UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

[X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2015

or

[_] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ________ to ________.

 

Commission File Number: 000- 30152

 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada   98-0190072
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

12500 San Pedro, Ste. 120, San Antonio, TX   78216
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(210) 249-4100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. [X] Yes [_] No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). [X] Yes [_] No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer [_] Accelerated filer [_]
Non-accelerated filer [_] (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company [X]

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  [_]Yes [X] No

 

As of August 6, 2015, there were 12,347,591 shares (equivalent to 185,213,865 pre 1-for-15 reverse split effected on July 23, 2015) of the issuer’s common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding.

 

 
 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

 

INDEX

 

    Page
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION  
     
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited). 3
     
  Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 3
     
  Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three and Six Months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 4
     
  Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 5
     
  Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements 6
     
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. 9
     
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. 14
     
Item 4. Controls and Procedures. 14
     
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION 15
     
Item 1. Legal Proceedings. 15
     
Item 1A. Risk Factors. 15
     
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds. 16
     
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities. 16
     
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures (Not applicable). 16
     
Item 5. Other Information. 16
     
Item 6. Exhibits. 17

 

2
 

PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

Condensed CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

    June 30, 2015   December 31, 2014
    (Unaudited)    
Assets                
Current assets:                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 64,865,661     $ 54,989,851  
Accounts receivable, net     904,903       1,037,208  
Deferred tax asset, current     773,000       773,000  
Prepaid expenses and other     158,695       129,258  
Total current assets     66,702,259       56,929,317  
                 
Property and equipment, net     3,102,824       2,705,517  
                 
Other assets:                
Intangibles, net     392,522       412,363  
Deferred tax asset, noncurrent     848,000       848,000  
Other assets     176,548       204,112  
Total other assets     1,417,070       1,464,475  
                 
Total assets   $ 71,222,153     $ 61,099,309  
                 
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity                
Current liabilities:                
Accounts payable   $ 185,990     $ 37,808  
Accrued expenses     1,541,178       1,851,033  
Stock award payable     131,993       -  
Customer deposits payable     61,274,120       52,186,396  
Total current liabilities     63,133,281       54,075,237  
                 
Stockholders’ equity:                
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 12,346,474 and 12,278,439 issued, and 12,013,464 and 11,945,430 outstanding at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively (see Note 9)     185,197       184,177  
Additional paid-in capital     64,000,513       62,989,131  
Treasury stock, at cost; 333,010 and 333,010 shares at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively (see Note 9)     (238,157 )     (238,157 )
Deferred compensation     (6,521,061 )     (5,839,992 )
Accumulated deficit     (49,337,620 )     (50,071,087 )
Total stockholders’ equity     8,088,872       7,024,072  
                 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 71,222,153     $ 61,099,309  

 

See notes to interim consolidated financial statements.

 

3
 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited)

 

    Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,
    2015   2014   2015   2014
                 
Revenues   $ 3,424,756     $ 3,304,173     $ 7,167,216     $ 6,034,996  
                                 
Operating expenses:                                
Cost of services     2,426,612       2,349,268       4,802,006       4,441,294  
Selling, general and administrative:                                
Stock-based compensation     393,525       72,995       627,056       150,990  
Cancellation of stock-based compensation     -       -       (163,936 )     -  
Other expenses     419,838       404,825       937,018       785,258  
Depreciation and amortization     92,948       10,706       178,520       20,611  
Total operating expenses     3,332,923       2,837,794       6,380,664       5,398,153  
                                 
Operating income     91,833       466,379       786,552       636,843  
                                 
Other income and (expense):                                
Interest income     19,358       22,424       38,358       29,238  
Other income (expense)     (32,305 )     8,593       (32,409 )     5,233  
Total other income and (expense), net     (12,947 )     31,017       5,949       34,471  
                                 
Income before income taxes     78,886       497,396       792,501       671,314  
Income taxes     54,036       10,595       59,036       22,774  
                                 
Net income   $ 24,850     $ 486,801     $ 733,465     $ 648,540  
                                 
                                 
Basic earnings per common share:   $ 0.00     $ 0.06     $ 0.10     $ 0.08  
Diluted earnings per common share:   $ 0.00     $ 0.05     $ 0.06     $ 0.07  
Weighted average common shares outstanding                                
Basic     7,369,329       8,334,304       7,369,329       8,333,949  
Diluted     12,081,754       8,855,559       12,102,919       8,837,016  

 

See notes to interim consolidated financial statements .

 

4
 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

condensed CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(unaudited)

 

    Six months Ended June 30,
    2015   2014
         
Operating activities:                
Net income   $ 733,465     $ 648,540  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:                
Depreciation     158,679       20,611  
Amortization     19,841       -  
Non-cash stock based compensation     627,056       150,990  
Cancellation of stock based compensation     (163,936 )     -  
Issuance of stock to employee     -       -  
Changes in current assets and current liabilities:                
Accounts receivable     132,305       (302,444 )
Prepaid expenses and other     (29,437 )     (2,648 )
Other assets     27,564       (50,011 )
Accounts payable and accrued expenses     (161,673 )     32,410  
Customer deposits payable     9,087,724       33,749,138  
Net cash provided by operating activities:     10,431,588       34,246,586  
                 
                 
Investing activities:                
Purchases of property and equipment     (555,778 )     (30,233 )
Net cash (used) by investing activities:     (555,778 )     (30,233 )
                 
Financing activities:                
                 
Net cash (used) by financing activities:     -       -  
                 
Change in cash and cash equivalents     9,875,810       34,216,353  
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period     54,989,851       26,573,771  
                 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period   $ 64,865,661     $ 60,790,124  
                 
                 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:                
Cash paid during the period for:                
Interest     -       -  
Income taxes   $ 77,369       -  

 

See notes to interim consolidated financial statements.

 

5
 

PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.

Notes to INTERIM condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(UNAUDITED)

 

Note 1. Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Payment Data Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) have been prepared without audit, pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature considered necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows for such periods. The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, as filed with the SEC on March 30, 2015. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any other interim periods or the full fiscal year.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents includes cash and other money market instruments. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. Cash also includes customer deposits.

 

Customer Deposits: Customer deposits include security deposits that may be required by the Company from certain customers and cash held in transit that we collected on behalf of all our customers via our ACH processing service. The security deposit is used to offset any returned items or chargebacks to the Company and to indemnify the Company against third-party claims and any expenses that may be created by the customer as a result of any claim or fine. The Company may require the customer security deposit based on estimated transaction volumes, amounts, and chargebacks and may revise the deposit based on periodic review of the same items. Repayment of the deposit to the customer is generally within 90 to 180 days beyond the date the last item is processed by the Company on behalf of the customer. The customer security deposit does not accrue interest to the benefit of the customer.

 

Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

New Accounting Pronouncement: In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued a new accounting pronouncement regarding revenue from contracts with customers. This new standard provides guidance on recognizing revenue, including a five step model to determine when revenue recognition is appropriate. The standard requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Adoption of the new standard is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its financial position, results of operations, and related disclosures, and will adopt the provisions of this new standard in the first quarter of 2018.

 

Reclassifications : Certain amounts from 2014 have been reclassified for comparative purposes for 2015. These reclassifications have no impact on the Company’s previously reported results.

 

6
 

Note 2. Accrued Expenses

 

Accrued expenses consisted of the following balances:

 

    June 30, 2015   December 31, 2014
                 
Indemnification liability   $ 450,000     $ 450,000  
Accrued commissions     412,394       460,977  
Reserve for processing losses     272,365       272,365  
Accrued salaries     174,703       158,380  
Assumed liabilities     52,147       255,772  
Accrued taxes     29,954       125,194  
Other accrued expenses     149,615       128,345  
Total accrued expenses   $ 1,541,178     $ 1,851,033  

 

On December 22, 2014, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Akimbo Financial, Inc. (“Akimbo”), a Texas corporation (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”). The assumed liabilities account is part of the Akimbo acquisition. Under the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a transition agreement which provides for the continuation of the Akimbo business. Under the terms of the transition agreement, Akimbo agreed to provide services to customer cardholders in the ordinary course of business, and deduct any contract costs from the contract revenues for a period of 180 days following December 22, 2014 and the Company agreed to pay the costs on behalf of Akimbo up to a total amount of $300,000. As of June 30, 2015 the remaining balance is $52,147. Akimbo and the Company have agreed to extend the 180 days to apply the remaining balance of assumed liabilities. 

 

Note 3. Net Income Per Share

 

Basic earnings per share (EPS) were computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS differs from basic EPS due to the assumed conversion of potentially dilutive awards and options that were outstanding during the period. The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and the denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations for net income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014. All of the share numbers used are after the 1-for-15 reverse split effected on July 23, 2015 by using the June 30, 2015 share numbers and dividing by 15. Any fractional shares were rounded up.

 

    Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,
    2015   2014   2015   2014
Numerator:                                
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share, net income  available to common shareholders   $ 24,850     $ 486,801     $ 733,465     $ 648,540  
Denominator:                                
Denominator for basic earnings per share, weighted average shares outstanding     7,369,329       8,334,304       7,369,329       8,333,949  
Effect of dilutive securities     4,712,425       521,255       4,733,590       503,067  
Denominator for diluted earnings per share, adjust weighted average shares and assumed conversion     12,081,754       8,855,559       12,102,919       8,837,016  
Basic earnings (loss) per common share   $ 0.00     $ 0.06     $ 0.10     $ 0.08  
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share and common share equivalent   $ 0.00     $ 0.05     $ 0.06     $ 0.07  

 

7
 

Note 4. Acquisition

 

On December 22, 2014, the Company acquired the assets of Akimbo to increase market share of prepaid debit card services.  The purchase price for the software, customer list, fixed assets and goodwill was $3 million in common stock of the Company.  The Akimbo operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.  The purchase price for Akimbo was allocated based on the fair values of the assets at the date of acquisition as follows:

 

Software   $ 2,585,385  
Equipment and other assets     2,252  
Customer list and contracts     396,824  
Goodwill     15,539  
Trade accounts payable     (300,000 )
Indemnification liability     (450,000 )
Total   $ 2,250,000  

 

Goodwill is being amortized over 15 years for tax purposes.

 

Note 5. Income Taxes

 

The Company has recognized a deferred tax asset of $1.6 million and has recorded a valuation allowance of $12.2 million to reduce the other deferred tax assets. The Company does not anticipate there will be a significant change through the end of 2015. As such, management has determined that the assessment of the deferred tax asset and valuation allowance will be made on an annual basis.

 

Note 6. Related Party Transactions

 

Michael R. Long and Louis A. Hoch

 

On March 11, 2013, in accordance with the Company’s employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, the Company accepted shares of the Company’s common stock owned by Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch as satisfaction in full for the remaining amounts owed to the Company as annual payments due to the loss on margin loans guaranteed by the Company for Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch in 2002.

 

On March 11, 2013, the Company also agreed to purchase additional shares of its common stock owned by Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, valued at $156,852 and $144,403, respectively, in lieu of the issuances of cash bonuses to Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch. Such bonuses were intended to compensate the executives for their service. As a result, the Company incurred a one-time reduction in cash of $301,255.

 

Accordingly, on March 11, 2013, the Company accepted an aggregate of 2,969,459 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $534,503, and an aggregate of 2,606,051 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $469,089 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, as satisfaction in full of their aggregated outstanding amounts of $702,337 owed to the Company and aggregated compensation of $301,255 paid to Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch in lieu of cash bonuses. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was valued at $0.18 per share, which was the closing price of the common stock on March 1, 2013. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was recorded as treasury stock and the Company no longer carries a “Related Party Receivable” on its balance sheet.

 

Accordingly, following the completion of these transactions, the Company had no remaining receivables or payables related to Mr. Long, Mr. Hoch or any other officer of the Company at December 31, 2014 or 2013.

 

Herb Authier

 

During the six months ending June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company paid Herb Authier a total of $23,830 and $42,000 in cash, respectively, for services related to network engineering and administration that he provided to the Company. Mr. Authier is the father-in-law of Louis Hoch, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

 

Nikole Hoch

 

During the six months ending June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company purchased a total of $0 and $6,227, respectively, of corporate imprinted sportswear and caps from Angry Pug Sportswear. Nikole Hoch, the spouse of our President and Chief Operating Officer Louis Hoch, is the sole owner of Angry Pug Sportswear. 

 

8
 

Note 7. Legal Proceedings

 

The Company is involved in a lawsuit with a customer that alleges it did not warn or stop the processing of $181,709 in fraudulent credit transactions from occurring.  The Company believes that the customer breached the Company’s processing agreement and that a security breach occurred because of the customer’s lack of controls over the login and password information utilized by the customer to process transactions resulting in the customer becoming a victim of a malware attack.  The agreement between the customer and the Company has a limitation of liability provision that allows for the maximum liability of the Company to not exceed the amount of fees of a single month of service. 

 

While the Company believes the claims of the customer are without merit, the outcome of the dispute is still uncertain.  The Company believes that any potential loss or judgment amount does not need to be accounted for at this time beyond the current balance in the reserve for losses on merchant account. 

 

On June 26, 2015, Michael McFarland, derivatively on behalf the Company, and individually on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated shareholders of the Company, filed a class-action lawsuit in United States District Court, District of Nevada. The suit alleges breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment by the Company’s Board of Directors and certain executive officers and directors in connection with excessive and unfair compensation paid or awarded during fiscal years 2013 and 2014. The lawsuit seeks disgorgement of excessive compensation as well as damages in an unspecified amount.

 

The Company believes the claims are without merit and it is unlikely that a loss will be incurred, therefore the Company has not accrued for a potential loss. However, the outcomes of the disputes are still uncertain and it is possible the Company may incur legal fees and losses in the future.

 

Aside from the lawsuits described above, the Company may be involved in legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business from time to time. While the Company believes that such matters are currently not material, there can be no assurance that matters arising in the ordinary course of business for which the Company is or could become involved in litigation, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Note 8. Subsequent Events

 

On July 2, 2015, the Company’s shareholders approved the Payment Data Systems, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2015 Equity Incentive Plan permits the Company to issue up to 5,000,000 shares (after the effects of the 1-for-15 reverse split effected on July 23, 2015) of our common capital stock, including automatic increases through the fiscal year 2025 for awards to employees, non-employee directors, and consultants. The Plan is administered by the Company’s Compensation Committee.

 

On July 2, 2015, the Company’s shareholders approved a reverse stock split of our common stock in a whole number ratio of 1-for-12 to 1-for-15. On July 2, 2015, the Board of Directors approved the implementation of the reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-15. On July 23, 2015, pursuant to shareholder and board approval, the Company effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of the outstanding common stock by filing a certificate of change with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada and obtaining approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The number of our authorized common shares remained unchanged at 200,000,000 shares, par value $0.001 per share, after the reverse stock split. The number of our authorized preferred stock remains unchanged at 10,000,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share.

 

Note 9. Reverse Stock Split

 

On July 23, 2015, pursuant to shareholder and board approval, the Company effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of the outstanding common stock by filing a certificate of change with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada and obtaining approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The number of our authorized common shares remained unchanged at 200,000,000 shares, par value $0.001 per share, after the reverse stock split. The number of our authorized preferred stock remains unchanged at 10,000,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share.

