Global Payments agreed to buy Worldpay for $24.25 billion from GTCR (a private equity firm with a long history of investing in fintech) and Fidelity National Information Services, or FIS, in what is easily the biggest, and most complicated, payments transaction this year. The deal is a major exit for GTCR, which is selling Worldpay after a roughly one-year hold. It also represents a big win for FIS CEO Stephanie Ferris, who is widely regarded as the most powerful woman in fintech.
The specifics are quite complicated, involving three companies exchanging assets. The deal calls for Global Payments to sell its Issuer Solutions business, which is the former TSYS business, to FIS for $13.5 billion. In exchange, Global Payments is buying Worldpay from GTCR and FIS. The transactions are expected to close during the first half of 2026 subject to regulatory approval.
