# Shift4 Payments, Inc. (FOUR)

Informational only - not investment advice.

CIK: 0001794669
SIC: 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC
SIC breadcrumb: [Services](/division/I/) > [Business Services](/major-group/73/) > [SIC 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC](/industry/7389/)
Latest 10-K filed: 2026-02-27
SEC page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1794669
Filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466926000010/four-20251231.htm

## At a glance

FY2025 · period end 2025-12-31 · filed 2026-02-27 · accession 0001794669-26-000010 · source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001794669.json

| Metric | Value | FY | Provenance |
| --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| Revenue | 4,180,000,000 USD | 2025 | verified |
| Net income | 119,000,000 USD | 2025 | verified |
| Assets | 8,713,000,000 USD | 2025 | verified |
| Free cash flow | 624,000,000 USD | 2025 | computed |
| Net margin | 2.85% | 2025 | computed |
| Operating margin | 8.40% | 2025 | computed |
| Revenue YoY | +25.49% | 2025 | computed |
| ROE | 8.25% | 2025 | computed |

Computed values are grepcent-computed from the verified facts above and may differ from ratios the company itself reports. Free cash flow = operating cash flow − capital expenditures. Net margin = net income ÷ revenue. Operating margin = operating income ÷ revenue. Revenue YoY = FY2025 revenue ÷ FY2024 revenue − 1 (consecutive fiscal years only). ROE = net income ÷ period-end stockholders' equity.

No market price, no rating, no forecast on this site. Not investment advice.

### Peer percentile fingerprint

| Ratio | FOUR | Peer median | Percentile | N |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Net margin | 2.8% | 5.8% | 36 | 59 |
| Operating margin | 8.4% | 9.2% | 42 | 56 |
| Revenue growth | 25.5% | 8.4% | 81 | 58 |
| FCF margin | 14.9% | 14.2% | 53 | 58 |
| ROE | 8.3% | 8.7% | 49 | 52 |
| ROA | 1.4% | 2.9% | 40 | 59 |
| Liabilities / equity | 4.69 | 1.52 | 77 | 54 |
| Current ratio | 1.66 | 1.34 | 70 | 57 |

Percentile = share of the N covered peers reporting that ratio whose value is lower (ties counted half); computed among grepcent-covered companies in SIC industry 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC, not the whole market. A higher percentile means a higher value of the ratio, not a better company. Ratios with fewer than 8 reporting peers are omitted. Latest reported values per company; fiscal periods may differ. Descriptive arithmetic - not a score, rating, or ranking.

## Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
| --- | ---: | --- | ---: | --- |
| Revenue | 4180000000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |
| Net income | 119000000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |
| Assets | 8713000000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-27 |

## Financials

Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-27. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001794669.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.

| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Revenue | 560,600,000 | 731,400,000 | 766,900,000 | 1,367,500,000 | 1,993,600,000 | 2,565,000,000 | 3,331,000,000 | 4,180,000,000 |
| Net income |  |  | -18,400,000 | -48,200,000 | 75,100,000 | 86,000,000 | 230,000,000 | 119,000,000 |
| Operating income | -13,100,000 | -4,400,000 | -57,600,000 | -49,200,000 | 94,700,000 | 115,000,000 | 247,000,000 | 351,000,000 |
| Operating cash flow | 25,500,000 | 8,000,000 | 4,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 275,400,000 | 346,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 634,000,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 1,600,000 | 8,200,000 | 4,800,000 | 8,200,000 | 8,000,000 | 14,000,000 | 7,000,000 | 10,000,000 |
| Share buybacks |  | 0.00 | 0.00 | 19,500,000 | 185,900,000 | 105,000,000 | 146,000,000 | 453,000,000 |
| Assets |  | 784,000,000 | 1,779,300,000 | 2,342,600,000 | 2,554,000,000 | 3,387,800,000 | 5,041,000,000 | 8,713,000,000 |
| Liabilities |  | 773,900,000 | 1,109,300,000 | 1,942,900,000 | 2,073,400,000 | 2,519,400,000 | 4,023,000,000 | 6,756,000,000 |
| Stockholders' equity |  | -32,900,000 | 459,600,000 | 272,800,000 | 347,300,000 | 653,300,000 | 807,000,000 | 1,442,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents |  | 3,700,000 | 927,800,000 | 1,231,500,000 | 702,500,000 | 455,000,000 | 1,212,000,000 | 964,000,000 |
| Free cash flow | 23,900,000 | -200,000 | -800,000 | -5,200,000 | 267,400,000 | 332,000,000 | 493,000,000 | 624,000,000 |

