Stripe and Advent’s initial $53bn offer to buy PayPal was rejected last month, but the payments company has re-entered negotiations with both companies.
PayPal has reopened talks with Stripe and Advent International over a potential buyout after rejecting a $53bn initial offer from the consortium in July.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited people close to the matter, PayPal, Stripe and Advent have been negotiating an improved deal from the initial offer last month and could come to an agreement in the coming weeks.
However, the sources also disclosed that there are no guarantees that any deal could be agreed on.
PayPal rejected the offer from PayPal and Advent in July, believing the $53bn and $60.50 per share bid was insufficient.
Upon the news of all parties reopening negotiations, PayPal’s stock on 14 August went from an opening of $60.54 to a closing price of $61.93.
Why PayPal rejected Stripe the first time round
Stripe’s $60.50 per share was deemed insufficient during a time when PayPal stock was closed at $47.37 on 14 July 2026, the day when reports first emerged of Stripe’s $53bn offer.
PayPal’s stock had been suffering record-low stock prices in recent years and had undergone a major structural reshuffle. Former CEO Alex Chriss was succeeded by Enrique Lores in January 2026 to help guide the company through a difficult period, marred by a lack of growth trajectory and product innovation.
Progress had been made under Chriss; monetising Venmo and expanding its buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services, directors concluded in January that the company needed a more rapid shift to meet market expectations.
Focusing on PayPal’s current transformation, such as its three-unit operating model; ‘Checkout Solutions & PayPal’, ‘Consumer Financial Services & Venmo‘, and ‘Payment Services & Crypto’, may be more of a priority to the Board of Directors and Lores than a buyout from Stripe at the time of the first bid.
However, any potential agreed deal would mean this would create a $3.7 trillion payment giant and therefore would be the subject of an intense federal investigation from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) if it impedes any anti-competitive rules and regulations.
But now, with PayPal reopening negotiations with Stripe and Advent, the payments company may be open to becoming part of a larger entity and rejecting the $53bn was a customary negotiation tactic to increase the offer.
