Table of Contents

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 September 30, 2007

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 001-11073

 


LOGO

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

www.firstdata.com

 


 

DELAWARE   47-0731996

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

6200 SOUTH QUEBEC STREET,

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO

  80111
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (303) 967-8000

 


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.    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer   ¨     Accelerated filer   ¨     Non-accelerated filer   x

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

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

 

Title of each class

 

Number of Shares Outstanding
(excluding treasury shares) at September 30, 2007

(Common stock, $.01 par value)   1,000

 



Table of Contents

INDEX

 

    

PAGE

NUMBER

PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION

  

Item 1

   Financial Statements (unaudited):   
   Consolidated Statements of Income for the period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007 for the Successor and the period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, the period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 for the Predecessor    3
   Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2007 for the Successor and December 31, 2006 for the Predecessor    5
   Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007 for the Successor and the period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006 for the Predecessor    6
   Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 for the Predecessor and the period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007 for the Successor    8
   Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements    9

Item 2

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    36

Item 3

   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    68

Item 4

   Controls and Procedures    70

PART II OTHER INFORMATION

  

Item 1

   Legal Proceedings    71

Item 1A

   Risk Factors    72

Item 2

   Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds    78

Item 4

   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    79

Item 5

   Other Information    79

Item 6

   Exhibits    80

 

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Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1. Financial Statements

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Unaudited)

(in millions)

 

     Successor             Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
            Period from July 1
through September 24,
    Three months ended
September 30,
 
     2007 (a)             2007     2006  

Revenues: (b)

            

Transaction and processing service fees:

            

Merchant services (c)

   $ 50.2           $ 694.2     $ 693.6  

Check services

     6.5             97.0       80.0  

Card services

     32.6             440.6       429.5  

Other services

     6.5             88.6       88.4  

Investment income, net

     (0.8 )           (29.1 )     (37.3 )

Product sales and other

     12.0             228.9       169.2  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3             415.7       363.8  
                              
     135.3             1,935.9       1,787.2  
                              

Expenses:

            

Cost of services

     67.9             932.5       781.1  

Cost of products sold

     5.2             75.1       76.9  

Selling, general and administrative

     25.9             446.1       298.7  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3             415.7       363.8  

Other operating expenses:

            

Restructuring, net

     —               —         12.0  

Impairments

     —               4.3       1.9  

Litigation and regulatory settlements

     —               (2.5 )     (42.3 )
                              
     127.3             1,871.2       1,492.1  
                              

Operating profit

     8.0             64.7       295.1  
                              

Other income (expense):

            

Interest income

     3.6             9.9       13.8  

Interest expense

     (34.6 )           (33.2 )     (72.3 )

Investment gains and (losses)

     (21.7 )           (1.1 )     (144.2 )

Divestitures, net

     —               2.6       1.4  

Debt repayment loss

     (6.0 )           —         —    
                              
     (58.7 )           (21.8 )     (201.3 )
                              

(Loss) income before income taxes, minority interest, equity earnings in affiliates and discontinued operations

     (50.7 )           42.9       93.8  

Income taxes

     (21.2 )           18.2       4.7  

Minority interest

     (2.5 )           (36.2 )     (34.8 )

Equity earnings in affiliates

     3.3             75.3       77.0  
                              

(Loss) income from continuing operations

     (28.7 )           63.8       131.3  

(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes of $0, $7.1 and $125.9, respectively

     —               (7.1 )     210.9  
                              

Net (loss) income

   $ (28.7 )         $ 56.7     $ 342.2  
                              

 

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Table of Contents
     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 
     2007 (a)            2007     2006  

Revenues: (b)

           

Transaction and processing service fees:

           

Merchant services (c)

   $ 50.2          $ 2,063.5     $ 1,957.1  

Check services

     6.5            293.2       238.9  

Card services

     32.6            1,342.9       1,228.9  

Other services

     6.5            266.3       258.4  

Investment income, net

     (0.8 )          (66.9 )     (96.6 )

Product sales and other

     12.0            616.4       504.4  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3            1,257.5       1,062.9  
                             
     135.3            5,772.9       5,154.0  
                             

Expenses:

           

Cost of services

     67.9            2,632.0       2,255.6  

Cost of products sold

     5.2            230.4       221.2  

Selling, general and administrative

     25.9            1,089.3       856.1  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3            1,257.5       1,062.9  

Other operating expenses:

           

Restructuring, net

     —              7.9       11.6  

Impairments

     —              20.6       (0.1 )

Litigation and regulatory settlements

     —              2.5       (34.8 )

Other

     —              (7.7 )     (0.3 )
                             
     127.3            5,232.5       4,372.2  
                             

Operating profit

     8.0            540.4       781.8  
                             

Other income (expense):

           

Interest income

     3.6            30.8       23.8  

Interest expense

     (34.6 )          (103.6 )     (190.8 )

Investment gains and (losses)

     (21.7 )          (2.6 )     45.8  

Divestitures, net

     —              6.1       8.0  

Debt repayment gain/(loss)

     (6.0 )          1.4       —    
                             
     (58.7 )          (67.9 )     (113.2 )
                             

(Loss) income before income taxes, minority interest, equity earnings in affiliates and discontinued operations

     (50.7 )          472.5       668.6  

Income taxes

     (21.2 )          125.8       164.8  

Minority interest

     (2.5 )          (105.3 )     (104.0 )

Equity earnings in affiliates

     3.3            223.0       207.9  
                             

(Loss) income from continuing operations

     (28.7 )          464.4       607.7  

(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes of $0, $3.0 and $334.3, respectively

     —              (3.6 )     627.2  
                             

Net (loss) income

   $ (28.7 )        $ 460.8     $ 1,234.9  
                             

(a)

Includes the results of operations (reflecting the change in fair value of forward starting, deal contingent interest rate swaps) of Omaha Acquisition Corporation for the period prior to its merger with and into First Data Corporation from March 29, 2007 (its formation) through September 24, 2007. Also includes post merger results of First Data Corporation for the period from September 25, 2007 to September 30, 2007.

(b)

Includes revenue from Western Union and Primary Payment Systems commercial relationships previously eliminated in consolidation of $5.3 million and $15.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively.

(c)

Includes processing fees, administrative service fees and other fees charged to merchant alliances accounted for under the equity method of $3.6 million for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, $54.9 million for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and $57.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006. Totals for the predecessor periods from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006, were $165.1 million and $168.3 million, respectively.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in millions, except common stock share amounts)

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
    

September 30,

2007

          

December 31,

2006

 
     (Unaudited)               

ASSETS

         

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 1,676.7          $ 1,154.2  

Settlement assets

     18,532.3            19,149.8  

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.0 (2007) and $29.0 (2006)

     2,402.4            2,150.3  

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $4.0 (2007) and $1,711.3 (2006)

     927.1            768.0  

Goodwill

     16,000.7            7,359.5  

Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $16.3 (2007) and $2,115.9 (2006)

     8,865.4            2,577.5  

Investment in affiliates

     4,457.8            756.5  

Other assets

     1,105.5            544.9  
                     

Total Assets

   $ 53,967.9          $ 34,460.7  
                     

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

         

Liabilities:

         

Settlement obligations

   $ 18,531.9          $ 19,166.5  

Accounts payable and other liabilities

     5,803.2            2,636.8  

Borrowings

     22,442.8            2,516.2  
                     

Total Liabilities

     46,777.9            24,319.5  
                     

Commitments and contingencies (see Note 10)

         

Stockholders’ Equity:

         

Common stock, $.01 par value; authorized and issued 1,000 shares (2007) and authorized 2.0 billion shares and issued 1.1 billion shares (2006)

     —              10.7  

Additional paid-in capital

     7,224.5            9,713.6  
                     

Paid-in capital

     7,224.5            9,724.3  

Retained earnings (loss)

     (28.7 )          10,900.6  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (5.8 )          (16.9 )

Less treasury stock at cost, 0 shares (2007) and 0.3 billion shares (2006)

     —              (10,466.8 )
                     

Total Stockholders’ Equity

     7,190.0            10,141.2  
                     

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

   $ 53,967.9          $ 34,460.7  
                     

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in millions)

(Unaudited)

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 
     2007            2007     2006  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period, including cash of discontinued operations in 2006

     —            $ 1,154.2     $ 1,180.9  
                             

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

           

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

   $ (28.7 )          464.4       607.7  

Net income (loss) from discontinued operations

     —              (3.6 )     627.2  

Adjustments to reconcile to net cash provided by operating activities:

           

Depreciation and amortization

     22.8            540.2       522.2  

Charges (gains) related to restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, other, investment (gains) and losses, divestitures and debt repayment gain/(loss)

     27.7            20.9       (77.4 )

Other non-cash and non-operating items, net

     (5.1 )          67.8       (46.1 )

Increase (decrease) in cash, excluding the effects of acquisitions and dispositions, resulting from changes in:

           

Accounts receivable

     7.8            (145.4 )     28.6  

Other assets

     1.8            5.8       84.8  

Accounts payable and other liabilities

     53.0            (4.8 )     (139.0 )

Income tax accounts

     (21.2 )          69.6       127.8  

Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement

     —              (219.8 )     (106.4 )
                             

Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations

     58.1            798.7       1,002.2  

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations

     —              (9.7 )     865.0  
                             

Net cash provided by operating activities

     58.1            789.0       1,867.2  
                             

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

           

Merger, net of cash acquired

     (24,974.5 )          —         —    

Current year acquisitions, net of cash acquired

     —              (690.3 )     (277.6 )

Payments related to other businesses previously acquired

     —              (50.0 )     (50.4 )

Proceeds from dispositions, net of expenses paid

     —              —         68.5  

Additions to property and equipment, net

     —              (275.5 )     (108.2 )

Payments to secure customer service contracts, including outlays for conversion, and capitalized systems development costs

     —              (123.7 )     (84.5 )

Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities

     —              11.8       21.0  

Dividends received from discontinued operations

     —              —         2,500.0  

Cash spun off to Western Union

     —              —         (1,327.8 )

Other investing activities

     (35.5 )          (9.5 )     290.0  
                             

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities from continuing operations

     (25,010.0 )          (1,137.2 )     1,031.0  

Net cash used in investing activities from discontinued operations

     —              —         (279.5 )
                             

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

     (25,010.0 )          (1,137.2 )     751.5  
                             

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

           

Short-term borrowings, net

     151.2            26.3       602.4  

Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt

     21,213.5            —         —    

 

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Table of Contents
     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 
     2007            2007     2006  

Principal payments on long-term debt

     (1,962.6 )          (126.6 )     (681.1 )

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

     7,226.5            187.4       656.7  

Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement

     —              219.8       106.4  

Purchase of treasury shares

     —              (371.8 )     (884.8 )

Cash dividends

     —              (67.7 )     (137.8 )
                             

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities from continuing operations

     26,628.6            (132.6 )     (338.2 )

Net cash used in financing activities from discontinued operations

     —              —         (26.5 )
                             

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     26,628.6            (132.6 )     (364.7 )
                             

Change in cash and cash equivalents

     1,676.7            (480.8 )     2,254.0  
                             

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period, including cash of discontinued operations in 2006

   $ 1,676.7          $ 673.4     $ 3,434.9  
                             

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Unaudited)

 

     Total    

Comprehensive

Income (Loss)

   

Retained

Earnings
(Loss)

   

Accumulated

Other

Comprehensive

Income (Loss)

   

Common

Shares

  

Paid-In

Capital

  

 

Treasury Stock

 
(in millions, except per share amounts)                  Shares     Cost  
Predecessor                   

Balance, December 31, 2006 (As previously reported)

   $ 10,141.2       $ 10,900.6     $ (16.9 )   1,067.7    $ 9,724.3    (314.8 )   $ (10,466.8 )

Adjustment to record adoption of FIN 48

     (22.7 )       (22.7 )            
                                                    

Balance, December 31, 2006 (Adjusted)

   $ 10,118.5       $ 10,877.9     $ (16.9 )   1,067.7    $ 9,724.3    (314.8 )   $ (10,466.8 )

Comprehensive income

                  

Net income

     460.8     $ 460.8       460.8              

Other comprehensive income (loss):

                  

Unrealized losses on securities

     (18.2 )     (18.2 )              

Unrealized gains on hedging activities

     0.4       0.4                

Foreign currency translation adjustment

     123.1       123.1                
                        

Other comprehensive income

       105.3         105.3            
                        

Comprehensive income

     $ 566.1                
                        

Purchase of treasury shares

     (335.3 )               (11.2 )     (335.3 )

Stock issued for compensation and benefit plans

     659.2         (84.0 )          394.1    12.5       349.1  

Cash dividends declared ($0.06 per share)

     (45.3 )       (45.3 )            
                                                    

Balance, September 24, 2007

   $ 10,963.2       $ 11,209.4     $ 88.4     1,067.7    $ 10,118.4    (313.5 )   $ (10,453.0 )
                                                    
Successor                   

Investment by Parent Company

   $ 7,224.5           0.0    $ 7,224.5     

Net loss

     (28.7 )   $ (28.7 )   $ (28.7 )            

Other comprehensive income (loss):

                  

Unrealized gains on securities

     0.3       0.3                

Unrealized losses on hedging activities

     (6.1 )     (6.1 )              
                        

Other comprehensive loss

       (5.8 )       (5.8 )          
                        

Comprehensive loss

     $ (34.5 )              
                        
                                                    

Balance, September 30, 2007

   $ 7,190.0       $ (28.7 )   $ (5.8 )   0.0    $ 7,224.5    —       $ —    
                                                    

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1: Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements of First Data Corporation (“FDC” or the “Company”) should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. Significant accounting policies disclosed therein have not changed.

On September 24, 2007, the Company was acquired through a merger transaction by an entity controlled by an affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (“KKR”). The merger resulted in the equity of FDC becoming privately held. Details of the merger are more fully discussed in Note 2. The transaction will be accounted for as a reverse acquisition with Omaha Acquisition Corporation. Although FDC continued as the surviving corporation and same legal entity after the merger, the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, cash flows and stockholders’ equity are presented for two periods: predecessor and successor, which relate to the periods preceding the merger and the period succeeding the merger, respectively. The Company applied purchase accounting to the opening balance sheet and results of operations on September 25, 2007 as the merger occurred at the close of business on September 24, 2007. The merger resulted in a new basis of accounting beginning on September 25, 2007 and the financial reporting periods are presented as follows:

 

   

The three month period ended September 30, 2007 includes the predecessor period of the Company from July 1, 2007 to September 24, 2007 and the successor period, reflecting the merger of the Company and Omaha Acquisition Corporation, from September 25, 2007 to September 30, 2007.

 

   

The nine month period ended September 30, 2007 includes the predecessor period of the Company from January 1, 2007 to September 24, 2007 and the successor period, reflecting the merger of the Company and Omaha Acquisition Corporation, from September 25, 2007 to September 30, 2007.

 

   

The results of operations of Omaha Acquisition Corporation from July 1, 2007 to September 30, 2007 and March 29, 2007 (formation date) to September 30, 2007 are included in the results of operations in the successor period from September 25, 2007 to September 30, 2007 for the respective three and nine month periods. Omaha Acquisition Corporation had no assets, liabilities or results of operations other than those related to two forward starting, deal contingent interest rate swaps entered into prior to consummation of the merger.

 

   

The 2006 periods presented are predecessor. The Consolidated Financial Statements for all predecessor periods have been prepared using the historical basis of accounting for the Company. As a result of the merger and the associated purchase accounting, the Consolidated Financial Statements of the successor are not comparable to periods preceding the merger.

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, they include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position of the Company at September 30, 2007, the consolidated results of its operations for the predecessor and successor periods for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006 and cash flows for the predecessor and successor periods for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006. Results of operations reported for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year due in part to the seasonality of certain business units.

Presentation

The Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet presentation is unclassified due to the short–term nature of its settlement obligations contrasted with the Company’s ability to invest cash awaiting settlement in long–term investment securities. As noted below and over the past six months, the Company has repositioned the majority of its investment portfolio associated with cash awaiting settlement from long-term investments to short-term investments. This was completed in October 2007. The Company will assess whether it should continue with an unclassified Consolidated Balance Sheet presentation.

As a result of the spin-off of Western Union (“the spin-off”) and the sale of subsidiaries Primary Payment Systems (“PPS”), IDLogix and Taxware, LP (“Taxware”) as discussed in Note 15, the Company’s financial statements reflect Western Union, PPS, IDLogix and Taxware as discontinued operations. Their results of operations are treated as income from discontinued operations, net of tax, and separately stated on the Consolidated Statements of Income after income from continuing operations.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Official Check and Money Order Wind-down

In the first quarter 2007, the Company announced its intent to wind-down the official check and money order business included within the Integrated Payment Systems (“IPS”) business segment. The official check and money order businesses are conducted by a subsidiary of the Company, Integrated Payment Systems Inc., with separate creditors and whose assets, including the investment portfolio associated with the official checks and money orders, are not intended to be available to creditors of First Data nor its other subsidiaries. The Company expects the wind-down of the majority of the business to take two to three years in order to honor existing customer contracts. In October 2007, the Company completed the repositioning of the investment portfolio associated with this business from long-term municipal bonds to short-term investments, the majority of which are currently short-term municipal bonds. The Company recognized a net gain, including the impact of terminating the associated interest rate swaps, of $3.1 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2007 associated with the repositioning of the portfolio of which a loss of $1.3 million was recognized by the successor and a gain of $4.4 million was recognized by the predecessor.

During the first nine months of 2007, the Company converted over 90% of this portfolio’s par value into short-term investments. The Company received proceeds from the sales of portfolio investments of $0.2 billion for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, proceeds of $4.6 billion for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and proceeds of $11.0 billion for the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007. In connection with the portfolio repositioning, the Company is terminating the interest rate swaps used to hedge the portfolio investments at the time the associated investments are sold. The Company terminated interest rate swaps with aggregate notional amounts totaling $4.3 billion during the second quarter 2007, $2.3 billion for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and $0.2 billion for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007. No such terminations occurred during the first quarter 2007.

Revenue Recognition

FDC recognizes revenues from its processing services as such services are performed. Revenue is recorded net of certain costs not controlled by the Company such as credit and offline debit interchange fees and assessments charged by credit card associations which totaled $122.1 million for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, $1,760.5 million for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and $1,628.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006. Totals for the predecessor periods from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006, were $5,241.9 million and $4,681.4 million, respectively. Debit network fees related to acquired PIN-based debit transactions are recognized in the “Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other” revenues and expenses lines of the Consolidated Statements of Income. The debit network fees related to acquired PIN-debit transactions charged by debit networks totaled $16.6 million for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, $240.2 million for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and $204.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2006. Totals for the predecessor periods from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006, were $719.8 million and $583.7 million, respectively.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

See Note 12 for information concerning the Company’s issuance of restricted stock awards in 2007.

Significant non-cash transactions during the nine months ended September 30, 2006 included the grant of approximately 0.9 million shares of restricted stock to certain employees in conjunction with the Company’s incentive compensation plan.

In connection with its spin-off, Western Union transferred $1 billion of Western Union notes to FDC. On September 29, 2006, the Company exchanged these Western Union notes for FDC debt (commercial paper) held by investment banks (the “debt-for-debt exchange”).

On September 29, 2006, the holder of a warrant originally issued on November 16, 2000 exercised its right to a cashless exercise of the warrant. The Company issued 359,824 shares of its common stock to the warrant holder in connection with the cashless exercise. The warrant had provided for the purchase of 3,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at $40.025 before giving effect to the adjustment for the Company’s spin-off of The Western Union Company.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.” This statement defines fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy to be used in generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Although this statement does not require any new fair value measurements, the application could change current practice. The statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this statement on its financial position and results of operations.

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106, and 132(R).” This statement requires a company to recognize the funded status of a benefit plan as an asset or a liability in its statement of financial position. In addition, a company is required to measure plan assets and benefit obligations as of the date of its fiscal year-end statement of financial position. The Company adopted the recognition provisions and disclosure requirements as of December 31, 2006. The measurement date provision is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2008. The Company does not expect the measurement provisions to have a material impact on its financial position and results of operations.

In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities – Including an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 115.” This Statement permits entities to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. This election is made on an instrument-by-instrument basis and is irrevocable. Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. At this time, the Company does not anticipate electing the fair value option.

Note 2: Merger

On April 1, 2007, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with New Omaha Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Parent”), and Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of Parent (“Sub”). Parent is controlled by an affiliate of KKR. On September 24, 2007, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Sub merged with and into the Company (the “merger”) with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and a subsidiary of New Omaha Holdings Corporation (“Holdings”), a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of Parent.

As of the effective time of the merger, each issued and outstanding share of common stock of the Company was cancelled and converted into the right to receive $34.00 in cash, without interest (other than shares owned by Parent, Sub or Holdings, which were cancelled and given no consideration). Additionally, vesting of FDC stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was accelerated upon closing of the merger. As a result, holders of stock options received cash equal to the intrinsic value of the awards based on a market price of $34.00 per share while holders of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units received $34.00 per share in cash, without interest. Vesting of Western Union options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units held by FDC employees was also accelerated upon closing of the merger.

Immediately following consummation of the merger, Michael D. Capellas was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. Capellas succeeded Henry C. “Ric” Duques who announced his intention to retire within two years when he returned as Chairman and CEO in late 2005.

The merger was financed by a combination of the following: borrowings under the Company’s new senior secured credit facilities, new senior unsecured interim loan agreement and new senior subordinated interim loan agreement, and the equity investment of Holdings. The purchase price was approximately $26.4 billion including $123.4 million in capitalized transaction costs. The merger was funded primarily through a $7.2 billion equity contribution from Holdings and $22.0 billion in debt financing discussed more fully in Note 7. Approximately $0.7 billion of the purchase consideration was paid in October 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation

The total purchase price was allocated to the Company’s net tangible and identifiable intangible assets (including customer relationships, software and tradenames) based on their estimated fair values as set forth below. Property and equipment were carried forward at historical net balances as a current best estimate of fair value and will be adjusted in a subsequent period upon completion of a valuation. A portion of the preliminary valuation was allocated to the Company’s investments in unconsolidated joint ventures (reflected in the “Investment in affiliates” line below). The excess of the purchase price over the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets was recorded as goodwill. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price to identifiable intangible assets was based upon preliminary valuation data from a third party valuation firm and the estimates and assumptions are subject to change. The valuation of fixed assets is expected to commence in the fourth quarter 2007. The Company is also in the process of working through other potential purchase accounting adjustments that may include the assessment of items such as deferred revenue, assumed liabilities, pre-existing debt value and items that may require fair value measurements.

 

(in millions)       

Property and equipment

   $ 931.1  

Identifiable intangible assets

     8,881.7  

Goodwill

     16,000.7  

Investment in affiliates

     4,459.8  

Deferred taxes

     (2,634.6 )

Other net liabilities acquired

     (1,267.9 )
        

Total purchase price

   $ 26,370.8  
        

The preliminary estimated useful life associated with other intangible assets is a weighted average of approximately nine years and the amortization methodology will be determined upon finalization of the valuation. Deferred tax liabilities of $2,634.6 million were recorded related to the allocation of purchase price to intangible assets. Goodwill of $16,000.7 million resulted from the merger, the majority of which is not deductible for tax purposes. The preliminary allocation of goodwill by segment is as follows (in millions):

 

First Data Commercial Services

   $ 10,069.2

First Data Financial Institution Services

     2,554.5

First Data International

     3,295.6

Integrated Payment Systems

     —  

All Other and Corporate

     81.4
      
   $ 16,000.7
      

Goodwill will be reviewed at least annually for impairment.

Merger Related Restructuring Charges

The Company has commenced initiatives to improve its overall cost structure and enhance its competitive position. These initiatives include reducing overhead spending, consolidating certain business units and consolidating data and command centers. As of September 30, 2007, the Company recognized a liability of approximately $1 million in the “Accounts payable and other liabilities” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheets resulting from merger related restructuring charges. The Company anticipates taking additional significant charges in future periods including the fourth quarter of 2007.

Merger and Other Related Costs

During the period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, the Company recorded $69.7 million of pretax merger related costs consisting primarily of investment banking, accounting and legal fees. The company also recognized a pretax charge of $175.9 million related to accelerated vesting of all outstanding FDC unvested stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units as well as Western Union unvested stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units held by FDC employees and an additional $19.6 million of associated taxes (excluding all income tax impacts).

Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Consolidated Statements of Income

The following Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Consolidated Statements of Income reflect the consolidated results of operations of the Company as if the merger had occurred on January 1, 2007 and 2006. The historical financial information has been adjusted to give effect to events that are (1) directly attributed to the merger, (2) factually supportable,

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

and (3) with respect to the income statement, expected to have a continuing impact on the combined results. Such items include interest expense related to debt issued in conjunction with the merger as well as additional amortization expense associated with the preliminary valuation of intangible assets. This unaudited pro forma information should not be relied upon as necessarily being indicative of the historical results that would have been obtained if the merger had actually occurred on that date, nor of the results that may be obtained in the future.

Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Consolidated Statements of Income

 

    

Three months ended

September 30,

   

Nine months ended

September 30,

 
     2007     2006     2007     2006  
     (in millions)  

Revenues:

        

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1,416.2     $ 1,291.5     $ 4,061.7     $ 3,683.3  

Investment income, net

     (29.9 )     (37.3 )     (67.7 )     (96.6 )

Product sales and other

     240.9       169.2       628.4       504.4  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     444.0       363.8       1,285.8       1,062.9  
                                
     2,071.2       1,787.2       5,908.2       5,154.0  
                                

Expenses:

        

Cost of services

     1,016.6       914.1       2,978.2       2,658.5  

Cost of products sold

     80.3       76.9       235.6       221.2  

Selling, general and administrative

     332.4       302.6       968.0       867.8  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     444.0       363.8       1,285.8       1,062.9  

Other operating expenses:

        

Restructuring, net

     —         12.0       7.9       11.6  

Impairments

     4.3       1.9       20.6       (0.1 )

Litigation and regulatory settlements

     (2.5 )     (42.3 )     2.5       (34.8 )

Other

     —         —         (7.7 )     (0.3 )
                                
     1,875.1       1,629.0       5,490.9       4,786.8  
                                

Operating profit

     196.1       158.2       417.3       367.2  
                                

Other income (expense):

        

Interest income

     13.5       13.8       34.4       23.8  

Interest expense

     (522.2 )     (520.1 )     (1,565.7 )     (1,558.2 )

Investment gains and (losses)

     (22.8 )     (144.2 )     (24.3 )     45.8  

Divestitures, net

     2.6       1.4       6.1       8.0  

Debt repayment gain

     —         —         —         —    
                                
     (528.9 )     (649.1 )     (1,549.5 )     (1,480.6 )
                                

Loss before income taxes, minority interest, equity earnings in affiliates and discontinued operations

     (332.8 )     (490.9 )     (1,132.2 )     (1,113.4 )

Income taxes

     (131.9 )     (222.6 )     (499.5 )     (528.0 )

Minority interest

     (38.7 )     (34.8 )     (107.8 )     (104.0 )

Equity earnings in affiliates

     57.9       53.9       160.8       137.4  
                                

Loss from continuing operations

   $ (181.7 )   $ (249.2 )   $ (579.7 )   $ (552.0 )
                                

Note 3: Restructuring, Impairments, Litigation and Regulatory Settlements, Other, Investment Gains and Losses, Divestitures, net and Debt Repayment Gain

Restructuring charges and reversal of restructuring accruals

The Company recorded restructuring charges in 2007 comprised of severance totaling $0.7 million and $10.2 million in the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, respectively. Severance charges resulted from the termination of approximately 370 employees within the Commercial Services and the First Data International segments.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Restructuring charges for first quarter 2007 resulted from efforts to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the sales and sales support teams within the Commercial Services segment. Severance charges resulted from the termination of approximately 230 sales related employees comprising approximately 10% of the segment’s regional sales, cross-sale and sales support organizations. This restructuring plan was completed in the first quarter of 2007. Restructuring charges for the second and third quarter 2007 of the predecessor period resulted from the termination of approximately 140 employees within the First Data International segment. The terminations were associated with data center consolidation and global sourcing initiatives. Similar actions will occur in future periods and are expected to continue into 2009. The Company also reversed $0.7 million and $2.3 million in the predecessor periods from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, respectively, of prior period restructuring accruals related to changes in estimates regarding severance costs from restructuring activities that occurred in 2005 through 2007.

Restructuring charges for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 were comprised of severance totaling $12.8 million and facility closures totaling $1.5 million. The restructuring charges were associated with the realigning of costs and operating structure, a Company initiative to reduce operating costs to the appropriate level in anticipation of the spin-off and certain business restructurings. During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, the Company also reversed $2.7 million of prior period restructuring accruals related to changes in estimates regarding severance costs from restructuring activities that occurred from 2003 through 2005.

The following table summarizes the Company’s utilization of restructuring accruals from January 1, 2007 through September 30, 2007 (in millions):

 

     Employee
Severance
    Facility
Closure
 

Remaining accrual at January 1, 2007

   $ 27.1     $ 1.6  

Expense provision

     10.2       —    

Cash payments and other

     (24.6 )     (1.0 )

Changes in estimates

     (2.3 )     —    
                

Remaining accrual at September 30, 2007

   $ 10.4     $ 0.6  
                

Impairments

During the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, the Company recorded a charge of $4.2 million related to the impairment of fixed assets and software associated with the Company’s government business within All Other and Corporate. The Company recorded minority interest benefit of $1.1 million associated with the impairment. During the first quarter 2007, the Company recorded a charge of $16.3 million related to the impairment of goodwill and intangible assets associated with the wind-down of the Company’s official check and money order business described in Note 1.

Litigation and regulatory settlements

In the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, the Company recorded an additional benefit of $2.5 million related to the Visa settlement that was originally recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2006. In the second quarter 2007, the Company recorded a $5.0 million litigation accrual associated with a judgment against the Company pertaining to a vendor contract issue on a business included in All Other and Corporate.

During the three months ended September 30, 2006, the Company recorded a benefit of approximately $45 million due to a settlement with Visa over the processing of Visa payment card transactions in All Other and Corporate. During the second quarter of 2006, excess litigation accruals in the Commercial Services segment totaling $7.5 million were released. The Company recorded minority interest expense of $3.5 million associated with the release in the Commercial Services segment. The settlement and accrual release were partially offset by a first quarter 2006 settlement of $15.0 million associated with a patent infringement lawsuit against TeleCheck, clearing all past and future claims related to this litigation and a third quarter 2006 charge of $2.7 million related to the settlement of a claim within All Other and Corporate.

Investment Gains and Losses, net

During the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, net investment losses totaling $2.6 million resulted from losses on the sale, valuation and impairment of certain strategic investments and losses that resulted from the recognition of a transition adjustment associated with the January 2001 adoption of Statement of Financial

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Accounting Standards No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS 133”) related to the Company’s decision to wind-down the official check and money order business. Partially offsetting these losses were gains resulting from the sale of certain strategic investments. During the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, the Company recorded total net investment losses of $21.7 million, of which approximately $19 million was due to decreases in the fair value of Sub’s forward starting, deal contingent interest rate swaps prior to the merger and prior to their designation as a hedge.

Net investment losses recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2006 included $153.0 million in investment losses associated with the mark-to-market of interest rate swaps utilized in the Company’s official check business that did not qualify for hedge accounting partially offset by $8.0 million in realized gains associated with these same interest rate swaps. Net investment gains recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 included $24.7 million in investment gains associated with the mark-to-market of interest rate swaps as well as $9.0 million in realized gains associated with these same interest rate swaps. Also benefiting the nine months was a gain on the redemption of MasterCard stock.

Divestitures, net

Net divestiture gains recognized in the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 resulted from the release of excess divestiture accruals due to the expiration of certain contingencies.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, the Company recognized gains on the sale of land, corporate aircraft and other assets.

Other

The majority of the benefit recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2007, related to the release of escheatment accruals originally recorded in the fourth quarter 2005.

Debt repayment gain/(loss)

During the first quarter 2007, the Company recorded a net gain of $1.4 million related to the early repayment of long-term debt at a discount from the principal amount. After consummation of the merger, the Company repurchased a majority of the pre-merger debt and recognized a loss of $6.0 million in the successor period for the cost to execute the associated debt tender.

Note 4: Income Taxes

The Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation (“FIN”) No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (“FIN 48”), on January 1, 2007. This interpretation clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements in accordance with FASB Statement No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”, and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The interpretation also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.

As a result of the implementation of FIN 48, the Company recorded a reduction to retained earnings of approximately $23 million and an increase to goodwill of approximately $25 million effective January 1, 2007. Also upon adoption of FIN 48, the Company reclassified approximately $140 million of deferred tax liabilities to income taxes payable to conform to the balance sheet presentation requirements of FIN 48. The Company expects the ongoing application of FIN 48 may result in more significant discrete items being recognized from period to period.

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefit at January 1, 2007, which is included in the “Accounts payable and other liabilities” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheets, was $303 million ($266 million net of federal benefit on state income taxes) including $21 million reclassified in the third quarter of 2007 that was not identified at January 1, 2007. Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at January 1, 2007, as adjusted in the third quarter for the foregoing $21 million, were approximately $95 million of tax positions that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. In September 2007, the statute of limitations expired for certain state and federal positions without adjustment, causing the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits to decrease by approximately $31 million, of which $1 million was recognized as a decrease to income tax expense and the remaining $30 million as a decrease to goodwill. The $31 million decrease was comprised of $4 million of federal and $27 million of state tax positions. The Company increased unrecognized tax benefits in the third quarter for uncertainty regarding a federal tax receivable in the amount of $8 million.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

As of September 30, 2007, the Company anticipates that it is reasonably possible that its liability for unrecognized state tax benefits may significantly decrease within the next twelve months related to the expiration of the statutes of limitations for certain states. If the statutes of limitations do expire for these states during the next twelve months without adjustment, this would result in the Company’s unrecognized state tax benefits decreasing by approximately $8 million, of which $4 million would be recognized as a decrease to income tax expense and the remaining $4 million as a decrease to goodwill.

It is reasonably possible that the amount of the unrecognized benefit with respect to certain of the Company’s tax positions will significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months. These changes may be the result of the Company’s ongoing audits or the settlement of outstanding issues. At this time, an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible outcomes cannot be made.

The Company recognizes interest related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties in the “Income taxes” line item of the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company had approximately $45 million of interest and penalties accrued at January 1, 2007 which are not included in the opening balance of $303 million of unrecognized tax benefits. Accrued interest and penalties are included in the “Accounts payable and other liabilities” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company or one or more of its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. As of January 1, 2007, the Company is no longer subject to income tax examination by the U.S. federal tax jurisdiction for years before 2002. State and local examinations are substantially complete through 1998.

Prior to the spin-off transaction, Western Union was part of the FDC consolidated, unitary and combined income tax returns (“combined tax returns”) through September 29, 2006. As contemplated in certain agreements associated with the spin-off transaction, the Company is indemnified by Western Union for certain taxes attributable to operations of Western Union with respect to periods before the spin-off date of September 29, 2006. Although the Company is indemnified by Western Union, the Company remains the primary obligor to the tax authorities with respect to such combined tax return liabilities related to Western Union. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2007, FDC had approximately $121 million of uncertain income tax liabilities, including interest and penalties, recorded related to Western Union operations with a corresponding receivable from Western Union, included in the “Accounts receivable” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheet, to reflect the indemnification for such liabilities. The Western Union contingent liability is in addition to the FDC liability for unrecognized tax benefits discussed above.

Note 5: Acquisitions

In January 2007, the Company acquired Size Technologies, Inc., a provider of loyalty, stored value and transaction marketing solutions. Size Technologies is reported as part of the First Data Commercial Services segment.

In February 2007, the Company acquired the assets of Datawire Communication Networks, Inc. (“Datawire”), an internet-based transaction delivery company. Datawire is reported as part of the First Data Commercial Services segment.

In March 2007, the Company acquired Intelligent Results, a customer data analytics and decision management software provider. Intelligent Results is reported as part of All Other and Corporate.

In March 2007, the Company acquired Instant Cash Services ® (“Instant Cash”), a debit card and ATM payment processing service provider for community banks, credit unions, thrifts and non-financial institutions. A majority of Instant Cash is reported as part of the First Data Financial Institution Services segment and the remaining portion is reported as part of the First Data Commercial Services segment.

In June 2007, the Company acquired FundsXpress, a provider of online banking and bill payment services. FundsXpress is reported as part of the First Data Financial Institution Services segment.

In August 2007, the Company acquired POLCARD SA (“POLCARD”), a merchant acquirer and card issuer processor in Poland. POLCARD will be reported as part of the First Data International segment.

The aggregate cash paid during the nine months ended September 30, 2007, net of cash acquired, for the acquisitions was approximately $690 million. The aggregate preliminary purchase price allocation for these acquisitions resulted in $294 million in identifiable intangible assets, which are being amortized over five to ten years, trade names of $1 million that are

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

being amortized over three years, and goodwill of $368 million. The Company anticipates that the preliminary purchase price allocation noted above, when considered as part of the merger purchase price allocation as described in Note 2 above, will remain approximately the same.

The pro forma impact of all 2007 acquisitions on net income was not material.

In October 2007, the Company acquired Deecal International, a specialist software solutions provider for commercial payments in Dublin. Deecal International will be reported as part of the First Data International segment.

In October 2007, the Company purchased the interests in its First Data Government Solutions subsidiary owned by minority interest holders.

In November 2007, the Company acquired Check Forte Processamento de Dados Ltda. (“Check Forte”), a payment transaction processing company in Brazil. Check Forte will be reported as part of the First Data International segment.

Note 6: Investments in Affiliates

Operating results include the Company’s proportionate share of income from affiliates, which consist of unconsolidated investments and joint ventures accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The most significant of these affiliates are related to the Company’s merchant bank alliance program.

A merchant bank alliance, as it pertains to investments accounted for under the equity method, is a joint venture between FDC and a financial institution that combines the processing capabilities and management expertise of the Company with the visibility and distribution channel of the bank. The joint ventures acquire credit and debit card transactions from merchants. The Company provides processing and other services to the joint ventures and charges fees to the joint venture primarily based on contractual pricing. These fees have been separately identified on the face of the Consolidated Statements of Income.

At September 30, 2007, there were nine affiliates accounted for under the equity method of accounting, comprised of five merchant alliances and four strategic investments in companies in related markets. The majority of the equity earnings relate to the Chase Paymentech alliance. The Company’s co-owner of the Chase Paymentech alliance has the right to terminate the alliance because control of the Company changed on September 24, 2007. The Company is in discussions with its Chase Paymentech co-owner as to the future structure of their relationship.

A summary of financial information for the merchant alliances and other affiliates accounted for under the equity method of accounting is as follows:

 

(in millions)

  

September 30,

2007

  

December 31,

2006

Total Assets

   $ 8,010.6    $ 7,006.8

Total Liabilities

   $ 6,847.3    $ 5,994.3

 

 
     Successor           Predecessor

(in millions)

   Period from September 25, 2007
through September 30, 2007
          Period from July 1, 2007
through September 24,
2007
   Three months ended
September 30, 2006

Net operating revenues

   $ 26.9         $ 397.3    $ 377.8

Operating expenses

     15.0           220.3      208.8
                         

Operating income

   $ 11.9         $ 177.0    $ 169.0
                         

Net income

   $ 11.4         $ 172.2    $ 160.6
 

FDC equity earnings

   $ 3.3         $ 75.3    $ 77.0

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

     Successor           Predecessor

(in millions)

   Period from September 25, 2007
through September 30, 2007
          Period from January 1, 2007
through September 24, 2007
   Nine months ended
September 30, 2006

Net operating revenues

   $ 26.9         $ 1,193.8    $ 1,073.0

Operating expenses

     15.0           667.5      632.9
                         

Operating income

   $ 11.9         $ 526.3    $ 440.1
                         

Net income

   $ 11.4         $ 506.1    $ 419.6

FDC equity earnings

   $ 3.3         $ 223.0    $ 207.9

The primary components of assets and liabilities are settlement-related accounts as described in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

The formation of a merchant joint venture alliance accounted for under the equity method of accounting generally involves each of the Company and/or a financial institution contributing merchant contracts to the alliance and a cash payment from one owner to the other to achieve the desired ownership percentage. The asset amounts reflected above are owned by the alliances and other equity method investees and do not include any of such payments made by the Company. As discussed in Note 2, a portion of the preliminary purchase price related to the merger was allocated to the Company’s investments in unconsolidated joint ventures. The amount by which the total of the Company’s investments in its joint ventures exceeded its proportionate share of the joint ventures’ net assets totaled $4,146.9 million and $538.5 million at September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. The non-goodwill portion of this amount is considered an identifiable intangible asset that is amortized accordingly.

Note 7: Borrowings

Borrowings consisted of the following at September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006:

 

(in millions)

   Successor           Predecessor  
   September 30, 2007           December 31, 2006  

Short-Term Borrowings:

          

Capital lease obligations

   $ 49.4         $ 46.6  

Other short-term debt

     72.1           89.9  

Senior secured revolving credit facility

     200.0           ––  

Senior secured term loan facility due 2014

     127.5           ––  

3.375% Notes due 2008

     68.0           499.5  

Medium-term note

     25.6           85.4  

Long-Term Borrowings:

          

Medium-term note

     13.6           40.4  

3.90% Notes due 2009

     15.3           102.7  

4.50% Notes due 2010

     21.4           158.7  

5.625% Notes due 2011

     41.5           156.6  

4.70% Notes due 2013

     19.0           478.8  

4.85% Notes due 2014

     6.7           375.1  

4.95% Notes due 2015

     11.0           399.7  

Senior secured term loan facility due 2014

     12,647.5           —    

Senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility due 2015

     3,750.0           —    

Senior unsecured PIK term loan facility due 2015 (a)

     2,750.0           —    

Senior subordinated unsecured credit facility due 2016

     2,500.0           —    

Capital lease obligations

     121.1           128.4  

Other long-term borrowings

     3.1           6.3  

Adjustments to carrying value for mark-to-market of interest rate swaps

     —             (51.9 )
                    
   $ 22,442.8         $ 2,516.2  
                    

(a) Payment In-Kind (“PIK”)

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

The Company had a $1.5 billion commercial paper program that was supported by a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility, both of which were terminated in conjunction with the merger.

The Company has lines of credit associated with First Data Deutschland which totaled approximately 160 million euro, or approximately $226 million, as of September 30, 2007. The Company had $71.8 million outstanding against these lines of credit as of September 30, 2007.

The Company also has lines of credit associated with Cashcard Australia, Ltd. (“Cashcard”) which are periodically used to fund ATM settlement activity. As of September 30, 2007, the lines of credit totaled approximately 162 million Australian dollars, or approximately $141 million. The Company did not have any borrowings outstanding against the lines of credit for Cashcard as of September 30, 2007.

The Company has two credit facilities associated with POLCARD which are periodically used to fund settlement activity. As of September 30, 2007, the facilities totaled approximately 65 million Polish zloty, or approximately $24 million. The Company did not have any borrowings outstanding against the facilities for POLCARD as of September 30, 2007.

Debt Repurchases

In January 2007, the Company repurchased $32.4 million of its 4.7% senior notes due August 1, 2013, $30.2 million of its 4.85% senior notes due October 1, 2014, and $28.0 million of its 4.95% senior notes due June 15, 2015. In conjunction with the debt repurchases, the Company de-designated as a hedge a portion of the associated interest rate swaps so that the portion of the swaps remaining designated as fair value hedges corresponded to the remaining principal amount of the corresponding debt instruments. The Company recognized a $1.4 million pretax gain upon the debt repurchase.

On September 24, 2007, in conjunction with the merger, the Company repurchased debt as follows:

 

(in millions)    Principal
Amount
Repurchased

Medium-term note due 2007

   $ 59.8

Medium-term note due 2008

     26.9

3.375% Notes due 2008

     431.9

3.90% Notes due 2009

     87.5

4.50% Notes due 2010

     137.3

5.625% Notes due 2011

     115.7

4.70% Notes due 2013

     428.6

4.85% Notes due 2014

     338.3

4.95% Notes due 2015

     360.9
      
   $ 1,986.9
      

In combination with the September debt repurchases, the Company terminated the interest rate swaps associated with these debt instruments. The Company incurred a fee of $6.0 million in connection with this debt repurchase.

Debt Issuances

The senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility, senior unsecured PIK term loan facility and senior subordinated unsecured credit facility are discussed more fully below and represent bridge financing (the “bridge facilities”). The Company expects that it will issue note securities to replace these bridge facilities on or before one year from the transaction date. In October 2007, $2.2 billion of the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility was repaid upon issuance of 9.875% senior unsecured cash pay notes due 2015.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

On September 24, 2007, the Company entered into several new debt instruments in conjunction with the merger. Details of each instrument are described below. Fees totaling $578.0 million associated with the issuance of the new debt instruments were capitalized as deferred financing costs and were reported in the “Other assets” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Approximately $112.5 million of these fees were incurred on the bridge facilities. The terms of the bridge facilities provide for the repayment of all or a diminishing portion of the fees, depending upon timing, if the bridge facilities are refinanced in less than a year. The Company will incur additional underwriting fees when the bridge facilities are refinanced. The deferred financing costs are being amortized over a weighted-average period of six years.

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility and Senior Secured Term Loan Facility

The Company entered into a $2.0 billion senior secured revolving credit facility with a term of six years. The Company drew $200.0 million against the senior secured revolving credit facility at the time of the merger. The Company also entered into a $13.0 billion senior secured term loan facility with a term of seven years. A portion of the senior term loan facility is available in the form of a delayed draw term loan facility in an amount approximately equal to existing notes remaining outstanding after the tender offers described above were completed. The delayed draw term loan facility may be drawn as the remaining notes are repaid. As of September 30, 2007 the Company had $12.8 billion outstanding against the senior secured term loan facility, $1.0 billion of which was denominated in euros (709.2 million euro).

Interest is payable at a rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (a) LIBOR for deposits in the applicable currency plus an applicable margin or (b) the higher of (1) the prime rate of Credit Suisse and (2) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, plus an applicable margin. The Company, however, made an irrevocable election to pay interest for the senior secured term loan facility solely under option (a). In combination with the debt issuance, the Company designated as accounting hedges two five-year interest rate swaps related to the senior secured term loan facility with notional amounts of $2.0 billion and $1.0 billion to receive interest at variable rates equal to LIBOR and pay interest at fixed rates of 4.978% and 5.2475%, respectively. In October 2007, the Company entered into interest rate swaps with an additional $3.0 billion of notional value.

The interest rate margin noted above may be reduced subject to the Company attaining certain leverage ratios. In addition to paying interest on the outstanding principal amounts, the Company is required to pay commitment fees for the unutilized commitments. The initial commitment fee rates are 0.50% per year for the senior secured revolving credit facility and 0.75% per year on the delayed draw portion of the senior secured term loan facility. The commitment fee rate related to the senior secured revolving credit facility may be reduced subject to the Company reducing its leverage to specified ratios.

The Company will be required to pay equal quarterly installments in aggregate annual amounts equal to 1% of the original funded principal amount of the senior secured term loan facility, with the balance being payable on the final maturity date. Principal amounts outstanding under the senior secured revolving credit facility are due and payable in full at maturity.

The senior secured credit facilities contain certain mandatory prepayment requirements, such as excess cash flow in certain circumstances, and certain prepayment penalties related to the senior secured term loan facility. Voluntary prepayments are allowed under certain circumstances. The Company may prepay outstanding loans under the senior secured revolving credit facility at any time.

All obligations under the senior secured revolving credit facility and senior secured term loan facility are unconditionally guaranteed by substantially all existing and future, direct and indirect, wholly owned, material domestic subsidiaries of the Company other than Integrated Payment Systems, Inc. The senior secured facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets, pay dividends and distributions or repurchase the Company’s capital stock, make investments, loans or advances, prepay certain indebtedness, make certain acquisitions, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, amend material agreements governing certain indebtedness and change its lines of business. The senior secured facilities also require the Company to maintain a maximum senior secured leverage ratio and contain certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default, including a change of control beginning at the one year anniversary of debt issuance. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

Senior Unsecured Cash-pay Term Loan Facility and Senior Unsecured PIK Term Loan Facility

The Company entered into a $3.8 billion senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility and a $2.8 billion senior unsecured PIK term loan facility with terms of one year with a seven year option discussed below (“senior unsecured credit facilities”). Interest for the first six-month period is payable at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 3.5% for the cash-pay term loan facility and LIBOR plus 4.5% for the PIK term loan facility (“initial rates”). Interest for the three-month period commencing after the initial six-month period is payable at the

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

initial rates plus 0.50%. Thereafter, subject to certain caps, the interest rates will be increased by 0.50% at the beginning of each three-month period subsequent to the initial nine-month period, for so long as the loans are outstanding. For so long as the Company is not in default, the maximum interest rates the Company may pay related to these facilities are 9.875% for the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility and 10.55% for the senior unsecured PIK term loan facility. The increase in interest rates is related to these facilities being bridge facilities and, as discussed above, the Company expects to refinance the borrowings under the bridge facilities. As noted above and in October 2007, $2.2 billion of the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility was repaid upon issuance of 9.875% senior unsecured cash pay notes due 2015.

Interest on the senior unsecured PIK term loan up to and including September 30, 2011 will be paid entirely by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding loan or by issuing senior unsecured PIK debt. Beginning October 1, 2011, such interest will be payable in cash.

If any borrowings under the senior unsecured credit facilities remain outstanding on the one-year anniversary (the “initial maturity date”) of the closing of the senior unsecured credit facilities, the lenders will have the option to exchange the initial loans for senior cash-pay notes or senior PIK notes with a term of seven years.

The senior unsecured credit facilities contain certain mandatory redemption requirements, such as “excess cash flow,” in certain circumstances. Voluntary repayments are allowed and are subject to certain costs.

All obligations under the senior unsecured credit facilities will be jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior basis by each of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries that guarantee obligations under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities described above. The senior unsecured credit facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets and subsidiary stock, pay dividends and distributions or repurchase its capital stock, make certain investments, loans or advances, prepay certain indebtedness, enter into agreements that restrict the payment of dividends by subsidiaries or the repayment of intercompany loans and advances and engage in certain transactions with affiliates. In addition, the senior unsecured credit facilities impose certain requirements as to future subsidiary guarantors and contain certain customary affirmative covenants consistent with those in the senior secured credit facilities described above, to the extent applicable, and certain customary events of default. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

Senior Subordinated Unsecured Credit Facility

The Company entered into a senior subordinated unsecured credit facility providing senior subordinated unsecured financing of $2.5 billion consisting of a $2.5 billion senior subordinated unsecured term loan facility with a term of one year with a seven and a half year option discussed below. Interest for the first six-month period is payable at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 4.75% (“initial rate”). Interest for the three-month period commencing after the initial six-month period is payable at the initial rate plus 0.50%. Thereafter, subject to certain caps, the interest rate will be increased by 0.50% at the beginning of each three-month period subsequent to the initial nine-month period for so long as the senior subordinated loan is outstanding. For so long as the Company is not in default, the maximum interest rates the Company may pay related to this facility is 11.250%. The increase in interest rates is related to this facility being a bridge facility and, as discussed above, the Company expects to refinance the borrowings under the bridge facility.

If any borrowings under the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility remain outstanding on the one-year anniversary of the closing of the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility, the lenders will have the option to exchange the initial subordinated loan for senior subordinated notes with a term of seven and a half years that the Company will issue under a senior subordinated indenture.

The senior subordinated unsecured credit facility contains certain mandatory redemption requirements. Voluntary repayments are allowed and are subject to certain costs.

All obligations under the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility will be jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior subordinated basis by each of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries that guarantee obligations under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities described above. The senior subordinated unsecured credit facility contains a number of covenants similar to those described for the senior unsecured credit facilities noted above. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Maturities

Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt are $57.6 million in 2008, $171.8 million in 2009, $155.2 million in 2010, $169.1 million in 2011, $126.6 million in 2012 and $21,219.9 million in all periods thereafter.

Note 8: Comprehensive Income

The components of comprehensive income (loss) are as follows (in millions):

 

     Successor            Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from July 1
through September 24,
    Three months ended
September 30,
     2007            2007     2006

Net income (loss)

   $ (28.7 )        $ 56.7     $ 342.2

Foreign currency translation adjustment

     —              55.0       37.5

Unrealized gain (loss) on hedging activities

     (6.1 )          (0.3 )     0.5

Unrealized gain on securities

     0.3            0.2       109.1

Spin-off of Western Union (a)

     —              —         58.8
                           

Total comprehensive income (loss)

   $ (34.5 )        $ 111.6     $ 548.1
                           
 
     Successor            Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
     2007            2007     2006

Net income (loss)

   $ (28.7 )        $ 460.8     $ 1,234.9

Foreign currency translation adjustment

     —              123.1       87.4

Unrealized gain (loss) on hedging activities

     (6.1 )          0.4       1.4

Unrealized gain (loss) on securities

     0.3            (18.2 )     66.7

Spin-off of Western Union (a)

     —              —         62.2
                           

Total comprehensive income (loss)

   $ (34.5 )        $ 566.1     $ 1,452.6
                           

(a) Amount shown for Western Union for 2006 represents the change in other comprehensive income for that period.

The repositioning of the IPS investment portfolio discussed in Note 1 resulted in the Company recognizing a net pretax loss from the sale of investments of $1.3 million for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, a net pretax loss of $10.4 million for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and a net pretax gain of $4.4 million for the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, net of the impact of terminating any associated interest rate swaps, which were recognized in the “Investment income” line of the Consolidated Statements of Income. Net gains and losses on other securities realized during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006 were immaterial.

