Global Payments (GPN) 10-Q 31 Oct 19 2019 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Oct. 27, 2019
Cover page.
Entity Central Index Key	0001123360
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2019
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-16111
Entity Registrant Name	GLOBAL PAYMENTS INC
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	GA
Entity Tax Identification Number	58-2567903
Entity Address, Address Line One	3550 Lenox Road
Entity Address, City or Town	Atlanta
Entity Address, State or Province	GA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	30326
City Area Code	770
Local Phone Number	829-8000
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, no par value
Trading Symbol	GPN
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		300,548,018

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 1,105,941	$ 857,670	$ 2,924,131	$ 2,485,811
Operating expenses:
Cost of service	427,720	265,013	1,035,225	781,943
Selling, general and administrative	504,184	369,495	1,293,651	1,133,799
Total operating expenses	931,904	634,508	2,328,876	1,915,742
Operating income	174,037	223,162	595,255	570,069
Other income (expense):
Interest and other income	11,232	3,134	20,342	17,397
Interest and other expense	(96,161)	(46,356)	(220,858)	(139,681)
Total nonoperating income (expense)	(84,929)	(43,222)	(200,516)	(122,284)
Income before income taxes	89,108	179,940	394,739	447,785
Income tax benefit (expense)	16,623	6,089	(39,765)	(46,441)
Net income	105,731	186,029	354,974	401,344
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of income tax	(10,687)	(9,659)	(27,132)	(24,506)
Net income attributable to Global Payments	$ 95,044	$ 176,370	$ 327,842	$ 376,838
Earnings per share attributable to Global Payments:
Basic earnings per share (USD per share)	$ 0.54	$ 1.12	$ 2	$ 2.37
Diluted earnings per share (USD per share)	$ 0.54	$ 1.11	$ 2	$ 2.36

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 105,731	$ 186,029	$ 354,974	$ 401,344
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(67,279)	(15,395)	(54,377)	(80,620)
Income tax benefit (expense) related to foreign currency translation adjustments	144	140	1,695	(224)
Net unrealized (losses) gains on hedging activities	(40,265)	1,845	(96,997)	12,353
Reclassification of net unrealized losses (gains) on hedging activities to interest expense	1,193	(1,663)	(1,530)	(2,830)
Income tax benefit (expense) related to hedging activities	9,289	(110)	23,800	(2,420)
Other, net of tax	37	(58)	165	(59)
Other comprehensive loss	(96,881)	(15,241)	(127,244)	(73,800)
Comprehensive income	8,850	170,788	227,730	327,544
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,967)	(21,333)	(17,780)	(36,264)
Comprehensive income attributable to Global Payments	$ 6,883	$ 149,455	$ 209,950	$ 291,280

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,127,616	$ 1,210,878
Accounts receivable, net	868,133	348,400
Settlement processing assets	1,556,307	1,600,222
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	440,512	216,708
Total current assets	4,992,568	3,376,208
Goodwill	23,754,450	6,341,355
Other intangible assets, net	13,184,391	2,488,618
Property and equipment, net	1,423,271	653,542
Deferred income taxes	12,477	8,128
Other noncurrent assets	1,844,890	362,923
Total assets	45,212,047	13,230,774
Current liabilities:
Settlement lines of credit	547,624	700,486
Current portion of long-term debt	33,373	115,075
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,849,424	1,176,703
Settlement processing obligations	1,852,731	1,276,356
Total current liabilities	4,283,152	3,268,620
Long-term debt	8,987,704	5,015,168
Deferred income taxes	3,352,727	585,025
Other noncurrent liabilities	632,746	175,618
Total liabilities	17,256,329	9,044,431
Commitments and contingencies
Equity:
Preferred stock, no par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized and none issued	0	0
Common stock, no par value; 400,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2019 and 200,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2018; 300,544,949 issued and outstanding at September 30, 2019 and 157,961,982 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018	0	0
Paid-in capital	25,904,804	2,235,167
Retained earnings	2,297,897	2,066,415
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(428,067)	(310,175)
Total Global Payments shareholders’ equity	27,774,634	3,991,407
Noncontrolling interests	181,084	194,936
Total equity	27,955,718	4,186,343
Total liabilities and equity	$ 45,212,047	$ 13,230,774

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Preferred stock authorized (shares)	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock issued (shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock authorized (shares)	400,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock issued (shares)	300,544,949	157,961,982
Common stock outstanding (shares)	300,544,949	157,961,982

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 354,974	$ 401,344
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment	132,043	105,734
Amortization of acquired intangibles	345,455	263,714
Amortization of capitalized contract costs	47,778	37,281
Share-based compensation expense	55,791	44,937
Provision for operating losses and bad debts	34,877	32,309
Deferred income taxes	(42,990)	(4,973)
Other, net	6,666	(17,185)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of the effects of business combinations:
Accounts receivable	(80,709)	(27,696)
Settlement processing assets and obligations, net	623,985	(58,693)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(148,421)	(117,824)
Accounts payable and other liabilities	19,940	2,058
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,349,389	661,006
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(334,383)	(769,082)
Capital expenditures	(201,017)	(156,060)
Other, net	29,112	(2,383)
Net cash used in investing activities	(506,288)	(927,525)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net (repayments of) borrowings from settlement lines of credit	(144,473)	49,381
Proceeds from long-term debt	6,704,838	1,606,214
Repayments of long-term debt	(6,097,229)	(1,468,505)
Payments of debt issuance costs	(32,637)	(12,544)
Repurchases of common stock	(233,995)	(180,897)
Proceeds from stock issued under share-based compensation plans	22,008	12,571
Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans	(49,037)	(44,824)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(31,632)	(5,686)
Preacquisition dividends paid to former TSYS shareholders	(23,240)	0
Dividends paid	(4,727)	(4,750)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	109,876	(49,040)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(36,239)	(29,692)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	916,738	(345,251)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period	1,210,878	1,335,855
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period	$ 2,127,616	$ 990,604

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Total Global Payments Shareholders’ Equity	Number of Shares	Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Noncontrolling Interests
Balance at beginning of period (shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			159,180,000
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 3,965,231	$ 3,794,527		$ 2,379,774	$ 1,597,897	$ (183,144)	$ 170,704
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	401,344	376,838			376,838		24,506
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(73,800)	(85,558)				(85,558)	11,758
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans (shares)			895,000
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans	12,571	12,571		12,571
Common stock repurchased - share based compensation plans (shares)			(277,000)
Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans	(32,508)	(32,508)		(32,508)
Share-based compensation expense	44,937	44,937		44,937
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	$ (5,686)						(5,686)
Repurchase of common stock (shares)	(1,612,174)		(1,612,000)
Repurchase of common stock	$ (180,897)	(180,897)		(153,946)	(26,951)
Dividends paid	(4,750)	(4,750)			(4,750)
Balance at end of period (shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			158,186,000
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2018	4,175,568	3,974,286		2,250,828	1,994,003	(270,545)	201,282
Balance at beginning of period (shares) at Jun. 30, 2018			158,071,000
Balance at beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2018	4,016,001	3,830,367		2,254,783	1,819,213	(243,629)	185,634
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	186,028	176,369			176,369		9,659
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(15,241)	(26,916)				(26,916)	11,675
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans (shares)			325,000
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans	6,231	6,231		6,231
Common stock repurchased - share based compensation plans (shares)			(210,000)
Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans	(25,019)	(25,019)		(25,019)
Share-based compensation expense	14,833	14,833		14,833
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,686)						(5,686)
Dividends paid	(1,579)	(1,579)			(1,579)
Balance at end of period (shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			158,186,000
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2018	4,175,568	3,974,286		2,250,828	1,994,003	(270,545)	201,282
Balance at beginning of period (shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			157,962,000
Balance at beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2018	4,186,343	3,991,407		2,235,167	2,066,415	(310,175)	194,936
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	354,974	327,842			327,842		27,132
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(127,244)	(117,892)				(117,892)	(9,352)
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans (shares)			750,000
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans	22,008	22,008		22,008
Common stock repurchased - share based compensation plans (shares)			(268,000)
Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans	(41,190)	(41,190)		(41,190)
Share-based compensation expense	55,791	55,791		$ 55,791
Issuance of common stock in connection with a business combination (shares)				143,909,000
Issuance of common stock in connection with a business combination	23,771,389	23,771,389		$ 23,771,389
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	$ (31,632)						(31,632)
Repurchase of common stock (shares)	(1,808,398)		(1,808,000)
Repurchase of common stock	$ (229,994)	(229,994)		(138,361)	(91,633)
Dividends paid	(4,727)	(4,727)			(4,727)
Balance at end of period (shares) at Sep. 30, 2019			300,545,000
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	27,955,718	27,774,634		25,904,804	2,297,897	(428,067)	181,084
Balance at beginning of period (shares) at Jun. 30, 2019			156,675,000
Balance at beginning of period at Jun. 30, 2019	4,175,116	3,990,604		2,126,065	2,204,445	(339,906)	184,512
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	105,731	95,044			95,044		10,687
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(96,881)	(88,161)				(88,161)	(8,720)
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans (shares)			141,000
Stock issued under share-based compensation plans	9,057	9,057		9,057
Common stock repurchased - share based compensation plans (shares)			(180,000)
Common stock repurchased - share-based compensation plans	(29,584)	(29,584)		(29,584)
Share-based compensation expense	27,877	27,877		$ 27,877
Issuance of common stock in connection with a business combination (shares)				143,909,000
Issuance of common stock in connection with a business combination	23,771,389	23,771,389		$ 23,771,389
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,395)						(5,395)
Dividends paid	(1,592)	(1,592)			(1,592)
Balance at end of period (shares) at Sep. 30, 2019			300,545,000
Balance at end of period at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 27,955,718	$ 27,774,634		$ 25,904,804	$ 2,297,897	$ (428,067)	$ 181,084

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_5

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Dividends per share (USD per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.03	$ 0.03

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMA

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Business, consolidation and presentation — Global Payments Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to herein collectively as "Global Payments," the "Company," "we," "our" or "us," unless the context requires otherwise. On May 27, 2019 , we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Total System Services, Inc. ("TSYS") providing for the merger of TSYS with and into Global Payments, with Global Payments as the surviving entity (the "Merger"). We consummated the Merger on September 18, 2019 . Prior to the Merger, TSYS was a leading global payments provider, offering seamless, secure and innovative solutions to issuers, merchants and consumers. Through our combination with TSYS, we are now a leading pure play payments technology company delivering innovative software and services to our customers globally. See "Note 2 —Acquisitions" for more information about the Merger. These unaudited consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our majority-owned subsidiaries, and all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 was derived from the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of our management, all known adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been made. These adjustments consist of normal recurring accruals and estimates that affect the carrying amount of assets and liabilities. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 . Use of estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements — In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases." ASU 2016-02 requires recognition of assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leases and new disclosures about leases. We adopted ASU 2016-02, as well as other related clarifications and interpretive guidance issued by the FASB, on January 1, 2019 using the optional modified retrospective transition method. Under this transition method, we did not recast the prior period financial statements presented. We elected the transition package of three practical expedients, which among other things, allowed for the carryforward of historical lease classifications. We made an accounting policy election to not recognize assets or liabilities for leases with a term of less than twelve months and to account for all components in a lease arrangement as a single combined lease component for all of our then existing asset classes. In connection with the Merger, we acquired right-of-use assets that represent an additional asset class for computer equipment, for which we account for lease and nonlease components separately. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in the measurement and recognition of lease liabilities in the amount of $274.0 million and right-of-use assets in the amount of $236.0 million as of January 1, 2019. Lease liabilities were measured as the present value of remaining lease payments, and the corresponding right-of-use assets were measured at an amount equal to the lease liabilities adjusted by the amounts of certain assets and liabilities, such as prepaid rent and deferred lease obligations, that we previously recognized on the balance sheet prior to the initial application of ASU 2016-02. To calculate the present value of remaining lease payments, we elected to use an incremental borrowing rate based on the remaining lease term at transition. Recently Issued Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted — In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract (A Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." ASU 2018-15 provides additional guidance on the accounting for costs of implementation activities performed in a cloud computing arrangement (i.e., hosting arrangement) that is a service contract. The new guidance amends the definition of a hosting arrangement and requires a customer in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to capitalize certain implementation costs as if the arrangement was an internal-use software project. The amendments in this update also provide additional presentation and disclosure requirements, including requirements to disclose the nature of an entity’s hosting arrangements that are service contracts, as well as quantitative information about capitalized implementation costs and related amortization expense. The guidance will become effective for us on January 1, 2020. We expect to apply the guidance prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We are finalizing our comparison of the guidance in ASU 2018-15 to our current accounting and financial reporting practices for costs of implementation activities performed in cloud computing arrangements. We are also evaluating the need for changes to our internal controls. We have not yet completed our assessment or quantified the effect, if any, of ASU 2018-15 on our consolidated balance sheet or our statements of income and cash flows; however, our preliminary expectation is that the adoption of this standard will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. We have historically capitalized implementation costs associated with cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts following the guidance in Subtopic 350-40 and expect to continue to do so pursuant to the clarifications provided in the new guidance. We expect to amortize deferred implementation costs to expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the applicable hosting arrangement. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ." The amendments in this update change how companies measure and recognize credit impairment for many financial instruments measured at amortized cost. The new model for current expected credit losses ("CECL") will require us to recognize an estimate of credit losses expected to occur over the remaining life of the financial instruments that are within the scope of the update, including accounts receivable and settlement processing assets, each of which are short-term in nature. Under current GAAP, credit losses on these financial instruments are not recognized until their occurrence is deemed to be probable. The guidance will become effective for us on January 1, 2020. In general, the new guidance will require modified retrospective application to all outstanding financial assets that are within the scope of the update, with a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, recorded to retained earnings as of the date of adoption. We are continuing to evaluate the effect of ASU 2016-13 on our consolidated financial statements, including comparing how we currently measure and recognize our allowance for doubtful accounts on accounts receivable and our reserve for operating losses and sales allowances to how we would make such measurements applying the new CECL model. We have not yet completed our assessment or quantified the effect, if any, of ASU 2016-13 on our consolidated balance sheet or our statements of income and cash flows; however, we believe the adoption of this new standard may require expanded qualitative disclosures about our financial assets and related allowance for credit losses, as well as implementation of new or modified internal controls. As a result of the Merger, we have expanded our efforts to evaluate the effects of these new standards on the combined company, and we are incorporating TSYS into our evaluation.

