Riverty, the fintech company of Bertelsmann’s services provider Arvato Group, is establishing a bank in Luxembourg to help retailers grow through embedded payment, credit and liquidity services. This is taking place against the backdrop that Europe’s payments market is entering a new phase in which commerce, payments and financial services are increasingly becoming part of the same customer experience. At the same time, merchants increasingly require trusted financial infrastructure that works consistently across multiple European markets.
‘License is of great strategic importance for Riverty’
Carsten Coesfeld, member of the Bertelsmann Executive Board and responsible for Riverty, says: “Receiving regulatory approval for Riverty’s banking license in under a year is a major milestone for Bertelsmann and confirms Riverty’s strong position and long-term experience as a leading European fintech. The license is of great strategic importance for Riverty. With regulatory approval in Luxembourg, Riverty is ideally positioned to expand its consumer finance business with new, innovative products and drive the verticalization of payments.”
Andreas Barth, CEO of Riverty, says: “Financial decisions happen in every transaction. Merchants increasingly need seamless payment, financing and banking services embedded into the customer journey. With the banking license, Riverty is building the European gateway for merchants — co-creating financial products that drive loyalty and customer lifetime value, with the ambition to become the best integrated bank in the merchant ecosystem.”
Oliver Kuhaupt, Chief Risk Officer at Riverty and designated CEO of the bank, says: “With the banking license, we’re taking direct responsibility for risk, compliance and execution at scale. What doesn’t change is our focus. We operate at the core of the transaction, enabling merchants to improve conversion and cash flow while maintaining control of the customer relationship. It is a strong confirmation of our merchant-first approach — making consumer finance an additional driver for merchant growth.”
Operations to begin in July
The bank will begin operations in July 2026. Riverty’s payment and credit unit already serves more than 1,800 merchants with ~25 million customers, and processes more than 235 million transactions annually across Europe. Over the coming years, Riverty plans to further expand its embedded financial services capabilities for merchants and consumers across Europe.