Note 9: Segment Information

For a detailed discussion of the Company’s principles regarding its operating segments refer to Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

The following table presents the Company’s operating segment results for the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and the predecessor periods for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006:

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Successor

                                   

Period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
   First Data
International
    Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals  

Revenues:

             

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 47.0     $ 20.5    $ 23.8     $ 1.0     $ 5.1     $ 97.4  

Investment income, net

     0.8       —        0.3       1.8       —         2.9  

Product sales and other

     6.1       0.5      4.6       —         0.7       11.9  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     16.8       10.9      0.6       0.1       0.1       28.5  

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     4.9       —        0.3       —         0.1       5.3  

Interest income

     0.1       —        0.3       —         3.2       3.6  
                                               

Total segment reporting revenues

   $ 75.7     $ 31.9    $ 29.9     $ 2.9     $ 9.2     $ 149.6  
                                               

Internal revenue and pretax equivalency

   $ 0.4     $ 0.6    $ 0.1     $ 4.0     $ 0.3     $ 5.4  

External revenue

     75.3       31.3      29.8       (1.1 )     8.9       144.2  

Depreciation and amortization

     11.3       6.2      4.1       —         1.2       22.8  

Operating profit (loss)

     11.2       2.1      3.1       1.3       (1.4 )     16.3  

Investment and debt repayment losses

     (0.4 )     —        (0.3 )     (0.5 )     (26.5 )     (27.7 )

Predecessor

                                   

Period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
   First Data
International
    Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals  

Revenues:

             

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 661.5     $ 288.7    $ 301.7     $ 14.1     $ 74.8     $ 1,340.8  

Investment income, net

     12.6       —        4.7       8.4       —         25.7  

Product sales and other

     99.4       18.5      68.2       0.1       42.7       228.9  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     244.2       163.0      8.2       1.6       1.1       418.1  

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     74.9       —        7.6       —         1.0       83.5  

Interest income

     1.2       —        4.9       0.2       3.6       9.9  
                                               

Total segment reporting revenues

   $ 1,093.8     $ 470.2    $ 395.3     $ 24.4     $ 123.2     $ 2,106.9  
                                               

Internal revenue and pretax equivalency

   $ 6.0     $ 8.4    $ 1.2     $ 56.8     $ 5.2     $ 77.6  

External revenue

     1,087.8       461.8      394.1       (32.4 )     118.0       2,029.3  

Depreciation and amortization

     72.0       37.2      53.3       1.0       11.7       175.2  

Operating profit (loss)

     293.7       85.4      35.4       (0.5 )     (245.1 )     168.9  

Restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, and investment gains and (losses)

     (0.2 )     —        (0.7 )     —         (2.0 )     (2.9 )

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Predecessor

                                    

Three months ended September 30, 2006

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
    First Data
International
    Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 656.3     $ 297.2     $ 262.5     $ 16.9     $ 88.2     $ 1,321.1  

Investment income, net

     14.0       —         2.3       8.7       —         25.0  

Product sales and other

     100.0       9.9       48.6       0.3       12.4       171.2  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     209.2       148.1       7.2       0.1       1.9       366.5  

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     76.6       —         8.0       —         —         84.6  

Interest income

     0.5       —         3.3       0.2       9.8       13.8  
                                                

Total segment reporting revenues

   $ 1,056.6     $ 455.2     $ 331.9     $ 26.2     $ 112.3     $ 1,982.2  
                                                

Internal revenue and pretax equivalency

   $ 7.0     $ 12.1     $ 0.5     $ 65.2     $ 11.8     $ 96.6  

External revenue

     1,049.6       443.1       331.4       (39.0 )     100.5       1,885.6  

Depreciation and amortization

     77.2       38.8       45.2       4.0       11.7       176.9  

Operating profit (loss)

     294.1       96.3       32.1       (1.5 )     (36.0 )     385.0  

Restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements and investment gains and (losses)

     (3.8 )     (3.1 )     (5.5 )     (144.8 )     41.4       (115.8 )

Predecessor

                                    

Period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
    First Data
International
    Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1,968.4     $ 894.5     $ 883.7     $ 44.0     $ 244.4     $ 4,035.0  

Investment income, net

     40.4       —         12.2       57.2       —         109.8  

Product sales and other

     290.6       48.1       203.4       0.5       73.9       616.5  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     732.6       499.5       25.6       4.6       3.3       1,265.6  

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     220.8       —         24.8       —         3.0       248.6  

Interest income

     2.7       0.1       14.9       0.6       12.5       30.8  
                                                

Total segment reporting revenues

   $ 3,255.5     $ 1,442.2     $ 1,164.6     $ 106.9     $ 337.1     $ 6,306.3  
                                                

Internal revenue and pretax equivalency

   $ 17.5     $ 27.6     $ 3.5     $ 183.2     $ 22.2     $ 254.0  

External revenue

     3,238.0       1,414.6       1,161.1       (76.3 )     314.9       6,052.3  

Depreciation and amortization

     229.1       115.8       156.4       4.2       34.7       540.2  

Operating profit (loss)

     816.2       280.8       111.1       24.2       (345.5 )     886.8  

Restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, other, investment gains and (losses), debt repayment gain and (loss)

     (0.9 )     0.1       (7.0 )     (15.2 )     (1.5 )     (24.5 )

Predecessor

                                    

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
    First Data
International
    Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1,878.8     $ 882.7     $ 702.7     $ 50.1     $ 261.5     $ 3,775.8  

Investment income, net

     38.3       —         8.1       40.4       —         86.8  

Product sales and other

     295.9       19.5       136.3       0.4       57.3       509.4  

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     599.2       449.8       18.2       0.2       3.2       1,070.6  

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     208.4       —         21.6       —         —         230.0  

Interest income

     0.7       —         7.9       0.2       15.0       23.8  
                                                

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Nine months ended September 30, 2006

(in millions)

   First Data
Commercial
Services
    First Data
Financial
Institution
Services
    First Data
International
   Integrated
Payment
Systems
    All Other
and
Corporate
    Totals

Total segment reporting revenues

   $ 3,021.3     $ 1,352.0     $ 894.8    $ 91.3     $ 337.0     $ 5,696.4
                                             

Internal revenue and pretax equivalency

   $ 19.9     $ 37.3     $ 2.8    $ 192.9     $ 35.7     $ 288.6

External revenue

     3,001.4       1,314.7       892.0      (101.6 )     301.3       5,407.8

Depreciation and amortization

     231.1       115.0       130.2      11.6       34.3       522.2

Operating profit (loss)

     786.0       275.1       94.8      5.2       (88.7 )     1,072.4

Restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, other and investment gains and (losses)

     (6.7 )     (1.4 )     1.7      33.7       42.1       69.4

A reconciliation of reportable segment amounts to the Company’s consolidated balances is as follows (in millions):

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from July 1
through September 24,
    Three months ended
September 30,
 

(in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Revenues:

           

Total reported segments

   $ 140.4          $ 1,983.7     $ 1,869.9  

All other and corporate

     9.2            123.2       112.3  
                             

Subtotal

     149.6            2,106.9       1,982.2  
                             

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     (5.3 )          (83.5 )     (84.6 )

Interest income

     (3.6 )          (9.9 )     (13.8 )

Eliminations (b)

     (5.4 )          (77.6 )     (96.6 )
                             

Consolidated

   $ 135.3          $ 1,935.9     $ 1,787.2  
                             

(Loss)/income before income taxes, minority interest, equity earnings in affiliates and discontinued operations:

           

Total reported segments

   $ 17.7          $ 414.0     $ 421.0  

All other and corporate

     (1.4 )          (245.1 )     (36.0 )
                             

Subtotal

     16.3            168.9       385.0  
                             

Interest expense

     (34.6 )          (33.2 )     (72.3 )

Minority interest from segment operations (c)

     2.5            37.5       35.1  

Equity earnings in affiliates

     (3.3 )          (75.3 )     (77.0 )

Restructuring, net

     —              —         (12.0 )

Impairments

     —              (4.3 )     (1.9 )

Litigation and regulatory settlements

     —              2.5       42.3  

Other

     —              —         —    

Investment gains and (losses)

     (21.7 )          (1.1 )     (144.2 )

Divestitures, net

     —              2.6       1.4  

Debt repayment loss

     (6.0 )          —         —    

Eliminations (b)

     (3.9 )          (54.7 )     (62.6 )
                             

Consolidated

   $ (50.7 )        $ 42.9     $ 93.8  
                             

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

     Predecessor  
     Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 

(in millions)

   2007     2006  

Revenues:

    

Total reported segments

   $ 5,969.2     $ 5,359.4  

All other and corporate

     337.1       337.0  
                

Subtotal

     6,306.3       5,696.4  
                

Equity earnings in affiliates (a)

     (248.6 )     (230.0 )

Interest income

     (30.8 )     (23.8 )

Eliminations (b)

     (254.0 )     (288.6 )
                

Consolidated

   $ 5,772.9     $ 5,154.0  
                

Income before income taxes, minority interest, equity earnings in affiliates and discontinued operations:

    

Total reported segments

   $ 1,232.3     $ 1,161.1  

All other and corporate

     (345.5 )     (88.7 )
                

Subtotal

     886.8       1,072.4  
                

Interest expense

     (103.6 )     (190.8 )

Minority interest from segment operations (c)

     107.3       101.2  

Equity earnings in affiliates

     (223.0 )     (207.9 )

Restructuring, net

     (7.9 )     (11.6 )

Impairments

     (20.6 )     0.1  

Litigation and regulatory settlements

     (2.5 )     34.8  

Other

     7.7       0.3  

Investment gains and (losses)

     (2.6 )     45.8  

Divestitures, net

     6.1       8.0  

Debt repayment gain

     1.4       —    

Eliminations (b)

     (176.6 )     (183.7 )
                

Consolidated

   $ 472.5     $ 668.6  
                

(a)

Excludes equity losses that were recorded in expense and the amortization related to the excess of the investment balance over the Company’s proportionate share of the investee’s net book value.

(b)

Represents elimination of an adjustment to record Integrated Payment Systems segment investment income and its related operating profit on a pretax equivalent basis and elimination of intersegment revenue.

(c)

Excludes minority interest attributable to items excluded from segment operations as well as minority interest related to interest expense and income taxes.

Segment assets are as follows (in millions):

 

    

Successor

   Predecessor
     September 30,
2007
   December 31,
2006

Assets:

     

First Data Commercial Services

   $ 26,103.8    $ 13,235.7

First Data Financial Institution Services

     5,804.4      2,385.9

First Data International

     6,646.8      3,548.2

Integrated Payment Systems

     12,754.0      14,422.9

All Other and Corporate

     2,658.9      868.0
             

Consolidated

   $ 53,967.9    $ 34,460.7
             

 

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Note 10: Commitments and Contingencies

On or about April 3 and 4, 2003, two purported class action complaints were filed on behalf of the public holders of Concord’s common stock (excluding shareholders related to or affiliated with the individual defendants). The defendants in those actions were certain current and former officers and directors of Concord. The complaints generally alleged breaches of the defendants’ duty of loyalty and due care in connection with the defendants’ alleged attempt to sell Concord without maximizing the value to shareholders in order to advance the defendants’ alleged individual interests in obtaining indemnification agreements related to litigation against Concord and its directors alleging Concord’s financial statements were materially misleading and other derivative litigation. The complaints sought class certification, injunctive relief directing the defendants’ conduct in connection with an alleged sale or auction of Concord, reasonable attorneys’ fees, experts’ fees and other costs and relief the Court deems just and proper. On or about April 2, 2003, an additional purported class action complaint was filed by Barton K. O’Brien. The defendants were Concord and certain of its current and former officers and directors. This complaint contained allegations regarding the individual defendants’ alleged insider trading and alleged violations of securities and other laws and asserted that this alleged misconduct reduced the consideration offered to Concord shareholders in the merger between Concord and a subsidiary of the Company (the “Concord Merger”). The complaint sought class certification, attorneys’ fees, experts’ fees, costs and other relief the Court deems just and proper. Moreover, the complaint also sought an order enjoining consummation of the Concord Merger, rescinding the Concord Merger if it is consummated and setting it aside or awarding rescissory damages to members of the putative class, and directing the defendants to account to the putative class members for unspecified damages. These complaints were consolidated in a second amended consolidated complaint filed September 19, 2003 into one action (In Re: Concord EFS, Inc. Shareholders Litigation) in the Shelby County Circuit for the State of Tennessee.

On October 15, 2003, the plaintiffs In Re: Concord EFS, Inc. Shareholders Litigation moved for leave to file a third amended consolidated complaint similar to the previous complaints but also alleging that the proxy statement disclosures relating to the antitrust regulatory approval process were inadequate. A motion to dismiss was filed on June 22, 2004 alleging that the claims should be denied and are moot since the Concord Merger has occurred. On October 18, 2004, the Court heard arguments on the plaintiff’s motion to amend complaint and defendant’s motion to dismiss. On September 12, 2006, the Court granted the plaintiff’s motion to file a third amended complaint. In early November 2006, Concord filed a motion to dismiss the third amended complaint. On June 28, 2007, a hearing was held on Concord’s motion to dismiss the third amended complaint. No order has been issued on this motion yet. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action and an estimate of possible losses, if any, cannot be made at this time.

On July 2, 2004, Pamela Brennan, Terry Crayton, and Darla Martinez filed a class action complaint on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company, its subsidiary Concord EFS, Inc., and various financial institutions (“Brennan”). Plaintiffs claim that the defendants violated antitrust laws by conspiring to artificially inflate foreign ATM fees that were ultimately charged to ATM cardholders. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees, costs and such other relief as the nature of the case may require or as may seem just and proper to the court. Five similar suits were filed and served in July, August and October 2004, two in the Central District of California (Los Angeles), two in the Southern District of New York, and one in the Western District of Washington (Seattle). The plaintiffs sought to have all of the cases consolidated by the Multi District Litigation panel. That request was denied by the panel on December 16, 2004 and all cases were transferred to the Northern District Court of California and assigned to a single judge. All cases other than Brennan were stayed. Subsequently, a seventh lawsuit was filed in the District of Alaska, which thereafter was also transferred to the Northern District of California and assigned to the same judge.

In Brennan, on May 4, 2005, the Court ruled on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss and Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. The Court did not dismiss the complaint, except for a technical dismissal of the claims against First Data Corporation, Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase. On May 25, 2005, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint which clarified the basis for alleging that the holding companies, First Data Corporation, Bank One Corporation and JPMorgan Chase, were liable. On July 21, 2005, Concord filed a motion for summary judgment seeking to foreclose claims arising after February 1, 2001—the date that Concord acquired the STAR network. On August 22, 2005, the Court also consolidated all of the ATM interchange cases pending against the defendants in Brennan which will now be referred to collectively as the “ATM Fee Antitrust Litigation.” On September 14, 2006, a hearing on Concord’s Motion for Summary Judgment was held. On November 30, 2006, the Court issued an order that terminated the pending motion and requested

 

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

further discovery on the limited issue of procompetitive justifications for the fixed ATM interchange by March 1, 2007. A hearing was held on the plaintiff’s motion to compel on May 23, 2007, at which time the Court directed the defendants to file a motion for summary judgment. On June 25, 2007, the Court entered an order on the motion to compel. On August 3, 2007, the Company filed a motion for summary judgment seeking to dismiss plaintiffs’ per se claims, arguing that there are procompetitive justifications for the ATM interchange. The hearing on this motion is scheduled for February 28, 2008. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action and an estimate of possible losses, if any, cannot be made at this time.

Six purported class action lawsuits have been filed against the Company and its directors challenging the process by which the Company agreed to enter into the April 1, 2007 Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with New Omaha Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation. New Omaha Holdings L.P. is controlled by an affiliate of KKR. These purported class action complaints generally allege the members of the Company’s Board of Directors breached their fiduciary duties of care and loyalty by entering into the Merger Agreement without regard to the fairness of the transaction to the Company’s shareholders or the maximization of shareholder value. The complaints also allege that the Company and/or KKR aided and abetted the directors’ breaches. The complaints generally seek class certification, an order enjoining consummation of the pending merger, rescinding the pending merger if it is consummated and setting it aside or awarding rescissory damages to members of the class, directing the defendants to exercise their fiduciary duties and account to the class members for unspecified damages, imposing a constructive trust in favor of the class for benefits improperly received by the defendants, and awarding costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, experts’ fees and other costs, and relief the Court deems just and proper. On May 8, 2007, May 10, 2007 and June 14, 2007, the six cases were consolidated into two cases. On July 30, 2007, the parties to these two consolidated cases entered into a memorandum of understanding. Under the terms of the memorandum, the Company, the other named defendants, and plaintiffs have agreed to settle the consolidated actions subject to court approval. The Company and the other defendants deny the allegations in both consolidated actions, and deny having committed, or having aided and abetted, any violation of law or breach of duty. The memorandum provides for dismissal of the Colorado actions with prejudice upon approval of a stipulation of settlement by the Colorado court, to be followed by consensual dismissal with prejudice of the Delaware actions. Pursuant to the terms of the memorandum, the Company acknowledged that the consolidated actions resulted in a decision to provide additional information to shareholders in the definitive proxy statement concerning the pending merger, and agreed to pay certain attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses incurred by plaintiffs. The Company does not make any admission that such supplemental disclosures are material. The memorandum will be null and void and of no force and effect if final court approval of the stipulation of settlement and dismissal of the Colorado and Delaware actions with prejudice does not occur for any reason. In addition, defendants have the right to withdraw from the settlement prior to the settlement hearing if an action released by the settlement is commenced prior to final court approval and not dismissed or stayed in light of the settlement. The Company believes the complaints are without merit and intends to vigorously defend them in the event a settlement is not finalized.

In May 2002, DataTreasury Corporation (“DataTreasury”) commenced action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Court”) against the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries First Data Merchant Services Corporation, TeleCheck Services, Inc. d/b/a Telecheck International, Inc., and Microbilt Corporation (subsequently merged into TASQ Technology, Inc.), (collectively, the “First Data Defendants”), alleging infringement of United States Patent No. 5,910,988 (the “988 Patent”) and Patent No. 6,032,137 (the “137 Patent”). The complaint sought a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent were valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, pre-judgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. The 988 Patent and the 137 Patent generally relate to remote data acquisition, encryption, centralized processing and storage. DataTreasury voluntarily dismissed the action filed with the Court and refiled the complaint on November 7, 2002 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas asserting that the First Data Defendants infringed the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent. The complaint seeks a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent are valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. On November 15, 2002, the First Data Defendants filed a motion which was granted that the case be transferred to the Court. On March 1, 2005, the Court ruled on claim construction. DataTreasury filed amended infringement contentions in September 2005. On November 5, 2005, the First Data Defendants filed ex parte requests for reexamination of the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”), which was granted. The First Data Defendants filed their final invalidity contentions in December 2005. The First Data Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment for patent invalidity on January 4, 2006. On September 12, 2005, DataTreasury filed a second complaint with the Court asserting that the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries Remitco, LLC (“Remitco”) and Integrated Payment Systems Inc. infringed the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent. DataTreasury seeks a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent are valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. On November 21, 2006, the Court consolidated the

 

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

two cases. On July 24, 2007, counsel for the parties agreed among other procedural matters to abate the case until 60 days after the issuance of reexamination certificates by the USPTO for both the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent or 60 days after the Remitco document production is completed, at which time DataTreasury will serve amended infringement contentions. In accordance with the agreement of the counsel for the parties, the Court entered an order denying as moot the pending Joint Motion for Entry of a Docket Control Order and refrained from entering a new schedule. On October 3, 2007, the USPTO issued a Certificate of Reexamination on the 988 Patent. On October 16, 2007, the USPTO issued a Notice of Intent of Issue of a Reexamination Certificate for the 137 Patent. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action and an estimate of possible losses, if any, cannot be made at this time.

On February 24, 2006, DataTreasury filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, naming more than 50 defendants, including the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries Telecheck Services, Inc. and Remitco, for the infringement of Patent No. 5,930,778 (the “778 Patent”). The complaint seeks a declaration that the 778 Patent is valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. The 778 patent generally relates to the clearing of financial instruments. On September 25, 2007, all defendants entered into a stipulation, which, pursuant to the court’s order, will result in a stay of the case pending the outcome of a pending re-examination of the 778 patent. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action and an estimate of possible losses, if any, cannot be made at this time.

In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to claims and litigation, including indemnification obligations to purchasers of former subsidiaries. Management of the Company believes that such matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, liquidity or financial condition.

In addition, the Company has certain guarantees imbedded in leases and other agreements wherein the Company is required to relieve the counterparty in the event of changes in the tax code or rates. The Company believes the fair value of such guarantees is insignificant due to the likelihood and extent of the potential changes.

Note 11: Employee Benefit Plans

The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit expense from continuing operations for the Company’s defined benefit pension plans:

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from July 1
through September 24,
    Three months ended
September 30,
 

(in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Service costs

   $ 0.2          $ 2.6     $ 2.9  

Interest costs

     0.6            8.7       8.2  

Expected return on plan assets

     (0.6 )          (8.9 )     (8.4 )

Amortization

     —              2.0       2.3  
                             

Net periodic benefit expense from continuing operations

   $ 0.2          $ 4.4     $ 5.0  
                             

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 

(in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Service costs

   $ 0.2          $ 8.0     $ 8.5  

Interest costs

     0.6            26.9       24.1  

Expected return on plan assets

     (0.6 )          (27.7 )     (24.6 )

Amortization

     —              6.3       6.8  
                             

Net periodic benefit expense from continuing operations

   $ 0.2          $ 13.5     $ 14.8  
                             

The Company estimates pension plan contributions for 2007 to be approximately $30.4 million. During the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007, $0.5 million was contributed to the United Kingdom plan. During the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, $1.4 million was contributed to the U.S. plan and $21.4 million was contributed to the United Kingdom plan. No additional contributions are expected to the U.S. plan over the remainder of 2007.

Note 12: Stock-Based Compensation

Successor Equity Plans

In the fourth quarter 2007, the Company will establish stock incentive plans for certain management employees of FDC and its affiliates (“stock plans”). These stock plans will be at the Holdings level which owns 100% of FDC’s equity interests. The stock plans may take the form of stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and other stock-based awards. The expense associated with these plans will be recorded by FDC.

Predecessor Equity Plans

For a detailed description of the Company’s pre-merger stock compensation plans, refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

Total stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income resulting from stock options, non-vested restricted stock awards, non-vested restricted stock units as well as the employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) was $195.4 million for the predecessor period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007, $247.4 million for the predecessor period from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and $14.5 million and $53.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively. Included in the predecessor periods is $175.9 million of stock-based compensation expense incurred during the period from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 due to the accelerated vesting of stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units as the result of change in control provisions upon closing of the merger. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized in the “Cost of services” and “Selling, general and administrative” line items of the Consolidated Statements of Income.

As discussed in Note 2, vesting of FDC stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was accelerated upon closing of the merger. As a result, holders of stock options received cash equal to the intrinsic value of the awards based on a market price of $34.00 per share while holders of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units received $34.00 per share in cash, without interest and the associated options and restricted stock were cancelled. Vesting of Western Union options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units held by FDC employees was also accelerated upon closing of the merger. The acceleration of the vesting period resulted in a corresponding acceleration of expense recognition associated with the above noted awards.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Rights

The fair value of FDC stock options granted and ESPP rights for the respective periods in the tables below were estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

     Stock Options 1  
    

Three months ended

September 30,

   

Nine months ended

September 30,

    Period from January 1
through September 24,
 
     2006     2006     2007  

Risk-free interest rate

     4.80 %     4.62 %     4.65 %

Dividend yield

     0.55 %     0.58 %     0.49 %

Volatility

     22.50 %     23.48 %     23.42 %

Expected term (in years)

     5       5       5  

Fair value

   $ 6     $ 7     $ 7  

1 There were no stock options granted during the predecessor period from July 1 through September 24, 2007.

 

     ESPP 1  
    

Three months ended

September 30,

   

Nine months ended

September 30,

    Period from January 1
through September 24,
 
     2006     2006     2007  

Risk-free interest rate

     5.03 %     4.85 %     4.75 %

Dividend yield

     0.55 %     0.56 %     0.47 %

Volatility

     22.92 %     22.96 %     23.85 %

Expected term (in years)

     0.25       0.25       0.25  

Fair value

   $ 5     $ 5     $ 6  

1

The ESPP was terminated as of June 30, 2007.

A summary of FDC stock option activity for the predecessor period from January 1 through September 24, 2007 is as follows (options in millions):

 

     2007
     Options    

Weighted-Average

Exercise

Price

Outstanding at January 1

   47.1     $ 21

Granted

   7.0     $ 25

Exercised

   (7.7 )   $ 19

Cancelled / Forfeited*

   (46.4 )   $ 22
        

Outstanding at September 24

   —      
        

Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Units

A summary of FDC restricted stock award and restricted stock unit activity for the predecessor period from January 1 through September 24, 2007 is as follows (awards/units in millions):

 

     2007
     Awards/Units    

Weighted-Average

Grant-Date
Fair Value

Non-vested at January 1

   1.1     $ 24

Granted

   3.7     $ 25

Vested

   (0.4 )   $ 27

Cancelled / Forfeited*

   (4.4 )   $ 25
        

Non-vested at September 24

   —      
        

* As noted above, vesting of the stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was accelerated upon the closing of the merger and then cancelled with a right to receive cash.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Note 13: Nonderivative and Derivative Financial Instruments

Two events occurred during the year that caused a significant change in the use of derivatives. As discussed in Note 1, in February 2007, the Company announced its intent to gradually exit the official check and money order businesses. As of September 30, 2007, nearly all of the long-term instruments associated with these businesses were converted into more liquid instruments of shorter duration. In conjunction with the repositioning of the portfolio, the Company terminated a majority of the associated interest rate swaps that qualified as fair value hedges of the investments. At September 30, 2007, the Company had $629.9 million of notional amount of interest rate swaps remaining related to the portfolio. These swaps were terminated in October 2007 upon the sale of the related investments.

As noted in Note 2 and on September 24, 2007, the Company was acquired through a merger by an entity controlled by an affiliate of KKR. As a result of the merger on September 24, 2007, the Company repurchased a majority of its outstanding debt through a tender offer. The interest rate swaps associated with this debt were terminated at the time the debt was repurchased. Certain mirror swaps that were entered into at the time of the debt repurchases in 2006 remain outstanding. On September 24, 2007, the Company issued approximately $22 billion of variable rate debt (though interest rates on $9 billion of the debt are subject to certain caps) and swapped $3.0 billion of this variable rate debt to fixed rates. An additional $3.0 billion of this variable rate debt was swapped to fixed rates in October 2007. Of the $22 billion in debt, approximately $1 billion is euro denominated. The Company anticipates refinancing approximately $9 billion of the variable rate debt with fixed rate debt in subsequent periods. In October 2007, the Company repaid $2.2 billion of this variable rate debt and issued $2.2 billion of fixed rate debt.

As of September 30, 2007, the Company uses derivative instruments to mitigate (i) cash flow risks with respect to changes in interest rates (forecasted interest payments on variable rate debt), foreign currency rates (forecasted transactions denominated in foreign currency) and market price risk related to an equity security, (ii) fair value risk related to changes in interest rates (long-term investments), and (iii) to protect the initial net investment in certain foreign subsidiaries and/or affiliates with respect to changes in foreign currency rates. Not all of these derivatives qualified for hedge accounting as discussed in more detail below.

DERIVATIVES NOT QUALIFYING FOR HEDGE ACCOUNTING

At the time of the merger all previous hedge accounting designations were nullified because of the merger. The Company redesignated certain of the previous derivatives in the same hedging relationships to continue to qualify for hedge accounting. The remaining derivative instruments continue to function as economic hedges but were not designated to qualify for hedge accounting. At September 30, 2007, those derivative instruments not designated as accounting hedges include foreign currency forward contracts to hedge forecasted foreign currency sales, a cross-currency swap contract to hedge foreign currency exposure from an intercompany loan, a costless collar to hedge the anticipated cash flows from the future sale of an equity security, and several interest rate swaps associated with the remaining long-term investments held by the official check business discussed above. These forwards and swaps on an individual and aggregate basis are immaterial to the financial statements. The periodic change in the mark-to-market of the derivative instruments not designated as accounting hedges is recorded immediately in the income statement.

In the third quarter 2007, prior to the consummation of the merger, Sub entered into two forward starting, deal contingent interest rate swaps. Such swaps did not qualify for hedge accounting until consummation of the merger as discussed below in “Cash Flow Hedges”. From the date the swaps were entered into until designated as hedges on September 24, 2007, the swaps were marked-to-market which resulted in a charge of approximately $19 million. This amount was recorded as a successor transaction in “Investment gains and losses” in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

DERIVATIVES THAT QUALIFY FOR HEDGE ACCOUNTING

Hedge of a Net Investment in a Foreign Operation

Two cross currency swaps that were designated as net investment hedges prior to the merger were redesignated at the merger date as hedges of net investments in foreign operations. Since the existing derivative instruments were not at zero fair value at the time of redesignation, the redesignated hedging relationship will result in some ineffectiveness which will be recognized immediately in the income statement. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the cross currency swaps is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity. As of September 30, 2007, the aggregate notional amount of the Australian dollar cross currency swap was 115.0 million Australian dollars and the euro cross currency swap was 7.2 million euros. As of September 30, 2007, the net gains and/or losses the Company realized in other comprehensive income (“OCI”) in the successor period in the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity associated with the net investment hedges was immaterial.

Cash Flow Hedges

In the third quarter 2007, prior to the consummation of the merger, Sub entered into two forward starting, deal contingent interest rate swaps. At the merger date such interest rate swaps were designated as cash flow hedges of the variability in the interest payments on a specified $3.0 billion portion of the approximate $12.8 billion variable rate senior secured term loan due to changes in the LIBOR interest rate (the benchmark interest rate). Since these swaps were entered into prior to the date of their designation and they were not at zero fair value on that date, the hedging relationships will result in some ineffectiveness. The effective portion of changes in fair value of these hedges is recorded temporarily in the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity as a component of OCI and then recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income in the same period or periods during which the payment of variable interest associated with the floating rate debt is recorded in earnings. Any ineffective portions of changes in fair value are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income, in “Investment gains and losses”, during the period of change. The amount of ineffectiveness recognized in earnings during the successor period from September 25, 2007 to September 30, 2007 related to these cash flow hedges was immaterial. The amount of losses in OCI related to the hedged transactions that is expected to be reclassified into the Consolidated Statements of Income during the 12 months ending September 30, 2008 is immaterial.

Fair Value Hedges

As noted above in Note 2 and in connection with the merger, the Company terminated the interest rate swaps associated with its debt in connection with the repurchase of the underlying debt. Additionally, the Company either terminated the interest rate swaps associated with the long-term investment portfolio of the official check and money order businesses prior to the merger or did not redesignate the hedge accounting relationships at the merger date for any interest rate swaps that have not yet been terminated. Subsequent to the September 24, 2007 merger, the Company has no outstanding fair value hedges that qualified for hedge accounting.

Fair value of financial instruments

The table below provides the carrying amount of certain nonderivative financial instruments and derivative financial instruments. The carrying value of these instruments approximates the fair value since these instruments were either marked-to-market or entered into at, or near, September 30, 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

September 30, 2007 (in millions)

  

Carrying

Value

 

Nonderivative financial instruments:

  

Long-term investment securities

   $ 848.8  

Long-term debt

     21,900.2  

Derivative financial instruments:

  

Interest rate swaps related to certain long-term investment securities, net

     (4.9 )

Interest rate swaps related to variable rate debt

     (30.4 )

Foreign currency forward contracts

     (2.5 )

Foreign currency swaps related to net investments in foreign entities

     (15.7 )

Other foreign currency swaps

     (2.2 )

Costless collars related to investment in certain equity securities

     (1.1 )

Note 14: Related Parties

The discussion of the merchant alliances remains unchanged from that presented in Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. The investments held by the Company in investment funds managed by a member of its Board of Directors prior to the merger is no longer a related party transaction since subsequent to the merger this individual is not affiliated with FDC. Subsequent to the merger, certain members of the Company’s Board of Directors are affiliated with KKR.

In connection with the consummation of the merger, First Data entered into a management agreement with affiliates of KKR pursuant to which such entities or their affiliates will provide management services to the Company. Pursuant to such agreement, the Company will pay an aggregate annual management fee of $20 million, which amount is expected to increase annually by 5% beginning in 2008, and will reimburse out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the provision of services pursuant to the agreement. In addition and pursuant to such agreement, the Company paid aggregate transaction fees of approximately $260 million in connection with services provided by such entities in connection with the merger. The agreement also provides that the Company will pay fees in connection with certain subsequent financing, acquisition, disposition and change of control transactions as well as a termination fee based on the net present value of future payment obligations under the management agreement in the event of an initial public offering or under certain other circumstances. The agreement also includes customary exculpation and indemnification provisions in favor of KKR and its affiliates.

Note 15: Discontinued Operations

The Company’s financial statements reflect NYCE Corporation (“NYCE”), PPS, IDLogix, Western Union and Taxware as discontinued operations. The results of operations of these entities are treated as income from discontinued operations, net of tax, and separately stated on the Consolidated Statements of Income below income from continuing operations.

NYCE was divested in 2004, PPS and IDLogix were divested in July 2006, Western Union was spun-off in September 2006 and Taxware was divested in November 2006.

Losses from discontinued operations for the predecessor periods from July 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 and from January 1, 2007 through September 24, 2007 relate to certain tax account true-ups and discrete tax items related to Western Union.

During the first quarter of 2006, an adjustment to the NYCE sales price was finalized resulting in an additional charge of $1.6 million, which was presented in discontinued operations, and was $1.0 million net of taxes.

Discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 includes, in addition to results of operations, non-recurring separation costs of $35.7 million and $46.5 million, respectively, related to the spin-off of Western

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(Unaudited)

 

Union, which consist principally of investment banker fees, external legal and accounting fees to affect the spin-off, costs to separate information systems and consulting costs incurred to assist in managing the spin-off. Furthermore, discontinued operations include interest expense of $9.9 million and $32.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively, allocated based upon a percentage of net assets in accordance with EITF No. 87-24 “Allocation of Interest to Discontinued Operations.” Also, certain corporate expenses were allocated to discontinued operations in accordance with EITF 87-24 but were limited to specifically identified costs and other costs, such as corporate shared services, which support segment operations. These costs represent those that have historically been allocated to and recorded by the Company’s operating segments as an expense with the exception of the addition of certain share-based compensation expenses and pension benefit not previously allocated.

The following table presents the summarized results of discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006 (in millions):

 

    

Three months ended

September 30, 2006

   

Nine months ended

September 30, 2006

 
    

Revenue

   $ 1,141.4     $ 3,345.4  

Expenses

     831.0       2,376.2  
                

Operating profit

     310.4       969.2  

Other income (expense)

     23.8       (15.1 )
                

Income before income taxes, minority interest and equity earnings in affiliates

     334.2       954.1  

Income taxes

     125.9       334.3  

Minority interest, net of tax

     (0.6 )     (2.0 )

Equity earnings in affiliates

     3.2       9.4  
                

Income from discontinued operations

   $ 210.9     $ 627.2  
                

 

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Table of Contents

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

ITEM 2. Overview

First Data Corporation (“FDC” or “the Company”), with headquarters in Greenwood Village, Colorado, operates electronic commerce businesses providing services that include merchant transaction processing and acquiring services; credit, retail and debit card issuing and processing services; official check issuance; and check guarantee and verification services. FDC operates in four business segments: First Data Commercial Services, First Data Financial Institution Services, First Data International and Integrated Payment Systems (“IPS”). Western Union was a separate operating segment prior to its spin-off in September 2006 at which point it was reflected in discontinued operations.

For a detailed discussion regarding the Company’s segments, the businesses within each segment, the business strategies of the Company and each segment, business trends affecting the Company and certain risks inherent in the Company’s business, see “Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

Merger

On April 1, 2007, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with New Omaha Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Parent”), and Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of Parent (“Sub”). Parent is controlled by affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (“KKR”). On September 24, 2007, under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Sub merged with and into the Company (“the merger”) with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and a subsidiary of New Omaha Holdings Corporation (“Holdings”), a Delaware corporation and a subsidiary of Parent.

As of the effective time of the merger, each issued and outstanding share of common stock of the Company was cancelled and converted into the right to receive $34.00 in cash, without interest (other than shares owned by Parent, Sub or Holdings, which were cancelled and given no consideration). Additionally, vesting of FDC stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was accelerated upon closing of the merger. As a result, holders of stock options received cash equal to the intrinsic value of the awards based on a market price of $34.00 per share while holders of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units received $34.00 per share in cash, without interest. Vesting of Western Union options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units held by FDC employees was also accelerated upon closing of the merger.

Immediately following consummation of the merger, Michael D. Capellas was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company. Capellas succeeds Henry C. “Ric” Duques who announced his intention to retire within two years when he returned as Chairman and CEO in late 2005.

The merger was financed by a combination of the following: borrowings under the Company’s new senior secured credit facilities, new senior unsecured interim loan agreement and new senior subordinated interim loan agreement, and the equity investment of Holdings. See the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q Note 2 for detailed discussion of purchase price and transaction costs, and Note 7 for a detailed discussion regarding the tender of previously existing debt as well as the debt issued in conjunction with the merger.

The Company applied purchase accounting to the opening balance sheet and results of operations on September 25, 2007 as the merger occurred at the close of business on September 24, 2007. The purchase accounting adjustments had a material impact on the successor period presented due most significantly to the amortization of intangible assets and will have a material impact on future earnings. The Company’s purchase accounting is in its preliminary stages. The value assigned at September 30, 2007 to intangible assets is based on preliminary valuation data from a third party valuation firm and is expected to change. The valuation of fixed assets is expected to commence in the fourth quarter 2007. The Company is also in the process of working through other potential purchase accounting adjustments that may include the assessment of items such as deferred revenue, assumed liabilities, pre-existing debt value and items that may require fair value measurements.

The Company has implemented a “100 day plan” to provide strategic direction for the Company under new leadership. The plan includes generating organic growth through improved sales effectiveness, accelerating new product innovations and continued targeted international expansion. The plan also captures efficiencies related to the simplification of domestic and international operations and other near term cost saving initiatives as well as certain reductions in personnel. The reduction in personnel and associated costs are expected to be significant and occur principally in the fourth quarter 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Presentation

This Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) excludes the accounts of Parent and Holdings described in the Merger discussion above. FDC continued as the surviving corporation and the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q are presented for two periods for 2007: Predecessor and Successor results, which primarily relate to the periods preceding the merger and the period succeeding the merger, respectively. Note that the successor period also contains the results of Sub’s operations from March 29, 2007 (formation date) to September 30, 2007. Sub had no assets, liabilities or results of operations other than those related to two forward starting contingent interest rate swaps entered into prior to consummation of the merger that were entered into to hedge a portion of the debt incurred to finance the merger. The discussion in this MD&A is presented on a combined basis of the predecessor and successor periods for 2007. The 2007 predecessor and successor results are presented but are not discussed separately. The Company believes that the discussion on a combined basis is more meaningful as it allows the results of operations to be analyzed to a comparable period in 2006.

Official Check and Money Order Wind-down

In the first quarter 2007, the Company announced its intent to wind-down the official check and money order business included within the IPS business segment. The official check and money order businesses are conducted by a subsidiary of the Company, Integrated Payment Systems Inc., with separate creditors and whose assets, including the investment portfolio associated with the official checks and money orders, are not intended to be available to creditors of First Data nor its other subsidiaries. The Company expects the wind-down of the majority of the business to take two to three years in order to honor existing customer contracts. In October 2007, the Company completed the repositioning of the investment portfolio associated with this business from long-term municipal bonds to short-term investments, the majority of which are currently short-term municipal bonds. The Company converted over 90% of this portfolio’s par value into short-term investments through September 30, 2007 and recognized a loss from the sale of these investments, net of the impact of terminating the associated interest rate swaps, of $11.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007, and a gain of $3.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. The above recognized losses and gains were included in the “Investment income” line of the Consolidated Statements of Income. In the first quarter 2007, the Company recognized a $16.3 million impairment charge related to goodwill and intangible assets associated with the wind-down.

2007 Financial Summary

Significant financial and other measures for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 included:

 

   

Total revenues increased 16% and 15% from the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2006, respectively, with Commercial Services segment revenue growing 11% and 10%, Financial Institution Services segment revenue growing 10% and 9%, and the International segment’s revenue growing 28% and 33% for the same periods, respectively.

 

   

In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006, domestic merchant transactions increased 12% to 7.3 billion and 12% to 20.9 billion, respectively; domestic debit issuer transactions increased 9% to 2.7 billion and 13% to 7.8 billion, respectively; and international transactions increased 15% to 1.4 billion and 20% to 3.9 billion, respectively.

 

   

Consolidated EBITDA, representing a measure for debt covenant compliance determination purposes, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 was $765.7 million and $2,132.8 million, respectively. A table describing Consolidated EBITDA and a reconciliation to income from continuing operations is presented in Capital Resources and Liquidity. Management believes that Consolidated EBITDA is useful to investors to provide additional information regarding items impacting covenant compliance under the Company’s new credit facilities.

2007 Acquisitions

 

   

In February 2007, the Company acquired the assets of Datawire Communication Networks, Inc. (“Datawire”), an internet-based transaction delivery company. Datawire is reported as part of the First Data Commercial Services segment.

 

   

In March 2007, the Company acquired Intelligent Results, a customer data analytics and decision management software provider. Intelligent Results is reported as part of All Other and Corporate.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

 

 

In March 2007, the Company acquired Instant Cash Services ® (“Instant Cash”), a debit card and ATM payment processing service provider for community banks, credit unions, thrifts and non-financial institutions. A majority of Instant Cash is reported as part of the First Data Financial Institution Services segment and the remaining portion is reported as part of the First Data Commercial Services segment.

 

   

In June 2007, the Company acquired FundsXpress, a provider of online banking and bill payment services. FundsXpress is reported as part of the First Data Financial Institution Services segment.

 

   

On August 1, 2007 the Company acquired POLCARD SA (“POLCARD”), a merchant acquirer and card issuer processor in Poland. POLCARD is reported as part of the First Data International segment.

 

   

In November 2007, the Company acquired Check Forte Processamento de Dados Ltda. (“Check Forte”), a payment transaction processing company in Brazil. Check Forte will be reported as part of the First Data International segment.

 

   

In October 2007, the Company purchased the interests in its First Data Government Solutions subsidiary owned by minority interest holders.

 

   

In October 2007, the Company acquired Deecal International, a specialist software solutions provider for commercial payments in Dublin, Ireland. Deecal International will be reported as part of the First Data International segment.

Companywide Initiatives

The Company began executing upon its U.S. data center consolidation initiative in the second quarter 2007. The Company plans to reduce its U.S. data centers to 3 from the current total of 12. Command centers will be reduced to 2 from the current total of 7. The estimated cost in 2007 related to this U.S. initiative is expected to be approximately $45 million consisting of approximately $24 million in capital expenditures and approximately $21 million of direct project costs. The Company expects to incur costs associated with this initiative through the second half of 2009, when the project is expected to be completed. The Company’s domestic platform consolidation and domestic global sourcing initiatives are under development though execution of global sourcing initiatives began in the third quarter of 2007.

Internationally, the Company closed a second European data center in the third quarter of 2007, and anticipates the closing of a third in the fourth quarter 2007. First Data International is also in the process of consolidating its operating platforms. The most significant international platform consolidation that is under way is the migration of clients from the Equasion card processing platform to the Vision PLUS card processing platform. The Company expects to continue to incur these costs into 2009, when the project is expected to be completed. Additionally, First Data International has begun global sourcing initiatives through restructuring actions described below. Other restructuring activities were associated with data center consolidation as previously described. These restructuring activities are presented on the “Restructuring, net” line in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Direct incremental costs incurred to execute the companywide initiatives that are not classified as either restructuring or impairment and that are not salaries and benefits of existing, continuing employees are compiled and reported within All Other and Corporate. Such amounts recorded in All Other and Corporate in the three months ended September 30, 2007 were $6 million relating to international data center and platform consolidation and $8 million for domestic data center consolidation. For the nine months ended September 30, 2007, these amounts were $13 million for international and $16 million for domestic, respectively.

Results of Operations

The following discussion for both consolidated results and segment results refers to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 versus the same periods in 2006. As noted above in the “Presentation” discussion, the results of operation will be discussed on a combined basis for 2007. The predecessor and successor breakout is presented for information purposes only. Consolidated results should be read in conjunction with segment results, which provide more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Consolidated Results

 

     Combined     Predecessor        
     Three months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007     % of Total
Revenue
    2006     % of Total
Revenue
    Amount    %  

Revenues:

             

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1,416.2     68 %   $ 1,291.5     73 %   $ 124.7    10 %

Investment income, net

     (29.9 )   (1 )%     (37.3 )   (2 )%     7.4    20 %

Product sales and other

     240.9     12 %     169.2     9 %     71.7    42 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     444.0     21 %     363.8     20 %     80.2    22 %
                                     
   $ 2,071.2     100 %   $ 1,787.2     100 %   $ 284.0    16 %
                                     

Expenses:

             

Cost of services

   $ 1,000.4     48 %   $ 781.1     44 %   $ 219.3    28 %

Cost of products sold

     80.3     4 %     76.9     4 %     3.4    4 %

Selling, general and administrative

     472.0     23 %     298.7     17 %     173.3    58 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     444.0     21 %     363.8     20 %     80.2    22 %

Other operating expenses, net

     1.8     0 %     (28.4 )   (2 )%     30.2    NM  
                                     
   $ 1,998.5     96 %   $ 1,492.1     83 %   $ 506.4    34 %
                                     
     Combined     Predecessor        
     Nine months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007     % of Total
Revenue
    2006     % of Total
Revenue
    Amount    %  

Revenues:

             

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 4,061.7     68 %   $ 3,683.3     71 %   $ 378.4    10 %

Investment income, net

     (67.7 )   (1 )%     (96.6 )   (2 )%     28.9    30 %

Product sales and other

     628.4     11 %     504.4     10 %     124.0    25 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     1,285.8     22 %     1,062.9     21 %     222.9    21 %
                                     
   $ 5,908.2     100 %   $ 5,154.0     100 %   $ 754.2    15 %
                                     

Expenses:

             

Cost of services

   $ 2,699.9     46 %   $ 2,255.6     43 %   $ 444.3    20 %

Cost of products sold

     235.6     4 %     221.2     4 %     14.4    7 %

Selling, general and administrative

     1,115.2     19 %     856.1     17 %     259.1    30 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     1,285.8     22 %     1,062.9     21 %     222.9    21 %

Other operating expenses, net

     23.3     0 %     (23.6 )   0 %     46.9    NM  
                                     
   $ 5,359.8     91 %   $ 4,372.2     85 %   $ 987.6    23 %
                                     

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Successor     Predecessor  
    

Period from September 25

through September 30,

   

Period from July 1

through September 24,

   

Period from January 1

through September 24,

 

(in millions)

   2007     % of Total
Revenue
    2007     % of Total
Revenue
    2007     % of Total
Revenue
 

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 95.8     70 %   $ 1,320.4     69 %   $ 3,965.9     68 %

Investment income, net

     (0.8 )   0 %     (29.1 )   (2 )%     (66.9 )   (1 )%

Product sales and other

     12.0     9 %     228.9     12 %     616.4     11 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3     21 %     415.7     21 %     1,257.5     22 %
                                          
   $ 135.3     100 %   $ 1,935.9     100 %   $ 5,772.9     100 %
                                          

Expenses:

            

Cost of services

   $ 67.9     50 %   $ 932.5     49 %   $ 2,632.0     46 %

Cost of products sold

     5.2     4 %     75.1     4 %     230.4     4 %

Selling, general and administrative

     25.9     19 %     446.1     23 %     1,089.3     19 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     28.3     21 %     415.7     21 %     1,257.5     22 %

Other operating expenses, net

     0.0     0 %     1.8     0 %     23.3     0 %
                                          
   $ 127.3     94 %   $ 1,871.2     97 %   $ 5,232.5     91 %
                                          

NM- Not Meaningful

The following provides highlights of revenue and expense growth for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006, while a more detailed discussion is included in the “Segment Results” section below:

Operating revenues overview

Transaction and processing service fees – Revenue increased due to the following: First Data Commercial Services segment from growth of existing clients resulting from increased transaction volumes as well as an increase in Electronic Check Acceptance (“ECA”) processing revenue; First Data Financial Institution Services segment from acquisitions and growth of existing clients partially offset by price compression; and First Data International segment from acquisitions, growth of new and existing clients and benefit from foreign currency exchange rate movements partially offset by lost business.

Investment income, net – The loss improved during the three and nine months due to decreased commissions paid to official check agents resulting from pricing reductions as part of the wind down of the official check and money order business as well as decreased interest rates. Partially offsetting this improvement in the three month period was a decrease due to losses recognized on the sale of investments and hedges as part of the repositioning of the IPS portfolio in conjunction with the wind-down of the official check and money order business. Also benefiting the nine month period were net gains recognized in the first six months of 2007 on the sale of investments and hedges from this same repositioning of the IPS official check and money order portfolio.

Product sales and othe r – Increased for the three and nine months due to an increase in royalty income, the impact of acquisitions and increased contract termination fees.

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other – Increased revenue and the corresponding expense were due to increases in debit network fees resulting from the continued growth of PIN-debit transaction volumes as well as rate increases imposed by the debit networks. Postage revenue increased due to new business and an increase in postage rates in May 2007, offset partially by lost business.

Operating expenses overview

Cost of services – Increased largely due to employee related expenses, the impact of acquisitions and increased net warranty expense. The employee related expenses represented just under half of the increase for the three month period and resulted

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

most significantly from the accelerated vesting of stock options and restricted stock awards and units upon the change of control (see “Merger” above). For the nine-month period there was also an increase due to the presentation of certain independent sales organizations (“ISO”) commission payments on a gross basis in 2007 versus a net presentation against transaction and processing service fee revenue in the first six months of 2006. Cost of services, as a percentage of transaction and processing service fee revenue, increased as a result of the items noted above.

The impact from the accelerated vesting of stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was approximately $106 million and impacted the growth rate by 14 percentage points and 5 percentage points for the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. Purchase accounting, mostly amortization of identifiable intangible assets, was approximately $9 million and impacted the growth rate by 1 percentage point and less than 1 percentage point for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.

Cost of products sold – Increased due to costs associated with the sale and leasing of terminals offset partially by a decrease in costs associated with software sales.

Selling, general and administrative – Increased due to the impact of merger related costs including legal, accounting, other advisory fees and accelerated vesting of stock options and restricted stock awards and units upon the change of control. Also contributing to the increase were platform consolidation expenses related to the First Data International segment, data center consolidation costs in the U.S., and to a lesser extent, an increase in other employee related expenses. Partially offsetting this increase were gains on foreign currency exchange rate movements recognized in the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2007 as well as various costs incurred in 2006 in connection with re-aligning the operating structure of the Company after the spin-off of Western Union. Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of transaction and processing service fee revenue, increased as a result of the items noted above.

The impact from the accelerated vesting of stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units was approximately $70 million and impacted the growth rate by 24 percentage points and 8 percentage points for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. Consulting, legal and professional service fees related to the merger were approximately $54 million and $70 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively, and impacted the growth rate by 18 percentage points and 8 percentage points for the same periods.

Other operating expenses, net

Other operating expenses related to restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements and other totaled a net charge of $1.8 million and a net benefit of $28.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively, and a net charge of $23.3 million and a net benefit of $23.6 million for the corresponding nine-month periods, respectively. These items are presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income under those respective descriptions.

2007 Activities

The Company recorded restructuring charges comprised of severance totaling $0.7 million and $10.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007. A first quarter 2007 charge resulted from efforts to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the sales and sales support teams within the Commercial Services segment. This action resulted in the termination of approximately 230 sales related employees comprising approximately 10% of the segment’s regional sales, cross-sale and sales support organizations. Second and third quarter 2007 charges resulted from the termination of approximately 140 employees within the First Data International segment. The terminations were associated with the data center consolidation and global sourcing initiatives. Similar actions will occur in future periods and are expected to continue into 2009. The Company estimates cost savings resulting from 2007 restructuring activities of approximately $12 million in 2007 and approximately $21 million on an annual basis. Partially offsetting the charges are reversals of prior period restructuring accruals of $0.7 million and $2.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.

The following table summarizes the Company’s utilization of restructuring accruals from continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 (in millions):

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Employee
Severance
    Facility
Closure
 

Remaining accrual at January 1, 2007

   $ 27.1     $ 1.6  

Expense provision

     10.2       —    

Cash payments and other

     (24.6 )     (1.0 )

Changes in estimates

     (2.3 )     —    
                

Remaining accrual at September 30, 2007

   $ 10.4     $ 0.6  
                

During the first quarter 2007, the Company recorded a charge of $16.3 million related to the impairment of goodwill and intangible assets associated with the wind-down of the Company’s official check and money order business. During the second quarter 2007, the Company recorded a $5.0 million litigation accrual associated with a judgment against the Company pertaining to a vendor contract issue in All Other and Corporate and released a portion of the domestic escheatment accrual made in the fourth quarter 2005 which is reflected in Other. The release was prompted by reaching resolution with a large majority of all the states as to the Company’s escheatment liability. The Company believes any remaining uncertainty is adequately accrued. During the third quarter 2007, within All Other and Corporate, the Company recorded a charge of $4.2 million related to the impairment of fixed assets and software associated with its government business. The Company recorded minority interest benefit of $1.1 million associated with the impairment. The Company also recorded a benefit of $2.5 million related to the Visa settlement that was originally recorded in the third quarter 2006.

