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Global Payments vs Worldpay: UK Comparison 2026

Global Payments and Worldpay are two of the largest card processing providers available to UK businesses in 2026. Worldpay is the UK's highest-volume acquirer, processing around 40% of all UK card transactions and holding FCA registration number 530923. Global Payments Limited (FCA registration 504290) operates in over 100 countries and suits mid-size to enterprise merchants wanting a single provider for terminals, gateway, and international acquiring. Worldpay charges a monthly service fee from £19.95 and transaction fees from around 1.0% for UK debit cards. Global Payments does not publish rates online but typically quotes blended rates from around 1.29% for UK debit cards. Both use 18- to 36-month contracts with early termination fees. For most UK-focused businesses, Worldpay is the more straightforward starting point. Global Payments is the stronger choice where international acquiring or an integrated EPOS stack matters.

Who Is This Page For?

This comparison is for UK business owners and payment managers who are deciding between Global Payments and Worldpay. It will be most useful if you are processing above £10,000 per month and need a full merchant account rather than a pay-as-you-go processor. It also covers omnichannel retailers, hospitality operators, and e-commerce businesses evaluating both providers side by side. If you are processing under £10,000 per month, see the section below on small businesses before committing to either provider.

Key Facts: Global Payments vs Worldpay

Global Payments vs Worldpay: Fee Comparison

Both providers use negotiated pricing, so the figures above are starting points. A business processing £30,000 per month at 1.5% blended pays £450 in transaction fees alone, before monthly service and terminal rental fees. At £100,000 per month, that rises to £1,500 in transaction fees. Getting quotes from both providers and using them against each other is the most reliable way to reduce your rate. Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012 and can run that process for you without you having to contact each provider's sales team separately.

What is Global Payments?

Global Payments is a US-headquartered payment technology company founded in 2001 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It operates in over 100 countries and processes billions of transactions each year. In the UK, Global Payments provides card acquiring, payment terminals, online payment gateways, and point-of-sale software to businesses ranging from independent retailers to large enterprise accounts. The UK business is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 504290.

Global Payments acquired Heartland Payment Systems in 2016 and EVO Payments in 2023, substantially expanding its UK and European footprint. It also owns the Opayo gateway (formerly Sage Pay), meaning it now operates two separate gateway products with overlapping features. That can cause confusion when choosing the right product. For most UK businesses, this means asking your Global Payments sales contact directly which gateway product is actively being developed and supported. For a full breakdown of fees and features, see the Global Payments provider review on Compare Card Fees.

What is Worldpay?

Worldpay is the UK's largest card payment processor by transaction volume, originally founded in the UK in 1989. It was acquired by FIS in 2019, then by Global Payments in January 2026 following FIS's 2023 sale of a majority stake to GTCR — Worldpay is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Payments Inc. Worldpay processes roughly 40% of all UK card transactions and serves hundreds of thousands of businesses across retail, hospitality, e-commerce, and the public sector. Worldpay (UK) Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 530923. Products include card machines, the Worldpay Online payment gateway, virtual terminals, and pay-by-link services.

Worldpay's scale gives it strong card scheme relationships, which can translate into competitive rates for high-volume merchants. Its size also means customer service experiences can be inconsistent, and businesses frequently report difficulty reaching a dedicated account manager. Pricing is not fully transparent online. Published rates serve as a starting point and actual costs depend on your monthly volume and card mix. For the full review, visit the Worldpay provider review on Compare Card Fees.

Is Worldpay the Same Company as Global Payments?

Not anymore. Global Payments Inc. completed its $24.3bn acquisition of Worldpay from FIS and GTCR on 9 January 2026, and Worldpay is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Payments. Before that, they genuinely were separate, competing companies — this page's comparison reflects each brand's own current pricing, contracts, and terminals as they stand today, since Global Payments has said Worldpay will continue operating under its own brand with existing merchant contracts unaffected in the near term. If you have a contract with Worldpay, you remain a Worldpay customer under Worldpay's terms; the two are simply no longer independent businesses at the ownership level.

