A regulatory filing on Thursday revealed that Discover Financial Services or Capital One Financial would pay a termination fee of $1.38 billion if the proposed merger between the two firms fails under specific circumstances.
The merger, announced earlier in the week, carries significant implications for both companies and the financial services industry as a whole.
Creation of the Largest U.S. Credit Card Issuer:
If the merger proceeds as planned, it would result in the formation of the largest credit card issuer in the United States, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of the industry.
One of the key benefits of the merger for Capital One is gaining access to Discover’s payment network. This access would allow Capital One to reduce reliance on payments giants Visa and Mastercard.
Capital One’s Strategic Shift:
Capital One, currently the third-largest issuer of Visa and MasterCard credit cards in the U.S., aims to shift its card portfolio to Discover’s network. This strategic move is expected to yield significant financial gains.
Capital One anticipates generating $1.2 billion in revenue by 2027 through the transition of its card portfolio from Visa and Mastercard to Discover’s network. This projection underscores the potential financial benefits of the merger for Capital One.