2006 Activities

As a result of a Company initiative to reduce operating costs to the appropriate level after the Western Union spin-off and certain business restructurings, the Company recorded restructuring charges comprised of severance totaling $12.8 million and facility closures of $1.5 million for the nine months ended, September 30, 2006. The Company reversed $0.8 million and $2.7 million of prior period restructuring accruals during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006.

In the third quarter of 2006, the Company recorded a benefit of approximately $45 million in All Other and Corporate due to a settlement with Visa over the processing of Visa payment card transactions. During the second quarter of 2006, excess litigation accruals in the Commercial Services segment totaling $7.5 million were released. The Company recorded minority interest expense of $3.5 million associated with the release in the Commercial Services segment. The settlement and accrual release were partially offset by a first quarter 2006 settlement of $15.0 million associated with a patent infringement lawsuit against TeleCheck, clearing all past and future claims related to this litigation, and a third quarter charge of $2.7 million related to the settlement of a claim within All Other and Corporate.

Interest income

Interest income decreased for the three months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same period in 2006 most significantly due to an increase in cash in the third quarter 2006 resulting from the issuance of commercial paper to enable a debt-for-debt exchange as well as to fund the repayment of notes between the Company and Western Union both in connection with the spin-off of Western Union. Interest income increased for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 due to acquisitions as well as higher average cash balances in the first two quarters of 2007 partially offset by the third quarter decrease discussed above.

Interest expense

Interest expense decreased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 most significantly as a result of the debt for debt exchange related to the Western Union spin-off and the repayments of debt in September, November and December 2006 and January 2007. Partially offsetting this decrease was an increase in interest expense subsequent to the merger date due to the significant increase in debt as a result of the merger.

Investment gains and losses, net

The majority of the lower investment losses, net, for the three months ended September 30, 2007 as compared to September 30, 2006, and the move from an investment gain in 2006 to an investment loss in 2007 for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 and 2007, respectively, is due to the Company recognizing a net investment charge of $145.0 million and a net investment gain of $33.7 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively, associated with interest rate swaps not qualifying for hedge accounting. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007,

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

net investment losses resulted from a loss on the sale and impairment of certain strategic investments and in the third quarter specifically, a loss of approximately $19 million due to decreases in the fair value of Omaha Acquisition Corporation’s forward starting contingent interest rate swaps prior to the merger and prior to their designation as a hedge.

Divestitures, net

During the nine months ended September 30, 2007, the Company recognized benefits resulting from the release of excess divestiture accruals due to the expiration of certain contingencies. During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, the Company recognized gains on the sale of land, corporate aircraft and other assets.

Debt repayment gain /(loss)

During the first quarter 2007, the Company recorded a net gain of $1.4 million related to the early repayment of long-term debt at a discount from the principal amount. After consummation of the merger, the Company repurchased a majority of the pre-merger debt and recognized a loss of $6.0 million in the successor period for the cost to execute the associated debt tender.

Income taxes

FDC’s effective tax rate on pretax income from continuing operations was a benefit of 9.2% and an expense of 19.4% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, and 3.4% and 21.3% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively. The non-taxable interest income from the IPS municipal bond portfolio significantly impacted the effective tax rate from continuing operations, reducing the statutory rate by approximately 113 percentage points and 21 percentage points for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively, and 28 percentage points and 15 percentage points for the same periods in 2006. The calculation of the effective tax rate includes most of the equity earnings in affiliates and minority interest in pretax income because these items relate principally to entities that are considered pass-through entities for income tax purposes. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 resulted most significantly from the above noted non-taxable interest income being a larger portion of pretax income in 2007. Partially offsetting the effect of the non-taxable income and causing an increase to the effective tax rate were non-deductible expenses associated with the merger and a net tax expense associated with the income tax return to provision true-ups for 2006 as well as an adjustment to the income taxes payable account pertaining to an under accrual of taxes in prior years.

As a subsidiary of Holdings subsequent to the merger and a member of a new U.S. consolidated group for income tax purposes, the Company expects to be in a net operating loss position in the near term future. The Company anticipates being able to record an income tax benefit related to future operating losses due to the existence of significant deferred tax liabilities established in connection with purchase accounting. However, the Company may not be able to record a benefit related to losses in certain countries, requiring the establishment of valuation allowances. Additionally, the Company and its subsidiaries will continue to incur income taxes in foreign jurisdictions. Generally, these foreign income taxes result in a foreign tax credit in the US to the extent of any US income taxes on the income upon repatriation. However, due to the Company’s anticipated net operating loss position, the Company may not be able to provide a benefit for its potential foreign tax credits which would increase its effective tax rate. The Company also will continue to incur income taxes in states for which it files returns on a separate Company basis.

The additional taxes recognized as part of discontinued operations in the quarter ended September 30, 2007 related to 2006 income tax return to provision true-ups and other tax items associated with operations discontinued in 2006.

Minority interest

Most of the minority interest expense relates to the Company’s consolidated merchant alliances. Minority interest expense increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due most significantly to the growth of the consolidated merchant alliances.

Minority interest expense for the first nine months of 2006 included additional expense due to the reversal of a 2004 litigation accrual in the Commercial Services segment offset by an increase in the relevant subsidiary earnings.

Equity earnings in affiliates

The increase in equity earnings in affiliates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 resulted most significantly from increased merchant transaction volume in the merchant alliances. Earnings of an alliance were also improved due to a beneficial change in its portfolio mix and lower processing rates.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Segment Results

For a detailed discussion of the Company’s principles regarding its operating segments, refer to “Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

First Data Commercial Services Segment Results

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Three months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006     % of Segment
Revenue
    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 606.9     52 %   $ 578.5     56 %   $ 28.4     5 %

Check services

     101.6     9 %     77.8     7 %     23.8     31 %

Product sales and other

     105.5     9 %     100.0     9 %     5.5     6 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     261.0     22 %     209.2     20 %     51.8     25 %

Equity earnings in affiliates

     79.8     7 %     76.6     7 %     3.2     4 %

Other revenue

     14.7     1 %     14.5     1 %     0.2     1 %
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 1,169.5     100 %   $ 1,056.6     100 %   $ 112.9     11 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 304.9       $ 294.1       $ 10.8     4 %

Operating margin

     26 %       28 %       (2 )pts  

Key indicators:

            

Domestic merchant transactions (a)

     7,265.5         6,470.6         794.9     12 %
     Combined     Predecessor              
     Nine months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006     % of Segment
Revenue
    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1,721.7     52 %   $ 1,644.9     54 %   $ 76.8     5 %

Check services

     293.7     9 %     233.9     8 %     59.8     26 %

Product sales and other

     296.7     9 %     295.9     10 %     0.8     0 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     749.4     22 %     599.2     20 %     150.2     25 %

Equity earnings in affiliates

     225.7     7 %     208.4     7 %     17.3     8 %

Other revenue

     44.0     1 %     39.0     1 %     5.0     13 %
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 3,331.2     100 %   $ 3,021.3     100 %   $ 309.9     10 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 827.4       $ 786.0       $ 41.4     5 %

Operating margin

     25 %       26 %       (1 )pt  

Key indicators:

            

Domestic merchant transactions (a)

     20,933.2         18,623.6         2,309.6     12 %

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
    

Period from September 25

through September 30,

          

Period from July 1

through September 24,

   

Period from January 1

through September 24,

 

(in millions)

   2007     % of Segment
Revenue
           2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2007     % of Segment
Revenue
 

Revenues:

                 

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 40.7     55 %        $ 566.2     52 %   $ 1,681.0     51 %

Check services

     6.3     8 %          95.3     9 %     287.4     9 %

Product sales and other

     6.1     8 %          99.4     9 %     290.6     9 %

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

     16.8     22 %          244.2     22 %     732.6     23 %

Equity earnings in affiliates

     4.9     6 %          74.9     7 %     220.8     7 %

Other revenue

     0.9     1 %          13.8     1 %     43.1     1 %
                                               

Total revenue

   $ 75.7     100 %        $ 1,093.8     100 %   $ 3,255.5     100 %
                                               

Operating profit

   $ 11.2            $ 293.7       $ 816.2    

Operating margin

     15 %            27 %       25 %  

(a)

Domestic merchant transactions include acquired VISA and MasterCard credit and signature debit, PIN-debit, electronic benefits transactions, and processed-only or gateway customer transactions at the point of sale (“POS”). Domestic merchant transactions also include acquired ATM transactions, gateway transactions at ATMs, and STAR PIN-debit POS transactions received from other acquirers.

Summary

First Data Commercial Services segment revenue increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 driven most significantly by merchant acquiring, including equity earnings in affiliates, and related services. Most of this growth was driven by growth of existing clients due to increased transaction volumes and increased debit network fees. Also contributing to growth was an increase in ECA processing revenue upon expansion into more locations of large national retailers. Additionally, in the third quarter 2006, the Company began classifying commission payments to certain ISO’s as expense rather than netting them against revenue consistent with the Company’s accounting for other similar arrangements. The reclassification of certain ISO commission payments had no impact on the three month period but positively impacted the segment’s growth rate by approximately 1 percentage point in the nine-month period of 2007.

Transaction and processing service fees revenue and equity earnings in affiliates

The components of transaction and processing service fees revenue and equity earnings in affiliates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively, are:

 

     Combined    Predecessor       
     Three months ended September 30,    Change  

(in millions)

   2007    2006    Amount    %  

Acquiring revenue

   $ 522.8    $ 500.1    $ 22.7    5 %

Prepaid revenue

     32.1      26.4      5.7    22 %

Processing revenue charged to unconsolidated merchant alliances

     52.0      52.0      —      0 %
                       

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue

     606.9      578.5      28.4    5 %

Equity earnings in affiliates

     79.8      76.6      3.2    4 %
                       

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue and equity earnings in affiliates

   $ 686.7    $ 655.1    $ 31.6    5 %
                       

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Combined    Predecessor       
     Nine months ended September 30,    Change  

(in millions)

   2007    2006    Amount    %  

Acquiring revenue

   $ 1,483.6    $ 1,415.2    $ 68.4    5 %

Prepaid revenue

     87.3      79.0      8.3    11 %

Processing revenue charged to unconsolidated merchant alliances

     150.8      150.7      0.1    0 %
                       

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue

     1,721.7      1,644.9      76.8    5 %

Equity earnings in affiliates

     225.7      208.4      17.3    8 %
                       

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue and equity earnings in affiliates

   $ 1,947.4    $ 1,853.3    $ 94.1    5 %
                       

 

     Successor           Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
          Period from July 1
through September 24,
   Period from January 1
through September 24,

(in millions)

   2007           2007    2007

Acquiring revenue

   $ 33.5         $ 489.3    $ 1,450.1

Prepaid revenue

     4.0           28.1      83.3

Processing revenue charged to unconsolidated merchant alliances

     3.2           48.8      147.6
                         

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue

     40.7           566.2      1,681.0

Equity earnings in affiliates

     4.9           74.9      220.8
                         

Total transaction and processing service fees revenue and equity earnings in affiliates

   $ 45.6         $ 641.1    $ 1,901.8
                         

The increase in acquiring revenue in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was driven by increases in transaction volume due to consumer spending at the point of sale. Also contributing to growth were improved merchant retention, activation improvements, the growth of new alliances and 2006 pricing changes. The reclassification of certain ISO commission payments had no impact on the three month period but positively impacted the acquiring revenue growth rate by approximately 2 percentage points for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2007.

The Company’s transaction growth rate for PIN-debit increased for both the three and nine-month periods in 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006. One of the items driving growth in PIN-debit is increased penetration in the grocery, petroleum and quick service restaurant markets. Merchant PIN-debit transactions, including acquired and STAR network transactions, accounted for approximately 27% of total domestic merchant transactions for both the three and nine-month periods in 2007, respectively, and 25% for the comparable periods in 2006. The Company continues to see a shift in consumer behavior toward the use of PIN-debit cards from other forms of payment, particularly checks and cash.

The spread between the transaction growth rate and the transaction and processing service fee revenue growth rate in the three and nine-month periods in 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 remained relatively constant, after consideration of the ISO adjustment noted above, due to the mix of merchants and price compression. The spread is caused most significantly by the mix of merchants. Most of the disparity is within the segment’s portfolios of national merchants, which drive significant transaction growth and experience the greatest price compression. Also contributing to this spread is a lower average transaction amount due to increased usage at merchants such as quick service restaurants. The segment has historically experienced three to five percent annual price compression on average, with price compression for the national merchants being higher.

Prepaid revenue increased in the three and nine-month periods of 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to growth within gift cards, and to a lesser extent, payroll cards. Processing revenue remained flat due to an increase in transactions being offset by certain items, including pricing.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

The increase in equity earnings in affiliates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 resulted most significantly from increased merchant transaction volume in the merchant alliances. Earnings of an alliance were also improved due to a beneficial change in its portfolio mix and lower processing rates, which negatively impacted processing revenue described directly above. The growth rate in the three months ended September 30, 2007 was lower when compared to recent quarters due to significant non-recurring benefits recognized by a merchant alliance in the third quarter 2006. The Company’s co-owner of the Chase Paymentech alliance has the right to terminate the alliance because control of the Company changed on September 24, 2007. The Company is in discussions with its Chase Paymentech co-owner as to the future structure of their relationship.

Check services revenue

The increase in check services revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 resulted from an increase in ECA processing revenue due to expansion into more locations of large national retailers. These increases partially were offset by the general decline in the paper check guarantee volumes.

Product sales and other revenue

The majority of the increase in product sales and other revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was driven by increased portfolio sales and contract termination fees partially offset by decreased terminal sales.

Reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other

The increase in reimbursable debit network fees, postage and other for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 versus the comparable periods in 2006 was due to growth in debit network fees resulting from the continued growth of PIN-debit transaction volumes as noted above as well as rate increases imposed by the debit networks. Debit network fees represent substantially all of the balance within this line item.

Operating profit

First Data Commercial Services segment operating profit increased in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to the factors discussed above. In addition, during the first quarter 2007, the Company bought out a revenue sharing agreement as part of a new, larger relationship with Discover Financial Services LLC (“Discover”) resulting in an expense charge in the first quarter of 2007, at which time, the Company anticipated effectively recovering this charge over the next two to three quarters. In the third quarter 2007, the impact of the buyout of the Discover revenue sharing agreement positively impacted the operating profit growth rate by approximately 1 percentage point. The first quarter expense and the second and third quarter benefit, on a net basis negatively impacted the operating profit growth rate by approximately 1 percentage point for the nine months ended September 30, 2007. Increased amortization resulting from contingent payments associated with a merchant alliance also negatively impacted operating profit growth for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 by approximately 1 percentage point but will not have continuing impact during the remainder of 2007 as a result of the merger and the associated affects of purchase accounting. Increases in incentive compensation arrangements, relative to 2006, negatively impacted the three and nine months by approximately 1 percentage point. The Company expects the segment profit will benefit in 2007 by approximately $9 million due to the first quarter 2007 restructuring activities described in “2007 activities” above. Also impacting segment operating profit were purchase accounting entries made as a result of the merger. Purchase accounting, mostly amortization of identifiable intangible assets, negatively impacted operating profit by 2 percentage points and 1 percentage point for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. Also negatively impacting segment operating profit as a result of the merger was the acceleration of restricted stock awards. This negatively impacted segment operating profit by 1 percentage point for both the three and nine month periods.

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

First Data Financial Institution Services Segment Results

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Three months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007     % of Segment
Revenue
    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 309.2     61 %   $ 297.2     65 %   $ 12.0     4 %

Product sales and other

     19.0     4 %     9.9     2 %     9.1     92 %

Reimbursable postage and other

     173.9     35 %     148.1     33 %     25.8     17 %

Interest income

     —       0 %     —       0 %     —       0 %
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 502.1     100 %   $ 455.2     100 %   $ 46.9     10 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 87.5       $ 96.3       $ (8.8 )   (9 )%

Operating margin

     17 %       21 %       (4 )pts  

Key indicators:

            

Domestic debit issuer transactions (a)

     2,656.8         2,448.6         208.2     9 %
     Combined     Predecessor              
     Nine months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 915.0     62 %   $ 882.7     65 %   $ 32.3     4 %

Product sales and other

     48.6     3 %     19.5     1 %     29.1     149 %

Reimbursable postage and other

     510.4     35 %     449.8     34 %     60.6     13 %

Interest income

     0.1     0 %     —       0 %     0.1     NM  
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 1,474.1     100 %   $ 1,352.0     100 %   $ 122.1     9 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 282.9       $ 275.1       $ 7.8     3 %

Operating margin

     19 %       20 %       (1 )pt  

Key indicators:

            

Domestic debit issuer transactions (a)

     7,794.5         6,874.2         920.3     13 %

Domestic active card accounts on file (end of period) (b)

            

Bankcard

     45.5         40.2         5.3     13 %

Retail

     76.4         69.4         7.0     10 %
                              

Total

     121.9         109.6         12.3     11 %
                              

Domestic card accounts on file (end of period)

            

Bankcard

     128.9         110.3         18.6     17 %

Retail

     374.6         323.0         51.6     16 %

Debit

     122.5         111.0         11.5     10 %
                              

Total

     626.0         544.3         81.7     15 %
                              

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Successor            Predecessor  

(in millions)

  

Period from September 25

through September 30, 2007

   

% of Segment

Revenue

           Period from July 1
through September 24, 2007
   

% of Segment

Revenue

    Period from January 1
through September 24, 2007
    % of Segment
Revenue
 

Revenues:

                 

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 20.5     64 %        $ 288.7     61 %   $ 894.5     62 %

Product sales and other

     0.5     2 %          18.5     4 %     48.1     3 %

Reimbursable postage and other

     10.9     34 %          163.0     35 %     499.5     35 %

Interest income

     —       0 %          —       0 %     0.1     0 %
                                               

Total revenue

   $ 31.9     100 %        $ 470.2     100 %   $ 1,442.2     100 %
                                               

Operating profit

   $ 2.1            $ 85.4       $ 280.8    

Operating margin

     7 %            18 %       19 %  

(a)

Domestic debit issuer transactions include VISA and MasterCard signature debit, STAR ATM, STAR PIN-debit POS, and ATM and PIN-debit POS gateway transactions.

(b)

Domestic active card accounts on file include customer accounts that had a balance or any monetary posting or authorization activity during the last month of the quarter.

Summary

First Data Financial Institution Services segment revenue increased in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due most significantly to reimbursable postage revenue, acquisitions, growth of existing clients and contract termination fees partially offset by price compression and lost business.

As previously disclosed, Wells Fargo bank notified the Company in early 2006 of its intent to begin in-house processing of a majority of their signature debit card portfolios. Wells Fargo has since notified the Company that they are not intending to deconvert at the end of this year and discussions are underway on a renewal.

The First Data Financial Institution Services segment converted approximately 25.9 million accounts during the first nine months of 2007, and also increased accounts through the growth of existing clients. At September 30, 2007, the First Data Financial Institution Services segment had approximately 11 million accounts in the pipeline, primarily retail, with approximately 6 million of these accounts scheduled for conversion in the first quarter of 2008.

Transaction and processing service fee revenue

Components of transaction and processing service fee revenue

 

     Three months ended September 30,       
     Combined    Predecessor    Change  

(in millions)

   2007    2006    Amount     %  

Credit and retail card processing

   $ 99.0    $ 98.7    $ 0.3     0 %

Debit processing

     125.8      111.0      14.8     13 %

Output services

     64.1      65.0      (0.9 )   (1 )%

Remittance processing services

     20.3      22.5      (2.2 )   (10 )%
                        

Total

   $ 309.2    $ 297.2    $ 12.0     4 %
                        

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Nine months ended September 30,       
     Combined    Predecessor    Change  

(in millions)

   2007    2006    Amount     %  

Credit and retail card processing

   $ 295.4    $ 295.9    $ (0.5 )   0 %

Debit processing

     362.7      325.7      37.0     11 %

Output services

     194.4      192.0      2.4     1 %

Remittance processing services

     62.5      69.1      (6.6 )   (10 )%
                        

Total

   $ 915.0    $ 882.7    $ 32.3     4 %
                        

 

     Successor           Predecessor
    

Period from September 25

through September 30,

         

Period from July 1

through September 24,

   Period from January 1
through September 24,

(in millions)

   2007           2007    2007

Credit and retail card processing

   $ 6.9         $ 92.1    $ 288.5

Debit processing

     8.3           117.5      354.4

Output services

     4.0           60.1      190.4

Remittance processing services

     1.3           19.0      61.2
                         

Total

   $ 20.5         $ 288.7    $ 894.5
                         

Credit and retail card processing revenue

Credit and retail card processing revenue remained relatively flat in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006. Growth of existing clients was largely offset by price compression. Contract pricing at the customer level is dependent upon the volume of accounts, mix of account types (e.g. retail, credit, co-branded credit and debit) and product usage. Although active accounts on file increased, revenue did not proportionately increase due most significantly to price compression.

Debit processing revenue

Debit processing revenue was driven by the domestic debit issuer transactions and acquisitions noted above which added approximately 13 percentage points and 7 percentage points to the revenue growth rate in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. Revenue increased in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to acquisitions and growth of transactions at existing clients partially offset by price compression and lost business. The majority of domestic debit issuer transaction growth was driven by the shift to the use of debit cards from checks and cash, and such trend is expected to continue. Revenue growth exceeded transaction growth in the third quarter mainly due to the acquisitions noted above. Transaction growth slightly exceeded revenue growth for the nine months. The narrowing spread between revenue growth and transaction growth was also due to the acquisitions noted above.

Output services revenue

Output services revenue decreased for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and was relatively flat for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to new business offset by lost business.

Remittance processing services revenue

Remittance processing services revenue decreased for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to the deconversion of a large customer and consumer conversion from paper to electronic payment methods partially offset by new business. The Company expects remittance revenue to continue to decrease during the remainder of 2007 compared to 2006 for the above noted reasons.

Product sales and other revenue

Product sales and other revenue increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to contract termination fees received in both the three and nine-month periods. In addition, there was an increase in professional service fees and software licensing and maintenance revenue for the nine-month period, resulting from the acquisition of Peace Software in the third quarter of 2006.

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Reimbursable postage and other revenue

Reimbursable postage and other revenue increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 in comparison to the same periods in 2006 due to new business and an increase in postage rates in May 2007, offset partially by lost business.

Operating profit

First Data Financial Institution Services segment operating profit decreased for the three months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same period in 2006 due in part to the factors noted above. The most significant causes of the decrease were price compression resulting from contract renewals and lost business partially offset by growth from existing clients and contract termination fees. Operating profit increased for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to the factors noted above as well as the significant benefits from cost savings initiatives implemented in 2006 and continuing into 2007 in anticipation of continued price compression. Also impacting segment operating profit were purchase accounting entries made as a result of the merger. Purchase accounting, mostly amortization of identifiable intangible assets, negatively impacted operating profit by 4 percentage points and 1 percentage point for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. Also negatively impacting segment operating profit as a result of the merger was the acceleration of restricted stock awards. This negatively impacted segment operating profit by 2 percentage points and 1 percentage point for the three and nine month periods, respectively. Operating margins decreased for the three and nine-month periods substantially due to the items noted above.

First Data International Segment Results

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Three months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 325.5     77 %   $ 262.5     79 %   $ 63.0     24 %

Product sales and other

     72.8     17 %     48.6     15 %     24.2     50 %

Other revenue

     26.9     6 %     20.8     6 %     6.1     29 %
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 425.2     100 %   $ 331.9     100 %   $ 93.3     28 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 38.5       $ 32.1       $ 6.4     20 %

Operating margin

     9 %       10 %       (1 )pt  

Key indicators:

            

International transactions (a)

     1,376.9         1,199.8         177.1     15 %

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Nine months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 907.5     76 %   $ 702.7     79 %   $ 204.8     29 %

Product sales and other

     208.0     17 %     136.3     15 %     71.7     53 %

Other revenue

     79.0     7 %     55.8     6 %     23.2     42 %
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 1,194.5     100 %   $ 894.8     100 %   $ 299.7     33 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 114.2       $ 94.8       $ 19.4     20 %

Operating margin

     10 %       11 %       (1 )pt  

Key indicators:

            

International transactions (a)

     3,944.8         3,289.6         655.2     20 %

International card accounts on file (end of period) (b)

     70.9         42.4         28.5     67 %

 

     Successor            Predecessor  

(in millions)

   Period from September 25
through September 30, 2007
   

% of Segment

Revenue

          

Period from July 1

through September 24, 2007

   

% of Segment

Revenue

    Period from January 1
through September 24, 2007
    % of Segment
Revenue
 

Revenues:

                 

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 23.8     80 %        $ 301.7     77 %   $ 883.7     76 %

Product sales and other

     4.6     15 %          68.2     17 %     203.4     17 %

Other revenue

     1.5     5 %          25.4     6 %     77.5     7 %
                                               

Total revenue

   $ 29.9     100 %        $ 395.3     100 %   $ 1,164.6     100 %
                                               

Operating profit

   $ 3.1            $ 35.4       $ 111.1    

Operating margin

     10 %            9 %       10 %  

(a)

International transactions include VISA, MasterCard and other card association merchant acquiring and switching, and debit issuer transactions for clients outside the U.S. Transactions include credit, signature debit and PIN-debit POS, POS gateway and ATM transactions. Transactions for 2006 have been adjusted to conform to current year presentation.

(b)

International card accounts on file include bankcard and retail.

Summary

Revenue growth in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was driven by acquisitions, benefit from foreign currency exchange rate movements, growth of existing clients and new business partially offset by lost business. Acquisitions contributed 12 percentage points and 17 percentage points to segment revenue growth rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. The most significant of these acquisitions were POLCARD in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) region, First Data Cono Sur (formerly ArgenCard) in the Latin America and Canada (“LAC”) region and First Data Deutschland (formerly Gesellschaft fur Zahlungssysteme), which only impacts the nine month period, also in the EMEA region. In addition, foreign currency exchange rate movements positively impacted total revenue growth rates by 8 percentage points for the three-month period and 7 percentage points for the nine-month period.

Transaction and processing service fee revenue

Transaction and processing service fee revenue increased in the three and nine-month periods in 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due mostly to the acquisitions noted above. The remaining increase is mostly due to an increase in POS and ATM transactions resulting from growth of both existing clients and new business and, to a lesser extent, an increase in accounts on file in the EMEA and LAC regions.

Revenue growth in EMEA for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 in comparison to the same periods in 2006 is due to foreign currency exchange rate movement, new business and growth from existing clients partially offset by

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

lost business. Acquisition growth also contributed a significant amount to the growth for the three and nine-month periods and mostly relates to supporting switching debit and ATM transactions as well as debit card transactions and card issuer processing. Revenue growth in Australia and New Zealand (“ANZ”) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 in comparison to the same periods in 2006 is due mostly to foreign currency exchange rate movements while other contributors such as new business and growth of existing clients were substantially offset by lost business and price compression. Revenue growth in LAC for the same periods is due mostly to the acquisition discussed above while other contributors such as growth of existing merchant acquiring businesses as a result of increased volumes, increases in card accounts on file and new business were partially offset by lost business and price compression.

As noted above, transaction and processing service fee revenue is driven by accounts on file and transactions. The spread between growth in these two indicators and revenue growth is driven mostly by the change in the mix of transaction types resulting from acquisitions. The effects of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations also contributed to the spread.

At September 30, 2007, the International segment had approximately 2.5 million accounts in the pipeline which were primarily retail. The Company expects to convert the majority of these accounts in 2008.

Product sales and other revenue

The increase in product sales and other revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 over the same periods in 2006 resulted from increased terminal-related revenue driven mainly by the above described acquisitions in the LAC and EMEA regions as well as professional services fees associated with the Vision PLUS managed service supported by the Company’s Singapore office. Also contributing to growth in the nine-month period is an increase due to the receipt of contract termination fees.

Operating profit

The segment’s operating profit increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 due to the factors described above including acquisitions, growth from existing clients and foreign currency exchange rate movements. Expenditures on strategic business initiatives in EMEA and expansion in regions such as Asia in the three and nine-month periods in 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 continue to have a significant adverse impact on operating profit growth and segment margins. Also negatively impacting segment operating profit as a result of the merger was the acceleration of restricted stock awards. This negatively impacted segment operating profit by 6 percentage points and 2 percentage points for the three and nine-month periods, respectively. Purchase accounting associated with the merger did not significantly impact operating profit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, respectively.

Integrated Payment Systems Segment Results

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Three months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 15.1     55 %   $ 16.9     65 %   $ (1.8 )   (11 )%

Investment income, net (a)

     10.2     37 %     8.7     33 %     1.5     17 %

Other revenue

     2.0     8 %     0.6     2 %     1.4     NM  
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 27.3     100 %   $ 26.2     100 %   $ 1.1     4 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 0.8       $ (1.5 )     $ 2.3     153 %

Operating margin

     3 %       (6 )%       9 pts  

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Combined     Predecessor              
     Nine months ended September 30,     Change  

(in millions)

   2007    

% of Segment

Revenue

    2006    

% of Segment

Revenue

    Amount     %  

Revenues:

            

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 45.0     41 %   $ 50.1     55 %   $ (5.1 )   (10 )%

Investment income, net (a)

     59.0     54 %     40.4     44 %     18.6     46 %

Other revenue

     5.8     5 %     0.8     1 %     5.0     NM  
                                      

Total revenue

   $ 109.8     100 %   $ 91.3     100 %   $ 18.5     20 %
                                      

Operating profit

   $ 25.5       $ 5.2       $ 20.3     NM  

Operating margin

     23 %       6 %       17 pts  

 

     Successor            Predecessor  

(in millions)

   Period from September 25
through September 30, 2007
    % of Segment
Revenue
           Period from July 1
through September 24, 2007
   

% of Segment

Revenue

    Period from January 1
through September 24, 2007
    % of Segment
Revenue
 

Revenues:

                 

Transaction and processing service fees

   $ 1.0     35 %        $ 14.1     58 %   $ 44.0     41 %

Investment income, net (a)

     1.8     62 %          8.4     34 %     57.2     54 %

Other revenue

     0.1     3 %          1.9     8 %     5.7     5 %
                                               

Total revenue

   $ 2.9     100 %        $ 24.4     100 %   $ 106.9     100 %
                                               

Operating profit

   $ 1.3            $ (0.5 )     $ 24.2    

Operating margin

     45 %            (2 )%       23 %  

(a)

For segment reporting purposes, IPS presents investment income and its related operating profit on a pretax equivalent basis (i.e., as if investment earnings on settlement assets, which are substantially all nontaxable, were fully taxable at FDC’s marginal tax rate). The revenue and operating profit impact of this presentation is eliminated in consolidation.

Transaction and processing service fee revenue

Transaction volumes have decreased slightly for the three and nine-month periods in 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006. The decrease in transaction and processing service fee revenue during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was due mostly to a new service offering arrangement associated with retail money order offered to Western Union and to a lesser extent lost contracts.

Investment income, net

The increase in investment income during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was driven by the official check business. The increase in earnings is due mostly to decreased commissions paid to official check agents resulting from pricing reductions as part of the wind down of the official check and money order business and the impact of hedge instruments. Partially offsetting this improvement in the three-month period was a decrease due to losses recognized on the sale of investments and hedges as part of the repositioning the IPS portfolio in conjunction with the wind-down of the official check and money order business. Also benefiting the nine-month period were net gains recognized on the sale of investments and hedges from this same repositioning of the IPS official check and money order portfolio. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, the Company recognized a loss of $11.7 million and a gain of $3.1 million, respectively, on the repositioning of portfolio investments, net of the impact of terminating the associated interest rate swaps. The Company plans to further reposition the portfolio from short-term municipal bonds currently held to short-term taxable investment securities in the first quarter 2008.

Operating profit

The increase in operating profit and operating margin for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 was most significantly due to the increase in “Investment income, net” discussed above.

 

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AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

All Other and Corporate

 

     Three months ended September 30,        

(in millions)

  

Combined

2007

   

Predecessor

2006

    Percent
Change
 

Revenue

   $ 132.4     $ 112.3     18 %

Operating loss

     (246.5 )     (36.0 )   585 %
     Nine months ended September 30,        

(in millions)

  

Combined

2007

   

Predecessor

2006

    Percent
Change
 

Revenue

   $ 346.3     $ 337.0     3 %

Operating loss

     (346.9 )     (88.7 )   291 %

 

    Successor           Predecessor  

(in millions)

  Period from September 25
through September 30, 2007
          Period from July 1
through September 24, 2007
    Period from January 1
through September 24, 2007
 

Revenues

  $ 9.2         $ 123.2     $ 337.1  

Operating loss

    (1.4 )         (245.1 )     (345.5 )

Revenues

The increase in revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same period in 2006 resulted most significantly from an increase in royalty revenue. This increase is partially offset by a decrease in Corporate’s interest income due to an increase in cash in the third quarter 2006. The increase in cash balances was a result of the issuance of commercial paper to enable a debt-for-debt exchange as well as to fund the repayment of notes between the Company and Western Union both in connection with the spin-off of Western Union. The third quarter increase is also partially offset by small reductions in revenue for other business units which individually were not significant.

Operating loss

The increase in operating loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 compared to the same periods in 2006 resulted from consulting, legal and professional service fees related to the merger totaling approximately $54 million and $70 million in the three and nine months, respectively, costs associated with the accelerated vesting of restricted stock awards and stock options related to the merger totaling approximately $185 million, including taxes, in each of the periods, and costs incurred related to the domestic data center consolidation and international data center and platform consolidations totaling approximately $14 million and $29 million in the three and nine-month periods, respectively. The increase in operating loss is partially offset by an increase in royalty income as well as a gain on foreign exchange rate movements for both the three and nine-month periods. Fluctuations in the other businesses were not individually significant. Also impacting segment operating profit were purchase accounting entries made as a result of the merger. Purchase accounting negatively impacted operating profit by 1 percentage point for the three months ended September 30, 2007. Purchase accounting had no impact on operating profit for the nine-month period.

Capital Resources and Liquidity

The Company’s source of liquidity during the first nine months of 2007 was cash generated from operating activities and long-term borrowings incurred as part of the merger. The Company believes its current level of cash and short-term financing capabilities along with future cash flows from operations are sufficient to meet the needs of its existing businesses. Due to the merger, a greater portion of the Company’s resources are required to fund the interest expense resulting from the new borrowings. The following discussion highlights the Company’s cash flow activities from continuing operations during the nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Highly liquid investments (other than those included in settlement assets) with original maturities of three months or less (that are readily convertible to cash) are considered to be cash equivalents and are stated at cost, which approximates market value. At September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the Company held $1,676.7 million and $1,154.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, respectively. Approximately $720 million of the September 30, 2007 balance pertains to cash received as part of the merger transaction that is due to be paid to former shareholders.

Excluded from cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 were $56.7 million and $27.4 million, respectively, of assets that would otherwise meet the definition of cash and cash equivalents. Such excluded amounts pertained to required investments in connection with the Company’s First Financial Bank and required investments related to other operations and are included in “Other assets” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Cash held outside of the United States at September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 was $314.0 million and $441.6 million, respectively.

The following discussion addresses the nine month period ended September 30, 2007 (predecessor and successor combined) other than circumstances where specific activity relates to the predecessor and successor periods.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities from Continuing Operations

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 

Source/(use) (in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Net (loss) income from continuing operations

   $ (28.7 )        $ 464.4     $ 607.7  

Depreciation and amortization

     22.8            540.2       522.2  

Other non-cash and non-operating items, net

     22.6            88.7       (123.5 )

Increase (decrease) in cash, excluding the effects of acquisitions and dispositions, resulting from changes in:

           

Accounts receivable

     7.8            (145.4 )     28.6  

Other assets

     1.8            5.8       84.8  

Accounts payable and other liabilities

     53.0            (4.8 )     (139.0 )

Income tax accounts

     (21.2 )          69.6       127.8  

Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement

     —              (219.8 )     (106.4 )
                             

Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations

   $ 58.1          $ 798.7     $ 1,002.2  
                             

Other non-cash and non-operating items and charges include restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, other, investment gains and losses, divestitures and debt repayment gain/(loss) as well as undistributed earnings in affiliates, stock compensation and employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) expense, and gains on the sale of merchant portfolios, the proceeds from which are recognized in investing activities. The change in 2007 compared to 2006 resulted most significantly from a gain recognized in 2006 related to the value of interest rate swaps that did not qualify for hedge accounting and the Visa settlement litigation in 2006 offset by asset impairments and a loss on hedges not qualifying for hedge accounting in 2007.

The change in accounts receivable between years was the result of a use of cash for restructuring certain settlement arrangements and the timing of collections compared to billings. The change in accounts payable and other liabilities between years resulted from timing of payments and accruals for various liabilities. The change in income tax accounts was the result of a lower tax provision, higher tax payments and a higher tax benefit associated with the exercising of options and restricted stock during the first nine months of 2007 compared to 2006 which had a tax benefit associated with the significant number of stock options exercised during the first quarter of 2006. Also included in net cash provided by operating activities was a use of cash of approximately $70 million resulting from the payment of merger related costs.

The increase in excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement relates to the accelerated payout of stock options and restricted stock in the third quarter 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities from Continuing Operations

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 

Source/(use) (in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Merger, net of cash acquired

   $ (24,974.5 )        $ —       $ —    

Current year acquisitions, net of cash acquired

     —              (690.3 )     (277.6 )

Payments related to other businesses previously acquired

     —              (50.0 )     (50.4 )

Proceeds from dispositions, net of expenses paid

     —              —         68.5  

Additions to property and equipment, net

     —              (275.5 )     (108.2 )

Payments to secure customer service contracts, including outlays for conversion, and capitalized systems development costs

     —              (123.7 )     (84.5 )

Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities

     —              11.8       21.0  

Dividend received from discontinued operations

     —              —         2,500.0  

Cash retained by Western Union

     —              —         (1,327.8 )

Other investing activities

     (35.5 )          (9.5 )     290.0  
                             

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities from continuing operations

   $ (25,010.0 )        $ (1,137.2 )   $ 1,031.0  
                             

Merger

As discussed in Note 2, the Company merged with an entity controlled by an affiliate of KKR on September 24, 2007. The $25 billion represents the use of cash to purchase the FDC shares from its shareholders as well as other related transaction costs.

Acquisitions

During the nine months ended September 30, 2007, the Company acquired 100% of Size Technologies, Inc., Datawire, Instant Cash, Intelligent Results, FundsXpress, POLCARD and various merchant portfolios for cash consideration. The Company expects to fund in excess of $100 million for other acquisitions and minority interest buy outs during the remainder of 2007. During the nine months ended September 30, 2006, the Company created a joint venture with Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, acquired substantially all of the assets of ClearCheck, Inc. and acquired 100% of First Data Deutschland (formerly GZS) and Peace Software.

Payments Related to Other Businesses Previously Acquired

During the nine months ended September 30, 2007 and 2006, payments related to other businesses previously acquired related mostly to contingent consideration largely associated with a merchant alliance.

Capital Expenditures

The following table discloses amounts capitalized related to customer contracts, conversion costs, systems development and property and equipment. The amount capitalized associated with the successor period is not determinable at this time and is not expected to be material. The significant increase in the nine month period ended September 30, 2007, in comparison to the same period in 2006, in property and equipment related mostly to the purchase of buildings and fixed assets out of synthetic leases triggered by the merger and expenditures related to the U.S. data center consolidation.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

     Successor           Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
          Period from January 1
through September 24,
   Nine months ended
September 30,

(in millions)

   2007           2007    2006

Customer contracts

   $ —           $ 46.9    $ 13.3

Conversion costs

     —             20.9      25.6

Systems development

     —             55.9      45.6
                         

Subtotal

     —             123.7      84.5

Property and equipment

     —             275.5      108.2
                         

Total amount capitalized

   $ —           $ 399.2    $ 192.7
                         

The Company expects to incur capital expenditures of approximately $525 million for the full year 2007 including almost $100 million related to the aforementioned synthetic lease buy outs.

Proceeds from the Sale of Marketable Securities

Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 included $11.8 million from the partial liquidation of marketable securities. Proceeds from the sale of marketable securities for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 included $9.6 million from the partial liquidation of marketable securities acquired in the Concord merger and $10.7 million from the redemption of MasterCard stock.

Dividend Received from Discontinued Operations

Immediately prior to its spin-off, Western Union transferred $2.5 billion in cash to FDC. Within several months after the spin-off, the Company utilized the majority of the proceeds to repurchase debt.

Cash Retained by Western Union

Cash retained by Western Union represents cash balances retained by Western Union at the date of its spin-off.

Other Investing Activities

The use of cash from other investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 related to sources of $75.0 million in distributions from certain strategic investments, proceeds from the sale of merchant portfolios, proceeds from the sale of investments and $48.8 million related to activity associated with the Company’s First Financial Bank. Offsetting these sources were uses related to $105.4 million in payments for termination of interest rate and cross currency swaps, a $46.6 million increase in regulatory, restricted and escrow cash balances and the distribution of $27.6 million in proceeds related to the sale of Taxware to a minority holder. The source of cash from other investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 related to $168.9 million in activity from the date of acquisition for First Data Deutschland, a $148.1 million reduction in regulatory, restricted and escrow cash balances, $39.0 million of proceeds from investment and other activity and proceeds of $27.1 million resulting from the sale of corporate aircraft. Partially offsetting these sources were uses related to a contingent payment of $29.9 million related to the 2004 disposition of NYCE (all but $1.6 million of which was accrued at December 31, 2005), a net cash outflow of $32.6 million associated with the sale of a facility related to the Concord merger, and a use of $32.2 million resulting from the purchase of investments related to the Company’s First Financial Bank, payments related to certain derivative financial instruments and other items not individually significant.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities from Continuing Operations

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 

Source/(use) (in millions)

   2007            2007     2006  

Short-term borrowings, net

   $ 151.2          $ 26.3     $ 602.4  

Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt

     21,213.5            —         —    

Principal payments on long-term debt

     (1,962.6 )          (126.6 )     (681.1 )

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

     7,226.5            187.4       656.7  

Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement

     —              219.8       106.4  

Purchase of treasury shares

     —              (371.8 )     (884.8 )

Cash dividends

     —              (67.7 )     (137.8 )
                             

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from continuing operations

   $ 26,628.6          $ (132.6 )   $ (338.2 )
                             

Short-Term Borrowings, net

The Company had a $1.5 billion commercial paper program that was supported by a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility, both of which terminated in conjunction with the merger. The increase in short-term borrowings related to $200 million drawn down on the senior secured revolving credit facility discussed below offset partially by a repayment on a credit line.

Principal Payments on Long-Term Debt

In January 2007, the Company repurchased $32.4 million of its 4.7% senior notes due August 1, 2013, $30.2 million of its 4.85% senior notes due October 1, 2014, and $28.0 million of its 4.95% senior notes due June 15, 2015. In conjunction with the debt repurchases, the Company de-designated as a hedge a portion of the associated interest rate swaps so that the portion of the swaps remaining designated as fair value hedges corresponded to the remaining principal amount of the corresponding debt instruments. The Company recognized a $1.4 million pretax gain upon the debt repurchase.

On September 24, 2007, in conjunction with the merger, the Company repurchased debt as follows:

 

(in millions)    Principal
Amount
Repurchased

Medium-term note due 2007

   $ 59.8

Medium-term note due 2008

     26.9

3.375% Notes due 2008

     431.9

3.90% Notes due 2009

     87.5

4.50% Notes due 2010

     137.3

5.625% Notes due 2011

     115.7

4.70% Notes due 2013

     428.6

4.85% Notes due 2014

     338.3

4.95% Notes due 2015

     360.9
      
   $ 1,986.9
      

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

In combination with the September debt repurchases, the Company terminated the interest rate swaps associated with these debt instruments. The Company incurred a fee of $6.0 million in connection with this debt repurchase.

In September 2006, the Company paid off medium term notes in the amount of $650 million.

Proceeds from the Issuance of Long-Term Debt

The senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility, senior unsecured PIK term loan facility and senior subordinated unsecured credit facility are discussed more fully below and represent bridge financing (the “bridge facilities”). The Company expects that it will issue note securities to replace these bridge facilities on or before one year from the transaction date. In October 2007, $2.2 billion of the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility was repaid upon issuance of 9.875% senior unsecured cash-pay notes due 2015.

On September 24, 2007, the Company entered into several new debt instruments in conjunction with the merger. Details of each instrument are described below. Fees totaling $578.0 million associated with the issuance of the new debt instruments were capitalized as deferred financing costs and were reported in the “Other assets” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Approximately $112.5 million of these fees were incurred on the bridge facilities. The terms of the bridge facilities provide for the repayment of all or a diminishing portion of the fees, depending upon timing, if the bridge facilities are refinanced in less than a year. The Company will incur additional underwriting fees when the bridge facilities are refinanced. The deferred financing costs are being amortized over a weighted-average period of six years.

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility and Senior Secured Term Loan Facility

The Company entered into a $2.0 billion senior secured revolving credit facility with a term of six years. The Company drew $200.0 million against the senior secured revolving credit facility at the time of the merger. The Company also entered into a $13.0 billion senior secured term loan facility with a term of seven years. A portion of the senior term loan facility is available in the form of a delayed draw term loan facility in an amount approximately equal to existing notes remaining outstanding after the tender offers described above were completed. The delayed draw term loan facility may be drawn as the remaining notes are repaid. As of September 30, 2007 the Company had $12.8 billion outstanding against the senior secured term loan facility, $1.0 billion of which was denominated in euros (709.2 million euro).

Interest is payable at a rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (a) LIBOR for deposits in the applicable currency plus an applicable margin or (b) the higher of (1) the prime rate of Credit Suisse and (2) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, plus an applicable margin. The Company, however, made an irrevocable election to pay interest for the senior secured term loan facility solely under option (a). In combination with the debt issuance, the Company designated as accounting hedges two five-year interest rate swaps related to the senior secured term loan facility with notional amounts of $2.0 billion and $1.0 billion to receive interest at variable rates equal to LIBOR and pay interest at fixed rates of 4.978% and 5.2475%, respectively. In October 2007, the Company entered into interest rate swaps with an additional $3.0 billion of notional value.

The interest rate margin noted above may be reduced subject to the Company attaining certain leverage ratios. In addition to paying interest on the outstanding principal amounts, the Company is required to pay commitment fees for the unutilized commitments. The initial commitment fee rates are 0.50% per year for the senior secured revolving credit facility and 0.75% per year on the delayed draw portion of the senior secured term loan facility. The commitment fee rate related to the senior secured revolving credit facility may be reduced subject to the Company reducing its leverage to specified ratios.

Installments

The Company will be required to pay equal quarterly installments in aggregate annual amounts equal to 1% of the original funded principal amount of the senior secured term loan facility, with the balance being payable on the final maturity date. Principal amounts outstanding under the senior secured revolving credit facility are due and payable in full at maturity.

Prepayments

The senior secured credit facilities require the Company to prepay outstanding term loans, subject to certain exceptions, with:

 

 

50% of the Company’s annual excess cash flow (which percentage will be reduced to 25% if the Company’s total leverage ratio is 7.0x or less and 0% if the Company’s total leverage ratio is 6.0x or less);

 

 

100% of the net cash proceeds of all non-ordinary course asset sales or other dispositions of property, subject to the Company’s right to reinvest the proceeds; and

 

 

100% of the net cash proceeds of any incurrence of debt, other than proceeds from the debt permitted under the senior secured credit facilities.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

A portion of the senior secured term loan facility is subject to prepayment penalties on any mandatory repayments (other than mandatory prepayments arising from excess cash flow). These prepayment penalties vary from 1% to 3% depending on the timing and class of the term loan facility. The Company may prepay outstanding loans under the senior secured revolving credit facility at any time.

Guarantees

All obligations under the senior secured revolving credit facility and senior secured term loan facility are unconditionally guaranteed by substantially all existing and future, direct and indirect, wholly owned, material domestic subsidiaries of the Company other than Integrated Payment Systems Inc. The senior secured facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets, pay dividends and distributions or repurchase the Company’s capital stock, make investments, loans or advances, prepay certain indebtedness, make certain acquisitions, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, amend material agreements governing certain indebtedness and change its lines of business. The senior secured facilities also require the Company to maintain a maximum senior secured leverage ratio and contain certain customary affirmative covenants and events of default, including a change of control beginning at the one year anniversary of debt issuance. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

Senior Unsecured Cash-pay Term Loan Facility and Senior Unsecured PIK Term Loan Facility

The Company entered into a $3.8 billion senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility and a $2.8 billion senior unsecured PIK term loan facility with terms of one year with a seven year option discussed below (“senior unsecured credit facilities”). Interest for the first six-month period is payable at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 3.5% for the cash-pay term loan facility and LIBOR plus 4.5% for the PIK term loan facility (“initial rates”). Interest for the three-month period commencing after the initial six-month period is payable at the initial rates plus 0.50%. Thereafter, subject to the caps noted below, the interest rates will be increased by 0.50% at the beginning of each three-month period subsequent to the initial nine-month period, for so long as the loans are outstanding. For so long as the Company is not in default, the maximum interest rates the Company may pay related to these facilities are 9.875% for the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility and 10.55% for the senior unsecured PIK term loan facility. The increase in interest rates is related to these facilities being bridge facilities and, as discussed above, the Company expects to refinance the borrowings under the bridge facilities. As noted above and in October 2007, $2.2 billion of the senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility was repaid upon issuance of 9.875% senior unsecured cash-pay notes due 2015.

Interest on the senior unsecured PIK term loan up to and including September 30, 2011 will be paid entirely by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding loan or by issuing senior unsecured PIK debt. Beginning October 1, 2011, such interest will be payable in cash.

If any borrowings under the senior unsecured credit facilities remain outstanding on the one-year anniversary (the “initial maturity date”) of the closing of the senior unsecured credit facilities, the lenders will have the option to exchange the initial loans for senior cash-pay notes or senior PIK notes with a term of seven years.

The senior unsecured credit facilities contain certain mandatory redemption requirements, such as “excess cash flow,” in certain circumstances. Voluntary repayments are allowed and are subject to certain costs.

All obligations under the senior unsecured credit facilities will be jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior basis by each of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries that guarantee obligations under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities described above. The senior unsecured credit facilities contain a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict the Company’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell or transfer assets and subsidiary stock, pay dividends and distributions or repurchase its capital stock, make certain investments, loans or advances, prepay certain indebtedness, enter into agreements that restrict the payment of dividends by subsidiaries or the repayment of intercompany loans and advances and engage in certain transactions with affiliates. In addition, the senior unsecured credit facilities will impose certain requirements as to future subsidiary guarantors and contain certain customary affirmative covenants consistent with those in the senior secured credit facilities described above, to the extent applicable, and certain customary events of default. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Senior Subordinated Unsecured Credit Facility

The Company entered into a senior subordinated unsecured credit facility providing senior subordinated unsecured financing of $2.5 billion consisting of a $2.5 billion senior subordinated unsecured term loan facility with a term of one year with a seven and a half year option discussed below. Interest for the first six-month period is payable at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 4.75% (“initial rate”). Interest for the three-month period commencing after the initial six-month period is payable at the initial rate plus 0.50%. Thereafter, subject to the caps noted below, the interest rate will be increased by 0.50% at the beginning of each three-month period subsequent to the initial nine-month period, for so long as the senior subordinated loan is outstanding. For so long as the Company is not in default, the maximum interest rates the Company may pay related to this facility is 11.250%. The increase in interest rates is related to this facility being a bridge facility and the Company expects to refinance the borrowings under the bridge facility.

If any borrowings under the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility remain outstanding on the one-year anniversary of the closing of the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility, the lenders will have the option to exchange the initial subordinated loan for senior subordinated notes with a term of seven and a half years that the Company will issue under a senior subordinated indenture.

The senior subordinated unsecured credit facility contains certain mandatory redemption requirements. Voluntary repayments are allowed and are subject to certain costs.

All obligations under the senior subordinated unsecured credit facility will be jointly and severally guaranteed on a senior subordinated basis by each of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries that guarantee obligations under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities described above. The senior subordinated unsecured credit facility contains a number of covenants similar to those described for the senior unsecured credit facilities noted above. The Company is in compliance with all applicable covenants as of September 30, 2007.

Covenant Compliance

Under the credit facilities and the associated indentures, certain limitations, restrictions and defaults could occur if the Company is not able to satisfy and remain in compliance with specified financial ratios. Under the senior secured term loan facility, the Company has agreed it will not permit the Consolidated Senior Secured Debt to Consolidated EBITDA (both as defined in the agreement) Ratio for any 12 month period (last four fiscal quarters) ending during a period set forth below to be greater than the ratio set forth below opposite such period:

 

Period

   Ratio

October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009

   7.25 to 1.00

October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010

   7.00 to 1.00

October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011

   6.75 to 1.00

October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012

   6.50 to 1.00

October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013

   6.25 to 1.00

Thereafter

   6.00 to 1.00

Until October 1, 2008, if the Company doesn’t maintain a Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA (both as defined in the agreement) Ratio not greater than 8.75 to 1.00, it shall become subject to certain limitations and restrictions. As of September 30, 2007 the Company is in compliance with this measure.

Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the agreements) is used to determine the Company’s compliance with certain covenants in the senior secured revolving credit facility, senior secured term loan facility, senior unsecured cash-pay term loan facility, senior unsecured PIK term loan facility, senior subordinated unsecured credit facility and one or more indentures related thereto. EBITDA is calculated by reference to income (loss) from continuing operations plus interest and other financing costs, net, provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Consolidated EBITDA as defined in the agreements (also referred to as debt covenant EBITDA) is calculated by adjusting EBITDA to exclude unusual items and other adjustments permitted in calculating covenant compliance under the indentures and the credit facilities. We believe that the inclusion of supplementary adjustments to EBITDA applied in presenting Consolidated EBITDA are appropriate to provide additional information to investors to demonstrate compliance with our financing covenants.

The breach of covenants in the senior secured term loan facility that are tied to ratios based on Consolidated EBITDA beginning October 1, 2008 could result in a default under that agreement and the lenders could elect to declare all amounts borrowed due and payable. Any such acceleration would also result in a default under the indentures. Additionally, under the debt agreements, the Company’s ability to engage in activities such as incurring additional indebtedness, making investments and paying dividends is also tied to ratios based on Consolidated EBITDA.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

The calculation of Consolidated EBITDA under the senior secured term loan facility is as follows:

 

     Successor            Predecessor  
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from July 1
through September 24,
    Period from January 1
through September 24,
    Three months ended
September 30,
    Nine months ended
September 30,
 
     2007            2007     2007     2006     2006  

Income (loss) from continuing operations

   $ (28.7 )        $ 63.8     $ 464.4     $ 131.3     $ 607.7  

Interest expense, net (1)

     31.0            23.3       72.8       58.5       167.0  

Income taxes

     (21.2 )          18.2       125.8       4.7       164.8  

Depreciation and amortization

     22.8            175.2       540.2       176.9       522.2  
                                             

EBITDA (14)

     3.9            280.5       1,203.2       371.4       1,461.7  
                                             

Stock based compensation (2)

     —              215.0       267.0       14.5       53.4  

Other items (3)

     21.7            (1.2 )     17.7       114.1       (74.7 )

Debt repayment (4)

     6.0            —         (1.4 )     —         —    

Pretax equivalency adjustment (5)

     3.9            54.7       175.7       62.6       183.7  

Integrated Payment Systems segment EBITDA (6)

     (0.0 )          (1.6 )     (29.1 )     (2.3 )     (16.6 )

Cost of data center and technology initiatives (7)

     1.4            19.5       49.8       1.0       4.4  

Pre-acquisition EBITDA of acquired businesses (8)

     0.2            2.3       19.9       18.3       54.5  

Western Union spin-off costs (9)

     —              —         —         16.8       20.3  

Transaction related fees

     —              53.8       69.7       —         —    

Sponsor’s annual management fee

     0.3            —         —         —         —    
                                             

Adjusted EBITDA excluding projected near-term cost savings (14)

     37.4            623.0       1,772.5       596.4       1,686.7  
                                             

Projected near-term cost savings (10)

     3.3            46.7       146.7       —         —    
                                             

Adjusted EBITDA (14)

     40.7            669.7       1,919.2     $ 596.4     $ 1,686.7  
                                             

Minority interest (11)

     2.5            37.7       107.5      

Equity entities taxes, depreciation and

amortization (12)

     1.5            20.5       60.0      

Other (13)

     0.1            (7.0 )     1.3      
                                 

Consolidated EBITDA (14)

   $ 44.8          $ 720.9     $ 2,088.0      
                                 

(1) Includes interest expense and interest income.
(2) Stock based compensation recognized as expense and related payroll taxes.
(3) Other items include net restructuring, impairments, litigation and regulatory settlements, investment gains and losses, net divestiture gains, certain minority interest adjustments and other.
(4) Loss or net gain resulting from the early repayment of long-term debt.
(5) Represents an adjustment to reflect Integrated Payment Systems segment operating results as if the underlying investments were held in taxable securities rather than the tax-free municipal securities in which they are actually held.
(6) Represents an adjustment to exclude Integrated Payment Systems from EBITDA due to the Company’s announcement to wind down the official check and money order businesses of the segment, which comprise the majority of the segment’s operations.
(7) Represents expense associated with platform and data center consolidation initiatives in the First Data International segment considered one-time projects and expense associated with domestic data center consolidation initiatives considered one-time projects estimated to be completed in 2009.
(8) Reflects the EBITDA of companies acquired after January 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007, as if these companies had been acquired on January 1, 2006.
(9) Represents consulting fees expensed during 2006 related to the Western Union spin-off which occurred on September 29, 2006.
(10) Reflects costs savings projected to be achieved within twelve months (the majority of which, at this time, are associated with certain corporate overhead and operational business unit cost reduction efforts).
(11) Reflects minority interest not already accounted for in Other items above.
(12) Represents the Company’s proportional share of income taxes, depreciation, and amortization on equity method investments.
(13) Includes non-capitalized merger and acquisition costs, losses on equity method investments, amortization of unrecognized actuarial gains and losses on pensions, and foreign exchange gains and losses.
(14) EBITDA is defined as income (loss) from continuing operations plus interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not a recognized term under GAAP and does not purport to be an alternative to income from continuing operations as a measure of operating performance or to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity. Additionally, EBITDA is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow available for management’s discretionary use as it does not consider certain cash requirements such as interest payments, tax payments and debt service requirements. The presentation of EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. Management believes EBITDA is helpful in highlighting trends because EBITDA excludes the results of decisions that are outside the control of operating management and can differ significantly from company to company depending on long-term strategic decisions regarding capital structure, the tax jurisdictions in which companies operate and capital investments. In addition, EBITDA provides more comparability between the Company’s predecessor results and the Company’s successor results that reflect purchase accounting and the Company’s new capital structure. Management compensates for the limitations of using non-GAAP financial measures by using them to supplement GAAP results to provide a more complete understanding of the factors and trends affecting the business than GAAP results alone.

Adjusted EBITDA excluding near term cost savings is defined as EBITDA further adjusted to exclude certain items and other adjustments and is used by management as a measure of liquidity. The Company believes that the inclusion of supplementary adjustments to EBITDA applied in presenting Adjusted EBITDA excluding near term cost savings are appropriate to provide additional information to investors about certain material non-cash items, non-recurring items that we do not expect to continue at the same level in the future and certain items management believes will materially impact future operating results.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Adjusted EBITDA excluding near term cost savings further adjusted to reflect cost savings projected to be achieved within twelve months. Management believes the supplementary adjustments are appropriate to provide investors additional information about near term cost cutting initiatives.

Consolidated EBITDA (or debt covenant EBITDA) is defined as Adjusted EBITDA further adjusted to exclude other adjustments that will be used in calculating covenant compliance under the agreements governing new senior unsecured debt and/or new senior secured credit facilities. The Company believes that the inclusion of supplementary adjustments to Adjusted EBITDA applied in presenting Consolidated EBITDA are appropriate to provide additional information to investors about items that will impact the calculation of EBITDA that is used to determine covenant compliance under the agreements governing new senior unsecured debt and/or new senior secured credit facilities. Since not all companies use identical calculations, this presentation of Consolidated EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies.

Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock

Proceeds from the issuance of common stock resulted from stock option exercises and purchases under the Company’s ESPP during the predecessor period. Proceeds in the successor period from September 25, 2007 through September 30, 2007 represent equity funding from Holdings related to the merger.

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

Excess Tax Benefit from Share-based Payment Arrangement

The excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement is discussed in the “Cash Flows from Operating Activities from Continuing Operations” section above.

Purchase of Treasury Shares

During the first nine months of 2007 and 2006, the Company repurchased 11.2 million and 19.2 million shares, respectively, for $335.3 million and $882.7 million, respectively, related to employee benefit plans. The decrease in shares purchased was a result of a significant number of stock option exercises during the first quarter 2006. The difference between the cost of shares repurchased noted above and the amount reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows is due to timing of trade settlements. The Company did not repurchase any shares under its board authorized stock repurchase programs during either period.

Cash Dividends

The decrease in cash dividends was due to the Company decreasing its quarterly dividend from $0.06 per share to $0.03 per share for common stockholders of record subsequent to the Western Union spin-off.

Letters and Lines of Credit

The Company had $41.5 million in outstanding letters of credit at September 30, 2007, of which nearly all expire in 2008 with a one-year renewal option. The letters of credit are held in connection with certain business combinations, lease arrangements and bankcard association agreements. The Company expects to renew the letters of credit prior to expiration.

The Company has lines of credit associated with First Data Deutschland which totaled approximately 160 million euro, or approximately $226 million, as of September 30, 2007. The Company had $71.8 million outstanding against these lines of credit as of September 30, 2007.

The Company also has lines of credit associated with Cashcard Australia, Ltd. (“Cashcard”) which are periodically used to fund ATM settlement activity. As of September 30, 2007, the lines of credit totaled approximately 162 million Australian dollars, or approximately $141 million. The Company did not have any borrowings outstanding against the lines of credit for Cashcard as of September 30, 2007.

The Company has two credit facilities associated with POLCARD which are periodically used to fund settlement activity. As of September 30, 2007, the facilities totaled approximately 65 million Polish zloty, or approximately $24 million. The Company did not have any borrowings outstanding against the facilities for POLCARD as of September 30, 2007.

Significant Non-Cash Transactions

Significant non-cash transactions during the nine months ended September 30, 2007 included the grant of approximately 3.7 million shares of restricted stock to certain employees.

Significant non-cash transactions during the nine months ended September 30, 2006 included the grant of approximately 0.9 million shares of restricted stock to certain employees.

In connection with its spin-off, Western Union transferred $1 billion of Western Union notes to FDC. On September 29, 2006, the Company exchanged these Western Union notes for FDC debt (commercial paper) held by investment banks (the “debt-for-debt exchange”).

On September 29, 2006, the holder of a warrant originally issued on November 16, 2000 exercised its right to a cashless exercise of the warrant. The Company issued 359,824 shares of its common stock to the warrant holder in connection with the cashless exercise. The warrant had provided for the purchase of 3,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at $40.025 before giving effect to the adjustment for the Company’s spin-off of The Western Union Company.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than facility and equipment leasing arrangements, the Company did not engage in off-balance sheet financing activities. On September 20, 2007, the Company purchased the buildings and equipment under its synthetic

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

operating lease arrangements as contractually required due to change in control provisions contained in the agreements. Rent expense related to synthetic operating leases was $1.9 million and $2.2 million for the predecessor periods from July 1 through September 24, 2007 and the three months ended September 30, 2006, respectively, and $4.7 million and $7.1 million for the predecessor periods from January 1 through September 24, 2007 and the nine months ended September 30, 2006, respectively.

Contractual Obligations

The Company’s contractual obligations as of September 30, 2007 are as follows (in millions):

 

     Payments Due by Period
     Total   

Less than

1 year

   1-3
years
  

4-5

years

  

After

5 years

Debt

   $ 22,272.3    $ 493.2    $ 297.3    $ 294.1    $ 21,187.7

Capital lease obligations

     170.5      49.4      48.4      8.8      63.9

Operating leases

     232.7      56.5      82.4      79.1      14.7

Pension plan contributions (a)

     7.1      7.1      —        —        —  

Purchase obligations (b):

              

Technology and telecommunications (c)

     358.6      202.9      125.5      23.1      7.1

All other (d)

     120.9      101.6      15.4      3.9      —  

Other long-term liabilities

     23.3      12.9      9.5      0.6      0.3
                                  
   $ 23,185.4    $ 923.6    $ 578.5    $ 409.6    $ 21,273.7
                                  

(a) The amount of pension plan contributions depends upon various factors that cannot be accurately estimated beyond a one-year time frame.
(b) Many of the Company’s contracts contain clauses that allow the Company to terminate the contract with notice, and with or without a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Certain contracts also have an automatic renewal clause if the Company does not provide written notification of its intent to terminate the contract. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, the Company has not had any significant defaults of its contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of its contractual obligations.
(c) Technology and telecommunications includes obligations related to hardware purchases, software licenses, hardware and software maintenance and support, technical consulting services and telecommunications services.
(d) Other includes obligations related to materials, data, non-technical contract services, facility security and maintenance and marketing promotions.

The adoption of Financial Account Standards Board (“FASB”) Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,” in January 2007 resulted in an increase in income taxes payable of approximately $310 million, including approximately $122 million of income tax liabilities for which Western Union is required to indemnify the Company. Approximately $140 million of the increase was reclassified from deferred tax liabilities to income taxes payable. Both income taxes payable and deferred tax liabilities are included in the “Accounts payable and other liabilities” line of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Timing of tax payments is dependent upon various factors which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Critical Accounting Policies

As a result of the merger, certain of the Company’s critical accounting policies were affected. The following presents the updates to these policies from those presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

Stock-Based Compensation

Upon the September 24, 2007 close of the merger, the vesting of FDC stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units (including Western Union stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units held by FDC personnel) was accelerated and the associated expense recorded in the predecessor financial statements. These stock-based

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

compensation plans were terminated at that time. In the fourth quarter 2007, the Company will establish stock incentive plans for certain management employees of FDC and its affiliates (“stock plans”). These stock plans will be at the Holdings level which owns 100% of FDC’s equity interests. The stock plans may take the form of stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and other stock-based awards. The expense associated with these plans will be recorded by FDC. FDC anticipates that it will use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to measure the fair value of equity-based awards granted to management. Option-pricing models require estimates of a number of key valuation inputs including expected volatility, expected dividend yield, expected term and risk-free interest rate. Certain of these inputs may become more subjective than in previous periods due to FDC being privately held and thus not having objective public information such as FDC’s volatility.

Transactions with Related Parties as defined by SFAS No. 57

The discussion of the merchant alliances remain unchanged from that presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. The investments held by the Company in investment funds managed by a member of its Board of Directors prior to the merger is no longer a related party transaction since subsequent to the merger this individual is not affiliated with FDC. Subsequent to the merger, certain members of the Company’s new Board of Directors are affiliated with KKR.

In connection with the consummation of the merger, First Data entered into a management agreement with affiliates of KKR pursuant to which such entities or their affiliates will provide management services to the Company. Pursuant to such agreement, the Company will pay an aggregate annual management fee of $20 million, which amount is expected to increase annually by 5% beginning in 2008, and will reimburse out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the provision of services pursuant to the agreement. In addition and pursuant to such agreement, the Company paid aggregate transaction fees of approximately $260 million in connection with services provided by such entities in connection with the merger. The agreement also provides that the Company will pay fees in connection with certain subsequent financing, acquisition, disposition and change of control transactions, as well as a termination fee based on the net present value of future payment obligations under the management agreement, in the event of an initial public offering or under certain other circumstances. The agreement also includes customary exculpation and indemnification provisions in favor of KKR and its affiliates.

Income Taxes

The determination of the Company’s provision for income taxes requires management’s judgment in the use of estimates and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws. Judgment is also required in assessing the timing and amounts of deductible and taxable items. The Company believes its tax return positions are fully supportable; however, the Company establishes contingency reserves for material tax exposures relating to deductions, transactions and other matters involving some uncertainty as to the proper tax treatment of the item. Issues raised by a tax authority may be finally resolved at an amount different than the related reserve. When facts and circumstances change (including a resolution of an issue or statute of limitations expiration), these reserves are adjusted through the provision for income taxes in the period of change. Due to the additional interest and amortization expenses that the Company will incur after the merger, the Company will be in a net loss position in the near term future. This will require judgment to determine whether or not some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. To the extent the Company determines that it will not realize the benefit of some or all of its deferred tax assets, then these deferred tax assets will be adjusted through the Company’s provision for income taxes in the period in which this determination is made.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.” This statement defines fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy to be used in generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Although this statement does not require any new fair value measurements, the application could change current practice. The statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this statement to its financial position and results of operations.

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106, and 132(R).” This statement requires a company to recognize the funded status of a benefit plan as an asset or a liability in its statement of financial position. In addition, a

 

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FIRST DATA CORPORATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

 

company is required to measure plan assets and benefit obligations as of the date of its fiscal year-end statement of financial position. The Company adopted the recognition provisions and disclosure requirements as of December 31, 2006. The measurement date provision is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2008. The Company does not expect the measurement provisions to have a material impact on its financial position and results of operations.

In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities – Including an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 115.” This Statement permits entities to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. This election is made on an instrument-by-instrument basis and is irrevocable. Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings. This statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. At this time the Company does not anticipate electing the fair value option.

 

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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Interest Rate Risk

The Company is exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates. The Company’s assets include both fixed and floating rate interest-bearing securities. These investments arise primarily from the Company’s sale of payment instruments (principally official checks and money orders). The Company invests the proceeds from the sale of these instruments, pending the settlement of the payment instrument obligation. The Company has classified these investments as available-for-sale. Accordingly, they are carried on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair market value. A portion of the Company’s Integrated Payment Systems (“IPS”) business involves the payment of commissions to selling agents of its official check and money order products and such commissions are computed based on short-term variable rates.

In February 2007, the Company announced its intent to gradually exit the official check and money order businesses. Client contracts representing approximately 60% of portfolio balances will expire in the next two years and will not be renewed on a long-term basis. As of September 30, 2007, over 90% of the long-term instruments associated with these businesses were converted into more liquid instruments of shorter duration. In conjunction with the repositioning of the portfolio, the Company terminated the associated interest rate swaps.

To the extent the IPS business pays commissions based on short-term variable rates to its selling agents and invests the proceeds from the sale of payment instruments in floating rate or short-term investments, interest rate risk exists related to the relative spreads between different interest rate indices. Additionally, to the extent there is a fixed rate commission and IPS invests the proceeds from the sale of payment instruments in floating rate or short-term investments, the IPS business is also subject to interest rate volatility.

The Company’s interest rate-sensitive liabilities are its debt instruments. On September 24, 2007, the Company was acquired through a merger with an entity controlled by an affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (“KKR”). The merger has had a material impact on the Company’s interest rate risk due to newly issued variable rate debt and associated interest rate swaps. As of September 30, 2007, the Company had approximately $22 billion of variable rate debt and had swapped $3 billion of this variable rate debt to fixed. Of the $22 billion in debt, approximately $1 billion is euro denominated. The Company anticipates refinancing approximately $9 billion of the variable rate debt with fixed rate debt in the future and, in October 2007, $2.2 billion was refinanced to fixed rate debt. Also in October 2007, an additional $3 billion of notional value interest rate swaps were entered into.

The Company cannot perform a meaningful sensitivity analysis comparing a change in interest rates to prior year balances due to the significant change in its capital structure. Using the September 30, 2007 balances, a 10% proportionate increase in short-term interest rates on an annualized basis compared to the interest rates at September 30, 2007 and a corresponding and parallel shift in the remainder of the yield curve, would result in a decrease to pretax income of approximately $(75) million. The majority of this decrease relates to a $(95) million decrease (based on the 10% increase noted above which equates to a 74 basis point increase in interest rates) that primarily relates to the Company’s balance of variable interest rate debt at September 30, 2007. Partially offsetting this decrease is a $20 million increase (based on the 10% increase noted above which equates to a 44 basis point increase in the interest rates) related to settlement related cash balances, expected investment positions, commissions paid to selling agents and the effects of interest rate swap agreements. Conversely, a corresponding decrease in interest rates would result in a comparable increase to pretax earnings. Actual interest rates could change significantly more than 10%. There are inherent limitations in the sensitivity analysis presented, primarily due to the assumption that interest rate movements are linear and instantaneous. As a result, the analysis is unable to reflect the potential effects of more complex market changes that could arise, which may positively or negatively affect income.

Foreign Currency Risk

The Company is exposed to changes in currency rates as a result of its investments in foreign operations, revenues generated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and foreign currency denominated loans. Revenue and profit generated by international operations will increase or decrease compared to prior periods as a result of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In connection with the merger, the intent of management towards its intercompany investments and certain net investment hedges were changed. Such decisions have resulted in a different foreign currency risk exposure than what existed prior to the merger.

After consideration of changes in intent associated with the merger, a hypothetical uniform 10% strengthening or weakening in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to all the currencies in which the Company’s revenues and profits are denominated would result in a decrease to pretax income of approximately $(19) million. The majority of the decrease results from a $(109) million decrease related to a euro denominated term loan held by the Company. This decrease is partially offset by a $68 million increase related to foreign exchange on intercompany loans and a $21 million increase in

 

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overall foreign exchange rate sensitivity, assuming consistent operating results as the preceding twelve months from September 30, 2006. There are inherent limitations in the sensitivity analysis presented, primarily due to the assumption that foreign exchange rate movements are linear and instantaneous. As a result, the analysis is unable to reflect the potential effects of more complex market changes that could arise, which may positively or negatively affect income.

Regulatory

Through its merchant alliances, the First Data Commercial Services segment holds an ownership interest in several competing merchant acquiring businesses while serving as the electronic processor for those businesses. In order to satisfy state and federal antitrust requirements, the Company actively maintains an antitrust compliance program.

 

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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.

The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to cause information required to be disclosed in reports that the Company files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to be recorded, processed, summarized and reported with the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms. The Company has evaluated, under the supervision of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2007. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2007, to ensure that material information regarding the Company is made known to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow the Company to meet its disclosure obligations.

Changes in internal control over financial reporting.

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the above evaluation that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

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PART II OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, the Company is involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of its business. None of these matters, either individually or in the aggregate, currently is material to the Company except those matters reported in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 (the “Annual Report”) and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2007 and June 30, 2007 (collectively the “Quarterly Reports”). There were no material developments in the litigation matters previously disclosed in the Annual Report and the Quarterly Reports except as discussed below.

ATM Fee Antitrust Litigation

On August 3, 2007 the Company filed a motion for summary judgment seeking to dismiss plaintiffs’ per se claims, arguing that there are procompetitive justifications for the ATM interchange. The hearing on this motion is scheduled for February 28, 2008.

United States Patents No. 5,910,988 and No. 6,032,137

In May 2002, DataTreasury Corporation (“DataTreasury”) commenced action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “Court”) against the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries First Data Merchant Services Corporation, TeleCheck Services, Inc. d/b/a Telecheck International, Inc., and Microbilt Corporation (subsequently merged into TASQ Technology, Inc.), (collectively, the “First Data Defendants”), alleging infringement of United States Patent No. 5,910,988 (the “988 Patent”) and Patent No. 6,032,137 (the “137 Patent”). The complaint sought a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent were valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, pre-judgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. The 988 Patent and the 137 Patent generally relate to remote data acquisition, encryption, centralized processing and storage.

DataTreasury voluntarily dismissed the action filed with the Court and refiled the complaint on November 7, 2002 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas asserting that the First Data Defendants infringed the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent. The complaint seeks a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent are valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. On November 15, 2002, the First Data Defendants filed a motion which was granted that the case be transferred to the Court. On March 1, 2005, the Court ruled on claim construction. DataTreasury filed amended infringement contentions in September 2005. On November 5, 2005, the First Data Defendants filed ex parte requests for reexamination of the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”), which was granted. The First Data Defendants filed their final invalidity contentions in December 2005. The First Data Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment for patent invalidity on January 4, 2006.

On September 12, 2005, DataTreasury filed a second complaint with the Court asserting that the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries Remitco, LLC (“Remitco”) and Integrated Payment Systems Inc. infringed the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent. DataTreasury seeks a declaration that the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent are valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. On November 21, 2006, the Court consolidated the two cases.

On July 24, 2007, counsel for the parties agreed among other procedural matters to abate the case until 60 days after the issuance of reexamination certificates by the USPTO for both the 988 Patent and the 137 Patent or 60 days after the Remitco document production is completed, at which time DataTreasury will serve amended infringement contentions. In accordance with the agreement of the counsel for the parties, the Court entered an order denying as moot the pending Joint Motion for Entry of a Docket Control Order and refrained from entering a new schedule. On October 3, 2007, the USPTO issued a Certificate of Reexamination on the 998 Patent. On October 16, 2007, the USPTO issued a Notice of Intent of Issue of a Reexamination Certificate for the 137 Patent. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action.

United States Patent No. 5,930,778

On February 24, 2006, DataTreasury filed a complaint with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, naming more than 50 defendants, including the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries Telecheck Services, Inc. and Remitco, for the infringement of Patent No. 5,930,778 (the “778 Patent”). The complaint seeks a declaration that the 778 Patent is valid and enforceable, injunctive relief, unidentified damages, prejudgment interest, treble damages, costs of suit and attorneys’ fees. The 778 patent generally relates to the clearing of financial instruments. On September 25, 2007, all defendants entered into a stipulation, which, pursuant to the court’s order, will result in a stay of the case pending the outcome of a pending re-examination of the 778 patent. The Company intends to vigorously defend the action.

 

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The Company’s substantial leverage could adversely affect its ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations, limit the Company’s ability to react to changes in the economy or its industry, expose the Company to interest rate risk to the extent of its variable rate debt and prevent the Company from meeting its debt obligations.

After completing the September 24, 2007 merger of the Company with Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a subsidiary of New Omaha Holdings Corporation, the Company became highly leveraged. The Company’s high degree of leverage could have important consequences, including:

 

   

increasing the Company’s vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments;

 

   

requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on the Company’s indebtedness, therefore reducing the Company’s ability to use its cash flow to fund the Company’s operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;

 

   

exposing the Company to the risk of increased interest rates because certain of its borrowings, including borrowings under the Company’s new senior secured credit facilities, will be at variable rates of interest;

 

   

making it more difficult for the Company to satisfy its obligations with respect to its indebtedness, and any failure to comply with the obligations of any of the Company’s debt instruments, including restrictive covenants and borrowing conditions, could result in an event of default under the indenture governing the notes and the agreements governing such other indebtedness;

 

   

restricting the Company from making strategic acquisitions or causing the Company to make non-strategic divestitures;

 

   

making it more difficult for the Company to obtain network sponsorship and clearing services from financial institutions as a result of the Company’s increased leverage;

 

   

limiting the Company’s ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes; and

 

   

limiting the Company’s flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in the Company’s business or market conditions and placing the Company at a competitive disadvantage compared to its competitors who are less highly leveraged and who therefore, may be able to take advantage of opportunities that the Company’s leverage prevents it from exploiting.

Despite the Company’s high indebtedness level, the Company and its subsidiaries still may be able to incur significant additional amounts of debt, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with the Company’s substantial indebtedness.

The Company and its subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. Although the indentures governing the Company’s notes, the agreements governing the Company’s unsecured debt, including the indentures governing the exchange notes related thereto, and the Company’s senior secured credit facilities contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and under certain circumstances, the amount of indebtedness that could be incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. If new debt is added to the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing debt levels, the related risks that the Company will face would increase.

The Company’s debt agreements contain restrictions that will limit the Company’s flexibility in operating its business.

The indenture governing the Company’s notes and the agreements governing the Company’s unsecured debt, including the indentures governing the exchange notes related thereto, and the Company’s senior secured credit facilities contain various covenants that limit the Company’s ability to engage in specified types of transactions. These covenants limit the Company’s and it’s restricted subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things:

 

   

incur additional indebtedness or issue certain preferred shares;

 

   

pay dividends on, repurchase or make distributions in respect of the Company’s capital stock or make other restricted payments;

 

   

make certain investments;

 

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sell certain assets;

 

   

create liens;

 

   

consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets;

 

   

enter into certain transactions with the Company’s affiliates; and

 

   

designate the Company’s subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries.

A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under one or more of these agreements, including as a result of cross default provisions and, in the case of the revolving credit facility, permit the lenders to cease making loans to the Company. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities, the lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. Such actions by those lenders could cause cross defaults under the Company’s other indebtedness. If the Company was unable to repay those amounts, the lenders under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that indebtedness. The Company has pledged a significant portion of the Company’s assets as collateral under the Company’s senior secured credit facilities. If the lenders under the senior secured credit facilities accelerate the repayment of borrowings, the Company may not have sufficient assets to repay the Company’s senior secured credit facilities as well as the Company’s unsecured indebtedness, including the Company’s notes.

The ability to adopt technology to changing industry and customer needs or trends may affect the Company’s competitiveness or demand for the Company’s products, which may adversely affect the Company’s operating results.

Changes in technology may limit the competitiveness of and demand for the Company’s services. The Company’s businesses operate in industries that are subject to technological advancements, developing industry standards and changing customer needs and preferences. Also, the Company’s customers continue to adopt new technology for business and personal uses. The Company must anticipate and respond to these industry and customer changes in order to remain competitive within the Company’s relative markets. For example, the ability to adopt technological advancements surrounding POS technology available to merchants could have an impact on the Company’s International and Commercial Services business. The Company’s inability to respond to new competitors and technological advancements could impact all of the Company’s businesses.

Changes in credit card association or other network rules or standards could adversely affect the Company’s business.

In order to provide the Company’s transaction processing services, several of the Company’s subsidiaries are registered with Visa and MasterCard and other networks as members or service providers for member institutions. As such, the Company and many of its customers are subject to card association and network rules that could subject the Company or its customers to a variety of fines or penalties that may be levied by the card associations or networks for certain acts or omissions by the Company, acquirer customers, processing customers and merchants. Visa, MasterCard and other networks, some of which are the Company’s competitors, set the standards with respect to which the Company must comply. The termination of the Company’s member registration or the Company’s status as a certified service provider, or any changes in card association or other network rules or standards, including interpretation and implementation of the rules or standards, that increase the cost of doing business or limit the Company’s ability to provide transaction processing services to or through the Company’s customers, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results and financial condition.

Changes in card association and debit network fees or products could increase costs or otherwise limit the Company’s operations.

From time to time, card associations and debit networks increase the organization and/or processing fees (known as interchange fees) that they charge. It is possible that competitive pressures will result in the Company absorbing a portion of such increases in the future, which would increase its operating costs, reduce its profit margin and adversely affect its business, operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, the rules and regulations of the various card associations and networks prescribe certain capital requirements. Any increase in the capital level required would further limit the Company’s use of capital for other purposes.

The Company is the subject of various legal proceedings which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenue and profitability.

The Company is involved in various litigation matters. The Company is also involved in or is the subject of governmental or regulatory agency inquiries or investigations from time to time. If the Company is unsuccessful in its defense in the litigation matters, or any other legal proceeding, it may be forced to pay damages or fines and/or change its business practices, any of

 

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which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenue and profitability. For more information about the Company’s legal proceedings, see “Item 1: Legal Proceedings” herein and “Item 3: Legal Proceedings” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006.

The Company’s business may be adversely affected by risks associated with foreign operations.

The Company is subject to risks related to the changes in currency rates as a result of its investments in foreign operations and from revenues generated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Revenue and profit generated by international operations will increase or decrease compared to prior periods as a result of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. From time to time, the Company utilizes foreign currency forward contracts or other derivative instruments to mitigate the cash flow or market value risks associated with foreign currency denominated transactions. However, these hedge contracts may not eliminate all of the risks related to foreign currency translation. Furthermore, the Company may become subject to exchange control regulations that might restrict or prohibit the conversion of its other revenue currencies into U.S. dollars. The occurrence of any of these factors could decrease the value of revenues the Company receives from its international operations and have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business.

Increase in interest rates may negatively impact the Company’s operating results and financial condition.

The Company may be impacted by interest rates most significantly in the following ways:

 

   

Certain of the Company’s borrowings, including borrowings under the Company’s new senior secured credit facilities, will be at variable rates of interest.

 

   

Interest income is earned on the Company’s settlement assets which are invested primarily in short-term, fixed rate investments.

 

   

Commissions paid to official check agents are based on short-term variable interest rates on the balance of outstanding official checks.

Upon completion of a strategic review of the Company’s Integrated Payment Systems segment, the Company decided to gradually exit from the official check and money order business over the next two to three years. As a result, the interest income the Company earns on settlement assets and the commissions paid to agents, as well as the risks related to those issues, will substantially decrease over that period.

An increase in interest rates would have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations by causing an increase in interest expense and commission expense. The impact on interest income would not offset the potential negative impact of the interest and commission expense.

Future consolidation of client financial institutions or other client groups may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition.

The Company has experienced the negative impact of the bank industry consolidation in recent years. Bank industry consolidation impacts existing and potential clients in the Company’s service areas, primarily in Financial Institution Services and Commercial Services. The Company’s alliance strategy could be negatively impacted as a result of consolidations, especially where the banks involved are committed to their internal merchant processing businesses that compete with the Company. Bank consolidation has led to an increasingly concentrated client base in the industry, resulting in a changing client mix for Financial Institution Services as well as increased price compression. Further consolidation in the bank industry or other client base could have a negative impact on the Company.

The Company’s cost saving plans may not be effective which may adversely affect the Company’s financials results.

The Company’s operations strategy includes goals such as data center consolidation, outsourcing labor and reducing corporate overhead expenses and business unit operational expenses. While the Company has and will continue to implement these strategies, there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so successfully or that it will realize the projected benefits of these and other cost saving plans. If the Company is unable to realize these anticipated cost reductions, its financial health may be adversely affected. Moreover, the Company’s continued implementation of cost saving plans and facilities integration may disrupt its operations and performance.

 

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The Company’s cost saving plans are based on assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate which may negatively impact the Company’s operating results.

The Company is in the process of consolidating the Company’s data centers and command centers in the United States over the next several years. The Company also expects to reduce its data centers and command centers internationally over the same period. In addition, the Company is implementing a technology outsourcing initiative, a cost reduction effort related to overhead spending (including corporate functions and overhead expenses embedded in the Company’s segments) and other cost improvement and cost containment programs across all of the Company’s business segments. While the Company expects its cost saving initiatives to result in significant cost savings throughout the Company’s organization, the estimated savings are based on several assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate, and as a result the Company cannot assure that it will realize these cost savings. The failure to achieve the Company’s estimated cost savings would negatively affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The Company depends, in part, on its merchant relationships and alliances to grow the Company’s Commercial Services business. If the Company is unable to maintain these relationships and alliances, the Company’s business may be adversely affected.

Growth in the Company’s Commercial Services business is derived primarily from acquiring new merchant relationships, new and enhanced product and service offerings, cross selling products and services into existing relationships, the shift of consumer spending to increased usage of electronic forms of payment and the strength of the Company’s alliance partnerships with banks and financial institutions and other third parties. A substantial portion of the Company’s business is conducted through “alliances” with banks and other institutions. The Company’s alliance structures take on different forms, including consolidated subsidiaries, equity method investments and revenue sharing arrangements. Under the alliance program, the Company and a bank or other institution form a joint venture, either contractually or through a separate legal entity. Merchant contracts may be contributed to the venture by the Company and/or the bank or institution. The banks and other institutions generally provide card association sponsorship, clearing and settlement services. These institutions typically act as a merchant referral source when the institution has an existing banking or other relationship. The Company provides transaction processing and related functions. Both alliance partners may provide management, sales, marketing, and other administrative services. The alliance structure allows the Company to be the processor for multiple financial institutions, any one of which may be selected by the merchant as their bank partner. The Company relies on the continuing growth of its merchant relationships, alliances and other distribution channels. There can be no guarantee that this growth will continue. The loss of merchant relationships or alliance and financial institution partners could negatively impact the Company’s business and result in a reduction of the Company’s revenue and profit. The Company’s largest alliance partnership, Chase Paymentech, is 51% owned by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., and 49% owned by the Company. JPMorgan has the right to terminate the alliance in connection with the change of control that occurred on September 24, 2007. If JPMorgan exercises its termination right, First Data retains 49% of the alliance’s merchant contracts by value and 49% of the alliance’s sales force. Potential risks if the alliance is terminated include the potential loss of certain processing volume over time, the loss of JPMorgan branch referrals and the loss of access to the JPMorgan brand.

Acquisitions and integrating such acquisitions create certain risks and may affect the Company’s operating results.

The Company has been an active business acquirer both in the United States and internationally, and may continue to be active in the future. The acquisition and integration of businesses involves a number of risks. The core risks are in the areas of valuation (negotiating a fair price for the business based on inherently limited diligence) and integration (managing the complex process of integrating the acquired company’s people, products, technology and other assets so as to realize the projected value of the acquired company and the synergies projected to be realized in connection with the acquisition). In addition, international acquisitions often involve additional or increased risks including, for example:

 

   

managing geographically separated organizations, systems and facilities;

 

   

integrating personnel with diverse business backgrounds and organizational cultures;

 

   

complying with foreign regulatory requirements;

 

   

fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

 

   

enforcement of intellectual property rights in some foreign countries;

 

   

difficulty entering new foreign markets due to, among other things, customer acceptance and business knowledge of these new markets; and

 

   

general economic and political conditions.

The process of integrating operations could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, the activities of one or more of the Company’s combined businesses and the possible loss of key personnel. The diversion of management’s attention and any delays or difficulties encountered in connection with acquisitions and the integration of the two companies’ operations could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects.

 

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Unfavorable resolution of tax contingencies could adversely affect the Company’s tax expense.

The Company has established contingency reserves for material tax exposures relating to deductions, transactions and other matters involving some uncertainty as to the proper tax treatment of the item. These reserves reflect what the Company believes to be reasonable assumptions as to the likely final resolution of each issue if raised by a taxing authority. While the Company believes that the reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be finally resolved at a financial cost not in excess of any related reserve. An unfavorable resolution, therefore, could negatively impact the Company’s results of operations.

Changes in laws, regulations and enforcement activities may adversely affect the products, services and markets in which the Company operates.

The Company and its customers are subject to regulations that affect the electronic payments industry in the many countries in which the Company’s services are used. In particular, the Company’s customers are subject to numerous regulations applicable to banks, financial institutions and card issuers in the United States and abroad, and, consequently, the Company is at times affected by such federal, state and local regulations. Regulation of the payments industry, including regulations applicable to the Company and its customers, has increased significantly in recent years. Failure to comply with regulations may result in the suspension or revocation of license or registration, the limitation, suspension or termination of service, and/or the imposition of civil and criminal penalties, including fines which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition. The Company is subject to U.S. and international financial services regulations, a myriad of consumer protection laws, escheat regulations and privacy and information security regulations to name only a few. Changes to legal rules and regulations, or interpretation or enforcement thereof, could have a negative financial effect on the Company. In addition, even an inadvertent failure by the Company to comply with laws and regulations, as well as rapidly evolving social expectations of corporate fairness, could damage the Company’s reputation or brands. There is also increasing scrutiny of a number of credit card practices, from which some of the Company’s customers derive significant revenue, by the U.S. Congress and governmental agencies. For example, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will consider the methods used to calculate finance charges and allocate payments received from cardholders, and the methods by which default interest rates, late fees and over-the-credit-limit fees are determined, imposed and disclosed. These investigative efforts and other congressional activity could lead to legislation and/or regulation that could have a material impact on the Company’s customers’ businesses and the Company’s business if implemented. Any such legislative or regulation restrictions on the Company’s customers’ ability to operate their credit card programs or to price credit freely could result in reduced revenue and increased cost for the Company’s customers, reduced amounts of credit available to consumers and, therefore, a potential reduction of the Company’s transaction volume and revenues. The Company has structured its business in accordance with existing tax laws and interpretations of such laws which have been confirmed through either tax rulings or opinions obtained in various jurisdictions including those related to value added taxes in Europe. Changes in tax laws or their interpretations could decrease the value of revenues the Company receives and have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business.

Failure to protect the Company’s intellectual property rights and defend itself from potential patent infringement claims may diminish the Company’s competitive advantages or restrict it from delivering the Company’s services.

The Company’s trademarks, patents and other intellectual property are important to its future success. The STAR trade name is an intellectual property right which is individually material to the Company. The STAR trade name is widely recognized and is associated with quality and reliable service. Loss of the proprietary use of the STAR trade name or a diminution in the perceived quality associated with this name could harm the Company’s growth in the debit network business. The Company also relies on proprietary technology. It is possible that others will independently develop the same or similar technology. Assurance of protecting its trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information cannot be guaranteed. The Company’s patents could be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by others and may not be of sufficient scope or strength to provide the Company with any meaningful protection or advantage. If the Company was unable to maintain the proprietary nature of its technologies, the Company could lose competitive advantages and be materially adversely affected. The laws of certain foreign countries in which the Company does business or contemplate doing business in the future do not recognize intellectual property rights or protect them to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Adverse determinations in judicial or administrative proceedings could prevent the Company from selling the Company’s services or prevent the Company from preventing others from selling competing services, and thereby may have a material adverse affect on the business and results of operations. Additionally, claims have been made, are currently pending, and other claims may be made in the future, with regards to the Company’s technology infringing on a patent or other intellectual property rights. Unfavorable resolution of these claims could either result in the Company being restricted from delivering the related service or result in a settlement that could be material to the Company.

 

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Material breaches in security of the Company’s systems may have a significant effect on the Company’s business.

The uninterrupted operation of the Company’s information systems and the confidentiality of the customer/consumer information that resides on such systems are critical to the successful operations of the Company’s business. The Company has security, backup and recovery systems in place, as well as a business continuity plan to ensure the system will not be inoperable. The Company also has what it deems sufficient security around the system to prevent unauthorized access to the system. An information breach in the system and loss of confidential information such as credit card numbers and related information could have a longer and more significant impact on the business operations than a hardware failure. The loss of confidential information could result in losing the customers’ confidence and thus the loss of their business, as well as imposition of fines and damages.

The ability to recruit, retain and develop qualified personnel is critical to the Company’s success and growth.

All of the Company’s businesses function at the intersection of rapidly changing technological, social, economic and regulatory developments that requires a wide ranging set of expertise and intellectual capital. For the Company to successfully compete and grow, it must retain, recruit and develop the necessary personnel who can provide the needed expertise across the entire spectrum of its intellectual capital needs. In addition, the Company must develop its personnel to provide succession plans capable of maintaining continuity in the midst of the inevitable unpredictability of human capital. However, the market for qualified personnel is competitive and the Company may not succeed in recruiting additional personnel or may fail to effectively replace current personnel who depart with qualified or effective successors. The Company’s effort to retain and develop personnel may also result in significant additional expenses, which could adversely affect the Company’s profitability. The Company also manages its business with a number of key personnel that do not have employment agreements with the Company. In connection with the recent appointment of a new chief executive officer concurrent with the closing of the merger, changes have been and may continue to be made to the Company’s senior management. The Company cannot assure that key personnel, including executive officers, will continue to be employed or that it will be able to attract and retain qualified personnel in the future. Failure to retain or attract key personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Failure to comply with state and federal antitrust requirements could adversely affect the Company’s business.

Through the Company’s merchant alliances, it holds an ownership interest in several competing merchant acquiring businesses while serving as the electronic processor for those businesses. In order to satisfy state and federal antitrust requirements, the Company actively maintains an antitrust compliance program. Notwithstanding the Company’s compliance program, it is possible that perceived or actual violation of state or federal antitrust requirements could give rise to regulatory enforcement investigations or actions. Regulatory scrutiny of, or regulatory enforcement action in connection with, compliance with state and federal antitrust requirements could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s reputation and business.

Global economics, political and other conditions may adversely affect trends in consumer spending, which may adversely impact the Company’s revenue and profitability.

The global electronic payments industry depends heavily upon the overall level of consumer, business and government spending. A sustained deterioration in the general economic conditions, particularly in the United States or Europe, or increases in interest rates in key countries in which the Company operates may adversely affect the Company’s financial performance by reducing the number of average purchase amount of transactions involving payment cards. A reduction in the amount of consumer spending could result in a decrease of the Company’s revenue and profits.

The market for the Company’s electronic commerce services is evolving and may not continue to develop or grow rapidly enough for the Company to maintain and increase its profitability.

If the number of electronic commerce transactions does not continue to grow or if consumers or businesses do not continue to adopt the Company’s services, it could have a material adverse effect on the profitability of the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company believes future growth in the electronic commerce market will be driven by the cost, ease-of-use, and quality of products and services offered to consumers and businesses. In order to consistently increase and maintain the Company’s profitability, consumers and businesses must continue to adopt the Company’s services.

 

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The Company may experience breakdowns in its processing systems that could damage customer relations and expose it to liability.

The Company depends heavily on the reliability of its processing systems in the Company’s core business. A system outage or data loss could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Not only would the Company suffer damage to its reputation in the event of a system outage or data loss, but the Company may also be liable to third parties. Many of the Company’s contractual agreements with financial institutions require the payment of penalties if the Company’s systems do not meet certain operating standards. To successfully operate the Company’s business, the Company must be able to protect its processing and other systems from interruption, including from events that may be beyond the Company’s control. Events that could cause system interruptions include but are not limited to:

 

   

fire;

 

   

natural disaster;

 

   

unauthorized entry;

 

   

power loss;

 

   

telecommunications failure;

 

   

computer viruses;

 

   

terrorist acts; and

 

   

war.

Although the Company has taken steps to protect against data loss and system failures, there is still risk that it may lose critical data or experience system failures. The Company performs the vast majority of disaster recovery operations itself, though it utilizes select third parties for some aspects of recovery, particularly internationally. To the extent the Company outsources its disaster recovery, it is at risk of the vendor’s unresponsiveness in the event of breakdowns in the Company’s systems. Furthermore, the Company’s property and business interruption insurance may not be adequate to compensate it for all losses or failures that may occur.

The Company may experience software defects, computer viruses and development delays, which could damage customer relations, decrease the Company’s potential profitability and expose it to liability.

The Company’s products are based on sophisticated software and computing systems that often encounter development delays, and the underlying software may contain undetected errors, viruses or defects. Defects in the Company’s software products and errors or delays in the Company’s processing of electronic transactions could result in:

 

   

additional development costs;

 

   

diversion of technical and other resources from the Company’s other development efforts;

 

   

loss of credibility with current or potential customers;

 

   

harm to the Company’s reputation; or

 

   

exposure to liability claims.

In addition, the Company relies on technologies supplied to it by third parties that may also contain undetected errors, viruses or defects that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Although the Company attempts to limit its potential liability for warranty claims through disclaimers in the Company’s software documentation and limitation-of-liability provisions in the Company’s license and customer agreements, the Company cannot assure that these measures will be successful in limiting the Company’s liability.

 

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Share repurchases

The following table provides information about the Company’s purchases of shares of the Company’s common stock during the third quarter ended September 30, 2007:

 

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Total Number

of Shares

(or Units)

Purchased  (1)

  

Average Price

Paid per Share

(or Unit)

  

Total Number

of Shares

(or Units)
Purchased

as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs

   Maximum
Number (or
Approximate
Dollar Value) of
Shares (or Units)
that May Yet Be
Purchased Under
the Plans or
Programs

July 1 – July 31, 2007

   1,200,000    $ 32.85    0    $ 866,878,483

August 1 – August 31, 2007

   1,000,000    $ 32.48    0    $ 866,878,483

September 1 – September 30, 2007 (2)

   450,000    $ 33.20    0    $ 0
               

Total

   2,650,000    $ 32.77    0   
               

(1) All of the shares were repurchased in open-market transactions through a systematic repurchase program for the Company’s employee benefit plans.
(2) Following the September 24, 2007 merger transaction, the Company terminated the registration of all equity securities and will no longer make repurchases under existing plans and programs.

 

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

A total of 482,437,693 of the Company’s shares of common stock were present or represented by proxy at the Company’s Special Meeting of Stockholders held on July 31, 2007 (the “Special Meeting”). This represented 63.98% of the Company’s shares outstanding. The following proposal was voted upon and approved at the Special Meeting.

Proposal 1 Merger Agreement.

Adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 1, 2007, among New Omaha Holdings L.P., Omaha Acquisition Corporation and First Data Corporation, as it may be amended from time to time. The results of the voting were as follows:

 

For

   Against    Abstain

477,538,961

   1,057,028    3,841,704

 

ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION

Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities

The Company has implemented a “100 day plan” to provide strategic direction for the Company under new leadership. The plan includes generating organic growth through improved sales effectiveness, accelerating new product innovations and continued targeted international expansion. The plan also captures efficiencies related to the simplification of domestic and international operations and other near term cost saving initiatives as well as certain reductions in personnel.

On November 13, 2007 the Company’s management committed to a plan for the above noted reduction in personnel. The plan includes the termination of approximately 6% of the Company’s worldwide work force. All affected employees will be individually notified in the fourth quarter 2007 and a majority of them will cease working before December 31, 2007. The Company expects that the remaining employees will cease working at various times through the first six months of 2008.

The employees will receive severance benefits in accordance with the Company’s approved severance policy which includes in most instances severance, fringe benefits, outplacement services and other related benefits. The Company estimates that this action will cost between $110 million and $140 million. The entire amount is expected to result in future cash expenditures that will be paid out over the next 12 to 18 months.

Other costs associated with this plan such as facility exit costs are not expected to be significant.

Amendment to Articles of Incorporation

On November 13, 2007, the Company’s certificate of incorporation was restated to change the registered agent and address of the Company. A copy of the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation is attached as Exhibit 3(i) to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

 

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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

3(i)

   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of First Data Corporation, as filed November 13, 2007.

  4.1

   2007 Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 22, 2007, between First Data Corporation and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 28, 2007).

  4.2

   Indenture, dated as of October 24, 2007, between First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, governing the 9  7 / 8 % Senior Notes.

10.1

   Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent, swingline lender and letter of credit issuer, Citibank, N.A., as syndication agent, and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.2

   Senior Unsecured Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as syndication agent, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.3

   Senior Subordinated Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as syndication agent, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.4

   Letter Agreement, dated as of June 27, 2007, between New Omaha Holdings L.P. and Michael Capellas, as assumed by First Data Corporation and New Omaha Holdings Corporation as of September 24, 2007 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.5

   2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates.

10.6

   Form of Stock Option Agreement for Executive Committee Members.

10.7

   Form of Management Stockholder’s Agreement for Executive Committee Members.

10.8

   Form of Sale Participation Agreement.

10.9

   Information regarding Named Executive Officer Salary and Bonus Arrangements.

10.10

   Management Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. and New Omaha Holdings L.P.

10.11

   Guarantee Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.12

   Pledge Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.13

   Security Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.14

   Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

10.15

   Senior Subordinated Guarantee, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

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Table of Contents

10.16

   Senior Unsecured Guarantee, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

12

   Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

31.1

   Certification of Chief Executive Officer of First Data Corporation Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

31.2

   Certification of Chief Financial Officer of First Data Corporation Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

32.1

   Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

32.2

   Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

99

   Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements.

 

81


Table of Contents

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.

 

   

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

(Registrant)

Date: November 14, 2007   By  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

    Kimberly S. Patmore
   

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer)

Date: November 14, 2007   By  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

    Jeffrey R. Billat
   

Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

 

82


Table of Contents

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

  3(i)

   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of First Data Corporation, as filed November 13, 2007.

  4.1

   2007 Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 22, 2007, between First Data Corporation and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 28, 2007).

  4.2

   Indenture, dated as of October 24, 2007, between First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, governing the 9  7 / 8 % Senior Notes.

10.1

   Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent, swingline lender and letter of credit issuer, Citibank, N.A., as syndication agent, and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.2

   Senior Unsecured Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as syndication agent, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.3

   Senior Subordinated Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the several lenders from time to time parties thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as syndication agent, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.4

   Letter Agreement, dated as of June 27, 2007, between New Omaha Holdings L.P. and Michael Capellas, as assumed by First Data Corporation and New Omaha Holdings Corporation as of September 24, 2007 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 28, 2007).

10.5

   2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates.

10.6

   Form of Stock Option Agreement for Executive Committee Members.

10.7

   Form of Management Stockholder’s Agreement for Executive Committee Members.

10.8

   Form of Sale Participation Agreement.

10.9

   Information regarding Named Executive Officer Salary and Bonus Arrangements.

10.10

   Management Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. and New Omaha Holdings L.P.

10.11

   Guarantee Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.12

   Pledge Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.13

   Security Agreement, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent.

10.14

   Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

10.15

   Senior Subordinated Guarantee, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

 

83


Table of Contents

10.16

   Senior Unsecured Guarantee, dated September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, the subsidiaries of First Data Corporation identified therein and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

12

   Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

31.1

   Certification of Chief Executive Officer of First Data Corporation Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

31.2

   Certification of Chief Financial Officer of First Data Corporation Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

32.1

   Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

32.2

   Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

99

   Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements.

 

84

EXHIBIT 3(i)

RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

FIRST.    The name of the corporation is First Data Corporation (the “Corporation”).

SECOND.    The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, City of Wilmington 19808, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such address is the Corporation Service Company.

THIRD.    The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL or any successor statute.

FOURTH.    The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 1,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

FIFTH.    The Board of Directors, acting by majority vote, is expressly authorized to adopt, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a board of directors.

SIXTH.    The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereinafter prescribed by statute and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.

SEVENTH.    The Corporation shall indemnify to the fullest extent permitted under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative by reason of the fact that he/she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of or in any capacity with another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him/her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he/she acted in good faith and in a manner he/she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful.

Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding shall (in the case of any action, suit or proceeding against a director of the Corporation) or may (in the case of any action, suit or proceeding against an officer, trustee, employee or agent of the Corporation) be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the Board of Directors upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the indemnified person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article SEVENTH.


The indemnification and other rights set forth in this Article SEVENTH shall not be exclusive of any provisions with respect thereto in the Bylaws or any other contract or agreement between the Corporation and any officer, director, employee or agent of the Corporation.

No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or any stockholder for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for any matter in respect of which such director (a) shall be liable under Section 174 of the DGCL or any amendment thereto or successor provision thereto or (b) shall be liable by reason that, in addition to any and all other requirements for liability, he/she:

 

  (i) shall have breached his/her duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders;

 

  (ii) shall not have acted in good faith or, in failing to act, shall not have acted in good faith;

 

  (iii) shall have acted in a manner involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law or, in failing to act, shall have acted in a manner involving intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; or

 

  (iv) shall have derived an improper personal benefit.