ACQUISITIONS

ACQUISITIONS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS	ACQUISITIONS The transactions described below were accounted for as business combinations, which generally requires that we record the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at fair value as of the acquisition date. Total System Services, Inc. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, we acquired all of the outstanding common stock of TSYS at the closing on September 18, 2019 . Upon consummation of the Merger, holders of TSYS common stock received 0.8101 shares of Global Payments common stock for each share of TSYS common stock they owned at the effective time of the Merger (the "Exchange Ratio"). In addition, certain TSYS equity awards held by employees who were not executive officers, pursuant to their terms, vested automatically at closing ("Single-Trigger Awards") and were converted into the right to receive a number of shares of Global Payments common stock determined based on the Exchange Ratio. Also, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, we granted equity awards for approximately 2.2 million shares of Global Payments common stock to certain TSYS equity awards holders ("Replacement Awards"). Each such Replacement Award is subject to the same terms and conditions (including vesting and exercisability or payment terms) as applied to the corresponding TSYS equity award. We apportioned the fair value of the Replacement Awards between purchase consideration and amounts to be recognized in periods following the Merger as share-based compensation expense over the requisite service period of the Replacement Awards. The purchase consideration transferred to TSYS shareholders was valued at $23.8 billion . Total purchase consideration also included the amount of borrowings outstanding under TSYS's unsecured revolving credit facility together with accrued interest and fees that we were required to repay upon consummation of the Merger. The fair value of total purchase consideration was determined as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Shares of TSYS common stock issued and outstanding (including Single-Trigger Awards) 177,643 Exchange Ratio 0.8101 Shares of Global Payments common stock issued to TSYS shareholders 143,909 Price per share of Global Payments common stock $ 163.74 Fair value of common stock issued to TSYS shareholders (1) 23,563,568 Value of Replacement Awards attributable to purchase consideration 207,821 Cash paid to TSYS shareholders in lieu of fractional shares 1,352 Total purchase consideration transferred to TSYS shareholders 23,772,741 Repayment of TSYS's unsecured revolving credit facility (including accrued interest and fees) 702,212 Total purchase consideration $ 24,474,953 (1) Fair value of common stock issued to TSYS shareholders does not equal the product of shares of Global Payments common stock issued to TSYS shareholders and price per share of Global Payments common stock as presented in the table above due to the rounding of the number of shares in thousands. The provisional estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 446,027 Accounts receivable 443,783 Identified intangible assets 11,020,000 Property and equipment 695,560 Other assets 1,476,290 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (594,558 ) Debt (3,295,284 ) Deferred income tax liabilities (2,843,643 ) Other liabilities (313,782 ) Total identifiable net assets 7,034,393 Goodwill 17,440,560 Total purchase consideration $ 24,474,953 As of September 30, 2019 , we considered these amounts to be provisional because we were still in the process of gathering and reviewing information to support the valuations of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of $17.4 billion , included in the TSYS segment as of September 30, 2019 , was attributable to expected growth opportunities, an assembled workforce and potential synergies from combining the acquired business into our existing business. We expect that substantially all of the goodwill from this acquisition will not be deductible for income tax purposes. Due to the timing of the Merger, we are still in the process of assigning goodwill to our reporting units. The following table reflects the provisional estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of TSYS and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 6,330,000 18 Contract-based intangible assets 1,810,000 20 Acquired technologies 1,810,000 7 Trademarks and trade names 1,070,000 12 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 11,020,000 14 From the acquisition date through September 30, 2019, TSYS contributed $147.5 million to our consolidated revenues and had an operating loss of approximately $11.1 million . Transaction costs directly related to the Merger were $53.5 million and $65.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 , respectively. The following unaudited pro forma information shows the results of our operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 as if the Merger had occurred on January 1, 2018. The unaudited pro forma information is presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of what would have occurred if the Merger had occurred as of that date. The unaudited pro forma information is also not intended to be a projection of future results due to the integration of TSYS. The unaudited pro forma information reflects the effects of applying our accounting policies and certain pro forma adjustments to the combined historical financial information of Global Payments and TSYS. The pro forma adjustments include: • incremental amortization expense associated with identified intangible assets; • a reduction of revenues and operating expenses associated with fair value adjustments made to acquired assets and assumed liabilities, such as contract cost assets and contract liabilities; • a reduction of interest expense resulting from financing of the Merger, the repayment of TSYS's secured revolving credit facility and fair value adjustments applied to TSYS debt that we assumed; and • the income tax effects of the pro forma adjustments. In addition, the pro forma net income attributable to Global Payments includes recognition of transaction costs related to the Merger in earnings as of the beginning of the earliest period presented. Accordingly, pro forma net income attributable to Global Payments for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 includes approximately $150 million of transaction costs. Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Actual Pro Forma Actual Pro Forma (in thousands) Total revenues $ 1,105,941 $ 1,993,089 $ 857,670 $ 1,864,534 Net income attributable to Global Payments $ 95,044 $ 219,010 $ 176,370 $ 240,478 Nine Months Ended Nine Months Ended Actual Pro Forma Actual Pro Forma (in thousands) Total revenues $ 2,924,131 $ 5,866,522 $ 2,485,811 $ 5,469,240 Net income attributable to Global Payments $ 327,842 $ 614,317 $ 376,838 $ 407,899 SICOM Systems, Inc. On October 17, 2018 , we acquired SICOM Systems, Inc. ("SICOM") for total purchase consideration of $410.2 million , which we funded with cash on hand and incremental debt. SICOM is a provider of end-to-end enterprise, cloud-based software solutions and other technologies to quick service restaurants and food service management companies. The estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,540 Property and equipment 5,838 Identified intangible assets 188,294 Other assets 22,275 Deferred income liabilities (47,610 ) Other liabilities (31,350 ) Total identifiable net assets 144,987 Goodwill 265,214 Total purchase consideration $ 410,201 During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , we made an adjustment of $0.4 million to reflect an increase in the total purchase consideration, which resulted in a corresponding increase in goodwill. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of $265.2 million , included in the North America segment, was attributable to expected growth opportunities, an assembled workforce and potential synergies from combining the acquired business into our existing business. We expect that approximately $40 million of the goodwill from this acquisition will be deductible for income tax purposes. The following table reflects the estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of SICOM and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 104,900 14 Acquired technologies 65,312 6 Trademarks and trade names 11,202 3 Contract-based intangible assets 6,880 5 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 188,294 10 AdvancedMD, Inc. On September 4, 2018 , we acquired AdvancedMD, Inc. ("AdvancedMD") for total purchase consideration of $706.9 million , which we funded with cash on hand and incremental debt. AdvancedMD is a provider of cloud-based enterprise software solutions to small-to-medium sized ambulatory care physician practices. The estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,657 Property and equipment 5,672 Identified intangible assets 419,500 Other assets 11,785 Deferred income tax liabilities (94,044 ) Other liabilities (15,647 ) Total identifiable net assets 334,923 Goodwill 371,962 Total purchase consideration $ 706,885 During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 , we made measurement-period adjustments of $4.7 million primarily related to a reduction in deferred income tax liabilities, which resulted in a corresponding reduction in goodwill. Goodwill arising from the acquisition of $372.0 million , included in the North America segment, was attributable to expected growth opportunities, an assembled workforce and potential synergies from combining the acquired business into our existing business. We expect that substantially all of the goodwill from this acquisition will not be deductible for income tax purposes. The following table reflects the estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of AdvancedMD and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 303,100 11 Acquired technologies 83,700 5 Trademarks and trade names 32,700 15 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 419,500 10 Valuation of Identified Intangible Assets

REVENUES

REVENUES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
REVENUES	REVENUES The following tables present a disaggregation of our revenue from contracts with customers by distribution channel for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018: Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 310,389 $ 114,562 $ 29,829 $ — $ 454,780 Technology-enabled 369,147 50,388 28,851 — 448,386 679,536 164,950 58,680 — 903,166 Wholesale 55,305 — — — 55,305 734,841 164,950 58,680 — 958,471 TSYS — — — 147,470 147,470 $ 734,841 $ 164,950 $ 58,680 $ 147,470 $ 1,105,941 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 254,593 $ 105,468 $ 33,612 $ — $ 393,673 Technology-enabled 317,206 52,116 22,759 — 392,081 571,799 157,584 56,371 — 785,754 Wholesale 71,916 — — — 71,916 643,715 157,584 56,371 — 857,670 TSYS — — — — — $ 643,715 $ 157,584 $ 56,371 $ — $ 857,670 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 882,026 $ 319,781 $ 93,990 $ — $ 1,295,797 Technology-enabled 1,061,094 148,387 85,321 — 1,294,802 1,943,120 468,168 179,311 — 2,590,599 Wholesale 186,062 — — — 186,062 2,129,182 468,168 179,311 — 2,776,661 TSYS — — — 147,470 147,470 $ 2,129,182 $ 468,168 $ 179,311 $ 147,470 $ 2,924,131 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 725,874 $ 300,642 $ 101,225 $ — $ 1,127,741 Technology-enabled 896,982 155,850 68,549 — 1,121,381 1,622,856 456,492 169,774 — 2,249,122 Wholesale 236,689 — — — 236,689 1,859,545 456,492 169,774 — 2,485,811 TSYS — — — — — $ 1,859,545 $ 456,492 $ 169,774 $ — $ 2,485,811 ASC 606 requires that we determine for each customer arrangement whether revenue should be recognized at a point in time or over time. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , substantially all of our revenues were recognized over time. Supplemental balance sheet information related to contracts from customers as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Assets: Capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts, net Other noncurrent assets $ 216,540 $ 194,616 Capitalized costs to fulfill customer contracts, net Other noncurrent assets $ 24,114 $ 12,954 Liabilities: Contract liabilities, net (current) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 195,472 $ 146,947 Contract liabilities, net (noncurrent) Other noncurrent liabilities $ 28,039 $ 8,595 The increase in contract liabilities during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was primarily attributable to contract liabilities assumed in the Merger. Net contract assets were not material at September 30, 2019 or at December 31, 2018. Revenue recognized for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 from contract liability balances at the beginning of each period was $52.0 million and $39.2 million , respectively. Revenue recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 from contract liability balances at the beginning of each period was $122.7 million and $90.2 million , respectively. ASC 606 requires disclosure of the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations. The purpose of this disclosure is to provide additional information about the amounts and expected timing of revenue to be recognized from the remaining performance obligations in our existing contracts. The following table includes estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. However, as permitted by ASC 606, we have elected to exclude from this disclosure any contracts with an original duration of one year or less and any variable consideration that meets specified criteria. Accordingly, the total unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations related to processing services is significantly higher than the amounts disclosed in table below. Estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at September 30, 2019 as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 228,002 2020 746,107 2021 608,080 2022 435,065 2023-2029 526,047 Total $ 2,543,301

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE A

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , goodwill and other intangible assets consisted of the following: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Goodwill $ 23,754,450 $ 6,341,355 Other intangible assets: Customer-related intangible assets $ 8,812,560 $ 2,486,217 Acquired technologies 2,726,862 896,701 Contract-based intangible assets 1,981,156 178,391 Trademarks and trade names 1,357,763 289,588 14,878,341 3,850,897 Less accumulated amortization: Customer-related intangible assets 1,032,218 860,715 Acquired technologies 474,904 351,170 Contract-based intangible assets 75,804 67,160 Trademarks and trade names 111,024 83,234 1,693,950 1,362,279 $ 13,184,391 $ 2,488,618 The following table sets forth the changes by reportable segment in the carrying amount of goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ 5,530,087 $ 484,761 $ 326,507 $ — $ 6,341,355 Effect of foreign currency translation 3,217 (19,533 ) (11,542 ) — (27,858 ) Goodwill acquired — — — 17,440,560 17,440,560 Measurement-period adjustments (4,370 ) — 4,763 — 393 Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 5,528,934 $ 465,228 $ 319,728 $ 17,440,560 $ 23,754,450 There were no accumulated impairment losses for goodwill as of September 30, 2019 or December 31, 2018 .

