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German payments company Wirecard to bid for Worldpay - Bloomberg

(Reuters) - German payments company Wirecard AG has joined the bidding for British rival Worldpay Ltd, Bloomberg reported.

Other suitors for Worldpay are U.S. private equity firm Blackstone Group LP and buyout firm Hellman & Friedman.

Worldpay is also preparing for an initial public offering, which could value the firm at around 6 billion pounds (£6 billion), including about 2 billion pounds in debt.

No final decision has been made and a few potential buyers are still in the running, Bloomberg said, citing the people.

Owners of Worldpay, Advent International and Bain Capital, may also choose to proceed with IPO plans and not sell the company, Bloomberg reported, adding that a decision may be announced as early as next month.

Last month, Worldpay named Barclays' Deputy Chairman Michael Rake as its new chairman to help the process of going public.

Representatives at Worldpay and Wirecard could not immediately be reached for comments.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)