 

The number of shares issued and outstanding as of August 6, 2015 was 12,347,591. The number of shares issued and outstanding prior to the reverse split was 185,197,097 and 180,201,953 at June 30, 2015 respectively. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets shows 12,346,474 and 12,013,464 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2015, respectively. These were calculated by dividing the pre-split number of shares by 15, and rounding up any fractional shares.

 

There were no issuances of shares between June 30, 2015 and August 6, 2015 other than rounding of fractional shares. The difference of 1,117 between the issued shares at June 30, 2015 and August 6, 2015 is due to rounding of fractional shares because the Company agreed to issue a full share for any fractional shares that resulted from the reverse split.

 

The number of treasury shares was 4,995,144 at June 30, 2015 prior to the reverse split. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets shows 333,010 treasury shares for June 30, 2015. This was calculated by dividing the pre-split number of shares by 15, and rounding up any fractional shares.

 

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS DISCLAIMER

 

This quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this report, the words “anticipate,” “suggest,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “potential,” “expect,” “predict,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “proposal,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K including: the sufficiency of our security applications; our ability to adapt to rapid technological change; our relationship with the Automated Clearing House network; the failure of our third-party card processing providers or our bank sponsors to comply with the applicable requirements of Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit card associations; our ability to comply with applicable requirements of the respective card networks; and our ability to comply with federal and state regulation. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

 

9
 

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q as of June 30, 2015, and our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 included in our annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2015.

 

Overview

 

We provide integrated electronic payment processing services to merchants and businesses, including all types of Automated Clearing House, or ACH, processing, credit, prepaid card and debit card-based processing services. We also operate an online payment processing service, under the domain name www.billx.com, which allows consumers to process online payments to pay any other individual, including family and friends. Through our recently acquired business Akimbo, under the domain name www.akimbocard.com, we offer prepaid cards to consumers for use as a tool to stay on budget, manage allowances and share money with family and friends. Since the Akimbo Acquisition, we have moved the Akimbo card program to operate on the MasterCard and associated networks and to our existing sponsoring bank, Sunrise Banks, N.A. The Akimbo MasterCard program became live on our processing platform in early April 2015. The Akimbo Visa card program was decommissioned of all services on May 30, 2015 and the card customers were transitioned to the Akimbo MasterCard card program.

 

Although we reported net income of $733,465 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and $3,838,288 for year ended December 31, 2014 we still had an accumulated deficit of $49,337,620 at June 30, 2015. In our second quarter of 2015 our ACH processing volumes were the fourth highest in the history of our Company for any quarter and they increased more than 2% over the same quarter in 2014. Credit card processing volumes for the second quarter of 2015 were the highest in the history of our Company for any quarter. Credit card dollars processed during the second quarter of 2015 were up 9% as compared to the same quarter in 2014 and credit card transactions processed during the first quarter of 2015 were up 6% as compared to the same quarter in 2014. We processed over $806,800,000 of payments in the second quarter of 2015, which was the second highest in the history of our Company.

 

We expect to continue to see an increase in the number of our enrolled merchant customers, for whom we provide processing for credit and debit card transactions, and we expect to add new clients to our sales pipeline, which we believe will continue to create increased transaction volumes. We believe the profitability we experienced in the first two quarters of 2015 and the year of 2014 will continue for the foreseeable future. However, it is possible that we will not sustain profitability or we may incur future operating losses. To sustain profitability, we must, among other things, grow and maintain our customer base, implement a successful marketing strategy, continue to maintain and upgrade our technology and transaction-processing systems, provide superior customer service, respond to competitive developments, attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, and respond to unforeseen industry developments and other factors. We believe that our success will depend in large part on our ability to (a) manage our operating expenses, (b) add quality customers to our client base, (c) meet evolving customer requirements, and (d) adapt to technological changes in an emerging market. Accordingly, we intend to focus on customer acquisition activities and outsource some of our processing services to third parties to allow us to maintain an efficient operating infrastructure and expand our operations without significantly increasing our fixed operating expenses.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

General

 

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Our management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based upon our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the reported amounts of revenues and expenses, reserve for losses, customer deposits, bad debt, intangible assets, computer software, income taxes, contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We consider the following accounting policies to be critical because the nature of the estimates or assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change or because the impact of the estimates and assumptions on financial condition or operating performance is material.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Revenue consists primarily of fees generated through the electronic processing of payment transactions and related services, and is recognized as revenue during the period the transactions are processed or when the related services are performed. Merchants may be charged for these processing services at a bundled rate based on a percentage of the dollar amount of each transaction and, in some instances, additional fees are charged for each transaction. Certain merchant customers are charged a flat fee per transaction, while others may also be charged miscellaneous fees, including fees for chargebacks or returns, monthly minimums, and other miscellaneous services. Revenues derived from electronic processing of credit, debit, and prepaid card transactions that are authorized and captured through third-party networks are reported gross of amounts paid to sponsor banks as well as interchange and assessments paid to credit card associations (Visa, MasterCard and Discover). Revenue also includes any up-front fees for the work involved in implementing the basic functionality required to provide electronic payment processing services to a customer. Revenue from such implementation fees is recognized over the term of the related service contract. Sales taxes billed are reported directly as a liability to the taxing authority, and are not included in revenue.

 

Reserve for Processing Losses

 

If, due to insolvency or bankruptcy of one of our merchant customers, or for any other reason, we are not able to collect amounts from our credit card, ACH or prepaid customers that have been properly “charged back” by the customer, or if a prepaid cardholder incurs a negative balance, we must bear the credit risk for the full amount of the transaction. We may require cash deposits and other types of collateral from certain merchants to minimize any such risk. In addition, we utilize a number of systems and procedures to manage merchant risk. ACH, prepaid and credit card merchant processing loss reserves are primarily determined by performing a historical analysis of our loss experience and considering other factors that could affect that experience in the future, such as the types of transactions processed and nature of the merchant relationship with its consumers and our relationship with our prepaid card holders. This reserve amount is subject to the risk that actual losses may be greater than our estimates. We have not incurred any significant processing losses to date. Estimates for processing losses are variable based on the volume of transactions processed and could increase or decrease accordingly. Our reserve for processing losses was $272,365 at June 30, 2015 and at December 31, 2014, respectively.

 

Customer Deposits

 

Customer deposits include security deposits that we may require for certain customers and cash held in transit that we collected on behalf of all of our customers via our ACH processing service. The security deposit is used to offset any returned items or chargebacks to us and to indemnify us against third-party claims and any expenses that may be created by the customer as a result of any claim or fine. We may revise the customer security deposit based on periodic review of transaction volumes, amounts and chargebacks. Repayment of the deposit to the customer is generally made within 90 to 180 days after the date on which the last item is processed by us. The security deposit does not accrue interest to the benefit of the customer.

 

Bad Debts

 

We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability or failure of our customers to make required payments. We determine the allowance for doubtful accounts based on an account-by-account review, taking into consideration such factors as the age of the outstanding balance, historical pattern of collections and financial condition of the customer. Past losses incurred by us due to bad debts have been within our expectations. If the financial conditions of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make contractual payments, additional allowances might be required. Estimates for bad debt losses are variable based on the volume of transactions processed and could increase or decrease accordingly. At June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our allowance for doubtful accounts was $40,384 and $45,663, respectively.

 

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Valuation of Long-Lived and Intangible Assets

 

We assess the impairment of long-lived and intangible assets periodically, or at least annually, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors considered important, which could trigger an impairment review, include the following: significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future cash flows; significant changes in the manner of use of the assets or the strategy of the overall business; and significant negative industry trends. When management determines that the carrying value of long-lived and intangible assets may not be recoverable, impairment is measured as the excess of the assets’ carrying value over the estimated fair value. No impairment losses were recorded in 2014 or during the six months ended June 30, 2015. Management is not aware of any impairment changes that may currently be required; however, we cannot predict the occurrence of events that might adversely affect the reported values in the future.

 

Computer Software

 

We capitalize the costs associated with software being developed or obtained for internal use when both the preliminary project stage is completed and it is probable that computer software being developed will be completed and placed-in service. Capitalized costs include only (i) external direct costs of materials and services consumed in developing or obtaining internal-use software, (ii) payroll and other related costs for employees who are directly associated with and who devote time to the internal-use software project, and (iii) interest costs incurred, when material, while developing internal-use software. We cease capitalization of such costs no later than the point at which the project is substantially complete and ready for its intended purpose.

 

The unamortized amount of capitalized software was $343,263 as of June 30, 2015 and $0 as of December 31, 2014. We amortize the software costs for internal use using the straight line method over the expected life of the software, usually 3-5 years. Accumulated amortization of capitalized software was $0 at June 30, 2015 and $0 at December 31, 2014.

 

Income Taxes

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded based on the difference between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured by the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are computed with the presumption that they will be realizable in future periods when taxable income is generated. Predicting the ability to realize these assets in future periods requires a great deal of judgment by management. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles prescribe a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Income tax benefits that meet the “more likely than not” recognition threshold should be recognized. Goodwill is amortized over 15 years for tax purposes.

 

At December 31, 2014, we had available net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $40.8 million, which expire beginning in the year 2020. Approximately $0.4 million of the total net operating loss is subject to an IRS Section 382 limitation from 1999. However, we cannot predict with reasonable certainty that all of the available net operating loss carryforwards will be realized in future periods. Accordingly, we recorded a valuation allowance of $12.2 million. As of December 31, 2014 we recognized net deferred tax assets of $1.6 million.

 

Management does not anticipate a significant change in the 12 months after the assessment and will review the deferred tax asset balance at December 31, 2015.

 

Management is not aware of any tax positions that would have a significant impact on our financial position.

 

Results of Operations

 

Our revenues are principally derived from providing integrated electronic payment services to merchants and businesses, including credit and debit card-based processing services and transaction processing via the Automated Clearing House, or ACH, network and the program management and processing of prepaid debit cards. We also operate an online payment processing service for consumers under the domain name www.billx.com and sell this service as a private-label application to resellers.

 

Revenues

 

Revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 increased 4% to $3,424,756, as compared to $3,304,173 for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. Revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2015 increased 19% to $7,167,216, as compared to $6,034,996 for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The increase for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the same period in the prior year, was due to the increases in the volume of credit card and debit card processing transactions, ACH processing transactions, and return transactions processed for our newly acquired customers.

 

Cost of Services

 

Cost of services includes the cost of personnel dedicated to the creation and maintenance of connections to third-party payment processors and the fees paid to such third-party providers for electronic payment processing services. Through our contractual relationships with our payment processors and sponsoring banks, we are able to process ACH and debit, credit or prepaid card transactions on behalf of our customers and their consumers. We pay volume-based fees for debit, credit, ACH and prepaid transactions initiated through these processors or sponsoring banks, and pay fees for other transactions such as returns, notices of change to bank accounts and file transmission.

 

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Cost of services increased 3% to $2,426,612 for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, as compared to $2,349,268 for the same period in the prior year. Cost of services increased 8% to $4,802,006 for the six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to $4,441,294 for the same period in the prior year. The increase for the six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the same period in the prior year, was due to the increases in the volume of credit card and debit card processing transactions, ACH processing transactions, and return transactions processed for our newly acquired customers.

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

Stock-based compensation expenses were $393,525 and $72,995 for the quarters ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. Stock-based compensation expenses were $627,056 and $150,990 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. The increase in stock-based compensation expense is due to the acquisition of Akimbo and the hiring of its employees, the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer, and the addition of two directors to the Board of Directors. These stock-based compensation expenses primarily represent the amortization of deferred compensation expenses related to incentive stock awards granted to employees and directors.

 

Cancellation of stock-based compensation expense (income) was $0 and $0 for the quarters ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively and $163,936 of income and $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. This amount represents non-vested stock-based awards to former employees that were expensed in prior years that were cancelled during the six months ended June 30, 2015.

 

Other Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Other selling, general and administrative expenses increased 4% to $419,838 for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, as compared to $404,825 for the same period in the prior year. The change in other selling, general and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the same period in the prior year, represented increases in rent of approximately $12,000, and legal and accounting fees of $28,000; as well as a decrease in bonus compensation of approximately $26,000.

 

Other selling, general and administrative expenses increased 19% to $937,018 the six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to $785,258 for the same period in the prior year. The increase in other selling, general and administrative expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the same period in the prior year, represented bonus compensation of $43,619, and legal and accounting fees of $93,870, and other expenses of approximately $14,000.

 

Depreciation and Amortization

 

Depreciation and amortization totaled $92,948 for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, compared to depreciation of $10,706 for the same period in 2014. Depreciation and amortization totaled $178,520 for the six months ended June 30, 2015, compared to depreciation of $20,611 for the same period in the prior year. The increases are due to amortization of software and intangibles purchased in the Akimbo acquisition.

 

Other Income (Expense)

 

Other income (expense), net were expenses of $32,305 and $32,409 for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to income of $8,593 and $5,233 for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2014, respectively. The decrease for the quarter and six months, as compared to the same periods in the prior year is primarily due to a reduction in value of marketable securities.

 

Interest income was $19,358 and $22,424, for the quarters ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. The decrease in interest for the quarter, as compared to the same period in the prior year was primarily due to the decrease in interest earned on lower cash balances.

 

Interest income was $38,358 and $29,238, for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, respectively. The increase in interest for the six months, as compared to the same period in the prior year was primarily due to the increase in interest earned on higher cash balances.

 

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We reported net income of $24,850 and $733,465 for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to $486,801 and $648,540 for the same periods in the prior year.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

At June 30, 2015, we had $64,865,661 of cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $54,989,851 of cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2014. The increase in cash for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was primarily due to customer deposit payables of $61,274,120 which represented an increase of $9,087,724 in customer deposit payables that is directly associated with the increase in ACH transaction volumes for our newly acquired customers and the associated cash reserve requirements we placed on some of those customers.

 

Although we reported net income of $733,465 for the first two quarters of 2015 and $3,838,288 for the year ended December 31, 2014 we still have an accumulated deficit of $49,337,620. Additionally, we reported working capital of $3,568,978 and $2,854,080 at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

 

Net cash provided by operating activities was $10,431,588 and $34,246,586 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same period in the prior year was attributable to a decrease in cash provided by customer deposits of $24,661,414 which consisted primarily of cash held in transit collected on behalf of our merchants via our ACH processing service.

 

Net cash used by investing activities was $555,778 for the six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to net cash used by investing activities of $30,233 for the same period in the prior year; the increase in net cash used for investing activities was primarily due to the capitalization of expenses incurred for the development of software upgrades for internal use. Net cash used by financing activities was $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We currently have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

 

Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK .

 

As a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K, we are electing scaled disclosure reporting obligations and therefore are not required to provide the information requested by this Item.

 

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES .

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our management evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2015 were effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures included an evaluation of certain components of our internal control over financial reporting. Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is expressed at the level of reasonable assurance that the control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that the control system's objectives will be met.

 

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Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2015 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

 

I tem 1. Legal Proceedings.

 

On December 18, 2014, Brightmoor Christian Church filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against us.  Since the filing of the lawsuit, we have been engaged in on-going settlement discussions.  The lawsuit alleges that we did not warn or stop the processing of $181,709 in fraudulent credit transactions from occurring and Brightmoor incurred losses.  We believe that Brightmoor breached our processing agreement and that a security breach occurred because of the Brightmoor’s lack of controls over the login and password information utilized by Brightmoor to process transactions, resulting in Brightmoor becoming a victim of a malware attack.  Our agreement with Brightmoor has a limitation of liability provision that allows for our maximum liability to not exceed the amount of fees of a single month of service.  While we believe the claims of Brightmoor are without merit, and it is unlikely that the loss will be incurred, the outcome of the dispute is still uncertain.  Accordingly, we have not accrued for a potential loss beyond the current balance in the reserve for losses on merchant account.  Our unrecovered funds incurred to-date for this dispute, not including attorney fees, are $13,710.

