Barclays to buy US personal loan platform Best Egg for $800 million

Barclays has agreed to acquire Best Egg, a US-based personal-loan and credit-card platform, in an $800 million deal aimed at expanding the UK bank’s presence in the American consumer-finance market.

The transaction, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, will add roughly two million new customers to Barclays’ US portfolio and strengthen its position in unsecured lending. The purchase remains subject to regulatory approvals and the completion of Barclays’ previously announced sale of its American Airlines co-branded credit-card receivables.

Announcing the deal, Barclays chief executive C.S. Venkatakrishnan said the US remains a key growth market for the group. “The deep and sophisticated U.S. consumer-finance market offers rich prospects for growth at Barclays,” he said.

Best Egg, founded in 2014 by fintech holding company Marlette Funding, has originated more than $30 billion in personal loans. It also offers credit cards and secured-loan products through its digital platform, which relies on data-driven underwriting and loan-servicing technology.

For Barclays, the acquisition aligns with its strategy to diversify income streams away from traditional interest-based lending and towards capital-light, fee-based revenue. The move follows a series of portfolio adjustments designed to rebalance the bank’s retail and investment operations, particularly in the United States.

The transaction underscores a wider trend in global finance — the continued convergence between traditional banks and fintech specialists. Large lenders are increasingly acquiring digital platforms to access their customer bases and technological capabilities rather than building them from scratch.

Best Egg chief executive Paul Ricci said the deal would accelerate the company’s ability to reach more borrowers and expand its product suite. The business will retain its brand identity under Barclays’ ownership, according to the announcement.

Regulators will now review the acquisition under US consumer-credit and competition frameworks. If approved, the deal would mark one of Barclays’ most significant US consumer-banking investments in over a decade.