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US-GA (US-GA) · Module W8 · Derived Confidence: Probable

US-GA: Merchant Acquiring & Risk

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Georgia's merchant-acquiring landscape is dominated by home-grown global acquirers, now consolidated further via the Global Payments/Worldpay transaction, operating under Georgia's actual-cost surcharge/convenience-fee disclosure regime enforced by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Standing sub-brief · as of 7 July 202684 words · last cycle 2026-07-05

Merchant Acquiring & Risk

Georgia's merchant-acquiring sector, already dominated by home-grown global acquirers, has consolidated further via the Global Payments/Worldpay transaction, and operates under the state's actual-cost surcharge and convenience-fee disclosure regime enforced by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.

Outlook

The link between the W4 statutory surcharge framework and the acquiring sector's post-consolidation concentration is the central W8 analytical point this cycle: fewer, larger acquirers now operate under the same actual-cost disclosure obligations as before, raising the stakes of any future compliance lapse.

no periodic updates on record for this sub-brief

Sources and findings (4 unique sources · R-3/R-4)
  1. [W8-E1] T3 Derived: Probable in_forcehttps://merchantcostconsulting.com/lower-credit-card-processing-fees/georgia-surcharge-laws/ re-verified

    Georgia merchants may surcharge credit card transactions only up to their actual cost of acceptance, and may charge flat convenience fees on electronic payments only if a no-fee alternative (cash, check, money order) is also offered.

  2. [W8-E2] T3 Derived: Probable in_forcehttps://blog.equinix.com/blog/2019/05/08/what-makes-atlanta-the-fintech-capital-of-the-world/ re-verified

    Seven of the nine largest US card acquirers are based in Georgia, underscoring the state's concentration of merchant-acquiring risk and onboarding infrastructure.

  3. [W8-E3] T1 Derived: Confirmed in_forcehttps://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001123360/000110465926002705/tm262856d1_ex99-1.htm re-verified

    Global Payments completed its acquisition of Worldpay from FIS and GTCR and divested its Issuer Solutions business to FIS on January 12, 2026, transforming Global Payments into a 'pure-play, commerce solutions provider' serving merchants from small businesses to global enterprises.

  4. [W8-E4] T1 Derived: Confirmed in_forcehttps://consumered.georgia.gov/ask-ed/2021-03-03/credit-card-surcharges re-verified

    The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division fields complaints regarding merchant surcharge disclosure failures and deceptive pricing, treating undisclosed or misleading fee practices as violations of Georgia's false/deceptive advertising laws.