 

On June 26, 2015, Michael McFarland, derivatively on behalf the Company, and individually on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated shareholders of the Company, filed a class-action lawsuit in United States District Court, District of Nevada. The suit alleges breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment by the Company’s Board of Directors and certain executive officers and directors in connection with excessive and unfair compensation paid or awarded during fiscal years 2013 and 2014. The lawsuit seeks disgorgement of excessive compensation as well as damages in an unspecified amount.

 

We believe the claims are without merit and it is unlikely that a loss will be incurred, therefore we have not accrued for a potential loss. However, the outcomes of the disputes are still uncertain and it is possible we may incur legal fees and losses in the future.

 

Aside from the lawsuits described above, we may be involved in legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business from time to time. While we believe that such matters are currently not material, there can be no assurance that matters arising in the ordinary course of business for which we are or could become involved in litigation, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

I tem 1A. RISK FACTORS.

 

Except as discussed below, there have been no material changes from risk factors previously disclosed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2015.

 

We are party to legal proceedings that could materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results if resolved unfavorably to us.

 

We are party to legal proceedings as described in Part II. Item 1. “Legal Proceedings” in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q that have not yet been fully resolved, and additional claims may arise in the future. Results of legal proceedings are subject to significant uncertainty and, regardless of the merit of the claims, litigation may be expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to our operations, and distracting to management.

 

Although management considers the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, our consolidated financial statements for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, such an outcome could result in significant compensatory, punitive or trebled monetary damages, disgorgement of revenue or profits, remedial corporate measures or injunctive relief against the Company that could materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

 

 

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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities AND USE OF PROCEEDS.

 

During the three months ended June 30, 2015 and through the current date we did not issue or sell any unregistered equity securities.

 

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.

 

None.

 

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Other Information.

 

On July 2, 2015, our shareholders approved the Payment Data Systems, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2015 Equity Incentive Plan permits us to issue up to 5,000,000 (after the effects of the 1-for-15 reverse split effected on July 23, 2015) shares of our common capital stock, including automatic increases through the fiscal year 2025 for awards to employees, non-employee directors, and consultants. The Plan is administered by our Compensation Committee.

 

On July 2, 2015, our shareholders approved a reverse stock split of our common stock in a whole number ratio of 1-for-12 to 1-for-15. On July 2, 2015, our Board of Directors approved the implementation of the reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-15. On July 23, 2015, pursuant to the shareholder and board approval, we effected a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of our outstanding common stock by filing a certificate of change with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada and obtaining approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The number of our authorized common shares remained unchanged at 200,000,000, common capital shares, par value $0.001 per share, after the reverse stock split. The number of our authorized preferred stock remains unchanged at 10,000,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share.

 

On April 24, 2015 we agreed to issue 500,000 and 500,000 shares of our common stock to our Directors, Miguel Chapa and Kirk Taylor, respectively.  We expect to issue the shares under our 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, approved July 2, 2015 at our annual shareholder’s meeting, however, as of August 10, 2015, we had not yet issued the shares. Kirk Taylor's 500,000 shares of our common stock will vest in three installments: (1) 166,667 shares vest on April 24, 2015, (2) 166,667 shares vest on January 1, 2016, and (3) 166,666 shares vest on January 1, 2017. Miguel Chapa's 500,000 shares of our common stock will vest in four installments: (1) 200,000 shares vest on April 24, 2015, (2) 100,000 shares vest on January 1, 2016, (3) 100,000 shares vest on January 1, 2017, and (4) 100,000 shares vest on January 1, 2018.

 

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Item 6. Exhibits.

 

 

Exhibit
Number
Description

 

3.1 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (included as exhibit 3.1 to the Form 10-KSB filed March 31, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

3.2 Amended and Restated By-laws (included as exhibit 3.2 to the Form 10-KSB filed March 31, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

3.3 Articles of Amendment to the Amended and Restated By-laws (included as exhibit A to the Schedule 14C filed April 18, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

3.4 Certificate of Amendment of Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, (included as exhibit 3.1 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 23, 2015, and included herein by reference).

 

4.1 Amended and Restated 1999 Employee Comprehensive Stock Plan (included as exhibit 4.1 to the Form S-8 filed May 25, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

4.2 Amended and Restated 1999 Non-Employee Director Plan (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed January 3, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

4.3 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (included as exhibit 4.3 to the Form S-8, File No. 333-30958, filed February 23, 2000, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

4.4 Payment Data Systems, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (included as appendix B to our definitive proxy statement on Form 14A, filed June 5, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.1 Lease Agreement between the Company and Frost National Bank, Trustee for a Designated Trust, dated August 22, 2003 (included as exhibit 10.3 to the Form 10-Q filed November 14, 2003, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.2 Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated February 27, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 2, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.3 Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated February 27, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed March 2, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).
     
10.4 Affiliate Office Agreement between the Company and Network 1 Financial, Inc. (included as exhibit 10.11 to the Form SB-2 filed April 28, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).
     
10.5 Stock Purchase Agreement between the Company and Robert D. Evans, dated January 18, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed January 23, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.6 Stock Purchase Agreement between the Company and Robert D. Evans, dated March 1, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 5, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.7 First Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated November 12, 2009 (included as exhibit 10.15 to the Form 10-Q filed November 16, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.8 First Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated November 12, 2009 (included as exhibit 10.16 to the Form 10-Q filed November 16, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.9 Second Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated April 12, 2010 (included as exhibit 10.16 to the Form 10-K filed April 15, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.10 Second Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated April 12, 2010 (included as exhibit 10.17 to the Form 10-K filed April 15, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.11 Bank Sponsorship Agreement between the Company and University National Bank, dated August 29, 2011 (included as exhibit 10.18 to the Form 10-K filed April 3, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.12 Third Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated January 14, 2011 (included as exhibit 10.19 to the Form 10-K filed April 3, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

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10.13 Third Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated January 14, 2011 (included as exhibit 10.20 to the Form 10-K filed April 3, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.14 Fourth Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated July 2, 2012 (included as exhibit 10.18 to the Form 10-Q filed August 20, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.15 Fourth Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated July 2, 2012 (included as exhibit 10.19 to the Form 10-Q filed August 20, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.16 Confidential Compromise Settlement Agreement and Full and Final Release by and between FiCentive, Inc. and SmartCard Marketing Systems, Inc., dated November 20, 2012 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed November 28, 2012).

 

10.17 First Amendment to Lease Agreement dated August 22, 2003 between the Company and Frost National Bank, Trustee for a Designated Trust, dated February 6, 2006 (included as exhibit 10.17 to the Form 10-K filed April 1, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.18 Second Amendment to Lease Agreement dated August 22, 2003 between the Company and Frost National Bank, Trustee for a Designated Trust, dated October 7, 2009 (included as exhibit 10.18 to the Form 10-K filed April 1, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.19 Third Amendment to Lease Agreement dated August 22, 2003 between the Company and Frost National Bank, Trustee for a Designated Trust, dated October 12, 2013 (included as exhibit 10.19 to the Form 10-K filed April 1, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.20 Asset Purchase Agreement, dated December 22, 2014, by and between Akimbo Financial, Inc. and Payment Data Systems, Inc. (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed December 23, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.21 Transition Agreement, dated December 22, 2014, by and between Akimbo Financial, Inc. and Payment Data Systems, Inc. (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed December 23, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.22 Employment Agreement, dated December 23, 2014, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Houston Frost (included as exhibit 10.3 to the Form 8-K filed December 23, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.23 Employment Agreement, dated March 3, 2015, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Habib Yunus (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 6, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.24 Fourth Amendment to Lease Agreement, dated August 22, 2003, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Domicilio OC, LLC as successor-in-interest to Frost National Bank, dated February 12 2015 (included as exhibit 10.24 to the Form 10-K filed March 30, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.25 Lease Agreement, dated February 12, 2015, by and between FiCentive, Inc. and Domicilio OC, LLC (included as exhibit 10.25 to the Form 10-K filed March 30, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.26 Bank Sponsorship Agreement between the Company and Metropolitan Commercial Bank, dated December 11, 2014. (included as exhibit 10.26 to the Form 10-K filed March 30, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

10.27 Independent Director Agreement, dated April 24, 2015, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Kirk Taylor (filed herewith).

 

10.28 Independent Director Agreement, dated April 24, 2015, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Dr. Peter Kirby (filed herewith).

 

10.29 Independent Director Agreement, dated April 24, 2015, by and between Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Miguel A. Chapa (filed herewith).

 

14.1 Code of Ethics (filed herewith).

 

16.1 Letter from Ernst and Young LLP to the Securities and Exchange Commission dated February 10, 2004 (included as exhibit 16 to the Form 8-K filed February 11, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).

 

31.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).

 

31.2 Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).

 

32.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).

 

18
 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

  Payment Data Systems, Inc .
     
     
Date: August 14, 2015 By: /s/ Michael R. Long                         
    Michael R. Long
    Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

 

EXHIBIT 10.27

 

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT is made effective as of the 24th of April, 2015 (the “ Agreement ”), between PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC., a Nevada corporation with an address at 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas, 78216 (the “ Company ”), and Kirk Taylor (“ Director ”).

 

WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and attract as directors the most capable persons available to serve on the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company believes that Director possesses the necessary qualifications and abilities to serve as a director of the Company and to perform the functions and meet the Company’s needs related to its Board, and

 

WHEREAS, the Company appointed the Director effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”) and desires to enter into an agreement with the Director with respect to such appointment; and

 

WHEREAS, the Director is willing to accept such appointment and to serve the Company on the terms set forth herein and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the benefits to be derived by each party hereunder and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Position .  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall cause the Director to be appointed, and the Director hereby agrees to serve the Company in such position upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, provided, however, that the Director’s continued service on the Board after the initial three-year term on the Board, which term is subject to the Company’s bylaws, as amended, and as may be subsequently amended, and pursuant the Company’s bylaws, state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, shall be subject to any necessary approval by the Company’s stockholders.

 

2. Service .  Director will serve as a director of the Company and perform all duties as a director of the Company, including without limitation (a) attending meetings of the Board, (b) serving on one or more committees of the Board (each a “ Committee ”) and attending meetings of each Committee of which Director is a member, and (c) using reasonable efforts to promote the business of the Company. The Company currently intends to hold at least one in-person regular meeting of the Board and each Committee each quarter, together with additional meetings of the Board and Committees as may be required by the business and affairs of the Company. In fulfilling his responsibilities as a director of the Company, Director agrees that he shall act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.

 

3. Compensation .

 

(a) Cash Compensation. The Director shall receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) each quarter in arrears for participation in quarterly Board and Committee meetings, including the annual stockholders’ meeting. There will be no additional compensation for ad hoc or preparatory meetings or for being the chair of a Committee, other than the Audit Committee. The Chair of the Audit Committee will receive fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) upon timely, including extensions granted by the SEC, and compliant filing of the 10K each year.

 

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(b) Restricted Stock.  The Director shall receive five hundred thousand (500,000) shares of the Company’s common stock at the start of the Directorship Term, pursuant and subject to the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan.  Such shares shall vest in 3 stages: (1) 166,667 on the Effective Date, (2) 166,667 on January 1, 2016, and (3) 166,666 on January 1, 2017. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Director ceases to be a member of Board at any time during the vesting period for any reason (such as resignation, withdrawal, death, disability or any other reason), then any unvested shares shall be irrefutably forfeited.  Furthermore, the Director agrees that the shares shall be subject to any “lock up” agreement required to be signed by the Company’s officers in connection with any financing.

 

(c) Independent Contractor.  The Director’s status during the Directorship Term shall be that of an independent contractor and not, for any purpose, that of an employee or agent with authority to bind the Company in any respect. All payments and other consideration made or provided to the Director under this Section 3 shall be made or provided without withholding or deduction of any kind, and the Director shall assume sole responsibility for discharging all tax or other obligations associated therewith.

 

(d) Expense Reimbursements.  Upon submission of appropriate receipts, invoices or vouchers as may be reasonably required by the Company, the Company will reimburse Director for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Director’s duties under this Agreement during the Directorship Term. Any reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses of the Director in excess of $500.00 must be approved in advance by the Company.

 

4. Directorship Term .  The “ Directorship Term ,” as used in this Agreement, shall mean the period commencing on the Effective Date and terminating on the earliest of the following to occur: (a) the death or disability of the Director; (b) the termination of the Director from membership on the Board by the mutual agreement of the Company and the Director; (c) the removal of the Director from the Board by the majority stockholders of the Company; and (d) the resignation by the Director from the Board.

 

5. Director’s Representation and Acknowledgment .  The Director represents to the Company that the execution and performance of this Agreement shall not be in violation of any agreement or obligation (whether or not written) that he may have with or to any person or entity, including without limitation, any prior or current employer. The Director hereby acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement (and any other agreement or obligation referred to herein) shall be an obligation solely of the Company, and the Director shall have no recourse whatsoever against any stockholder of the Company or any of their respective affiliates with regard to this Agreement.

 

6. Director Covenants .

 

(a) Unauthorized Disclosure.  The Director agrees and understands that in the Director’s position with the Company, the Director has been and will be exposed to and receive information relating to the confidential affairs of the Company, including, but not limited to, technical information, business and marketing plans, strategies, customer information, other information concerning the Company’s products, promotions, development, financing, expansion plans, business policies and practices, and other forms of information considered by the Company to be confidential and in the nature of trade secrets. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and thereafter, the Director will keep such information confidential and will not disclose such information, either directly or indirectly, to any third person or entity without the prior written consent of the Company; provided, however, that (i) the Director shall have no such obligation to the extent such information is or becomes publicly known or generally known in the Company’s industry other than as a result of the Director’s breach of his obligations hereunder and (ii) the Director may, after giving prior notice to the Company to the extent practicable under the circumstances, disclose such information to the extent required by applicable laws or governmental regulations or judicial or regulatory process. This confidentiality covenant has no temporal, geographical or territorial restriction. Upon termination of the Directorship Term, the Director will promptly return to the Company and/or destroy at the Company’s direction all property, keys, notes, memoranda, writings, lists, files, reports, customer lists, correspondence, tapes, disks, cards, surveys, maps, logs, machines, technical data, other product or document, and any summary or compilation of the foregoing, in whatever form, including, without limitation, in electronic form, which has been produced by, received by or otherwise submitted to the Director in the course or otherwise as a result of the Director’s position with the Company during or prior to the Directorship Term, provided that the Company shall retain such materials and make them available to the Director if requested in connection with any litigation against the Director under circumstances in which (i) the Director demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company that the materials are necessary to his defense in the litigation and (ii) the confidentiality of the materials is preserved to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company.

 

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(b) Non-Solicitation.  During the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, the Director shall not interfere with the Company’s relationship with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, any person who, on the date of the termination of the Directorship Term and/or at any time during the one year period prior to the termination of the Directorship Term, was an employee or customer of the Company or otherwise had a material business relationship with the Company.

