Mayor Kasim Reed today announced that Worldpay – one of the world’s leading payments technology companies – will relocate its U.S. Headquarters into the City of Atlanta. The company offers payment solutions to merchants, partners and developers across the entire payment value chain, including transaction capturing, merchant acquiring and transaction processing. The Atlanta City Council approved $1.5 million from the Invest Atlanta Economic Opportunity Fund to assist with relocation. The relocation is expected to create an estimated 1,266 new jobs for the city.

"Today, our City is home to more than 40,000 payments processing jobs, strengthening our reputation as the technology capital of the Southeast," said Mayor Reed. "I am delighted that an industry leader like Worldpay has chosen to relocate its U.S. headquarters, and more than a thousand well-paid jobs, to the City of Atlanta."

Worldpay will generate an estimated $3.4 million per year* in new tax income and a total economic impact of $424.6 million*, growing Atlanta’s thriving FinTech industry.

“We are pleased that Worldpay has selected Atlanta for its U.S. headquarters relocation, which brings new jobs to our region and expands our reputation as a hub for financial technology. This announcement is a testament to the strength of the FinTech sector here,” said Brian P. McGowan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "We thank our partners at the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Invest Atlanta for their efforts to bring new jobs and investment to the region."

The company joins a number of major payments processing companies headquartered in Atlanta. FinTech company revenues in Georgia exceed $34 billion annually, ranking the state third nationally, behind only New York and California. Atlanta ranks No. 8 for fastest-growing employment market and No. 9 for concentration of payment processing workers.  

"We are proud of the strength of the payment processing industry in Georgia," said Chris Carr, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. "Worldpay's decision to grow in Georgia speaks to their belief that we are the right place for them to remain competitive for years to come. With such supportive partners as Invest Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Power and the University System of Georgia, not only do we believe that Worldpay will find continued success, but the payment processing industry as a whole will too."

After a competitive search process led by Honour, a Georgia-based consulting firm, and done in cooperation with DTZ; Atlanta was selected as the best location to support Worldpay’s growth and success. The search team compared cities across the nation against the payment company’s business drivers including operating cost, skilled talent and business environment. DTZ, a leading global property services firm, represented Worldpay in the real estate transaction to secure the ideal place for the relocation of Worldpay’s U.S. headquarters. As a strategic partner, the firm sought space that would significantly upgrade the company’s environment, revolutionize its workplace and grow its recognition within the marketplace.

"The support and partnership with Mayor Reed, the Atlanta City Council and Invest Atlanta has grown beyond economic incentives into a vigilant focus on showcasing Atlanta as a global payments capital,” said Worldpay US CEO Tony Catalfano, who also chairs the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC) based here. “As the leaders in modern money, Worldpay wants to help accelerate Georgia's FinTech industry by attracting the developers of next-generation mobile applications and point-of-sale solutions that integrate payments."

Invest Atlanta partnered with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Georgia Power on this competitive project. In addition to Invest Atlanta’s grant, Worldpay is eligible for the State of Georgia Job Tax Credit and Quality Jobs Tax Credit.