### Ratios

ROE and ROA use period-end equity/assets. Liabilities / equity uses total liabilities divided by stockholders' equity. Current ratio uses current assets divided by current liabilities when both are reported.

| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Net margin |  |  | -2.40% | -3.52% | 3.77% | 3.35% | 6.90% | 2.85% |
| Operating margin | -2.34% | -0.60% | -7.51% | -3.60% | 4.75% | 4.48% | 7.42% | 8.40% |
| Return on equity |  |  | -4.00% | -17.67% | 21.62% | 13.16% | 28.50% | 8.25% |
| Return on assets |  |  | -1.03% | -2.06% | 2.94% | 2.54% | 4.56% | 1.37% |
| Liabilities / equity |  |  | 2.41 | 7.12 | 5.97 | 3.86 | 4.99 | 4.69 |
| Current ratio |  | 0.82 | 10.40 | 7.91 | 3.70 | 1.64 | 1.39 | 1.66 |

## As-reported value updates

6 tracked differences above grepcent's stated thresholds were found between the earliest XBRL-filed value and the value currently on file for the same fiscal period.

Ledger: /company/FOUR/revisions/


## Quarterly

Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-08-06. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001794669.json.

Flow metrics use discrete quarter-length periods from 10-Q/10-Q/A filings. Q4 revenue and net income are derived only when annual FY and nine-month YTD facts exist for the same fiscal year; derived Q4 values are labeled. EPS Q4 is not derived.

| Quarter | End date | Revenue | Net income | Diluted EPS | Method |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 675,400,000 | 32,600,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 705,400,000 | 13,700,000 |  | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 707,400,000 | 20,600,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 827,000,000 | 39,200,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 909,200,000 | 53,800,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 887,000,000 | 116,000,000 |  | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 848,300,000 | 16,700,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 966,200,000 | 34,000,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 1,176,900,000 | 28,100,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 1,188,600,000 | 40,200,000 |  | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 1,121,000,000 | 15,000,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 1,295,000,000 | 22,000,000 |  | reported discrete quarter |

## Filed narrative (10-K & 10-Q)

## Business

Verbatim Item 1 Business section from FOUR's latest 10-K: [/company/FOUR/business/](/company/FOUR/business/).

## Risk Factors

Verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from FOUR's latest 10-K: [/company/FOUR/risk-factors/](/company/FOUR/risk-factors/).

## Latest quarter (10-Q)

Latest 10-Q source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466926000045/four-20260630.htm

Extracted structurally from real Item 2 body heading to real Item 3/4 boundary.
Confidence: high
Filing date: 2026-08-06
Report date: 2026-06-30

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the information presented in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”), as well as our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 27, 2026 (the “2025 Form 10-K”). In addition to historical information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding our expectation for future performance, liquidity and capital resources, that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include those identified below and those described in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A. of our 2025 Form 10-K. We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

As used in this Quarterly Report, unless the context otherwise requires, references to:

•“we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Shift4” and similar references refer to Shift4 Payments, Inc. and, unless otherwise stated, all of its subsidiaries.

•“Continuing Equity Owners” refers collectively to Rook and Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and certain of its affiliated funds.