 

(c) Non-Compete. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, he shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, through any person, firm or corporation, alone or as a member of a partnership or as an officer, director, stockholder, investor or employee of or consultant to any other corporation or enterprise; engage in the business of developing, marketing, selling or supporting technology to or for businesses in which the Company engages in or in which the Company has an actual intention, as evidenced by the Company's written business plans, to engage in, within any geographic area in which the Company is then conducting such business.  Nothing in this Section 6 shall prohibit the Director from being (i) a stockholder in a mutual fund or a diversified investment company or (ii) a passive owner of not more than three percent of the outstanding stock of any class of securities of a corporation, which are publicly traded, so long as the Director has no active participation in the business of such corporation.

 

(d) Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines.  Director agrees to comply with the Company’s Code of Ethics and to execute the Company’s Insider Trading Guidelines in Attachments A and B, respectively. The Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines may either or both be amended by the Company from time to time.

 

7. Director and Officer Liability Insurance . Director shall be covered by the Company’s director and officer’s liability insurance policy or policies, in accordance with its or their terms, to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any of the Company’s directors or officers.

 

8. Limitation of Liability; Right to Indemnification . Director shall be entitled to limitations of liability and the right to indemnification against expenses and damages in connection with claims against Director relating to his service to the Company to the fullest extent permitted by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws (as such documents may be amended from time to time) and other applicable law.

 

9. Amendments and Waiver . No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement will be binding unless executed in writing by both parties. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement on a particular occasion will be deemed or will constitute a waiver of that provision on a subsequent occasion or a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

10. Binding Effect, Assignments . This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties and their respective successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, neither the Director nor the Company shall assign all or any portion of this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

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11. Severability . The provisions of this Agreement are severable, and any provision of this Agreement that is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or otherwise unenforceable in any respect will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

12. Governing Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada applicable to contracts made and to be performed in that state without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws.

 

13. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding all negotiations, prior discussions and prior agreements and understanding relating to such subject matter.

 

14. Miscellaneous . This Agreement may be executed by the Company and Director in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original instrument, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by facsimile signature and the other party will be entitled to rely on such facsimile signature as evidence that this Agreement has been duly executed by such party. Any party executing this Agreement by facsimile signature will promptly forward to the other party an original signature page by overnight courier. Director acknowledges that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment and does not imply that the Company will continue his service as a director for any period of time.

 

Signature Page Follows.

 

 

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Independent Director Agreement as of the date shown above.

 

 

  Payment Data Systems, Inc.
   
   
  By: /s/ Michael R. Long
  Name: Michael R. Long
  Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors
   
   
   
  By: /s/ Kirk Taylor
  Name: Kirk Taylor

 

 

 

 

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Attachment A

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

In accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Board of Directors of Payment Data Systems, Inc. (with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Ethics (this “Code”) in order to:

 

· encourage honest and ethical conduct, including fair dealing and the ethical handling of conflicts of interest;
· encourage full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure;
· encourage compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations;
· ensure the protection of the Company's legitimate business interests, including corporate opportunities, assets and confidential information;
· deter wrongdoing; and
· ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

All directors, officers and employees of the Company are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 6, Reporting and Accountability. The Code will be strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with immediately. Violations that involve illegal behavior will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

 

This Code covers a wide range of business practices and procedures. It does not cover every issue that may arise, but it sets out basic principles to guide all employees, officers and directors of the Company. All such persons must conduct themselves accordingly and seek to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. Those who violate the standards in this Code or who fail to cooperate with management directions given to effect compliance with this Code may be subject to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment. For guidance with respect to issues not addressed in this Code, employees should follow the Company’s internal policies and procedures.

 

If you have any questions regarding this Code, you should address these questions to your supervisor, or to the general counsel or other person identified by the Company as its compliance officer (the “Compliance Officer”). The Code is enforced by the General Counsel where the suspected violation involves a person who is not a director or officer. The audit committee, or, if there is no audit or another independent committee, the Board of Directors enforces any suspected violations involving a director or officer.

 

1. Honest and Ethical Conduct

 

Each director, officer and employee owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest and ethical. This includes the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. Deceit and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity.

 

Each director, officer and employee must:

 

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· Act with integrity, including being honest and ethical while still maintaining the confidentiality of information where required or consistent with the Company’s policies.
· Observe both the form and spirit of laws and governmental rules and regulations and accounting standards.
· Adhere to a high standard of business ethics.
· Accept no improper or undisclosed material personal benefits from third parties as a result of any transaction or transactions of the Company.

 

2. Conflicts of Interest

 

A “conflict of interest” arises when a person’s loyalties or actions are divided between the interests of the Company and those of another, such as a competitor, supplier or customer, or personal business. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. A conflict of interest may also arise when an individual, or members of his or her family, receives an improper personal benefit as a result of his or her position in, or relationship with, the Company. Moreover, the appearance of a conflict of interest alone can adversely affect the Company and its relations with business partners, customers, suppliers and employees.

 

Employees are expected to use good judgment, to adhere to high ethical standards and to avoid situations that create an actual or potential conflict of interest. It is almost always a conflict of interest for employees to work simultaneously for a competitor, customer or supplier. In this regard, Company personnel shall not have any undisclosed financial interest in any competitor, supplier, customer, or strategic partner if that interest would create a conflict of interest with the Company. If there is such an interest, the employee should disclose the nature of the interest to the human resources department or the general counsel, as appropriate; provided, however, that employees may maintain small investments in publicly held companies in which an employee has no influence or control.

 

A conflict of interest can also arise with respect to employment of relatives and persons with close personal relationships. If a director, officer or employee (or someone with whom the person has a close relationship (e.g., a family member or close companion) has a financial or employment relationship with an actual or potential competitor, supplier or customer, the director, officer or employee must disclose this fact in writing to the Compliance Officer. The Company may take any action that it deems necessary in its sole discretion to avoid or remedy an actual, prospective or perceived conflict of interest, including a reassignment of some or all of the employee’s duties or change of the employee’s position.

 

Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, employees or their family members are of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, any director or officer (or their family members) are expressly prohibited unless approved by the Board of Directors.

 

A conflict of interest may not always be clear; therefore, you should consult with the Compliance Officer if you have any questions. Any employee who becomes aware of a conflict or a potential conflict should bring it to the attention of the Compliance Officer.

 

3. Disclosure

 

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Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Controller (the “Senior Financial Officers”) and the General Counsel, is required to be familiar with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures applicable to him or her so that the Company’s public reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) comply in all material respects with the applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules. In addition, each such person having direct or supervisory authority regarding these SEC filings or the Company’s other public communications concerning its general business, results, financial condition and prospects should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other Company officers and employees and take other appropriate steps regarding these disclosures with the goal of making full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

 

Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including without limitation the Senior Financial Officers and the General Counsel, must:

 

· Familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
· Not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company's independent auditors, governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.

 

4. Compliance

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each employee, officer and director to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations in the performance of their duties for the Company, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters and insider trading. Other policies issued by the Company also provide guidance as to certain of the laws, rules and regulations that apply to the Company’s activities.

 

5. Insider Trading

 

Generally, it is against Company policy for any individual to profit from undisclosed information relating to the Company or any other company in violation of insider trading or other laws. Inside information is any material, non-public information a reasonable investor is likely to consider important when making an investment decision. Anyone who is aware of material non-public information relating to the Company, our business partners, or other companies may not use the information to trade directly or indirectly or tip others to trade in stock or other securities of that company in violation of the federal securities laws.

 

If you are uncertain about the legal rules involving your purchase or sale of any Company securities or any securities in companies that you are familiar with by virtue of your work for the Company, you should consult with the Compliance Officer before making any such purchase or sale. You should also consult the Company’s Insider Trading Policy which applies to all directors, officers and employees as well as consultants and independent contractors of the Company and is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

6. Reporting and Accountability

 

The Board of Directors has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any director, officer or employee who becomes aware of any violation of this Code is required to notify the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board or the Compliance Officer promptly.

 

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Any questions relating to how these policies should be interpreted or applied should be addressed to the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. Any material transaction or relationship that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest, as discussed in Section 2 of this Code, should be discussed with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. A director, officer or employee who is unsure of whether a situation violates this Code should discuss the situation with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as applicable.

 

Each director, officer or employee must:

 

· Notify the appropriate contact promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code.
· Cooperate in any internal investigation of misconduct under this Code.
· Not retaliate against any other director, officer or employee for good faith reports of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.

 

The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:

 

· The Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as the case may be, will take all appropriate action to investigate any violations reported. In addition, the audit committee, Board or the Compliance Officer, as appropriate, shall report each violation and alleged violation involving a director or an executive officer to the Chairperson of the Board. To the extent he or she deems appropriate, the Chairperson of the Board shall participate in any investigation of a director or executive officer. After the conclusion of an investigation of a director or executive officer, the conclusions shall be reported to the entire Board.
· The Board will conduct such additional investigation as it deems necessary. If the Board determines that a director or executive officer has violated this Code, it will take such disciplinary or preventive action as deemed appropriate, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities.
· The Company will make every effort to protect the integrity of every investigation, including protecting reporters and witnesses from harassment, intimidation and retaliation, keep evidence from being destroyed, ensure testimony is honest and identify root causes. The Company will make every effort to keep the identity of every reporter private and to secure any data relating to the investigation. Also, the Company may require witnesses to maintain a particular investigation and their role in strict confidence.

 

7. Corporate Opportunities

 

Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from taking (or directing to a third party) a business opportunity that is discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position, unless the Company has already been offered the opportunity and turned it down. More generally, employees, officers and directors are prohibited from using corporate property, information or position for personal gain and from competing with the Company.

 

Sometimes the line between personal and Company benefits is difficult to draw, and sometimes there are both personal and Company benefits in certain activities. Employees, officers and directors who intend to make use of Company property or services in a manner not solely for the benefit of the Company should consult beforehand with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee or the Board.

 

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8. Confidentiality

 

In carrying out the Company’s business, employees, officers and directors often learn confidential or proprietary information about the Company, its customers, suppliers, or joint venture parties. Employees, officers and directors must maintain the confidentiality of all information so entrusted to them, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential or proprietary information of our Company, and of other companies, includes any non-public information that would be harmful to the relevant company or useful or helpful to competitors if disclosed.

 

9. Fair Dealing

 

We seek to succeed through honest business competition. We do not seek competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. Each employee, officer and director should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s customers, consultants, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No employee, officer or director should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.

 

10. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets

 

All employees, officers and directors should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes.

 

11. Payments to Government Personnel

 

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is strictly prohibited to make illegal payments to government officials of any country.

 

In addition, the United States government has a number of laws and regulations regarding business gratuities which may be accepted by U.S. government personnel. The promise, offer or delivery to an official or employee of the U.S. government of a gift, favor, or other gratuity in violation of these rules would not only violate Company policy but could also be a criminal offense. State and local governments, as well as foreign governments, may have similar rules. It is the Company’s policy to not provide any gifts, favors or gratuities to any government official.

 

12. Amendment, Modification and Waiver

 

This Code may be amended or modified by the Company’s Board of Directors. Any employee or director who believes that a waiver may be called for should discuss the matter with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board. Waivers of this code may only be granted by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors with specific delegated authority to grant such waivers at their sole discretion. Any waivers involving a director or executive officer may only be granted by the Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Waivers will be disclosed as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder and any applicable rules relating to the maintenance of the listing of our securities on any stock exchange. The company will review this Code regularly to assess its utility given the changing demands of the company and the scale and scope of its operations.

 

 

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[acknowledgement on following page]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Code of Ethics and will comply with its terms and conditions, I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Kirk Taylor

 

Name: Kirk Taylor

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attachment B

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Insider Trading Policy

 


 

THIS POLICY HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF

 

DIRECTORS OF Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

AND IS APPLICABLE TO ALL DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,

 

EMPLOYEES AND CONSULTANTS OF THE COMPANY.

 

 

 

The Need for a Policy Statement

 

The purchase or sale of securities while possessing material nonpublic information or the selective disclosure of such information to others who may trade is prohibited by federal and state laws.

 

The Company has adopted the following policy with respect to purchases and sales of the Company's securities by directors, officers, employees and consultants who have material nonpublic information about the Company and about other firms with which it works closely. For purposes of this policy, outside directors and consultants are included within the term "employee." Each employee is responsible for ensuring that he or she does not violate federal or state securities laws or the Company's policy concerning securities trading. This policy is designed to promote compliance with the federal securities laws and to protect the Company, as well as those persons, from the very serious liabilities and penalties that can result from violations of these laws.

 

Potential penalties for insider trading violations include civil fines for up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided by the trading, criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.00 and jail sentences of up to ten (10) years. In addition, a company whose employee violates the insider trading prohibitions may be liable for a civil fine of up to the greater of $1,000,000.00 and three times the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the employee's insider trading violations.

 

The Company's Policy

 

Company employees may not trade in the stock or other securities of any firm when they know "material nonpublic information" about the firm. This restriction on "insider trading" is not limited to trading in the Company's securities. It includes trading in the securities of other firms, such as customers or suppliers of the Company and those with which the Company may be negotiating major transactions, such as an acquisition, investment or sale. Information that is not material to the Company may nevertheless be material to one of those other firms.

 

"Trading" includes purchases and sales of stock, bonds, debentures, options, puts, calls and other similar securities. This policy includes trades made pursuant to any investment direction under employee benefit plans as well as trades in the open market. For example, sales of stock acquired through any employee stock purchase plan or transactions in the self-directed portion of any retirement or pension plan are covered by this policy. This policy also applies to the exercise of options with an immediate sale of some or all of the shares through a broker.

 

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Employees must not pass material nonpublic information on to others or recommend to anyone the purchase or sale of any securities on the basis of such information. This practice, known as "tipping," also violates the securities laws and can result in the same civil and criminal penalties that apply to insider trading, whether or not the employee derives any benefit from another's actions.

 

The same restrictions apply to family members and other persons living in an employee's household. Employees are expected to be responsible for the compliance of the members of their immediate family and personal household. Transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure) are no exception to the policy.

 

Because of the unique potential for abuse of material nonpublic information, it is also the Company's policy that directors, officers and employees may not engage in short-term speculative transactions involving "trading" the Company's securities. This would include short sales and buying or selling puts or calls. In addition, the purchase of the Company's securities on margin (except for the exercise of employee stock options) is prohibited.

 

Definition of Material Nonpublic Information

 

Material Information . Information is material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in deciding whether to buy, hold or sell a security. Therefore, any information that could reasonably be expected to affect the price of the security is material. Common examples of material information are:

 

* Projections of future earnings or losses or changes in such projections.

 

* Actual changes in earnings.

 

* A pending or prospective joint venture, merger, acquisition, tender offer or financing.

 

* A significant sale of assets or disposition of a subsidiary.

 

* A gain or loss of a material contract, customer or supplier or material changes in the profitability status of a current contract.

 

* The development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in a previously announced schedule for the development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in management, other major personnel changes or labor negotiations.

 

* Significant increases or decreases in dividends or the declaration of a stock split or the offering of additional securities.

 

* Financial liquidity problems.

 

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Both positive and negative information can be material. Because trading that receives scrutiny will be evaluated after the fact with the benefit of hindsight, questions concerning the materiality of particular information should be resolved in favor of materiality, and trading should be avoided.

