Global Payments vs PaymentCloud

Global Payments Inc. is a publicly traded payment technology company (NYSE: GPN) founded in 1996 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, they operate one of the world's largest payment processing networks, serving over 5 million merchant locations across 100-plus countries and processing more than 76 billion transactions annually. Their services include in-person POS systems through the Genius platform, eCommerce and virtual terminal gateways, mobile payments, integrated software solutions via their OpenEdge division, and tools for reporting, analytics, payroll, and fraud management. The company has grown substantially through acquisitions, including Heartland Payment Systems (2016), TSYS (2019), and Worldpay (2026). They hold an A+ BBB rating and have been accredited since 2021, though BBB customer reviews average 1.02 out of 5. Trustpilot scores vary significantly by region. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and standard contracts run for 3 years with early termination fees up to $500.

PaymentCloud is a merchant services company, founded in 2015 and based in Los Angeles, CA, that offers credit card processing to businesses of all types and risk levels. They specialize in high-risk merchant accounts, providing services to industries such as credit repair, adult products, firearms, dating sites, and the like. They feature seamless integrations with many tools like Shopify, OpenCart, WordPress, WooCommerce, and many more. They boast many features in their credit card processing, such as seamless digital payments, digitally trackable and encrypted transactions, fraud protection, contactless payments, and full PCI compliance. They have an excellent reputation among clients, garnering a 4.3/5 score on Trustpilot. Clients generally laud their helpful and patient customer support and their accepting nature toward high-risk businesses. The costs incurred for their services differ and aren’t specified on PaymentCloud's website, as they require prospective clients to submit a quote.