•“LLC Interests” refers to the common units of Shift4 Payments, LLC.

•“Founder” refers to Jared Isaacman, our Founder, former Chief Executive Officer, former Executive Chairman, and the sole stockholder of Rook.

•“Simplification Transactions” refer to certain organizational transactions that we effected in connection with the collapse of our Up-C structure and conversion of our Founder’s and Rook’s share of Class B and Class C common stock to Class A common stock in February 2026.

•“Rook” refers to Rook Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by our Founder and for which our Founder is the sole stockholder.

Overview

At Shift4, our mission is to power the experience economy by enabling businesses to deliver the moments that matter.

We are a leading independent provider of software, payment processing, tax-free shopping (“TFS”), and dynamic currency conversion services. You will find our technology in restaurants, hotels, stadiums, theme parks, luxury retailers and many other businesses who seek to deliver a world-class experience to their customers. In that capacity, we facilitate billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry.

We achieved our leadership position through decades of problem solving and constant technological evolution. Our merchants range in size from small owner-operated local businesses to multinational enterprises conducting commerce globally.

Pending Acquisition

In August 2026, we signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of an account-to-account payments company for an initial payment of approximately $143 million of cash. The terms and conditions also include contingent consideration of up to $173 million, resulting in an aggregate maximum consideration of approximately $316 million. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Key Financial Definitions

The following briefly describes the components of revenue and expenses as presented in the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Gross revenue consists of payments-based revenue, TFS revenue, and subscription and other revenues:

Payments-based revenue includes fees for payment processing and related services, and gateway services. Payment processing revenues are primarily driven as a percentage of the dollar volume of the transactions processed. They may also have a fixed fee, a minimum monthly usage fee and a fee based on transactions. Gateway services, data encryption and tokenization fees are primarily driven by per transaction fees as well as monthly usage fees. Included in payments-based revenue are fees earned from

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our international payments platform, strategic enterprise merchant relationships, and alternative payments methods, including cryptocurrency, gift cards and stock donations.

TFS revenue includes commissions for TFS services. TFS services commissions vary based on a number of factors such as the merchant, country and amount of purchase.

Subscription and other revenue includes software as a service (“SaaS”) fees for point of sale (“POS”) systems and terminals provided to merchants. POS and terminal SaaS fees are assessed based on the type and quantity of equipment deployed to the merchant. SaaS fees also include statement fees, fees for our proprietary business intelligence software and other annual fees. Subscription and other revenues also includes revenue derived from hardware sales, software license sales, third-party residuals and fees charged for technology support.

Cost of sales consists of interchange and processing fees, residual commissions, equipment and other costs of sales:

Interchange and processing fees represent amounts owed to card issuing banks and assessments paid to card associations based on transaction processing volume. These also include fees incurred by third-parties for data transmission and settlement of funds, such as processors and our sponsor bank.

Residual commissions represent monthly payments to third-party distribution partners. These costs are typically based on a percentage of payments-based revenue.

Equipment represents our costs of devices that are sold to merchants.

Other costs of sales includes amortization of internally developed capitalized software development costs, purchased capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs. It also includes shipping and handling costs related to the delivery of devices. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method on a product-by-product basis over the estimated useful life of the software. Capitalized software, acquired technology and capitalized customer acquisition costs are also amortized on a straight-line basis.

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation, benefits and other expenses associated with corporate management, finance, sales, human resources, shared services, information technology and other activities.

Revaluation of contingent liabilities represents adjustments to the fair value of contingent liabilities associated with acquisitions.

Depreciation and amortization expense consists of depreciation and amortization expenses related to merchant relationships, trademarks and trade names, residual commission buyouts, equipment under lease, leasehold improvements, other intangible assets, and property and equipment. We depreciate and amortize our assets on a straight-line basis. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the estimated life of the leasehold improvement or the remaining lease term. Maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the useful life of the respective assets, are charged to expense as incurred. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives which range from two years to twenty years.