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.

Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article SEVENTH nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article SEVENTH shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article SEVENTH in respect of any matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Article SEVENTH would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption of an inconsistent provision.

EIGHTH.    (a)  Certain Definitions . For purposes of this Article EIGHTH, (i) “Affiliate” of any Person shall include any principal, member, director, partner, shareholder, officer, employee or other representative of any Person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by such Person, controls such Person or is under common control with such Person (other than the Corporation and any entity that is controlled by the Corporation) or any Person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by such Person, controls such Person or is under common control with such Person, (ii) “Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, association or any other entity and (iii) “Sponsor Affiliates” shall mean Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. and its Affiliates.

(b)     Certain Activities . In anticipation of the benefits to be derived by the Corporation through its continued contractual, corporate and business relationships with the Sponsor Affiliates and in anticipation and recognition that (i) certain directors, principals, officers, employees and/or other representatives of the Sponsor Affiliates may serve as directors or officers of the Corporation, (ii) the Sponsor Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the


Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, and (iii) members of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the Corporation (“Non-Employee Directors”) and their respective Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage. The provisions of this Article EIGHTH are set forth to define the circumstances in which the fiduciary duties of the Non-Employee Directors and the Sponsor Affiliates would not be breached even if certain classes or categories of business opportunities are alleged to have been usurped by one or more of the Sponsor Affiliates Entities, the Non-Employee Directors or their respective Affiliates.

(c)     Certain Transactions . None of (i) any Sponsor Affiliate or (ii) any Non-Employee Director or his or her Affiliates (any such Person identified in clause (i) or (ii), an “Identified Person”) shall be in breach of a fiduciary duty for directly or indirectly (A) engaging in a corporate opportunity in the same or similar business activities or lines of business in which the Corporation or any of its Affiliates has a reasonable expectancy interest or property right or (B) otherwise competing with the Corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent that any purchase, sale or other transaction by any Identified Person involving any securities or indebtedness of the Corporation or any of its Affiliates (or involving any hedge, swap, derivative or other instrument relating to or in respect of any of the foregoing securities or indebtedness) may be deemed to be a corporate opportunity or to be in competition with the Corporation, the Identified Persons shall be fully protected by the foregoing provisions of this Article EIGHTH in pursuing such purchase, sale or other transaction or in taking any other action in respect of or affecting such securities, indebtedness or other instrument. The Corporation hereby renounces any reasonable expectancy interest or property right in any business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for both an Identified Person and the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, except as provided in paragraph (d) of this Article EIGHTH. In the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself, himself or herself and the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, such Identified Person would not be in breach of a fiduciary duty for failing to communicate or offer such transaction or other business opportunity to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no Identified Person can be held individually liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of engaging in any of the activities permitted pursuant to this paragraph (c) or which are stated in this paragraph (c) to constitute a breach of its, his or her fiduciary duties if engaged in by such Identified Person.

(d)     Usurping Certain Corporate Opportunities Are Breaches of Fiduciary Duty . The Corporation does not renounce its expectancy interest or property right in any corporate opportunity offered to any Non-Employee Director (including any Non-Employee Director who serves as an officer of this Corporation) if such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Corporation and the provisions of paragraph (c) of this Article EIGHTH shall not apply to any such corporate opportunity.

(e)     Exclusion . In addition to and without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Article EIGHTH, a corporate opportunity shall not be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for the Corporation if the Corporation is not financially capable or contractually permitted or legally able to undertake, or that is, from its nature, not in the line of the Corporation’s business or is of no practical advantage to it or that is one in which the Corporation has no reasonable expectancy interest or property right.

EXHIBIT 4.2

 


INDENTURE

Dated as of October 24, 2007

Among

FIRST DATA CORPORATION,

THE GUARANTORS NAMED ON SCHEDULE I HERETO

and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

SENIOR NOTES DUE 2015

 



CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*

 

Trust Indenture Act Section    Indenture Section
310    (a)(1)    7.10
   (a)(2)    7.10
   (a)(3)    N.A.
   (a)(4)    N.A.
   (a)(5)    7.10
   (b)    7.10
   (c)    N.A.
311    (a)    7.11
   (b)    7.11
   (c)    N.A.
312    (a)    2.05
   (b)    12.03
   (c)    12.03
313    (a)    7.06
   (b)(1)    N.A.
   (b)(2)    7.06; 7.07
   (c)    7.06; 12.02
   (d)    7.06; 12.02
314    (a)    4.03; 12.02; 12.05
   (b)    N.A.
   (c)(1)    12.04
   (c)(2)    12.04
   (c)(3)    N.A.
   (d)    N.A.
   (e)    12.05
   (f)    N.A.
315    (a)    7.01
   (b)    7.05; 12.02.
   (c)    7.01
   (d)    7.01
   (e)    6.14
316    (a)(last sentence)    2.09
   (a)(1)(A)    6.05
   (a)(1)(B)    6.04
   (a)(2)    N.A.
   (b)    6.07
   (c)    2.12; 9.04
317    (a)(1)    6.08
   (a)(2)    6.12
   (b)    2.04
318    (a)    12.01
   (b)    N.A.
   (c)    12.01

N.A. means not applicable.


* This Cross-Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01   DEFINITIONS.    1
SECTION 1.02   OTHER DEFINITIONS.    35
SECTION 1.03   INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT.    36
SECTION 1.04   RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.    37
SECTION 1.05   ACTS OF HOLDERS.    37
ARTICLE 2
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01   FORM AND DATING; TERMS.    39
SECTION 2.02   EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.    40
SECTION 2.03   REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.    41
SECTION 2.04   PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST.    41
SECTION 2.05   HOLDER LISTS.    41
SECTION 2.06   TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.    42
SECTION 2.07   REPLACEMENT NOTES.    54
SECTION 2.08   OUTSTANDING NOTES.    54
SECTION 2.09   TREASURY NOTES.    55
SECTION 2.10   TEMPORARY NOTES.    55
SECTION 2.11   CANCELLATION.    55
SECTION 2.12   DEFAULTED INTEREST.    56
SECTION 2.13   CUSIP AND ISIN NUMBERS.    56
ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01   NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.    56
SECTION 3.02   SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED OR PURCHASED.    57
SECTION 3.03   NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.    57
SECTION 3.04   EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.    58
SECTION 3.05   DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION OR PURCHASE PRICE.    58
SECTION 3.06   NOTES REDEEMED OR PURCHASED IN PART.    59
SECTION 3.07   OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.    59
SECTION 3.08   MANDATORY REDEMPTION.    60
SECTION 3.09   ASSET SALES.    60
ARTICLE 4
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01   PAYMENT OF NOTES.    62
SECTION 4.02   MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.    63
SECTION 4.03   REPORTS AND OTHER INFORMATION.    63
SECTION 4.04   COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.    64
SECTION 4.05   TAXES.    65
SECTION 4.06   STAY, EXTENSION AND USURY LAWS.    65

 

-i-


         Page
SECTION 4.07   LIMITATION ON RESTRICTED PAYMENTS.    65
SECTION 4.08   DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES.    73
SECTION 4.09   LIMITATION ON INCURRENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUANCE OF DISQUALIFIED STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK.    74
SECTION 4.10   ASSET SALES.    80
SECTION 4.11   TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.    82
SECTION 4.12   LIENS.    85
SECTION 4.13   CORPORATE EXISTENCE.    85
SECTION 4.14   OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL.    86
SECTION 4.15   LIMITATION ON GUARANTEES OF INDEBTEDNESS BY RESTRICTED SUBSIDIARIES.    87
ARTICLE 5
SUCCESSORS
SECTION 5.01   MERGER, CONSOLIDATION OR SALE OF ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL ASSETS.    88
SECTION 5.02   SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED.    90
ARTICLE 6
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01   EVENTS OF DEFAULT.    91
SECTION 6.02   ACCELERATION.    93
SECTION 6.03   OTHER REMEDIES.    93
SECTION 6.04   WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.    94
SECTION 6.05   CONTROL BY MAJORITY.    94
SECTION 6.06   LIMITATION ON SUITS.    94
SECTION 6.07   RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.    95
SECTION 6.08   COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.    95
SECTION 6.09   RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.    95
SECTION 6.10   RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.    95
SECTION 6.11   DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER.    95
SECTION 6.12   TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.    96
SECTION 6.13   PRIORITIES.    96
SECTION 6.14   UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.    97
ARTICLE 7
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01   DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.    97
SECTION 7.02   RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.    98
SECTION 7.03   INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.    99
SECTION 7.04   TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER.    99
SECTION 7.05   NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.    100
SECTION 7.06   REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS OF THE NOTES.    100
SECTION 7.07   COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.    100

 

-ii-


         Page
SECTION 7.08   REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.    101
SECTION 7.09   SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC.    102
SECTION 7.10   ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.    102
SECTION 7.11   PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST ISSUER.    102
ARTICLE 8
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
SECTION 8.01   OPTION TO EFFECT LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.    103
SECTION 8.02   LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE.    103
SECTION 8.03   COVENANT DEFEASANCE.    103
SECTION 8.04   CONDITIONS TO LEGAL OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.    104
SECTION 8.05   DEPOSITED MONEY AND GOVERNMENT SECURITIES TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.    105
SECTION 8.06   REPAYMENT TO ISSUER.    106
SECTION 8.07   REINSTATEMENT.    106
ARTICLE 9
AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER
SECTION 9.01   WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.    107
SECTION 9.02   WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.    108
SECTION 9.03   COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.    110
SECTION 9.04   REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS.    110
SECTION 9.05   NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES.    110
SECTION 9.06   TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC.    111
SECTION 9.07   PAYMENT FOR CONSENT.    111
ARTICLE 10
GUARANTEES
SECTION 10.01   GUARANTEE.    112
SECTION 10.02   LIMITATION ON GUARANTOR LIABILITY.    113
SECTION 10.03   EXECUTION AND DELIVERY.    113
SECTION 10.04   SUBROGATION.    114
SECTION 10.05   BENEFITS ACKNOWLEDGED.    114
SECTION 10.06   RELEASE OF GUARANTEES.    114
ARTICLE 11
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 11.01   SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE.    115
SECTION 11.02   APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.    116
ARTICLE 12
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 12.01   TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS.    116

 

-iii-


     Page
SECTION 12.02   NOTICES.    116
SECTION 12.03   COMMUNICATION BY HOLDERS OF NOTES WITH OTHER HOLDERS OF NOTES.    118
SECTION 12.04   CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.    118
SECTION 12.05   STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION.    118
SECTION 12.06   RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.    119
SECTION 12.07   NO PERSONAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND STOCKHOLDERS.    119
SECTION 12.08   GOVERNING LAW.    119
SECTION 12.09   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.    119
SECTION 12.10   FORCE MAJEURE.    119
SECTION 12.11   NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.    120
SECTION 12.12   SUCCESSORS.    120
SECTION 12.13   SEVERABILITY.    120
SECTION 12.14   COUNTERPART ORIGINALS.    120
SECTION 12.15   TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC.    120
SECTION 12.16   QUALIFICATION OF INDENTURE.    120

 

SCHEDULES  
Schedule I   Guarantors
EXHIBITS  
Exhibit A  

Form of Note

Exhibit B   Form of Certificate of Transfer
Exhibit C   Form of Certificate of Exchange
Exhibit D   Form of Supplemental Indenture to Be Delivered by Subsequent Guarantors

 

-iv-


INDENTURE, dated as of October 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Issuer ”), the Guarantors (as defined herein) listed on the signature pages hereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States of America, as Trustee.

W I T N E S S E T H

WHEREAS, the Issuer has duly authorized the creation of an issue of $2,200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 9  7 / 8 % Senior Notes due 2015 (the “ Initial Notes ”); and

WHEREAS, the Issuer and each of the Guarantors has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes.

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions .

144A Global Note ” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend, the Private Placement Legend and the Original Issue Discount Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, and registered in the name of, the Depositary or its nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule 144A.

Acquired Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any specified Person,

(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is merged with or into or became a Restricted Subsidiary of such specified Person, including Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into or becoming a Restricted Subsidiary of such specified Person, and

(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

Additional Interest ” means all additional interest then owing pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

Additional Notes ” means additional Notes (other than Initial Notes and Exchange Notes issued in exchange for such Initial Notes) issued from time to time under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.01(d), 2.02 and 4.09 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

Administrative Agent ” means Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent under the Senior Interim Debt Agreement, until a successor replaces it in accordance with the terms of the Senior Interim Debt Agreement and, thereafter, means such successor.

Affiliate ” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For


purposes of this definition, “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “ controlling ,” “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”), as used with respect to any Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.

Agent ” means any Registrar or Paying Agent.

Agent’s Message ” means a message transmitted by DTC to, and received by, the Depositary and forming a part of the Book-Entry Confirmation, which states that DTC has received an express acknowledgment from each participant in DTC tendering the Notes that such participants have received the Letter of Transmittal and agree to be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and the Issuer may enforce such agreement against such participants.

Applicable Premium ” means, with respect to any Note on any Redemption Date, the greater of:

(1) 1.0% of the principal amount of such Note; and

(2) the excess, if any, of (a) the present value at such Redemption Date of (i) the redemption price of such Note at September 30, 2011 (such redemption price being set forth in Section 3.07(c) hereof), plus (ii) all required interest payments due on such Note through September 30, 2011 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest to the Redemption Date), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such Redemption Date plus 50 basis points; over (b) the principal amount of such Note.

Applicable Procedures ” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and/or Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.

Asset Sale ” means:

(1) the sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, of property or assets (including by way of a Sale and Lease-Back Transaction) of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (each referred to in this definition as a “ disposition ”); or

(2) the issuance or sale of Equity Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions (other than Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries issued in compliance with Section 4.09 hereof);

in each case, other than:

(a) any disposition of Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities or obsolete or worn out equipment in the ordinary course of business or any disposition of inventory or goods (or other assets) no longer used in the ordinary course of business;

(b) the disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer in a manner permitted pursuant to the provisions described under Section 5.01 hereof or any disposition that constitutes a Change of Control pursuant to this Indenture;

 

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(c) the making of any Restricted Payment or Permitted Investment that is permitted to be made, and is made, under Section 4.07 hereof;

(d) any disposition of assets or issuance or sale of Equity Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary in any transaction or series of related transactions with an aggregate fair market value of less than $50.0 million;

(e) any disposition of property or assets or issuance of securities by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer to the Issuer or by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer to another Restricted Subsidiary of the Issuer;

(f) to the extent allowable under Section 1031 of the Code or any comparable or successor provision, any exchange of like property (excluding any boot thereon) for use in a Similar Business;

(g) the lease, assignment or sublease of any real or personal property in the ordinary course of business;

(h) any issuance or sale of Equity Interests in, or Indebtedness or other securities of, an Unrestricted Subsidiary;

(i) foreclosures, condemnation or any similar action on assets or the granting of Liens not prohibited by this Indenture;

(j) sales of accounts receivable, or participations therein, in connection with any Receivables Facility;

(k) the sale or discount of inventory, accounts receivable or notes receivable in the ordinary course of business or the conversion of accounts receivable to notes receivable;

(l) any financing transaction with respect to property built or acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary after the Issue Date, including Sale and Lease-Back Transactions and asset securitizations permitted by this Indenture;

(m) dispositions in the ordinary course of business, including disposition in connection with any Settlement and dispositions of Settlement Assets and Merchant Agreements;

(n) sales, transfers and other dispositions of Investments in joint ventures and Merchant Acquisition and Processing Alliances to the extent required by, or made pursuant to, customary buy/sell arrangements between the joint venture parties set forth in joint venture arrangements and similar binding arrangements;

(o) sales, transfers and other dispositions of Investments in Merchant Acquisition and Processing Alliances (regardless of the form of legal entity) relating to any equity reallocation in connection with an asset or equity contribution; and

(p) any issuance or sale of Equity Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary to any Person operating in a Similar Business for which such Restricted Subsidiary provides shared purchasing, billing, collection or similar services in the ordinary course of business.

 

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Bankruptcy Code ” means Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended.

Bankruptcy Law ” means the Bankruptcy Code and any similar federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.

Bridge Facilities ” means the Senior Interim Debt Agreement and the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement.

Broker-Dealer ” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Business Day ” means each day which is not a Legal Holiday.

Capital Stock ” means:

(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;

(2) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;

(3) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership or membership interests (whether general or limited); and

(4) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person.

Capitalized Lease Obligation ” means, at the time any determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at such time be required to be capitalized and reflected as a liability on a balance sheet (excluding the footnotes thereto) in accordance with GAAP.

Capitalized Software Expenditures ” means, for any period, the aggregate of all expenditures (whether paid in cash or accrued as liabilities) by a Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries during such period in respect of purchased software or internally developed software and software enhancements that, in conformity with GAAP, are or are required to be reflected as capitalized costs on the consolidated balance sheet of a Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Cash Equivalents ” means:

(1) United States dollars;

(2) euros or any national currency of any participating member state of the EMU or such local currencies held by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries from time to time in the ordinary course of business;

(3) securities issued or directly and fully and unconditionally guaranteed or insured by the U.S. government (or any agency or instrumentality thereof the securities of which are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation of the U.S. government) with maturities of 24 months or less from the date of acquisition;

 

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(4) certificates of deposit, time deposits and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one year or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding one year and overnight bank deposits, in each case with any commercial bank having capital and surplus of not less than $500.0 million in the case of U.S. banks and $100.0 million (or the U.S. dollar equivalent as of the date of determination) in the case of non-U.S. banks;

(5) repurchase obligations for underlying securities of the types described in clauses (3) and (4) entered into with any financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (4) above;

(6) commercial paper rated at least P-1 by Moody’s or at least A-1 by S&P and in each case maturing within 24 months after the date of creation thereof;

(7) marketable short-term money market and similar securities having a rating of at least P-2 or A-2 from either Moody’s or S&P, respectively (or, if at any time neither Moody’s nor S&P shall be rating such obligations, an equivalent rating from another Rating Agency), and in each case maturing within 24 months after the date of creation thereof;

(8) readily marketable direct obligations issued by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof having an Investment Grade Rating from either Moody’s or S&P with maturities of 24 months or less from the date of acquisition;

(9) Indebtedness or Preferred Stock issued by Persons with a rating of A or higher from S&P or A2 or higher from Moody’s with maturities of 24 months or less from the date of acquisition;

(10) Investments with average maturities of 24 months or less from the date of acquisition in money market funds rated AAA- (or the equivalent thereof) or better by S&P or Aaa3 (or the equivalent thereof) or better by Moody’s; and

(11) investment funds investing 95% of their assets in securities of the types described in clauses (1) through (10) above.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Cash Equivalents shall include amounts denominated in currencies other than those set forth in clauses (1) and (2) above; provided that such amounts are converted into any currency listed in clauses (1) and (2) as promptly as practicable and in any event within ten Business Days following the receipt of such amounts.

Change of Control ” means the occurrence of any of the following:

(1) the sale, lease or transfer, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than a Permitted Holder; or

(2) the Issuer becomes aware (by way of a report or any other filing pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, proxy, vote, written notice or otherwise) of the acquisition by any Person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act, or any successor provision), including any group acting for the purpose of acquiring, holding

 

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or disposing of securities (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act or any successor provision), other than the Permitted Holders, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, by way of merger, consolidation or other business combination or purchase of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, or any successor provision), of 50% or more of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies holding directly or indirectly 100% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Issuer.

Clearstream ” means Clearstream Banking, Société Anonyme.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor thereto.

Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense ” means with respect to any Person for any period, the total amount of depreciation and amortization expense, including the amortization of deferred financing fees, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses and Capitalized Software Expenditures, customer acquisition costs and incentive payments, conversion costs, contract acquisition costs, and amortization of unrecognized prior service costs and actuarial gains and losses related to pension and other post-employment benefits, of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period on a consolidated basis and otherwise determined in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Interest Expense ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, without duplication, the sum of:

(1) consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent such expense was deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income (including (a) amortization of original issue discount resulting from the issuance of Indebtedness at less than par, (b) all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances, (c) non-cash interest expense (but excluding any non-cash interest expense attributable to the movement in the mark to market valuation of Hedging Obligations or other derivative instruments pursuant to GAAP), (d) the interest component of Capitalized Lease Obligations, and (e) net payments, if any, pursuant to interest rate Hedging Obligations with respect to Indebtedness, and excluding (t) penalties and interest relating to taxes, (u) accretion or accrual of discounted liabilities not constituting Indebtedness, (v) any expense resulting from the discounting of obligations in connection with the application of recapitalization accounting or purchase accounting, (w) any Additional Interest and any comparable “additional interest” with respect to the Senior Interim Debt, the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt or other securities, (x) amortization of deferred financing fees, debt issuance costs, commissions, fees and expenses, (y) any expensing of bridge, commitment and other financing fees and (z) commissions, discounts, yield and other fees and charges (including any interest expense) related to any Receivables Facility); plus

(2) consolidated capitalized interest of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued; less

(3) interest income for such period.

For purposes of this definition, interest on a Capitalized Lease Obligation shall be deemed to accrue at an interest rate reasonably determined by such Person to be the rate of interest implicit in such Capitalized Lease Obligation in accordance with GAAP.

 

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Consolidated Leverage Ratio ,” with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, means the ratio of (x) Consolidated Total Indebtedness of such Person, less the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents held (free and clear of all Liens, other than Liens permitted under Section 4.12 hereof, other than clause (20) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” herein) by (A) the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than settlement assets as shown on the balance sheet of such Person) and (B) any Joint Venture (other than settlement assets as shown on the balance sheet of such Person) in an amount corresponding to the Issuer’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s, as applicable, proportionate share thereof, based on its ownership of such Joint Venture’s voting stock, computed as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur to (y) the aggregate amount of EBITDA of such Person for the period of the most recently ended four full consecutive fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur, in each case with such pro forma adjustments to Consolidated Total Indebtedness and EBITDA as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions set forth in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.”

Consolidated Net Income ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person for such period, on a consolidated basis, and otherwise determined in accordance with GAAP; provided , however , that, without duplication,

(1) any after-tax effect of extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains or losses (less all fees and expenses relating thereto) or expenses (including relating to the Transactions or the offering of the Notes to the extent incurred on or prior to September 30, 2008 and litigation and regulatory settlements), severance, relocation costs, consolidation and closing costs, integration and facilities opening costs, spin-off costs, business optimization costs and expenses (including data center consolidation initiatives and other costs relating to initiatives aimed at profitability improvements), transition costs, restructuring costs, charges or reserves, signing, retention or completion bonuses, and curtailments or modifications to pension and post-retirement employee benefit plans shall be excluded,

(2) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles during such period shall be excluded,

(3) any after-tax effect of income (loss) from disposed, abandoned or discontinued operations and any net after-tax gains or losses on disposal of disposed, abandoned, transferred, closed or discontinued operations shall be excluded,

(4) any after-tax effect of gains or losses (less all fees and expenses relating thereto) attributable to asset dispositions or abandonments other than in the ordinary course of business, as determined in good faith by the Issuer, shall be excluded,

(5) the Net Income for such period of any Person that is an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be excluded, and, solely for the purpose of determining the amount available for Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a)(3)(a) hereof, the Net Income for such period of any Person that is not a Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting shall be excluded; provided that Consolidated Net Income of the Issuer shall be increased by the amount of dividends or distributions or other payments that are actually paid in cash (or to the extent converted into cash) to the referent Person or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof in respect of such period,

 

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(6) solely for the purpose of determining the amount available for Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a)(3)(a) hereof, the Net Income for such period of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than any Guarantor) shall be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of its Net Income is not at the date of determination wholly permitted without any prior governmental approval (which has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, is otherwise restricted by the operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders, unless such restriction with respect to the payment of dividends or similar distributions has been legally waived; provided that Consolidated Net Income of the Issuer will be increased by the amount of dividends or other distributions or other payments actually paid in cash (or to the extent converted into cash) or Cash Equivalents to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary thereof in respect of such period, to the extent not already included therein,

(7) effects of adjustments (including the effects of such adjustments pushed down to the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries) in such Person’s consolidated financial statements pursuant to GAAP resulting from the application of recapitalization accounting or purchase accounting in relation to the Transactions, the offering of the Notes or any consummated acquisition or the amortization or write-off of any amounts thereof, net of taxes, shall be excluded,

(8) any effect of income (loss) from the early extinguishment of Indebtedness shall be excluded,

(9) the mark-to-market effects on Net Income during the period of any derivatives or similar financial instruments, including the ineffective portion of Hedging Obligations (other than such effects settled in cash), shall be excluded,

(10) any impairment charge or asset write-off or write-down, including, without limitation, impairment charges or asset write-offs related to intangible assets, long-lived assets or investments in debt and equity securities, in each case, pursuant to GAAP and the amortization of intangibles arising pursuant to GAAP shall be excluded,

(11) any non-cash compensation charge or expense, including any such charge arising from grants of stock appreciation or similar rights, stock options, restricted stock or other rights, and any cash charges associated with the rollover, acceleration or payout of Equity Interests by management of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies in connection with the Transactions, shall be excluded,

(12) any fees and expenses incurred during such period, or any amortization thereof for such period, in connection with any acquisition, Investment, Asset Sale, issuance or repayment of Indebtedness, issuance of Equity Interests, refinancing transaction or amendment or modification of any debt instrument (in each case, including any such transaction consummated prior to the Issue Date and any such transaction undertaken but not completed) and any charges or non-recurring merger costs incurred during such period as a result of any such transaction shall be excluded,

(13) accruals and reserves that are established or adjusted within twelve months after September 24, 2007 that are so required to be established as a result of the Transactions in accordance with GAAP, or changes as a result of adoption or modification of accounting policies, shall be excluded, and

 

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(14) to the extent covered by insurance and actually reimbursed, or, so long as the Issuer has made a determination that there exists reasonable evidence that such amount will in fact be reimbursed by the insurer and only to the extent that such amount is (a) not denied by the applicable carrier in writing within 180 days and (b) in fact reimbursed within 365 days of the date of such evidence (with a deduction for any amount so added back to the extent not so reimbursed within 365 days), expenses with respect to liability or casualty events or business interruption shall be excluded.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purpose of Section 4.07 hereof only (other than Section 4.07(a)(3)(d) hereof), there shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income any income arising from any sale or other disposition of Restricted Investments made by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, any repurchases and redemptions of Restricted Investments from the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, any repayments of loans and advances which constitute Restricted Investments by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, any sale of the stock of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or any distribution or dividend from an Unrestricted Subsidiary, in each case only to the extent such amounts increase the amount of Restricted Payments permitted under Section 4.07(a)(3)(d) hereof. Furthermore, there shall be excluded from Consolidated Net Income any net income (losses) attributable to Integrated Payment Systems Inc. and Integrated Payment Systems Canada Inc.

Consolidated Secured Debt Ratio ” as of any date of determination, means the ratio of (1) Consolidated Total Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries that is secured by Liens on collateral securing the Senior Credit Facility, less the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents held (free and clear of all Liens, other than Liens permitted under Section 4.12 hereof, other than clause (20) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” herein) by (A) the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than settlement assets as shown on the balance sheet of such Person) and (B) any Joint Venture (other than settlement assets as shown on the balance sheet of such Person) in an amount corresponding to the Issuer’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s, as applicable, proportionate share thereof, based on its ownership of such Joint Venture’s voting stock, computed as of the end of the most recent fiscal period for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur to (2) the Issuer’s EBITDA for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such event for which such calculation is being made shall occur, in each case with such pro forma adjustments to Consolidated Total Indebtedness and EBITDA as are appropriate and consistent with the pro forma adjustment provisions set forth in the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio.”

Consolidated Total Indebtedness ” means, as at any date of determination, an amount equal to the sum of (1) the aggregate amount of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis consisting of Indebtedness for borrowed money, Obligations in respect of Capitalized Lease Obligations and debt obligations evidenced by promissory notes and similar instruments (and excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, all obligations relating to Receivables Facilities) and (2) the aggregate amount of all outstanding Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and all Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock of its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, with the amount of such Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock equal to the greater of their respective voluntary or involuntary liquidation preferences and maximum fixed repurchase prices, in each case determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For purposes hereof, the “ maximum fixed

 

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repurchase price ” of any Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock that does not have a fixed repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock as if such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock were purchased on any date on which Consolidated Total Indebtedness shall be required to be determined pursuant to this Indenture, and if such price is based upon, or measured by, the fair market value of such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, such fair market value shall be determined reasonably and in good faith by the Issuer.

Contingent Obligations ” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person guaranteeing any leases, dividends or other obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness (“ primary obligations ”) of any other Person (the “ primary obligor ”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, including, without limitation, any obligation of such Person, whether or not contingent,

(1) to purchase any such primary obligation or any property constituting direct or indirect security therefor,

(2) to advance or supply funds

(a) for the purchase or payment of any such primary obligation, or

(b) to maintain working capital or equity capital of the primary obligor or otherwise to maintain the net worth or solvency of the primary obligor, or

(3) to purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of any such primary obligation of the ability of the primary obligor to make payment of such primary obligation against loss in respect thereof.

Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee ” shall be at the address of the Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof or such other address as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Holders and the Issuer.

Credit Facilities ” means, with respect to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, one or more debt facilities, including the Senior Credit Facility, or other financing arrangements (including, without limitation, commercial paper facilities or indentures) providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, letters of credit or other long-term indebtedness, including any notes, mortgages, guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements or refundings thereof and any indentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities that replace, refund or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such replacement, refunding or refinancing facility or indenture that increases the amount permitted to be borrowed thereunder or alters the maturity thereof ( provided that such increase in borrowings is permitted under Section 4.09 hereof) or adds Restricted Subsidiaries as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder and whether by the same or any other agent, lender or group of lenders.

Custodian ” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes in global form, or any successor entity thereto.

Default ” means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.

 

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Definitive Note ” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06(c) hereof, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.

Depositary ” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03 hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as Depositary hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provision of this Indenture.

Designated Non-cash Consideration ” means the fair market value of non-cash consideration received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with an Asset Sale that is so designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate, setting forth the basis of such valuation, executed by the principal financial officer of the Issuer, less the amount of cash or Cash Equivalents received in connection with a subsequent sale of or collection on such Designated Non-cash Consideration.

Designated Preferred Stock ” means Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any parent company thereof (in each case other than Disqualified Stock) that is issued for cash (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary or an employee stock ownership plan or trust established by the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries) and is so designated as Designated Preferred Stock, pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate executed by the principal financial officer of the Issuer or the applicable parent company thereof, as the case may be, on the issuance date thereof, the cash proceeds of which are excluded from the calculation set forth in clause (3) of Section 4.07(a) hereof.

Disqualified Stock ” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock of such Person which, by its terms, or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is putable or exchangeable, or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than solely as a result of a change of control or asset sale) pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof (other than solely as a result of a change of control or asset sale), in whole or in part, in each case prior to the date 91 days after the earlier of the maturity date of the Notes or the date the Notes are no longer outstanding; provided , however , that if such Capital Stock is issued to any plan for the benefit of employees of the Issuer or its Subsidiaries or by any such plan to such employees, such Capital Stock shall not constitute Disqualified Stock solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Issuer or its Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations.

EBITDA ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period

(1) increased (without duplication) by:

(a) provision for taxes based on income or profits or capital gains, including, without limitation, foreign, federal, state, franchise and similar taxes (such as the Pennsylvania capital tax) and foreign withholding taxes (including penalties and interest related to such taxes or arising from tax examinations) of such Person paid or accrued during such period deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income; plus

 

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(b) Fixed Charges of such Person for such period (including (x) net losses on Hedging Obligations or other derivative instruments entered into for the purpose of hedging interest rate risk and (y) costs of surety bonds in connection with financing activities, in each case, to the extent included in Fixed Charges), together with items excluded from the definition of “Consolidated Interest Expense” pursuant to clauses (1)(t), (u), (v), (w), (x), (y) and (z) of the definition thereof, and, in each such case, to the extent the same were deducted (and not added back) in calculating such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(c) Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization Expense of such Person for such period to the extent the same was deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income; plus

(d) any expenses or charges (other than depreciation or amortization expense) related to any Equity Offering, Permitted Investment, acquisition, disposition, recapitalization or the incurrence of Indebtedness (and any amendment or modification to any such transaction) permitted to be incurred by this Indenture (including a refinancing thereof) (whether or not successful), including (i) such fees, expenses or charges related to the offering of the Notes, the Bridge Facilities and any refinancing thereof and the Senior Credit Facility and (ii) any amendment or other modification of the Notes, and, in each case, deducted (and not added back) in computing Consolidated Net Income; plus

(e) any other non-cash charges, including any write-offs or write-downs, reducing Consolidated Net Income for such period ( provided that if any such non-cash charges represent an accrual or reserve for potential cash items in any future period, the cash payment in respect thereof in such future period shall be subtracted from EBITDA to such extent, and excluding amortization of a prepaid cash item that was paid in a prior period); plus

(f) the amount of any minority interest expense consisting of income attributable to minority equity interests of third parties deducted (and not added back) in such period in calculating Consolidated Net Income; plus

(g) the amount of management, monitoring, consulting and advisory fees and related expenses paid in such period to the Investors to the extent otherwise permitted under Section 4.11 hereof; plus

(h) the amount of net cost savings and net cash flow effect of revenue enhancements related to new agreements, or amendments to existing agreements, with customers or joint ventures, projected by the Issuer in good faith to be realized as a result of specified actions taken or to be taken (calculated on a pro forma basis as though such cost savings and revenue enhancements had been realized on the first day of such period), net of the amount of actual benefits realized during such period from such actions; provided that (x) such cost savings and enhancements are reasonably identifiable and factually supportable, (y) such actions have been taken or are to be taken within 12 months after the date of determination to take such action and (z) no cost savings or revenue enhancements shall be added pursuant to this clause (h) to the extent duplicative of any expenses or charges relating to such cost savings that are included in clause (e) above with respect to such period (which adjustments may be incremental to pro forma adjustments made pursuant to the second paragraph of the definition of “Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio”); plus

 

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(i) the amount of loss on sales of receivables and related assets to the Receivables Subsidiary in connection with a Receivables Facility; plus

(j) any costs or expense incurred by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement or any stock subscription or shareholder agreement, to the extent that such cost or expenses are funded with cash proceeds contributed to the capital of the Issuer or net cash proceeds of an issuance of Equity Interests of the Issuer (other than Disqualified Stock) solely to the extent that such net cash proceeds are excluded from the calculation set forth in clause (3) of Section 4.07(a) hereof; plus

(k) an amount equal to the Issuer’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ proportional share of the items described in clauses (1)(a) and (b) of this definition relating to each Joint Venture, in each case determined as if such Joint Venture was a Restricted Subsidiary;

(2) decreased by (without duplication) non-cash gains increasing Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period, excluding any non-cash gains to the extent they represent the reversal of an accrual or reserve for a potential cash item that reduced EBITDA in any prior period; and

(3) increased or decreased by (without duplication):

(a) any net gain or loss resulting in such period from Hedging Obligations and the application of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 and its related pronouncements and interpretations; plus or minus , as applicable, and

(b) any net gain or loss resulting in such period from currency translation gains or losses related to currency remeasurements of Indebtedness (including any net loss or gain resulting from Hedging Obligations for currency exchange risk).

EMU ” means the economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.

Equity Interests ” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock, but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock.

Equity Offering ” means any public or private sale of common stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies (excluding Disqualified Stock), other than:

(1) public offerings with respect to the Issuer’s or any direct or indirect parent company’s common stock registered on Form S-8;

(2) issuances to any Subsidiary of the Issuer; and

(3) any such public or private sale that constitutes an Excluded Contribution.

 

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euro ” means the single currency of participating member states of the EMU.

Euroclear ” means Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

Exchange Notes ” means any notes issued in exchange for the Notes pursuant to Section 2.06(f) hereof.

Exchange Offer ” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Exchange Offer Registration Statement ” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Excluded Contribution ” means net cash proceeds, marketable securities or Qualified Proceeds received by the Issuer after September 24, 2007 from:

(1) contributions to its common equity capital, and

(2) the sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Issuer or to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement of the Issuer) of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock and Designated Preferred Stock) of the Issuer,

in each case designated as Excluded Contributions pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate executed by the principal financial officer of the Issuer on the date such capital contributions are made or the date such Equity Interests are sold, as the case may be, which are excluded from the calculation set forth in clause (3) of Section 4.07(a) hereof.

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the ratio of EBITDA of such Person for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurs, assumes, guarantees, redeems, retires or extinguishes any Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness incurred under any revolving credit facility unless such Indebtedness has been permanently repaid and has not been replaced) or issues or redeems Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is being calculated but prior to or simultaneously with the event for which the calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the “ Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date ”), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, guarantee, redemption, retirement or extinguishment of Indebtedness, or such issuance or redemption of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period.

For purposes of making the computation referred to above, Investments, acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, consolidations and disposed operations (as determined in accordance with GAAP) that have been made by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to or simultaneously with the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date shall be calculated on a pro forma basis assuming that all such Investments, acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, consolidations and disposed operations (and the change

 

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in any associated fixed charge obligations and the change in EBITDA resulting therefrom) had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period. If, since the beginning of such period, any Person that subsequently became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged with or into the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries since the beginning of such period shall have made any Investment, acquisition, disposition, merger, consolidation or disposed operation that would have required adjustment pursuant to this definition, then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro forma effect thereto for such period as if such Investment, acquisition, disposition, merger, consolidation or disposed operation had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period.

For purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to a transaction, the pro forma calculations shall be made in good faith by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Issuer (and may include, for the avoidance of doubt, cost savings and operating expense reductions resulting from such Investment, acquisition, merger or consolidation which is being given pro forma effect that have been or are expected to be realized). If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being given pro forma effect, the interest on such Indebtedness shall be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligations applicable to such Indebtedness). Interest on a Capitalized Lease Obligation shall be deemed to accrue at an interest rate reasonably determined by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Issuer to be the rate of interest implicit in such Capitalized Lease Obligation in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of making the computation referred to above, interest on any Indebtedness under a revolving credit facility computed on a pro forma basis shall be computed based upon the average daily balance of such Indebtedness during the applicable period except as set forth in the first paragraph of this definition. Interest on Indebtedness that may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a eurocurrency interbank offered rate or other rate shall be deemed to have been based upon the rate actually chosen, or, if none, then based upon such optional rate chosen as the Issuer may designate. Any such pro forma calculation may include adjustments appropriate to exclude from EBITDA the results of Integrated Payment Systems Inc. and Integrated Payment Systems Canada Inc.

Fixed Charges ” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum of:

(1) Consolidated Interest Expense of such Person for such period;

(2) all cash dividends or other distributions paid (excluding items eliminated in consolidation) on any series of Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary during such period; and

(3) all cash dividends or other distributions paid (excluding items eliminated in consolidation) on any series of Disqualified Stock during such period.

Foreign Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person that is not organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and any Restricted Subsidiary of such Foreign Subsidiary.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States which are in effect on September 24, 2007.

Global Note Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(ii) hereof, which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under this Indenture.

 

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Global Notes ” means, individually and collectively, each of the Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, issued in accordance with Section 2.01, 2.06(a), 2.06(b), 2.06(d) or 2.06(f) hereof.

Government Securities ” means securities that are:

(1) direct obligations of the United States of America for the timely payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged; or

(2) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America,

which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuers thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act), as custodian with respect to any such Government Securities or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such Government Securities held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Securities or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the Government Securities evidenced by such depository receipt.

guarantee ” means a guarantee (other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business), direct or indirect, in any manner (including letters of credit and reimbursement agreements in respect thereof), of all or any part of any Indebtedness or other obligations.

Guarantee ” means the guarantee by any Guarantor of the Issuer’s Obligations under this Indenture.

Guarantor ” means each Restricted Subsidiary that Guarantees the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

Hedging Obligations ” means, with respect to any Person, the obligations of such Person under any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, commodity swap agreement, commodity cap agreement, commodity collar agreement, foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or similar agreement providing for the transfer or mitigation of interest rate or currency risks either generally or under specific contingencies.

Holdco Indenture ” means the indenture dated as of September 24, 2007 entered into between Holdings and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to the Holdco Notes.

Holdco Notes ” means the $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 11  1 / 2 % Senior PIK Notes due 2016 issued by Holdings.

Holder ” means the Person in whose name a Note is registered on the Registrar’s books.

Holdings ” shall mean New Omaha Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its successors.

 

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Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any Person, without duplication:

(1) any indebtedness (including principal and premium) of such Person, whether or not contingent:

(a) in respect of borrowed money;

(b) evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit or bankers’ acceptances (or, without duplication, reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);

(c) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property (including Capitalized Lease Obligations), except (i) any such balance that constitutes an obligation in respect of a commercial letter of credit, a trade payable or similar obligation to a trade creditor, in each case accrued in the ordinary course of business and (ii) any earn-out obligations until such obligation, within 60 days of becoming due and payable, has not been paid and becomes a liability on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with GAAP; or

(d) representing any Hedging Obligations;

if and to the extent that any of the foregoing Indebtedness (other than letters of credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet (excluding the footnotes thereto) of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP;

(2) to the extent not otherwise included, any obligation by such Person to be liable for, or to pay, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise on, the obligations of the type referred to in clause (1) of a third Person (whether or not such items would appear upon the balance sheet of the such obligor or guarantor), other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business; provided that the amount of Indebtedness of any Person for purposes of this clause (2) shall be deemed to be equal to the lesser of (i) the aggregate unpaid amount of such Indebtedness and (ii) the fair market value of the property encumbered thereby as determined by such Person in good faith; and

(3) to the extent not otherwise included, the obligations of the type referred to in clause (1) of a third Person secured by a Lien on any asset owned by such first Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such first Person;

provided , however , that notwithstanding the foregoing, Indebtedness shall be deemed not to include (a) Contingent Obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business, (b) obligations under or in respect of Receivables Facilities or (c) Settlement Indebtedness.

Indenture ” means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

Independent Financial Advisor ” means an accounting, appraisal, investment banking firm or consultant to Persons engaged in Similar Businesses of nationally recognized standing that is, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, qualified to perform the task for which it has been engaged.

 

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Indirect Participant ” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.

Initial Notes ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

Initial Purchasers ” means Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

Interest Payment Date ” means March 31 and September 30 of each year to Stated Maturity.

Investment Grade Rating ” means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, or an equivalent rating by any other Rating Agency.

Investment Grade Securities ” means:

(1) securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof (other than Cash Equivalents);

(2) debt securities or debt instruments with an Investment Grade Rating, but excluding any debt securities or instruments constituting loans or advances among the Issuer and its Subsidiaries;

(3) investments in any fund that invests exclusively in investments of the type described in clauses (1) and (2) which fund may also hold immaterial amounts of cash pending investment or distribution; and

(4) corresponding instruments in countries other than the United States customarily utilized for high quality investments.

Investments ” means, with respect to any Person, all investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the form of loans (including guarantees), advances or capital contributions (excluding accounts receivable, trade credit, advances to customers, commissions, travel and similar advances to officers and employees, in each case made in the ordinary course of business), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities issued by any other Person and investments that are required by GAAP to be classified on the balance sheet (excluding the footnotes) of the Issuer in the same manner as the other investments included in this definition to the extent such transactions involve the transfer of cash or other property. For purposes of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary” and Section 4.07 hereof:

(1) “Investments” shall include the portion (proportionate to the Issuer’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of a Subsidiary of the Issuer at the time that such Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that upon a redesignation of such Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary, the Issuer shall be deemed to continue to have a permanent “Investment” in an Unrestricted Subsidiary in an amount (if positive) equal to:

(a) the Issuer’s “Investment” in such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; less

 

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(b) the portion (proportionate to the Issuer’s equity interest in such Subsidiary) of the fair market value of the net assets of such Subsidiary at the time of such redesignation; and

(2) any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be valued at its fair market value at the time of such transfer, in each case fair market value as determined in good faith by the Issuer.

Investors ” means Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., KKR 2006 Fund L.P., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Management LLC, Deutsche Bank Investment Partners, Inc., HSBC Bank plc, LB I Group Inc., GMI Investments, Inc., Citigroup Capital Partners II 2007, Citigroup Investment, L.P., Citigroup Capital Partners II Employee Master Fund, L.P., Citigroup Capital Partners II Onshore, L.P., Citigroup Capital Partners II Cayman Holdings, L.P., CGI CPE LLC, GS Capital Partners VI Parallel, L.P., GS Capital Partners VI GmbH & Co. KG, GS Capital Partners VI Fund, L.P., GS Capital Partners VI Offshore Fund, L.P., GS Mezzanine Partners 2006 Fund, L.P. and Goldman Sachs Investments Ltd. and each of their respective Affiliates but not including, however, any portfolio companies of any of the foregoing.

Issue Date ” means October 24, 2007.

Issuer ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto and its successors; provided that when used in the context of determining the fair market value of an asset or liability under this Indenture, “Issuer” shall be deemed to mean the board of directors of the Issuer when the fair market value is equal to or in excess of $500.0 million (unless otherwise expressly stated).

Joint Venture ” shall mean, at any date of determination, each joint venture accounted for as an equity method investee of the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries, determined in accordance with GAAP.

Legal Holiday ” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banking institutions are not required to be open in the State of New York or the State of Minnesota.

Lender ” means any Lender as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement.

Letter of Transmittal ” means the letter of transmittal to be prepared by the Issuer and sent to all Holders of the Notes for use by such Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer.

Lien ” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien (statutory or otherwise), pledge, hypothecation, charge, security interest, preference, priority or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes) of any jurisdiction; provided that in no event shall an operating lease be deemed to constitute a Lien.

 

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Merchant Acquisition and Processing Alliance ” shall mean any joint venture or other strategic alliance entered into with any financial institution or other third party primarily entered into to offer Merchant Services.

Merchant Agreement ” shall mean any contract entered into with a merchant relating to the provision of Merchant Services.

Merchant Services ” shall mean services provided to merchants relating to the authorization, transaction capture, settlement, chargeback handling and internet-based transaction processing of credit, debit, stored-value and loyalty card and other payment transactions (including provision of point of service devices and other equipment necessary to capture merchant transactions and other ancillary services).

Moody’s ” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor to its rating agency business.

Net Income ” means, with respect to any Person, the net income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of Preferred Stock dividends.

Net Proceeds ” means the aggregate cash proceeds received by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale, including any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any Designated Non-cash Consideration received in any Asset Sale, net of the direct costs relating to such Asset Sale and the sale or disposition of such Designated Non-cash Consideration, including legal, accounting and investment banking fees, and brokerage and sales commissions, any relocation expenses incurred as a result thereof, taxes paid or payable as a result thereof (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements), amounts required to be applied to the repayment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on Senior Indebtedness required (other than required by clause (1) of Section 4.10(b) hereof) to be paid as a result of such transaction and any deduction of appropriate amounts to be provided by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as a reserve in accordance with GAAP against any liabilities associated with the asset disposed of in such transaction and retained by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries after such sale or other disposition thereof, including pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities and liabilities related to environmental matters or against any indemnification obligations associated with such transaction.

Notes ” means the Initial Notes (including, in each case, any Exchange Notes issued in exchange therefor), and more particularly means any Note authenticated and delivered under this Indenture. For purposes of this Indenture, the term “Notes” shall also include any Additional Notes that may be issued under a supplemental indenture. For purposes of this Indenture, all references to Notes to be issued or authenticated upon transfer, replacement or exchange shall be deemed to refer to Notes of the applicable series.

Obligations ” means any principal, interest (including any interest accruing subsequent to the filing of a petition in bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, whether or not such interest is an allowed claim under applicable state, federal or foreign law), premium, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements (including reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances), damages and other liabilities, and guarantees of payment of such principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities, payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

 

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Offering Memorandum ” means the offering memorandum, dated October 16, 2007 relating to the sale of the Initial Notes.

Officer ” means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Issuer or a Guarantor, as applicable.

Officer’s Certificate ” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Issuer by an Officer of the Issuer or on behalf of a Guarantor by an Officer of such Guarantor, who must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or the principal accounting officer of the Issuer, that meets the requirements set forth in this Indenture.

Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Issuer or the Trustee.

Original Issue Discount Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(iv) hereof to be placed on all Global Notes issued with original issue discount.

Participant ” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively (and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

Permitted Asset Swap ” means the concurrent purchase and sale or exchange of Related Business Assets or a combination of Related Business Assets and cash or Cash Equivalents between the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and another Person; provided that any cash or Cash Equivalents received must be applied in accordance with Section 4.10 hereof.

Permitted Holders ” means each of the Investors, members of management of the Issuer (or its direct or indirect parent) and any group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act or any successor provision) of which any of the foregoing are members; provided that, in the case of such group and without giving effect to the existence of such group or any other group, such Investors and members of management, collectively, have beneficial ownership of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies. Any Person or group whose acquisition of beneficial ownership constitutes a Change of Control in respect of which a Change of Control Offer is made in accordance with the requirements of this Indenture will thereafter, together with its Affiliates, constitute an additional Permitted Holder.

Permitted Investments ” means:

(1) any Investment in the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2) any Investment in cash and Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities;

(3) any Investment by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in a Person that is engaged in a Similar Business if as a result of such Investment:

(a) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; or

 

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(b) such Person, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, is merged or consolidated with or into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary,

and, in each case, any Investment held by such Person; provided that such Investment was not acquired by such Person in contemplation of such acquisition, merger, consolidation or transfer;

(4) any Investment in securities or other assets not constituting cash, Cash Equivalents or Investment Grade Securities and received in connection with an Asset Sale made pursuant to the provisions described under Section 4.10 hereof or any other disposition of assets not constituting an Asset Sale;

(5) any Investment existing on September 24, 2007 or made pursuant to a binding commitment in effect on September 24, 2007;

(6) any Investment acquired by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries:

(a) in exchange for any other Investment or accounts receivable held by the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of a bankruptcy, workout, reorganization or recapitalization of the issuer of such other Investment or accounts receivable; or

(b) as a result of a foreclosure by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment in default;

(7) Hedging Obligations permitted under Section 4.09(b)(10) hereof;

(8) any Investment in a Similar Business having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (8) that are at that time outstanding, not to exceed 2.5% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value);

(9) Investments the payment for which consists of Equity Interests (exclusive of Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies; provided , however , that such Equity Interests will not increase the amount available for Restricted Payments under Section 4.07(a)(3) hereof;

(10) guarantees of Indebtedness permitted under Section 4.09 hereof;

(11) any transaction to the extent it constitutes an Investment that is permitted and made in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.11(b) hereof (except transactions described in clauses (2), (5) and (9) of Section 4.11(b) hereof);

(12) Investments consisting of purchases and acquisitions of inventory, supplies, material or equipment;

 

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(13) additional Investments having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (13) that are at that time outstanding (without giving effect to the sale of an Unrestricted Subsidiary to the extent the proceeds of such sale do not consist of cash or marketable securities), not to exceed 3.5% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value);

(14) Investments relating to a Receivables Subsidiary that, in the good faith determination of the Issuer, is necessary or advisable to effect any Receivables Facility;

(15) advances to, or guarantees of Indebtedness of, employees not in excess of $50.0 million outstanding at any one time, in the aggregate;

(16) loans and advances to officers, directors and employees for business-related travel expenses, moving expenses and other similar expenses, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business or consistent with past practices or to fund such Person’s purchase of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent company thereof;

(17) any Investment in any joint venture existing on September 24, 2007 to the extent contemplated by the organizational documents of such joint venture as in existence on September 24, 2007;

(18) any Investment in any Subsidiary or any joint venture in connection with intercompany cash management arrangements or related activities arising in the ordinary course of business;

(19) any Investment arising in the ordinary course of business as a result of any Settlement, including Investments in and of Settlement Assets; and

(20) Investments of assets made pursuant to any non-qualified deferred compensation plan sponsored by the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Permitted Liens ” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) pledges or deposits by such Person under workmen’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which such Person is a party, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of such Person or deposits of cash or U.S. government bonds to secure surety or appeal bonds to which such Person is a party, or deposits as security for contested taxes or import duties or for the payment of rent, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(2) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ Liens, in each case for sums not yet overdue for a period of more than 30 days or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or other Liens arising out of judgments or awards against such Person with respect to which such Person shall then be proceeding with an appeal or other proceedings for review if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of such Person in accordance with GAAP;

 

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(3) Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges not yet overdue for a period of more than 30 days or payable or subject to penalties for nonpayment or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of such Person in accordance with GAAP;

(4) Liens in favor of issuers of performance and surety bonds or bid bonds or with respect to other regulatory requirements or letters of credit issued pursuant to the request of and for the account of such Person in the ordinary course of its business;

(5) minor survey exceptions, minor encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, licenses, rights-of-way, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other similar purposes, or zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real properties or Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of such Person or to the ownership of its properties which were not incurred in connection with Indebtedness and which do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person;

(6) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (1), (4), (12), (13), (18) or (19) of Section 4.09(b) hereof; provided that (a) Liens securing Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (13) relate only to Refinancing Indebtedness that serves to refund or refinance Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock incurred under clause (4) or (12) of Section 4.09(b) hereof, (b) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (18) extend only to the assets of Foreign Subsidiaries, (c) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (19) are solely on acquired property or the assets of the acquired entity, as the case may be and (d) Liens securing Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (4) of Section 4.09(b) hereof extend only to the assets so financed, purchased, constructed or improved;

(7) Liens existing on September 24, 2007 (other than Liens in favor of the lenders under the Senior Credit Facility);

(8) Liens on property or shares of stock of a Person at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided , however , such Liens are not created or incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person becoming such a Subsidiary; provided , further , however , that such Liens may not extend to any other property owned by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(9) Liens on property at the time the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary acquired the property, including any acquisition by means of a merger or consolidation with or into the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided , however , that such Liens are not created or incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such acquisition; provided , further , however , that the Liens may not extend to any other property owned by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(10) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary permitted to be incurred in accordance with Section 4.09 hereof;

 

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(11) Liens securing Hedging Obligations so long as the related Indebtedness is, and is permitted to be under this Indenture, secured by a Lien on the same property securing such Hedging Obligations;

(12) Liens on specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person’s obligations in respect of bankers’ acceptances issued or created for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory or other goods;

(13) leases, subleases, licenses or sublicenses granted to others in the ordinary course of business which do not materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and do not secure any Indebtedness;

(14) Liens arising from Uniform Commercial Code financing statement filings regarding operating leases entered into by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(15) Liens in favor of the Issuer or any Guarantor;

(16) Liens on equipment of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries granted in the ordinary course of business;

(17) Liens on accounts receivable and related assets incurred in connection with a Receivables Facility;

(18) Liens to secure any refinancing, refunding, extension, renewal or replacement (or successive refinancings, refundings, extensions, renewals or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any Indebtedness secured by any Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (6), (7), (8) and (9); provided , however , that (a) such new Lien shall be limited to all or part of the same property that secured the original Lien (plus improvements on such property), and (b) the Indebtedness secured by such Lien at such time is not increased to any amount greater than the sum of (i) the outstanding principal amount or, if greater, committed amount of the Indebtedness described under the foregoing clauses (6), (7), (8) and (9) at the time the original Lien became a Permitted Lien under this Indenture, and (ii) an amount necessary to pay any fees and expenses, including premiums, related to such refinancing, refunding, extension, renewal or replacement;

(19) deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure liability to insurance carriers;

(20) other Liens securing obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business which obligations do not exceed $100.0 million at any one time outstanding;

(21) Liens securing judgments for the payment of money not constituting an Event of Default under clause (6) under Section 6.01(a) hereof so long as such Liens are adequately bonded and any appropriate legal proceedings that may have been duly initiated for the review of such judgment have not been finally terminated or the period within which such proceedings may be initiated has not expired;

 

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(22) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the ordinary course of business;

(23) Liens (i) of a collection bank arising under Section 4-210 of the Uniform Commercial Code, or any comparable or successor provision, on items in the course of collection, (ii) attaching to commodity trading accounts or other commodity brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business, and (iii) in favor of banking institutions arising as a matter of law encumbering deposits (including the right of set-off) and which are within the general parameters customary in the banking industry;

(24) Liens deemed to exist in connection with Investments in repurchase agreements permitted under Section 4.09 hereof; provided that such Liens do not extend to any assets other than those that are the subject of such repurchase agreements;

(25) Liens encumbering reasonable customary initial deposits and margin deposits and similar Liens attaching to commodity trading accounts or other brokerage accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes;

(26) Liens that are contractual rights of set-off (i) relating to the establishment of depository relations with banks not given in connection with the issuance of Indebtedness, (ii) relating to pooled deposit or sweep accounts of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to permit satisfaction of overdraft or similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) relating to purchase orders and other agreements entered into with customers of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(27) Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for the sale or purchase of goods entered into by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business; and

(28) Settlement Liens.