LEASES

LEASES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
LEASES	LEASES Our leases consist primarily of operating real estate leases for office space and data centers in the markets in which we conduct business. We also have operating and finance leases for computer and other equipment. Many of our leases include escalating rental payments and incentives, as well as termination and renewal options. Certain of our lease agreements provide that we pay the cost of property taxes, insurance and maintenance. As described in "Note 1 —Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," we adopted ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Unless otherwise indicated, the following information in this footnote applies only to periods after December 31, 2018. We evaluate each of our lease and service arrangements at inception to determine if the arrangement is, or contains, a lease and the appropriate classification of each identified lease. A lease exists if we obtain substantially all of the economic benefits of, and have the right to control the use of, an asset for a period of time. Right-of-use assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease agreement. We recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities at the lease commencement date based on the present values of fixed lease payments over the term of the lease. Right-of-use assets may also be adjusted to reflect any prepayments made or any incentive payments received. Operating lease costs and depreciation expense for finance leases are recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We consider a termination or renewal option in the determination of the lease term when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. The weighted-average remaining lease term for operating and finance leases at September 30, 2019 was 7.5 years and 5.4 years, respectively. Because our leases generally do not provide a readily determinable implicit interest rate, we use an incremental borrowing rate to measure the lease liability and associated right-of-use asset at the lease commencement date. The incremental borrowing rate used is a fully collateralized rate that considers our credit rating, market conditions and the term of the lease at the lease commencement date. As of September 30, 2019 , the weighted-average discount rate used in the measurement of operating and finance lease liabilities was 4.1% and 2.8% , respectively. The effects of adopting ASU 2016-02 on our balance sheet as of January 1, 2019 are set forth in the table below. Adoption did not have a material effect on any line items in our consolidated statement of income or on our cash flows from operating activities, investing activities or financing activities included in our consolidated statement of cash flows. As of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities consisted of the following: Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2019 January 1, 2019 (in thousands) Assets: Operating lease right-of-use assets: Real estate Other noncurrent assets $ 368,816 $ 231,720 Computer equipment Other noncurrent assets 85,961 — Other Other noncurrent assets 1,215 4,259 Total operating lease right-of-use-assets 455,992 235,979 Finance lease right-of-use assets: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net $ 22,020 $ — Other Property and equipment, net 4,702 — 26,722 — Less accumulated depreciation: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net (470 ) — Other Property and equipment, net (17 ) — Total accumulated depreciation (487 ) — Total finance lease right-of-use assets 26,235 — Total right-of-use assets (1) $ 482,227 $ 235,979 Liabilities: Operating lease liabilities (current) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 88,280 $ 37,339 Operating lease liabilities (noncurrent) Other noncurrent liabilities 413,111 236,697 Finance lease liabilities (current) Current portion of long-term debt 6,414 — Finance lease liabilities (noncurrent) Long-term debt 27,852 — Total lease liabilities $ 535,657 $ 274,036 (1) Approximately 85% of our right-of-use assets are located in the United States. As of September 30, 2019 , maturities of lease liabilities were as follows: Operating Leases Finance Leases (in thousands) Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 22,197 $ 1,781 2020 106,212 7,328 2021 97,330 7,100 2022 86,099 7,066 2023 57,251 6,674 2024 47,250 6,597 2025 and thereafter 180,794 273 Total lease payments (1) 597,133 36,819 Imputed interest (95,742 ) (2,553 ) Total lease liabilities $ 501,391 $ 34,266 (1) Total operating lease payments did not include approximately $40 million for operating leases that had not yet commenced at September 30, 2019 . We expect the lease commencement dates for these leases to occur later in 2019 and in 2020. Operating lease costs in our consolidated statement of income for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $23.4 million , including $20.4 million in selling, general and administrative expenses and $3.0 million in cost of services. Operating lease costs in our consolidated statement of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were $53.3 million , including $47.9 million in selling, general and administrative expenses and $5.4 million in cost of services. Total lease costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 include variable lease costs of approximately $9.0 million and $14.0 million , respectively, which are primarily comprised of the cost of property taxes, insurance and maintenance. Finance lease costs and lease costs for leases with a term of less than twelve months were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 . Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $43.0 million , which is included as a component of cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows. Operating lease liabilities arising from obtaining new or modified right-of-use assets, net of reductions resulting from certain lease modifications, were approximately $23.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 . In connection with the Merger, we acquired right-of-use assets and assumed lease liabilities of $256.6 million and $271.9 million , respectively. Future minimum payments at December 31, 2018 for noncancelable operating leases were as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31: 2019 $ 50,095 2020 47,700 2021 40,035 2022 37,055 2023 33,298 2024 and thereafter 225,225 Total future minimum payments (1) $ 433,408 (1) Future minimum lease payments included approximately $70 million for operating leases that had not commenced at December 31, 2018.
LEASES	LEASES Our leases consist primarily of operating real estate leases for office space and data centers in the markets in which we conduct business. We also have operating and finance leases for computer and other equipment. Many of our leases include escalating rental payments and incentives, as well as termination and renewal options. Certain of our lease agreements provide that we pay the cost of property taxes, insurance and maintenance. As described in "Note 1 —Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," we adopted ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Unless otherwise indicated, the following information in this footnote applies only to periods after December 31, 2018. We evaluate each of our lease and service arrangements at inception to determine if the arrangement is, or contains, a lease and the appropriate classification of each identified lease. A lease exists if we obtain substantially all of the economic benefits of, and have the right to control the use of, an asset for a period of time. Right-of-use assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease agreement. We recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities at the lease commencement date based on the present values of fixed lease payments over the term of the lease. Right-of-use assets may also be adjusted to reflect any prepayments made or any incentive payments received. Operating lease costs and depreciation expense for finance leases are recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We consider a termination or renewal option in the determination of the lease term when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. The weighted-average remaining lease term for operating and finance leases at September 30, 2019 was 7.5 years and 5.4 years, respectively. Because our leases generally do not provide a readily determinable implicit interest rate, we use an incremental borrowing rate to measure the lease liability and associated right-of-use asset at the lease commencement date. The incremental borrowing rate used is a fully collateralized rate that considers our credit rating, market conditions and the term of the lease at the lease commencement date. As of September 30, 2019 , the weighted-average discount rate used in the measurement of operating and finance lease liabilities was 4.1% and 2.8% , respectively. The effects of adopting ASU 2016-02 on our balance sheet as of January 1, 2019 are set forth in the table below. Adoption did not have a material effect on any line items in our consolidated statement of income or on our cash flows from operating activities, investing activities or financing activities included in our consolidated statement of cash flows. As of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities consisted of the following: Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2019 January 1, 2019 (in thousands) Assets: Operating lease right-of-use assets: Real estate Other noncurrent assets $ 368,816 $ 231,720 Computer equipment Other noncurrent assets 85,961 — Other Other noncurrent assets 1,215 4,259 Total operating lease right-of-use-assets 455,992 235,979 Finance lease right-of-use assets: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net $ 22,020 $ — Other Property and equipment, net 4,702 — 26,722 — Less accumulated depreciation: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net (470 ) — Other Property and equipment, net (17 ) — Total accumulated depreciation (487 ) — Total finance lease right-of-use assets 26,235 — Total right-of-use assets (1) $ 482,227 $ 235,979 Liabilities: Operating lease liabilities (current) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 88,280 $ 37,339 Operating lease liabilities (noncurrent) Other noncurrent liabilities 413,111 236,697 Finance lease liabilities (current) Current portion of long-term debt 6,414 — Finance lease liabilities (noncurrent) Long-term debt 27,852 — Total lease liabilities $ 535,657 $ 274,036 (1) Approximately 85% of our right-of-use assets are located in the United States. As of September 30, 2019 , maturities of lease liabilities were as follows: Operating Leases Finance Leases (in thousands) Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 22,197 $ 1,781 2020 106,212 7,328 2021 97,330 7,100 2022 86,099 7,066 2023 57,251 6,674 2024 47,250 6,597 2025 and thereafter 180,794 273 Total lease payments (1) 597,133 36,819 Imputed interest (95,742 ) (2,553 ) Total lease liabilities $ 501,391 $ 34,266 (1) Total operating lease payments did not include approximately $40 million for operating leases that had not yet commenced at September 30, 2019 . We expect the lease commencement dates for these leases to occur later in 2019 and in 2020. Operating lease costs in our consolidated statement of income for the three months ended September 30, 2019 were $23.4 million , including $20.4 million in selling, general and administrative expenses and $3.0 million in cost of services. Operating lease costs in our consolidated statement of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 were $53.3 million , including $47.9 million in selling, general and administrative expenses and $5.4 million in cost of services. Total lease costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 include variable lease costs of approximately $9.0 million and $14.0 million , respectively, which are primarily comprised of the cost of property taxes, insurance and maintenance. Finance lease costs and lease costs for leases with a term of less than twelve months were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 . Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $43.0 million , which is included as a component of cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows. Operating lease liabilities arising from obtaining new or modified right-of-use assets, net of reductions resulting from certain lease modifications, were approximately $23.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 . In connection with the Merger, we acquired right-of-use assets and assumed lease liabilities of $256.6 million and $271.9 million , respectively. Future minimum payments at December 31, 2018 for noncancelable operating leases were as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31: 2019 $ 50,095 2020 47,700 2021 40,035 2022 37,055 2023 33,298 2024 and thereafter 225,225 Total future minimum payments (1) $ 433,408 (1) Future minimum lease payments included approximately $70 million for operating leases that had not commenced at December 31, 2018.