 

Nonpublic Information . Nonpublic information is information that is not generally known or available to the public. Information is considered to be available to the public only when it has been released to the public through appropriate channels, e.g., by means of a press release or a statement from one of the corporation's senior officers, and enough time has elapsed to permit the investment market to absorb and evaluate the information. As a general rule, information is considered nonpublic until the second business day after public disclosure.

 

Unauthorized Disclosure

 

Maintaining the confidentiality of Company information is essential for competitive, security and other business reasons, as well as to comply with securities laws. All information an employee learns about the Company or its business plans in connection with his or her employment is potentially "inside" information until publicly disclosed or made available by the Company. The employee should treat all such information as confidential and proprietary to the Company. The employee may not disclose it to others, such as family members, other relatives, or business or social acquaintances, who do not need to know it for legitimate business reasons.

 

Also, the timing and nature of the Company's disclosure of material information to outsiders is subject to legal rules the breach of which could result in substantial liability to the employee, the Company and its management. Accordingly, it is important that only specifically designated representatives of the Company discuss the Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries with the news media, securities analysts and investors. Inquiries of this type received by any employee should be referred to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

 

Additional Restrictions and Requirements

 

The following additional procedures are designed to help prevent inadvertent violations and avoid even the appearance of improper transactions in the Company's securities. Employees who wish to trade in the Company's securities should trade only during the period beginning one (1) trading day after the release of quarterly earnings and extending until the fifteenth (15th) day of the third month of the quarter. Of course, even during this trading window period, an employee may not trade if he or she is aware of any material nonpublic information. If an employee believes there are compelling reasons why he or she needs to trade in the Company's securities during periods other than the recommended "windows," the employee needs to consult the Company’s General Counsel.

 

Systematic Trading Plans

 

Officers and other insiders who wish to enter into arrangements for systematic trading of the Company's securities under a systematic trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 are permitted to do so upon the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors. The trading plan must be entered into by an insider during an open trading window period as defined above while he or she is unaware of any material nonpublic information and must be in compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and all other applicable federal and state laws.

 

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Personal Responsibility; Assistance

 

Each employee should remember that the ultimate responsibility for adhering to this policy and avoiding improper trading rests with the employee. In this regard, it is important that each employee use his or her best judgment. If an employee violates this policy, the Company may take disciplinary action, including dismissal for cause. Compliance with this policy by all employees is of the utmost importance both for the employee and for the Company. Any person who has any questions about the application of this policy to any particular case may obtain additional guidance from the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

 

[acknowledgement on following page]

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Insider Trading Policy and will comply with its terms and conditions, except for the additional restriction limiting my trading of the Company’s securities to designated time periods referred to as trading window periods. I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Kirk Taylor

 

Name: Kirk Taylor

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 10.28

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT is made effective as of the 24th of April, 2015 (the “ Agreement ”), between PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC., a Nevada corporation with an address at 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas, 78216 (the “ Company ”), and Peter G. Kirby, PhD (“ Director ”).

 

WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and attract as directors the most capable persons available to serve on the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company believes that Director possesses the necessary qualifications and abilities to serve as a director of the Company and to perform the functions and meet the Company’s needs related to its Board, and

 

WHEREAS, the Company appointed the Director effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”) and desires to enter into an agreement with the Director with respect to such appointment; and

 

WHEREAS, the Director is willing to accept such appointment and to serve the Company on the terms set forth herein and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the benefits to be derived by each party hereunder and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Position .  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall cause the Director to be appointed, and the Director hereby agrees to serve the Company in such position upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, provided, however, that the Director’s continued service on the Board after the initial three-year term on the Board, which term is subject to the Company’s bylaws, as amended, and as may be subsequently amended, and pursuant the Company’s bylaws, state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, shall be subject to any necessary approval by the Company’s stockholders.

 

2. Service .  Director will serve as a director of the Company and perform all duties as a director of the Company, including without limitation (a) attending meetings of the Board, (b) serving on one or more committees of the Board (each a “ Committee ”) and attending meetings of each Committee of which Director is a member, and (c) using reasonable efforts to promote the business of the Company. The Company currently intends to hold at least one in-person regular meeting of the Board and each Committee each quarter, together with additional meetings of the Board and Committees as may be required by the business and affairs of the Company. In fulfilling his responsibilities as a director of the Company, Director agrees that he shall act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.

 

3. Compensation .

 

(a) Cash Compensation. The Director shall receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) each quarter in arrears for participation in quarterly Board and Committee meetings, including the annual stockholders’ meeting. There will be no additional compensation for ad hoc or preparatory meetings or for being the chair of a Committee, other than the Audit Committee. The Chair of the Audit Committee will receive fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) upon timely, including extensions granted by the SEC, and compliant filing of the 10K each year. The Company also agrees to pay Director a one-time twenty thousand dollar ($20,000) bonus for continued loyalty and service to the Company.

 

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(b) Independent Contractor.  The Director’s status during the Directorship Term shall be that of an independent contractor and not, for any purpose, that of an employee or agent with authority to bind the Company in any respect. All payments and other consideration made or provided to the Director under this Section 3 shall be made or provided without withholding or deduction of any kind, and the Director shall assume sole responsibility for discharging all tax or other obligations associated therewith.

 

(c) Expense Reimbursements.  Upon submission of appropriate receipts, invoices or vouchers as may be reasonably required by the Company, the Company will reimburse Director for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Director’s duties under this Agreement during the Directorship Term. Any reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses of the Director in excess of $500.00 must be approved in advance by the Company.

 

4. Directorship Term .  The “ Directorship Term ,” as used in this Agreement, shall mean the period commencing on the Effective Date and terminating on the earliest of the following to occur: (a) the death or disability of the Director; (b) the termination of the Director from membership on the Board by the mutual agreement of the Company and the Director; (c) the removal of the Director from the Board by the majority stockholders of the Company; and (d) the resignation by the Director from the Board.

 

5. Director’s Representation and Acknowledgment .  The Director represents to the Company that the execution and performance of this Agreement shall not be in violation of any agreement or obligation (whether or not written) that he may have with or to any person or entity, including without limitation, any prior or current employer. The Director hereby acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement (and any other agreement or obligation referred to herein) shall be an obligation solely of the Company, and the Director shall have no recourse whatsoever against any stockholder of the Company or any of their respective affiliates with regard to this Agreement.

 

6. Director Covenants .

 

(a) Unauthorized Disclosure.  The Director agrees and understands that in the Director’s position with the Company, the Director has been and will be exposed to and receive information relating to the confidential affairs of the Company, including, but not limited to, technical information, business and marketing plans, strategies, customer information, other information concerning the Company’s products, promotions, development, financing, expansion plans, business policies and practices, and other forms of information considered by the Company to be confidential and in the nature of trade secrets. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and thereafter, the Director will keep such information confidential and will not disclose such information, either directly or indirectly, to any third person or entity without the prior written consent of the Company; provided, however, that (i) the Director shall have no such obligation to the extent such information is or becomes publicly known or generally known in the Company’s industry other than as a result of the Director’s breach of his obligations hereunder and (ii) the Director may, after giving prior notice to the Company to the extent practicable under the circumstances, disclose such information to the extent required by applicable laws or governmental regulations or judicial or regulatory process. This confidentiality covenant has no temporal, geographical or territorial restriction. Upon termination of the Directorship Term, the Director will promptly return to the Company and/or destroy at the Company’s direction all property, keys, notes, memoranda, writings, lists, files, reports, customer lists, correspondence, tapes, disks, cards, surveys, maps, logs, machines, technical data, other product or document, and any summary or compilation of the foregoing, in whatever form, including, without limitation, in electronic form, which has been produced by, received by or otherwise submitted to the Director in the course or otherwise as a result of the Director’s position with the Company during or prior to the Directorship Term, provided that the Company shall retain such materials and make them available to the Director if requested in connection with any litigation against the Director under circumstances in which (i) the Director demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company that the materials are necessary to his defense in the litigation and (ii) the confidentiality of the materials is preserved to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company.

 

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(b) Non-Solicitation.  During the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, the Director shall not interfere with the Company’s relationship with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, any person who, on the date of the termination of the Directorship Term and/or at any time during the one year period prior to the termination of the Directorship Term, was an employee or customer of the Company or otherwise had a material business relationship with the Company.

 

(c) Non-Compete. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, he shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, through any person, firm or corporation, alone or as a member of a partnership or as an officer, director, stockholder, investor or employee of or consultant to any other corporation or enterprise; engage in the business of developing, marketing, selling or supporting technology to or for businesses in which the Company engages in or in which the Company has an actual intention, as evidenced by the Company's written business plans, to engage in, within any geographic area in which the Company is then conducting such business.  Nothing in this Section 6 shall prohibit the Director from being (i) a stockholder in a mutual fund or a diversified investment company or (ii) a passive owner of not more than three percent of the outstanding stock of any class of securities of a corporation, which are publicly traded, so long as the Director has no active participation in the business of such corporation.

 

(d) Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines.  Director agrees to comply with the Company’s Code of Ethics and to execute the Company’s Insider Trading Guidelines in Attachments A and B, respectively. The Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines may either or both be amended by the Company from time to time.

 

7. Director and Officer Liability Insurance . Director shall be covered by the Company’s director and officer’s liability insurance policy or policies, in accordance with its or their terms, to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any of the Company’s directors or officers.

 

8. Limitation of Liability; Right to Indemnification . Director shall be entitled to limitations of liability and the right to indemnification against expenses and damages in connection with claims against Director relating to his service to the Company to the fullest extent permitted by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws (as such documents may be amended from time to time) and other applicable law.

 

9. Amendments and Waiver . No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement will be binding unless executed in writing by both parties. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement on a particular occasion will be deemed or will constitute a waiver of that provision on a subsequent occasion or a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

10. Binding Effect, Assignments . This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties and their respective successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, neither the Director nor the Company shall assign all or any portion of this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

11. Severability . The provisions of this Agreement are severable, and any provision of this Agreement that is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or otherwise unenforceable in any respect will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

12. Governing Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada applicable to contracts made and to be performed in that state without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws.

 

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13. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding all negotiations, prior discussions and prior agreements and understanding relating to such subject matter.

 

14. Miscellaneous . This Agreement may be executed by the Company and Director in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original instrument, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by facsimile signature and the other party will be entitled to rely on such facsimile signature as evidence that this Agreement has been duly executed by such party. Any party executing this Agreement by facsimile signature will promptly forward to the other party an original signature page by overnight courier. Director acknowledges that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment and does not imply that the Company will continue his service as a director for any period of time.

 

Signature Page Follows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Independent Director Agreement as of the date shown above.

 

 

   Payment Data Systems, Inc.
   
   
  By: /s/ Michael R. Long
  Name: Michael R. Long
  Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors
   
   
   
  By: /s/ Peter G. Kirby
  Name: Peter G. Kirby, PhD

 

 

 

 

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Attachment A

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

In accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Board of Directors of Payment Data Systems, Inc. (with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Ethics (this “Code”) in order to:

 

· encourage honest and ethical conduct, including fair dealing and the ethical handling of conflicts of interest;
· encourage full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure;
· encourage compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations;
· ensure the protection of the Company's legitimate business interests, including corporate opportunities, assets and confidential information;
· deter wrongdoing; and
· ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

All directors, officers and employees of the Company are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 6, Reporting and Accountability. The Code will be strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with immediately. Violations that involve illegal behavior will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

 

This Code covers a wide range of business practices and procedures. It does not cover every issue that may arise, but it sets out basic principles to guide all employees, officers and directors of the Company. All such persons must conduct themselves accordingly and seek to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. Those who violate the standards in this Code or who fail to cooperate with management directions given to effect compliance with this Code may be subject to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment. For guidance with respect to issues not addressed in this Code, employees should follow the Company’s internal policies and procedures.

 

If you have any questions regarding this Code, you should address these questions to your supervisor, or to the general counsel or other person identified by the Company as its compliance officer (the “Compliance Officer”). The Code is enforced by the General Counsel where the suspected violation involves a person who is not a director or officer. The audit committee, or, if there is no audit or another independent committee, the Board of Directors enforces any suspected violations involving a director or officer.

 

1. Honest and Ethical Conduct

 

Each director, officer and employee owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest and ethical. This includes the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. Deceit and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity.

 

Each director, officer and employee must:

 

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· Act with integrity, including being honest and ethical while still maintaining the confidentiality of information where required or consistent with the Company’s policies.
· Observe both the form and spirit of laws and governmental rules and regulations and accounting standards.
· Adhere to a high standard of business ethics.
· Accept no improper or undisclosed material personal benefits from third parties as a result of any transaction or transactions of the Company.

 

2. Conflicts of Interest

 

A “conflict of interest” arises when a person’s loyalties or actions are divided between the interests of the Company and those of another, such as a competitor, supplier or customer, or personal business. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. A conflict of interest may also arise when an individual, or members of his or her family, receives an improper personal benefit as a result of his or her position in, or relationship with, the Company. Moreover, the appearance of a conflict of interest alone can adversely affect the Company and its relations with business partners, customers, suppliers and employees.

 

Employees are expected to use good judgment, to adhere to high ethical standards and to avoid situations that create an actual or potential conflict of interest. It is almost always a conflict of interest for employees to work simultaneously for a competitor, customer or supplier. In this regard, Company personnel shall not have any undisclosed financial interest in any competitor, supplier, customer, or strategic partner if that interest would create a conflict of interest with the Company. If there is such an interest, the employee should disclose the nature of the interest to the human resources department or the general counsel, as appropriate; provided, however, that employees may maintain small investments in publicly held companies in which an employee has no influence or control.

 

A conflict of interest can also arise with respect to employment of relatives and persons with close personal relationships. If a director, officer or employee (or someone with whom the person has a close relationship (e.g., a family member or close companion) has a financial or employment relationship with an actual or potential competitor, supplier or customer, the director, officer or employee must disclose this fact in writing to the Compliance Officer. The Company may take any action that it deems necessary in its sole discretion to avoid or remedy an actual, prospective or perceived conflict of interest, including a reassignment of some or all of the employee’s duties or change of the employee’s position.

 

Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, employees or their family members are of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, any director or officer (or their family members) are expressly prohibited unless approved by the Board of Directors.

 

A conflict of interest may not always be clear; therefore, you should consult with the Compliance Officer if you have any questions. Any employee who becomes aware of a conflict or a potential conflict should bring it to the attention of the Compliance Officer.

 

3. Disclosure

 

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Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Controller (the “Senior Financial Officers”) and the General Counsel, is required to be familiar with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures applicable to him or her so that the Company’s public reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) comply in all material respects with the applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules. In addition, each such person having direct or supervisory authority regarding these SEC filings or the Company’s other public communications concerning its general business, results, financial condition and prospects should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other Company officers and employees and take other appropriate steps regarding these disclosures with the goal of making full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

 

Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including without limitation the Senior Financial Officers and the General Counsel, must:

 

· Familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
· Not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company's independent auditors, governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.

 

4. Compliance

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each employee, officer and director to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations in the performance of their duties for the Company, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters and insider trading. Other policies issued by the Company also provide guidance as to certain of the laws, rules and regulations that apply to the Company’s activities.

 

5. Insider Trading

 

Generally, it is against Company policy for any individual to profit from undisclosed information relating to the Company or any other company in violation of insider trading or other laws. Inside information is any material, non-public information a reasonable investor is likely to consider important when making an investment decision. Anyone who is aware of material non-public information relating to the Company, our business partners, or other companies may not use the information to trade directly or indirectly or tip others to trade in stock or other securities of that company in violation of the federal securities laws.

 

If you are uncertain about the legal rules involving your purchase or sale of any Company securities or any securities in companies that you are familiar with by virtue of your work for the Company, you should consult with the Compliance Officer before making any such purchase or sale. You should also consult the Company’s Insider Trading Policy which applies to all directors, officers and employees as well as consultants and independent contractors of the Company and is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

6. Reporting and Accountability

 

The Board of Directors has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any director, officer or employee who becomes aware of any violation of this Code is required to notify the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board or the Compliance Officer promptly.

 

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Any questions relating to how these policies should be interpreted or applied should be addressed to the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. Any material transaction or relationship that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest, as discussed in Section 2 of this Code, should be discussed with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. A director, officer or employee who is unsure of whether a situation violates this Code should discuss the situation with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as applicable.

 

Each director, officer or employee must:

 

· Notify the appropriate contact promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code.
· Cooperate in any internal investigation of misconduct under this Code.
· Not retaliate against any other director, officer or employee for good faith reports of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.

 

The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:

 

· The Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as the case may be, will take all appropriate action to investigate any violations reported. In addition, the audit committee, Board or the Compliance Officer, as appropriate, shall report each violation and alleged violation involving a director or an executive officer to the Chairperson of the Board. To the extent he or she deems appropriate, the Chairperson of the Board shall participate in any investigation of a director or executive officer. After the conclusion of an investigation of a director or executive officer, the conclusions shall be reported to the entire Board.
· The Board will conduct such additional investigation as it deems necessary. If the Board determines that a director or executive officer has violated this Code, it will take such disciplinary or preventive action as deemed appropriate, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities.
· The Company will make every effort to protect the integrity of every investigation, including protecting reporters and witnesses from harassment, intimidation and retaliation, keep evidence from being destroyed, ensure testimony is honest and identify root causes. The Company will make every effort to keep the identity of every reporter private and to secure any data relating to the investigation. Also, the Company may require witnesses to maintain a particular investigation and their role in strict confidence.

 

7. Corporate Opportunities

 

Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from taking (or directing to a third party) a business opportunity that is discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position, unless the Company has already been offered the opportunity and turned it down. More generally, employees, officers and directors are prohibited from using corporate property, information or position for personal gain and from competing with the Company.

 

Sometimes the line between personal and Company benefits is difficult to draw, and sometimes there are both personal and Company benefits in certain activities. Employees, officers and directors who intend to make use of Company property or services in a manner not solely for the benefit of the Company should consult beforehand with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee or the Board.

 

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8. Confidentiality

 

In carrying out the Company’s business, employees, officers and directors often learn confidential or proprietary information about the Company, its customers, suppliers, or joint venture parties. Employees, officers and directors must maintain the confidentiality of all information so entrusted to them, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential or proprietary information of our Company, and of other companies, includes any non-public information that would be harmful to the relevant company or useful or helpful to competitors if disclosed.

 

9. Fair Dealing

 

We seek to succeed through honest business competition. We do not seek competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. Each employee, officer and director should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s customers, consultants, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No employee, officer or director should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.

 

10. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets

 

All employees, officers and directors should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes.

 

11. Payments to Government Personnel

 

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is strictly prohibited to make illegal payments to government officials of any country.

 

In addition, the United States government has a number of laws and regulations regarding business gratuities which may be accepted by U.S. government personnel. The promise, offer or delivery to an official or employee of the U.S. government of a gift, favor, or other gratuity in violation of these rules would not only violate Company policy but could also be a criminal offense. State and local governments, as well as foreign governments, may have similar rules. It is the Company’s policy to not provide any gifts, favors or gratuities to any government official.

 

12. Amendment, Modification and Waiver

 

This Code may be amended or modified by the Company’s Board of Directors. Any employee or director who believes that a waiver may be called for should discuss the matter with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board. Waivers of this code may only be granted by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors with specific delegated authority to grant such waivers at their sole discretion. Any waivers involving a director or executive officer may only be granted by the Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Waivers will be disclosed as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder and any applicable rules relating to the maintenance of the listing of our securities on any stock exchange. The company will review this Code regularly to assess its utility given the changing demands of the company and the scale and scope of its operations.

 

 

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[acknowledgement on following page]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Code of Ethics and will comply with its terms and conditions,. I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Peter G. Kirby

 

Name: Peter G. Kirby, PhD

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attachment B

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Insider Trading Policy

 


 

THIS POLICY HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF

 

DIRECTORS OF Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

AND IS APPLICABLE TO ALL DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,

 

EMPLOYEES AND CONSULTANTS OF THE COMPANY.

 

 

 

The Need for a Policy Statement

 

The purchase or sale of securities while possessing material nonpublic information or the selective disclosure of such information to others who may trade is prohibited by federal and state laws.

 

The Company has adopted the following policy with respect to purchases and sales of the Company's securities by directors, officers, employees and consultants who have material nonpublic information about the Company and about other firms with which it works closely. For purposes of this policy, outside directors and consultants are included within the term "employee." Each employee is responsible for ensuring that he or she does not violate federal or state securities laws or the Company's policy concerning securities trading. This policy is designed to promote compliance with the federal securities laws and to protect the Company, as well as those persons, from the very serious liabilities and penalties that can result from violations of these laws.

 

Potential penalties for insider trading violations include civil fines for up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided by the trading, criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.00 and jail sentences of up to ten (10) years. In addition, a company whose employee violates the insider trading prohibitions may be liable for a civil fine of up to the greater of $1,000,000.00 and three times the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the employee's insider trading violations.

 

The Company's Policy

 

Company employees may not trade in the stock or other securities of any firm when they know "material nonpublic information" about the firm. This restriction on "insider trading" is not limited to trading in the Company's securities. It includes trading in the securities of other firms, such as customers or suppliers of the Company and those with which the Company may be negotiating major transactions, such as an acquisition, investment or sale. Information that is not material to the Company may nevertheless be material to one of those other firms.

 

"Trading" includes purchases and sales of stock, bonds, debentures, options, puts, calls and other similar securities. This policy includes trades made pursuant to any investment direction under employee benefit plans as well as trades in the open market. For example, sales of stock acquired through any employee stock purchase plan or transactions in the self-directed portion of any retirement or pension plan are covered by this policy. This policy also applies to the exercise of options with an immediate sale of some or all of the shares through a broker.

 

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Employees must not pass material nonpublic information on to others or recommend to anyone the purchase or sale of any securities on the basis of such information. This practice, known as "tipping," also violates the securities laws and can result in the same civil and criminal penalties that apply to insider trading, whether or not the employee derives any benefit from another's actions.

 

The same restrictions apply to family members and other persons living in an employee's household. Employees are expected to be responsible for the compliance of the members of their immediate family and personal household. Transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure) are no exception to the policy.

 

Because of the unique potential for abuse of material nonpublic information, it is also the Company's policy that directors, officers and employees may not engage in short-term speculative transactions involving "trading" the Company's securities. This would include short sales and buying or selling puts or calls. In addition, the purchase of the Company's securities on margin (except for the exercise of employee stock options) is prohibited.

 

Definition of Material Nonpublic Information

 

Material Information . Information is material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in deciding whether to buy, hold or sell a security. Therefore, any information that could reasonably be expected to affect the price of the security is material. Common examples of material information are:

 

* Projections of future earnings or losses or changes in such projections.

 

* Actual changes in earnings.

  

* A pending or prospective joint venture, merger, acquisition, tender offer or financing.

 

* A significant sale of assets or disposition of a subsidiary.

 

* A gain or loss of a material contract, customer or supplier or material changes in the profitability status of a current contract.

 

* The development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in a previously announced schedule for the development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in management, other major personnel changes or labor negotiations.

 

* Significant increases or decreases in dividends or the declaration of a stock split or the offering of additional securities.

 

* Financial liquidity problems.

 

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Both positive and negative information can be material. Because trading that receives scrutiny will be evaluated after the fact with the benefit of hindsight, questions concerning the materiality of particular information should be resolved in favor of materiality, and trading should be avoided.

 

Nonpublic Information . Nonpublic information is information that is not generally known or available to the public. Information is considered to be available to the public only when it has been released to the public through appropriate channels, e.g., by means of a press release or a statement from one of the corporation's senior officers, and enough time has elapsed to permit the investment market to absorb and evaluate the information. As a general rule, information is considered nonpublic until the second business day after public disclosure.

 

Unauthorized Disclosure

 

Maintaining the confidentiality of Company information is essential for competitive, security and other business reasons, as well as to comply with securities laws. All information an employee learns about the Company or its business plans in connection with his or her employment is potentially "inside" information until publicly disclosed or made available by the Company. The employee should treat all such information as confidential and proprietary to the Company. The employee may not disclose it to others, such as family members, other relatives, or business or social acquaintances, who do not need to know it for legitimate business reasons.

 

Also, the timing and nature of the Company's disclosure of material information to outsiders is subject to legal rules the breach of which could result in substantial liability to the employee, the Company and its management. Accordingly, it is important that only specifically designated representatives of the Company discuss the Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries with the news media, securities analysts and investors. Inquiries of this type received by any employee should be referred to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

 

Additional Restrictions and Requirements

 

The following additional procedures are designed to help prevent inadvertent violations and avoid even the appearance of improper transactions in the Company's securities. Employees who wish to trade in the Company's securities should trade only during the period beginning one (1) trading day after the release of quarterly earnings and extending until the fifteenth (15th) day of the third month of the quarter. Of course, even during this trading window period, an employee may not trade if he or she is aware of any material nonpublic information. If an employee believes there are compelling reasons why he or she needs to trade in the Company's securities during periods other than the recommended "windows," the employee needs to consult the Company’s General Counsel.

 

Systematic Trading Plans

 

Officers and other insiders who wish to enter into arrangements for systematic trading of the Company's securities under a systematic trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 are permitted to do so upon the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors. The trading plan must be entered into by an insider during an open trading window period as defined above while he or she is unaware of any material nonpublic information and must be in compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and all other applicable federal and state laws.

 

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Personal Responsibility; Assistance

 

Each employee should remember that the ultimate responsibility for adhering to this policy and avoiding improper trading rests with the employee. In this regard, it is important that each employee use his or her best judgment. If an employee violates this policy, the Company may take disciplinary action, including dismissal for cause. Compliance with this policy by all employees is of the utmost importance both for the employee and for the Company. Any person who has any questions about the application of this policy to any particular case may obtain additional guidance from the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

 

[acknowledgement on following page]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Insider Trading Policy and will comply with its terms and conditions, except for the additional restriction limiting my trading of the Company’s securities to designated time periods referred to as trading window periods. I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Peter G. Kirby

 

Name: Peter G. Kirby, PhD

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 10.29

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT is made effective as of the 24th of April 2015 (the “ Agreement ”), between PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC., a Nevada corporation with an address at 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas, 78216 (the “ Company ”), and Miguel A. Chapa (“ Director ”).

 

WHEREAS, it is essential to the Company to retain and attract as directors the most capable persons available to serve on the board of directors of the Company (the “ Board ”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company believes that Director possesses the necessary qualifications and abilities to serve as a director of the Company and to perform the functions and meet the Company’s needs related to its Board, and

 

WHEREAS, the Company appointed the Director effective as of the date hereof (the “ Effective Date ”) and desires to enter into an agreement with the Director with respect to such appointment; and

 

WHEREAS, the Director is willing to accept such appointment and to serve the Company on the terms set forth herein and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the benefits to be derived by each party hereunder and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Position .  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall cause the Director to be appointed, and the Director hereby agrees to serve the Company in such position upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, provided, however, that the Director’s continued service on the Board after the initial three-year term on the Board, which term is subject to the Company’s bylaws, as amended, and as may be subsequently amended, and pursuant the Company’s bylaws, state or federal law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed, shall be subject to any necessary approval by the Company’s stockholders.

 

2. Service .  Director will serve as a director of the Company and perform all duties as a director of the Company, including without limitation (a) attending meetings of the Board, (b) serving on one or more committees of the Board (each a “ Committee ”) and attending meetings of each Committee of which Director is a member, and (c) using reasonable efforts to promote the business of the Company. The Company currently intends to hold at least one in-person regular meeting of the Board and each Committee each quarter, together with additional meetings of the Board and Committees as may be required by the business and affairs of the Company. In fulfilling his responsibilities as a director of the Company, Director agrees that he shall act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.

 

3. Compensation .

 

(a) Cash Compensation. The Director shall receive one thousand dollars ($1,000) each quarter in arrears for participation in quarterly Board and Committee meetings, including the annual stockholders’ meeting. There will be no additional compensation for ad hoc or preparatory meetings or for being the chair of a Committee, other than the Audit Committee. The Chair of the Audit Committee will receive fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) upon timely, including extensions granted by the SEC, and compliant filing of the 10K each year.

 

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(b) Restricted Stock.  The Director shall receive five hundred thousand (500,000) shares of the Company’s common stock at the start of the Directorship Term, pursuant and subject to the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan.  Such shares shall vest in 4 stages: (1) 200,000 on the Effective Date, (2) 100,000 on January 1, 2016, (3) 100,000 on January 1, 2017, and (4) 100,000 on January 1, 2018.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Director ceases to be a member of Board at any time during the vesting period for any reason (such as resignation, withdrawal, death, disability or any other reason), then any unvested shares shall be irrefutably forfeited.  Furthermore, the Director agrees that the shares shall be subject to any “lock up” agreement required to be signed by the Company’s officers in connection with any financing.

 

(c) Independent Contractor.  The Director’s status during the Directorship Term shall be that of an independent contractor and not, for any purpose, that of an employee or agent with authority to bind the Company in any respect. All payments and other consideration made or provided to the Director under this Section 3 shall be made or provided without withholding or deduction of any kind, and the Director shall assume sole responsibility for discharging all tax or other obligations associated therewith.

 

(d) Expense Reimbursements.  Upon submission of appropriate receipts, invoices or vouchers as may be reasonably required by the Company, the Company will reimburse Director for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Director’s duties under this Agreement during the Directorship Term. Any reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses of the Director in excess of $500.00 must be approved in advance by the Company.

 

4. Directorship Term .  The “ Directorship Term ,” as used in this Agreement, shall mean the period commencing on the Effective Date and terminating on the earliest of the following to occur: (a) the death or disability of the Director; (b) the termination of the Director from membership on the Board by the mutual agreement of the Company and the Director; (c) the removal of the Director from the Board by the majority stockholders of the Company; and (d) the resignation by the Director from the Board.

 

5. Director’s Representation and Acknowledgment .  The Director represents to the Company that the execution and performance of this Agreement shall not be in violation of any agreement or obligation (whether or not written) that he may have with or to any person or entity, including without limitation, any prior or current employer. The Director hereby acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement (and any other agreement or obligation referred to herein) shall be an obligation solely of the Company, and the Director shall have no recourse whatsoever against any stockholder of the Company or any of their respective affiliates with regard to this Agreement.

