Worldline, a leading French digital payments company, is grappling with significant service disruptions in Italy, a situation that has persisted since Thursday morning. The disruptions, which coincide with the busy Black Friday shopping season, were caused by accidental damage to network cables during gas pipe installation works by local authorities. This has led to widespread issues with payment services, particularly affecting ATM and POS transactions across Italy.

The company has identified the cause of the interruption and is working with its supplier to restore services. However, as of now, the problem remains unresolved, impacting consumers and businesses during a critical shopping period. Worldline has expressed its commitment to reactivating services as soon as possible, even before the physical infrastructure is fully repaired.

Italian payments group Nexi has confirmed the ongoing issues and has launched an investigation into the matter. Nexi is also considering protective measures for its customers and has increased support for partners and end-users. Meanwhile, the Bank of Italy is closely monitoring the situation, noting that some payment services have been partially restored, though issues persist with certain credit and debit card circuits.

The disruptions have highlighted vulnerabilities in the intersection of physical and digital infrastructures, prompting discussions on the need for robust contingency plans to prevent similar incidents in the future. As the situation unfolds, retailers and investors are concerned about the potential impact on holiday sales and market dynamics, with prolonged outages possibly affecting consumer behavior and revenue streams.