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CRE

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT	LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , long-term debt consisted of the following: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Long-term Debt 3.800% senior notes due April 1, 2021 $ 763,194 $ — 3.750% senior notes due June 1, 2023 568,598 — 4.000% senior notes due June 1, 2023 574,170 — 2.650% senior notes due February 15, 2025 991,090 — 4.800% senior notes due April 1, 2026 823,448 — 4.450% senior notes due June 1, 2028 488,081 — 3.200% senior notes due August 15, 2029 1,234,560 — 4.150% senior notes due August 15, 2049 739,410 — Unsecured term loan facility 1,980,886 — Unsecured revolving credit facility 783,000 — Secured term loans (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility) — 4,426,243 Secured revolving credit facility (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility) — 704,000 Finance lease liabilities 34,266 — Other borrowings 40,374 — Total long-term debt 9,021,077 5,130,243 Less current portion 33,373 115,075 Long-term debt, excluding current portion $ 8,987,704 $ 5,015,168 The carrying amounts of our senior notes and term loans are presented net of unamortized discount and unamortized debt issuance costs, as applicable. At September 30, 2019 , unamortized discount on senior notes was $6.0 million , and unamortized debt issuance costs on senior notes and the unsecured term loan facility were $48.0 million . Unamortized debt issuance costs on our secured term loans at December 31, 2018 were $37.4 million . The portion of unamortized debt issuance costs related to revolving credit facilities is included in other noncurrent assets. At September 30, 2019 , unamortized debt issuance costs on the unsecured revolving credit facility were $18.6 million , and, at December 31, 2018, unamortized debt issuance costs on the secured revolving credit facility were $12.9 million . The debt discounts and debt issuance costs are recognized as an increase to interest expense over the terms of the respective debt instruments. Amortization of discounts and debt issuance costs was $3.1 million and $9.2 million , respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 . Amortization of debt issuance costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $2.9 million and $8.6 million , respectively. At September 30, 2019 , maturities of long-term debt (excluding finance lease liabilities) were as follows by year (in thousands): Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 11,536 2020 22,953 2021 754,906 2022 50,038 2023 1,300,000 2024 2,533,000 2025 and thereafter 4,200,000 Total $ 8,872,433 See "Note 5 —Leases" for more information about our finance lease liabilities, including maturities. Bridge Facility On May 27, 2019, in connection with our entry into the Merger Agreement described in "Note 2 —Acquisitions," we obtained commitments for a $2.75 billion , 364 -day senior unsecured bridge facility (the "Bridge Facility"). On July 9, 2019, upon our entry into the Term Loan Facility and the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (each as defined below), the aggregate commitments under the Bridge Facility were reduced to approximately $2.1 billion . Concurrently with the issuance of the Senior Notes (as defined below), the remaining aggregate commitments under the Bridge Facility were reduced to zero and terminated. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 , we recognized $8.8 million and $11.7 million , respectively, of fees associated with the Bridge Facility in interest expense. New Facilities On July 9, 2019, we entered into a term loan credit agreement ("Term Loan Credit Agreement") and a revolving credit agreement ("Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement") in each case with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and a syndicate of financial institutions, as lenders and other agents. The Term Loan Credit Agreement provides for a senior unsecured $2.0 billion term loan facility ("Term Loan Facility"). The Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a senior unsecured $3.0 billion revolving credit facility ("Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility," together with the Term Loan Facility, the "New Facilities"). We capitalized debt issuance costs of $12.8 million in connection with the issuances under the New Facilities. Borrowings under the Term Loan Facility were made in U.S. dollars and borrowings under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility are available to be made in U.S. dollars, euros, sterling, Canadian dollars and, subject to certain conditions, certain other currencies at our option. Borrowings in U.S. dollars and certain other London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR")-quoted currencies will bear interest, at our option, at a rate equal to either (1) the rate (adjusted for any statutory reserve requirements for eurocurrency liabilities) for eurodollar deposits in the London interbank market, (2) a floating rate of interest set forth on the applicable LIBOR screen page designated by Bank of America or (3) the highest of (a) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.5% , (b) the rate of interest as publicly announced by Bank of America as its "prime rate" or (c) LIBOR plus 1.0% , in each case, plus an applicable margin. As of September 30, 2019 , the interest rates on the Term Loan Facility and the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility were 3.42% and 3.33% , respectively. In addition, we are required to pay a quarterly commitment fee with respect to the unused portion of the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility at an applicable rate per annum ranging from 0.125% to 0.300% depending on our credit rating. Beginning on December 31, 2022, and at the end of each quarter thereafter, the Term Loan Facility must be repaid in quarterly installments in the amount of 2.50% of original principal through the maturity date with the remaining principal balance due upon maturity in September 2024 . The Unsecured Revolving Credit Agreement also matures in September 2024 . We may issue standby letters of credit of up to $250 million in the aggregate under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility. Outstanding letters of credit under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility reduce the amount of borrowings available to us. The total available commitments under the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility at September 30, 2019 were $2,198.8 million . Senior Notes On August 14, 2019, we completed the public offering and issuance of $3.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes, consisting of the following: (i) $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 2.650% senior notes due 2025; (ii) $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.200% senior notes due 2029; and (iii) $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.150% senior notes due 2049 (collectively, the "Senior Notes"). Interest on the Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on each February 15 and August 15, beginning on February 15, 2020. Each series of the Senior Notes is redeemable, at our option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time-to-time at the redemption prices set forth in the related indenture. We issued the Senior Notes at a total discount of $6.1 million and capitalized related debt issuance costs of $29.3 million . From August 14, 2019 to the closing date of the Merger, the proceeds from the issuance of the Senior Notes were held in escrow. Upon closing, the funds were released and used together with borrowings under the Term Loan Facility and the Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility and cash on hand to repay TSYS's unsecured revolving credit facility, to refinance certain of our existing indebtedness, to fund cash payments made in lieu of fractional shares payable in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement and to pay transaction fees and costs related to the Merger. In addition, in connection with the Merger, we assumed $3.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes of TSYS, consisting of the following: (i) $750 million aggregate principal amount of 3.800% senior notes due 2021; (ii) $550 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% senior notes due 2023; (iii) $550 million aggregate principal amount of 4.000% senior notes due 2023; (iv) $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.800% senior notes due 2026; and (v) $450 million aggregate principal amount of 4.450% senior notes due 2028. For the 3.800% senior notes due 2021 and the 4.800% senior notes due 2026, interest is payable semi-annually each April 1 and October 1. For the 3.750% senior notes due 2023, the 4.000% senior notes due 2023 and the 4.450% senior notes due 2028, interest is payable semi-annually each June 1 and December 1. The senior notes assumed in the Merger were measured at fair value of $3.2 billion at the acquisition date, which exceeded their aggregate face value by $169.0 million . The difference between the fair value and face value of the assumed senior notes is recognized over the terms of the respective notes as a reduction of interest expense. The amortization of this fair value adjustment was $1.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 . As of September 30, 2019 , our senior notes had an estimated fair value of $6,313.2 million . The estimated fair value of our senior notes was based on quoted market prices in an active market and is considered to be a Level 1 measurement of the valuation hierarchy. The fair value of other long-term debt approximated its carrying amount at September 30, 2019 . Prior Credit Facility Prior to completion of the Merger, we were party to a credit facility agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and a syndicate of financial institutions, as lenders and other agents (as amended from time to time, the "Prior Credit Facility"). The Prior Credit Facility provided for secured financing comprised of (i) a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility; (ii) a $1.5 billion term loan; (iii) a $1.37 billion term loan; (iv) a $1.14 billion term loan; and (v) a $500 million term loan. Upon the consummation of the Merger, all borrowings outstanding and other amounts due under the Prior Credit Facility were repaid with proceeds from the New Facilities and the Prior Credit Facility was terminated. In connection with the extinguishment of the Prior Credit Facility in the three months ended September 30, 2019 , we wrote-off related unamortized debt issuance costs of $16.7 million to interest expense. Compliance with Covenants The Term Loan Credit Agreement contains customary conditions to funding, affirmative covenants, negative covenants, financial covenants and events of default. The Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility Agreement contains customary conditions to funding, affirmative covenants, negative covenants and events of default. As of September 30, 2019, financial covenants under the Term Loan Credit Agreement required a leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00 and an interest coverage ratio of 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2019 . Settlement Lines of Credit In various markets where we do business, we have specialized lines of credit, which are restricted for use in funding settlement. The settlement lines of credit generally have variable interest rates, are subject to annual review and are denominated in local currency but may, in some cases, facilitate borrowings in multiple currencies. For certain of our lines of credit, the available credit is increased by the amount of cash we have on deposit in specific accounts with the lender. Accordingly, the amount of the outstanding line of credit may exceed the stated credit limit. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , a total of $72.1 million and $70.6 million , respectively, of cash on deposit was used to determine the available credit. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively, we had $547.6 million and $700.5 million outstanding under these lines of credit with additional capacity to fund settlement of $871.9 million as of September 30, 2019 . The weighted-average interest rate on these borrowings was 3.34% and 2.97% at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , respectively. During the three months ended September 30, 2019 , the maximum and average outstanding balances under these lines of credit were $699.0 million and $426.6 million , respectively. Derivative Agreements We have interest rate swap agreements with financial institutions to hedge changes in cash flows attributable to interest rate risk on a portion of our variable-rate debt instruments. Net amounts to be received or paid under the swap agreements are reflected as adjustments to interest expense. Since we have designated the interest rate swap agreements as portfolio cash flow hedges, unrealized gains or losses resulting from adjusting the swaps to fair value are recorded as components of other comprehensive income (loss). In addition, in June 2019, we entered into forward-starting interest rate swap agreements with an aggregate notional amount of $1.0 billion . The forward-starting interest rate swaps, designated as cash flow hedges, were designed to manage the exposure to interest rate volatility in anticipation of the issuance of the Senior Notes. During the period from the commencement of the swaps through the date upon which the Senior Notes were issued, the effective portion of the unrealized losses on the swaps was included in other comprehensive loss. Upon issuance of the Senior Notes, we terminated the forward-starting swap agreements and made settlement payments of $48.3 million , which are included cash flows from operating activities in our consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 within the caption labeled "Other, net." We have and will continue to reclassify the effective portion of the realized loss from accumulated other comprehensive loss into interest expense over the terms of the related Senior Notes. The fair values of the interest rate swaps were determined based on the present value of the estimated future net cash flows using implied rates in the applicable yield curve as of the valuation date. These derivative instruments were classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. The table below presents the fair values of our derivative financial instruments, designated as cash flow hedges, included in the consolidated balance sheets: Fair Values Derivative Financial Instruments Balance Sheet Location Weighted-Average Fixed Rate of Interest at September 30, 2019 Range of Maturity Dates at September 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Interest rate swaps (Notional of $500 million at September 30, 2019 and $750 million at December 31, 2018) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1.46% December 31, 2019 - July 31, 2020 $ 950 $ 3,200 Interest rate swaps (Notional of $550 million at December 31, 2018) Other noncurrent assets NA NA $ — $ 8,256 Interest rate swaps (Notional of $1.5 billion at September 30, 2019 and $950 million at December 31, 2018) Other noncurrent liabilities 2.57% March 31, 2021 - December 31, 2022 $ 55,238 $ 14,601 NA - not applicable. The table below presents the effects of our interest rate swaps on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Net unrealized (losses) gains recognized in other comprehensive loss $ (40,265 ) $ 1,845 $ (96,997 ) $ 12,353 Net unrealized losses (gains) reclassified out of other comprehensive loss to interest expense $ 1,193 $ (1,663 ) $ (1,530 ) $ (2,830 ) As of September 30, 2019 , the amount of net unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to our interest rate swaps that is expected to be reclassified into interest expense during the next 12 months was approximately $19.1 million . Interest Expense Interest expense was approximately $96 million and $46 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, and approximately $221 million and $140 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 , respectively.

INCOME TAX

INCOME TAX	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAX	INCOME TAX Our effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was a benefit of 18.7% , and our effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was 10.1% . Our effective income tax rates for those periods differed from the U.S. statutory rate primarily as a result of: • the reduction of our U.S. deferred tax liability resulting from the effect of the Merger on the apportionment of income among the states; • excess tax benefits of share-based awards that are recognized upon vesting or settlement; • the U.S. tax benefits associated with income derived from foreign sources; and • the recognition of the benefit of uncertain tax positions due to the effective settlement of the positions. Our effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was a benefit of 3.4% , and our effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was 10.4% . During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, we reduced our estimated transition tax liability associated with the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 by $23.3 million , which was the primary reason our effective income tax rates for those periods differed from the U.S. statutory rate. We conduct business globally and file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. In the normal course of business, we are subject to examination by taxing authorities around the world, including, without limitation, the United States and the United Kingdom. We are no longer subject to state income tax examinations for years ended on or before May 31, 2010 , U.S. federal income tax examinations for years ended on or before May 31, 2016 and U.K. federal income tax examinations for years ended on or before May 31, 2015 .

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY We repurchase our common stock mainly through open market repurchase plans and, at times, through accelerated share repurchase programs. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, we repurchased and retired 1,808,398 shares and 1,612,174 shares of our common stock at a cost, including commissions, of $230.0 million and $180.9 million , respectively, or $127.18 per share and $112.19 per share. We did not repurchase any shares of our common stock during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. As of September 30, 2019 , we were authorized to repurchase up to $568.0 million of our common stock. In connection with the completion of the Merger, our Articles of Incorporation were amended to increase the number of authorized shares of Global Payments common stock from 200 million to 400 million . On October 24, 2019 , our board of directors declared a dividend of $0.195 per share payable on December 27, 2019 to common shareholders of record as of December 13, 2019 .

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OP

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS	SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS The following table summarizes share-based compensation expense and the related income tax benefit recognized for our share-based awards and stock options: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Share-based compensation expense $ 27,877 $ 14,833 $ 55,791 $ 44,937 Income tax benefit $ 4,396 $ 3,614 $ 10,633 $ 10,276 Share-Based Awards The following table summarizes the changes in unvested restricted stock and performance awards for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value (in thousands) Unvested at December 31, 2018 1,084 $108.51 Replacement Awards 894 163.74 Granted 772 141.42 Vested (490 ) 71.92 Forfeited (88 ) 112.47 Unvested at September 30, 2019 2,172 $151.06 The total fair value of restricted stock and performance awards vested during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 was $35.3 million and $45.0 million , respectively. For restricted stock and performance awards, we recognized compensation expense of $20.2 million and $13.8 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 , respectively, and $45.0 million and $41.1 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 , respectively. As of September 30, 2019 , there was $175.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested restricted stock and performance awards that we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years. Our restricted stock and performance award plans provide for accelerated vesting under certain conditions. Stock Options The following table summarizes changes in stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) (years) (in millions) Outstanding at December 31, 2018 598 $59.16 6.2 $27.3 Replacement Awards 1,336 68.96 Granted 109 128.22 Exercised (221 ) 32.54 Outstanding at September 30, 2019 1,822 $73.71 6.8 $155.4 Options vested and exercisable at September 30, 2019 1,217 $57.29 5.9 $123.7 We recognized compensation expense for stock options of $7.0 million and $0.7 million during the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $8.6 million and $2.3 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $22.9 million and $15.9 million , respectively. As of September 30, 2019 , we had $15.4 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options that we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 1.7 years. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of stock options granted, including Replacement Awards, during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $99.56 and $35.09 , respectively. Fair value was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Risk-free interest rate 1.72% 2.60% Expected volatility 31% 29% Dividend yield 0.04% 0.04% Expected term (years) 5 5 The risk-free interest rate was based on the yield of a zero coupon U.S. Treasury security with a maturity equal to the expected life of the option from the date of the grant. Our assumption on expected volatility was based on our historical volatility. The dividend yield assumption was determined using our average stock price over the preceding year and the annualized amount of our most current quarterly dividend per share. We based our assumptions on the expected term of the options on our analysis of the historical exercise patterns of the options and our assumption on the future exercise pattern of options.

EARNINGS PER SHARE

EARNINGS PER SHARE	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
EARNINGS PER SHARE	EARNINGS PER SHARE Basic earnings per share ("EPS") was computed by dividing net income attributable to Global Payments by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period. Earnings available to common shareholders was the same as reported net income attributable to Global Payments for all periods presented. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income attributable to Global Payments by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period, including the effect of share-based awards that would have a dilutive effect on EPS. All stock options with an exercise price lower than the average market share price of our common stock for the period are assumed to have a dilutive effect on EPS. The following table sets forth the computation of diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 177,039 158,168 163,846 158,827 Plus: Dilutive effect of stock options and other share-based awards 504 538 485 632 Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 177,543 158,706 164,331 159,459

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS The changes in the accumulated balances for each component of other comprehensive income (loss) were as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Foreign Currency Translation Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Hedging Activities Other Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (in thousands) Balance at June 30, 2019 $ (289,194 ) $ (47,313 ) $ (3,399 ) $ (339,906 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (58,415 ) (29,783 ) 37 (88,161 ) Balance at September 30, 2019 $ (347,609 ) $ (77,096 ) $ (3,362 ) $ (428,067 ) Balance at June 30, 2018 $ (253,372 ) $ 14,030 $ (4,287 ) $ (243,629 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (26,930 ) 72 (58 ) (26,916 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (280,302 ) $ 14,102 $ (4,345 ) $ (270,545 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, which relates only to foreign currency translation, was a loss of $8.7 million and income of $11.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Foreign Currency Translation Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Hedging Activities Other Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (in thousands) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ (304,274 ) $ (2,374 ) $ (3,527 ) $ (310,175 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (43,335 ) (74,722 ) 165 (117,892 ) Balance at September 30, 2019 $ (347,609 ) $ (77,096 ) $ (3,362 ) $ (428,067 ) Balance at December 31, 2017 $ (185,856 ) $ 6,999 $ (4,287 ) $ (183,144 ) Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard (1,843 ) — — (1,843 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (92,603 ) 7,103 (58 ) (85,558 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (280,302 ) $ 14,102 $ (4,345 ) $ (270,545 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests, which relates only to foreign currency translation, was a loss of $9.4 million and income of $11.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