 

6. Director Covenants .

 

(a) Unauthorized Disclosure.  The Director agrees and understands that in the Director’s position with the Company, the Director has been and will be exposed to and receive information relating to the confidential affairs of the Company, including, but not limited to, technical information, business and marketing plans, strategies, customer information, other information concerning the Company’s products, promotions, development, financing, expansion plans, business policies and practices, and other forms of information considered by the Company to be confidential and in the nature of trade secrets. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and thereafter, the Director will keep such information confidential and will not disclose such information, either directly or indirectly, to any third person or entity without the prior written consent of the Company; provided, however, that (i) the Director shall have no such obligation to the extent such information is or becomes publicly known or generally known in the Company’s industry other than as a result of the Director’s breach of his obligations hereunder and (ii) the Director may, after giving prior notice to the Company to the extent practicable under the circumstances, disclose such information to the extent required by applicable laws or governmental regulations or judicial or regulatory process. This confidentiality covenant has no temporal, geographical or territorial restriction. Upon termination of the Directorship Term, the Director will promptly return to the Company and/or destroy at the Company’s direction all property, keys, notes, memoranda, writings, lists, files, reports, customer lists, correspondence, tapes, disks, cards, surveys, maps, logs, machines, technical data, other product or document, and any summary or compilation of the foregoing, in whatever form, including, without limitation, in electronic form, which has been produced by, received by or otherwise submitted to the Director in the course or otherwise as a result of the Director’s position with the Company during or prior to the Directorship Term, provided that the Company shall retain such materials and make them available to the Director if requested in connection with any litigation against the Director under circumstances in which (i) the Director demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company that the materials are necessary to his defense in the litigation and (ii) the confidentiality of the materials is preserved to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company.

 

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(b) Non-Solicitation.  During the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, the Director shall not interfere with the Company’s relationship with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, any person who, on the date of the termination of the Directorship Term and/or at any time during the one year period prior to the termination of the Directorship Term, was an employee or customer of the Company or otherwise had a material business relationship with the Company.

 

(c) Non-Compete. The Director agrees that during the Directorship Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, he shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, through any person, firm or corporation, alone or as a member of a partnership or as an officer, director, stockholder, investor or employee of or consultant to any other corporation or enterprise; engage in the business of developing, marketing, selling or supporting technology to or for businesses in which the Company engages in or in which the Company has an actual intention, as evidenced by the Company's written business plans, to engage in, within any geographic area in which the Company is then conducting such business.  Nothing in this Section 6 shall prohibit the Director from being (i) a stockholder in a mutual fund or a diversified investment company or (ii) a passive owner of not more than three percent of the outstanding stock of any class of securities of a corporation, which are publicly traded, so long as the Director has no active participation in the business of such corporation.

 

(d) Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines.  Director agrees to comply with the Company’s Code of Ethics and to execute the Company’s Insider Trading Guidelines in Attachments A and B, respectively. The Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Guidelines may either or both be amended by the Company from time to time.

 

7. Director and Officer Liability Insurance . Director shall be covered by the Company’s director and officer’s liability insurance policy or policies, in accordance with its or their terms, to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any of the Company’s directors or officers.

 

8. Limitation of Liability; Right to Indemnification . Director shall be entitled to limitations of liability and the right to indemnification against expenses and damages in connection with claims against Director relating to his service to the Company to the fullest extent permitted by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws (as such documents may be amended from time to time) and other applicable law.

 

9. Amendments and Waiver . No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement will be binding unless executed in writing by both parties. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement on a particular occasion will be deemed or will constitute a waiver of that provision on a subsequent occasion or a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

10. Binding Effect, Assignments . This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties and their respective successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, neither the Director nor the Company shall assign all or any portion of this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

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11. Severability . The provisions of this Agreement are severable, and any provision of this Agreement that is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or otherwise unenforceable in any respect will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.

 

12. Governing Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada applicable to contracts made and to be performed in that state without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of laws.

 

13. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding all negotiations, prior discussions and prior agreements and understanding relating to such subject matter.

 

14. Miscellaneous . This Agreement may be executed by the Company and Director in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original instrument, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. Any party may execute this Agreement by facsimile signature and the other party will be entitled to rely on such facsimile signature as evidence that this Agreement has been duly executed by such party. Any party executing this Agreement by facsimile signature will promptly forward to the other party an original signature page by overnight courier. Director acknowledges that this Agreement does not constitute a contract of employment and does not imply that the Company will continue his service as a director for any period of time.

 

Signature Page Follows.

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Independent Director Agreement as of the date shown above.

 

 

  Payment Data Systems, Inc.
   
   
  By: /s/ Michael R. Long
  Name: Michael R. Long
  Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors
   
   
   
  By: /s/ Miguel A. Chapa
  Name: Miguel A. Chapa

 

 

 

 

 

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Attachment A

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

In accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Board of Directors of Payment Data Systems, Inc. (with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Ethics (this “Code”) in order to:

 

· encourage honest and ethical conduct, including fair dealing and the ethical handling of conflicts of interest;
· encourage full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure;
· encourage compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations;
· ensure the protection of the Company's legitimate business interests, including corporate opportunities, assets and confidential information;
· deter wrongdoing; and
· ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

All directors, officers and employees of the Company are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 6, Reporting and Accountability. The Code will be strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with immediately. Violations that involve illegal behavior will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

 

This Code covers a wide range of business practices and procedures. It does not cover every issue that may arise, but it sets out basic principles to guide all employees, officers and directors of the Company. All such persons must conduct themselves accordingly and seek to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. Those who violate the standards in this Code or who fail to cooperate with management directions given to effect compliance with this Code may be subject to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment. For guidance with respect to issues not addressed in this Code, employees should follow the Company’s internal policies and procedures.

 

If you have any questions regarding this Code, you should address these questions to your supervisor, or to the general counsel or other person identified by the Company as its compliance officer (the “Compliance Officer”). The Code is enforced by the General Counsel where the suspected violation involves a person who is not a director or officer. The audit committee, or, if there is no audit or another independent committee, the Board of Directors enforces any suspected violations involving a director or officer.

 

1. Honest and Ethical Conduct

 

Each director, officer and employee owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest and ethical. This includes the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. Deceit and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity.

 

Each director, officer and employee must:

 

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· Act with integrity, including being honest and ethical while still maintaining the confidentiality of information where required or consistent with the Company’s policies.
· Observe both the form and spirit of laws and governmental rules and regulations and accounting standards.
· Adhere to a high standard of business ethics.
· Accept no improper or undisclosed material personal benefits from third parties as a result of any transaction or transactions of the Company.

 

2. Conflicts of Interest

 

A “conflict of interest” arises when a person’s loyalties or actions are divided between the interests of the Company and those of another, such as a competitor, supplier or customer, or personal business. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. A conflict of interest may also arise when an individual, or members of his or her family, receives an improper personal benefit as a result of his or her position in, or relationship with, the Company. Moreover, the appearance of a conflict of interest alone can adversely affect the Company and its relations with business partners, customers, suppliers and employees.

 

Employees are expected to use good judgment, to adhere to high ethical standards and to avoid situations that create an actual or potential conflict of interest. It is almost always a conflict of interest for employees to work simultaneously for a competitor, customer or supplier. In this regard, Company personnel shall not have any undisclosed financial interest in any competitor, supplier, customer, or strategic partner if that interest would create a conflict of interest with the Company. If there is such an interest, the employee should disclose the nature of the interest to the human resources department or the general counsel, as appropriate; provided, however, that employees may maintain small investments in publicly held companies in which an employee has no influence or control.

 

A conflict of interest can also arise with respect to employment of relatives and persons with close personal relationships. If a director, officer or employee (or someone with whom the person has a close relationship (e.g., a family member or close companion) has a financial or employment relationship with an actual or potential competitor, supplier or customer, the director, officer or employee must disclose this fact in writing to the Compliance Officer. The Company may take any action that it deems necessary in its sole discretion to avoid or remedy an actual, prospective or perceived conflict of interest, including a reassignment of some or all of the employee’s duties or change of the employee’s position.

 

Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, employees or their family members are of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, any director or officer (or their family members) are expressly prohibited unless approved by the Board of Directors.

 

A conflict of interest may not always be clear; therefore, you should consult with the Compliance Officer if you have any questions. Any employee who becomes aware of a conflict or a potential conflict should bring it to the attention of the Compliance Officer.

 

3. Disclosure

 

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Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Controller (the “Senior Financial Officers”) and the General Counsel, is required to be familiar with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures applicable to him or her so that the Company’s public reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) comply in all material respects with the applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules. In addition, each such person having direct or supervisory authority regarding these SEC filings or the Company’s other public communications concerning its general business, results, financial condition and prospects should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other Company officers and employees and take other appropriate steps regarding these disclosures with the goal of making full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

 

Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including without limitation the Senior Financial Officers and the General Counsel, must:

 

· Familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
· Not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company's independent auditors, governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.

 

4. Compliance

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each employee, officer and director to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations in the performance of their duties for the Company, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters and insider trading. Other policies issued by the Company also provide guidance as to certain of the laws, rules and regulations that apply to the Company’s activities.

 

5. Insider Trading

 

Generally, it is against Company policy for any individual to profit from undisclosed information relating to the Company or any other company in violation of insider trading or other laws. Inside information is any material, non-public information a reasonable investor is likely to consider important when making an investment decision. Anyone who is aware of material non-public information relating to the Company, our business partners, or other companies may not use the information to trade directly or indirectly or tip others to trade in stock or other securities of that company in violation of the federal securities laws.

 

If you are uncertain about the legal rules involving your purchase or sale of any Company securities or any securities in companies that you are familiar with by virtue of your work for the Company, you should consult with the Compliance Officer before making any such purchase or sale. You should also consult the Company’s Insider Trading Policy which applies to all directors, officers and employees as well as consultants and independent contractors of the Company and is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

6. Reporting and Accountability

 

The Board of Directors has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any director, officer or employee who becomes aware of any violation of this Code is required to notify the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board or the Compliance Officer promptly.

 

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Any questions relating to how these policies should be interpreted or applied should be addressed to the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. Any material transaction or relationship that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest, as discussed in Section 2 of this Code, should be discussed with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. A director, officer or employee who is unsure of whether a situation violates this Code should discuss the situation with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as applicable.

 

Each director, officer or employee must:

 

· Notify the appropriate contact promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code.
· Cooperate in any internal investigation of misconduct under this Code.
· Not retaliate against any other director, officer or employee for good faith reports of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.

 

The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:

 

· The Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as the case may be, will take all appropriate action to investigate any violations reported. In addition, the audit committee, Board or the Compliance Officer, as appropriate, shall report each violation and alleged violation involving a director or an executive officer to the Chairperson of the Board. To the extent he or she deems appropriate, the Chairperson of the Board shall participate in any investigation of a director or executive officer. After the conclusion of an investigation of a director or executive officer, the conclusions shall be reported to the entire Board.
· The Board will conduct such additional investigation as it deems necessary. If the Board determines that a director or executive officer has violated this Code, it will take such disciplinary or preventive action as deemed appropriate, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities.
· The Company will make every effort to protect the integrity of every investigation, including protecting reporters and witnesses from harassment, intimidation and retaliation, keep evidence from being destroyed, ensure testimony is honest and identify root causes. The Company will make every effort to keep the identity of every reporter private and to secure any data relating to the investigation. Also, the Company may require witnesses to maintain a particular investigation and their role in strict confidence.

 

7. Corporate Opportunities

 

Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from taking (or directing to a third party) a business opportunity that is discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position, unless the Company has already been offered the opportunity and turned it down. More generally, employees, officers and directors are prohibited from using corporate property, information or position for personal gain and from competing with the Company.

 

Sometimes the line between personal and Company benefits is difficult to draw, and sometimes there are both personal and Company benefits in certain activities. Employees, officers and directors who intend to make use of Company property or services in a manner not solely for the benefit of the Company should consult beforehand with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee or the Board.

 

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8. Confidentiality

 

In carrying out the Company’s business, employees, officers and directors often learn confidential or proprietary information about the Company, its customers, suppliers, or joint venture parties. Employees, officers and directors must maintain the confidentiality of all information so entrusted to them, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential or proprietary information of our Company, and of other companies, includes any non-public information that would be harmful to the relevant company or useful or helpful to competitors if disclosed.

 

9. Fair Dealing

 

We seek to succeed through honest business competition. We do not seek competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. Each employee, officer and director should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s customers, consultants, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No employee, officer or director should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.

 

10. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets

 

All employees, officers and directors should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes.

 

11. Payments to Government Personnel

 

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is strictly prohibited to make illegal payments to government officials of any country.

 

In addition, the United States government has a number of laws and regulations regarding business gratuities which may be accepted by U.S. government personnel. The promise, offer or delivery to an official or employee of the U.S. government of a gift, favor, or other gratuity in violation of these rules would not only violate Company policy but could also be a criminal offense. State and local governments, as well as foreign governments, may have similar rules. It is the Company’s policy to not provide any gifts, favors or gratuities to any government official.

 

12. Amendment, Modification and Waiver

 

This Code may be amended or modified by the Company’s Board of Directors. Any employee or director who believes that a waiver may be called for should discuss the matter with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board. Waivers of this code may only be granted by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors with specific delegated authority to grant such waivers at their sole discretion. Any waivers involving a director or executive officer may only be granted by the Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Waivers will be disclosed as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder and any applicable rules relating to the maintenance of the listing of our securities on any stock exchange. The company will review this Code regularly to assess its utility given the changing demands of the company and the scale and scope of its operations.

 

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[acknowledgement on following page]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Code of Ethics and will comply with its terms and conditions. I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Miguel A. Chapa

 

Name: Miguel A. Chapa

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attachment B

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Insider Trading Policy

 


 

THIS POLICY HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF

 

DIRECTORS OF Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

AND IS APPLICABLE TO ALL DIRECTORS, OFFICERS,

 

EMPLOYEES AND CONSULTANTS OF THE COMPANY.

 

 

 

The Need for a Policy Statement

 

The purchase or sale of securities while possessing material nonpublic information or the selective disclosure of such information to others who may trade is prohibited by federal and state laws.

 

The Company has adopted the following policy with respect to purchases and sales of the Company's securities by directors, officers, employees and consultants who have material nonpublic information about the Company and about other firms with which it works closely. For purposes of this policy, outside directors and consultants are included within the term "employee." Each employee is responsible for ensuring that he or she does not violate federal or state securities laws or the Company's policy concerning securities trading. This policy is designed to promote compliance with the federal securities laws and to protect the Company, as well as those persons, from the very serious liabilities and penalties that can result from violations of these laws.

 

Potential penalties for insider trading violations include civil fines for up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided by the trading, criminal fines of up to $1,000,000.00 and jail sentences of up to ten (10) years. In addition, a company whose employee violates the insider trading prohibitions may be liable for a civil fine of up to the greater of $1,000,000.00 and three times the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the employee's insider trading violations.

 

The Company's Policy

 

Company employees may not trade in the stock or other securities of any firm when they know "material nonpublic information" about the firm. This restriction on "insider trading" is not limited to trading in the Company's securities. It includes trading in the securities of other firms, such as customers or suppliers of the Company and those with which the Company may be negotiating major transactions, such as an acquisition, investment or sale. Information that is not material to the Company may nevertheless be material to one of those other firms.

 

"Trading" includes purchases and sales of stock, bonds, debentures, options, puts, calls and other similar securities. This policy includes trades made pursuant to any investment direction under employee benefit plans as well as trades in the open market. For example, sales of stock acquired through any employee stock purchase plan or transactions in the self-directed portion of any retirement or pension plan are covered by this policy. This policy also applies to the exercise of options with an immediate sale of some or all of the shares through a broker.

