Business

One of biggest businesses in Columbus lands on Fortune 500 list for first time. Here’s why

Global Payments, a financial technology company with dual headquarters in Atlanta and Columbus, was named to the Fortune 500 list for the first time in 2021.
Global Payments, a financial technology company with dual headquarters in Atlanta and Columbus, was named to the Fortune 500 list for the first time in 2021. mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com

Global Payments, a financial technology company with dual headquarters in Atlanta and Columbus, has been named to the Fortune 500 list for the first time.

The company ranked No. 394 for 2021, up from No. 553 in 2020. The increase in ranking comes following “a stellar 2020 in which its revenue rose 51%, to $7.4 billion, as the pandemic encouraged more consumers to adopt cashless payment,” Fortune writes.

Global Payments’ debut on the list reflects its recent growth and partnerships with top tech companies like Google and AWS. It became one of the country’s largest financial technology companies after merging with Columbus-based TSYS in late 2019.

That growth continues. In May, Global Payments announced it was purchasing Zego, a real estate and property management technology platform, for $925 million.

“With its new placement on the Fortune 500 list, Global Payments further solidifies its position as a leading fintech powerhouse. The nomination is a testament to the company pivoting its strategy to meet changing consumer behaviors during the pandemic, highlighting its tech-enabled approach that continues to be a driving force in the industry,” said Matt Cochran, a company spokesperson.

The Fortune 500 list is published each year by Fortune Magazine. It ranks 500 of the country’s largest corporations by total revenue generated during the most recent fiscal year.

Aflac, the Columbus-based insurer, ranked No. 131 for 2021, up from No. 146 on last year’s list. Synovus, the Columbus-based banking and financial services provider, did not crack the top 500, ranking No. 891. The company was ranked No. 890 in 2020.

This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 11:57 AM.

Nick Wooten
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Nick Wooten is the Accountability/Investigative reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer where he is responsible for covering several topics, including Georgia politics. His work may also appear in the Macon Telegraph. Nick was given the Georgia Press Association’s 2021 Emerging Journalist award for his coverage of elections, COVID-19 and Columbus’ LGBTQ+ community. Before joining McClatchy, he worked for The (Shreveport La.) Times covering city government and investigations. He is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER