Worldpay, Inc.
Company History
Worldpay History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
When was Worldpay founded?
Worldpay was founded in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States by Nick Ogden, making it 55 years old.
- Founded
- 1971
- Founding place
- Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Founders
- Nick Ogden
- Headquarters today
- Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1971–2026)
- Current CEO
- Cameron Bready (CEO of parent Global Payments)
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Fifth Third Bank forms Midwest Payment Systems. |
| 1997 | Nick Ogden launches the original WorldPay online payment service in the UK. |
| 2010 | Worldpay Sold by RBS |
| 2011 | Fifth Third Processing Solutions adopts the Vantiv name. |
| 2012 | Vantiv lists on the NYSE. |
| 2013 | Philip Jansen becomes CEO |
| 2014 | Acquired Mercury Payment Systems |
| 2015 | Worldpay Group London IPO |
| 2018 | Vantiv acquires Worldpay Group and becomes Worldpay, Inc. |
| 2019 | FIS acquires Worldpay. |
| 2024 | GTCR closes its purchase of a 55% stake; Charles Drucker returns as CEO. |
| 2026 | Global Payments completes its $24.25 billion acquisition of Worldpay. |
- Where was Worldpay founded?
- Worldpay was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States in 1971.
- Who founded Worldpay?
- Worldpay was founded by Nick Ogden.
- When did Worldpay start?
- Worldpay was founded in 1971.
- How old is Worldpay?
- Worldpay is 55 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
The company that is now Worldpay, Inc. started in 1971, when Fifth Third Bank formed Midwest Payment Systems to provide electronic funds transfer services to banks. It added merchant services in 1991, renamed itself Fifth Third Processing Solutions in 2003, became a joint venture between Fifth Third and Advent International in 2009, and adopted the Vantiv name in 2011. The Worldpay brand came from the UK: Nick Ogden launched WorldPay as an online payment service in 1997, and it later became part of Royal Bank of Scotland's card processing arm. RBS sold that business to Advent International and Bain Capital in 2010, it listed in London in 2015 as Worldpay Group, and Vantiv acquired it in 2018 and took the Worldpay name.
Founders
Nick Ogden
Nick Ogden founded WorldPay in 1997 as one of the early services for accepting card payments online in multiple currencies. The business later became part of Royal Bank of Scotland's card processing operations. The current Worldpay, Inc. traces its corporate lineage to Fifth Third's Midwest Payment Systems and Vantiv, which acquired Worldpay Group in 2018 and adopted its name. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Fifth Third Bank forms Midwest Payment Systems.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNick Ogden launches the original WorldPay online payment service in the UK.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWorldpay Sold by RBS
Royal Bank of Scotland sold a majority of Worldpay to Advent International and Bain Capital in 2010.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFifth Third Processing Solutions adopts the Vantiv name.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVantiv lists on the NYSE.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPhilip Jansen becomes CEO
Philip Jansen became CEO of Worldpay in 2013. Took the UK business from private equity ownership to a public listing and sale.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired Mercury Payment Systems
Worldpay acquired Mercury Payment Systems for $1.65 billion.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWorldpay Group London IPO
Worldpay Group listed on the London Stock Exchange in October 2015.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVantiv acquires Worldpay Group and becomes Worldpay, Inc.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFIS acquires Worldpay.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgGTCR closes its purchase of a 55% stake; Charles Drucker returns as CEO.
Source: businesswire.comGlobal Payments completes its $24.25 billion acquisition of Worldpay.
Source: investors.globalpayments.comMajor Acquisitions
Worldpay Group plc
2018Vantiv bought the UK's Worldpay Group to add international and e-commerce acquiring.
Mercury Payment Systems
2014Added integrated payments sold through software partners.
Litle & Co.
2012Added e-commerce payment processing.
Keep researching Worldpay
Worldpay Company History FAQ
When, where, and how did Worldpay originate?
Worldpay originated in 1971 in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Fifth Third Bank created Midwest Payment Systems to provide electronic funds transfer and card processing to financial institutions and merchants.
How did Midwest Payment Systems become Vantiv?
In 2009, Fifth Third Bank spun out its processing division into a joint venture with private equity firm Advent International, adopting the name Vantiv in 2011 and going public on the NYSE (VNTV) in 2012.
When did Vantiv acquire Worldpay Group plc?
In January 2018, US-based Vantiv acquired UK-based payments pioneer Worldpay Group plc for £7.7 billion ($10.4 billion USD), creating a global omni-channel payment giant and taking the Worldpay name.
What was the massive $43 billion FIS acquisition in 2019?
In July 2019, banking technology giant Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) acquired Worldpay for approximately $43 billion in stock and debt, marking the largest fintech transaction in history.
Why did FIS spin off Worldpay to GTCR in 2024?
Following stock underperformance and conglomerate integration hurdles, FIS sold a 55% majority stake in Worldpay to private equity firm GTCR in February 2024 at an $18.5 billion valuation, establishing Worldpay as a standalone private titan.
What was the historic Global Payments combination announced for Worldpay?
Worldpay entered into a definitive combination with payment processing titan Global Payments, creating the world's largest independent merchant acquiring network under CEO Cameron Bready.
Who was Charles Drucker in Worldpay's history?
Charles Drucker was the longtime CEO of Vantiv who orchestrated the UK Worldpay merger, guided the FIS combination, and returned as CEO in 2024 to lead the GTCR standalone carve-out.
How much payment volume does Worldpay process annually?
Worldpay processes over $2.0 trillion in transaction volume annually across more than 40 billion transactions for millions of merchant locations worldwide.
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