Is Worldline the Right Choice for International Payment Processing?

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Worldline

Rating
C
3.5/5
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Pros and Cons of Worldline

Pros

Competitive pricing
Diverse payment options
Advanced technology integration

Cons

Complex fee structure
Lengthy contract terms
Occasional technical glitches
Limited customization
Slower dispute resolution

Overview

In this Worldline review, we’ll examine the company’s growth and evolution as a leading player in the European payment and transactional services industry, including major acquisitions such as SIX Payment Services and Ingenico that expanded its portfolio and market presence. We’ll highlight Worldline’s shift toward digital payment solutions and SaaS offerings, reflecting broader changes in the financial sector, while also covering core services like multi-currency transactions, advanced fraud prevention, and enterprise payment tools. In addition, we’ll assess pricing, customer support, and overall service quality to give a balanced view of what businesses and consumers can expect. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of Worldline’s advantages, potential drawbacks, and its role in shaping the future of digital payments.

About Worldline

Screen Capture of Worldline Homepage
Worldline Homepage

Founded in 1970, Worldline is a French multinational credit and debit card payment and transactional services company. Previously known as Atos Worldline, in 2019 the company gained financial autonomy as a result of the Atos Group redistributing a portion of its Worldline shares back to shareholders. Worldline is a sizable European merchant services company, likely the largest in Europe. It boasts an estimated 20,000 employees and processes billions in transactions annually.

In 2018 Worldline began a series of acquisitions starting with SIX Payment Services. Since 2020, The company has acquired the French point-of-sale hardware company, Ingenico, as well as Czech payment gateway specialists GoPay. Worldline now also owns Canadian-based payment processor Bambora, which had been acquired by Ingenico. While SIX Payment Services initially continued to function under its original business name, it now appears that Worldline is consolidating all of its acquisitions under its own name and phasing out subsidiary brands.

In 2022, Wordline closed on a commercial acquiring license with ANZ Bank of Australia and completed a partnership with BNL and acquired Axepta of Italy. They also became the first acquirer to enter a full-scale multi-country integration with Alipay+. Worldline also sold its terminal business to Apollo Funds while maintaining a relationship with the company. Further, Worldline acquired much of Eurobank’s business, partnered with self-check-in company Myra, partnered with Amdoc to provide subscription services, partnered with Splitit for next-gen installment payments, acquired a 40% stake in Online Payment Platform, and acquired part of Banco Desio.

2023 saw even more expansion from Worldline, including partnerships with ING, Voidu, Crédit Agricole, and BNP Paribas.

Products & Merchant Services

Payment Processing

Worldline provides a broad range of merchant account services, including in-store and online payments, card payment terminals, digital banking, and customer engagement solutions. Following its acquisition of Ingenico in 2020, the company has increasingly focused on digital platforms for transactions and authentication, as well as fraud protection. This shift marks a move away from traditional point-of-sale systems to digital payments and software as a service (SaaS) solutions.

Flexible Payment Gateway Options

Worldline offers flexible payment gateway options tailored to the unique needs of various businesses. Whether a company operates through an e-commerce platform, a mobile app, or a physical store, Worldline provides customized payment processing solutions that integrate with existing systems.

Multi-Currency and Cross-Border Payments

Worldline’s services support multiple currencies and cross-border transactions, facilitating easier international expansion for businesses. This capability allows merchants to accept payments in different currencies and simplifies the settlement process for international transactions.

Advanced Fraud Prevention and Security

Worldline prioritizes security with advanced fraud prevention measures and technologies to protect merchants and customers. Their services comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and use encryption technologies to safeguard sensitive data during transactions.

Omni-Channel Payment Solutions

Worldline offers omni-channel payment solutions that enable businesses to accept payments across various channels, including online, mobile, and in-store.

Dedicated Account Management and Support

Worldline provides dedicated account management and support services, offering personalized assistance throughout the setup and maintenance process. Businesses have access to a team of experienced professionals to address their payment processing needs.

Customizable Payment Solutions

Worldline’s payment processing services can be tailored to the specific requirements of individual businesses. This customization includes personalized payment page designs, bespoke reporting and analytics tools, and integration with various third-party systems.

Transparent Pricing and Fee Structures

Worldline maintains transparent pricing and fee structures, avoiding hidden costs or surprise charges.

Customer Reviews & Sentiment

Overview of Worldline’s Market Reception

As a burgeoning name in the payment processing industry, Worldline boasts a relatively low number of negative reviews for its size, a testament to its growing brand and the legacy of the companies it has acquired, including Bambora and Ingenico. Both Bambora and Ingenico were previously commended as reliable payment processing solutions. We invite you to share your insights or experiences with Worldline by leaving a review in the comments section below.

Historical Equipment Concerns with Atos Worldline

Historic grievances against Atos Worldline have highlighted several issues with point-of-sale systems and other payment terminal malfunctions, with just over a half dozen reports found. This feedback appears to have influenced Worldline’s strategic shift towards minimizing reliance on physical point-of-sale systems.

