Advent International announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Prisma and Newpay, subsidiaries of Group Prisma, to Visa. Advent will retain ownership of Payway, the group’s merchant acquiring business.
During Advent’s ownership, Group Prisma underwent a strategic transformation, separating the company into three focused and independent platforms: Prisma, Newpay, and Payway. The transaction covers the sale of Prisma and Newpay, while Payway will continue operating under Advent’s ownership as a standalone growth platform.
Prisma is an issuer processing platform in Argentina, processing more than six billion transactions annually and serving as a partner to many of the country’s leading banks. The platform processes more than 75 million cards for over 90 issuers and provides digital issuing, back-office services, card issuance and personalization, customer service, and fraud management solutions.
Newpay provides payments and cash access infrastructure in Argentina, supporting real-time account-to-account payments, including instant transfers and Transferencias 3.0 (Pagos con Transferencias), as well as interoperable QR payments across the ecosystem. It also operates PagoMisCuentas for electronic bill payments and manages the Banelco ATM network, which includes more than 7,000 ATMs nationwide and handles approximately 300 million transactions per month.
The companies play a central role in Argentina’s payments infrastructure, connecting financial institutions, merchants, and consumers. Advent said the transaction pairs a global payments network with a scaled local platform, positioning Prisma and Newpay to drive innovation, operational resilience, and expanded capabilities for clients under Visa’s ownership.
Advent said Payway will continue to expand into higher-value merchant solutions, including instant payments and QR capabilities, fraud and security offerings, and embedded financial services. The firm expects these initiatives to deepen merchant relationships and increase recurring revenues amid accelerating digital payments adoption in Argentina.
Advent highlighted its global payments investment experience, noting that since 2008 it has invested or committed $9.4 billion across eighteen payments companies worldwide. Recent sector investments include Nuvei, myPOS, Mangopay, and Medius. The firm has also invested in six Argentine businesses since 1998 across pharmaceuticals, consumer, and financial and business services.
The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.
KEY QUOTES:
“This transaction reflects the strength of the platforms the Prisma team has built and the valuable role they play in Argentina’s payments ecosystem. We believe Visa is well positioned to support the continued evolution and long-term success of Prisma and Newpay, and remain excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Payway.”
Juan Pablo Zucchini, Managing Partner at Advent International
“Advent has played a central role in helping to shape our value creation agenda, which has focused on technology modernization and product innovation, alongside continuous improvements in service quality, reliability, and client experience, all designed around supporting clients and long-term partnerships. We’re thrilled to continue working with the Advent team, and see significant long-term potential in Payway as a standalone platform, supported by the continued digitization of Argentina’s economy, a steady shift from cash to electronic payments, and increasing demand for advanced merchant solutions.”
Martin Kaplan, CEO of Group Prisma and CEO of Payway
“Over the course of our partnership with Group Prisma, our focus has been on building resilient, independent platforms with clear strategic positioning. We are proud of the growth and the results that the Group has been able to achieve, and are confident that, under Visa’s ownership, Prisma and Newpay will continue supporting businesses across Argentina, helping merchants, financial institutions and service providers operate more efficiently and serve their customers better.”
Chris Egan, Managing Partner at Advent International