Professional expenses consist of costs incurred for accounting, audit, tax, legal, and consulting services. These include professional services related to acquisitions.

Advertising and marketing expenses relate to costs incurred to participate in industry tradeshows and dealer conferences, advertising initiatives to build brand awareness (including sponsorships), and expenses to fulfill loyalty program rewards earned by software partners.

Loss on extinguishment of debt represents the writeoff of unamortized capitalized financing costs associated with debt extinguishment.

Interest income primarily consists of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Other income (expense), net primarily consists of other non-operating items. This includes transactional gains and losses related to foreign currency.

Gain (loss) on investments in securities represents adjustments to the fair value of our investments in securities.

Change in TRA liability represents adjustments to the TRA liability.

Interest expense consists of interest costs incurred on our borrowings and amortization of capitalized financing costs.

Income tax benefit (expense) represents federal, state, local and foreign income taxes.

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Net income attributable to non-redeemable noncontrolling interests arises from net income from the non-owned portion of businesses where we have a controlling interest but less than 100% ownership. This includes the following:

•the noncontrolling interests in Shift4 Payments, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, which is comprised of the income allocated to Continuing Equity Owners as a result of their proportional ownership of LLC Interests;

•the noncontrolling interests in certain subsidiaries of Global Blue Group Holding AG (“Global Blue”); and

•the income allocated to third-party shareholders of Vectron common stock prior to the execution of the DPLTA.

Factors Impacting Our Business and Results of Operations

We believe our performance depends, and will in the future depend, on many factors, including those described in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our 2025 Form 10-K, to which there have been no material changes, except that geopolitical and global trade tensions, as well as military conflicts, have resulted in travel disruptions and have impacted economic conditions and resulting consumer spending trends.

Comparison of Results for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2026 and 2025

The following table sets forth the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented:

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

## Latest 10-K MD&A (excerpt)

Latest 10-K Item 7 source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466926000010/four-20251231.htm
Complete FY 2025 MD&A: /company/FOUR/mda/fy2025/

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary.
Confidence: high
Filing date: 2026-02-27
Report date: 2025-12-31

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is intended to provide a reader of our consolidated financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review Item 1A of this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operation for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023 is included under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 19, 2025.

Overview

At Shift4, our mission is to boldly redefine commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world.

We are a leading independent provider of software and payment processing solutions in the U.S. We are also a leader in tax-free shopping (“TFS”) as a result of the acquisition of Global Blue Group Holding AG (“Global Blue”) in the third quarter of 2025. We power billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry. We achieved our leadership position through decades of solving business and operational challenges facing our customers’ overall commerce needs. Our merchants range in size from small owner-operated local businesses to multinational enterprises conducting commerce globally.

Recent Developments

Executive Chairman - NASA Administrator Appointment and Up-C Collapse

In December 2025, Jared Isaacman, our Founder and former Executive Chairman, was sworn in as the administrator of NASA. Mr. Isaacman has announced his intention to retain the majority of his equity interest while reducing his voting power as noted below.

Previously, in connection with his prior nomination for NASA administrator which was subsequently withdrawn, Mr. Isaacman submitted an Ethics Agreement to the Designated Agency Ethics Official at NASA. In the Ethics Agreement, Mr. Isaacman had committed to take certain steps to avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest in the event he is confirmed. This included without limitation surrendering his high-vote shares, which would have reduced his corresponding voting power to approximately 25%, in line with his economic interest in the Company.

On February 7, 2026, we entered into a Transaction Agreement to effect, among other things, the Up-C Collapse via a taxable exchange, and the assignment and waiver of Rook’s rights under the TRA to us. The Simplification Transactions and other matters provided for in the Transaction Agreement will provide significant benefits to us, including being relieved of material future TRA payments, no longer having a stockholder with majority voting power and obtaining a waiver by Rook of its rights under Section 4 of the Stockholders Agreement, dated June 4, 2020, among us, Rook, and Searchlight.

Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, the following transactions occurred: (i) Rook effected a redemption and exchange of all of its equity common units in Shift4 Payments, LLC on a one-for-one basis for shares of Class A common stock and cancelled the corresponding shares of Class B common stock, (ii) Mr. Isaacman exchanged all of his shares of Class C common stock on a one-for-one basis for shares of Class A common stock, (iii) Rook assigned all of its rights and benefits under the TRA to the Company, and each of Rook and the Company waived any rights they may have to any tax benefit payments; and (iv) Mr. Isaacman agreed to the Stockholders Agreement Waiver. Also pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, Mr. Isaacman agreed to a five-year obligation not to compete with the Company, and we and Mr. Isaacman agreed to, following the time that Mr. Isaacman’s service as NASA Administrator terminates, negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement upon which Mr. Isaacman shall return to service (whether as director, consultant, or otherwise) with the Company.

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Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, in consideration for the Company Benefits, including the assignment and waiver of the TRA, the Elimination of Voting Control Benefit, the Stockholder Agreement Waiver, and the Up-C Collapse, Mr. Isaacman (via Rook) received approximately $192 million in value, which consists of (i) a payment of cash held by us as a result of previously paid tax distributions from Shift4 Payments, LLC in the amount of approximately $139 million, (ii) 423,296 shares of our mandatory convertible preferred stock in a private placement, and (iii) deemed satisfaction in full of Mr. Isaacman’s previously disclosed agreement to fund 50% of the Company’s discretionary equity award program for non-management employees, which was implemented in November 2021.

Recent Acquisitions

Global Blue

On July 3, 2025, we completed the acquisition of Global Blue by acquiring approximately 97.4% of the Global Blue shares outstanding. Subsequently, on August 18, 2025, Merger Sub and Global Blue consummated a statutory squeeze-out merger in accordance with the laws of Switzerland pursuant to which Global Blue merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, with the Company indirectly acquiring the remaining 2.6% of shares not previously tendered. Total purchase consideration amounted to approximately $2.7 billion of cash. Global Blue is a leading technology and travel services platform, primarily providing TFS, dynamic currency conversion, and payments solutions to the world’s largest retail brands, which significantly increases our overall customer base and geographic footprint, while diversifying our revenue.

Smartpay

On November 4, 2025, we completed the acquisition of Smartpay Holdings Limited (“Smartpay”), a leading independent provider of payment processing and point-of-sale solutions in Australia and New Zealand. Total purchase consideration amounted to approximately NZ$325 million (or about $186 million USD) in cash. The acquisition deepens our strategic presence in the region by combining our comprehensive payment infrastructure with Smartpay’s established distribution network, enabling scaled go-to-market strategies for products such as SkyTab POS systems and end-to-end solutions for hospitality and unified commerce merchants.

Pending Acquisition

Exclusive Negotiations to Acquire Worldline’s North American Subsidiaries

In October 2025, we entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire Worldline’s North American subsidiaries for approximately $84 million of cash, subject to customary closing adjustments. The contemplated transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to customary approvals. The initial accounting for the acquisition, including the valuation of assets and liabilities acquired, is unavailable to disclose at this time.

Factors Impacting Our Business and Results of Operations

In general, our results of operations are impacted by factors such as the adoption of software solutions that are integrated with our payment solutions, continued investment in our core capabilities, ongoing pursuit of strategic acquisitions, and macro-level economic trends.

Increased adoption of software-integrated payments. We primarily generate revenue through fees assessed on volume initiated through our internal sales team and our integrated software partners. These fees include volume-based payments, transaction fees and subscription fees for software and technology solutions. We expect to continue to grow through both our internal sales team and integrated software partners, both of which have proven to be an effective and efficient way of acquiring new merchants and servicing these relationships.

