Investing
Payments to Acquire Software
Mastercard Payments to Acquire Software increased by 1.7% to $181.00M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 8.6%, from $198.00M to $181.00M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Payments to Acquire Software shows an upward trend with a 15.6% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementCash Flow Statement
SectionInvesting
CategoryCapital Allocation
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 30, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending indicates investment in digital transformation and operational efficiency, while lower spending may suggest a focus on cost containment.
Detailed definition
This represents the cash outflow for the development or purchase of software systems used to support business operations...
Peer comparison
Increasingly important for wholesale distributors as they invest in logistics technology to maintain competitive advantages against peers.
Metric ID:
investing_payments_to_acquire_softwareHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $112.00M | $110.00M | $106.00M | $148.00M | $132.00M | $166.00M | $209.00M | $242.00M | $153.00M | $130.00M | $192.00M | $221.00M | $181.00M | $163.00M | $155.00M | $198.00M | $169.00M | $181.00M | $178.00M | $181.00M |
| QoQ Change | — | -1.8% | -3.6% | +39.6% | -10.8% | +25.8% | +25.9% | +15.8% | -36.8% | -15.0% | +47.7% | +15.1% | -18.1% | -9.9% | -4.9% | +27.7% | -14.6% | +7.1% | -1.7% | +1.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +17.9% | +50.9% | +97.2% | +63.5% | +15.9% | -21.7% | -8.1% | -8.7% | +18.3% | +25.4% | -19.3% | -10.4% | -6.6% | +11.0% | +14.8% | -8.6% |
Range$106.00M – $242.00M
CAGR+10.6%
Avg YoY Growth+14.5%
Median YoY Growth+12.9%
Payments to Acquire Software at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Mastercard's payments to acquire software?
- Mastercard (MA) reported payments to acquire software of $181.00M in Q1 2026.
- How has Mastercard's payments to acquire software changed year-over-year?
- Mastercard's payments to acquire software decreased by 8.6% year-over-year, from $198.00M to $181.00M.
- What is the long-term trend for Mastercard's payments to acquire software?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Mastercard's payments to acquire software has grown at a 15.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $407.00M to $726.00M.
- What does payments to acquire software mean?
- Cash spent on buying or developing software to improve business operations.