Wholesale Payments' eight-figure acquisition of textLIVING marks a major milestone in its transformation into a full-scale fintech leader, bringing advanced SMS engagement and loyalty technology to over 40,000 merchants.
FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Wholesale Payments today announced the acquisition of Strategic Mobile Solutions dba textLIVING, a leading SaaS marketing, loyalty, and SMS engagement platform, in an eight-figure strategic acquisition that underscores Wholesale Payments' commitment to technology innovation. The acquisition marks a pivotal step in Wholesale Payments' evolution into a technology-driven commerce enablement company, further strengthening its ability to help merchants grow, connect, and thrive in today's digital economy.
With more than 40,000 merchants already processing on its platform, Wholesale Payments will integrate textLIVING's technology to deliver advanced customer engagement, marketing automation, and loyalty solutions directly to business owners. The company also plans to extend these capabilities to its national network of Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), enabling partners to offer a powerful, white-label engagement suite that enhances merchant retention and portfolio value.
Expanding Innovation and Growth
"This acquisition is more than a strategic investment, it's the next chapter in our company's transformation," said Greg Bernstein, President of Wholesale Payments. "textLIVING's platform perfectly aligns with our vision to become a first-in-class technology provider for small and midsize businesses. We're not only giving merchants tools to drive measurable growth, but we're also giving our ISOs and partners the technology to scale faster and compete at a higher level."
Bernstein continued, "We couldn't be more excited to welcome Joe and the entire textLIVING team to Wholesale Payments. Joe's leadership, product vision, and relentless focus on creating value for merchants have built one of the most respected loyalty and engagement platforms in the industry. Brannon retained an ownership stake in the new textLIVING entity following the acquisition, reflecting his continued commitment to the company's growth and shared vision with Wholesale Payments. Together, we're going to take that success and amplify it across tens of thousands of businesses nationwide."
A Shared Vision for the Future
Founded in 2010, textLIVING has become one of the most user-friendly and profitable text and loyalty platforms on the market. By combining marketing automation, SMS engagement, and loyalty rewards into a single, easy-to-use solution, the company has helped thousands of merchants increase repeat visits, strengthen customer relationships, and boost lifetime value.
"Partnering with Wholesale Payments gives us the opportunity to scale our vision in ways we could only imagine before," said Joe F. Brannon, III, Founder of textLIVING. "Our mission has always been to make customer engagement simple and impactful. Now, with Wholesale Payments' national reach, we can empower even more merchants and ISOs to grow their businesses through technology."
A Strategic Step in Wholesale Payments' Evolution
"This acquisition reinforces Wholesale Payments' commitment to expanding beyond payments into a true financial technology ecosystem," said Blake Pyle, Chief Financial Officer of Wholesale Payments. "Over the past year, we've built a foundation that blends payments, data and engagement technology. Adding textLIVING accelerates that strategy by integrating powerful SaaS revenue streams and enhancing the value we deliver to merchants and partners every day."
Pyle added, "We see this as a key step in our journey to become one of the leading fintech providers in the country, one that not only processes transactions but also helps businesses grow intelligently through data-driven insights and automation."
About Wholesale Payments
Wholesale Payments is a full-service payment processing and financial technology provider serving over 40,000 merchants nationwide. With a focus on innovation, service, and partnership, the company delivers secure, scalable payment solutions and integrated technology tools that help businesses grow revenue, retain customers, and thrive in a digital-first economy.
About textLIVING
textLIVING is a SaaS marketing, loyalty, and SMS engagement platform that enables merchants to increase revenue, automate communication, and drive customer retention. With its advanced white-label capabilities, textLIVING empowers ISOs, agencies, and enterprise partners to deliver branded engagement solutions that build long-term value for their clients.
Transaction Advisors
Wholesale Payments was represented by Jay Reeve and Ashley Reeve Basnett of Reeve Basnett PLLC in connection with the transaction.
Strategic Mobile Solutions and its principal, Joe F. Brannon, III, were represented by Berger Singerman LLP in connection with the transaction. The firm, led by partner Bryan Appel, structured, negotiated, and guided the client through the redemption of all shareholders (other than Mr. Brannon) and the subsequent stock issuance to Wholesale Payments. Marc Shuster provided strategic guidance during the initial LOI discussions, and Andrew Zelman advised on employment matters related to the transaction.
Media Contact
Brandi Sutton, textLIVING, 1 6152553199, [email protected], www.textliving.com
SOURCE textLIVING
Share this article