For purposes of this definition, the term “Indebtedness” shall be deemed to include interest on such Indebtedness.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

Preferred Stock ” means any Equity Interest with preferential rights of payment of dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

Private Placement Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(i) hereof to be placed on all Notes issued under this Indenture, except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of this Indenture.

QIB ” means a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A.

 

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Qualified Proceeds ” means assets that are used or useful in, or Capital Stock of any Person engaged in, a Similar Business; provided that the fair market value of any such assets or Capital Stock shall be determined by the Issuer in good faith.

Rating Agencies ” means Moody’s and S&P or if Moody’s or S&P or both shall not make a rating on the applicable security or other investment publicly available, a nationally recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may be, selected by the Issuer which shall be substituted for Moody’s or S&P or both, as the case may be.

Receivables Facility ” means any of one or more receivables financing facilities as amended, supplemented, modified, extended, renewed, restated or refunded from time to time, the Obligations of which are non-recourse (except for customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities made in connection with such facilities) to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than a Receivables Subsidiary) pursuant to which the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries purports to sell its accounts receivable to either (a) a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or (b) a Receivables Subsidiary that in turn funds such purchase by purporting to sell its accounts receivable to a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or by borrowing from such a Person or from another Receivables Subsidiary that in turn funds itself by borrowing from such a Person.

Receivables Fees ” means distributions or payments made directly or by means of discounts with respect to any accounts receivable or participation interest therein issued or sold in connection with, and other fees paid to a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary in connection with any Receivables Facility.

Receivables Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary formed for the purpose of facilitating or entering into one or more Receivables Facilities, and in each case engages only in activities reasonably related or incidental thereto.

Record Date ” for the interest or Additional Interest, if any, payable on any applicable Interest Payment Date means March 15 or September 15 (whether or not a Business Day) preceding such Interest Payment Date.

Registration Rights Agreement ” means the Registration Rights Agreement related to the Notes, dated as of the Issue Date, among the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers, as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time and, with respect to any Additional Notes, one or more registration rights agreements between the Issuer and the other parties thereto, as such agreement(s) may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, relating to rights given by the Issuer to the purchasers of Additional Notes to register such Additional Notes under the Securities Act.

Regulation S ” means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act.

Regulation S Global Note ” means a Regulation S Temporary Global Note or Regulation S Permanent Global Note, as applicable.

Regulation S Permanent Global Note ” means a permanent Global Note in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend, the Private Placement Legend and the Original Issue Discount Legend and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note upon expiration of the Restricted Period.

 

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Regulation S Temporary Global Note ” means a temporary Global Note in the form of Exhibit A hereto, bearing the Global Note Legend, the Private Placement Legend, the Original Issue Discount Legend and the Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially sold in reliance on Rule 903.

Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(iii) hereof.

Related Business Assets ” means assets (other than cash or Cash Equivalents) used or useful in a Similar Business; provided that any assets received by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for assets transferred by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary will not be deemed to be Related Business Assets if they consist of securities of a Person, unless upon receipt of the securities of such Person, such Person would become a Restricted Subsidiary.

Required Debt ” means the outstanding principal amount of (1) the Notes (including any Additional Notes), other than Notes beneficially owned by the Issuer or its Affiliates, (2) the Senior Interim Debt (excluding any Senior Interim Debt held by Defaulting Lenders (as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement)), (3) the Senior Cash Pay Notes (as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement), (4) the Senior PIK Notes (as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement) and (5) any securities issued to refinance or replace any of the items described in clauses (2) through (4) of this definition, at such date voting as a single class, to the extent permitted under this Indenture and the Senior Interim Debt Agreement.

Required Holders ” means Persons holding the Required Debt.

Responsible Officer ” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such Person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

Restricted Definitive Note ” means a Definitive Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Global Note ” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement Legend and the Original Issue Discount Legend.

Restricted Investment ” means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

Restricted Period ” means the 40-day distribution compliance period as defined in Regulation S.

 

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Restricted Subsidiary ” means, at any time, any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Issuer (including any Foreign Subsidiary) that is not then an Unrestricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that upon an Unrestricted Subsidiary’s ceasing to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary shall be included in the definition of “Restricted Subsidiary.”

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A ” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 903 ” means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 904 ” means Rule 904 promulgated under the Securities Act.

S&P ” means Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and any successor to its rating agency business.

Sale and Lease-Back Transaction ” means any arrangement providing for the leasing by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of any real or tangible personal property, which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary to a third Person in contemplation of such leasing.

SEC ” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secured Indebtedness ” means any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries secured by a Lien.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

Senior Credit Facility ” means the credit agreement dated as of September 24, 2007 by and among the Issuer, the lenders party thereto in their capacities as lenders thereunder and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as administrative agent, including any guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements, refundings or refinancings thereof and any indentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors that replace, refund or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such replacement, refunding or refinancing facility or indenture that increases the amount borrowable thereunder or alters the maturity thereof so long as such increase in borrowings is permitted under Section 4.09.

Senior Indebtedness ” means:

(1) all Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor outstanding under the Senior Credit Facility or the Notes and related Guarantees (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or similar proceeding or for reorganization of the Issuer or any Guarantor (at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, regardless of whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings)), and any and all other fees, expense reimbursement obligations, indemnification amounts, penalties, and other amounts (whether existing on the Issue Date or thereafter created or incurred) and all obligations of the Issuer or any Guarantor to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts paid under letters of credit, acceptances or other similar instruments;

 

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(2) all Hedging Obligations (and guarantees thereof) owing to a Lender (as defined in the Senior Credit Facility) or any Affiliate of such Lender (or any Person that was a Lender or an Affiliate of such Lender at the time the applicable agreement giving rise to such Hedging Obligation was entered into); provided that such Hedging Obligations are permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture;

(3) all Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor outstanding under the Senior Interim Debt Agreement and related Guarantees (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or similar proceeding or for reorganization of the Issuer or any Guarantor (at the rate provided for in the documentation with respect thereto, regardless of whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings)), and any and all other fees, expense reimbursement obligations, indemnification amounts, penalties, and other amounts (whether existing on the Issue Date or thereafter created or incurred) and all obligations of the Issuer or any Guarantor to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts paid under letters of credit, acceptances or other similar instruments;

(4) all Hedging Obligations (and guarantees thereof) owing to a Lender or any Affiliate of such Lender (or any Person that was a Lender or an Affiliate of such Lender at the time the applicable agreement giving rise to such Hedging Obligation was entered into); provided that such Hedging Obligations are permitted to be incurred under the terms of the Indenture;

(5) any other Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor permitted to be incurred under the terms of this Indenture, unless the instrument under which such Indebtedness is incurred expressly provides that it is subordinated in right of payment to Indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Credit Facility, the Senior Interim Debt Agreement, the Notes or any related Guarantee; and

(6) all Obligations with respect to the items listed in the preceding clauses (1) through (5);

provided , however , that Senior Indebtedness shall not include:

(a) any obligation of such Person to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries;

(b) any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by such Person;

(c) any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business;

(d) any Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person which is subordinate or junior in any respect to any other Indebtedness or other Obligation of such Person; or

(e) that portion of any Indebtedness which at the time of incurrence is incurred in violation of this Indenture.

 

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Senior Indenture ” means the Senior Refinancing Indenture among the Issuer, the Guarantors, as guarantors and the trustee thereunder, pursuant to which the Senior Notes may be issued.

Senior Interim Debt ” means $1,550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of outstanding cash-pay borrowings under the Senior Interim Debt Agreement maturing in 2015 and $2,750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of outstanding PIK borrowings under the Senior Interim Debt Agreement.

Senior Interim Debt Agreement ” means the interim credit agreement relating to the Senior Interim Debt dated as of September 24, 2007 by and among the Issuer, the lenders party thereto in their capacities as lenders thereunder and Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, including any guarantees, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements, refundings or refinancings thereof and any indentures or credit facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors that replace, refund or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder up to an amount of $1,550,000,000 in cash-pay borrowings and/or $2,750,000,000 outstanding PIK borrowings (plus any additional principal amount attributable to PIK interest).

Senior Notes ” means up to $1,550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior cash pay notes and $2,750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior PIK notes issued by the Issuer under the Senior Indenture in exchange for Senior Term Loans.

Senior Subordinated Indenture ” means the Senior Subordinated Refinancing Indenture among the Issuer, the Guarantors, as guarantors and the trustee thereunder, pursuant to which the Senior Subordinated Notes may be issued.

Senior Subordinated Interim Debt ” means $2,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of outstanding borrowings under the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement.

Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement ” means the interim credit agreement relating to the Senior Subordinated Debt dated as of September 24, 2007 by and among the Issuer, the lenders party thereto in their capacities as lenders thereunder and Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, including any guarantees, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements, refundings or refinancings thereof and any indentures or credit facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors that replace, refund or refinance any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder up to an amount of $2,500,000,000.

Senior Subordinated Notes ” means up to $2,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Subordinated Notes issued by the Issuer under the Senior Subordinated Indenture in exchange for Senior Subordinated Term Loans.

Senior Subordinated Term Loans ” means any Senior Subordinated Term Loans (as defined in the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement) held by any lender under the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement, which may be exchanged for Senior Subordinated Notes under the Senior Subordinated Indenture in accordance with the terms of the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement and the Senior Subordinated Indenture.

Senior Term Loans ” means any Senior Term Loans (as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement) held by any lender under the Senior Interim Debt Agreement, which may be exchanged for Senior Notes under the Senior Indenture in accordance with the terms of the Senior Interim Debt Agreement and the Senior Indenture.

 

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Settlement ” shall mean the transfer of cash or other property with respect to any credit or debit card charge, check or other instrument, electronic funds transfer, or other type of paper-based or electronic payment, transfer, or charge transaction for which a Person acts as a processor, remitter, funds recipient or funds transmitter in the ordinary course of its business.

Settlement Asset ” shall mean any cash, receivable or other property, including a Settlement Receivable, due or conveyed to a Person in consideration for a Settlement made or arranged, or to be made or arranged, by such Person or an Affiliate of such Person.

Settlement Indebtedness ” shall mean any payment or reimbursement obligation in respect of a Settlement Payment.

Settlement Lien ” shall mean any Lien relating to any Settlement or Settlement Indebtedness (and may include, for the avoidance of doubt, the grant of a Lien in or other assignment of a Settlement Asset in consideration of a Settlement Payment, Liens securing intraday and overnight overdraft and automated clearing house exposure, and similar Liens).

Settlement Payment ” shall mean the transfer, or contractual undertaking (including by automated clearing house transaction) to effect a transfer, of cash or other property to effect a Settlement.

Settlement Receivable ” shall mean any general intangible, payment intangible, or instrument representing or reflecting an obligation to make payments to or for the benefit of a Person in consideration for and in the amount of a Settlement made or arranged, or to be made or arranged, by such Person.

Shelf Registration Statement ” means the Shelf Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Significant Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on September 24, 2007.

Similar Business ” means any business conducted or proposed to be conducted by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the Issue Date or any business that is similar, reasonably related, incidental or ancillary thereto.

Sponsor Management Agreement ” means the management agreement between certain of the management companies associated with the Investors and the Issuer.

Stated Maturity ” means September 24, 2015.

Subordinated Indebtedness ” means, with respect to the Notes,

(1) any Indebtedness of the Issuer which is by its terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, including the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement, and

 

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(2) any Indebtedness of any Guarantor which is by its terms subordinated in right of payment to the Guarantee of such entity of the Notes, including the Guarantees of the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement by the Guarantors.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person:

(1) any corporation, association, or other business entity (other than a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity) of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time of determination owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof or is consolidated under GAAP with such Person at such time; and

(2) any partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or similar entity of which

(x) more than 50% of the capital accounts, distribution rights, total equity and voting interests or general or limited partnership interests, as applicable, are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof whether in the form of membership, general, special or limited partnership or otherwise, and

(y) such Person or any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person is a controlling general partner or otherwise controls such entity.

Total Assets ” means, with respect to any Person, the total assets of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as shown on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Issuer or such other Person as may be expressly stated (excluding settlement assets, as shown on such balance sheet).

Transactions ” means the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement, borrowings under the Bridge Facilities and borrowings under the Senior Credit Facility as in effect on September 24, 2007.

Transaction Agreement ” means the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 1, 2007, among New Omaha Holdings L.P., Omaha Acquisition Corporation and the Issuer, as the same may have been amended prior to September 24, 2007.

Treasury Rate ” means, as of any Redemption Date, the yield to maturity as of such Redemption Date of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) that has become publicly available at least two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date (or, if such Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available source of similar market data)) most nearly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to September 30, 2011; provided , however , that if the period from the Redemption Date to September 30, 2011 is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.

 

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Trust Indenture Act ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb).

Trustee ” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

Unrestricted Definitive Note ” means one or more Definitive Notes that do not bear and are not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Global Note ” means a permanent Global Note, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto that bears the Global Note Legend and the Original Issue Discount Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, and that is deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary, representing Notes that do not bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means:

(1) any Subsidiary of the Issuer which at the time of determination is an Unrestricted Subsidiary (as designated by the Issuer, as provided below); and

(2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

The Issuer may designate any Subsidiary of the Issuer (including any existing Subsidiary and any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries owns any Equity Interests or Indebtedness of, or owns or holds any Lien on, any property of, the Issuer or any Subsidiary of the Issuer (other than solely any Subsidiary of the Subsidiary to be so designated); provided that

(1) any Unrestricted Subsidiary must be an entity of which the Equity Interests entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes that may be cast by all Equity Interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or Persons performing a similar function are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Issuer;

(2) such designation complies with Section 4.07 hereof; and

(3) each of:

(a) the Subsidiary to be so designated; and

(b) its Subsidiaries

has not at the time of designation, and does not thereafter, create, incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable with respect to any Indebtedness pursuant to which the lender has recourse to any of the assets of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary.

 

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The Issuer may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that, immediately after giving effect to such designation, no Default shall have occurred and be continuing and either:

(1) the Issuer could incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test as set forth in Section 4.09(a) hereof; or

(2) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries would be greater than such ratio for the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries immediately prior to such designation,

in each case on a pro forma basis taking into account such designation.

Any such designation by the Issuer shall be notified by the Issuer to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the resolution of the board of directors of the Issuer or any committee thereof giving effect to such designation and an Officer’s Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.

U.S. Person ” means a U.S. person as defined in Rule 902(k) under the Securities Act.

Voting Stock ” of any Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at such date entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such Person.

Weighted Average Life to Maturity ” means, when applied to any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, at any date, the quotient obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of the products of the number of years from the date of determination to the date of each successive scheduled principal payment of such Indebtedness or redemption or similar payment with respect to such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock multiplied by the amount of such payment; by

(2) the sum of all such payments.

Wholly Owned Subsidiary ” of any Person means a Subsidiary of such Person, 100% of the outstanding Equity Interests of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) shall at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

Section 1.02 Other Definitions .

 

Term

   Defined in
Section

“Acceptable Commitment”

   4.10

“Affiliate Transaction”

   4.11

“Asset Sale Offer”

   4.10

“Change of Control Offer”

   4.14

“Change of Control Payment”

   4.14

“Change of Control Payment Date”

   4.14

“Company Authentication Order”

   2.02

“Covenant Defeasance”

   8.03

 

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Term

   Defined in
Section

“DTC”

   2.03

“Event of Default”

   6.01

“Excess Proceeds”

   4.10

“Legal Defeasance”

   8.02

“Note Register”

   2.03

“Offer Amount”

   3.09

“Offer Period”

   3.09

“Optional Interest Repayment”

   4.01

“Optional Interest Repayment Amount”

   4.01

“Paying Agent”

   2.03

“Purchase Date”

   3.09

“Redemption Date”

   3.07

“Refinancing Indebtedness”

   4.09

“Refunding Capital Stock”

   4.07

“Registrar”

   2.03

“Restricted Payments”

   4.07

“Second Commitment”

   4.10

“Successor Company”

   5.01

“Successor Person”

   5.01

“Treasury Capital Stock”

   4.07

Section 1.03 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act .

Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.

The following Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“indenture securities” means the Notes;

“indenture security holder” means a Holder of a Note;

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

“obligor” on the Notes and the Guarantees means the Issuer and the Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the Notes and the Guarantees, respectively.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act, defined by Trust Indenture Act reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the Trust Indenture Act have the meanings so assigned to them.

Section 316(a) of the Trust Indenture Act shall not apply to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the Required Debt or the consent, vote, approval or other action required by the Required Holders (other than with respect to the requirement that any Required Debt owned by the Issuer or any of its Affiliates shall be disregarded for purposes of any consent, vote, approval or other action required by the Required Holders).

 

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Section 1.04 Rules of Construction .

Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(c) “or” is not exclusive;

(d) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(e) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;

(f) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;

(g) references to sections of, or rules under, the Securities Act shall be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time;

(h) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article,” “Section” or “clause” refers to an Article, Section or clause, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and

(i) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not any particular Article, Section, clause or other subdivision.

Section 1.05 Acts of Holders .

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Issuer. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or the holding by any Person of a Note, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 7.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Issuer, if made in the manner provided in this Section 1.05.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by or on behalf of any legal entity other than an individual, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute proof

 

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of the authority of the Person executing the same. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.

(c) The ownership of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register.

(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Note shall bind every future Holder of the same Note and the Holder of every Note issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Trustee or the Issuer in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Note.

(e) The Issuer may, in the circumstances permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of Holders entitled to give any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or take any other act, or to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted to be given or taken by Holders. Unless otherwise specified, if not set by the Issuer prior to the first solicitation of a Holder made by any Person in respect of any such action, or in the case of any such vote, prior to such vote, any such record date shall be the later of 30 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee prior to such solicitation.

(f) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Note may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Note or by one or more duly appointed agents, each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount. Any notice given or action taken by a Holder or its agents with regard to different parts of such principal amount pursuant to this paragraph shall have the same effect as if given or taken by separate Holders of each such different part.

(g) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Holder, including DTC that is the Holder of a Global Note, may make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders, and DTC that is the Holder of a Global Note may provide its proxy or proxies to the beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Note through such depositary’s standing instructions and customary practices.

(h) The Issuer may fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Persons who are beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note held by DTC entitled under the procedures of such depositary to make, give or take, by a proxy or proxies duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders. If such a record date is fixed, the Holders on such record date or their duly appointed proxy or proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to make, give or take such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. No such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action shall be valid or effective if made, given or taken more than 90 days after such record date.

 

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ARTICLE 2

THE NOTES

Section 2.01 Form and Dating; Terms .

(a) General . The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules or usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

(b) Global Notes . Notes issued in global form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note shall represent such of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified in the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto and each shall provide that it shall represent up to the aggregate principal amount of Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as applicable, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.

(c) Temporary Global Notes . Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation S shall be issued initially in the form of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note, which shall be deposited on behalf of the purchasers of the Notes represented thereby with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary for the accounts of designated agents holding on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, duly executed by the Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided. The Restricted Period shall be terminated upon the receipt by the Trustee of:

(i) a written certificate from the Depositary (if available), together with copies of certificates from Euroclear and Clearstream (if available) certifying that they have received certification of non-United States beneficial ownership of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note (except to the extent of any beneficial owners thereof who acquired an interest therein during the Restricted Period pursuant to another exemption from registration under the Securities Act and who shall take delivery of a beneficial ownership interest in a 144A Global Note bearing a Private Placement Legend, all as contemplated by Section 2.06(b) hereof); and

(ii) an Officer’s Certificate from the Issuer.

(iii) Following the termination of the Restricted Period, beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note shall be exchanged for beneficial interests in the Regulation S Permanent Global Note of the same series pursuant to the Applicable Procedures. Simultaneously with the authentication of the corresponding Regulation S Permanent Global Note, the Trustee shall cancel the corresponding Regulation S Temporary Global Note. The

 

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aggregate principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note and the Regulation S Permanent Global Note may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, in connection with transfers of interest as hereinafter provided.

(d) Terms . The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

The Notes shall be subject to repurchase by the Issuer pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer as provided in Section 4.10 hereof or a Change of Control Offer as provided in Section 4.14 hereof. The Notes shall not be redeemable, other than as provided in Article 3.

Additional Notes ranking pari passu with the Initial Notes may be created and issued from time to time by the Issuer without notice to or consent of the Holders and shall be consolidated with and form a single class with the Initial Notes and shall have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the Initial Notes; provided that the Issuer’s ability to issue Additional Notes shall be subject to the Issuer’s compliance with Section 4.09 hereof. Except as described under Article 9 hereof, the Notes offered by the Issuer and any Additional Notes subsequently issued under this Indenture will be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, including waivers, amendments, redemptions and offers to purchase. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Notes” for all purposes of this Indenture include any Additional Notes that are actually issued. Any Additional Notes shall be issued with the benefit of an indenture supplemental to this Indenture.

(e) Euroclear and Clearstream Procedures Applicable . The provisions of the “Operating Procedures of the Euroclear System” and “Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear” and the “General Terms and Conditions of Clearstream Banking” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream shall be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note and the Regulation S Permanent Global Notes that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearstream.

Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication .

At least one Officer shall execute the Notes on behalf of the Issuer by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note shall nevertheless be valid.

A Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated substantially in the form provided for in Exhibit A hereto by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been duly authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

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On the Issue Date, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a written order of the Issuer signed by an Officer (a “ Company Authentication Order ”), authenticate and deliver the Initial Notes specified in such Company Authentication Order. In addition, at any time, and from time to time, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order, authenticate and deliver any Additional Notes or Exchange Notes, for an aggregate principal amount specified in such Company Authentication Order for such Additional Notes or Exchange Notes.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Issuer to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Issuer.

Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent .

The Issuer shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“ Registrar ”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“ Paying Agent ”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes (“ Note Register ”) and of their transfer and exchange. The Issuer may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Issuer may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without prior notice to any Holder. The Issuer shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Issuer fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such Registrar or Paying Agent. The Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Registrar or Paying Agent.

The Issuer initially appoints The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.

The Issuer initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Paying Agent and Registrar for the Notes and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes.

Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust .

The Issuer shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal, premium, if any, Additional Interest, if any, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Issuer in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Issuer at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Issuer or a Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Issuer or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Issuer, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.

Section 2.05 Holder Lists .

The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with Trust

 

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Indenture Act Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee at least five Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of Notes and the Issuer shall otherwise comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 312(a).

Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange .

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes . Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 2.06, a Global Note may be transferred, in whole and not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. A beneficial interest in a Global Note may not be exchanged for a Definitive Note unless (i) the Depositary (x) notifies the Issuer that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Note or (y) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Issuer within 120 days or (ii) there shall have occurred and be continuing a Default with respect to the Notes. Upon the occurrence of any of the preceding events in (i) or (ii) above, Definitive Notes delivered in exchange for any Global Note or beneficial interests therein will be registered in the names, and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of the Depositary (in accordance with its customary procedures). Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note, except for Definitive Notes issued subsequent to any of the preceding events in (i) or (ii) above and pursuant to Section 2.06(c) hereof. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a); provided , however , beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b), (c) or (f) hereof.

(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes . The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes shall be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also shall require compliance with either subparagraph (i) or (ii) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

(i) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note . Beneficial interests in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the same Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the Private Placement Legend; provided , however , that prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period, transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note may not be made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person. Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(i).

 

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(ii) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes . In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(i) hereof, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either (A)(1) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase or (B) (1) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note of the same series in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above; provided that in no event shall Definitive Notes be issued upon the transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903. Upon consummation of an Exchange Offer by the Issuer in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(ii) shall be deemed to have been satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the instructions contained in the Letter of Transmittal delivered by the Holder of such beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.

(iii) Transfer of Beneficial Interests to Another Restricted Global Note . A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof and the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the 144A Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof; or

(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof.

(iv) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an Unrestricted Global Note . A beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof and:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of the beneficial interest to be transferred, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a Broker-Dealer, (2) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer;

 

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(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(1) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(a) thereof; or

(2) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note of the same series, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

If any such transfer is effected pursuant to subsection (B) or (D) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Issuer shall issue and, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (D) above.

Beneficial interests in an Unrestricted Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note.

(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for Definitive Notes .

(i) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes . If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then, upon the occurrence of any of the events in paragraph (i) or (ii) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(a) thereof;

 

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(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the applicable principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(i) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall mail such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(i) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

(ii) Beneficial Interests in Regulation S Temporary Global Note to Definitive Notes . Notwithstanding Sections 2.06(c)(i)(A) and (C) hereof, a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note may not be exchanged for a Definitive Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903(b)(3)(ii)(B) of the Securities Act, except in the case of a transfer pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 903 or Rule 904.

(iii) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes . A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only upon the occurrence of any of the events in subsection (i) or (ii) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of such beneficial interest, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a Broker-Dealer, (2) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer;

 

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(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(1) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

(2) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(iv) Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes . If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon the occurrence of any of the events in subsection (i) or (ii) of Section 2.06(a) hereof and satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(ii) hereof, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the applicable principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iv) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall mail such Definitive Notes to the

 

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Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(iv) shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests .

(i) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes . If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or to transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;

(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee shall cancel the Restricted Definitive Note, increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of clause (A) above, the applicable Restricted Global Note, in the case of clause (B) above, the applicable 144A Global Note, and in the case of clause (C) above, the applicable Regulation S Global Note.

(ii) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes . A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note only if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a Broker-Dealer, (2) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer;

 

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(B) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(1) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or

(2) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subsection (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(ii), the Trustee shall cancel the Definitive Notes and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

(iii) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes . A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee shall cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Unrestricted Global Notes.

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraph (ii)(B), (ii)(D) or (iii) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Issuer shall issue and, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

 

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(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes . Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar shall register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder shall present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder shall provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e):

(i) Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes . Any Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, then the transferor must deliver a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(B) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904 then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof; or

(C) if the transfer will be made pursuant to any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.

(ii) Restricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes . Any Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it is not (1) a Broker-Dealer, (2) a Person participating in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (3) a Person who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer;

(B) any such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) any such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(1) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or

 

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(2) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subsection (D), if the Registrar so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(iii) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes . A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.

(f) Exchange Offer . Upon the occurrence of an Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement, the Issuer shall issue and, upon receipt of Company Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate (i) one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes tendered for acceptance by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal or through an Agent’s Message through the DTC Automated Tender Offers Program that (x) they are not Broker-Dealers, (y) they are not participating in a distribution of any Exchange Notes and (z) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer, and accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer and (ii) Unrestricted Definitive Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Restricted Definitive Notes tendered for acceptance by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (x) they are not Broker-Dealers, (y) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (z) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Issuer, and accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer. Concurrently with the issuance of such Notes, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly, and the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail to the Persons designated by the Holders of Definitive Notes so accepted Unrestricted Definitive Notes in the applicable principal amount. Any Notes that remain outstanding after the consummation of an Exchange Offer, and Exchange Notes issued in connection with an Exchange Offer, shall be treated as a single class of securities under this Indenture.

(g) Legends . The following legends shall appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture:

(i) Private Placement Legend .

(A) Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution therefor) shall bear the legend in substantially the following form:

 

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THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”) AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS EXCEPT AS SET FORTH BELOW. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER (1) REPRESENTS THAT (A) IT IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OR (B) IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT WITHIN TWO YEARS AFTER THE ORIGINAL ISSUANCE OF THIS SECURITY RESELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY EXCEPT (A) TO THE ISSUER OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (C) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE), (E) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IF THE ISSUER SO REQUESTS), OR (F) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND (3) AGREES THAT IT WILL GIVE TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS SECURITY IS TRANSFERRED A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND. AS USED HEREIN, THE TERMS “OFFSHORE TRANSACTION,” “UNITED STATES” AND “U.S. PERSON” HAVE THE MEANING GIVEN TO THEM BY REGULATIONS UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraph (b)(iv), (c)(iii), (c)(iv), (d)(ii), (d)(iii), (e)(ii), (e)(iii) or (f) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(ii) Global Note Legend . Each Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(h) OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE

 

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DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE ISSUER. UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”) TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”

(iii) Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend . The Regulation S Temporary Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER HEREOF REPRESENTS THAT IT IS NOT A U.S. PERSON, NOR IS IT PURCHASING FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A U.S. PERSON, AND IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.”

(iv) Original Issue Discount Legend . Each Global Note issued with original issue discount shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“THIS NOTE IS ISSUED WITH ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT FOR PUR-POSES OF SECTION 1271 ET SEQ. OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. A HOLDER MAY OBTAIN THE ISSUE PRICE, AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT, ISSUE DATE AND YIELD TO MATURITY FOR SUCH NOTES BY SUBMITTING A REQUEST FOR SUCH INFORMATION TO THE ISSUER AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: FIRST DATA CORPORATION, 6200 SOUTH QUEBEC STREET, GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO 80111, ATTENTION: [TREASURER].”

(h) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes . At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note shall be returned

 

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to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.

(i) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges .

(i) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof or at the Registrar’s request.

(ii) No service charge shall be made to a holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Issuer may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.07, 2.10, 3.06, 3.09, 4.10, 4.14 and 9.05 hereof).

(iii) Neither the Registrar nor the Issuer shall be required to register the transfer of or exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.

(iv) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes shall be the valid obligations of the Issuer, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(v) The Issuer shall not be required (A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Notes for redemption under Section 3.02 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of selection, (B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part or (C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a Record Date and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.

(vi) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Issuer may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (including Additional Interest, if any) on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Issuer shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

(vii) Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Note at the office or agency of the Issuer designated pursuant to Section 4.02 hereof, the Issuer shall execute, and the Trustee

 

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shall authenticate and mail, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more replacement Notes of any authorized denomination or denominations of a like aggregate principal amount.

(viii) At the option of the Holder, Notes may be exchanged for other Notes of any authorized denomination or denominations of a like aggregate principal amount upon surrender of the Notes to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Global Notes or Definitive Notes are so surrendered for exchange, the Issuer shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail, the replacement Global Notes and Definitive Notes which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.

(ix) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.

Section 2.07 Replacement Notes .

(A)

If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee, the Registrar or the Issuer and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the ownership and destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Issuer shall issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order, shall authenticate a replacement Note if the Trustee’s requirements are met. If required by the Trustee or the Issuer, an indemnity bond must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Issuer to protect the Issuer, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Issuer and/or the Trustee may charge for their expenses in replacing a Note.

Every replacement Note is a contractual obligation of the Issuer and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.

Section 2.08 Outstanding Notes .

The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those described in this Section 2.08 as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Issuer or an Affiliate of the Issuer holds the Note.

If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to accrue.

 

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If the Paying Agent (other than the Issuer, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a Redemption Date or maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease to accrue interest.

Section 2.09 Treasury Notes .

In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Issuer, or by any Affiliate of the Issuer, shall be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to deliver any such direction, waiver or consent with respect to the Notes and that the pledgee is not the Issuer or any obligor upon the Notes or any Affiliate of the Issuer or of such other obligor.

Section 2.10 Temporary Notes .

Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Issuer may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order, shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the Issuer considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuer shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.

Holders and beneficial holders, as the case may be, of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the benefits accorded to Holders, or beneficial holders, respectively, of Notes under this Indenture.

Section 2.11 Cancellation .

The Issuer at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee or, at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent and no one else shall cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy cancelled Notes (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act). Certification of the destruction of all cancelled Notes shall be delivered to the Issuer. The Issuer may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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Section 2.12 Defaulted Interest .

If the Issuer defaults in a payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Issuer shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Issuer shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such defaulted interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such defaulted interest as provided in this Section 2.12. The Trustee shall fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date; provided that no such special record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuer of such special record date. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Issuer (or, upon the written request of the Issuer, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Issuer) shall mail or cause to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder a notice at his or her address as it appears in the Note Register that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.12 and for greater certainty, each Note delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Note shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Note.

Section 2.13 CUSIP and ISIN Numbers

The Issuer in issuing the Notes may use CUSIP and/or ISIN numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP and/or ISIN numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided , that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Issuer will as promptly as practicable notify the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP or ISIN numbers.

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION

Section 3.01 Notices to Trustee .

If the Issuer elects to redeem the Notes pursuant to Section 3.07 hereof, it shall furnish to the Trustee, at least 2 Business Days before notice of redemption is required to be mailed or caused to be mailed to Holders pursuant to Section 3.03 hereof but not more than 60 days before a Redemption Date, an Officer’s Certificate setting forth (i) the paragraph or subparagraph of such Note and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the Redemption Date, (iii) the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed and (iv) the redemption price.

 

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Section 3.02 Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed or Purchased .

If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed or purchased in an offer to purchase at any time, the Trustee shall select the Notes of such series to be redeemed or purchased (a) if the Notes are listed on any national securities exchange, in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange on which the Notes are listed, (b) on a pro rata basis, or (c) if a pro rata basis is not practical for any reason, by lot or by such other method the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate.

In the event of partial redemption or purchase by lot, the particular Notes to be redeemed or purchased shall be selected, unless otherwise provided herein, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the outstanding Notes not previously called for redemption or purchase.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuer in writing of the Notes selected for redemption or purchase and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption or purchase, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed or purchased. Notes and portions of Notes selected shall be in amounts of $2,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; no Notes of $2,000 or less can be redeemed in part, except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed or purchased, the entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder, even if not $2,000 or a multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, shall be redeemed or purchased. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption or purchase also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption or purchase.

Section 3.03 Notice of Redemption .

Subject to Section 3.09 hereof, the Issuer shall mail or cause to be mailed by first-class mail notices of redemption at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at such Holder’s registered address or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of DTC, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a Redemption Date if the notice is issued in connection with Article 8 or Article 11 hereof. Except as set forth in Section 3.07(d) and Section 3.07(g) hereof, notices of redemption may not be conditional.

The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall state:

(a) the Redemption Date;

(b) the redemption price;

(c) if any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the portion of the principal amount of that Note that is to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Note representing the same indebtedness to the extent not redeemed will be issued in the name of the Holder of the Notes upon cancellation of the original Note;

(d) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

 

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(e) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(f) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making such redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the Redemption Date;

(g) the paragraph or subparagraph of the Notes and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed;

(h) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP and/or ISIN number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes; and

(i) if in connection with a redemption pursuant to Section 3.07(d) or 3.07(g) hereof, any condition to such redemption.

At the Issuer’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Issuer’s name and at its expense; provided that the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least 2 Business Days before notice of redemption is required to be mailed or caused to be mailed to Holders pursuant to this Section 3.03 (unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Trustee), an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph.

Section 3.04 Effect of Notice of Redemption .

Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the Redemption Date at the redemption price (except as provided for in Section 3.07(d) and 3.07(g) hereof). The notice, if mailed in a manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption in whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note. Subject to Section 3.05 hereof, on and after the Redemption Date, interest ceases to accrue on Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.

Section 3.05 Deposit of Redemption or Purchase Price .

Prior to 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the redemption or purchase date, the Issuer shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption or purchase price of and accrued and unpaid interest (including Additional Interest, if any) on all Notes to be redeemed or purchased on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Issuer any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuer in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and accrued and unpaid interest (including Additional Interest, if any) on, all Notes to be redeemed or purchased.

If the Issuer complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption or purchase date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption or purchase. If a Note is redeemed or purchased on or after a Record Date but on or prior to the related Interest Payment Date, then any accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption or purchase

 

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date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such Record Date. If any Note called for redemption or purchase shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption or purchase because of the failure of the Issuer to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption or purchase date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest accrued to the redemption or purchase date not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof.

Section 3.06 Notes Redeemed or Purchased in Part .

Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed or purchased in part, the Issuer shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Issuer a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed or unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered representing the same indebtedness to the extent not redeemed or purchased; provided that each new Note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. It is understood that, notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, only a Company Authentication Order and not an Opinion of Counsel or Officer’s Certificate is required for the Trustee to authenticate such new Note.

Section 3.07 Optional Redemption .

(a) The Issuer may redeem all or a part of Notes, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice mailed by first-class mail to the registered address of each Holder of Notes or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of DTC, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed and accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to the date of redemption (the “ Redemption Date ”), subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date. Except as set forth in clauses (b) and (d), the Issuer will not be entitled to redeem Notes at its option prior to September 30, 2011.

(b) Make Whole Redemption . At any time prior to September 30, 2011, the Issuer may redeem all or a part of the Notes, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice mailed by first-class mail to the registered address of each Holder of Notes or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of DTC, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed plus the Applicable Premium as of, and accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to, the Redemption Date, subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date.

(c) Optional Redemption . On and after September 30, 2011, the Issuer may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ prior notice mailed by first-class mail to the registered address of each Holder of Notes or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of DTC, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon and Additional Interest, if any, to the applicable Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of Notes of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on September 30 of each of the years indicated below:

 

Year

   Percentage  

2010

   104.938 %

2011

   102.469 %

2012 and thereafter

   100.000 %

 

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(d) Equity Redemption . In addition, until September 30, 2010, the Issuer may, at its option, on one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount thereof, plus a premium equal to 109.875%, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon and Additional Interest, if any, to the applicable Redemption Date, subject to the right of Holders of Notes of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more Equity Offerings; provided (i) that at least 50% of the sum of the original aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture and the original principal amount of any Additional Notes that are Notes issued under this Indenture after the Initial Issue Date remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption and (ii) that each such redemption occurs within 90 days of the date of closing of each such Equity Offering. Notice of any redemption may, at the Issuer’s option and discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, completion of an Equity Offering or other corporate transaction.

Any redemption pursuant to this Section 3.07 shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.

Section 3.08 Mandatory Redemption .

The Issuer will not be required to make any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

Section 3.09 Asset Sales .

(a) In the event that, pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof, the Issuer shall be required to commence an Asset Sale Offer, it shall follow the procedures specified below.

(b) The Asset Sale Offer shall remain open for a period of 20 Business Days following its commencement and no longer, except to the extent that a longer period is required by applicable law (the “ Offer Period ”). No later than five Business Days after the termination of the Offer Period (the “ Purchase Date ”), the Issuer shall apply all Excess Proceeds (the “ Offer Amount ”) to the purchase of Notes and, if required or permitted by the terms thereof, any Senior Indebtedness (on a pro rata basis), or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes and Senior Indebtedness tendered in response to the Asset Sale Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased shall be made in the same manner as interest payments are made.

(c) If the Purchase Date is on or after a Record Date and on or before the related Interest Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, up to but excluding the

 

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Purchase Date, shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such Record Date, and no additional interest shall be payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer.

(d) Upon the commencement of an Asset Sale Offer, the Issuer shall send, by first-class mail, a notice to each of the Holders, with a copy to the Trustee. The notice shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer. The Asset Sale Offer shall be made to all Holders and holders of Senior Indebtedness, if required. The notice, which shall govern the terms of the Asset Sale Offer, shall state:

(i) that the Asset Sale Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 3.09 and Section 4.10 hereof and the length of time the Asset Sale Offer shall remain open;

(ii) the Offer Amount, the purchase price and the Purchase Date;

(iii) that any Note not tendered or accepted for payment shall continue to accrue interest;

(iv) that, unless the Issuer defaults in making such payment, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Purchase Date;

(v) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer may elect to have Notes purchased in the minimum amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof only;

(vi) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to any Asset Sale Offer shall be required to surrender the Note, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” attached to the Note completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Issuer, the Depositary, if appointed by the Issuer, or a Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice at least three Business Days before the Purchase Date;

(vii) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election if the Issuer, the Depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receives, not later than the expiration of the Offer Period, a facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;

(viii) that, if the aggregate principal amount of Notes and Senior Indebtedness surrendered by the holders thereof exceeds the Offer Amount, the Trustee shall select the Notes and the agent for such Senior Indebtedness shall select such Senior Indebtedness to be purchased on a pro rata basis based on the accreted value or principal amount of the Notes or such Senior Indebtedness tendered (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Trustee so that only Notes in minimum denominations of $2,000, or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, shall be purchased); and

(ix) that Holders whose Notes were purchased only in part shall be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer) representing the same indebtedness to the extent not repurchased.

 

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(e) On or before the Purchase Date, the Issuer shall, to the extent lawful, (1) accept for payment, on a pro rata basis to the extent necessary, the Offer Amount of Notes or portions thereof validly tendered pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes tendered and (2) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officer’s Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof so tendered.

(f) The Issuer, the Depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly mail or deliver to each tendering Holder an amount equal to the purchase price of the Notes properly tendered by such Holder and accepted by the Issuer for purchase, and the Issuer shall promptly issue a new Note, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order, shall authenticate and mail or deliver (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) such new Note to such Holder (it being understood that, notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, no Opinion of Counsel or Officer’s Certificate is required for the Trustee to authenticate and mail or deliver such new Note) in a principal amount equal to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered representing the same indebtedness to the extent not repurchased; provided that each such new Note shall be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. Any Note not so accepted shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Issuer to the Holder thereof. The Issuer shall publicly announce the results of the Asset Sale Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Purchase Date.

Other than as specifically provided in this Section 3.09 or Section 4.10, any purchase pursuant to this Section 3.09 shall be made pursuant to the applicable provisions of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.

ARTICLE 4

COVENANTS

Section 4.01 Payment of Notes .

The Issuer shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, Additional Interest, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes. Principal, premium, if any, cash Additional Interest, if any, and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Issuer or a Subsidiary, holds as of noon Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Issuer in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due.

The Issuer shall pay all Additional Interest, if any, in the same manner on the dates and in the amounts set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

The Issuer shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at the rate equal to the then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; it shall pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest and Additional Interest (without regard to any applicable grace period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.

 

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Section 4.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency .

The Issuer shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or Minneapolis, Minnesota an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar or co-registrar) where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Issuer in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Issuer shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Issuer shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

The Issuer may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Issuer of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or Minneapolis, Minnesota for such purposes. The Issuer shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

The Issuer hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Issuer in accordance with Section 2.03 hereof.

Section 4.03 Reports and Other Information .

(a) Notwithstanding that the Issuer may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, the Issuer shall file with the SEC (and make available to the Trustee and Holders of the Notes (without exhibits), without cost to any Holder, within 15 days after the Issuer files or would be required to file them with the SEC) from and after the Issue Date,

(i) within 90 days (or any other time period then in effect under the rules and regulations of the Exchange Act with respect to the filing of a Form 10-K by a non-accelerated filer) after the end of each fiscal year, annual reports on Form 10-K, or any successor or comparable form, containing the information required to be contained therein, or required in such successor or comparable form;

(ii) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, reports on Form 10-Q containing all quarterly information that would be required to be contained in Form 10-Q, or any successor or comparable form;

(iii) promptly from time to time after the occurrence of an event required to be therein reported, such other reports on Form 8-K, or any successor or comparable form; and

(iv) any other information, documents and other reports which the Issuer would be required to file with the SEC if it were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

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in each case in a manner that complies in all material respects with the requirements specified in such form; provided that the Issuer shall not be so obligated to file such reports with the SEC if the SEC does not permit such filing, in which event the Issuer shall make available such information to prospective purchasers of Notes, which obligation may be satisfied by posting such reports on the website of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries, in addition to providing such information to the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes, in each case within 15 days after the time the Issuer would be required to file such information with the SEC if it were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. In addition, to the extent not satisfied by the foregoing, the Issuer shall, for so long as any Notes are outstanding, furnish or otherwise make available to Holders and to securities analysts and prospective investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act.

(b) In the event that any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer becomes a Guarantor of the Notes, the Issuer may satisfy its obligations under this Section 4.03 with respect to financial information relating to the Issuer by furnishing financial information relating to such parent; provided that the same is accompanied by consolidating information that explains in reasonable detail the differences between the information relating to such parent, on the one hand, and the information relating to the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a standalone basis, on the other hand.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the requirements of this Section 4.03 shall be deemed satisfied prior to the commencement of the Exchange Offer or the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement described in the Registration Rights Agreement (1) by the filing with the SEC of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or Shelf Registration Statement (or any other similar registration statement), and any amendments thereto, with such financial information that satisfies Regulation S-X, subject to exceptions consistent with the presentation of financial information in the Offering Memorandum, to the extent filed within the times specified above, or (2) by posting reports that would be required to be filed substantially in the form required by the SEC on Issuer’s website (or that of any of its parent companies) or providing such reports to the Trustee within 15 days after the time the Issuer would be required to file such information with the SEC if it were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act containing the financial information (including a “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section) that would be required to be included in such reports, in each case, subject to exceptions consistent with the presentation of financial information in the Offering Memorandum to the extent filed within the times specified above.

Section 4.04 Compliance Certificate .

(a) The Issuer and each Guarantor (to the extent that such Guarantor is so required under the Trust Indenture Act) shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year ending after the Initial Issue Date, a certificate from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer stating that a review of the activities of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Issuer and each Guarantor has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Issuer and each Guarantor has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every condition and covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions, covenants and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Issuer is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto).

 

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(b) When any Default has occurred and is continuing under this Indenture, or if the Trustee or the holder of any other evidence of Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Subsidiary gives any notice or takes any other action with respect to a claimed Default, the Issuer shall promptly (which shall be no more than five (5) Business Days) deliver to the Trustee by registered or certified mail or by facsimile transmission an Officer’s Certificate specifying such event and what action the Issuer proposes to take with respect thereto.

(c) Within three Business Days following any vote requiring the vote of the Required Holders of Required Debt, the Issuer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Administrative Agent to provide written notice to the Trustee of (i) the outstanding principal amount of Required Debt (other than the Notes) and (ii) the results of any votes by the Required Holders of Required Debt. In addition, the Issuer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Administrative Agent to provide written notice to the Trustee of any other action the Required Holders of Required Debt require the Administrative Agent to undertake at their request, including without limitation, the declaration of an Event of Default. The Trustee may rely conclusively on the information provided to it by the Administrative Agent, including without limitation, information provided by the Administrative Agent at the direction of the Required Holders of the Required Debt.

Section 4.05 Taxes .

The Issuer shall pay, and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate negotiations or proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.

Section 4.06 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws .

The Issuer and each of the Guarantors covenant (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) that they shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Issuer and each of the Guarantors (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waive all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenant that they shall not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but shall suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

Section 4.07 Limitation on Restricted Payments .

(a) The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:

(I) declare or pay any dividend or make any payment or distribution on account of the Issuer’s, or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests, including any dividend or distribution payable in connection with any merger or consolidation, other than:

 

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(A) dividends or distributions by the Issuer payable solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer; or

(B) dividends or distributions by a Restricted Subsidiary so long as, in the case of any dividend or distribution payable on or in respect of any class or series of securities issued by a Restricted Subsidiary other than a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary receives at least its pro rata share of such dividend or distribution in accordance with its Equity Interests in such class or series of securities;

(II) purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value any Equity Interests of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer, including in connection with any merger or consolidation;

(III) make any principal payment on, or redeem, repurchase, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value in each case, prior to any scheduled repayment, sinking fund payment or maturity, any Subordinated Indebtedness, other than:

(A) Indebtedness permitted under clauses (7) and (8) of Section 4.09(b) hereof; or

(B) the purchase, repurchase or other acquisition of Subordinated Indebtedness purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of purchase, repurchase or acquisition; or

(IV) make any Restricted Investment

(all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (I) through (IV) above (other than any exception thereto) being collectively referred to as “ Restricted Payments ”), unless, at the time of such Restricted Payment:

(1) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis, the Issuer could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under Section 4.09(a) hereof; and

(3) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate amount of all other Restricted Payments made by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries after September 24, 2007 (including Restricted Payments permitted by clauses (1), (2) (with respect to the payment of dividends on Refunding Capital Stock pursuant to clause (b) thereof only), (6)(c), (9) and (14) of Section 4.07(b) hereof but excluding all other Restricted Payments permitted by Section 4.07(b) hereof, is less than the sum of (without duplication):

(a) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Issuer for the period (taken as one accounting period) beginning July 1, 2007, to the end of the Issuer’s most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment, or, in the case such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, minus 100% of such deficit; plus

 

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(b) 100% of the aggregate net cash proceeds and the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Issuer, of marketable securities or other property received by the Issuer since immediately after September 24, 2007 (other than net cash proceeds to the extent such net cash proceeds have been used to incur Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock pursuant to clause (12)(a) of Section 4.09(b) hereof) from the issue or sale of:

(i)(A) Equity Interests of the Issuer, including Treasury Capital Stock, but excluding cash proceeds and the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Issuer, of marketable securities or other property received from the sale of:

(x) Equity Interests to any former, current or future employees, directors or consultants of the Issuer, any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer and the Issuer’s Subsidiaries after September 24, 2007 to the extent such amounts have been applied to Restricted Payments made in accordance with clause (4) of Section 4.07(b); and

(y) Designated Preferred Stock; and

(B) to the extent such net cash proceeds are actually contributed to the Issuer, Equity Interests of the Issuer’s direct or indirect parent companies (excluding contributions of the proceeds from the sale of Designated Preferred Stock of such companies or contributions to the extent such amounts have been applied to Restricted Payments made in accordance with clause (4) of Section 4.07(b) hereof); or

(ii) debt securities of the Issuer that have been converted into or exchanged for such Equity Interests of the Issuer;

provided , however , that this clause (b) shall not include the proceeds from (V) Refunding Capital Stock, (W) Equity Interests or convertible debt securities of the Issuer sold to a Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, (X) Disqualified Stock or debt securities that have been converted into Disqualified Stock or (Y) Excluded Contributions; plus

(c) 100% of the aggregate amount of cash and the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Issuer, of marketable securities or other property contributed to the capital of the Issuer following September 24, 2007 (other than net cash proceeds to the extent such net cash proceeds (i) have been used to incur Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock pursuant to clause (12)(a) of Section 4.09(b) hereof, (ii) are contributed by a Restricted Subsidiary, or (iii) constitute Excluded Contributions); plus

 

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(d) 100% of the aggregate amount received in cash and the fair market value, as determined in good faith by the Issuer, of marketable securities or other property received by means of:

(i) the sale or other disposition (other than to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) of Restricted Investments made by the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries and repurchases and redemptions of such Restricted Investments from the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries and repayments of loans or advances, and releases of guarantees, which constitute Restricted Investments by the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries, in each case after September 24, 2007; or

(ii) the sale (other than to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary) of the stock of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or a distribution from an Unrestricted Subsidiary (other than in each case to the extent the Investment in such Unrestricted Subsidiary was made by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to clause (7) of Section 4.07(b) hereof or to the extent such Investment constituted a Permitted Investment) or a dividend from an Unrestricted Subsidiary after September 24, 2007; plus

(e) in the case of the redesignation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary after September 24, 2007, the fair market value of the Investment in such Unrestricted Subsidiary, as determined by the Issuer in good faith (or if such fair market value exceeds $250.0 million, in writing by an Independent Financial Advisor), at the time of the redesignation of such Unrestricted Subsidiary as a Restricted Subsidiary other than to the extent the Investment in such Unrestricted Subsidiary was made by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to clause (7) of Section 4.07(b) or to the extent such Investment constituted a Permitted Investment.

