When 70% of all digital payments in North America, not just the United States, are processed in Atlanta, it’s not surprising to see it being called the ‘Transaction Alley’ of America. There are around 100 small and big financial technology companies in Atlanta out of which around 66 are engaged in processing payments made via credit cards and other online modes from all over North America
ATPC or American Transaction Processors Coalition estimates that, of the $4.4 trillion in online payments processed in North America, about $3.08 trillion are handled by fintech companies in Atlanta. ATPC was set up by the city in 2014 to lobby and advocate for fintech at the state and federal level.
Accounting for about 60% of the industry in America the fintech companies in Georgia including Atlanta generate annual revenues of more than $72 billion. That places Georgia at a creditable third after New York and California, in terms of total revenues generated by any state in the US. Many of the biggest names in fintech such as Pindrop, Bitpay, Worldpay, NCR, InComm and Global Payments have moved to Atlanta. And the list is growing: Merchant e-Solutions, the Brazilian payment-processing firm which had its US headquarters in Silicon Valley, recently announced that it is moving to Atlanta with 140 jobs.
The fintech sector has been a boon for Georgia in general and Atlanta in particular for the number of jobs it created. Atlanta alone has around 30,000 to 40,000 people working in the fintech industry right now in addition to employing around 80,000 people indirectly in transportation, infrastructure, construction and technology support among other jobs. Add to that the growth potential, and you have a dream scenario for people with the right skills and experience to make the most of it. Atlanta of course, is not new to the celebrity club as No. 1 – its Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the world. It would be unfair to completely ignore this as a factor that made Atlanta irresistible as the topmost fintech destination.