, has acquired fraud management company and payment processor Retail Decisions plc for £200 million. Retail Decisions had been a public company but will now be private.

Retail Decisions is a payment card and pre-paid card issuer, provider of card fraud prevention systems and payment processor with operations in Europe, the United States, Australia and South Africa. Customers include Wal-Mart, Tesco, Bloomingdales, Travelocity, T-Mobile, Texaco, Shell, Woolworths and Comet.

CEO Carl Clump will continue in that role under the new ownership.

“Palamon understands our space,” Clump says. “With Palamon’s assistance we intend to strengthen our standing internationally and accelerate our ambitious plans for organic and acquisitive growth.”

“We were particularly attracted by the growth opportunities that this business presents given the wide application of its business services and Palamon’s ability to make the business more flexible in terms of accessing capital more quickly than a listed vehicle should acquisition opportunities arise,” says Fabio Giuseppetti, a partner at Palamon Capital Partners.