SEGMENT INFORMATION

SEGMENT INFORMATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT INFORMATION	SEGMENT INFORMATION Prior to the completion of the Merger, we operated in three reportable segments: North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. As a result of the Merger, we anticipate realigning our executive management and organizational structures. As of September 30, 2019, we were still assessing changes in our internal management reporting structure to incorporate TSYS and the effects it may have on our reportable segments. Because this process was not complete as of September 30, 2019 , we have reported the results of operations of TSYS from the acquisition date to September 30, 2019 as a separate reportable segment. In future periods, once the new management and organizational structures have been established, we will report financial information for our new reportable segments and recast prior periods to reflect the change, as necessary. We evaluate performance and allocate resources based on the operating income of each operating segment. The operating income of each operating segment includes the revenues of the segment less expenses that are directly related to those revenues. Operating overhead, shared costs and share-based compensation costs are included in Corporate. Interest and other income, interest and other expense and income tax expense are not allocated to the individual segments. We do not evaluate the performance of or allocate resources to our operating segments using asset data. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and our summary of significant accounting policies in "Note 1 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies." Information on segments and reconciliations to consolidated revenues and consolidated operating income was as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Revenues (1) : North America $ 734,841 $ 643,715 $ 2,129,182 $ 1,859,545 Europe 164,950 157,584 468,168 456,492 Asia-Pacific 58,680 56,371 179,311 169,774 TSYS 147,470 — 147,470 — Consolidated revenues $ 1,105,941 $ 857,670 $ 2,924,131 $ 2,485,811 Operating income (loss) (1) : North America $ 205,728 $ 174,012 $ 547,160 $ 446,600 Europe 91,332 85,781 249,638 239,011 Asia-Pacific 24,187 23,692 74,718 67,043 TSYS (2) (11,124 ) — (11,124 ) — Corporate (2) (136,086 ) (60,323 ) (265,137 ) (182,585 ) Consolidated operating income $ 174,037 $ 223,162 $ 595,255 $ 570,069 Depreciation and amortization (1) : North America $ 123,075 $ 106,022 $ 375,885 $ 313,980 Europe 12,876 11,660 38,971 36,180 Asia-Pacific 5,201 4,381 15,382 13,740 TSYS 40,213 — 40,213 — Corporate 2,381 1,994 7,047 5,548 Consolidated depreciation and amortization $ 183,746 $ 124,057 $ 477,498 $ 369,448 (1) Revenues, operating income and depreciation and amortization reflect the effects of acquired businesses from the respective acquisition dates. For further discussion of our acquisitions, see "Note 2 — Acquisitions." (2) Operating loss for Corporate included acquisition and integration expenses of $80.0 million and $8.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Operating loss for Corporate included acquisition and integration expenses of $99.5 million and $34.6 million , respectively for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. Operating loss for TSYS included acquisition and integration expenses of $20.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 .

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Matters Six putative class action lawsuits challenging the Merger were filed. Two of these lawsuits, captioned Peters v. Total System Services, Inc. et al. (Case No. 4:19-cv-00114) and Wolf v. Total System Services, Inc., et al. (Case No. 4:19-cv-00115), were filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia on July 18, 2019. The third lawsuit, captioned Drulias v. Global Payments Inc., et. al (Case No. 60774/2019) was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester on July 19, 2019. The fourth lawsuit, captioned Hickey v. Total System Services, Inc., et al. (Civil Action No. 1:19-cv-03337-LMM) was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, on July 23, 2019. The fifth lawsuit, captioned, Cason v. Total System Services, Inc., et al. (Case No. 1:19-cv-07471) was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 9, 2019. The sixth lawsuit, captioned, Cheng v. Total System Services, et al. (Case No: 1:19-cv-01513-UNA) was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware on August 13, 2019. The complaints filed in the lawsuits assert, among other matters, claims for filing a materially incomplete registration statement with the SEC. Global Payments and TSYS released supplemental disclosures relating to the Merger in late August 2019, and the Peters lawsuit, the Wolf lawsuit and the Cheng lawsuit have been voluntarily dismissed. On September 23, 2019, a jury in the Superior Court of Dekalb County, Georgia, awarded Frontline Processing Corp. ("Frontline") $135.2 million in damages, costs and attorney's fees (plus interest) following a trial of a breach of contract dispute between Frontline and Global Payments, wherein Frontline alleged that Global Payments violated provisions of the parties' Referral Agreement and Master Services Agreement. The Superior Court entered a final judgment on the verdict in favor of Frontline on September 30, 2019 . We believe the jury verdict is in error and Frontline’s case is completely without merit, and we are appealing the decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals. While it is reasonably possible that we will incur some loss between zero and the judgment amount plus interest, we have determined that it is not probable that Global Payments has incurred a loss under the applicable accounting standard (ASC Topic 450, Loss Contingencies ) as of September 30, 2019 . As a result, we have not recorded a liability on the consolidated balance sheet with respect to this litigation.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUM_2

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business, consolidation and presentation	Business, consolidation and presentation — Global Payments Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to herein collectively as "Global Payments," the "Company," "we," "our" or "us," unless the context requires otherwise. On May 27, 2019 , we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") with Total System Services, Inc. ("TSYS") providing for the merger of TSYS with and into Global Payments, with Global Payments as the surviving entity (the "Merger"). We consummated the Merger on September 18, 2019 . Prior to the Merger, TSYS was a leading global payments provider, offering seamless, secure and innovative solutions to issuers, merchants and consumers. Through our combination with TSYS, we are now a leading pure play payments technology company delivering innovative software and services to our customers globally. See "Note 2 —Acquisitions" for more information about the Merger. These unaudited consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our majority-owned subsidiaries, and all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 was derived from the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of our management, all known adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been made. These adjustments consist of normal recurring accruals and estimates that affect the carrying amount of assets and liabilities. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 .
Use of estimates	Use of estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements and Recently Issued Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements — In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases." ASU 2016-02 requires recognition of assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leases and new disclosures about leases. We adopted ASU 2016-02, as well as other related clarifications and interpretive guidance issued by the FASB, on January 1, 2019 using the optional modified retrospective transition method. Under this transition method, we did not recast the prior period financial statements presented. We elected the transition package of three practical expedients, which among other things, allowed for the carryforward of historical lease classifications. We made an accounting policy election to not recognize assets or liabilities for leases with a term of less than twelve months and to account for all components in a lease arrangement as a single combined lease component for all of our then existing asset classes. In connection with the Merger, we acquired right-of-use assets that represent an additional asset class for computer equipment, for which we account for lease and nonlease components separately. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 resulted in the measurement and recognition of lease liabilities in the amount of $274.0 million and right-of-use assets in the amount of $236.0 million as of January 1, 2019. Lease liabilities were measured as the present value of remaining lease payments, and the corresponding right-of-use assets were measured at an amount equal to the lease liabilities adjusted by the amounts of certain assets and liabilities, such as prepaid rent and deferred lease obligations, that we previously recognized on the balance sheet prior to the initial application of ASU 2016-02. To calculate the present value of remaining lease payments, we elected to use an incremental borrowing rate based on the remaining lease term at transition. Recently Issued Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted — In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement that is a Service Contract (A Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." ASU 2018-15 provides additional guidance on the accounting for costs of implementation activities performed in a cloud computing arrangement (i.e., hosting arrangement) that is a service contract. The new guidance amends the definition of a hosting arrangement and requires a customer in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to capitalize certain implementation costs as if the arrangement was an internal-use software project. The amendments in this update also provide additional presentation and disclosure requirements, including requirements to disclose the nature of an entity’s hosting arrangements that are service contracts, as well as quantitative information about capitalized implementation costs and related amortization expense. The guidance will become effective for us on January 1, 2020. We expect to apply the guidance prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We are finalizing our comparison of the guidance in ASU 2018-15 to our current accounting and financial reporting practices for costs of implementation activities performed in cloud computing arrangements. We are also evaluating the need for changes to our internal controls. We have not yet completed our assessment or quantified the effect, if any, of ASU 2018-15 on our consolidated balance sheet or our statements of income and cash flows; however, our preliminary expectation is that the adoption of this standard will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. We have historically capitalized implementation costs associated with cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts following the guidance in Subtopic 350-40 and expect to continue to do so pursuant to the clarifications provided in the new guidance. We expect to amortize deferred implementation costs to expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the applicable hosting arrangement. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ." The amendments in this update change how companies measure and recognize credit impairment for many financial instruments measured at amortized cost. The new model for current expected credit losses ("CECL") will require us to recognize an estimate of credit losses expected to occur over the remaining life of the financial instruments that are within the scope of the update, including accounts receivable and settlement processing assets, each of which are short-term in nature. Under current GAAP, credit losses on these financial instruments are not recognized until their occurrence is deemed to be probable. The guidance will become effective for us on January 1, 2020. In general, the new guidance will require modified retrospective application to all outstanding financial assets that are within the scope of the update, with a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, recorded to retained earnings as of the date of adoption. We are continuing to evaluate the effect of ASU 2016-13 on our consolidated financial statements, including comparing how we currently measure and recognize our allowance for doubtful accounts on accounts receivable and our reserve for operating losses and sales allowances to how we would make such measurements applying the new CECL model. We have not yet completed our assessment or quantified the effect, if any, of ASU 2016-13 on our consolidated balance sheet or our statements of income and cash flows; however, we believe the adoption of this new standard may require expanded qualitative disclosures about our financial assets and related allowance for credit losses, as well as implementation of new or modified internal controls. As a result of the Merger, we have expanded our efforts to evaluate the effects of these new standards on the combined company, and we are incorporating TSYS into our evaluation.

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
TSYS
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Preliminary Fair Value of Merger Consideration	The fair value of total purchase consideration was determined as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Shares of TSYS common stock issued and outstanding (including Single-Trigger Awards) 177,643 Exchange Ratio 0.8101 Shares of Global Payments common stock issued to TSYS shareholders 143,909 Price per share of Global Payments common stock $ 163.74 Fair value of common stock issued to TSYS shareholders (1) 23,563,568 Value of Replacement Awards attributable to purchase consideration 207,821 Cash paid to TSYS shareholders in lieu of fractional shares 1,352 Total purchase consideration transferred to TSYS shareholders 23,772,741 Repayment of TSYS's unsecured revolving credit facility (including accrued interest and fees) 702,212 Total purchase consideration $ 24,474,953 (1) Fair value of common stock issued to TSYS shareholders does not equal the product of shares of Global Payments common stock issued to TSYS shareholders and price per share of Global Payments common stock as presented in the table above due to the rounding of the number of shares in thousands.
Schedule of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The provisional estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 446,027 Accounts receivable 443,783 Identified intangible assets 11,020,000 Property and equipment 695,560 Other assets 1,476,290 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (594,558 ) Debt (3,295,284 ) Deferred income tax liabilities (2,843,643 ) Other liabilities (313,782 ) Total identifiable net assets 7,034,393 Goodwill 17,440,560 Total purchase consideration $ 24,474,953
Schedule of Fair Values of Intangible Assets Acquired and Respective Weighted-Average Amortization Periods	The following table reflects the provisional estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of TSYS and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 6,330,000 18 Contract-based intangible assets 1,810,000 20 Acquired technologies 1,810,000 7 Trademarks and trade names 1,070,000 12 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 11,020,000 14
Schedule of Unaudited Pro Forma Information	Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 Actual Pro Forma Actual Pro Forma (in thousands) Total revenues $ 1,105,941 $ 1,993,089 $ 857,670 $ 1,864,534 Net income attributable to Global Payments $ 95,044 $ 219,010 $ 176,370 $ 240,478 Nine Months Ended Nine Months Ended Actual Pro Forma Actual Pro Forma (in thousands) Total revenues $ 2,924,131 $ 5,866,522 $ 2,485,811 $ 5,469,240 Net income attributable to Global Payments $ 327,842 $ 614,317 $ 376,838 $ 407,899
SICOM
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,540 Property and equipment 5,838 Identified intangible assets 188,294 Other assets 22,275 Deferred income liabilities (47,610 ) Other liabilities (31,350 ) Total identifiable net assets 144,987 Goodwill 265,214 Total purchase consideration $ 410,201
Schedule of Fair Values of Intangible Assets Acquired and Respective Weighted-Average Amortization Periods	The following table reflects the estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of SICOM and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 104,900 14 Acquired technologies 65,312 6 Trademarks and trade names 11,202 3 Contract-based intangible assets 6,880 5 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 188,294 10
AdvancedMD
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The estimated acquisition-date fair values of major classes of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of September 30, 2019 , including a reconciliation to the total purchase consideration, were as follows (in thousands): Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,657 Property and equipment 5,672 Identified intangible assets 419,500 Other assets 11,785 Deferred income tax liabilities (94,044 ) Other liabilities (15,647 ) Total identifiable net assets 334,923 Goodwill 371,962 Total purchase consideration $ 706,885
Schedule of Fair Values of Intangible Assets Acquired and Respective Weighted-Average Amortization Periods	The following table reflects the estimated fair values of the identified intangible assets of AdvancedMD and the respective aggregated weighted-average estimated amortization periods: Estimated Fair Values Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods (in thousands) (years) Customer-related intangible assets $ 303,100 11 Acquired technologies 83,700 5 Trademarks and trade names 32,700 15 Total estimated identified intangible assets $ 419,500 10

REVENUES (Tables)

