Mastercard to buy Swedish startup that makes it easier to manage and cancel subscription plans

Mastercard said Tuesday that it’s agreed to acquire Minna Technologies, a software firm that makes it easier for consumers to manage their subscriptions.

The move comes as Mastercard and its primary payment network rival Visa are rapidly attempting to expand beyond their core credit and debit card businesses into technology services, such as cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and pay-by-bank payments.

Mastercard declined to disclose financial details of the transaction which is currently subject to a regulatory review.

The payments giant said that the deal, along with other initiatives it’s committed to around subscriptions, will allow it to give consumers a way to access all their subscriptions in a single view — whether inside your banking app or a central “hub.”

Minna Technologies, which is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, develops technology that helps consumers manage subscriptions within their banking apps and websites, regardless of which payment method they used for their subscriptions.

The company said it works with some of the world’s largest financial institutions in the world today. It already counts Mastercard as a key partner as well as its rival Visa.

“These teams and technologies will add to the broader set of tools that help manage the merchant-consumer relationship and minimize any disruption in their experience,” Mastercard said in a blog post Tuesday.

Consumers today often have tons of subscriptions to manage across multiple services such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney Plus. Owning multiple subscriptions can make it difficult to cancel them as consumers can end up losing track of which subscriptions they’re paying for and when.

Mastercard noted that this can have a negative impact on merchants because consumers who aren’t able to easily cancel their subscriptions end up calling on their banks to request a block on payments being taken.

According to Juniper Research data, there are 6.8 billion subscriptions globally, a number that’s expected to jump to 9.3 billion by 2028.

Financial services incumbents such as Mastercard have been rapidly growing their product suite to remain competitive with emerging fintech players that are offering more convenient, digitally native ways to manage consumers’ money management needs.

In 2020, Mastercard acquired Finicity, a U.S. fintech firm that enables third parties — such as fintechs or other banks — to gain access to consumers’ banking information and make payments on their behalf.

Earlier this year, the company announced that by 2030, it would tokenize all cards issued on its network in Europe — in other words, as a consumer, you wouldn’t need to enter your card details manually anymore and would only have to use your thumbprint to authenticate your identity when you pay.

Visa, meanwhile, is also trying to remain competitive with fintech challengers. Last month, the company launched a new service called Visa A2A, which makes it easier for consumers to set up and manage direct debits — payments which are taken directly from your bank account rather than by card.