Worldpay Pricing: What You Actually Pay

Worldpay pricing has three layers that most businesses only discover after signing. The headline monthly fee starts at £19.95 for the standard Worldpay Business account. On top of that, you pay per-transaction fees: from around 1.0% for UK and European personal debit Visa and Mastercard cards and from around 1.5% for UK and European personal credit cards. Non-UK cards, commercial cards, and American Express transactions attract higher rates, typically 2.0% to 3.5% depending on the card type and your contract.

Terminal rental adds another £15 to £30 per terminal per month. A PCI DSS non-compliance fee of up to £30 per month applies if you do not complete Worldpay's annual self-assessment questionnaire on time. A business running one terminal, processing £20,000 per month, and paying a blended 1.5% rate would pay roughly £300 in transaction fees, £19.95 in service fees, and up to £25 in terminal rental. That is around £345 per month before any PCI compliance issues arise. See our guide to PCI compliance fees for UK businesses for more detail on avoiding non-compliance charges.

Global Payments Pricing: What You Actually Pay

Global Payments does not publish its rates online. All pricing is negotiated directly with a sales representative, which makes benchmarking difficult without independent help. Indicative blended rates typically start from around 1.29% for UK debit card transactions and from 1.69% for UK credit card transactions, though the actual rate you are quoted will depend on your monthly volume, industry, and card mix. Monthly service fees typically start from around £20 to £30 per month.

Interchange-plus pricing is available for mid-size and larger merchants. Under interchange-plus, you pay the actual interchange cost set by Visa and Mastercard plus a fixed margin. This is generally more transparent than blended pricing and can save meaningful amounts at higher volumes. At £100,000 per month, even a 0.2 percentage point difference between blended and interchange-plus pricing saves £200 per month. Our guide to interchange-plus vs blended pricing explains when the switch is worthwhile.

Worldpay Reporting Tools for UK Merchants

Worldpay provides a merchant portal called Worldpay Business Manager, which gives access to transaction reports, settlement summaries, and chargeback management tools. Reports can typically be filtered by date range, card type, terminal, and transaction status. Exports are available in CSV format for use in accounting software. For larger accounts, Worldpay offers API access to transaction data, which allows automated reconciliation and custom reporting.

Global Payments offers a comparable reporting portal for UK merchants, with transaction-level data, settlement reports, and fraud screening dashboards. Enterprise accounts can access reporting via API. Both providers offer next-business-day settlement in most cases, meaning funds typically appear in your account by the morning after the transaction date. Neither provider is known for particularly advanced analytics beyond standard transaction and settlement reporting, though both integrate with third-party accounting tools such as Xero and Sage. If detailed real-time analytics are a priority, dedicated tools that sit on top of your acquirer's data feed are worth considering separately.

Global Payments vs Worldpay: Features Compared

Payment Methods Accepted

Both providers accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Maestro. Worldpay has a broader out-of-the-box list of alternative payment methods, including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and over 300 local payment methods for international transactions. Global Payments supports digital wallets and buy now pay later options, but the specific methods available depend on which product suite you are using. For UK-only businesses, both cover everyday needs. For merchants selling across Europe or Asia, Worldpay's alternative payment method library is wider without custom development. See our guide to digital wallets for UK merchants for more on Apple Pay and Google Pay acceptance.

Hardware and Terminals

Global Payments supplies countertop, portable, and mobile card terminals, including the Ingenico and Verifone device ranges. It also offers integrated EPOS solutions through its partnerships with software vendors. Worldpay similarly offers countertop and portable terminals alongside its own Worldpay Terminal range. Both providers charge a monthly terminal rental fee, typically between £15 and £30 per terminal per month depending on the model. Neither provider is known for unusually low hardware costs. If you want to own your terminal outright, both allow purchase, though ongoing support may still require a service contract.

Online Integrations and Gateways

Worldpay's online gateway integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and SAP Commerce. Its developer documentation is well maintained and the hosted payment page is straightforward to implement. Global Payments offers its own gateway product, which integrates with many of the same platforms, and also operates the Opayo (formerly Sage Pay) gateway following its acquisition. That acquisition means Global Payments now has two separate gateway products with overlapping features, which can cause confusion when choosing the right product for your business. Our guide to payment gateway integrations covers what to check before committing to either.

