Global Payments to Acquire Worldpay in $24.25 Billion Deal

ATLANTA, April 17, 2025 – Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) today announced definitive agreements to divest its Issuer Solutions business to FIS for $13.5 billion and acquire Worldpay for $24.25 billion, a deal that includes a net purchase price of $22.7 billion plus $1.55 billion in anticipated tax assets. This strategic move is designed to position Global Payments as a focused merchant solutions provider targeting growth in the payments sector.

Upon completion of the transaction, the combined entity will cater to over 6 million customers, manage approximately 94 billion transactions, and handle a payment volume of $3.7 trillion across more than 175 countries. The acquisition seeks to leverage the strengths of Global Payments and Worldpay, with expectations of generating $600 million in annual cost synergies and $200 million in revenue synergies over the subsequent three years.

Cameron Bready, CEO of Global Payments, emphasized the significance of this transaction, stating, “Today marks a defining day for Global Payments. The acquisition of Worldpay and divestiture of Issuer Solutions sharpens our strategic focus and simplifies our operations as a pure-play merchant solutions business.” Bready noted that combining capabilities will amplify growth, boost innovation investments, and enhance experiences for clients and partners.

Moreover, GTCR, the private equity firm that holds Worldpay, will receive 59% of the consideration in cash and 41% in Global Payments stock, resulting in a 15% stake in the merged entity. The complexity of these transactions also includes FIS retaining a pivotal role as it transitions away from the merchant acquiring business to strengthen its issuer processing capabilities.

Charles Drucker, CEO of Worldpay, expressed enthusiasm about the merger, stating, “The combination of Global Payments and Worldpay brings together two strong teams with similar histories and a shared culture of innovation.” Drucker highlighted the merger’s potential to enhance customer value, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

As part of the agreement, FIS will divest its remaining 45% stake in Worldpay while acquiring Global Payments’ Issuer Solutions business. This realignment aligns with FIS’s strategy to hone its focus on financial technology and issuer processing, thereby enabling a clearer growth trajectory.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Both parties are poised to navigate this complex transition in the coming months, emphasizing the need for streamlined integration strategies to ensure operational continuity.

Market analysts have noted that this deal reflects broader trends in the payments industry towards specialization and scale, as companies increasingly design their portfolios to focus on specific niches of the payments ecosystem. By divesting its merchant acquiring operations, FIS plans to emerge as a leaner, more agile provider of issuer solutions, poised for sustainable growth.