Of the ten selected major online payment service providers, four are based in the USA and six in European countries. From these locations, most of the featured companies have a global reach. For example, US-based CyberSource, a subsidiary of Visa Inc., covers close to 200 countries and Europe-based Ingenico Payment Services now counts around 170 in its portfolio. The breadth of coverage is also reflected in multi-currency offerings and network connections: DataCash, a MasterCard company, for instance, supports online payments in nearly 180 currencies and Chase Paymentech in 130, while Germany-based Wirecard has connections to around 200 international payment networks.
The recent dynamism and growth of the online payment market has resulted in investment rounds, acquisitions and partnerships involving the key industry players. To name a few, GlobalCollect was acquired by Ingenico Group for over EUR 800 million, Worldpay acquired US-based SecureNet Payment System to enhance its omni-channel payment offering and the parent company of Digital River World Payments, Digital River Inc. was acquired by an investor group led by Siris Capital. Across the companies, a growth in major characteristics such as transaction volume and revenues was noticeable. For instance, Netbanx, an online payment processing company of Optimal Payments, saw its transaction value grow by almost one third in 2014.
The featured companies differ in their coverage of online payment methods, though some general trends are noticeable across the group. One observed is that of offering more local payment methods along with international payment methods, to account for varying preferences of online shoppers in different markets. Another observed trend is the introduction of more alternative methods, such as E-Wallets, bank transfers, cash alternatives and others, in addition to credit and debit card payments.