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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File No. 001-16111

GLOBAL PAYMENTS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 770-829-8000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

NONE

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter was $25,440,604,840. The number of shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding at February 12, 2024 was 257,984,986 shares.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Specifically identified portions of the registrant's proxy statement for the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.

GLOBAL PAYMENTS INC.

2023 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements we use in this report, and in some of the documents we incorporate by reference in this report, contain forward-looking statements concerning our business operations, economic performance and financial condition, including in particular: our business strategy and means to implement the strategy; measures of future results of operations, such as revenues, expenses, operating margins, income tax rates, and earnings per share; other operating metrics such as shares outstanding and capital expenditures; statements we make regarding guidance and projected financial results for the year 2024; the effects of general economic conditions on our business; statements about the benefits of our acquisitions or divestitures, including future financial and operating results and the completion and expected timing of our acquisitions or completion of anticipated benefits or strategic initiatives; our success and timing in developing and introducing new services and expanding our business; and other statements regarding our future financial performance and the company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. You can sometimes identify forward-looking statements by our use of the words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plan," "forecast," "guidance" and similar expressions. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Although we believe that the plans and expectations reflected in or suggested by our forward-looking statements are reasonable, those statements are based on a number of assumptions, estimates, projections or plans that are inherently subject to significant risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, cannot be foreseen and reflect future business decisions. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that our plans and expectations will be achieved. Our actual revenues, revenue growth rates and margins, and other results of operations could differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements as a result of many known and unknown factors, many of which are beyond our ability to predict or control. Important factors that may otherwise cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking statements or historical performance include, among others, the effects of global economic, political, market, health and social events or other conditions; foreign currency exchange, inflation and rising interest rate risks; difficulties, delays and higher than anticipated costs related to integrating the businesses of acquired companies, including with respect to implementing controls to prevent a material security breach of any internal systems or to successfully manage credit and fraud risks in business units; the effect of a security breach or operational failure on our business; failing to comply with the applicable requirements of Visa, Mastercard or other payment networks or card schemes or changes in those requirements; the ability to maintain Visa and Mastercard registration and financial institution sponsorship; the ability to retain, develop and hire key personnel; the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations; the continued availability of capital and financing; increased competition in the markets in which we operate and our ability to increase our market share in existing markets and expand into new markets; our ability to safeguard our data; risks associated with our indebtedness; our ability to meet environmental, social and governance targets, goals and commitments; the potential effects of climate change, including natural disasters; the effects of new or changes in current laws, regulations, credit card association rules or other industry standards on us or our partners and customers, including privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations; and other events beyond our control, and other factors presented in "Item 1A - Risk Factors" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commissions ("SEC"), which we advise you to review.

These cautionary statements qualify all of our forward-looking statements, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update or revise forward-looking statements at some time in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to our forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

PART I