NEWS

new survey from MasterCard International shows that small business owners are optimistic about the future of their businesses. Specifically, 60% of small business owners worldwide say the future outlook of their business is promising, and more than half are confident that they will meet their financial goals in 2006. Sixty-five percent say they would tell a friend to start a small business now, rather than to wait another year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Checkgateway Brings Service to Brick-and-mortar Merchants

Checkgateway's automated clearing house (ACH) and credit card processing are now available to businesses and retailers at physical locations. Businesses can establish ACH and automated credit card payments for customers on a recurring schedule and alter recurring bill payment plans to suit customers' needs.

Cynergy Data Offers Free Processing

Cynergy Data will offer new merchants the opportunity to sample their products and services for two months. During this time merchants will be charged no fees or monthly minimums other than the discount, mid- and non-qualified rates required by the card Associations. Cynergy will continue to pay sales offices full residuals. The promotion is in effect through March 31, 2006. For more information call 1-866-ISO-HELP.

ABA Endorses Anti-money-laundering Software

Anti-money-laundering and terrorist-financing-monit-oring solution providers GlobalVision Systems and Searchspace won the endorsement of The American Bankers Association (ABA).

The ABA and its affiliate, the Corporation for American Banking, conducted a yearlong evaluation of providers, which included an independent consultant evaluation from Sheshunoff Management Services and feedback from ABA members.

Global Payments Provides U.S. Casinos With Cash Services

Eleven more U.S. casinos signed contracts for Global Payments Inc.'s VIP LightSpeed suite of cash access products. The casinos will use the Internet-accessible, PC-based platform that provides cash access services for traditional and electronic check cashing, ATM check cashing, credit and debit card cash advances, player histories and credit reports.

Hypercom Awarded Certification

Hypercom Corp.'s NETSET multitechnical services organization was awarded the International Organization for Standardization http://www.iso9001qualityassurance.com" target="_blank">ISO9001:2000 certification for quality assurance in Brazil.

Ingenico Demonstrates iPod-compatible Payment Terminal

Ingenico developed the world's first terminal accepting a payment on an iPod. Ingenico's i5100 terminal integrates with Atlantic Radio System's FM data extraction module, allowing it to communicate with an iPod via the FM band while enabling users to pay for goods using their MP3 player.

IRN Payment Systems/PartnerAmerica Introduces Free Processing

IRN Payment Systems/PartnerAmerica has given its sales offices the ability to offer prospective merchants one month of free processing as an incentive for signing up with the company.

NationalLink Makes Inc. 500 List

ATM solution provider NationalLink was named on the Inc. 500 ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The company was ranked #404, with revenue growth of 340.9% for the past three years.

Pipeline Data Announces $15 Million Financing

Pipeline Data Inc. received a commitment letter from Sheridan Capital Advisors LLC certifying that it completed its due diligence and will provide a $15 million loan facility to the company.

The company will use the proceeds to complete the acquisition of Charge.com LLC and repay indebtedness.

Precidia Earns Chase Paymentech Certification

Precidia Technologies Inc. announced certification of its POSLynx220 with NetVu by Chase Paymentech Solutions. This certification allows restaurant operators and other merchants to connect existing dial and serial POS equipment to Internet protocol-based networks for faster transactions.

Retail Decisions Enters Gift Card Market

Fuel card issuer Retail Decisions (ReD) is launching a range of prepaid card services including gift cards and electronic gift vouchers.

This follows ReD's acquisition of E Com Industries Pty Ltd, Australia's largest electronic gift voucher and gift card operator.

TekSecure Labs Approved as a MasterCard Data Protection Vendor

TekSecure Labs successfully completed the MasterCard Site Data Protection (SDP) scanning vendor-testing process. As an SDP-approved scanning vendor, TekSecure Labs is allowed to help online merchants evaluate the security of their Web sites that store MasterCard account data and achieve compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard scanning requirement.

Four Credit Unions Choose TNB Card Services

Four more credit unions selected TNB Card Services as their credit card processor. The new processing clients are United SA Federal Credit Union, Woodlawn Auto Workers Federal Credit Union, PCM Employees Credit Union and Moog Employees Federal Credit Union.

USA Technologies Completes $4 Million Private Placement

USA Technologies completed a $4 million private placement of common stock with a large Boston-based institutional investment advisor. Proceeds will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes. The company issued to the investor 40 million shares of common stock at $0.10 per share.

PARTNERSHIPS

ACH Direct Selected by BUCS Federal Bank

ACH Direct was selected by BUCS Federal Bank to provide ACH and check verification services. BUCS Federal Bank's new applications use ACH Direct's payment processing tools.

