NYSE Shariah screener · October 2026
Is Global Payments Inc. (GPN) Halal?
Global Payments Inc. · NYSE: GPN · Financials
The short answer
No - Global Payments Inc. (GPN) fails this Shariah stock screen on the debt gate alone. GPN, the Atlanta-based payments processor (pure-play commerce since the January 2026 Worldpay acquisition and Issuer Solutions sale to FIS) - its business is permissible and its interest-type income is only about 1.35% of revenue, but its interest-bearing debt of $23,555M (Q2 2026 10-Q) is about 110.4% of its ~$21.34B market cap (October 2026), far above the 33% ceiling. Zoya and Musaffa also rate GPN non-compliant.
Gate 1 — Business activity: PASS
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, describes itself in its Q2 2026 Form 10-Q as a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses worldwide. In January 2026 the company closed the Worldpay acquisition and simultaneously divested its Issuer Solutions business to FIS, and now calls itself a pure-play commerce solutions provider focused on merchant acquiring, payment acceptance and commerce software across more than 175 countries.
Global Payments is a payment processor, not a bank or lender. Its revenue comes from transaction processing fees, software and value-added services sold to merchants. It does not extend credit as a core business. No alcohol, gambling, tobacco, pork, adult-entertainment or weapons segments are disclosed. Gate 1: PASS.
Gate 2 — Debt and cash: FAIL
Per Global Payments' Q2 2026 Form 10-Q (Consolidated Balance Sheet, June 30, 2026; $ thousands; cross-verified via stocktitan's filing transcription), total interest-bearing debt was: settlement lines of credit $1,136,764K + current portion of long-term debt $925,032K + long-term debt $21,493,294K = $23,555,090K (~$23,555M). Operating lease liabilities are excluded; settlement processing obligations ($5,934,765K) are client funds, not company borrowings, and are excluded.
Shares outstanding at June 30, 2026 were 265,811,863 (10-Q cover page). At the Finnhub price of $80.29 (October 2, 2026), market cap is about $21,342M (~$21.34B). Debt-to-market-cap is therefore ~110.4%, far above the 33% ceiling. Gate 2: FAIL.
Gate 3 — Non-compliant income: PASS
Global Payments' consolidated income statements do not disclose interest income as a standalone line. They disclose a combined 'Interest and other income' line. For Q2 2026 (quarter ended June 30, 2026) that line was $44,700K against revenues of $3,320,791K - about 1.35% of revenue, used here as a conservative upper bound for interest-type income.
The 10-Q notes identify $26.0M of that line as interest income on notes receivable for Q2 2026 ($51.2M for the six months), so the true interest figure is lower than the 1.35% upper bound. Either way it sits well below the 5% non-compliant income ceiling. Gate 3: PASS.
Key figures used
- Business: payment technology / merchant acquiring (HQ Atlanta, GA) - pure-play commerce solutions since January 2026: Worldpay acquired, Issuer Solutions divested to FIS; 6M+ merchant locations, $3.7T payment volume, 175+ countries
- Q2 2026 (10-Q, quarter ended June 30, 2026; $ millions): revenue $3,321M; operating income $337M; net income attributable $13M (incl. $102M discontinued-ops loss); cash and cash equivalents $5,409M
- Debt (June 30, 2026): settlement lines of credit $1,137M + current portion of long-term debt $925M + long-term debt $21,493M = $23,555M total interest-bearing debt (vs $21,462M total long-term debt at Dec 31, 2025)
- Market cap ~$21.34B (265,811,863 shares outstanding per Q2 2026 10-Q x $80.29 Finnhub price Oct 2, 2026); debt-to-market-cap ~110.4% (ceiling 33%)
- Interest-type income: 'Interest and other income' $44.7M / revenue $3,320.8M = ~1.35% (Q2 2026); $26.0M of it identified as interest income on notes receivable; below the 5% ceiling
Frequently asked questions
What does Global Payments do?
Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a payment-technology company. Since January 2026 it describes itself as a pure-play commerce solutions provider after acquiring Worldpay and divesting its Issuer Solutions business to FIS. It processes card and digital payments for merchants in more than 175 countries. It is not a bank or lender.
Why does Global Payments fail the Shariah screen?
Global Payments fails this Shariah stock screen on the debt gate. Its interest-bearing debt of about $23,555M at June 30, 2026 is about 110.4% of its ~$21.34B market cap (October 2026), far above the 33% ceiling. Its business is permissible and its interest-type income is only about 1.35% of revenue, so debt is the sole failing gate.
Is Global Payments a bank or lender?
Global Payments is a payment processor, not a bank. It earns fees for processing card and digital transactions for merchants. It does not make loans as a core business. Its interest income comes mainly from interest on notes receivable and cash balances, and the combined interest-and-other-income line is about 1.35% of revenue, below the 5% ceiling.
What changed at Global Payments in 2026?
In January 2026 Global Payments closed the acquisition of Worldpay and simultaneously sold its Issuer Solutions business to FIS for about $7.4B in net cash. The company now calls itself a pure-play commerce solutions provider focused on merchant acquiring and payment software, serving over 6 million merchant locations worldwide.
What do Zoya and Musaffa say about GPN?
As of October 2026, both Zoya and Musaffa classify GPN as not Shariah-compliant (Musaffa: NOT HALAL), consistent with this screener's FAIL result on the debt gate. Third-party screens use their own methodologies and update on their own schedules, so always check their latest ratings alongside primary filings.
Sources
- Global Payments Q2 2026 Form 10-Q (quarter ended June 30, 2026; $ thousands): Consolidated Balance Sheet - cash and cash equivalents $5,408,962K; settlement lines of credit $1,136,764K; current portion of long-term debt $925,032K; long-term debt $21,493,294K; shares issued and outstanding 265,811,863; Consolidated Statements of Income - revenues $3,320,791K (Q2) / $6,290,473K (six months); 'Interest and other income' $44,700K (Q2) / $78,220K (six months)
- Global Payments Q2 2026 earnings release (August 5, 2026): GAAP revenue $3.32B, adjusted net revenue $3.16B; first full quarter as pure-play commerce solutions provider; $1.2B capital returned to shareholders year-to-date
- Zoya (zoya.finance/stocks/gpn): GPN classified as not Shariah-compliant (not halal to invest in)
- Musaffa (musaffa.com/stock/GPN/): GPN classified as NOT HALAL (AAOIFI methodology, as of October 2026)
- Zacks (Jan 13, 2026): Global Payments closed the Worldpay acquisition and sold its Issuer Solutions unit to FIS, becoming a dedicated commerce/merchant solutions provider serving 6M+ merchant locations
Screened 2026-10-02 from published company figures and market data. Figures change; this page is educational, not financial advice and not a religious ruling.
Screened with our two-gate Shariah screening methodology (business-activity gate, then AAOIFI-style financial ratios).