Exploring Worldline Customer Support

Worldline’s approach to customer service varies significantly across different regions, reflecting its global presence. Canadian customers are likely to interact with Bambora’s support team, while customers in the Americas might engage with Ingenico’s offices. Worldline ensures local support accessibility through its numerous international offices, with contact information readily available on their website.

Industry Scores & User Ratings

Online Ratings Summary
PaymentPop3
BBBN/A
Trustpilot1.6
Average Rating1.6

PaymentPop Rating for Worldline

Negative Feedback

We are struggling with our current provider (WorldLine) new requirement that we enable two-factor verification on all of our users (not feasible with the field staff we have)

Our efforts to have this MFA turned off have been met with extraordinarily poor customer service, a general lack of concern and I have had enough…

Do you have a recommendation for alternative merchants services providers?

If not, I can research on my own but I’ll change my question to can you direct me to ones to stay away from ?

Positive Feedback

Worldline has been an absolute game-changer for my business! The seamless payment solutions they offer have revolutionized the way we handle transactions. From their user-friendly interface to their top-notch security measures, I feel confident and at ease conducting business online.

Their customer support team is incredible – always ready to assist and quick to resolve any issues that may arise. I can’t stress enough how much time and effort they’ve saved us, allowing us to focus on growing our business.

Worldline’s reliability and efficiency have earned my trust, and I can proudly say they have become an indispensable part of our operations. If you’re looking for a payment processing partner that delivers results, look no further than Worldline. Highly recommended!

No BBB Profile

Worldline does not currently maintain a Better Business Bureau profile page.

Trustpilot Rating for Worldline Global

Worldline has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating based on 270 user reviews on Trustpilot.

Negative Feedback

If I could give 0 stars I would. Just encountered the worst customer service experience ever. The ignorance of the person representing Worldline was beyond your belief. It happens when 1 company has the monopoly. Unfortunately if you want to continue to use any creditcard in Belgium you have no other option then to go through Worldline. They record the conversations, I truly hope someone will listen to the one I just had and uses it as an example of how you do not respond to a cliënt.

Processing Rates & Fees

Transparent Merchant Account Pricing

Worldline’s pricing details are not readily available online. However, insights into equipment and processing costs can potentially be gleaned from our Ingenico and Bambora reviews. As of now, we lack updated information on Worldline’s merchant service contracts. Historically, Ingenico maintained a similar lack of transparency in its pricing, while Bambora offered competitive tiered pricing packages.

We encourage business owners who have utilized Worldline’s card payment services to share their experiences and cost breakdowns in the comments section below. Additionally, it’s advisable to compare rates and contract terms with the top merchant service providers.

Lawsuits & Legal History

There are currently no significant class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints directly targeting Worldline. However, individuals seeking to address concerns without legal recourse are encouraged to report their experiences to appropriate regulatory bodies and share their feedback in the comment section below.

Ingenico Payments, a subsidiary of Worldline, was implicated in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Georgia on December 20, 2018. The litigation brought forth by AnywhereCommerce accuses Ingenico of engaging in unfair business practices during a bidding process for a First Data contract and unlawfully obtaining trade secrets from BBPOS, a Hong Kong-based POS equipment manufacturer that had earlier negotiated a licensing agreement with AnywhereCommerce.

Employee Reviews & Sales Practices

No Evidence of Independent Sales Teams

Currently, we cannot locate any concerning job posts or Worldline reviews indicating they utilize independent or outside sales representatives. We also cannot locate any Worldline complaints directly related to its sales practices or indications of misleading quotes.

This compares favorably to our list ofbest credit card processors.

Worldline Contract Terms

Worldline rates are not advertised for merchant accounts or for equipment. We strongly recommend reading all legal documentation and Worldline contracts thoroughly before signing. If any of our readers have a recent example of a Worldline contract, please comment below.

Worldline Competitors

Compare Worldline to competitors that earned top marks.

Bottom Line

Worldline stands as a prominent force in the European credit card processing landscape, boasting a notably clean track record despite its vast scale. The company has been relatively free of service-related customer complaints, a commendable feat for an organization of its magnitude. In a strategic push to expand its global footprint, Worldline has actively acquired various companies, including well-known names like Ingenico, a significant player in the European merchant services sector, and Bambora, which operates across multiple countries.

The rapid expansion and integration of these brands under the Worldline umbrella raise intriguing questions about the future of the conglomerate’s market presence and operational cohesion. Particularly, the process of unifying these distinct entities into a single brand will be crucial and may present challenges. Moreover, while the absence of transparent pricing remains a point of concern, the ability of Worldline to maintain high standards of customer service amid its growth will be pivotal. This aspect is often a stumbling block for large conglomerates post-merger, making it a critical area to watch as Worldline continues to evolve and potentially reshape the landscape of credit card processing on a global scale.

Read Actual User Reviews

All user reviews have been moved to our partner, PaymentPop.com

Contact Worldline

Contact & Customer Support
CEOGilles Grapinet
HeadquartersTour Voltaire 1 place des degrés CS 81162 92059 Paris la Défense Cedex
Worldline France Customer Service+3 314 225 5754
Worldline Canada Customer Service(855) 299-0025
Websiteworldline.com