REVENUES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of Disaggregation of Revenue	The following tables present a disaggregation of our revenue from contracts with customers by distribution channel for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018: Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 310,389 $ 114,562 $ 29,829 $ — $ 454,780 Technology-enabled 369,147 50,388 28,851 — 448,386 679,536 164,950 58,680 — 903,166 Wholesale 55,305 — — — 55,305 734,841 164,950 58,680 — 958,471 TSYS — — — 147,470 147,470 $ 734,841 $ 164,950 $ 58,680 $ 147,470 $ 1,105,941 Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 254,593 $ 105,468 $ 33,612 $ — $ 393,673 Technology-enabled 317,206 52,116 22,759 — 392,081 571,799 157,584 56,371 — 785,754 Wholesale 71,916 — — — 71,916 643,715 157,584 56,371 — 857,670 TSYS — — — — — $ 643,715 $ 157,584 $ 56,371 $ — $ 857,670 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 882,026 $ 319,781 $ 93,990 $ — $ 1,295,797 Technology-enabled 1,061,094 148,387 85,321 — 1,294,802 1,943,120 468,168 179,311 — 2,590,599 Wholesale 186,062 — — — 186,062 2,129,182 468,168 179,311 — 2,776,661 TSYS — — — 147,470 147,470 $ 2,129,182 $ 468,168 $ 179,311 $ 147,470 $ 2,924,131 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Direct: Relationship-led $ 725,874 $ 300,642 $ 101,225 $ — $ 1,127,741 Technology-enabled 896,982 155,850 68,549 — 1,121,381 1,622,856 456,492 169,774 — 2,249,122 Wholesale 236,689 — — — 236,689 1,859,545 456,492 169,774 — 2,485,811 TSYS — — — — — $ 1,859,545 $ 456,492 $ 169,774 $ — $ 2,485,811
Schedule of Supplemental Balance Sheet Information	Supplemental balance sheet information related to contracts from customers as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was as follows: Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Assets: Capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts, net Other noncurrent assets $ 216,540 $ 194,616 Capitalized costs to fulfill customer contracts, net Other noncurrent assets $ 24,114 $ 12,954 Liabilities: Contract liabilities, net (current) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 195,472 $ 146,947 Contract liabilities, net (noncurrent) Other noncurrent liabilities $ 28,039 $ 8,595
Schedule of Expected Timing of Satisfaction of Remaining Performance Obligation	The following table includes estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. However, as permitted by ASC 606, we have elected to exclude from this disclosure any contracts with an original duration of one year or less and any variable consideration that meets specified criteria. Accordingly, the total unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations related to processing services is significantly higher than the amounts disclosed in table below. Estimated revenue expected to be recognized in the future related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at September 30, 2019 as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 228,002 2020 746,107 2021 608,080 2022 435,065 2023-2029 526,047 Total $ 2,543,301

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_2

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill and Intangible Assets	As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , goodwill and other intangible assets consisted of the following: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Goodwill $ 23,754,450 $ 6,341,355 Other intangible assets: Customer-related intangible assets $ 8,812,560 $ 2,486,217 Acquired technologies 2,726,862 896,701 Contract-based intangible assets 1,981,156 178,391 Trademarks and trade names 1,357,763 289,588 14,878,341 3,850,897 Less accumulated amortization: Customer-related intangible assets 1,032,218 860,715 Acquired technologies 474,904 351,170 Contract-based intangible assets 75,804 67,160 Trademarks and trade names 111,024 83,234 1,693,950 1,362,279 $ 13,184,391 $ 2,488,618
Schedule of Carrying Amount of Goodwill	The following table sets forth the changes by reportable segment in the carrying amount of goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : North America Europe Asia-Pacific TSYS Total (in thousands) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ 5,530,087 $ 484,761 $ 326,507 $ — $ 6,341,355 Effect of foreign currency translation 3,217 (19,533 ) (11,542 ) — (27,858 ) Goodwill acquired — — — 17,440,560 17,440,560 Measurement-period adjustments (4,370 ) — 4,763 — 393 Balance at September 30, 2019 $ 5,528,934 $ 465,228 $ 319,728 $ 17,440,560 $ 23,754,450

LEASES (Tables)

LEASES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Lease Assets and Lease Liabilities	As of September 30, 2019 and January 1, 2019, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities consisted of the following: Balance Sheet Location September 30, 2019 January 1, 2019 (in thousands) Assets: Operating lease right-of-use assets: Real estate Other noncurrent assets $ 368,816 $ 231,720 Computer equipment Other noncurrent assets 85,961 — Other Other noncurrent assets 1,215 4,259 Total operating lease right-of-use-assets 455,992 235,979 Finance lease right-of-use assets: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net $ 22,020 $ — Other Property and equipment, net 4,702 — 26,722 — Less accumulated depreciation: Computer equipment Property and equipment, net (470 ) — Other Property and equipment, net (17 ) — Total accumulated depreciation (487 ) — Total finance lease right-of-use assets 26,235 — Total right-of-use assets (1) $ 482,227 $ 235,979 Liabilities: Operating lease liabilities (current) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 88,280 $ 37,339 Operating lease liabilities (noncurrent) Other noncurrent liabilities 413,111 236,697 Finance lease liabilities (current) Current portion of long-term debt 6,414 — Finance lease liabilities (noncurrent) Long-term debt 27,852 — Total lease liabilities $ 535,657 $ 274,036 (1) Approximately 85% of our right-of-use assets are located in the United States.
Schedule of Maturities of Lease Liabilities	As of September 30, 2019 , maturities of lease liabilities were as follows: Operating Leases Finance Leases (in thousands) Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 22,197 $ 1,781 2020 106,212 7,328 2021 97,330 7,100 2022 86,099 7,066 2023 57,251 6,674 2024 47,250 6,597 2025 and thereafter 180,794 273 Total lease payments (1) 597,133 36,819 Imputed interest (95,742 ) (2,553 ) Total lease liabilities $ 501,391 $ 34,266 (1) Total operating lease payments did not include approximately $40 million for operating leases that had not yet commenced at September 30, 2019 . We expect the lease commencement dates for these leases to occur later in 2019 and in 2020.
Schedule of Future Minimum Payments for Noncancelable Operating Leases	Future minimum payments at December 31, 2018 for noncancelable operating leases were as follows (in thousands): Year ending December 31: 2019 $ 50,095 2020 47,700 2021 40,035 2022 37,055 2023 33,298 2024 and thereafter 225,225 Total future minimum payments (1) $ 433,408 (1) Future minimum lease payments included approximately $70 million for operating leases that had not commenced at December 31, 2018.

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_2

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Outstanding Debt	As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , long-term debt consisted of the following: September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Long-term Debt 3.800% senior notes due April 1, 2021 $ 763,194 $ — 3.750% senior notes due June 1, 2023 568,598 — 4.000% senior notes due June 1, 2023 574,170 — 2.650% senior notes due February 15, 2025 991,090 — 4.800% senior notes due April 1, 2026 823,448 — 4.450% senior notes due June 1, 2028 488,081 — 3.200% senior notes due August 15, 2029 1,234,560 — 4.150% senior notes due August 15, 2049 739,410 — Unsecured term loan facility 1,980,886 — Unsecured revolving credit facility 783,000 — Secured term loans (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility) — 4,426,243 Secured revolving credit facility (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility) — 704,000 Finance lease liabilities 34,266 — Other borrowings 40,374 — Total long-term debt 9,021,077 5,130,243 Less current portion 33,373 115,075 Long-term debt, excluding current portion $ 8,987,704 $ 5,015,168
Schedule of Maturities of Long-Term Debt	At September 30, 2019 , maturities of long-term debt (excluding finance lease liabilities) were as follows by year (in thousands): Year ending December 31, Remainder of 2019 $ 11,536 2020 22,953 2021 754,906 2022 50,038 2023 1,300,000 2024 2,533,000 2025 and thereafter 4,200,000 Total $ 8,872,433 See "Note 5 —Leases" for more information about our finance lease liabilities, including maturities.
Schedule of Derivative Instruments	The table below presents the fair values of our derivative financial instruments, designated as cash flow hedges, included in the consolidated balance sheets: Fair Values Derivative Financial Instruments Balance Sheet Location Weighted-Average Fixed Rate of Interest at September 30, 2019 Range of Maturity Dates at September 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018 (in thousands) Interest rate swaps (Notional of $500 million at September 30, 2019 and $750 million at December 31, 2018) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1.46% December 31, 2019 - July 31, 2020 $ 950 $ 3,200 Interest rate swaps (Notional of $550 million at December 31, 2018) Other noncurrent assets NA NA $ — $ 8,256 Interest rate swaps (Notional of $1.5 billion at September 30, 2019 and $950 million at December 31, 2018) Other noncurrent liabilities 2.57% March 31, 2021 - December 31, 2022 $ 55,238 $ 14,601
Schedule of Derivative Instrument Effect on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	The table below presents the effects of our interest rate swaps on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Net unrealized (losses) gains recognized in other comprehensive loss $ (40,265 ) $ 1,845 $ (96,997 ) $ 12,353 Net unrealized losses (gains) reclassified out of other comprehensive loss to interest expense $ 1,193 $ (1,663 ) $ (1,530 ) $ (2,830 )

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _2

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Schedule of Allocation of Share-Based Compensation Costs by Plan	The following table summarizes share-based compensation expense and the related income tax benefit recognized for our share-based awards and stock options: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Share-based compensation expense $ 27,877 $ 14,833 $ 55,791 $ 44,937 Income tax benefit $ 4,396 $ 3,614 $ 10,633 $ 10,276
Schedule of Changes in Non-Vested Restricted Stock Awards Activity	The following table summarizes the changes in unvested restricted stock and performance awards for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value (in thousands) Unvested at December 31, 2018 1,084 $108.51 Replacement Awards 894 163.74 Granted 772 141.42 Vested (490 ) 71.92 Forfeited (88 ) 112.47 Unvested at September 30, 2019 2,172 $151.06
Schedule of Stock Option Activity	The following table summarizes changes in stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 : Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) (years) (in millions) Outstanding at December 31, 2018 598 $59.16 6.2 $27.3 Replacement Awards 1,336 68.96 Granted 109 128.22 Exercised (221 ) 32.54 Outstanding at September 30, 2019 1,822 $73.71 6.8 $155.4 Options vested and exercisable at September 30, 2019 1,217 $57.29 5.9 $123.7
Schedule of Stock Option Valuation Assumptions	Fair value was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Risk-free interest rate 1.72% 2.60% Expected volatility 31% 29% Dividend yield 0.04% 0.04% Expected term (years) 5 5

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Tables)

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding	The following table sets forth the computation of diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 177,039 158,168 163,846 158,827 Plus: Dilutive effect of stock options and other share-based awards 504 538 485 632 Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 177,543 158,706 164,331 159,459

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI_2

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Foreign Currency Translation Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Hedging Activities Other Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (in thousands) Balance at December 31, 2018 $ (304,274 ) $ (2,374 ) $ (3,527 ) $ (310,175 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (43,335 ) (74,722 ) 165 (117,892 ) Balance at September 30, 2019 $ (347,609 ) $ (77,096 ) $ (3,362 ) $ (428,067 ) Balance at December 31, 2017 $ (185,856 ) $ 6,999 $ (4,287 ) $ (183,144 ) Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard (1,843 ) — — (1,843 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (92,603 ) 7,103 (58 ) (85,558 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (280,302 ) $ 14,102 $ (4,345 ) $ (270,545 ) The changes in the accumulated balances for each component of other comprehensive income (loss) were as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Foreign Currency Translation Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Hedging Activities Other Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (in thousands) Balance at June 30, 2019 $ (289,194 ) $ (47,313 ) $ (3,399 ) $ (339,906 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (58,415 ) (29,783 ) 37 (88,161 ) Balance at September 30, 2019 $ (347,609 ) $ (77,096 ) $ (3,362 ) $ (428,067 ) Balance at June 30, 2018 $ (253,372 ) $ 14,030 $ (4,287 ) $ (243,629 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) (26,930 ) 72 (58 ) (26,916 ) Balance at September 30, 2018 $ (280,302 ) $ 14,102 $ (4,345 ) $ (270,545 )

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Tables)

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information	Information on segments and reconciliations to consolidated revenues and consolidated operating income was as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 (in thousands) Revenues (1) : North America $ 734,841 $ 643,715 $ 2,129,182 $ 1,859,545 Europe 164,950 157,584 468,168 456,492 Asia-Pacific 58,680 56,371 179,311 169,774 TSYS 147,470 — 147,470 — Consolidated revenues $ 1,105,941 $ 857,670 $ 2,924,131 $ 2,485,811 Operating income (loss) (1) : North America $ 205,728 $ 174,012 $ 547,160 $ 446,600 Europe 91,332 85,781 249,638 239,011 Asia-Pacific 24,187 23,692 74,718 67,043 TSYS (2) (11,124 ) — (11,124 ) — Corporate (2) (136,086 ) (60,323 ) (265,137 ) (182,585 ) Consolidated operating income $ 174,037 $ 223,162 $ 595,255 $ 570,069 Depreciation and amortization (1) : North America $ 123,075 $ 106,022 $ 375,885 $ 313,980 Europe 12,876 11,660 38,971 36,180 Asia-Pacific 5,201 4,381 15,382 13,740 TSYS 40,213 — 40,213 — Corporate 2,381 1,994 7,047 5,548 Consolidated depreciation and amortization $ 183,746 $ 124,057 $ 477,498 $ 369,448 (1) Revenues, operating income and depreciation and amortization reflect the effects of acquired businesses from the respective acquisition dates. For further discussion of our acquisitions, see "Note 2 — Acquisitions." (2) Operating loss for Corporate included acquisition and integration expenses of $80.0 million and $8.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Operating loss for Corporate included acquisition and integration expenses of $99.5 million and $34.6 million , respectively for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. Operating loss for TSYS included acquisition and integration expenses of $20.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 .

