Company Description
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a payment technology and software company that helps businesses around the world enable commerce and deliver customer experiences across in-person, online and mobile channels. The company’s solutions are designed to support businesses of all sizes, from small merchants to large enterprises, by enabling seamless payment acceptance, smarter operations and consistent experiences "online, in store and everywhere in between," as described in its public communications.
According to Global Payments’ disclosures, the company is headquartered in Georgia and is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500. Its common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GPN, and it also has 4.875% Senior Notes due 2031 listed on the NYSE under the symbol GPN31A. The company is incorporated in Georgia, as reflected in multiple SEC filings.
Business focus and evolution
Global Payments describes itself as a "leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions" that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide. Its offerings are aimed at enabling merchants, issuers and developers to deliver seamless customer experiences, run smarter operations and adapt quickly to change. Over time, the company has expanded its capabilities through both organic development and corporate transactions.
In 2019, Global Payments completed an all-stock merger with Total System Services (TSYS). The combination, as summarized in the Polygon description, added issuer processing operations to Global Payments’ existing merchant-focused activities. This broadened the company’s role across the payments value chain by incorporating issuer processing capabilities alongside its merchant solutions.
Global Payments has also reported that it operates across numerous countries. The Polygon description notes that the company operates in 30 countries and generates a meaningful portion of its revenue from outside North America, primarily in Europe and Asia. More recent company communications state that Global Payments has team members across 38 countries, highlighting its international footprint in payment technology and software.
Transformation into a pure-play commerce solutions provider
A major development for Global Payments was the completion of its acquisition of Worldpay and the divestiture of its Issuer Solutions business to Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (FIS). An 8-K filed on January 12, 2026, and a related press release dated January 12, 2026, describe the closing of these transactions. Under the transaction agreements, Global Payments acquired Worldpay Holdco, LLC and simultaneously sold its Issuer Solutions business to FIS.
In its January 12, 2026 press release, Global Payments states that these transactions "transform Global Payments into a pure-play, commerce solutions provider, serving the full spectrum of clients, from small businesses to global enterprises worldwide." The company also notes that combining with Worldpay strengthens its capabilities and scale across payment technology and software solutions for merchants of all sizes, expands its geographic reach, and increases its distribution channels and local market expertise.
The same press release highlights that the combined company will serve more than 6 million merchant locations and process trillions in payments volume and billions of transactions annually across more than 175 countries. These statements underscore the scale of Global Payments’ merchant and commerce solutions following the Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions divestiture.
Solutions, channels and industry focus
Global Payments’ public materials emphasize that its payment technology and software solutions are intended to help businesses "run smarter operations" and "adapt quickly to change." The company’s offerings are used in a variety of environments, including retail, restaurant, higher education, stadiums and venues, and other settings where commerce occurs at scale.
Following the Worldpay combination, Global Payments has indicated that it will go to market through three primary channels: Enterprise, SMB, and Integrated & Platforms. Each channel is expected to focus on the specific requirements of its clients with tailored sales strategies and distinct product roadmaps, as described in the January 12, 2026 press release. This channel structure reflects the company’s intent to address the needs of large enterprises, small and midsize businesses, and integrated or platform-based commerce models.
Global Payments also highlights its Genius platform as a flagship point-of-sale (POS) and commerce enablement solution. Company news releases describe Genius as a POS command center used in restaurant, retail, enterprise and higher education environments, among others. For example, Global Payments has announced a Genius offering for higher education institutions in the U.S. and Canada, designed to support on-campus merchants, dining halls, recreational facilities, departments, clubs and stadiums. The company states that Genius centralizes transaction visibility, supports payment processing and reconciliation, and helps institutions manage commerce across campus locations.
In restaurant and retail settings, Global Payments has introduced a modular countertop POS device purpose-built for Genius. According to a November 11, 2025 press release, this device is designed for flexibility, durability and speed in environments such as quick service restaurants, small business retail establishments and stadium venues. The device can be configured in multiple ways, including dual-screen premium checkout, single-screen compact setups and low-profile configurations with integrated card readers, reflecting the company’s focus on adaptable hardware for different merchant needs.
