Global Payments to Acquire Worldpay for $24B

Global Payments has announced it will acquire Worldpay for between $22.7 billion and $24.25 billion, aiming to focus exclusively on merchant services and become one of the world's largest payment processors. As part of the transaction, Global Payments will sell its Issuer Solutions unit to Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) for $13.5 billion, with FIS sharpening its focus on issuer processing. The combined company will serve more than six million customers, handle 94 billion transactions annually, and process $3.7 trillion to nearly $4 trillion in payment volume across over 175 countries. The acquisition will be financed through proceeds from the sale, cash reserves, and new debt, and is projected to deliver $600 million in annual cost savings and improved profitability within the first year after closing. Investors responded negatively, causing Global Payments shares to fall by as much as 17% following the announcement. The transactions are expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.