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUM_3

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Lease liabilities	$ 501,391
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$ 455,992	$ 235,979
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Lease liabilities		274,000
Operating lease right-of-use assets		$ 236,000

ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Detai

ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 18, 2019	Oct. 17, 2018	Sep. 04, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired					$ 17,440,560
TSYS
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Entity stock issued per acquiree share (shares)	0.8101
Number of equity awards of acquiree exchanged for corresponding acquirer equity awards (shares)	2,200,000
Total purchase consideration transferred to TSYS shareholders	$ 23,772,741
Goodwill acquired	17,400,000				17,440,560
Revenue of acquiree				$ 147,500
Operating income (loss) of acquiree				(11,100)
Merger-related transaction costs				$ 53,500	65,700	$ 150,000
Total purchase consideration	$ 24,474,953
SICOM
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired		$ 265,200
Total purchase consideration		410,200
Measurement period adjustment of total purchase consideration					400
Expected tax deductible amount of goodwill acquired		$ 40,000
AdvancedMD
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired			$ 372,000
Total purchase consideration			$ 706,900
Measurement period adjustment of deferred income tax liabilities					$ 4,700

ACQUISITIONS - Total Considerat

ACQUISITIONS - Total Consideration Transferred (Details) - TSYS $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Sep. 18, 2019USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares of TSYS common stock issued and outstanding (including single-trigger equity awards) (shares) | shares	177,643,000
Exchange ratio (shares) | shares	0.8101
Shares of Global Payments common stock issued to TSYS shareholders (shares) | shares	143,909,000
Price per share of Global Payments common stock (USD per share) | $ / shares	$ 163.74
Fair value of common stock issued to TSYS shareholders(1)	$ 23,563,568
Value of Replacement Awards attributable to purchase consideration	207,821
Cash paid to TSYS shareholders in lieu of fractional shares	1,352
Total purchase consideration transferred to TSYS shareholders	23,772,741
Repayment of TSYS's unsecured revolving credit facility (including accrued interest and fees)	702,212
Total purchase consideration	$ 24,474,953

ACQUISITIONS - Acquisition Date

ACQUISITIONS - Acquisition Date Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 18, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Oct. 17, 2018	Sep. 04, 2018
Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net
Goodwill	$ 23,754,450		$ 6,341,355
TSYS
Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net
Cash and cash equivalents	446,027
Accounts receivable	443,783
Identified intangible assets	11,020,000	$ 11,020,000
Property and equipment	695,560
Other assets	1,476,290
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(594,558)
Debt	(3,295,284)
Deferred income tax liabilities	(2,843,643)
Other liabilities	(313,782)
Total identifiable net assets	7,034,393
Goodwill	17,440,560
Total purchase consideration	24,474,953
SICOM
Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net
Cash and cash equivalents	7,540
Identified intangible assets	188,294			$ 188,294
Property and equipment	5,838
Other assets	22,275
Deferred income tax liabilities	(47,610)
Other liabilities	(31,350)
Total identifiable net assets	144,987
Goodwill	265,214
Total purchase consideration	410,201
AdvancedMD
Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net
Cash and cash equivalents	7,657
Identified intangible assets	419,500				$ 419,500
Property and equipment	5,672
Other assets	11,785
Deferred income tax liabilities	(94,044)
Other liabilities	(15,647)
Total identifiable net assets	334,923
Goodwill	371,962
Total purchase consideration	$ 706,885

ACQUISITIONS - Fair Value of In

ACQUISITIONS - Fair Value of Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 18, 2019	Oct. 17, 2018	Sep. 04, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019
TSYS
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values	$ 11,020,000			$ 11,020,000
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods	14 years
TSYS | Customer-related intangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values	$ 6,330,000
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods	18 years
TSYS | Contract-based intangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values	$ 1,810,000
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods	20 years
TSYS | Acquired technologies
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values	$ 1,810,000
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods	7 years
TSYS | Trademarks and trade names
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values	$ 1,070,000
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods	12 years
SICOM
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values		$ 188,294		188,294
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods		10 years
SICOM | Customer-related intangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values		$ 104,900
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods		14 years
SICOM | Contract-based intangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values		$ 6,880
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods		5 years
SICOM | Acquired technologies
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values		$ 65,312
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods		6 years
SICOM | Trademarks and trade names
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values		$ 11,202
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods		3 years
AdvancedMD
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values			$ 419,500	$ 419,500
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods			10 years
AdvancedMD | Customer-related intangible assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values			$ 303,100
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods			11 years
AdvancedMD | Acquired technologies
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values			$ 83,700
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods			5 years
AdvancedMD | Trademarks and trade names
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated Fair Values			$ 32,700
Weighted-Average Estimated Amortization Periods			15 years

ACQUISITIONS - Pro Forma Inform

ACQUISITIONS - Pro Forma Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Actual
Total revenues	$ 1,105,941	$ 857,670	$ 2,924,131	$ 2,485,811
Net income attributable to Global Payments	95,044	176,370	327,842	376,838
TSYS
Actual
Total revenues	147,470	0	147,470	0
Pro Forma
Total revenues	1,993,089	1,864,534	5,866,522	5,469,240
Net income attributable to Global Payments	$ 219,010	$ 240,478	$ 614,317	$ 407,899

REVENUES - Disaggregation of Re

REVENUES - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 1,105,941	$ 857,670	$ 2,924,131	$ 2,485,811
TSYS
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	147,470	0	147,470	0
North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	734,841	643,715	2,129,182	1,859,545
Europe
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	164,950	157,584	468,168	456,492
Asia-Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	58,680	56,371	179,311	169,774
Operating segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	958,471	857,670	2,776,661	2,485,811
Operating segments | TSYS
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	147,470	0	147,470	0
Operating segments | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	903,166	785,754	2,590,599	2,249,122
Operating segments | Wholesale
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	55,305	71,916	186,062	236,689
Operating segments | Relationship-led | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	454,780	393,673	1,295,797	1,127,741
Operating segments | Technology-enabled | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	448,386	392,081	1,294,802	1,121,381
Operating segments | North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	734,841	643,715	2,129,182	1,859,545
Operating segments | North America | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	679,536	571,799	1,943,120	1,622,856
Operating segments | North America | Wholesale
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	55,305	71,916	186,062	236,689
Operating segments | North America | Relationship-led | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	310,389	254,593	882,026	725,874
Operating segments | North America | Technology-enabled | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	369,147	317,206	1,061,094	896,982
Operating segments | Europe
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	164,950	157,584	468,168	456,492
Operating segments | Europe | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	164,950	157,584	468,168	456,492
Operating segments | Europe | Wholesale
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating segments | Europe | Relationship-led | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	114,562	105,468	319,781	300,642
Operating segments | Europe | Technology-enabled | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	50,388	52,116	148,387	155,850
Operating segments | Asia-Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	58,680	56,371	179,311	169,774
Operating segments | Asia-Pacific | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	58,680	56,371	179,311	169,774
Operating segments | Asia-Pacific | Wholesale
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Operating segments | Asia-Pacific | Relationship-led | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	29,829	33,612	93,990	101,225
Operating segments | Asia-Pacific | Technology-enabled | Direct distribution
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 28,851	$ 22,759	$ 85,321	$ 68,549

REVENUES - Supplemental Balance

REVENUES - Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Liabilities:
Contract liabilities, net (current)	$ 195,472	$ 146,947
Contract liabilities, net (noncurrent)	28,039	8,595
Obtain Contract
Assets:
Capitalized costs, net	216,540	194,616
Fulfill Contract
Assets:
Capitalized costs, net	$ 24,114	$ 12,954

REVENUES - Narrative (Details)

REVENUES - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue recognized from contract liabilities balances at beginning of the period	$ 52	$ 39.2	$ 122.7	$ 90.2

REVENUES - Remaining Performanc

REVENUES - Remaining Performance Obligations (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 2,543,301
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2019-10-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 228,002
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Period	3 months
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2020-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 746,107
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2021-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 608,080
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2022-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 435,065
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Period	1 year
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Start Date [Axis]: 2023-01-01
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Amount	$ 526,047
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction, Period	7 years

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_3

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Schedule of Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 23,754,450	$ 6,341,355
Other intangible assets:
Other intangible assets	14,878,341	3,850,897
Less accumulated amortization:
Less accumulated amortization	1,693,950	1,362,279
Other intangible assets, net	13,184,391	2,488,618
Customer-related intangible assets
Other intangible assets:
Other intangible assets	8,812,560	2,486,217
Less accumulated amortization:
Less accumulated amortization	1,032,218	860,715
Acquired technologies
Other intangible assets:
Other intangible assets	2,726,862	896,701
Less accumulated amortization:
Less accumulated amortization	474,904	351,170
Contract-based intangible assets
Other intangible assets:
Other intangible assets	1,981,156	178,391
Less accumulated amortization:
Less accumulated amortization	75,804	67,160
Trademarks and trade names
Other intangible assets:
Other intangible assets	1,357,763	289,588
Less accumulated amortization:
Less accumulated amortization	$ 111,024	$ 83,234

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_4

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Goodwill Roll-Forward (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 18, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		$ 6,341,355
Effect of foreign currency translation		(27,858)
Goodwill acquired		17,440,560
Measurement-period adjustments		393
Balance at end of period		23,754,450
TSYS
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		0
Effect of foreign currency translation		0
Goodwill acquired	$ 17,400,000	17,440,560
Measurement-period adjustments		0
Balance at end of period		17,440,560
North America
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		5,530,087
Effect of foreign currency translation		3,217
Goodwill acquired		0
Measurement-period adjustments		(4,370)
Balance at end of period		5,528,934
Europe
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		484,761
Effect of foreign currency translation		(19,533)
Goodwill acquired		0
Measurement-period adjustments		0
Balance at end of period		465,228
Asia-Pacific
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		326,507
Effect of foreign currency translation		(11,542)
Goodwill acquired		0
Measurement-period adjustments		4,763
Balance at end of period		$ 319,728

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_5

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Accumulated impairment of goodwill	$ 0	$ 0

LEASES - Narrative (Details)

LEASES - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 18, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Weighted-average remaining lease term of operating leases	7 years 6 months	7 years 6 months
Weighted-average remaining lease term of finance leases	5 years 4 months 24 days	5 years 4 months 24 days
Weighted-average discount rate of operating leases (as a percent)	4.10%	4.10%
Weighted-average discount rate of finance leases (as a percent)	2.80%	2.80%
Operating lease costs	$ 23.4	$ 53.3
Variable lease costs	9	14
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities		43
Operating lease liabilities arising from obtaining new or modified right-of-use assets		23.5
Operating lease liabilities acquired			$ 256.6
Finance lease liabilities acquired			$ 271.9
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating lease costs	20.4	47.9
Cost of Services
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating lease costs	$ 3	$ 5.4

LEASES - Lease Assets and Liabi

LEASES - Lease Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
Assets:
Total operating lease right-of-use-assets	$ 455,992	$ 235,979
Gross finance lease right-of-use assets	26,722	0
Less accumulated depreciation:	(487)	0
Total finance lease right-of-use assets	26,235	0
Total right-of-use assets	482,227	235,979
Liabilities:
Operating lease liabilities (current)	88,280	37,339
Operating lease liabilities (noncurrent)	413,111	236,697
Finance lease liabilities (current)	6,414	0
Finance lease liabilities (noncurrent)	27,852	0
Total lease liabilities	$ 535,657	274,036
Proportion of operating lease right-of-use assets located in the United States (as a percent)	85.00%
Real estate
Assets:
Total operating lease right-of-use-assets	$ 368,816	231,720
Computer equipment
Assets:
Total operating lease right-of-use-assets	85,961	0
Gross finance lease right-of-use assets	22,020	0
Less accumulated depreciation:	(470)	0
Other
Assets:
Total operating lease right-of-use-assets	1,215	4,259
Gross finance lease right-of-use assets	4,702	0
Less accumulated depreciation:	$ (17)	$ 0

LEASES - Maturities of Lease Li

LEASES - Maturities of Lease Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Leases
2019	$ 22,197
2020	106,212
2021	97,330
2022	86,099
2023	57,251
2024	47,250
2025 and thereafter	180,794
Total lease payments	597,133
Imputed interest	(95,742)
Total lease liabilities	501,391
Finance Leases
2019	1,781
2020	7,328
2021	7,100
2022	7,066
2023	6,674
2024	6,597
2025 and thereafter	273
Total lease payments	36,819
Imputed interest	(2,553)
Total lease liabilities	34,266	$ 0
Leases not yet commenced	$ 40,000	$ 70,000

LEASES - Future Minimum Payment

LEASES - Future Minimum Payments for Noncancelable Operating Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Leases [Abstract]
2019		$ 50,095
2020		47,700
2021		40,035
2022		37,055
2023		33,298
2024 and thereafter		225,225
Total future minimum payments		433,408
Leases not yet commenced	$ 40,000	$ 70,000

