The joint investigation, dubbed "Dirty Payments", was conducted by members of the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network. It reportedly draws on leaked internal documents and transaction data, claiming that Worldline facilitated payments for “questionable” clients — including adult content providers, gambling platforms, and high-risk online dating sites — across Europe.
In response, Worldline issued a public statement defending its compliance practices. The company said it had "strengthened merchant risk controls" and terminated non-compliant clients since 2023. It also cited a "thorough review" of its high-brand-risk portfolio — including businesses in sectors such as online casinos and stockbroking — that impacted merchants representing approximately €130 million in run-rate revenue for 2024.
Worldline emphasized its "zero-tolerance" stance on non-compliance and asserted that it regularly cooperates with regulatory authorities. However, the company declined further comment beyond its official statement when approached by Reuters.
Despite these assurances, investor confidence took a major hit. Worldline’s stock sank to an all-time low of €3.42, losing over 90% of its market value since 2021. The sharp drop reflects growing concerns about compliance risks and reputational damage within the financial technology sector.
Adding to the pressure, Dutch newspaper NRC reported that the Dutch central bank (DNB) had launched an investigation into Global Collect Services, Worldline’s Dutch subsidiary, in 2022. The probe allegedly uncovered weak compliance controls, prompting action from regulators in both the Netherlands and Germany. In response to NRC’s claims, Worldline confirmed that it has ceased processing payments for several non-compliant customers under regulatory pressure.
As of Wednesday, financial regulators such as France’s AMF and the Netherlands’ DNB had not issued official comments.
Worldline is one of Europe’s largest payment processors, handling over €500 billion in transactions annually. While the company insists that all remaining high-risk clients are now under enhanced oversight and stricter controls, the fallout from the EIC investigation has clearly rattled both markets and regulators.
The situation raises broader questions about due diligence and risk management in the booming digital payments industry, where speed and scale are often weighed against regulatory scrutiny and ethical responsibility.