Worldpay Review

Worldpay is a very large direct processor with an international presence in 40 countries, with a primary focus on the U.K. and Europe. Founded in the UK in 1989 under the name “Streamline“, the company’s name was changed to Worldpay a few years later. In 2001, Worldpay began to offer U.S. merchant accounts in Atlanta, Georgia. Shortly after, the company was bought by The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and rebranded as RBS Worldpay. In 2010, RBS sold its controlling interest in the company and RBS Worldpay was rebranded back to just “Worldpay.”

Majority Stake Ownership of Worldpay

In 2017, Vantiv acquired Worldpay for $10 billion. The combined entity has since assumed Worldpay’s name and begun to consolidate its sub-brands into Worldpay. Less than two years later in March of 2019, Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. announced its agreement to purchase Worldpay for $35 billion. The Fidelity acquisition became finalized on July 31, 2019. 2023 saw an announcement that FIS would spin off Worldpay. Additionally, Worldpay put this note on their website: “As of 06th March 2023, Worldpay Online Payments Gateway (WPOP) has been decommissioned. After this date you will not be able to transact any MOTO, eCom and recurring payments.”

In late 2023, major fintech company FIS sold its majority stake in Worldpay to private equity firm GTCR in a huge $18.5 billion deal.

Payment Processing

Worldpay handles major debit and credit card transactions for a variety of business types. For small and medium businesses, their offerings include POS systems, EMV terminals, the payment gateway, digital and mobile wallets, FastAccess funding, comprehensive security features, gift card solutions, and data analysis tools. Enterprise-level businesses benefit from additional B2C and B2B e-commerce solutions. Worldpay supports over 300 different payment methods.

Collaboration for Public Transit Payments

Worldpay has partnered with Masabi, a transit ticketing technology company, to develop fare payment platforms for public transportation systems.

Online Payment Service

Worldpay provides an online payment service accessible through both mobile and desktop platforms, allowing users to transfer money securely.

3DS Flex for eCommerce

Worldpay’s 3DS Flex feature is designed to enhance issuer approvals for transactions affected by PSD2 regulations and reduce checkout friction by supporting a variety of authentication methods.

Understanding Worldpay’s Customer Feedback

Worldpay, a prominent player in the payment processing industry, has garnered attention for its high volume of customer complaints found across various online platforms. The criticism predominantly revolves around unexpected fees, cumbersome cancellation processes involving hefty fees, and deceptive sales tactics. Additionally, there are notable concerns about fund-holds, which might prompt businesses to seek services from a high-risk specialist instead.

Efforts in Addressing Customer Dissatisfaction

While Worldpay representatives have engaged with some publicly filed complaints, the effectiveness and consistency of these resolutions remain unclear. The brand’s connection with resellers complicates the attribution of certain complaints, contributing to a mixed overall perception of the company’s customer service capabilities. Despite this, the prevalent issues have influenced a “C” rating due to the uniformity of customer grievances.

Exploring Worldpay’s Customer Support Infrastructure

Worldpay extends multiple customer service channels, including phone and email support. Despite this breadth of options, customer feedback suggests these channels may not meet the high standards set by leading payment processors in terms of effectiveness and responsiveness.

PaymentPop Rating for Worldpay

Positive Feedback

Worldpay BBB Rating

Worldpay has an average customer review rating of 1/5 stars on BBB based on 35 customer reviews. The company has received 168 complaints closed in the last 3 years, with 60 complaints closed in the last 12 months. Common themes in the reviews and complaints include issues with billing, charges for inactive services, and difficulties in getting refunds or responses from the company.

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Worldpay on the BBB website.

Trustpilot Rating for Worldpay

Worldpay has an average customer review rating of 4.6 stars on Trustpilot based on 8,086 customer reviews. The distribution of ratings is as follows: 64% 5-star, 4% 4-star, 1% 3-star, 2% 2-star, and 29% 1-star. This indicates a majority of positive feedback, with a significant portion of negative reviews as well.

SiteJabber Rating Analysis

WorldPay has a rating of 1.1 stars on SiteJabber, based on 39 customer reviews. The majority of customers express dissatisfaction, frequently mentioning issues with customer service. WorldPay ranks 180th among payment processing sites. The common themes in the reviews include poor customer service, billing issues, and difficulty in canceling services.

Source: SiteJabber

A Wide Range of Contract Terms

Worldpay advertises rates of 2.90% plus $0.30 for swiped transactions and 3.30% plus $0.30 for keyed transactions, with a slightly lower qualified rate at 2.70% plus $0.30. However, reports suggest that businesses may encounter higher rates and longer service agreements when signing up directly with Worldpay rather than through a reseller. Resellers often offer better deals due to pricing and contract flexibility.

Three-Year Standard Contract

Businesses considering a Worldpay merchant account should carefully review the contract, typically spanning three years with automatic one-year renewals unless a 90-day notice is provided. The contract includes an early termination fee of up to $295. Additionally, Worldpay charges a monthly PCI Compliance fee ranging from $15 to $25, above industry averages. Clients may also incur a $69 annual fee for IRS 1099 reporting. Equipment leases, offered through ISOs, range from 12 to 48 months with monthly charges based on credit score. Lessees have the option to purchase equipment at lease end. Business owners can explore our list of the best merchant services.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

Worldpay promotes its virtual terminal and payment gateway services for B2B and B2C sales, although pricing remains undisclosed. Additional fees such as gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and transaction rates are common for these services.

Comparatively High Prices

The potential for high cancellation fees, auto-renewing contracts, and elevated compliance fees negatively impact Worldpay’s rating in affordability and hinder its status as a competitive merchant account provider.

Worldpay’s diverse e-commerce and in-person payment solutions

Worldpay has encountered legal disputes, notably a $52 million settlement in 2017 over alleged overcharging. Further complicating its legal landscape, in 2019, Worldpay faced a class-action lawsuit challenging the transparency and fairness of a significant acquisition by Fidelity National Information Services. Additionally, the company settled for $15 million in response to accusations of fee misrepresentation. Recent legal actions include allegations related to fund holding and discriminatory practices, underscoring ongoing legal and operational challenges.

A Global Sales Force

Worldpay markets its services both directly with its own inside sales staff and indirectly using independent sales agents, resellers, and sub-ISOs. This is a common strategy for the industry and usually leads to a moderate amount of complaints. In this case, we are able to locate hundreds of negative Worldpay reviews that describe nondisclosure or misrepresentation of fees by sales agents. These complaints cite all varieties of unexpected charges, including undisclosed termination penalties, higher-than-quoted rates, and unexpected monthly costs. If you suspect that you are being charged undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking a fee reduction analysis from an independent third party.

No Tricky Advertising

We found no uses of misleading advertising or rate quoting in the company’s official materials. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors. Given Worldpay’s complaint volume and the regularity with which these complaints have been posted, however, we have assigned the company a “C” rating in this section.

Worldpay, a major global credit card processing provider, falls short of expectations. It is marred by a prevalence of junk fees, non-transparent rates, and numerous complaints pointing to predatory and unethical policies. The significant volume of negative feedback reveals a troubling pattern that tarnishes Worldpay’s reputation and makes it challenging to endorse as a top choice.

To make informed decisions, business owners should consider reading our article, “How to Select the Best Merchant Account,” before partnering with any provider. For now, merchants may find more transparent, customer-focused service by exploring top-rated merchant account providers.