Key Points
- Gas roadworks in Italy damaged Worldline’s network cables, disrupting payment services since Thursday morning.
- Worldline is working to restore services before the damaged physical infrastructure is repaired.
- Italian payments group Nexi has launched an investigation and may take legal actions to protect its interests.
- The disruption occurred during the Black Friday shopping season, exacerbating its impact on retailers and consumers.
French digital payments company Worldline faced significant service disruptions starting Thursday morning after gas roadworks in Italy damaged its network connection to its data centers. The outage coincided with the busy Black Friday shopping season, creating challenges for consumers and retailers, particularly in Italy, where the impact has been most severe.
In a statement, Worldline explained that the issue arose due to local authorities installing gas pipes, severely damaging the provider’s cables and network. “Restoration work by our supplier is expected to start later today,” the company said, adding that it was working “tirelessly” to reactivate services before the damaged physical infrastructure was fully repaired.
The disruptions have also affected payment services in other unnamed markets, though Italy remains the hardest hit. The Bank of Italy confirmed that while some payment services have been restored, malfunctions persist for several credit and debit card circuits. Worldline has apologized to consumers and shopkeepers for the inconvenience caused during this critical shopping period. It stated that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue quickly.
Meanwhile, Italian payments group Nexi confirmed the unresolved problem and announced that it had launched an investigation. Nexi added that it reserved the right to take legal or protective action to safeguard its interests and those of its customers.
The disruption highlights the vulnerabilities of digital payment infrastructures to physical damage, especially during high-demand periods like Black Friday. Given the event’s far-reaching implications for retailers and customers alike, Worldline and local authorities will likely be scrutinized.