Continued focus on converting our gateway-only customers to our end-to-end payments offering. Currently, a significant percentage of our merchant base relies only on our proprietary gateway technology solution to process card-based payments. However, as more of these gateway-only merchants choose to also adopt our end-to-end payment solutions, our revenue per merchant is expected to increase given the fees we generate on end-to-end payment processing services are significantly higher than the per transaction fees we earn on gateway-only services.

Mix of our merchant base. We continue to experience a shift to higher average revenue and volume per merchant. The revenue and margin of each merchant within our portfolio is affected by several factors, including the amount of payment volume processed, the industry vertical in which the merchant operates, and the number of solutions implemented by the merchant.

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Ability to attract and retain internal sales team and software partners. Our ability to attract and retain our internal sales team and software partners impacts our future growth and our ability to service our existing base of merchants. To facilitate internal talent attraction and retention, we strive to make Shift4 an inclusive and safe workplace, with opportunities for our employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by competitive compensation, benefits and health and wellness programs. It is also critical we maintain our product leadership through continued investment in innovative technology solutions as a means to ensure we retain our current software partners while attracting new software partners.

Investment in product, distribution and operations. We make significant investments in both new product development and existing product enhancements, such as mobile POS, cloud enablement for our software partners’ existing systems, and contactless payments, including QR code based mobile payment technologies. New product features and functionality are brought to market through varied distribution and promotional activities, including collaborative efforts with industry leading software providers, tradeshows, and customer conferences. We will continue to invest in operational support in order to maintain service levels expected by our merchant customers.

Pursuit of strategic acquisitions. We intend to continue to pursue strategic acquisitions as part of our growth strategy that includes adding complementary technology capabilities to service our base of customers and adding critical sales and support capabilities within a specific industry vertical or geography. While these acquisitions are intended to add long-term value, in the short term they may have an adverse impact on operating margins.

Impact of international operations. As our international operations continue to expand, particularly as a result of the Global Blue acquisition, we will be increasingly subject to foreign exchange risk due to fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currencies of countries in which we

[Excerpt truncated for page length; the complete text is on the linked full-MD&A page.]

Read the full FY 2025 MD&A: /company/FOUR/mda/fy2025/
All MD&A years: /company/FOUR/mda/


## MD&A history

Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. Each year's full verbatim text is on its own sub-page.

- [FY 2024 MD&A](/company/FOUR/mda/fy2024/): filed 2025-02-19; accession 0001794669-25-000011 (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466925000011/four-20241231.htm)
- [FY 2023 MD&A](/company/FOUR/mda/fy2023/): filed 2024-02-29; accession 0001794669-24-000007 (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466924000007/four-20231231.htm)
- [FY 2022 MD&A](/company/FOUR/mda/fy2022/): filed 2023-03-01; accession 0001794669-23-000006 (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466923000006/four-20221231.htm)
- [FY 2021 MD&A](/company/FOUR/mda/fy2021/): filed 2022-03-01; accession 0001794669-22-000012 (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1794669/000179466922000012/four-20211231.htm)




## Macro cross-references

Indicators mapped to this company's SIC classification (industry 7389 Services-Business Services, NEC) by grepcent's deterministic macro-sector crosswalk. A navigational mapping, not a statistical or causal claim.

- [PAYEMS](/indicator/PAYEMS/): All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- [CES0500000003](/indicator/CES0500000003/): Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- [DGS10](/indicator/DGS10/): Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity

Macro-to-micro threads including this sector: [US labor market](/thread/us-labor-market/), [Growth & output](/thread/growth-output/), [Government finances](/thread/government-finances/), [Sector employment](/thread/sector-employment/).

All macro indicators: /indicators/


## For LLMs & downloads

Markdown twin: /company/FOUR.md · JSON record: /company/FOUR.json · verified financials: /company/FOUR/financials.json / /company/FOUR/financials.csv · machine TOC for the whole site: /llms.txt