TransFirst Inks Partnership With ACS

TransFirst and the Government Solutions Group of Affiliated Computer Services Inc. (ACS) have formed a strategic agreement in which TransFirst will serve as a provider of credit/debit card and ACH processing for ACS. This partnership provides TransFirst with additional coverage in several sales verticals and allows ACS customers access to an extended portfolio of payment products and services.

These agreements further extend previously announced agreements that ran into 2009.

Asia Pay Signs Alliance With InterPay International

Asia Payment Systems Inc. signed a strategic alliance agreement with InterPay International Group, a Singapore company, which has established credit card operations in Southeast Asia. The two companies will cooperate in markets across Asia with a special emphasis on developing business in China.

Major Retailers Join Credit Union 24 POS Network

Through gateway agreements with First Data Merchant Services, Chase Merchant Services and BofA's BA Merchant Services, Credit Union 24 expanded its POS footprint at national retailers such as Sears Roebuck & Co., Target, Victoria's Secret, The Limited, Bath & Body Works, and others.

Discover Partners With Exante Financial Services

Discover Financial Services LLC partnered with Exante Financial Services and its affiliate Exante Bank, business units of UnitedHealth Group Inc. to issue the Exante financial health account cards on the Discover Network. The companies are piloting a program that will provide certain Morgan Stanley employees with a debit card that they can use on the Discover Network to pay for eligible health and dependent care expenses from their Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Discover and Exante anticipate expanding card access to a broader group of consumers and across multiple types of accounts.

DHL Named Exclusive Carrier for Encore Payment Systems

Delivery and logistics company DHL announced a new, three-year agreement with Encore Payment Systems. DHL will serve as the exclusive carrier of domestic express and ground services for Encore.

DHL will handle all transportation services for Encore's hand-held credit card payment scanners, including shipments to retail customer locations, as well as repair and return shipping.

Johnson Bank Expands STAR Network Access

First Data signed an agreement to provide STAR Network access for Johnson Financial Group's Johnson Bank, which has approximately 25,000 debit cards and 46 ATMs throughout its more than 50 banking locations in Arizona and Wisconsin.

Official Payments Corp. Expands Intuit Relationship

Official Payments Corp. expanded its relationship with Intuit Inc. for the upcoming tax season. Official Payments will provide an integrated payment option within Intuit's TurboTax Online and TurboTax desktop products, as well as Intuit's ProSeries product for tax professionals, allowing customers to pay their federal tax balance due with AmEx-, Discover-, MasterCard- and Visa-branded cards.

ACQUISITIONS

EarthLink to Acquire New Edge Networks

EarthLink Inc. will acquire New Edge Networks for approximately $144 million in cash and stock. The acquisition will give EarthLink a customer base that is expected to generate $120 million in revenues in 2005. EarthLink plans to retain New Edge Networks' 345 employees and the New Edge Networks brand and operate the company as a wholly owned subsidiary. Dan Moffat will remain President of New Edge Networks.

Experian Acquires PriceGrabber.com

Experian will acquire PriceGrabber.com, a provider of online comparison shopping services. PriceGrabber will become part of Experian Interactive, a group of Internet marketing businesses. The purchase price is $485 million plus expenses and was funded from Experian parent company GUS plc's existing bank facilities. All employees and management for PriceGrabber will be retained.

APPOINTMENTS

Edentify Names Board of Advisors

Edentify Inc. announced the appointments of its newly founded Board of Advisors.

They are: Raymond Ayotte, former Chair of the Operations Committees of MasterCard Association of Canada; Ernie Christensen, former Senior Executive and Executive Director of the Operations Center Directorate for the Transportation Security Administration; Darold Hoops, President and Managing Director of Town & Country Consulting LLC; Mark Kulik, Managing Partner with Smith Capital and Joel Lisker, former Senior Vice President for Security and Risk Management for MasterCard International.

NCHA Elects Board of Directors

The National Clearing House (NCHA) elected board members to serve for the 2006 - 2007 term. The newly elected NCHA Board officers, who will also serve on NCHA's Executive Committee, are Ron Ciechanowski, Vice President and National Float Manager, JPMorgan Chase Bank; Kade Peterson, Senior Vice President and Item Processing Director, Sterling Savings Bank; Tracy Haynes, Senior Vice President and Nationwide Float Manager, Bank of America; and Andrew Wied, Senior Vice President, Frost National Bank.

TransFirst Names Gonzalez Regional Vice President

Jaime Gonzalez has been named the Western Region Vice President of Business Development for TransFirst's Independent Sales Services division.

His primary responsibilities will be to develop new business relationships, increase market share and assist ISOs and sales contractors in customizing merchant processing programs.

Narlinger Named First Data VP

First Data promoted Brett Narlinger to Senior Vice President within Enterprise Customer Development for the supermarket industry. Narlinger has been with First Data for more than 11 years. Previously he spent more than 10 years with TeleCheck.