International Support

Global Payments is the stronger choice for businesses with serious international acquiring needs. It holds acquiring licences in over 50 countries and supports dynamic currency conversion in more than 100 currencies. Worldpay also has strong international reach and supports cross-border acquiring across Europe and beyond, but Global Payments' direct acquiring footprint is larger. For a UK business that processes the majority of sales domestically, the difference is unlikely to matter. For businesses with more than 20% of revenue coming from outside the UK, Global Payments' international infrastructure is worth the added complexity.

Fraud and Security Tools

Worldpay includes 3D Secure 2.0 authentication across all online transactions, along with its own fraud screening tool called Worldpay Fraud Sight, which uses machine learning to score transactions in real time. Global Payments offers a comparable fraud management suite, including velocity checks, device fingerprinting, and 3D Secure 2.0 support. Both providers are PCI DSS Level 1 certified, which is the highest tier of payment card industry compliance. Neither charges extra for 3D Secure, but both may charge a monthly fee for advanced fraud management modules beyond the standard tools. See our guide to 3D Secure and Strong Customer Authentication for more detail.

Customer Support

This is an area where neither provider excels consistently. Worldpay offers 24/7 phone support and an online help centre, but independent review platforms such as Trustpilot show a high proportion of complaints about slow resolution times and difficulty escalating issues. Global Payments provides dedicated relationship managers for larger accounts, but smaller merchants often report relying on a general helpline with long wait times. If reliable, named account management is important to your business, both providers are better suited to merchants processing above £50,000 per month, where commercial leverage is sufficient to negotiate a service level agreement.

Pros and Cons

Global Payments: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Direct acquiring in over 50 countries, making it well suited for businesses with international sales
• Access to two gateway products (its own Global Payments gateway and Opayo) following the EVO and Opayo acquisitions
• Interchange-plus pricing available for mid-size and larger merchants, which is typically more transparent than blended rates
• Strong EPOS and software integrations for retail and hospitality through its technology partnerships
• Dedicated account management for mid-market and enterprise clients

Cons

• Pricing is not published online, so you must go through a sales process to get a quote. This makes independent benchmarking difficult without third-party help.
• Contracts are typically 24 to 36 months with early termination fees that can run to several hundred pounds
• Smaller businesses often find they receive less favourable rates than larger accounts, and the service level reflects that disparity
• Having two overlapping gateway products (Global Payments gateway and Opayo) post-acquisition can create confusion about which product is being actively developed

Worldpay: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Largest UK acquirer by volume, processing around 40% of all UK card transactions. That scale can translate to competitive rates for high-volume merchants.
• Supports over 300 alternative payment methods for international transactions, more than most UK-based acquirers
• Native integrations with major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento
• 24/7 customer support line available to all accounts, not just enterprise clients
• Worldpay Fraud Sight provides real-time machine-learning fraud scoring on online transactions

Cons

• Customer service quality is frequently criticised on independent review sites, with long resolution times a recurring complaint
• Pricing is complex and varies significantly by card type, volume, and plan. The headline monthly fee of £19.95 rarely reflects total cost.
• Contracts of 18 to 24 months include early termination fees, and some merchants report difficulty negotiating exits
• PCI DSS non-compliance fees of up to £30 per month can apply if you do not complete annual compliance questionnaires on time

Which is Better For...?

Small Retail Businesses

For a small retailer processing under £20,000 per month, neither Global Payments nor Worldpay is the most cost-effective option. Both use longer contracts and charge monthly fees that add up quickly at lower volumes. That said, if you are set on one of the two, Worldpay's published starting rates and 18-month minimum contract give it a slight edge over Global Payments' less transparent quoting process. A small retailer processing £15,000 per month at 1.5% blended pays roughly £225 in transaction fees alone, plus monthly service and terminal rental fees of around £45 to £55, bringing the monthly total to around £270 to £280 before PCI costs.

