Aug. 18, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Shift4, a payment-processing company, announced in July that it had completed its $2.5 billion purchase of Global Blue.

Global Blue is a Swiss company that handles payments and helps people get refunds for Value Added Tax (VAT), which U.S. travelers pay in in some countries.

Now, Shift4 said it has completed the “squeeze-out” part of the deal, which involved the 2.6% of Global Blue shares not purchased earlier. Those shares have been canceled, and anybody holding them now has a right to convert each share into $7.50 in cash, according to Shift4’s statement today.

This “squeeze-out” amounts to a minor detail, as Shift4 already controlled Global Blue.

Shares of Shift4 (NYSE:FOUR) traded at $90.85 at the close on Friday, giving the Upper Saucon Township-based company a market capitalization of $8 billion.

Shift4 processes credit-card payments at hotels, restaurants, sports venues, casinos and other businesses. It has expanded into cryptocurrency transactions and charitable giving.

Here’s a link to Shift4’s statement, and below is a cut-and-paste version:

Shift4 Completes Squeeze-Out Merger of Global Blue

Aug 18, 2025 8:34 AM EDT

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. & SIGNY, Switzerland–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Shift4 Payments, Inc. (“Shift4”) (NYSE: FOUR), the leader in integrated payments and commerce technology, and Global Blue Group Holding AG (“Global Blue”) (NYSE: GB), the leading specialty payments and technology platform enabling tax-free shopping, dynamic currency conversion, and payments solutions to the world’s largest retail brands, today announced the successful completion of the squeeze-out merger under Swiss law pursuant to which Global Blue merged with and into Global Blue Group Holding GmbH (f/k/a GT Holding 1 GmbH) (“Merger Sub”), with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity and wholly-owned subsidiary of Shift4 (the “Merger”).

As a result of the Merger, the remaining 2.63% outstanding shares of Global Blue (the “Shares”) not previously purchased by Shift4 in the previously announced completion of a tender offer (the “Tender Offer”) have been cancelled and converted into the right to receive $7.50 per common share in cash, subject to any applicable withholding taxes. The Merger was approved by the Global Blue shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on August 18, 2025. Following consummation of the Merger, Shift4 caused Global Blue to voluntarily delist its Shares from the New York Stock Exchange.

As previously announced, Shift4 successfully completed the Tender Offer on July 3, 2025 to purchase an aggregate of approximately 97.37% of the issued and outstanding Shares. Shift4 accepted for payment and promptly paid for all such Shares that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 21, 2025, as amended.

About Shift4

Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) is boldly redefining commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world. As the leader in commerce-enabling technology, Shift4 powers billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry. For more information, visit shift4.com.

About Global Blue

Global Blue (NYSE: GB) is the business partner for the shopping journey, providing technology and services to enhance the experience and drive performance. With over 40 years of expertise, today we connect thousands of retailers, acquirers, and hotels with nearly 80 million consumers across 52 countries, in three industries: Tax Free Shopping, Payments and Post-Purchase solutions. For more information, visit globalblue.com.