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_3

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT - Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other borrowings	$ 34,266	$ 0
Total long-term debt	9,021,077	5,130,243
Less current portion	33,373	115,075
Long-term debt, excluding current portion	8,987,704	5,015,168
Unsecured term loan facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	1,980,886	0
Unsecured revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	783,000	0
Secured term loans (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	0	4,426,243
Secured revolving credit facility (outstanding under our Prior Credit Facility)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	0	704,000
Other borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	40,374	0
3.800% senior notes due April 1, 2021 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 763,194	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.80%
3.750% senior notes due June 1, 2023 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 568,598	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.75%
4.000% senior notes due June 1, 2023 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 574,170	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.00%
2.650% senior notes due February 15, 2025 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 991,090	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	2.65%
4.800% senior notes due April 1, 2026 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 823,448	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.80%
4.450% senior notes due June 1, 2028 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 488,081	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.45%
3.200% senior notes due August 15, 2029 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 1,234,560	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.20%
4.150% senior notes due August 15, 2049 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross long-term debt	$ 739,410	$ 0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.15%

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_4

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT - Narrative (Details)	May 27, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 18, 2019USD ($)	Aug. 14, 2019USD ($)	Jul. 09, 2019USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amortization of discounts, premiums, and deferred debt issuance costs		$ 3,100,000	$ 2,900,000	$ 9,200,000	$ 8,600,000
Interest expense		96,000,000	$ 46,000,000	221,000,000	$ 140,000,000
Write-off of unamortized debt issuance sost		16,700,000		16,700,000
Forward-starting interest rate swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative settlement payments				48,300,000
Interest rate swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to interest rate		19,100,000		19,100,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | Forward-starting interest rate swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notional amount												$ 1,000,000,000
Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		699,000,000		699,000,000
Remaining borrowing capacity		871,900,000		871,900,000
Net repayments of settlement lines of credit				72,100,000		$ 70,600,000
Amount outstanding under lines of credit		$ 547,600,000		$ 547,600,000		$ 700,500,000
Weighted-average interest rate of short-term debt (as a percent)		3.34%		3.34%		2.97%
Average outstanding balance		$ 426,600,000
Fourth Amendment | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Minimum leverage ratio		3.50		3.50
Minimum interest coverage ratio		3		3
Fourth Amendment | Revolving Credit Facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rate (as a percent)				0.125%
Fourth Amendment | Revolving Credit Facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee rate (as a percent)				0.30%
Senior Notes and Term Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs		$ 48,000,000		$ 48,000,000
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized discount		6,000,000		6,000,000
Fair value of debt instrument		6,313,200,000		6,313,200,000
Senior Notes | TSYS
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amortization of discounts, premiums, and deferred debt issuance costs		$ 1,500,000		$ 1,500,000
Fair value of debt instrument									$ 3,200,000,000
Unamortized premium									169,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument										$ 3,000,000,000
Senior Notes | Senior Unsecured Notes | TSYS
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									3,000,000,000
Senior Notes | 3.800% senior notes due April 1, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									750,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		3.80%		3.80%
Senior Notes | 3.750% senior notes due June 1, 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									550,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		3.75%		3.75%
Senior Notes | 4.000% senior notes due June 1, 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									550,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		4.00%		4.00%
Senior Notes | 2.650% senior notes due February 15, 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument										1,000,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		2.65%		2.65%
Senior Notes | 4.800% senior notes due April 1, 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									750,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		4.80%		4.80%
Senior Notes | 4.450% senior notes due June 1, 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument									$ 450,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		4.45%		4.45%
Senior Notes | 3.200% senior notes due August 15, 2029
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument										1,250,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		3.20%		3.20%
Senior Notes | 4.150% senior notes due August 15, 2049
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument										$ 750,000,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)		4.15%		4.15%
Term Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs						$ 37,400,000
Term Loans | Term Loan A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument		$ 1,500,000,000		$ 1,500,000,000
Term Loans | Term Loan A | Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Rate of quarterly installment payments (as a percent)							2.50%
Term Loans | Term Loan A-2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument		1,370,000,000		1,370,000,000
Term Loans | Term Loan B-2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized discount		6,100,000		6,100,000
Face amount of debt instrument		1,140,000,000		1,140,000,000
Capitalized debt issuance costs		29,300,000		29,300,000
Term Loans | Term Loan B-4
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument		500,000,000		500,000,000
Term Loans | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument		$ 1,500,000,000		$ 1,500,000,000
Unsecured Debt | Term Loan Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective interest rate (as a percent)		3.42%		3.42%
Unsecured Debt | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective interest rate (as a percent)		3.33%		3.33%
Unsecured Debt | Unsecured revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs		$ 18,600,000		$ 18,600,000
Unsecured Debt | Bridge Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	$ 2,750,000,000	0		0							$ 2,100,000,000
Expiration period of credit facility	364 days
Interest expense		8,800,000		$ 11,700,000
Unsecured Debt | Five Year Senior Unsecured Credit Facility | Term Loan Facility | Federal Funds Effective Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				0.50%
Unsecured Debt | Five Year Senior Unsecured Credit Facility | Term Loan Facility | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)				1.00%
Unsecured Debt | Five Year Senior Unsecured Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capitalized debt issuance costs		12,800,000		$ 12,800,000
Unsecured Debt | Five Year Senior Unsecured Credit Facility | Forecast | Term Loan Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument								$ 2,000,000,000
Unsecured Debt | Five Year Senior Unsecured Credit Facility | Forecast | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument								$ 3,000,000,000
Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs						$ 12,900,000
Line of credit | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		250,000,000		250,000,000
Line of credit | Standby Letters of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Remaining borrowing capacity		$ 2,198,800,000		$ 2,198,800,000

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_5

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT - Maturities of Long-Term Debt (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2019	$ 11,536
2020	22,953
2021	754,906
2022	50,038
2023	1,300,000
2024	2,533,000
2025 and thereafter	4,200,000
Total	$ 8,872,433

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_6

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT - Derivative Instruments (Details) - Interest rate swap - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average fixed rate of interest (as a percent)	1.46%
Interest rate swaps	$ 950,000	$ 3,200,000
Notional amount	500,000,000	750,000,000
Other noncurrent assets
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate swaps	$ 0	8,256,000
Notional amount		550,000,000
Other noncurrent liabilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average fixed rate of interest (as a percent)	2.57%
Interest rate swaps	$ 55,238,000	14,601,000
Notional amount	$ 1,500,000,000	$ 950,000,000

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF C_7

LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINES OF CREDIT - Effect on Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships:
Net unrealized (losses) gains recognized in other comprehensive loss	$ (40,265)	$ 1,845	$ (96,997)	$ 12,353
Net unrealized losses (gains) reclassified out of other comprehensive loss to interest expense	$ 1,193	$ (1,663)	$ (1,530)	$ (2,830)

INCOME TAX - Narrative (Details

INCOME TAX - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective tax rate (as a percent)	(18.70%)	(3.40%)	10.10%	10.40%
Reduction of estimated transition tax liability associated with the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017		$ 23.3		$ 23.3

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - Narrativ

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Oct. 24, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Number of shares repurchased and retired (shares)		1,808,398	1,612,174
Cost of shares repurchased, including commissions		$ 229,994	$ 180,897
Average cost per share (USD per share)		$ 127.18	$ 112.19
Common stock authorized (shares)		400,000,000		200,000,000	200,000,000
Subsequent Event
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividends declared (USD per share)	$ 0.195
Other than accelerated share repurchase program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Remaining authorized repurchase amount (up to)		$ 568,000

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _3

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Share-Based Compensation Expense and Income Tax Benefit (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 27,877	$ 14,833	$ 55,791	$ 44,937
Income tax benefit	$ 4,396	$ 3,614	$ 10,633	$ 10,276

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _4

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Share-Based Awards (Details) - Share-Based Awards shares in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019$ / sharesshares
Shares
Beginning balance (shares) | shares	1,084
Replacement Awards (shares) | shares	894
Granted (shares) | shares	772
Vested (shares) | shares	(490)
Forfeited (shares) | shares	(88)
Ending balance (shares) | shares	2,172
Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Beginning balance (USD per share) | $ / shares	$ 108.51
Replacement Awards (USD per share) | $ / shares	163.74
Granted (USD per share) | $ / shares	141.42
Vested (USD per share) | $ / shares	71.92
Forfeited (USD per share) | $ / shares	112.47
Ending balance (USD per share) | $ / shares	$ 151.06

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _5

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Share-Based Awards Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 27,877	$ 14,833	$ 55,791	$ 44,937
Share-Based Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value of share-based awards vested			35,300	45,000
Share-based compensation expense	20,200	$ 13,800	45,000	$ 41,100
Compensation not yet recognized	$ 175,100		$ 175,100
Weighted-average period of unrecognized compensation cost			2 years 2 months 12 days

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _6

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Stock Option Activity (Details) - Employee stock option - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Options
Outstanding at beginning of period (shares)	598
Replacement Awards (shares)	1,336
Granted (shares)	109
Exercised (shares)	(221)
Outstanding at end of period (shares)	1,822	598
Options vested and exercisable (shares)	1,217
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at beginning of period (USD per share)	$ 59.16
Replacement Awards (USD per share)	68.96
Granted (USD per share)	128.22
Exercised (USD per share)	32.54
Outstanding at end of period (USD per share)	73.71	$ 59.16
Options vested and exercisable (USD per share)	$ 57.29
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding	6 years 9 months 18 days	6 years 2 months 12 days
Options vested and exercisable	5 years 10 months 24 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding	$ 155.4	$ 27.3
Options vested and exercisable	$ 123.7

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _7

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Stock Options Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 27,877	$ 14,833	$ 55,791	$ 44,937
Employee stock option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	7,000	$ 700	8,600	2,300
Aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised			22,900	$ 15,900
Total unrecognized compensation cost	$ 15,400		$ 15,400
Weighted-average period of unrecognized compensation cost			1 year 8 months 12 days
Weighted average grant date fair value for each option granted (USD per share)	$ 99.56	$ 35.09	$ 99.56	$ 35.09

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK _8

SHARE-BASED AWARDS AND STOCK OPTIONS - Valuation Assumptions (Details) - Employee stock option	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate (as a percent)	1.72%	2.60%
Expected volatility (as a percent)	31.00%	29.00%
Dividend yield (as a percent)	0.04%	0.04%
Expected term (years)	5 years	5 years

EARNINGS PER SHARE - Summary (D

EARNINGS PER SHARE - Summary (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding (shares)	177,039	158,168	163,846	158,827
Plus: Dilutive effect of stock options and other share-based awards (shares)	504	538	485	632
Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding (shares)	177,543	158,706	164,331	159,459

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI_3

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Foreign currency translation adjustment, other comprehensive income (loss)	$ (8.7)	$ (11.7)	$ 9.4	$ 11.8

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI_4

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS - Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period			$ 3,991,407
Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard					$ 49,126
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	$ (88,161)	$ (26,916)	(117,892)	$ (85,558)
Balance at end of period	27,774,634		27,774,634
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(339,906)	(243,629)	(310,175)	(183,144)
Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard					(1,843)
Balance at end of period	(428,067)	(270,545)	(428,067)	(270,545)
Foreign Currency Translation
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(289,194)	(253,372)	(304,274)	(185,856)
Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard					(1,843)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(58,415)	(26,930)	(43,335)	(92,603)
Balance at end of period	(347,609)	(280,302)	(347,609)	(280,302)
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Hedging Activities
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(47,313)	14,030	(2,374)	6,999
Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard					0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(29,783)	72	(74,722)	7,103
Balance at end of period	(77,096)	14,102	(77,096)	14,102
Other
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	(3,399)	(4,287)	(3,527)	(4,287)
Cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting standard					$ 0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	37	(58)	165	(58)
Balance at end of period	$ (3,362)	$ (4,345)	$ (3,362)	$ (4,345)

SEGMENT INFORMATION - Summary (

SEGMENT INFORMATION - Summary (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)segment	Sep. 30, 2018USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | segment			3
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 1,105,941	$ 857,670	$ 2,924,131	$ 2,485,811
Operating income (loss)	174,037	223,162	595,255	570,069
Depreciation and amortization	183,746	124,057	477,498	369,448
Merger-related transaction costs	20,900		20,900
TSYS
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	147,470	0	147,470	0
Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	958,471	857,670	2,776,661	2,485,811
Operating segments | TSYS
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	147,470	0	147,470	0
Operating income (loss)	(11,124)	0	(11,124)	0
Depreciation and amortization	40,213	0	40,213	0
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	(136,086)	(60,323)	(265,137)	(182,585)
Depreciation and amortization	2,381	1,994	7,047	5,548
Acquisition-related costs	80,000	8,200	99,500	34,600
North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	734,841	643,715	2,129,182	1,859,545
North America | Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	734,841	643,715	2,129,182	1,859,545
Operating income (loss)	205,728	174,012	547,160	446,600
Depreciation and amortization	123,075	106,022	375,885	313,980
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	164,950	157,584	468,168	456,492
Europe | Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	164,950	157,584	468,168	456,492
Operating income (loss)	91,332	85,781	249,638	239,011
Depreciation and amortization	12,876	11,660	38,971	36,180
Asia-Pacific
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	58,680	56,371	179,311	169,774
Asia-Pacific | Operating segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	58,680	56,371	179,311	169,774
Operating income (loss)	24,187	23,692	74,718	67,043
Depreciation and amortization	$ 5,201	$ 4,381	$ 15,382	$ 13,740

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES -

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 23, 2019USD ($)
Frontline Case | Performance Guarantee
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded	$ 135.2

Uncategorized Items - gpn201909

Label	Element	Value
Parent [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 49,126,000
Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 50,969,000