Online-Only E-commerce Businesses

Worldpay is the stronger choice for UK-focused e-commerce. Its native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento reduce development time, and Fraud Sight adds meaningful protection without a separate tool subscription. If your store sells primarily in the UK, Worldpay's gateway is mature and well documented. Global Payments is worth considering if you are selling internationally and need acquiring in multiple currencies without routing transactions through a third party. For a pure UK e-commerce business doing £40,000 per month, Worldpay will typically be easier to implement and manage. Our guide to e-commerce payment gateways covers what else to consider.

Hospitality and Multi-Site Businesses

Global Payments has invested heavily in hospitality-specific technology, including EPOS integrations for restaurants and hotels. Its acquisition of various software vendors means it can offer an end-to-end stack for multi-site operators. Worldpay also serves hospitality well through its terminal estate and integrations with hospitality POS systems, but it relies more on third-party software partnerships than Global Payments' in-house products. A restaurant group operating five sites would likely find Global Payments' unified hardware and software approach less fragmented than assembling a Worldpay solution with separate software providers.

High-Volume and Enterprise Merchants

At enterprise volumes above £500,000 per month, both providers will negotiate substantially. Global Payments' interchange-plus pricing model becomes more compelling at this level, as you pay the actual cost of each transaction plus a fixed margin rather than a blended rate. Worldpay's scale and direct card scheme relationships also produce competitive interchange-plus rates for large merchants. The decision at enterprise level often comes down to integration requirements, international footprint, and which account management team you find more responsive. Get quotes from both and use them against each other. Our guide on how to negotiate card processing fees covers the specific levers that work at high volumes.

Is Worldpay Good for High-Volume Payment Processing?

Yes, Worldpay is well suited to high-volume payment processing. Its position as the UK's largest acquirer means it has the infrastructure to handle significant transaction volumes without reliability concerns. High-volume merchants processing above £100,000 per month can typically negotiate interchange-plus pricing, which is more cost-effective than the standard blended rate. At £500,000 per month, even a 0.1 percentage point reduction in transaction fees saves £500 per month, so the negotiation is worth prioritising.

Worldpay Alternatives Worth Considering

Worldpay is the largest UK acquirer, but it is not automatically the right choice for every business. Several alternatives are worth comparing before signing a contract. The list below covers the most common alternatives depending on your size and needs.

• Barclaycard Payments — a strong alternative for businesses that bank with Barclays, with competitive rates for mid-size merchants. See the Barclaycard vs Worldpay comparison.
• Elavon — often competitive for hospitality and healthcare. See the Elavon vs Worldpay comparison.
• Stripe — better for e-commerce businesses that want transparent online pricing and no monthly fees at lower volumes. See the Stripe vs Worldpay comparison.
• Fiserv — an enterprise-grade alternative with strong retail and hospitality integrations. See the Fiserv vs Worldpay comparison.
• Adyen — a strong choice for omnichannel enterprise merchants with global operations. See the Worldpay vs Adyen comparison.
• Dojo — worth considering for hospitality and retail businesses that want flexible contracts and next-day settlement. See the Dojo provider review.

Our Verdict

Global Payments and Worldpay are both credible, FCA-regulated acquirers. Worldpay is the default choice for most UK businesses, particularly those in retail, e-commerce, and hospitality, because of its wide platform integrations, alternative payment method library, and competitive rates at mid-to-high volumes. Its published pricing, even if only a starting point, at least gives you a baseline to negotiate from. Global Payments pulls ahead for businesses with meaningful international sales or those who want a more integrated technology stack covering terminals, gateway, and POS software under one roof.

Neither provider is the right fit for businesses processing under £10,000 per month. At that volume, the monthly fees and long contract terms from both providers make them expensive relative to simpler alternatives. Both Worldpay and Global Payments have attracted consistent criticism for customer service, and both use contract structures that can be costly to exit early. Read any contract carefully before signing, paying particular attention to the early termination clause and PCI compliance fee schedule. Our guide to early termination fees in merchant contracts explains what to look for.

Updated August 2026