German payments giant Wirecard has made a £6 billion bid for British rival Worldpay, according to Bloomberg.
Wirecard faces competition from private equity bidders, including a joint offer from Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman, says Bloomberg, citing sources which also claim a Worldpay IPO is being explored.
No final decision on a sale or IPO has yet been made by Worldpay owners Bain Capital and Advent International, who have been talking to banks about refinancing debt if a float happens.
Bain Capital and Advent International paid around £1.7 billion for Worldpay in 2010 after the payment processor was put up for sale by RBS on the orders of the European competition authorities as a condition for the bank joining the UK government's asset protection scheme.