 

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Employees must not pass material nonpublic information on to others or recommend to anyone the purchase or sale of any securities on the basis of such information. This practice, known as "tipping," also violates the securities laws and can result in the same civil and criminal penalties that apply to insider trading, whether or not the employee derives any benefit from another's actions.

 

The same restrictions apply to family members and other persons living in an employee's household. Employees are expected to be responsible for the compliance of the members of their immediate family and personal household. Transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure) are no exception to the policy.

 

Because of the unique potential for abuse of material nonpublic information, it is also the Company's policy that directors, officers and employees may not engage in short-term speculative transactions involving "trading" the Company's securities. This would include short sales and buying or selling puts or calls. In addition, the purchase of the Company's securities on margin (except for the exercise of employee stock options) is prohibited.

 

Definition of Material Nonpublic Information

 

Material Information . Information is material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in deciding whether to buy, hold or sell a security. Therefore, any information that could reasonably be expected to affect the price of the security is material. Common examples of material information are:

 

* Projections of future earnings or losses or changes in such projections.

 

* Actual changes in earnings.

 

* A pending or prospective joint venture, merger, acquisition, tender offer or financing.

 

* A significant sale of assets or disposition of a subsidiary.

 

* A gain or loss of a material contract, customer or supplier or material changes in the profitability status of a current contract.

 

* The development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in a previously announced schedule for the development or release of a new product or service.

 

* Changes in management, other major personnel changes or labor negotiations.

 

* Significant increases or decreases in dividends or the declaration of a stock split or the offering of additional securities.

 

* Financial liquidity problems.

 

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Both positive and negative information can be material. Because trading that receives scrutiny will be evaluated after the fact with the benefit of hindsight, questions concerning the materiality of particular information should be resolved in favor of materiality, and trading should be avoided.

 

Nonpublic Information . Nonpublic information is information that is not generally known or available to the public. Information is considered to be available to the public only when it has been released to the public through appropriate channels, e.g., by means of a press release or a statement from one of the corporation's senior officers, and enough time has elapsed to permit the investment market to absorb and evaluate the information. As a general rule, information is considered nonpublic until the second business day after public disclosure.

 

Unauthorized Disclosure

 

Maintaining the confidentiality of Company information is essential for competitive, security and other business reasons, as well as to comply with securities laws. All information an employee learns about the Company or its business plans in connection with his or her employment is potentially "inside" information until publicly disclosed or made available by the Company. The employee should treat all such information as confidential and proprietary to the Company. The employee may not disclose it to others, such as family members, other relatives, or business or social acquaintances, who do not need to know it for legitimate business reasons.

 

Also, the timing and nature of the Company's disclosure of material information to outsiders is subject to legal rules the breach of which could result in substantial liability to the employee, the Company and its management. Accordingly, it is important that only specifically designated representatives of the Company discuss the Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries with the news media, securities analysts and investors. Inquiries of this type received by any employee should be referred to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

 

Additional Restrictions and Requirements

 

The following additional procedures are designed to help prevent inadvertent violations and avoid even the appearance of improper transactions in the Company's securities. Employees who wish to trade in the Company's securities should trade only during the period beginning one (1) trading day after the release of quarterly earnings and extending until the fifteenth (15th) day of the third month of the quarter. Of course, even during this trading window period, an employee may not trade if he or she is aware of any material nonpublic information. If an employee believes there are compelling reasons why he or she needs to trade in the Company's securities during periods other than the recommended "windows," the employee needs to consult the Company’s General Counsel.

 

Systematic Trading Plans

 

Officers and other insiders who wish to enter into arrangements for systematic trading of the Company's securities under a systematic trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 are permitted to do so upon the approval of the Company’s Board of Directors. The trading plan must be entered into by an insider during an open trading window period as defined above while he or she is unaware of any material nonpublic information and must be in compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and all other applicable federal and state laws.

 

Personal Responsibility; Assistance

 

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Each employee should remember that the ultimate responsibility for adhering to this policy and avoiding improper trading rests with the employee. In this regard, it is important that each employee use his or her best judgment. If an employee violates this policy, the Company may take disciplinary action, including dismissal for cause. Compliance with this policy by all employees is of the utmost importance both for the employee and for the Company. Any person who has any questions about the application of this policy to any particular case may obtain additional guidance from the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

 

[acknowledgement on following page]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

 

 

I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Payment Data Systems Insider Trading Policy and will comply with its terms and conditions, except for the additional restriction limiting my trading of the Company’s securities to designated time periods referred to as trading window periods. I understand that if I have any questions regarding this policy, I will direct them to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

 

Signed: /s/ Miguel A. Chapa

 

Name: Miguel A. Chapa

 

Dated: April 24, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 14.1

 

Payment Data Systems, Inc.

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

In accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Board of Directors of Payment Data Systems, Inc. (with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Ethics (this “Code”) in order to:

 

· encourage honest and ethical conduct, including fair dealing and the ethical handling of conflicts of interest;
· encourage full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure;
· encourage compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations;
· ensure the protection of the Company's legitimate business interests, including corporate opportunities, assets and confidential information;
· deter wrongdoing; and
· ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

All directors, officers and employees of the Company are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 6, Reporting and Accountability. The Code will be strictly enforced and violations will be dealt with immediately. Violations that involve illegal behavior will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

 

This Code covers a wide range of business practices and procedures. It does not cover every issue that may arise, but it sets out basic principles to guide all employees, officers and directors of the Company. All such persons must conduct themselves accordingly and seek to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. Those who violate the standards in this Code or who fail to cooperate with management directions given to effect compliance with this Code may be subject to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment. For guidance with respect to issues not addressed in this Code, employees should follow the Company’s internal policies and procedures.

 

If you have any questions regarding this Code, you should address these questions to your supervisor, or to the general counsel or other person identified by the Company as its compliance officer (the “Compliance Officer”). The Code is enforced by the General Counsel where the suspected violation involves a person who is not a director or officer. The audit committee, or, if there is no audit or another independent committee, the Board of Directors enforces any suspected violations involving a director or officer.

 

1. Honest and Ethical Conduct

 

Each director, officer and employee owes a duty to the Company to act with integrity. Integrity requires, among other things, being honest and ethical. This includes the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. Deceit and subordination of principle are inconsistent with integrity.

 

Each director, officer and employee must:

 

· Act with integrity, including being honest and ethical while still maintaining the confidentiality of information where required or consistent with the Company’s policies.

 

1
 

· Observe both the form and spirit of laws and governmental rules and regulations and accounting standards.
· Adhere to a high standard of business ethics.
· Accept no improper or undisclosed material personal benefits from third parties as a result of any transaction or transactions of the Company.

 

2. Conflicts of Interest

 

A “conflict of interest” arises when a person’s loyalties or actions are divided between the interests of the Company and those of another, such as a competitor, supplier or customer, or personal business. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively. A conflict of interest may also arise when an individual, or members of his or her family, receives an improper personal benefit as a result of his or her position in, or relationship with, the Company. Moreover, the appearance of a conflict of interest alone can adversely affect the Company and its relations with business partners, customers, suppliers and employees.

 

Employees are expected to use good judgment, to adhere to high ethical standards and to avoid situations that create an actual or potential conflict of interest. It is almost always a conflict of interest for employees to work simultaneously for a competitor, customer or supplier. In this regard, Company personnel shall not have any undisclosed financial interest in any competitor, supplier, customer, or strategic partner if that interest would create a conflict of interest with the Company. If there is such an interest, the employee should disclose the nature of the interest to the human resources department or the general counsel, as appropriate; provided, however, that employees may maintain small investments in publicly held companies in which an employee has no influence or control.

 

A conflict of interest can also arise with respect to employment of relatives and persons with close personal relationships. If a director, officer or employee (or someone with whom the person has a close relationship (e.g., a family member or close companion) has a financial or employment relationship with an actual or potential competitor, supplier or customer, the director, officer or employee must disclose this fact in writing to the Compliance Officer. The Company may take any action that it deems necessary in its sole discretion to avoid or remedy an actual, prospective or perceived conflict of interest, including a reassignment of some or all of the employee’s duties or change of the employee’s position.

 

Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, employees or their family members are of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, any director or officer (or their family members) are expressly prohibited unless approved by the Board of Directors.

 

A conflict of interest may not always be clear; therefore, you should consult with the Compliance Officer if you have any questions. Any employee who becomes aware of a conflict or a potential conflict should bring it to the attention of the Compliance Officer.

 

3. Disclosure

 

Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Controller (the “Senior Financial Officers”) and the General Counsel, is required to be familiar with the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures applicable to him or her so that the Company’s public reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) comply in all material respects with the applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules. In addition, each such person having direct or supervisory authority regarding these SEC filings or the Company’s other public communications concerning its general business, results, financial condition and prospects should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other Company officers and employees and take other appropriate steps regarding these disclosures with the goal of making full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

 

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Each director, officer and employee, to the extent involved in the Company’s disclosure process, including without limitation the Senior Financial Officers and the General Counsel, must:

 

· Familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements applicable to the Company as well as the business and financial operations of the Company.
· Not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company, including to the Company's independent auditors, governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.

 

4. Compliance

 

It is the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each employee, officer and director to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by those laws, rules and regulations in the performance of their duties for the Company, including those relating to accounting and auditing matters and insider trading. Other policies issued by the Company also provide guidance as to certain of the laws, rules and regulations that apply to the Company’s activities.

 

5. Insider Trading

 

Generally, it is against Company policy for any individual to profit from undisclosed information relating to the Company or any other company in violation of insider trading or other laws. Inside information is any material, non-public information a reasonable investor is likely to consider important when making an investment decision. Anyone who is aware of material non-public information relating to the Company, our business partners, or other companies may not use the information to trade directly or indirectly or tip others to trade in stock or other securities of that company in violation of the federal securities laws.

 

If you are uncertain about the legal rules involving your purchase or sale of any Company securities or any securities in companies that you are familiar with by virtue of your work for the Company, you should consult with the Compliance Officer before making any such purchase or sale. You should also consult the Company’s Insider Trading Policy which applies to all directors, officers and employees as well as consultants and independent contractors of the Company and is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

6. Reporting and Accountability

 

The Board of Directors has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. Any director, officer or employee who becomes aware of any violation of this Code is required to notify the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board or the Compliance Officer promptly.

 

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Any questions relating to how these policies should be interpreted or applied should be addressed to the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. Any material transaction or relationship that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest, as discussed in Section 2 of this Code, should be discussed with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee or Board, as applicable. A director, officer or employee who is unsure of whether a situation violates this Code should discuss the situation with the Compliance Officer or the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Each director, officer or employee must:

 

· Notify the appropriate contact promptly of any existing or potential violation of this Code.
· Cooperate in any internal investigation of misconduct under this Code.
· Not retaliate against any other director, officer or employee for good faith reports of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.

 

The Company will follow the following procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code and in reporting on the Code:

 

· The Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board, as the case may be, will take all appropriate action to investigate any violations reported. In addition, the audit committee, Board or the Compliance Officer, as appropriate, shall report each violation and alleged violation involving a director or an executive officer to the Chairperson of the Board. To the extent he or she deems appropriate, the Chairperson of the Board shall participate in any investigation of a director or executive officer. After the conclusion of an investigation of a director or executive officer, the conclusions shall be reported to the entire Board.
· The Board will conduct such additional investigation as it deems necessary. If the Board determines that a director or executive officer has violated this Code, it will take such disciplinary or preventive action as deemed appropriate, up to and including dismissal or, in the event of criminal or other serious violations of law, notification of the SEC or other appropriate law enforcement authorities.
· The Company will make every effort to protect the integrity of every investigation, including protecting reporters and witnesses from harassment, intimidation and retaliation, keep evidence from being destroyed, ensure testimony is honest and identify root causes. The Company will make every effort to keep the identity of every reporter private and to secure any data relating to the investigation. Also, the Company may require witnesses to maintain a particular investigation and their role in strict confidence.

 

7. Corporate Opportunities

 

Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from taking (or directing to a third party) a business opportunity that is discovered through the use of corporate property, information or position, unless the Company has already been offered the opportunity and turned it down. More generally, employees, officers and directors are prohibited from using corporate property, information or position for personal gain and from competing with the Company.

 

Sometimes the line between personal and Company benefits is difficult to draw, and sometimes there are both personal and Company benefits in certain activities. Employees, officers and directors who intend to make use of Company property or services in a manner not solely for the benefit of the Company should consult beforehand with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee or the Board.

 

8. Confidentiality

 

In carrying out the Company’s business, employees, officers and directors often learn confidential or proprietary information about the Company, its customers, suppliers, or joint venture parties. Employees, officers and directors must maintain the confidentiality of all information so entrusted to them, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential or proprietary information of our Company, and of other companies, includes any non-public information that would be harmful to the relevant company or useful or helpful to competitors if disclosed.

 

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9. Fair Dealing

 

We seek to succeed through honest business competition. We do not seek competitive advantages through illegal or unethical business practices. Each employee, officer and director should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s customers, consultants, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No employee, officer or director should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.

 

10. Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets

 

All employees, officers and directors should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes.

 

11. Payments to Government Personnel

 

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is strictly prohibited to make illegal payments to government officials of any country.

 

In addition, the United States government has a number of laws and regulations regarding business gratuities which may be accepted by U.S. government personnel. The promise, offer or delivery to an official or employee of the U.S. government of a gift, favor, or other gratuity in violation of these rules would not only violate Company policy but could also be a criminal offense. State and local governments, as well as foreign governments, may have similar rules. It is the Company’s policy to not provide any gifts, favors or gratuities to any government official.

 

12. Amendment, Modification and Waiver

 

This Code may be amended or modified by the Company’s Board of Directors. Any employee or director who believes that a waiver may be called for should discuss the matter with the Compliance Officer, the audit committee, if there is one or if not, the full Board. Waivers of this code may only be granted by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors with specific delegated authority to grant such waivers at their sole discretion. Any waivers involving a director or executive officer may only be granted by the Board of Directors at its sole discretion. Waivers will be disclosed as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder and any applicable rules relating to the maintenance of the listing of our securities on any stock exchange. The company will review this Code regularly to assess its utility given the changing demands of the company and the scale and scope of its operations.

 

 

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EXHIBIT 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350)

 

I, Michael R. Long, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Payment Data Systems, Inc. for the quarter ended June 30, 2015;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. As the registrant’s certifying officer, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to me by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under my supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. As the registrant’s certifying officer, I have disclosed, based on my most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: August 14, 2015    
  By:

/s/ Michael R. Long
Michael R. Long
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

EXHIBIT 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350)

 

I, Habib Yunus, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Payment Data Systems, Inc. for the quarter ended June 30, 2015;

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. As the registrant’s certifying officer, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to me by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under my supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. As the registrant’s certifying officer, I have disclosed, based on my most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: August 14, 2015    
  By:

/s/ Habib Yunus
Habib Yunus
Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

EXHIBIT 32.1

 

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

(18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350)

 

Pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (subsections (a) and (b) of section 1350, chapter 63 of title 18, United States Code), the undersigned officer of Payment Data Systems, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), does hereby certify, to such officer’s knowledge, that:

 

The Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 (the “Form 10-Q”) of the Company fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the information contained in the Form 10-Q fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

Date: August 14, 2015    
  By:

/s/ Michael R. Long
Michael R. Long
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

Date: August 14, 2015    
  By:

/s/ Habib Yunus
Habib Yunus
Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)