Worldpay is a leading figure in the online global payment market with over 400,000 customers worldwide. The company offers payment solutions for in-store, online and mobile purchases using secure payment platforms. The company was acquired in January of 2018 by US credit card processing company Vantiv for $10.5 billion to create Worldpay Inc, which was initially valued at between $22 and $28 billion.

Worldpay offers payment services for both mail and internet providers, with a mix of customers across multinational and multichannel retailers.

World Pay was Britain’s largest payment processor and began life as a product of the National Westminster Bank’s subsidiary company Centre-file Ltd under the name of Streamline (you remember reading Streamline on card machines at UK retailers). After NatWest sold Centre-file Ltd to Ceridian, the bank absorbed World Pay and later, once the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) purchased NatWest in 2002, the payment processing company was renamed as RBS Worldpay.

Throughout its history as part of RBS, World Pay had a busy time, acquiring and merging with seven other companies in a short five-year period. Amongst these was US-based company Lynk, and the Netherlands mobile e-wallet creator Bitbit.

As part a European Commission’s directive against state aid, RBS was forced to Sell World Pay in December of 2010 to Advent International and Bain Capital for £2.025 billion. Both Advent International and Bain Capital owned 40% of the company, with RBS group retaining 20%. Immediately after its separation from RBS, the group purchased Cardsave. Further acquisitions included Envoy Services, an ecommerce payment processor in May 2011, Century Payments in 2013 and SecureNet Payment Systems from Sterling Partners in December of 2014.

The Royal Bank of Scotland sold its remaining 20% stake in World Pay in 2013 and the card processor listed on the London Stock Exchange in October of 2015. Despite a flurry of activity during this period, Vantiv purchased Worldpay for $10.4 billion in January of 2018 and subsequently renamed the company Worldpay Merchant Service.