Use cases and partnerships
Global Payments’ technology is used in a range of industry-specific applications. In higher education, the company describes Genius as addressing campus-wide POS and commerce enablement needs, including inventory management options for campus retail, handheld devices with user-friendly workflows, and advanced payment capabilities that accept cards, mobile wallets and gift cards both in store and on the go. For dining operations, Genius supports kiosk, mobile and online ordering with digital menus, meal plan rules, and tools for data-driven decisions related to waste, labor and margins.
In the sports and entertainment sector, Global Payments has entered into partnerships that showcase its role in venue commerce. A 2025 press release announces that Global Payments became the Official Payment Technology Provider for select Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment properties, including Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers. Under this partnership, Global Payments is integrating Genius across food and beverage locations to help optimize how fans place, pay for and receive orders, and is serving as the ticketing payment provider for these teams and the venue.
Global Payments also reports that its commerce and payment technology powers a large number of stadiums and venues worldwide, including venues across major professional sports leagues in the U.S., college football stadiums and football stadiums in Europe. These disclosures illustrate the company’s presence in high-volume, event-driven commerce environments.
In the restaurant sector, Global Payments has announced a partnership with Uber Eats that integrates the Uber Eats platform into the Genius POS system for restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. According to the company, this integration is intended to streamline onboarding to Uber Eats, synchronize orders and updates between Genius and Uber Eats, and improve operational efficiency for delivery orders. The company has also highlighted deployments of its solutions at fast-growing restaurant chains, such as 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee, where Genius is used to support rapid expansion and streamline ordering and back-of-house operations.
Research, trends and thought leadership
Global Payments publishes research on commerce and payment trends. In its sixth-annual Commerce and Payment Trends Report, the company discusses themes such as AI-powered shopping agents, the evolution of point-of-sale systems, embedded finance, real-time money movement, the role of stablecoins in cross-border transactions and frictionless, self-service commerce. The report is based on discussions with industry experts and surveys of global technology and payment professionals, and is presented as a way to highlight how payment technologies and software are reshaping commerce and creating opportunities for businesses of all sizes.
By releasing such reports, Global Payments positions itself as an observer and participant in the ongoing evolution of commerce and payments, focusing on how steady innovation in payment technology can streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.
Corporate structure and capital markets activity
Global Payments is incorporated in Georgia and files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Its SEC filings confirm that its common stock, with no par value, trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GPN. The company has also issued senior notes, including 4.875% Senior Notes due 2031, which trade under the symbol GPN31A on the NYSE.
The company has engaged in various capital markets transactions, including offerings of senior notes to fund acquisitions and general corporate purposes. For example, an 8-K dated November 14, 2025 describes the closing of an offering of multiple series of senior notes, with the stated intent to use the net proceeds to fund cash payments in connection with the Worldpay acquisition, repay certain Worldpay indebtedness, pay transaction costs and support general corporate purposes. Another 8-K dated August 7, 2025 notes that Global Payments entered into an accelerated share repurchase program as part of a board-approved share repurchase program.
Global Payments’ SEC filings also reflect governance developments, such as the appointment of new directors with technology and payments experience, and executive transitions, including retirement and role changes for certain officers. These filings provide additional context on the company’s leadership and governance structure.
Scale and global reach
Global Payments emphasizes its global scale and reach in its public statements. The company reports that it has tens of thousands of team members across dozens of countries and that it manages trillions in payments volume and billions of transactions across more than 175 countries. Its solutions are used by businesses ranging from small merchants to global enterprises, and its partnerships in sectors such as higher education, sports and entertainment, retail and restaurants illustrate the breadth of its commerce enablement activities.
By combining payment technology, software platforms like Genius, and hardware such as modular POS devices, Global Payments aims to support commerce wherever it occurs, whether on campus, in stadiums, in restaurants, in retail stores or online. Its evolution into a pure-play commerce solutions provider following the Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions divestiture underscores its focus on merchant and commerce-related services within the broader payments ecosystem.