(b) The foregoing provisions of Section 4.07(a) shall not prohibit:

(1) the payment of any dividend or distribution within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, if at the date of declaration such payment would have complied with the provisions of this Indenture;

(2)(a) the redemption, repurchase, defeasance, retirement or other acquisition of any Equity Interests (“ Treasury Capital Stock ”) or Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer, in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of, Equity Interests of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer to the extent contributed to the Issuer (in each case, other than any Disqualified Stock) (“ Refunding Capital Stock ”) and (b) if immediately prior to the retirement of Treasury Capital Stock, the declaration and payment of dividends thereon was permitted under clause (6) of this Section 4.07(b), the declaration and payment of dividends on the Refunding Capital Stock (other than Refunding Capital Stock the proceeds of which were used to redeem, repurchase, retire or otherwise acquire any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer) in an aggregate amount per year no greater than the aggregate amount of dividends per annum that were declarable and payable on such Treasury Capital Stock immediately prior to such retirement;

 

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(3) the defeasance, redemption, repurchase or other acquisition or retirement of Subordinated Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary made in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of the substantially concurrent sale of, new Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, which is incurred in compliance with Section 4.09 hereof so long as:

(a) the principal amount (or accreted value) of such new Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of (or accreted value, if applicable), plus any accrued and unpaid interest on, the Subordinated Indebtedness being so redeemed, repurchased, defeased, acquired or retired for value, plus the amount of any reasonable premium (including reasonable tender premiums), defeasance costs and any reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of such new Indebtedness;

(b) such new Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes or the applicable Guarantee at least to the same extent as such Subordinated Indebtedness so purchased, exchanged, redeemed, repurchased, defeased, acquired or retired for value;

(c) such new Indebtedness has a final scheduled maturity date equal to or later than the final scheduled maturity date of the Subordinated Indebtedness being so redeemed, repurchased, defeased, acquired or retired; and

(d) such new Indebtedness has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the remaining Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the Subordinated Indebtedness being so redeemed, repurchased, defeased, acquired or retired;

(4) a Restricted Payment to pay for the repurchase, retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies held by any future, present or former employee, director or consultant of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its direct or indirect parent companies pursuant to any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement, including any Equity Interests rolled over by management of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies in connection with the Transactions; provided , however , that the aggregate Restricted Payments made under this clause (4) do not exceed in any calendar year $75.0 million (which shall increase to $150.0 million subsequent to the consummation of an underwritten public Equity Offering by the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent entity of the Issuer) (with unused amounts in any calendar year being carried over to succeeding calendar years subject to a maximum (without giving effect to the following proviso) of $150.0 million in any calendar year (which shall increase to $300.0 million subsequent to the consummation of an underwritten public Equity Offering by the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent corporation of the Issuer)); provided further that such amount in any calendar year may be increased by an amount not to exceed:

(a) the cash proceeds from the sale of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer and, to the extent contributed to the Issuer, Equity Interests of any of the Issuer’s direct or indirect parent companies, in each case to members of management, directors or consultants of the Issuer, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its direct or indirect parent companies that occurs after September 24, 2007, to the extent the cash proceeds from the sale of such Equity Interests have not otherwise been applied to the payment of Restricted Payments by virtue of Section 4.07(a)(3); plus

 

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(b) the cash proceeds of key man life insurance policies received by the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries after September 24, 2007; less

(c) the amount of any Restricted Payments previously made with the cash proceeds described in clauses (a) and (b) of this clause (4);

and provided , further , that cancellation of Indebtedness owing to the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary from members of management of the Issuer, any of the Issuer’s direct or indirect parent companies or any of the Issuer’s Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with a repurchase of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any of its direct or indirect parent companies will not be deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment for purposes of this Section 4.07 or any other provision of this Indenture;

(5) the declaration and payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Disqualified Stock of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or any class or series of Preferred Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary or any class or series of Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary issued in accordance with Section 4.09 hereof to the extent such dividends are included in the definition of “Fixed Charges”;

(6)(a) the declaration and payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) issued by the Issuer after the Issue Date;

(b) the declaration and payment of dividends to a direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the payment of dividends to holders of any class or series of Designated Preferred Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of such parent corporation issued after the Issue Date; provided that the amount of dividends paid pursuant to this clause (b) shall not exceed the aggregate amount of cash actually contributed to the Issuer from the sale of such Designated Preferred Stock; or

(c) the declaration and payment of dividends on Refunding Capital Stock that is Preferred Stock in excess of the dividends declarable and payable thereon pursuant to clause (2) of this Section 4.07(b);

provided , however , in the case of each of (a) and (c) of this clause (6), that for the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date of issuance of such Designated Preferred Stock or the declaration of such dividends on Refunding Capital Stock that is Preferred Stock, after giving effect to such issuance or declaration on a pro forma basis, the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis would have had a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of at least 2.00 to 1.00;

(7) Investments in Unrestricted Subsidiaries having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (7) that are at the time outstanding, without giving effect to the sale of an Unrestricted Subsidiary to the extent the proceeds of such sale do not consist of cash or marketable securities, not to exceed 1.0% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at the time of such Investment (with the fair market value of each Investment being measured at the time made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value);

 

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(8) repurchases of Equity Interests deemed to occur upon exercise of stock options or warrants if such Equity Interests represent a portion of the exercise price of such options or warrants;

(9) the declaration and payment of dividends on the Issuer’s common stock (or the payment of dividends to any direct or indirect parent entity to fund a payment of dividends on such entity’s common stock), following consummation of the first public offering of the Issuer’s common stock or the common stock of any of its direct or indirect parent companies after the Issue Date, of up to 6% per annum of the net cash proceeds received by or contributed to the Issuer in or from any such public offering, other than public offerings with respect to the Issuer’s common stock registered on Form S-4 or Form S-8 and other than any public sale constituting an Excluded Contribution;

(10) Restricted Payments that are made with Excluded Contributions;

(11) other Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount taken together with all other Restricted Payments made pursuant to this clause (11) not to exceed 2.0% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at the time made;

(12) distributions or payments of Receivables Fees;

(13) any Restricted Payment made in connection with the Transactions and the fees and expenses related thereto or used to fund amounts owed to Affiliates (including dividends to any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer to permit payment by such parent of such amount), in each case to the extent permitted by Section 4.11 hereof;

(14) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition or retirement for value of any Subordinated Indebtedness in accordance with provisions similar to those described under Sections 4.10 and 4.14 hereof; provided that all Notes tendered by Holders in connection with a Change of Control Offer or Asset Sale Offer, as applicable, have been repurchased, redeemed or acquired for value;

(15) the declaration and payment of dividends or distributions by the Issuer to, or the making of loans to, any direct or indirect parent in amounts required for any direct or indirect parent companies to pay, in each case without duplication,

(a) franchise and excise taxes and other fees, taxes and expenses required to maintain their corporate existence;

(b) foreign, federal, state and local income taxes, to the extent such income taxes are attributable to the income of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries and, to the extent of the amount actually received from its Unrestricted Subsidiaries, in amounts required to pay such taxes to the extent attributable to the income of such Unrestricted Subsidiaries; provided that in each case the amount of such payments in any fiscal year does not exceed the amount that the Issuer, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent described above) would be required to pay in respect of foreign, federal, state and local taxes for such fiscal year were the Issuer, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent described above) to pay such taxes separately from any such parent entity;

 

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(c) customary salary, bonus and other benefits payable to officers and employees of any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer to the extent such salaries, bonuses and other benefits are attributable to the ownership or operation of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(d) general corporate operating and overhead costs and expenses of any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer to the extent such costs and expenses are attributable to the ownership or operation of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries; and

(e) fees and expenses other than to Affiliates of the Issuer related to any unsuccessful equity or debt offering of such parent entity;

(16) the distribution, by dividend or otherwise, of shares of Capital Stock of, or Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary by, Unrestricted Subsidiaries (other than Unrestricted Subsidiaries, the primary assets of which are cash and/or Cash Equivalents);

provided , however , that at the time of, and after giving effect to, any Restricted Payment permitted under clauses (11) and (16) of this Section 4.07(b) no Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof.

(c) The Issuer shall not permit any Unrestricted Subsidiary to become a Restricted Subsidiary except pursuant to the last sentence of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary.” For purposes of designating any Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, all outstanding Investments by the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries (except to the extent repaid) in the Subsidiary so designated shall be deemed to be Restricted Payments in an amount determined as set forth in the last sentence of the definition of “Investments.” Such designation shall be permitted only if a Restricted Payment in such amount would be permitted at such time, whether pursuant to Section 4.07(a) hereof or under clause (7), (10) or (11) of Section 4.07(b), or pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Investments,” and if such Subsidiary otherwise meets the definition of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

(d) Notwithstanding clauses (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 4.07 , the Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, pay any cash dividend or make any cash distribution on or in respect of the Issuer’s Capital Stock or purchase for cash or otherwise acquire for cash any Capital Stock of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer, for the purpose of paying any cash dividend or making any cash distribution to, or acquiring Capital Stock of any direct or indirect parent of the Issuer for cash from, the Investors, or guarantee any Indebtedness of any Affiliate of the Issuer for the purpose of paying such dividend, making such distribution or so acquiring such Capital Stock to or from the Investors, in each case by means of utilization of the cumulative Restricted Payment credit provided by Section 4.07(a) , or the exceptions provided by clauses (1), (7) or (11) of Section 4.07(b) hereof or clauses (8), (10) or (13) of the definition of “Permitted Investments”, unless (x) at the time and after giving effect to such payment, the Consolidated Leverage Ratio of the Issuer (including for this purpose Indebtedness of the direct and/or indirect parent company of the Issuer) would be equal to or less than 7.50 to 1.00 and (y) such payment is otherwise in compliance with this covenant.

 

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Section 4.08 Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries .

(a) The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or consensual restriction on the ability of any such Restricted Subsidiary to:

(1)(A) pay dividends or make any other distributions to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries on its Capital Stock or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured by, its profits, or

(B) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2) make loans or advances to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; or

(3) sell, lease or transfer any of its properties or assets to the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.

(b) The restrictions in Section 4.08(a) hereof shall not apply to encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of:

(1) contractual encumbrances or restrictions in effect on the Issue Date (including, without limitation, the Senior Indenture, the Senior Notes, the Senior Subordinated Indenture, the Senior Subordinated Notes and the guarantees thereof);

(2) this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees;

(3) the Holdco Indenture and the Holdco Notes;

(4) purchase money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary course of business and Capital Lease Obligations that impose restrictions of the nature discussed in clause (3) of Section 4.08(a) hereof on the property so acquired;

(5) applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order;

(6) any agreement or other instrument of a Person acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary in existence at the time of such acquisition or at the time it merges with or into the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from such Person (but, in any such case, not created in contemplation thereof), which encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person, other than the Person and its Subsidiaries, or the property or assets of the Person and its Subsidiaries, so acquired or the property or assets assumed;

(7) contracts for the sale of assets, including customary restrictions with respect to a Subsidiary of the Issuer pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock or assets of such Subsidiary;

(8) Secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09 hereof and Section 4.12 hereof that limits the right of the debtor to dispose of the assets securing such Indebtedness;

 

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(9) restrictions on cash or other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(10) other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries permitted to be incurred subsequent to the Issue Date pursuant to Section 4.09 hereof;

(11) customary provisions in joint venture agreements and other agreements or arrangements relating solely to such joint venture;

(12) customary provisions contained in leases or licenses of intellectual property and other agreements, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(13) restrictions or conditions contained in any trading, netting, operating, construction, service, supply, purchase or other agreement to which the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party entered into in the ordinary course of business, in each case so long as such agreement prohibits the encumbrance of solely the property or assets of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary that are the subject of such agreement, the payment rights arising thereunder or the proceeds thereof and does not extend to any other asset or property of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary or the assets or property of any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(14) restrictions created in connection with any Receivables Facility that, in the good faith determination of the Issuer are necessary or advisable to effect the transactions contemplated under such Receivables Facility; and

(15) any encumbrances or restrictions of the type referred to in clauses (1), (2) and (3) of Section 4.08(a) hereof imposed by any amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings of the contracts, instruments or obligations referred to in clauses (1) through (14) of this Section 4.08(b); provided that such amendments, modifications, restatements, renewals, increases, supplements, refundings, replacements or refinancings are, in the good faith judgment of the Issuer, not materially more restrictive with respect to such encumbrance and other restrictions taken as a whole than those prior to such amendment, modification, restatement, renewal, increase, supplement, refunding, replacement or refinancing.

Section 4.09 Limitation on Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock .

(a) The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable, contingently or otherwise (collectively, “ incur ” and collectively, an “ incurrence ”), with respect to any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness), and the Issuer shall not issue any shares of Disqualified Stock and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue any shares of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock; provided , however , that the Issuer may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) or issue shares of Disqualified Stock, and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness), issue shares of Disqualified Stock and issue shares of Preferred Stock, if the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio on a consolidated basis for the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ most recently ended four fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements

 

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are available immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred or such Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock is issued would have been at least 2.00 to 1.00, determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred, or the Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock had been issued, as the case may be, and the application of proceeds therefrom had occurred at the beginning of such four-quarter period; provided , further , that Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors may not incur Indebtedness or issue shares of Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock if, after giving pro forma effect to such incurrence or issuance (including a pro forma application of the net proceeds therefrom), more than an aggregate of $2,000.0 million of Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors would be outstanding pursuant to this Section 4.09(a) and clauses (12)(b) and (14) of Section 4.09(b) at such time.

(b) The provisions of Section 4.09(a) hereof shall not apply to:

(1) the incurrence of Indebtedness under Credit Facilities by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and the issuance and creation of letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances thereunder (with letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the face amount thereof), up to an aggregate principal amount of $16,500.0 million outstanding at any one time;

(2) the incurrence by the Issuer and any Guarantor of Indebtedness represented by (a) the Notes (including any Guarantee) (other than any Additional Notes and any Exchange Notes (including Guarantees thereof)), (b) the Senior Interim Debt Agreement (including any guarantees thereof) and (c) the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement (including any guarantees thereof);

(3) Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries in existence on September 24, 2007 (other than Indebtedness described in clauses (1) and (2) of this Section 4.09(b));

(4) Indebtedness (including Capitalized Lease Obligations), Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock incurred by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, to finance the purchase, lease, improvement, development or construction of property (real or personal), equipment or other fixed or capital assets that are used or useful in a Similar Business, whether through the direct purchase of assets or the Capital Stock of any Person owning such assets; provided that the aggregate amount of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock incurred pursuant to this clause (4), when aggregated with the amount of Indebtedness outstanding incurred under clause (13) to refinance Indebtedness initially incurred in reliance on this clause (4), does not exceed 4.0% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at any one time outstanding so long as such Indebtedness exists at the date of such purchase, lease or improvement or is created within 270 days thereafter;

(5) Indebtedness incurred by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries constituting reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business, including letters of credit in respect of workers’ compensation or employee health claims, or other Indebtedness with respect to reimbursement-type obligations regarding workers’ compensation or employee health claims; provided that upon the drawing of such letters of credit or the incurrence of such Indebtedness, such obligations are reimbursed within 30 days following such drawing or incurrence;

 

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(6) Indebtedness arising from agreements of the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or a Subsidiary, other than guarantees of Indebtedness incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or a Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition; provided that such Indebtedness is not reflected on the balance sheet of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (contingent obligations referred to in a footnote to financial statements and not otherwise reflected on the balance sheet will not be deemed to be reflected on such balance sheet for purposes of this clause (6));

(7) Indebtedness of the Issuer to a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that any such Indebtedness owing to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; provided , further , that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event which results in any Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any other subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in each case, to be an incurrence of such Indebtedness;

(8) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary; provided that if a Guarantor incurs such Indebtedness owing to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor, such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Guarantee of the Notes of such Guarantor; provided , further , that any subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in each case, to be an incurrence of such Indebtedness not permitted by this clause (8);

(9) shares of Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary issued to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary; provided that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any other subsequent transfer of any such shares of Preferred Stock (except to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed in each case to be an issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock not permitted by this clause (9);

(10) Hedging Obligations (excluding Hedging Obligations entered into for speculative purposes) for the purpose of limiting interest rate risk with respect to any Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to this Section 4.09, exchange rate risk or commodity pricing risk;

(11) obligations in respect of performance, bid, appeal and surety bonds and completion guarantees provided by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(12)(a) Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary equal to 200.0% of the net cash proceeds received by the Issuer since immediately after September 24, 2007 from the issue or sale of Equity Interests of the Issuer or cash contributed to the capital of the Issuer (in each case, other than Excluded Contributions or proceeds of Disqualified Stock or sales of Equity Interests to the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries) as determined in accordance with clauses (3)(b) and (3)(c) of Section 4.07(a) hereof to the extent such net cash proceeds or cash have not been applied pursuant to such clauses to make Restricted Payments or to make other Investments, payments or exchanges pursuant to Section 4.07(b) hereof or to make Permitted Investments (other than Permitted Investments specified in clauses (1) and (3) of the definition thereof); and

 

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    (b) Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Issuer and Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary not otherwise permitted hereunder in an aggregate principal amount or liquidation preference, which when aggregated with the principal amount and liquidation preference of all other Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock then outstanding and incurred pursuant to this clause (12)(b), does not at any one time outstanding exceed $1,000.0 million; provided , however , that on a pro forma basis, together with any amounts incurred and outstanding by Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors pursuant to the second proviso to Section 4.09(a) and clause (14) of this Section 4.09 (b), no more than $2,000.0 million of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock at any one time outstanding and incurred pursuant to this clause (12)(b) shall be incurred by Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors (it being understood that any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock incurred pursuant to this clause (12)(b) shall cease to be deemed incurred or outstanding for purposes of this clause (12)(b) but shall be deemed incurred for the purposes of Section 4.09(a) hereof from and after the first date on which the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary could have incurred such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock under Section 4.09(a) hereof without reliance on this clause (12)(b));

(13) the incurrence or issuance by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock which serves to refund, refinance, replace, renew, extend or defease any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary incurred as permitted under Section 4.09(a) hereof and clauses (2), (3), (4) and (12)(a) of this Section 4.09(b) above, this clause (13) and clause (14) of this Section 4.09(b) or any Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary issued to so refund or refinance such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary including additional Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock incurred to pay premiums (including reasonable tender premiums), defeasance costs and fees in connection therewith (the “ Refinancing Indebtedness ”) prior to its respective maturity; provided , however , that such Refinancing Indebtedness:

(a) has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity at the time such Refinancing Indebtedness is incurred which is not less than the remaining Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock being refunded, refinanced, replaced, renewed or defeased,

(b) to the extent such Refinancing Indebtedness refinances (i) Indebtedness subordinated or pari passu to the Notes or any Guarantee thereof, such Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated or pari passu to the Notes or the Guarantee at least to the same extent as the Indebtedness being refinanced or refunded or (ii) Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, such Refinancing Indebtedness must be Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock, respectively, and

(c) shall not include Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of a Subsidiary of the Issuer that is not a Guarantor that refinances Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of the Issuer or a Guarantor;

 

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and, provided further , that subclause (a) of this clause (13) will not apply to any refunding or refinancing of any Obligations secured by Permitted Liens or Liens permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.12 hereof;

(14) Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock of (x) the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary incurred to finance an acquisition or (y) Persons that are acquired by the Issuer or any Restricted Subsidiary or merged into the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided that after giving effect to such acquisition or merger, either

(a) the Issuer would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) hereof, or

(b) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries is greater than immediately prior to such acquisition or merger;

provided , however that on a pro forma basis, together with amounts incurred and outstanding pursuant to the second proviso to Section 4.09(a) and clause (12)(b) of this Section 4.09(b), no more than $2,000.0 million of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock at any one time outstanding and incurred by Restricted Subsidiaries that are not Guarantors pursuant to this clause (14) shall be incurred and outstanding;

(15) Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business; provided that such Indebtedness is extinguished within five Business Days of its incurrence;

(16) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries supported by a letter of credit issued pursuant to any Credit Facilities, in a principal amount not in excess of the stated amount of such letter of credit;

(17)(a) any guarantee by the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness or other obligations of any Restricted Subsidiary, so long as the incurrence of such Indebtedness incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary is permitted under the terms of this Indenture, or (b) any guarantee by a Restricted Subsidiary of Indebtedness of the Issuer; provided that such guarantee is incurred in accordance with Section 4.15 hereof;

(18) Indebtedness of Foreign Subsidiaries of the Issuer in an amount not to exceed at any one time outstanding and together with any other Indebtedness incurred under this clause (18) 5.0% of the Total Assets of the Foreign Subsidiaries (it being understood that any Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this clause (18) shall cease to be deemed incurred or outstanding for purposes of this clause (18) but shall be deemed incurred for the purposes of Section 4.09(a) hereof from and after the first date on which the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiaries could have incurred such Indebtedness under Section 4.09(a) hereof without reliance on this clause (18));

 

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(19) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries consisting of (i) the financing of insurance premiums or (ii) take-or-pay obligations contained in supply arrangements, in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(20) Indebtedness consisting of Indebtedness issued by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to current or former officers, directors and employees thereof, their respective estates, spouses or former spouses, in each case to finance the purchase or redemption of Equity Interests of the Issuer or any direct or indirect parent company of the Issuer to the extent described in clause (4) of Section 4.07(b) hereof;

(21) customer deposits and advance payments received in the ordinary course of business from customers for goods and services purchased in the ordinary course of business;

(22) Indebtedness owed on a short-term basis of no longer than 30 days to banks and other financial institutions incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries with such banks or financial institutions that arises in connection with ordinary banking arrangements to manage cash balances of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries; and

(23) Indebtedness of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries undertaken in connection with cash management and related activities with respect to any Subsidiary or joint venture in the ordinary course of business.

(c) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.09:

(x) in the event that an item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) meets the criteria of more than one of the categories of permitted Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock described in clauses (1) through (23) of this Section 4.09(b) or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to Section 4.09(a) hereof, the Issuer, in its sole discretion, shall classify or reclassify such item of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock (or any portion thereof) and shall only be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock in clauses (1) through (23) of this Section 4.09(b) or under Section 4.09(a) hereof; provided that all Indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Facilities on the Issue Date shall be treated as incurred on the Issue Date under clause (1) of Section 4.09(b) hereof; and

(y) at the time of incurrence, the Issuer will be entitled to divide and classify an item of Indebtedness in more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in Sections 4.09(a) and 4.09(b) hereof.

(d) Accrual of interest or dividends, the accretion of accreted value, the accretion or amortization of original issue discounts and the payment of interest or dividends in the form of additional Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock shall not be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock for purposes of this Section 4.09.

(e) For purposes of determining compliance with any U.S. dollar-denominated restriction on the incurrence of Indebtedness, the U.S. dollar-equivalent principal amount of Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date such Indebtedness was incurred, in the case of term debt, or first committed, in the case of revolving

 

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credit debt; provided that if such Indebtedness is incurred to refinance other Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency, and such refinancing would cause the applicable U.S. dollar-denominated restriction to be exceeded if calculated at the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date of such refinancing, such U.S. dollar-denominated restriction shall be deemed not to have been exceeded so long as the principal amount of such refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of such Indebtedness being refinanced.

The principal amount of any Indebtedness incurred to refinance other Indebtedness, if incurred in a different currency from the Indebtedness being refinanced, shall be calculated based on the currency exchange rate applicable to the currencies in which such respective Indebtedness is denominated that is in effect on the date of such refinancing.

(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, incur any Indebtedness (including Acquired Indebtedness) that is subordinated or junior in right of payment to any Indebtedness of the Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such Indebtedness is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee to the extent and in the same manner as such Indebtedness is subordinated to other Indebtedness of the Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be.

Section 4.10 Asset Sales .

(a) The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to consummate, directly or indirectly, an Asset Sale, unless:

(1) the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Issuer) of the assets sold or otherwise disposed of; and

(2) except in the case of a Permitted Asset Swap, at least 75% of the consideration therefor received by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, is in the form of cash or Cash Equivalents; provided that the amount of:

(A) any liabilities (as reflected in the Issuer’s or such Restricted Subsidiary’s most recent balance sheet or in the footnotes thereto, or if incurred or accrued subsequent to the date of such balance sheet, such liabilities that would have been shown on the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary’s balance sheet or in the footnotes thereto if such incurrence or accrual have taken place on the date of such balance sheet, as determined by the Issuer) of the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, other than liabilities that are by their terms subordinated to the Notes, that are assumed by the transferee of any such assets and for which the Issuer and all of its Restricted Subsidiaries have been validly released by all creditors in writing,

(B) any securities, notes or other obligations or assets received by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary from such transferee that are converted by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary into cash (to the extent of the cash received) within 180 days following the closing of such Asset Sale, and

 

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(C) any Designated Non-cash Consideration received by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary in such Asset Sale having an aggregate fair market value, taken together with all other Designated Non-cash Consideration received pursuant to this clause (C) that is at that time outstanding, not to exceed 5% of the Issuer’s Total Assets at the time of the receipt of such Designated Non-cash Consideration, with the fair market value of each item of Designated Non-cash Consideration being measured at the time received and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value,

shall be deemed to be cash for purposes of this provision and for no other purpose.

(b) Within 450 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds of any Asset Sale, the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary, at its option, may apply the Net Proceeds from such Asset Sale,

(1) to permanently reduce:

(A) Obligations under Senior Indebtedness which is Secured Indebtedness permitted by the Indenture, and to correspondingly reduce commitments with respect thereto;

(B) Obligations under other Senior Indebtedness (and to correspondingly reduce commitments with respect thereto) through open-market purchases or by making an Asset Sale Offer in accordance with the procedures set forth below; provided that to the extent the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary reduces Obligations under Senior Indebtedness other than the Notes, the Issuer shall equally and ratably reduce Obligations under the Notes as provided under Section 3.07 through open-market purchases or otherwise by making an offer (in accordance with the procedures set forth below for an Asset Sale Offer) to all Holders to purchase their Notes at 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus the amount of accrued but unpaid interest, if any, on the amount of the Notes that would otherwise be prepaid; or

(C) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Guarantor, other than Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or another Restricted Subsidiary (or any Affiliate thereof);

(2) to make (a) an Investment in any one or more businesses, provided that if such business is not a Restricted Subsidiary, such Investment is in the form of the acquisition of Capital Stock and results in the Issuer or another of its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, owning an amount of the Capital Stock of such business such that it constitutes a Restricted Subsidiary, (b) an Investment in properties, (c) capital expenditures or (d) acquisitions of other assets, in each of clauses (a) through (d), that are used or useful in a Similar Business or that replace the businesses, properties and/or assets that are the subject of such Asset Sale; provided that, in the case of this clause (2), a binding commitment shall be treated as a permitted application of the Net Proceeds from the date of such commitment so long as the Issuer or such other Restricted Subsidiary enters into such commitment with the good faith expectation that such Net Proceeds will be applied to satisfy such commitment within 180 days of such commitment (an “ Acceptable Commitment ”) and, in the event any Acceptable Commitment is later cancelled or terminated for any reason before the Net Proceeds are applied in connection therewith, the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary enters into another Acceptable Commitment (a “ Second Commitment ”) within 180 days of such cancellation or termination; provided further , that if any Second Commitment is later cancelled or terminated for any reason before such Net Proceeds are applied, then such Net Proceeds shall constitute Excess Proceeds.

 

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(c) Any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not invested or applied as provided and within the time period set forth in Section 4.10(b) shall be deemed to constitute “ Excess Proceeds .” When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds $200.0 million, the Issuer shall make an offer to all Holders of the Notes and, if required or permitted by the terms of any Senior Indebtedness, to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (an “ Asset Sale Offer ”), to purchase the maximum aggregate principal amount of the Notes and such Senior Indebtedness that is a minimum of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds at an offer price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to the date fixed for the closing of such offer, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Indenture. The Issuer will commence an Asset Sale Offer with respect to Excess Proceeds within ten Business Days after the date that Excess Proceeds exceed $200.0 million by mailing the notice required pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, with a copy to the Trustee.

To the extent that the aggregate amount of Notes and any other Senior Indebtedness tendered pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer is less than the Excess Proceeds, the Issuer may use any remaining Excess Proceeds for general corporate purposes, subject to other covenants contained in this Indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes or the Senior Indebtedness surrendered by such holders thereof exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds, the Trustee shall select the Notes and the agent for such other Senior Indebtedness, as applicable, shall select the Senior Indebtedness to be purchased on a pro rata basis (so long as an authorized denomination results therefrom) based on the accreted value or principal amount of the Notes or such Senior Indebtedness tendered. Upon completion of any such Asset Sale Offer, the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be reset at zero. Additionally, the Issuer may, at its option, make an Asset Sale Offer using proceeds from any Asset Sale at any time after consummation of such Asset Sale; provided that such Asset Sale Offer shall be in an aggregate amount of not less than $25.0 million. Upon consummation of such Asset Sale Offer, any Net Proceeds not required to be used to purchase Notes shall not be deemed Excess Proceeds.

(d) Pending the final application of any Net Proceeds pursuant to this Section 4.10, the holder of such Net Proceeds may apply such Net Proceeds temporarily to reduce Indebtedness outstanding under a revolving credit facility or otherwise invest such Net Proceeds in any manner not prohibited by this Indenture.

(e) The Issuer shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws or regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Indenture, the Issuer shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations described in this Indenture by virtue thereof.

Section 4.11 Transactions with Affiliates .

(a) The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction, contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the benefit of, any Affiliate of the Issuer (each of the foregoing, an “ Affiliate Transaction ”) involving aggregate payments or consideration in excess of $40.0 million, unless:

(1) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are not materially less favorable to the Issuer or its relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary with an unrelated Person on an arm’s-length basis; and

 

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(2) the Issuer delivers to the Trustee with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate payments or consideration in excess of $80.0 million, a resolution adopted by the majority of the board of directors of the Issuer approving such Affiliate Transaction and set forth in an Officer’s Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction complies with clause (1) of this Section 4.11(a).

(b) The provisions of Section 4.11(a) hereof shall not apply to the following:

(1) transactions between or among the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2) Restricted Payments permitted by Section 4.07 hereof and the definition of “Permitted Investments”;

(3) the payment of management, consulting, monitoring and advisory fees and related expenses to the Investors pursuant to the Sponsor Management Agreement (plus any unpaid management, consulting, monitoring and advisory fees and related expenses accrued in any prior year) and the termination fees pursuant to the Sponsor Management Agreement, in each case as in effect on the Issue Date, or any amendment thereto (so long as any such amendment is not, in the good faith judgment of the board of directors of the Issuer, disadvantageous to the Holders when taken as a whole compared to the Sponsor Management Agreement as in effect on the Issue Date);

(4) the payment of reasonable and customary fees paid to, and indemnities provided for the benefit of, former, current or future officers, directors, employees or consultants of Issuer, any of its direct or indirect parent companies or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(5) transactions in which the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, as the case may be, delivers to the Trustee a letter from an Independent Financial Advisor stating that such transaction is fair to the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary from a financial point of view or stating that the terms are not materially less favorable to the Issuer or its relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Issuer or such Restricted Subsidiary with an unrelated Person on an arm’s-length basis;

(6) any agreement or arrangement as in effect as of the Issue Date, or any amendment thereto (so long as any such amendment is not disadvantageous to the Holders when taken as a whole as compared to the applicable agreement as in effect on the Issue Date);

(7) the existence of, or the performance by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of its obligations under the terms of, any stockholders agreement or its equivalent (including any registration rights agreement or purchase agreement related thereto) to which it is a party as of the Issue Date and any similar agreements which it may enter into thereafter; provided , however , that the existence of, or the performance by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of obligations under any future amendment to any such existing agreement or under any similar agreement entered into after the Issue Date shall only be permitted by this clause (7) to the extent that the terms of any such amendment or new agreement are not otherwise disadvantageous to the Holders when taken as a whole;

 

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(8) the Transactions, the offering of the Notes and the payment of all fees and expenses related to the Transactions and the offering of the Notes, in each case as described in the Offering Memorandum;

(9) transactions with customers, clients, suppliers, or purchasers or sellers of goods or services, in each case in the ordinary course of business and otherwise in compliance with the terms of this Indenture which are fair to the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, in the reasonable determination of the board of directors of the Issuer or the senior management thereof, or are on terms at least as favorable as might reasonably have been obtained at such time from an unaffiliated party;

(10) the issuance or transfer of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Issuer to any Permitted Holder or to any former, current or future director, officer, employee or consultant (or their respective estates, investment funds, investment vehicles, spouses or former spouses) of the Issuer, any of its direct or indirect parent companies or any of its Subsidiaries;

(11) sales of accounts receivable, or participations therein, in connection with any Receivables Facility;

(12) payments by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to any of the Investors made for any financial advisory, financing, underwriting or placement services or in respect of other investment banking activities, including, without limitation, in connection with acquisitions or divestitures, which payments are approved by a majority of the board of directors of the Issuer in good faith;

(13) payments or loans (or cancellation of loans) to employees or consultants of the Issuer, any of its direct or indirect parent companies or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and employment agreements, stock option plans and other similar arrangements with such employees or consultants which, in each case, are approved by the Issuer in good faith;

(14) investments by the Investors in securities of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (and the payment of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Investors in connection therewith) so long as (i) the investment is being offered generally to other investors on the same or more favorable terms and (ii) the investment constitutes less than 5% of the proposed or outstanding issue amount of such class of securities;

(15) payments to and from, and transactions with, any joint venture in the ordinary course of business; and

(16) payments by the Issuer (and any direct or indirect parent thereof) and its Subsidiaries pursuant to tax sharing agreements among the Issuer (and any such parent) and its Subsidiaries on customary terms to the extent attributable to the ownership or operation of the Issuer and its Subsidiaries; provided that in each case the amount of such payments in any fiscal year does not exceed the amount that the Issuer, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent of amounts received from Unrestricted Subsidiaries) would be required to pay in respect of foreign, federal, state and local taxes for such fiscal year were the Issuer, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (to the extent described above) to pay such taxes separately from any such parent entity.

 

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Section 4.12 Liens .

The Issuer shall not, and shall not permit any Guarantor to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien (except Permitted Liens) that secures obligations under any Indebtedness or any related Guarantee, on any asset or property of the Issuer or any Guarantor, or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or convey any right to receive income therefrom, unless:

(1) in the case of Liens securing Subordinated Indebtedness, the Notes and related Guarantees are secured by a Lien on such property, assets or proceeds that is senior in priority to such Liens; or

(2) in all other cases, the Notes or the Guarantees are equally and ratably secured or are secured by a Lien on such property, assets or proceeds that is senior in priority to such Liens;

except that the foregoing shall not apply to (a) Liens securing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under the Credit Facilities, including any letter of credit relating thereto, that was permitted by the terms of the Indenture to be incurred pursuant to clause (1) of Section 4.09(b) and (b) Liens which are incurred to secure Obligations in respect of any Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to the covenant described above under Section 4.09; provided that, with respect to Liens securing Obligations permitted under this subclause (b), at the time of incurrence and after giving pro forma effect thereto, the Consolidated Secured Debt Ratio would be no greater than 4.50 to 1.00. Any Lien which is granted to secure the Notes under this Section 4.12 shall be discharged at the same time as the discharge of the Lien (other than through the exercise of remedies with respect thereto) that gave rise to the obligation to so secure the Notes.

Section 4.13 Corporate Existence .

Subject to Article 5 hereof, the Issuer shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect (i) its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided that the Issuer shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, if the Issuer in good faith shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

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Section 4.14 Offer to Repurchase upon Change of Control .

(a) If a Change of Control occurs, unless the Issuer has previously or concurrently mailed a redemption notice with respect to all the outstanding Notes as described under Section 3.07 hereof, the Issuer shall make an offer to purchase all of the Notes pursuant to the offer described below (the “ Change of Control Offer ”) at a price in cash (the “ Change of Control Payment ”) equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and Additional Interest, if any, to the date of purchase, subject to the right of Holders of the Notes of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date. Within 30 days following any Change of Control, the Issuer shall send notice of such Change of Control Offer by first-class mail, with a copy to the Trustee, to each Holder of Notes to the address of such Holder appearing in the security register with a copy to the Trustee or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of DTC, with the following information:

(1) that a Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 4.14 and that all Notes properly tendered pursuant to such Change of Control Offer will be accepted for payment by the Issuer;

(2) the purchase price and the purchase date, which will be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (the “ Change of Control Payment Date ”);

(3) that any Note not properly tendered will remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest;

(4) that unless the Issuer defaults in the payment of the Change of Control Payment, all Notes accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer will cease to accrue interest on the Change of Control Payment Date;

(5) that Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender such Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of such Notes completed, to the Paying Agent specified in the notice at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date;

(6) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their tendered Notes and their election to require the Issuer to purchase such Notes, provided that the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the expiration date of the Change of Control offer, a facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder of the Notes, the principal amount of Notes tendered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing its tendered Notes and its election to have such Notes purchased;

(7) that if the Issuer is redeeming less than all of the Notes, the Holders of the remaining Notes will be issued new Notes and such new Notes will be equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered. The unpurchased portion of the Notes must be equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof; and

(8) the other instructions, as determined by the Issuer, consistent with this Section 4.14, that a Holder must follow.

The notice, if mailed in a manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. If (a) the notice is mailed in a manner

 

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herein provided and (b) any Holder fails to receive such notice or a Holder receives such notice but it is defective, such Holder’s failure to receive such notice or such defect shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the purchase of the Notes as to all other Holders that properly received such notice without defect. The Issuer shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws or regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section 4.14, the Issuer shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 4.14 by virtue thereof.

(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Issuer shall, to the extent permitted by law,

(1) accept for payment all Notes issued by it or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

(2) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the aggregate Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions thereof so tendered; and

(3) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee for cancellation the Notes so accepted together with an Officer’s Certificate to the Trustee stating that such Notes or portions thereof have been tendered to and purchased by the Issuer.

(c) The Issuer shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer following a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Section 4.14 applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Issuer and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a Change of Control Offer may be made in advance of a Change of Control, conditional upon such Change of Control, if a definitive agreement is in place for the Change of Control at the time of making of the Change of Control Offer.

(d) Other than as specifically provided in this Section 4.14, any purchase pursuant to this Section 4.14 shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3.02, 3.05 and 3.06 hereof.

Section 4.15 Limitation on Guarantees of Indebtedness by Restricted Subsidiaries .

The Issuer shall not permit any of its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries that are Restricted Subsidiaries (and non-Wholly Owned Subsidiaries if such non-Wholly Owned Subsidiaries guarantee other capital markets debt securities of the Issuer or any Guarantor), other than a Guarantor, a Foreign Subsidiary or a Receivables Subsidiary, to guarantee the payment of any Indebtedness of the Issuer or any other Guarantor unless:

(1) such Restricted Subsidiary within 30 days executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto, providing for a Guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary, except that with respect to a guarantee of Indebtedness of the Issuer or any Guarantor:

(a) if the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee are subordinated in right of payment to such Indebtedness, the Guarantee under the supplemental indenture shall be subordinated to such Restricted Subsidiary’s guarantee with respect to such Indebtedness substantially to the same extent as the Notes are subordinated to such Indebtedness; and

 

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(b) if such Indebtedness is by its express terms subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or such Guarantor’s Guarantee, any such guarantee by such Restricted Subsidiary with respect to such Indebtedness shall be subordinated in right of payment to such Guarantee substantially to the same extent as such Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes; and

(2) such Restricted Subsidiary waives, and shall not in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against the Issuer or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted Subsidiary under its Guarantee;

provided that this Section 4.15 shall not be applicable to (i) any guarantee of any Restricted Subsidiary that existed at the time such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary and was not incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) guarantees of any Receivables Facility by any Receivables Subsidiary.

ARTICLE 5

SUCCESSORS

Section 5.01 Merger, Consolidation or Sale of All or Substantially All Assets .

(a) The Issuer shall not consolidate or merge with or into or wind up into (whether or not the Issuer is the surviving corporation), or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to any Person unless:

(1) either: (x) the Issuer is the surviving entity; or (y) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Issuer) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition will have been made is an entity organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of the Issuer or the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof (such Person, as the case may be, being herein called the “ Successor Company ”); provided that if the surviving Person is not a corporation, a corporation organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of the Issuer or the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof shall be a co-obligor of the Notes;

(2) the Successor Company, if other than the Issuer, expressly assumes all the obligations of the Issuer under the Notes pursuant to a supplemental indenture or other documents or instruments in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;

(3) immediately after such transaction, no Default exists;

 

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(4) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such transaction and any related financing transactions, as if such transactions had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter period,

(A) the Successor Company would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in Section 4.09(a) hereof, or

(B) the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Successor Company, the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries would be greater than such ratio for the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries immediately prior to such transaction;

(5) each Guarantor, unless it is the other party to the transactions described above, in which case Section 5.01(c)(1)(B) hereof shall apply, shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its Guarantee shall apply to such Person’s obligations under this Indenture, the Notes and the Registration Rights Agreement; and

(6) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indentures, if any, comply with this Indenture and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplement shall comply with the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

(b) The Successor Company shall succeed to, and be substituted for the Issuer under this Indenture, the Guarantees and the Notes, as applicable. Notwithstanding clauses (3) and (4) of Section 5.01(a) hereof,

(1) any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with or merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to the Issuer, and

(2) the Issuer may merge with an Affiliate of the Issuer, as the case may be, solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Issuer in a State of the United States or any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof so long as the amount of Indebtedness of the Issuer and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not increased thereby.

(c) Subject to certain limitations described in this Indenture governing release of a Guarantee upon the sale, disposition or transfer of a Guarantor, no Guarantor shall, and the Issuer shall not permit any Guarantor to, consolidate or merge with or into or wind up into (whether or not the Issuer or Guarantor is the surviving corporation), or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties or assets, in one or more related transactions, to any Person unless:

(1)(A) such Guarantor is the surviving corporation or the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than such Guarantor) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition will have been made is a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability corporation or trust organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of such Guarantor, as the case may be, or the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia, or any territory thereof (such Guarantor or such Person, as the case may be, being herein called the “ Successor Person ”);

 

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(B) the Successor Person, if other than such Guarantor, expressly assumes all the obligations of such Guarantor under this Indenture and such Guarantor’s related Guarantee pursuant to a supplemental indenture or other documents or instruments in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;

(C) immediately after such transaction, no Default exists; and

(D) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indentures, if any, comply with this Indenture; or

(2) the transaction is made in compliance with Section 4.10 hereof.

(d) Subject to certain limitations described in this Indenture, the Successor Person shall succeed to, and be substituted for, such Guarantor under this Indenture and such Guarantor’s Guarantee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Guarantor may (i) merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to another Guarantor or the Issuer, (ii) merge with an Affiliate of the Issuer solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Guarantor in the United States, any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof or (iii) convert into a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability corporation or trust organized or existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of organization of such Guarantor.

(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the mergers contemplated by the Transaction Agreement shall be permitted without compliance with this Section 5.01.

Section 5.02 Successor Corporation Substituted .

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer in accordance with Section 5.01 hereof, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Issuer is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the Issuer shall refer instead to the successor corporation and not to the Issuer), and may exercise every right and power of the Issuer under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Issuer herein; provided that the predecessor Issuer shall not be relieved from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest and Additional Interest, if any, on the Notes except in the case of a sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all of the Issuer’s assets that meets the requirements of Section 5.01 hereof.

 

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ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01 Events of Default .

(a) An “ Event of Default ” wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in payment when due and payable, upon redemption, acceleration or otherwise, of principal of, or premium, if any, on the Notes;

(2) default for 30 days or more in the payment when due of interest or Additional Interest on or with respect to the Notes;

(3) failure by the Issuer for 120 days after receipt of written notice given by the Trustee or the Required Holders of not less than 30% of the Required Debt to comply with any of its obligations, covenants or agreements contained in Section 4.03 ;

(4) failure by the Issuer or any Guarantor for 60 days after receipt of written notice given by the Trustee or the Required Holders of not less than 30% of the Required Debt to comply with any of its obligations, covenants or agreements (other than a default referred to in clauses (1), (2) and (3) above) contained in this Indenture or the Notes;

(5) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there is issued or by which there is secured or evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than Indebtedness owed to the Issuer or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists or is created after the issuance of the Notes, if both:

(a) such default either results from the failure to pay any principal of such Indebtedness at its stated final maturity (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods) or relates to an obligation other than the obligation to pay principal of any such Indebtedness at its stated final maturity and results in the holder or holders of such Indebtedness causing such Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity; and

(b) the principal amount of such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such Indebtedness in default for failure to pay principal at stated final maturity (after giving effect to any applicable grace periods), or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregate $100.0 million or more at any one time outstanding;

(6) failure by the Issuer or any Significant Subsidiary (or group of Subsidiaries that together would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) to pay final non-appealable judgments aggregating in excess of $100.0 million, which final judgments remain unpaid, undischarged and unstayed for a period of more than 60 days after such judgment becomes final, and in the event such judgment is covered by insurance, an enforcement proceeding has been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or decree which is not promptly stayed;

(7) the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i) commences proceedings to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent;

 

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(ii) consents to the institution of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under applicable Bankruptcy law;

(iii) consents to the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of it or for all or substantially all of its property;

(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

(v) generally is not paying its debts as they become due;

(8) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i) is for relief against the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, in a proceeding in which the Issuer or any such Restricted Subsidiaries, that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, is to be adjudicated bankrupt or insolvent;

(ii) appoints a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary; or

(iii) orders the liquidation of the Issuer or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that is a Significant Subsidiary or any group of Restricted Subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;

and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days; or

(9) the Guarantee of any Significant Subsidiary (or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that together would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) shall for any reason cease to be in full force and effect or be declared null and void or any responsible officer of any Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary (or group of Restricted Subsidiaries that together would constitute a Significant Subsidiary), as the case may be, denies that it has any further liability under its Guarantee or gives notice to such effect, other than by reason of the termination of this Indenture or the release of any such Guarantee in accordance with this Indenture.

(b) In the event of any Event of Default specified in clause (5) of Section 6.01(a) hereof, such Event of Default and all consequences thereof (excluding any resulting payment default, other than as a result of acceleration of the Notes) shall be annulled, waived and rescinded, automatically and without any action by the Trustee or the Holders, if within 20 days after such Event of Default arose:

(1) the Indebtedness or guarantee that is the basis for such Event of Default has been discharged; or

 

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(2) holders thereof have rescinded or waived the acceleration, notice or action (as the case may be) giving rise to such Event of Default; or

(3) the default that is the basis for such Event of Default has been cured.

Section 6.02 Acceleration .

(a) If any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (7) or (8) of Section 6.01(a) hereof) occurs and is continuing under this Indenture, the Trustee or the Required Holders of at least 30% of the Required Debt may declare the principal, premium, if any, interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately. Upon the effectiveness of such declaration, such principal and interest shall be due and payable immediately. The Trustee shall have no obligation to accelerate the Notes if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines acceleration is not in the best interest of the Holders of the Notes.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default arising under clause (7) or (8) of Section 6.01(a) hereof, all outstanding Notes shall be due and payable immediately without further action or notice.

(c) Required Holders of at least a majority of the Required Debt by written notice to the Trustee may on behalf of all of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default and its consequences under this Indenture except a continuing Default in the payment of interest on, premium, if any, or the principal of any Note (held by a non-consenting Holder) and rescind any acceleration with respect to the Notes and its consequences (so long as such rescission would not conflict with any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction).

Section 6.03 Other Remedies .

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

 

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Section 6.04 Waiver of Past Defaults .

The Required Holders of at least a majority of the Required Debt by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, Additional Interest, if any, or interest on, any Note held by a non-consenting Holder and rescind any acceleration with respect to the Notes and its consequences (provided such rescission would not conflict with any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction); provided , subject to Section 6.02 hereof, that the Required Holders of at least a majority of the Required Debt may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.05 Control by Majority .

The Required Holders of a majority of the Required Debt may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture or that the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder of a Note or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

Section 6.06 Limitation on Suits .

Subject to Section 6.07 hereof, no Holder of a Note may pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes unless:

(1) such Holder has previously given the Trustee written notice that an Event of Default is continuing;

(2) Required Holders of at least 30% of the Required Debt have requested the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) Holders of the Notes have offered the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against any loss, liability or expense;

(4) the Trustee has not complied with such request within 60 days after the receipt thereof and the offer of security or indemnity; and

(5) Required Holders of at least a majority of the Required Debt have not given the Trustee a direction inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period.

A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of a Note.

 

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Section 6.07 Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment .

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and Additional Interest, if any, and interest on the Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Note (including in connection with an Asset Sale Offer or a Change of Control Offer), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.08 Collection Suit by Trustee .

If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a)(1) or (2) hereof occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Issuer for the whole amount of principal of, premium, if any, and Additional Interest, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

Section 6.09 Restoration of Rights and Remedies .

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceedings, the Issuer, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding has been instituted.

Section 6.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative .

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes in Section 2.07 hereof, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 6.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver .

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Note to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver

 

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of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

Section 6.12 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim .

The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Issuer (or any other obligor upon the Notes including the Guarantors), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to participate as a member in any official committee of creditors appointed in such matter and to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.13 Priorities .

If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:

(i) to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;

(ii) to Holders of Notes for amounts due and unpaid on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and Additional Interest, if any, and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and Additional Interest, if any, and interest, respectively; and

(iii) to the Issuer or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct, including a Guarantor, if applicable.

 

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The Trustee may fix a Record Date and payment date for any payment to Holders of Notes pursuant to this Section 6.13.

Section 6.14 Undertaking for Costs .

In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.14 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.

ARTICLE 7

TRUSTEE

Section 7.01 Duties of Trustee .

(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(i) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.01;

 

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(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved in a court of competent jurisdiction that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7.01.

(e) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of the Notes unless the Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity or security against any loss, liability or expense.

(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Issuer. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

Section 7.02 Rights of Trustee .

(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Issuer, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Issuer and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent or attorney appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Issuer shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Issuer.

(f) None of the provisions of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise to incur any liability, financial or otherwise, in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not assured to it.

 

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(g) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a Default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture

(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

(j) In the event the Issuer is required to pay Additional Interest, the Issuer will provide written notice to the Trustee of the Issuer’s obligation to pay Additional Interest no later than 15 days prior to the next Interest Payment Date, which notice shall set forth the amount of the Additional Interest to be paid by the Issuer. The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holders to determine whether the Additional Interest is payable and the amount thereof.

Section 7.03 Individual Rights of Trustee .

The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Issuer or any Affiliate of the Issuer with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for permission to continue as trustee or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11 hereof.

Section 7.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer .

The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Issuer’s use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Issuer or upon the Issuer’s direction under any provision of this Indenture, it shall not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee, and it shall not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of authentication.

 

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Section 7.05 Notice of Defaults .

If a Default occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of Notes a notice of the Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default relating to the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold from the Holders notice of any continuing Default if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Notes. The Trustee shall not be deemed to know of any Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is such a Default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

Section 7.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes .

Within 60 days after each May 15, beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain outstanding, the Trustee shall mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report dated as of such reporting date that complies with Trust Indenture Act Section 313(a) (but if no event described in Trust Indenture Act Section 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also shall comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 313(b)(2). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail all reports as required by Trust Indenture Act Section 313(c).

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the Holders of Notes shall be mailed to the Issuer and filed with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Notes are listed in accordance with Trust Indenture Act Section 313(d). The Issuer shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Notes are listed on any stock exchange.

Section 7.07 Compensation and Indemnity .

The Issuer and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the parties shall agree in writing from time to time. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Issuer and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, shall reimburse the Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

The Issuer and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold the Trustee harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claims, liability or expense (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by it in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder (including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Issuer or any of the Guarantors (including this Section 7.07) or defending itself against any claim whether asserted by any Holder, the Issuer or any Guarantor, or liability in connective with the acceptance, exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder). The Trustee shall notify the Issuer promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Issuer shall not relieve the Issuer of its obligations hereunder. The Issuer shall defend the claim and the

 

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Trustee may have separate counsel and the Issuer shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. The Issuer need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith.

The obligations of the Issuer under this Section 7.07 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee.

Notwithstanding anything contrary in Section 4.12 hereto, to secure the payment obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantors in this Section 7.07, the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal and interest on particular Notes. Such Lien shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a)(7) or (8) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.

Section 7.08 Replacement of Trustee .

A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08. The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Issuer. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Issuer in writing. The Issuer may remove the Trustee if:

(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;

(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c) a custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Issuer shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Issuer.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee (at the Issuer’s expense), the Issuer or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder who has been a Holder for at least six months, fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof, such Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Issuer. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee; provided all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien provided for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Issuer’s obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

Section 7.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc .

If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.

Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification .

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a national banking association or a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Sections 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b).

Section 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuer .

The Trustee is subject to Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in Trust Indenture Act Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

 

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ARTICLE 8

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 8.01 Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance .

The Issuer may, at its option and at any time, elect to have either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article 8.

Section 8.02 Legal Defeasance and Discharge .

Upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Issuer and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes and Guarantees on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (“ Legal Defeasance ”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Issuer shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Notes and this Indenture including that of the Guarantors (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Issuer, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:

(a) the rights of Holders of Notes to receive payments in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes when such payments are due solely out of the trust created pursuant to this Indenture referred to in Section 8.04 hereof;

(b) the Issuer’s obligations with respect to Notes concerning issuing temporary Notes, registration of such Notes, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust;

(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee, and the Issuer’s obligations in connection therewith; and

(d) this Section 8.02.

Subject to compliance with this Article 8, the Issuer may exercise its option under this Section 8.02 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.03 hereof.

Section 8.03 Covenant Defeasance .

Upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Issuer and the Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released from their obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 4.13, 4.14 and 4.15 hereof and clauses (3) and (4) of Section 5.01(a), Sections 5.01(c) and 5.01(d) hereof with respect to the outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof are satisfied (“ Covenant Defeasance ”), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration

 

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or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes, the Issuer may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.01(a) hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Issuer’s exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03 hereof, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, Sections 6.01(a)(3), 6.01(a)(4), 6.01(a)(5), 6.01(a)(6), 6.01(a)(7) (solely with respect to Restricted Subsidiaries or groups of Restricted Subsidiaries that are Significant Subsidiaries), 6.01(a)(8) (solely with respect to Restricted Subsidiaries or groups of Restricted Subsidiaries that are Significant Subsidiaries) and 6.01(a)(9) hereof shall not constitute Events of Default.

Section 8.04 Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance .

The following shall be the conditions to the application of either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof to the outstanding Notes:

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the Notes:

(1) the Issuer must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, cash in U.S. dollars, Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest due on the Notes on the stated maturity date or on the redemption date, as the case may be, of such principal, premium, if any, or interest on such Notes and the Issuer must specify whether such Notes are being defeased to maturity or to a particular redemption date;

(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions,

(a) the Issuer has received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or

(b) since the issuance of the Notes, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law,

in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as applicable, as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;

 

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(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to such tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

(4) no Default (other than that resulting from borrowing funds to be applied to make such deposit and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of Liens in connection therewith) shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

(5) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the Senior Credit Facility, the Senior Interim Debt Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Indenture, the Senior Subordinated Notes or any other material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Issuer or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Issuer or any Guarantor is bound (other than that resulting from borrowing funds to be applied to make the deposit required to effect such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of Liens in connection therewith);

(6) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that, as of the date of such opinion and subject to customary assumptions and exclusions following the deposit, the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of Section 547 of Title 11 of the United States Code;

(7) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Issuer with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Issuer or any Guarantor or others; and

(8) the Issuer shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel (which Opinion of Counsel may be subject to customary assumptions and exclusions) each stating that all conditions precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, have been complied with.

Section 8.05 Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions .

Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.05, the “ Trustee ”) pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Issuer or a

 

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Guarantor acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium and Additional Interest, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Issuer shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes.

Anything in this Article 8 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Issuer from time to time upon the request of the Issuer any money or Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.04(1) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

Section 8.06 Repayment to Issuer .

Subject to applicable escheat and abandoned property laws, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Issuer, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium and Additional Interest, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, and premium and Additional Interest, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Issuer on its request or (if then held by the Issuer) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter look only to the Issuer for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Issuer as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.

Section 8.07 Reinstatement .

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any United States dollars or Government Securities in accordance with Article 8 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Issuer’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Article 8 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Article 8 hereof, as the case may be; provided that, if the Issuer makes any payment of principal of, premium and Additional Interest, if any, or interest on any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Issuer shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 

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ARTICLE 9

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

Section 9.01 Without Consent of Holders of Notes .

Notwithstanding Section 9.02 hereof, the Issuer, any Guarantor (with respect to a Guarantee) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, any Guarantee or the Notes without the consent of any Holder:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, mistake, defect or inconsistency;

(2) to provide for uncertificated Notes of such series in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

(3) to comply with Section 5.01 hereof;

(4) to provide for the assumption of the Issuer’s or any Guarantor’s obligations to the Holders;

(5) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under this Indenture of any such Holder;

(6) to add covenants for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Issuer or any Guarantor;

(7) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance and appointment under this Indenture of a successor Trustee thereunder pursuant to the requirements thereof;

(9) to provide for the issuance of Exchange Notes or private exchange notes, which are identical to Exchange Notes except that they are not freely transferable;

(10) to add a Guarantor under this Indenture;

(11) to conform the text of this Indenture, Guarantees or the Notes to any provision of the “Description of Notes” to the extent that such provision in the “Description of Notes” was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture, Guarantee or Notes;

(12) to make any amendment to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the transfer and legending of Notes as permitted by this Indenture, including, without limitation to facilitate the issuance and administration of the Notes; provided , however , that (i) compliance with this Indenture as so amended would not result in Notes being transferred in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable securities law and (ii) such amendment does not materially and adversely affect the rights of Holders to transfer Notes;

(13) to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant any other Lien in favor of the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, as additional security for the payment and performance of all or any portion of the Obligations, in any property or assets, including any which are required to be mortgaged, pledged or hypothecated, or in which a Lien is required to be granted to or for the benefit of the Trustee pursuant to this Indenture or otherwise; or

 

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(14) to amend this Indenture to provide for the issuance of Senior Cash Pay Notes or Senior PIK Notes (each as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement) on any Exchange Date (as defined in the Senior Interim Debt Agreement) or any other debt securities that are issued to refinance or replace either Bridge Facility.

Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a resolution of its board of directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Sections 7.02 and 12.04 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Issuer and the Guarantors in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Opinion of Counsel shall be required in connection with the addition of a Guarantor under this Indenture upon execution and delivery by such Guarantor and the Trustee of a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto, and delivery of an Officer’s Certificate.

Section 9.02 With Consent of Holders of Notes .

Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Issuer, any Guarantor (with respect to any Guarantee) and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees with the consent of the Required Holders of a majority of Required Debt (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, the Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium and Additional Interest, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Guarantees or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Required Holders of a majority of Required Debt voting as a single class, including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, the Notes, in each case other than Notes beneficially owned by the Issuer or its Affiliates; provided that (i) if any amendment, waiver or other modification would by its terms disproportionately affect the holders of any one or more classes of Required Debt, such amendment, waiver or other modification shall also require the consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding amount of such class or classes of Required Debt, voting as a single class and (ii) if any amendment, waiver or other modification would only affect the holders of any one class of Required Debt, consent of the respective holders, if applicable, holding at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding amount of such class of Required Debt, if any are outstanding, and not the consent of the Required Holders of a majority of the Required Debt, as the case may be, acting as a single class, shall be required. Section 2.08 hereof and Section 2.09 hereof shall determine which Notes are considered to be “outstanding” for the purposes of this Section 9.02.

Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a resolution of its board of directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Required Holders as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Sections 7.02 and 12.04 hereof, the Trustee

 

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shall join with the Issuer in the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture unless such amended or supplemental indenture directly affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental indenture.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Required Holders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02 becomes effective, the Issuer shall mail to the Holders of Notes affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Issuer to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental indenture or waiver.

Without the consent of each affected Holder of Notes, an amendment or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):

(1) reduce the principal amount of such Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

(2) reduce the principal of or change the fixed final maturity of any such Note or alter or waive the provisions with respect to the redemption of such Notes (other than provisions relating to Section 3.09, Section 4.10 and Section 4.14 hereof to the extent that any such amendment or waiver does not have the effect of reducing the principal of or changing the fixed final maturity of any such Note or altering or waiving the provisions with respect to the redemption of such Notes);

(3) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on any Note;

(4) waive a Default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Required Holders and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration, or in respect of a covenant or provision contained in this Indenture or any Guarantee which cannot be amended or modified without the consent of all Holders;

(5) make any Note payable in money other than that stated therein;

(6) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture relating to waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders to receive payments of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes;

(7) make any change in these amendment and waiver provisions;

(8) impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of, or interest on such Holder’s Notes on or after the due dates therefor or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Notes;

 

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(9) make the Notes or the Guarantees subordinated in right of payment to any other obligation; or

(10) except as expressly permitted by this Indenture, modify the Guarantees of any Significant Subsidiary in any manner adverse to the Holders of the Notes.

Section 9.03 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act .

Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Notes shall be set forth in an amended or supplemental indenture that complies with the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

Section 9.04 Revocation and Effect of Consents .

Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the waiver, supplement or amendment becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder, provided that any amendment, supplement or waiver that requires the consent of each affected Holder of a Note shall not become effective with respect to any non-consenting Holder.

The Issuer may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a Record Date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement, or waiver. If a Record Date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such Record Date (or their duly designated proxies), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement, or waiver or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such Record Date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such Record Date unless the consent of the requisite number of Holders has been obtained.

Section 9.05 Notation on or Exchange of Notes .

The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The Issuer in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Authentication Order, authenticate new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.

Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.

 

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Section 9.06 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc .

The Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. The Issuer may not sign an amendment, supplement or waiver until the board of directors approves it. In executing any amendment, supplement or waiver, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 7.01 hereof) shall be fully protected in relying upon, in addition to the documents required by Section 12.04 hereof, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such amendment, supplement or waiver is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Issuer and any Guarantors party thereto, enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions, and complies with the provisions hereof (including Section 9.03). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Opinion of Counsel will be required for the Trustee to execute any amendment or supplement adding a new Guarantor under this Indenture.

Section 9.07 Payment for Consent .

Neither the Issuer nor any Affiliate of the Issuer shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Notes unless such consideration is offered to all Holders and is paid to all Holders that so consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or agreement.

ARTICLE 10

GUARANTEES

Section 10.01 Guarantee .

Subject to this Article 10, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Issuer hereunder or thereunder, that: (a) the principal of, interest, premium and Additional Interest, if any, on the Notes shall be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Issuer to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder shall be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that same shall be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.

 

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The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Issuer, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Issuer, any right to require a proceeding first against the Issuer, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that this Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture.

Each Guarantor also agrees to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this Section 10.01.

If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Issuer, the Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Issuer or the Guarantors, any amount paid either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect.

Each Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 hereof for the purposes of this Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6 hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Guarantee. The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Guarantees.

Each Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition be filed by or against the Issuer for liquidation, reorganization, should the Issuer become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or should a receiver or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of the Issuer’s assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Notes are, pursuant to applicable law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee on the Notes or Guarantees, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent transfer” or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made. In the event that any payment or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Notes shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.

In case any provision of any Guarantee shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

The Guarantee issued by any Guarantor shall be a senior unsecured obligation of such Guarantor. The Guarantees shall rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future Senior

 

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Indebtedness of the Guarantor. The Guarantees will be senior in right of payment to all existing and future Subordinated Indebtedness of each Guarantor. The Notes will be structurally subordinated to Indebtedness and other liabilities of Subsidiaries of the Issuer that do not Guarantee the Notes.

Each payment to be made by a Guarantor in respect of its Guarantee shall be made without set-off, counterclaim, reduction or diminution of any kind or nature.

Section 10.02 Limitation on Guarantor Liability .

Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee of such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are relevant under such laws and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under this Article 10, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. Each Guarantor that makes a payment under its Guarantee shall be entitled upon payment in full of all guaranteed obligations under this Indenture to a contribution from each other Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Guarantor’s pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with GAAP.

Section 10.03 Execution and Delivery .

To evidence its Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 hereof, each Guarantor hereby agrees that this Indenture shall be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by its President, one of its Vice Presidents or one of its Assistant Vice Presidents.

Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in Section 10.01 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Guarantee on the Notes.

If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note, the Guarantee shall be valid nevertheless.

The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantors.

If required by Section 4.15 hereof, the Issuer shall cause any newly created or acquired Restricted Subsidiary to comply with the provisions of Section 4.15 hereof and this Article 10, to the extent applicable.

 

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Section 10.04 Subrogation .

Each Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of Holders of Notes against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid by any Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.01 hereof; provided that, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Guarantor shall be entitled to enforce or receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all amounts then due and payable by the Issuer under this Indenture or the Notes shall have been paid in full.

Section 10.05 Benefits Acknowledged .

Each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Indenture and that the guarantee and waivers made by it pursuant to its Guarantee are knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.

Section 10.06 Release of Guarantees .

A Guarantee by a Guarantor shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged, and no further action by such Guarantor, the Issuer or the Trustee is required for the release of such Guarantor’s Guarantee, upon:

(1)(A) any sale, exchange or transfer (by merger or otherwise) of the Capital Stock of such Guarantor (including any sale, exchange or transfer), after which the applicable Guarantor is no longer a Restricted Subsidiary or all or substantially all the assets of such Guarantor which sale, exchange or transfer is made in compliance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture;

(B) the release or discharge of the guarantee by such Guarantor of the Senior Credit Facility or such other guarantee that resulted in the creation of such Guarantee, except a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantee;

(C) the designation of any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in compliance with Section 4.07 hereof and the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary” hereunder; or

(D) the exercise by Issuer of its Legal Defeasance option or Covenant Defeasance option in accordance with Article 8 hereof or the Issuer’s obligations under this Indenture being discharged in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; and

(2) such Guarantor delivering to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been complied with.

 

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ARTICLE 11

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 11.01 Satisfaction and Discharge .

This Indenture shall be discharged and shall cease to be of further effect as to all Notes, when either:

(1) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes which have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(2)(A) all Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the making of a notice of redemption or otherwise, shall become due and payable within one year or may be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Issuer, and the Issuer or any Guarantor has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, cash in U.S. dollars, Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient without consideration of any reinvestment of interest to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Notes not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;

(B) no Default (other than that resulting from borrowing funds to be applied to make such deposit and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of Liens in connection therewith) with respect to this Indenture or the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or shall occur as a result of such deposit and such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default, under the Senior Credit Facility, the Senior Interim Debt Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Interim Debt Agreement, the Senior Subordinated Indenture, the Senior Subordinated Notes or any other material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Issuer or any Guarantor is a party or by which the Issuer or any Guarantor is bound (other than that resulting from borrowing funds to be applied to make such deposit and any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other Indebtedness and in each case, the granting of Liens in connection therewith);

(C) the Issuer has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and

(D) the Issuer has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or the redemption date, as the case may be.

In addition, the Issuer must deliver an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.

 

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Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (A) of clause (2) of this Section 11.01, the provisions of Section 11.02 and Section 8.06 hereof shall survive.

Section 11.02 Application of Trust Money .

Subject to the provisions of Section 8.06 hereof, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Issuer acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium and Additional Interest, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 11.01 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Issuer’s and any Guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.01 hereof; provided that if the Issuer has made any payment of principal of, premium and Additional Interest, if any, or interest on any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Issuer shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

ARTICLE 12

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 12.01 Trust Indenture Act Controls .

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Trust Indenture Act Section 318(c), the imposed duties shall control.

Section 12.02 Notices .

Any notice or communication by the Issuer, any Guarantor or the Trustee to the others is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), fax or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the others’ address:

If to the Issuer and/or any Guarantor:

c/o First Data Corporation

6200 South Quebec Street

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

Fax No.: (303) 967-7303

Attention: Treasurer

 

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With copies to:

First Data Corporation

6200 South Quebec Street

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

Attention: General Counsel

Facsimile: (303) 889-6615

and

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

9 West 57th Street, Suite 4200

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Scott Nuttall

Facsimile: (212) 750-0003

If to the Trustee:

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

Corporate Trust Services

625 Marquette Avenue,

MAC N9311-110

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479

Fax No.: (612) 667-9825

Attention: First Data Trustee

The Issuer, any Guarantor or the Trustee, by notice to the others, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five calendar days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed by first-class mail; when receipt acknowledged, if faxed; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery; provided that any notice or communication delivered to the Trustee shall be deemed effective upon actual receipt thereof.

Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first-class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Any notice or communication shall also be so mailed to any Person described in Trust Indenture Act Section 313(c), to the extent required by the Trust Indenture Act. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

 

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If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

If the Issuer mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

Section 12.03 Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes .

Holders may communicate pursuant to Trust Indenture Act Section 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The Issuer, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of Trust Indenture Act Section 312(c).

Section 12.04 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent .

(a) Upon any request or application by the Issuer or any of the Guarantors to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Issuer or such Guarantor, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Trustee:

(b) An Officer’s Certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and

(c) An Opinion of Counsel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 12.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.

Section 12.05 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion .

Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to Section 4.04 hereof or Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 314(e) and shall include:

(a) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with (and, in the case of an Opinion of Counsel, may be limited to reliance on an Officer’s Certificate as to matters of fact); and

 

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(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 12.06 Rules by Trustee and Agents .

The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section 12.07 No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders .

No director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Issuer or any Guarantor or any of their parent companies (other than the Issuer and the Guarantors) shall have any liability for any obligations of the Issuer or the Guarantors under the Notes, the Guarantees or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting the Notes waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

Section 12.08 Governing Law .

THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND ANY GUARANTEE WILL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Section 12.09 Waiver of Jury Trial .

EACH OF THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

Section 12.10 Force Majeure .

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its reasonable control, including without limitation strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software or hardware) services.

 

-119-


Section 12.11 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements .

This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Issuer or its Restricted Subsidiaries or of any other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 12.12 Successors .

All agreements of the Issuer in this Indenture and the Notes shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors. All agreements of each Guarantor in this Indenture shall bind its successors, except as otherwise provided in Section 10.06 hereof.

Section 12.13 Severability .

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 12.14 Counterpart Originals .

The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

Section 12.15 Table of Contents, Headings, etc .

The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 12.16 Qualification of Indenture .

The Issuer and the Guarantors shall qualify this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Registration Rights Agreement and shall pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses for the Issuer, the Guarantors and

 

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the Trustee) incurred in connection therewith, including, but not limited to, costs and expenses of qualification of this Indenture and the Notes and printing this Indenture and the Notes. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive from the Issuer and the Guarantors any such Officer’s Certificates, Opinions of Counsel or other documentation as it may reasonably request in connection with any such qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

[Signatures on following pages]

 

-121-


FIRST DATA CORPORATION

By:

 

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:

  Stanley J. Andersen

Title:

  Vice President and Assistant Secretary

FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Guarantor

By:

 

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:

  Kimberly S. Patmore

Title:

  President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC

By:

 

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:

  Stanley J. Andersen

Title:

  President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCIATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.


CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION
FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SERVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTHEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITTSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.
ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES
UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC


VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC

YCLIP, LLC

By:

 

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:

  Stanley J. Andersen

Title:

  Vice President and Assistant Secretary

EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Guarantor

By:

 

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:

  Edward A. Labry III

Title:

  President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC

By:

 

/s/ Brian V. Mooney

Name:

  Brian V. Mooney

Title:

  President

FDR LIMITED, as Guarantor

By:

 

/s/ Jon E. Vantyghem

Name:

  Jon E. Vantyghem

Title:

  Secretary

The following entities, each as Guarantor:

FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:

  Jeffrey R. Billat

Title:

  Vice President
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

By:

 

/s/ Jane Y. Schweiger

Name:

  Jane Y. Schweiger

Title:

  Vice President


SCHEDULE I

Guarantors

 

E NTITY N AME

  

J URISDICTION   OF
I NCORPORATION   OR
O RGANIZATION

Atlantic Bankcard Properties Corporation

   North Carolina

CallTeleservices, Inc.

   Nebraska

Cardservice International, Inc.

   California

Concord Emerging Technologies, Inc.

   Arizona

Concord Equipment Sales, Inc.

   Tennessee

Concord Payment Services, Inc.

   Georgia

Concord Transaction Services, LLC

   Colorado

CTS Holdings, LLC

   Colorado

CTS, Inc.

   Tennessee

EFS Transportation Services, Inc.

   Tennessee

EFTLogix, Inc.

   Nevada

First Data Card Solutions, Inc.

   Maryland

First Data Merchant Services Corporation

   Florida

First Data Retail ATM Services L.P.

   Texas

First Data Voice Services

   Delaware

FundsXpress Financial Network, Inc.

   Texas

Gibbs Management Group, Inc.

   Georgia

Gift Card Services, Inc.

   Oklahoma

H & F Services, Inc.

   Tennessee

Intelligent Results, Inc.

   Washington

IPS Inc.

   Colorado


JOT, Inc.

   Nevada

Linkpoint International, Inc.

   Nevada

New Payment Services, Inc.

   Georgia

PaySys International, Inc.

   Florida

POS Holdings, Inc.

   California

Shared Global Systems, Inc.

   Texas

Size Technologies, Inc.

   California

Southern Telecheck, Inc.

   Louisiana

TASQ Technology, Inc.

   California

Technology Solutions International, Inc.

   Georgia

TeleCheck Holdings, Inc.

   Georgia

TeleCheck International, Inc.

   Georgia

TeleCheck Pittsburgh/West Virginia, Inc.

   Pennsylvania

Unified Merchant Services

   Georgia

Achex, Inc.

   Delaware

Atlantic States Bankcard Association, Inc.

   Delaware

B1 PTI Services, Inc.

   Delaware

Bankcard Investigative Group Inc.

   Delaware

Business Office Services, Inc.

   Delaware

BUYPASS Inco Corporation

   Delaware

Call Interactive Holdings LLC

   Delaware

Cardservice Delaware, Inc.

   Delaware

CESI Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

CIFS Corporation

   Delaware

CIFS LLC

   Delaware

 

133


Concord Computing Corporation

   Delaware

Concord Corporate Services, Inc.

   Delaware

Concord EFS Financial Services, Inc.

   Delaware

Concord EFS, Inc.

   Delaware

Concord Financial Technologies, Inc.

   Delaware

Concord NN, LLC

   Delaware

Concord One, LLC

   Delaware

Concord Processing, Inc.

   Delaware

Credit Performance Inc.

   Delaware

DDA Payment Services, LLC

   Delaware

DW Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

EPSF Corporation

   Delaware

FDC International Inc.

   Delaware

FDFS Holdings, LLC

   Delaware

FDMS Partner, Inc.

   Delaware

FDR Interactive Technologies Corporation

   New York

FDR Ireland Limited

   Delaware

FDR Limited

   Delaware

FDR Missouri Inc.

   Delaware

FDR Signet Inc.

   Delaware

FDR Subsidiary Corp.

   Delaware

First Data Aviation LLC

   Delaware

First Data Capital, Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Commercial Services Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Communications Corporation

   Delaware


First Data Corporation

   Delaware

First Data Digital Certificates Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Financial Services, L.L.C.

   Delaware

First Data Integrated Services Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Latin America Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Merchant Services Northeast, LLC

   Delaware

First Data Merchant Services Southeast, L.L.C.

   Delaware

First Data Payment Services, LLC

   Delaware

First Data Pittsburgh Alliance Partner Inc.

   Delaware

First Data PS Acquisition Inc.

   Delaware

First Data Real Estate Holdings L.L.C.

   Delaware

First Data Resources, LLC

   Delaware

First Data Secure LLC

   Delaware

First Data Solutions L.L.C.

   Delaware

First Data Technologies, Inc.

   Delaware

First Data, L.L.C.

   Delaware

FSM Services Inc.

   Delaware

FundsXpress, Inc.

   Delaware

FX Securities, Inc.

   Delaware

Gratitude Holdings LLC

   Delaware

ICVerify Inc.

   Delaware

IDLogix, Inc.

   Delaware

Initial Merchant Services, LLC

   Delaware

Instant Cash Services, LLC

   Delaware

IPS Holdings Inc.

   Delaware


LoyaltyCo LLC

   Delaware

MAS Inco Corporation

   Delaware

MAS Ohio Corporation

   Delaware

National Payment Systems Inc.

   New York

NPSF Corporation

   Delaware

PayPoint Electronic Payment Systems, LLC

   Delaware

QSAT Financial, LLC

   Delaware

REMITCO LLC

   Delaware

Sagebrush Holdings Inc.

   Delaware

Sagetown Holdings Inc.

   Delaware

Sageville Holdings LLC

   Delaware

Star Networks, Inc.

   Delaware

Star Processing, Inc.

   Delaware

Star Systems Assets, Inc.

   Delaware

Star Systems, Inc.

   Delaware

Star Systems, LLC

   Delaware

Strategic Investment Alternatives LLC

   Delaware

SurePay Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

SY Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

TASQ Corporation

   Delaware

TeleCheck Acquisition LLC

   Delaware

TeleCheck Acquisition-Michigan, LLC

   Delaware

TeleCheck Services, Inc.

   Delaware

Transaction Solutions Holdings, Inc.

   Delaware

Transaction Solutions, LLC

   Delaware


Unibex, LLC

   Delaware

Unified Partner, Inc.

   Delaware

ValueLink, LLC

   Delaware

Virtual Financial Services, LLC

   Delaware

Yclip, LLC

   Delaware

Exhibit 10.5

2007 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

FOR KEY EMPLOYEES OF

FIRST DATA CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

1. Purpose of Plan

The 2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates (the “ Plan ”) is designed:

(a) to promote the long term financial interests and growth of New Omaha Holdings Corporation (the “ Company ”) and its Subsidiaries by attracting and retaining management and other personnel and key service providers with the training, experience and ability to enable them to make a substantial contribution to the success of the Company’s business;

(b) to motivate management personnel by means of growth-related incentives to achieve long range goals; and

(c) to further the alignment of interests of participants with those of the stockholders of the Company through opportunities for increased stock, or stock-based ownership in the Company.

 

2. Definitions

As used in the Plan, the following words shall have the following meanings:

(a) “ Affiliate ” means with respect to any Person, any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.

(b) “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(c) “ Change in Control ” means, in one or a series of transactions, (i) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of New Omaha Holdings, L.P. or the Company or First Data Corporation to any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert), other than to (x) investment funds affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together, the “Sponsor”), any other investor in respect of whom the Sponsor has the power to direct such investor’s vote with respect to the Company’s Common Stock or other equity securities (each an “Investor” and together with the Sponsor, the “Sponsor Group”) or their respective Affiliates or (y) any employee benefit plan (or trust forming a part thereof) maintained by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates or other Person of which a majority of its voting power or other equity securities is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates; or (ii) a merger, recapitalization or other sale by the Sponsor or its Affiliates (other than through a Public Offering) of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company that results in more than 50% of the Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company (or any resulting company after a merger) owned, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor following the Closing Date,


no longer being so owned by the Sponsor; and, (iii) in any event of clause (i) or (ii) above, such transaction results in any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert) having the ability to elect more members of the Board than the Sponsor Group; provided , however, that following an event described in clause (i), a liquidation of, or the declaration of an extraordinary dividend by, the Company or First Data Corporation (or any successor entities) shall also constitute a Change in Control.

(d) “ Code ” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(e) “ Committee ” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or, if no such committee is appointed, the Board).

(f) “ Common Stock ” or “ Share ” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, which may be authorized but unissued, or issued and reacquired.

(g) “ Employee ” means a person, including an officer, in the regular employment of the Company or any other Service Recipient who, in the opinion of the Committee, is, or is expected to have involvement in the management, growth or protection of some part or all of the business of the Company or any other Service Recipient.

(h) “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(i) “ Fair Market Value ” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the Management Stockholder’s Agreement.

(j) “ Grant ” means an award made to a Participant pursuant to the Plan and described in Section 5, including, without limitation, an award of a Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Other Stock-Based Award or Dividend Equivalent Right (as such terms are defined in Section 5), or any combination of the foregoing.

(k) “ Grant Agreement ” means an agreement between the Company and a Participant that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations applicable to a Grant.

(l) “ Group ” means “group,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

(m) “ Investor ” means the KKR 2006 Fund L.P. and its affiliated investment funds and certain other co-investors.

(n) “ Management Stockholder’s Agreement ” shall mean that certain Management Stockholder’s Agreement between the applicable Participant and the Company.

(o) “ Participant ” means an Employee, non-employee member of the Board, consultant or other person having a service relationship with the Company or any other Service Recipient, to whom one or more Grants have been made and remain outstanding.

(p) “ Person ” means “person,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

2


(q) “ Public Offering ” means any registered public offering of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market or other nationally recognized stock exchange or listing system.

(r) “ Sale Participation Agreement ” shall mean that certain Sale Participation Agreement between the applicable Participant and New Omaha Holdings, L.P.

(s) “ Service Recipient ” shall mean, the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of the Company that satisfies the definition of “service recipient” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(g) (or any successor regulation), with respect to which the person is a “service provider” (within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(f) (or any successor regulation).

(t) “ Subsidiary ” means any corporation or other entity in an unbroken chain of corporations or other entities beginning with the Company if each of the corporations or other entities, or group of commonly controlled corporations or other entities, other than the last corporation or other entity in the unbroken chain then owns stock or other equity interests possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock or other equity interests in one of the other corporations or other entities in such chain.

 

3. Administration of Plan

(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee may adopt its own rules of procedure, and action of a majority of the members of the Committee taken at a meeting, or action taken without a meeting by unanimous written consent, shall constitute action by the Committee. The Committee shall have the power and authority to administer, construe and interpret the Plan, to make rules for carrying it out and to make changes in such rules. Any such interpretations, rules, and administration shall be consistent with the basic purposes of the Plan.

(b) The Committee may delegate to the Chief Executive Officer and to other senior officers of the Company its duties under the Plan, subject to applicable law and such conditions and limitations as the Committee shall prescribe, except that only the Committee may designate and make Grants to the Chief Executive Officer and to other senior officers of the Company.

(c) The Committee may employ counsel, consultants, accountants, appraisers, brokers or other persons. The Committee, the Company, and the officers and directors of the Company shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any such persons. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee in good faith shall be final and binding upon all Participants, the Company and all other interested persons. No member of the Committee, nor employee or representative of the Company shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan or the Grants, and all such members of the Committee, employees and representatives shall be fully protected and indemnified to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law by the Company with respect to any such action, determination or interpretation.

 

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4. Eligibility

The Committee may from time to time make Grants under the Plan to such Employees, or other persons having a relationship with Company or any other Service Recipient, and in such form and having such terms, conditions and limitations as the Committee may determine. The terms, conditions and limitations of each Grant under the Plan shall be set forth in a Grant Agreement, in a form approved by the Committee, consistent, however, with the terms of the Plan; provided , however , that such Grant Agreement shall contain provisions dealing with the treatment of Grants in the event of the termination of employment or other service relationship, death or disability of a Participant, and may also include provisions concerning the treatment of Grants in the event of a Change in Control.

 

5. Grants

From time to time, the Committee will determine the forms and amounts of Grants for Participants. Such Grants may take the following forms in the Committee’s sole discretion:

(a) Stock Options - These are options to purchase Common Stock (“Stock Options”). At the time of Grant the Committee shall determine, and shall include in the Grant Agreement, the option exercise period, the option exercise price, vesting requirements, and such other terms, conditions or restrictions on the grant or exercise of the option as the Committee deems appropriate including, without limitation, the right to receive dividend equivalent payments on vested options. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exercise price per Share of a Stock Option shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value on the date the Stock Option is granted (subject to later adjustment pursuant to Section 8 hereof). In addition to other restrictions contained in the Plan, a Stock Option granted under this Section 5(a) may not be exercised more than 10 years after the date it is granted. Payment of the Stock Option exercise price shall be made (i) in cash, (ii) with the consent of the Committee, in Shares (any such Shares valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) that the Participant has held for at least six months (or such other period of time as may be required by the Company’s accountants but only to the extent required to avoid liability accounting under FAS 123(R) or any successor standard thereto), (iii) through the withholding of Shares (any such Shares valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) otherwise issuable upon the exercise of the Stock Option in a manner that is compliant with applicable law, or (iv) a combination of the foregoing methods, in each such case in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Grant Agreement and of any applicable guidelines of the Committee in effect at the time.

(b) Stock Appreciation Rights - The Committee may grant “Stock Appreciation Rights” (as hereinafter defined) independent of, or in connection with, the grant of a Stock Option or a portion thereof. Each Stock Appreciation Right shall be subject to such other terms as the Committee may determine. The exercise price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is granted. Each “Stock Appreciation Right” granted independent of a Stock Option shall be defined as a right of a Participant, upon exercise of such Stock Appreciation Right, to receive an amount equal to the product of (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the exercise price per Share of such Stock Appreciation Right, multiplied by (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right. Payment of the Stock Appreciation Right shall be made in Shares or in cash, or partly in Shares and partly in cash (any such Shares valued at the Fair Market Value on the date of the payment), all as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

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(c) Other Stock-Based Awards - The Committee may grant or sell awards of Shares, awards of restricted Shares and awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on the Fair Market Value of, Shares (including, without limitation, restricted stock units). Such “Other Stock-Based Awards” shall be in such form, and dependent on such conditions, as the Committee may determine, including, without limitation, the right to receive, or vest with respect to, one or more Shares (or the equivalent cash value of such Shares) upon the completion of a specified period of service, the occurrence of an event and/or the attainment of performance objectives. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted alone or in addition to any other Grants under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine to whom and when Other Stock-Based Awards will be made, the number of Shares to be awarded under (or otherwise related to) such Other Stock-Based Awards; whether such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be settled in cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares; and all other terms and conditions of such awards (including, without limitation, the vesting provisions thereof and provisions ensuring that all Shares so awarded and issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable).

(d) Dividend Equivalent Rights - The Committee may grant Dividend Equivalent Rights either alone or in connection with the grant of a Stock Option or SAR. A “Dividend Equivalent Right” shall be the right to receive a payment in respect of one Share (whether or not subject to a Stock Option) equal to the amount of any dividend paid in respect of one Share held by a shareholder in the Company. Each Dividend Equivalent Right shall be subject to such terms as the Committee may determine.

 

6. Limitations and Conditions

(a) The number of Shares available for Grants under this Plan shall be 119,500,000, of which 83,000,000 shall be available for Grants of Stock Options, subject to adjustment as provided for in Sections 8 and 9, unless restricted by applicable law. Shares related to Grants that are forfeited, terminated, canceled, expire unexercised, withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations, or are repurchased by the Company shall immediately become available for new Grants.

(b) No Grants shall be made under the Plan beyond ten years after September 24, 2007, the effective date of the Plan (the “Effective Date”), but the terms of Grants made on or before the expiration of the Plan may extend beyond such expiration. At the time a Grant is made or amended in accordance with the terms of the Plan, or the terms or conditions of a Grant are changed in accordance with the terms of the Plan or the Grant Agreement, the Committee may provide for limitations or conditions on such Grant.

(c) Nothing contained herein shall affect the right of the Company or any other Service Recipient to terminate any Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time or for any reason.

(d) Other than as specifically provided in the Management Stockholder’s Agreement, Sale Participation Agreement or Grant Agreement, no benefit under the Plan shall be subject in

 

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any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, or charge, and any attempt to do so shall be void. No such benefit shall, prior to receipt thereof by the Participant, be in any manner liable for or subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements, or torts of the Participant.

(e) Participants shall not be, and shall not have any of the rights or privileges of, stockholders of the Company in respect of any Shares purchasable in connection with any Grant unless and until certificates representing any such Shares have been issued by the Company to such Participants (or book entry representing such Shares has been made and such Shares have been deposited with the appropriate registered book-entry custodian).

(f) No election as to benefits or exercise of any Grant may be made during a Participant’s lifetime by anyone other than the Participant except by a legal representative appointed for or by the Participant.

(g) Absent express provisions to the contrary, any Grant under this Plan shall not be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits or contributions under any retirement or severance plan of the Company or other Service Recipient and shall not affect any benefits under any other benefit plan of any kind now or subsequently in effect under which the availability or amount of benefits is related to level of compensation. This Plan is not a “Retirement Plan” or “Welfare Plan” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

(h) Unless the Committee determines otherwise, no benefit or promise under the Plan shall be secured by any specific assets of the Company or any other Service Recipient, nor shall any assets of the Company or any other Service Recipient be designated as attributable or allocated to the satisfaction of the Company’s obligations under the Plan.

 

7. Transfers and Leaves of Absence

For purposes of the Plan, unless the Committee determines otherwise: (a) a transfer of a Participant’s employment without an intervening period of separation among the Company and any other Service Recipient shall not be deemed a termination of employment, and (b) a Participant who is granted in writing a leave of absence or who is entitled to a statutory leave of absence shall be deemed to have remained in the employ of the Company (and other Service Recipient) during such leave of absence.

 

8. Adjustments

In the event of any stock split, spin-off, share combination, reclassification, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, merger, Change in Control, payment of a dividend (other than a cash dividend paid as part of a regular dividend program) or other similar transaction or occurrence which affects the equity securities of the Company or the value thereof, the Committee shall (i) adjust the number and kind of shares subject to the Plan and available for or covered by Grants, (ii) adjust the share prices related to outstanding Grants, and/or (iii) take such other action (including, without limitation providing for payment of a cash amount to holders of outstanding Grants), in each case as it deems reasonably necessary to address, on an equitable basis, the effect of the applicable corporate event on the Plan and any outstanding Grants, without

 

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adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code. Any such adjustment made or action taken by the Committee in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be final and binding upon holders of Options and upon the Company.

 

9. Change in Control

In the event of a Change in Control: (a) if determined by the Committee in the applicable Grant Agreement or otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, any outstanding Grants then held by Participants which are unexercisable or otherwise unvested or subject to lapse restrictions may automatically be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested or no longer subject to lapse restrictions, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to such Change in Control and (b) the Committee may, to the extent determined by the Committee to be permitted under Section 409A of the Code, but shall not be obligated to: (i) cancel such awards for fair value (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) which, in the case of Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, may equal the excess, if any, of the value of the consideration to be paid in the Change in Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) over the aggregate option price of such Stock Options or the aggregate exercise price of such Stock Appreciation Rights, as the case may be; (ii) provide for the issuance of substitute awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms of any affected Grants previously granted hereunder, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion; or (iii) provide that for a period of at least ten business days prior to the Change in Control, any Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable as to all Shares subject thereto and that upon the occurrence of the Change in Control, such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights shall terminate and be of no further force and effect; provided that if the Committee takes the actions set forth in this Section 9(b)(iii), Participants shall have the ability to pay for the shares with respect to which such Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights are being exercised by electing to have the number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant reduced by a number of Shares having an equivalent Fair Market Value to the payment that would otherwise be made by the Participant to the Company in respect of such exercise and the minimum statutory withholding that would have otherwise had to have been paid to the Company in relation with such exercise.

 

10. Amendment and Termination

(a) The Committee shall have the authority to make such amendments to any terms and conditions applicable to outstanding Grants as are consistent with this Plan, provided that no such action shall modify any Grant in a manner that adversely impacts, other than in a de minimis manner, a Participant with respect to any outstanding Grants, other than pursuant to Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, without the Participant’s consent, except as such modification is provided for or contemplated in the terms of the Grant or this Plan.

(b) The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan, except that no such action, other than an action under Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, may be taken which would, without stockholder approval, increase the aggregate number of Shares available for Grants under the Plan, decrease the price of outstanding Grants, change the requirements relating to the Committee, or

 

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extend the term of the Plan. However, no such action shall adversely impact, other than in a de minimis manner, a Participant with respect to any outstanding Grants, other than pursuant to Section 8, 9 or 10(c) hereof, without the Participant’s consent, except as otherwise contemplated in the terms of the Grant or the Plan.

(c) This Plan is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code and will be interpreted in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) if at the time of the Participant’s termination of employment with any Service Recipient the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code, and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable hereunder as a result of such termination of service is necessary in order to prevent the imposition of any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will defer the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Participant) until the date that is six months and one day following the Participant’s termination of employment with all Service Recipients (or the earliest date as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code), if such payment or benefit is payable upon a termination of employment and (ii) if any other payments of money or other benefits due to the Participant hereunder would cause the application of an accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, such payments or other benefits shall be deferred, if deferral will make such payment or other benefits compliant under Section 409A of the Code, or otherwise such payment or other benefits shall be restructured, to the extent possible, in a manner, reasonably determined by the Board in consultation with the Participant, that does not cause such an accelerated or additional tax or result in an additional cost to the Company (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Participant).

 

11. Governing Law; International Participants

(a) This Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable therein.

(b) With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan or awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law or to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant, the Company or any other Service Recipient.

 

12. Withholding Taxes

The Company shall have the right to deduct from any payment made under the Plan any federal, state or local income or other taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such payment. It shall be a condition to the obligation of the Company to deliver Shares upon the exercise of a Stock Option that the Participant pays to the Company such amount as may be requested by the Company for the purpose of satisfying any liability for such withholding taxes.

 

13. Effective Date and Termination Dates

The Plan shall be effective on September 24, 2007 and shall terminate ten years later, subject to earlier termination by the Board pursuant to Section 10.

 

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Exhibit 10.6

FORM OF STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of                      (the “ Grant Date ”) is made by and between New Omaha Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “ Company ”), and the individual whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof, who is an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the “ Optionee ”). Any capitalized terms herein not otherwise defined in Article I shall have the meaning set forth in the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates (the “ Plan ”).

WHEREAS, the Company wishes to carry out the Plan, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Compensation Committee of the Board of the Company (or, if no such committee is appointed, the Board) (the “ Committee ”) has determined that it would be to the advantage and best interest of the Company and its shareholders to grant the Option provided for herein to the Optionee as an incentive for increased efforts during his term of office with the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, and has advised the Company thereof and instructed the undersigned officers to issue said Option;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto do hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

Whenever the following terms are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning specified below unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

Section 1.1.  Base Price

“Base Price” shall mean $                      .

Section 1.2.  Cause

“Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in any employment, severance or change in control agreement between the Optionee and the Company or any of its Affiliates, or, if there is no such agreement, “Cause” shall mean (a) the Optionee’s continued failure substantially to perform the Optionee’s duties with the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness) for a period of 10 days following written notice by the Company to the Optionee of such failure, (b) the Optionee’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to a crime constituting (x) a felony


under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or (y) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, (c) the Optionee’s willful malfeasance or willful misconduct in connection with the Optionee’s duties with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any willful misrepresentation, willful act or willful omission which is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or its Affiliates or (d) the Optionee’s material breach of the provisions of Section 23 of the Management Stockholder’s Agreement. For purposes hereof, no act, or failure to act, by the Optionee will be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Optionee not in good faith and without reasonable belief the Optionee’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company, and under no circumstances will the failure to meet performance targets, after a good faith attempt to do so, in and of itself constitute Cause.

Section 1.3.  Closing Date

“Closing Date” shall have the same meaning as that term is defined in the Merger Agreement.

Section 1.4.  Time Option

“Time Option” shall mean the right and option to purchase, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, all or any part of an aggregate of the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on the signature page hereof opposite the term Time Option, having a per share exercise price equal to the Base Price.

Section 1.5.  Disability

“Disability” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in any employment agreement between Optionee and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, if there is no such employment agreement, “Disability” as defined in the long-term disability plan of the Company.

Section 1.6.  Family Transferees

“Family Transferees” shall mean (i) an Optionee’s spouse or children (collectively, “relatives”) and (ii) a trust of which there are no beneficiaries other than such Optionee and the relatives of such Optionee.

Section 1.7.  Fiscal Year

“Fiscal Year” shall mean each of the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 fiscal years of the Company.

Section 1.8.  Good Reason

“Good Reason” shall have the meaning ascribed to it any employment agreement between the Optionee and the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates, or, if there is no such employment agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean (i) a reduction in the Optionee’s base salary or the Optionee’s annual incentive compensation opportunity (other than a general

 

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reduction in base salary or annual incentive compensation opportunities that affects all members of senior management of the Company and its subsidiaries equally); (ii) a relocation of Optionee’s primary workplace by more than fifty (50) miles from the current workplace; or (iii) a substantial reduction in or demotion of Optionee’s duties, responsibilities or title (other than a change in title that is the result of a broad restructuring of the Company’s titling of officers), in each case other than any isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure by the Company that is not in bad faith and is cured within ten (10) business days after the Optionee gives the Company notice of such event; provided that “Good Reason” shall cease to exist for an event on the 60 th day following the later of its occurrence or the Optionee’s knowledge thereof, unless the Optionee has given the Company written notice thereof prior to such date.

Section 1.9.  Liquidity Event

“Liquidity Event” shall mean, in one or a series of transactions, a merger, recapitalization or other sale by the Sponsor or its Affiliates (including through a Public Offering) of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company that results in the Sponsor no longer owning 90% of the number of shares of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company (or any resulting company after a merger) owned, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor, determined by measuring such number of shares as of that point in time that the Sponsor held its largest number of shares of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company (or such resulting company after a merger).

Section 1.10.  Management Stockholder’s Agreement

“Management Stockholder’s Agreement” shall mean that certain Management Stockholder’s Agreement between the Optionee and the Company.

Section 1.11.  Measurement Date

“Measurement Date” shall mean any date upon which a Change in Control or a Liquidity Event occurs.

Section 1.12.  Merger Agreement

“Merger Agreement” shall mean the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among New Omaha Holdings L.P., Omaha Acquisition Corporation and First Data Corporation, dated April 1, 2007, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Section 1.13.  Option

“Option” shall mean the aggregate of the Time Option and the Performance Option granted under Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

Section 1.14.  Performance Option

“Performance Option” shall mean the right and option to purchase, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, all or any part of an aggregate of the number of shares of Common Stock set forth on the signature page hereof opposite the term Performance Option, having a per share exercise price equal to the Base Price.

 

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Section 1.15.  Secretary

“Secretary” shall mean the Secretary of the Company.

Section 1.16.  Sponsor

“Sponsor” shall mean the investment funds affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

Section 1.17.  Sponsor IRR

“Sponsor IRR” shall mean, on any given date, a pretax compounded annual internal rate of return, based on the passage of time from the Closing Date, of at least 25% realized, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor after the Closing Date on any Shares held by the Sponsor, on a per Share, fully diluted basis, based on the amount invested by the Sponsor in the equity securities of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) any calculation of Sponsor IRR will for purposes of Section 3.1(d) be calculated solely with respect to Sponsor Shares actually sold or otherwise disposed of in the applicable transaction (but including cash dividends or other cash distributions paid on Sponsor Shares), and (b) Sponsor IRR will not be calculated taking into account the receipt by the Sponsor or any of its affiliates of any management, monitoring, transaction or other fees payable to such parties by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that any management fees received by such parties in excess of those contemplated in the management agreement between the Sponsor and the Company (including any stipulated or specified increases increase mechanisms) shall be included in Sponsor Return.

Section 1.18.  Sponsor Return

“Sponsor Return” shall mean, on any given date, all cash proceeds actually received, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor after the Closing Date, including the receipt of any cash dividends or other cash distributions thereon, on a per Share, fully diluted basis, in an amount that equals or exceeds the product of 2.5 and the Base Price. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) any calculation of Sponsor Return will for purposes of Section 3.1(d) be calculated solely with respect to Sponsor Shares actually sold or otherwise disposed of in the applicable transaction, and (b) Sponsor Return will not be calculated taking into account the receipt by the Sponsor or any of its affiliates of any management, monitoring, transaction or other fees payable to such parties by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; provided that any management fees received by such parties in excess of those contemplated in the management agreement between the Sponsor and the Company (including any stipulated or specified increases increase mechanisms) shall be included in Sponsor Return.

 

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ARTICLE II

GRANT OF OPTIONS

Section 2.1. - Grant of Options

For good and valuable consideration, on and as of the date hereof the Company irrevocably grants to the Optionee the following Stock Options: (a) the Time Option and (b) the Performance Option, in each case on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

Section 2.2. - Exercise Price

Subject to Section 2.4, the exercise price of the shares of Common Stock covered by the Option (the “Exercise Price”) shall be equal to the Base Price.

Section 2.3. - No Guarantee of Employment

Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon the Optionee any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, which are hereby expressly reserved, to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, subject to the applicable provisions of, if any, the Optionee’s employment agreement with the Company or offer letter provided by the Company to the Optionee.

Section 2.4. - Adjustments to Option

The Options shall be subject to the adjustment provisions of Sections 8 and 9 of the Plan, provided , however , that in the event of the payment of an extraordinary dividend by the Company to its stockholders, then: the Exercise Prices of the Options shall be reduced by the amount of the dividend paid, but only to the extent the Committee determines it to be permitted under applicable tax laws and not have adverse tax consequences to the Optionee under Section 409A of the Code; and, if such reduction cannot be fully effected due to such tax laws and it will not have adverse tax consequences to the Optionee, then the Company shall pay to the Optionee a cash payment, on a per Share basis, equal to the balance of the amount of the dividend not permitted to be applied to reduce the Exercise Price of the applicable Option as follows: (a) for each Share subject to a vested Option, immediately upon the date of such dividend payment; and (b), for each Share subject to an unvested Option, on the date on which such Option becomes vested and exercisable with respect to such Share.

 

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ARTICLE III

PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

Section 3.1. - Commencement of Exercisability

(a) So long as the Optionee continues to be employed by the Company or any other Service Recipients, the Options shall become exercisable pursuant to the following schedules:

(i) Time Options . Each of the Time Options shall become vested and exercisable with respect to 20% of the Shares subject to each such Option on each of the first five anniversaries of the Closing Date.

(ii) Performance Option . The Performance Option shall be eligible to become vested and exercisable as to 20% of the Shares subject to such Option at the end of each of the five Fiscal Years if the Company, on a consolidated basis, achieves its annual EBITDA targets as set forth in Schedule A attached hereto (each an “ EBITDA Target ”) for the given Fiscal Year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that an EBITDA Target is not achieved in a particular Fiscal Year, then that portion of the Performance Option that was eligible to vest but failed to vest due to the Company’s failure to achieve its EBITDA Target shall nevertheless vest and become exercisable at the end of any subsequent Fiscal Year if the cumulative EBITDA Target (each a “ Cumulative EBITDA Target ”) set forth on Schedule A attached hereto is achieved on a cumulative basis at the end of such Fiscal Year with respect to all then completed Fiscal Years;

(b) Notwithstanding any of Section 3.1(a) above, upon the earlier occurrence of a Measurement Date:

(i) the Time Options shall become immediately exercisable as to 100% of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option immediately prior to a Measurement Date (but only to the extent such Option has not otherwise terminated or become exercisable); and

(ii) the Performance Option shall (1) become immediately exercisable as to 100% of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option immediately prior to a Measurement Date (but only to the extent such Option has not otherwise terminated or become exercisable) if as a result of the event constituting the Measurement Date, (x) the Sponsor IRR is achieved on 100% of the Sponsors’ aggregate investment, directly or indirectly, in the equity securities of the Company (the “Sponsor Shares”) or (y) the Sponsor Return is earned on 100% of the Sponsor Shares and (2) become vested as to the percentage of the Shares of Common Stock subject to such Option immediately prior to a Measurement Date (but only to the extent such Option has not otherwise terminated or become exercisable) that will result in, as a result of the Measurement Date, (x) the achievement of the Sponsor IRR on 100% of the Sponsors’ aggregate investment, directly or indirectly, in the equity securities of the Company (the “Sponsor Shares”) or (y) the achievement of the Sponsor Return on 100% of the Sponsor Shares, in each case taking into account the vesting of such Shares of Common Stock subject to Option that so vest.

 

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(iii) In the event that the Sponsors receive marketable securities in an event constituting a Measurement Date (including, in the case of a Liquidity Event following a Public Offering, shares of Common Stock), (1) Sponsor IRR and Sponsor Return shall be initially calculated at the time of the Measurement Date without regard to the value of the marketable securities so received and such resulting Sponsor Return and Sponsor IRR shall be used to determine vesting of Shares of Common Stock subject to Performance Options in accordance with Section 3.1(b)(ii) above; and (2) if the Sponsor Return and/or Sponsor IRR as calculated in (1) above do not result in 100% vesting of the outstanding exercisable Shares of Common Stock subject to such Option immediately prior to the Measurement Date, Sponsor Return and Sponsor IRR shall be recalculated upon each direct or indirect disposition of such marketable securities by the Sponsor for cash, discounting the cash received to determine its present value at the time of the Measurement Date. If such recalculated Sponsor IRR and/or Sponsor Return would have resulted in 100% vesting of all Shares of Common Stock subject to Performance Options at the time of the Measurement Date, then all such Options shall immediately vest; provided , however , that any Optionee whose Performance Options have been forfeited or cancelled between the occurrence of the Measurement Date and the subsequent vesting of such Performance Options, in accordance with this Section 3.1(b)(iii), shall be entitled to the difference between the price per Share paid in the Measurement Date and the strike price of the Performance Options that were so cancelled or forfeited.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Option shall become exercisable as to any additional shares of Common Stock following the termination of employment of the Optionee for any reason and any Option, which is unexercisable as of the Optionee’s termination of employment, shall immediately expire without payment therefor; provided that following a termination of employment of the Optionee by reason of the Optionee’s death or Disability, or as result of a termination by the Company without Cause or a resignation by the Optionee with Good Reason, (i) the unvested Time Options that would have vested on the next anniversary of the Closing Date shall vest pro rata as determined by multiplying the number of Shares of Common Stock subject to Option that would have so vested by a fraction, the numerator of which corresponds to the number of completed months of employment since the anniversary of the Closing Date immediately preceding the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment and the denominator of which is 12 (the “Time Pro Rata Fraction”) and (ii) the unvested Performance Options that would have vested had the Optionee remained employed through the end of the Fiscal Year in which the termination of employment occurs shall vest pro rata to the extent that the Company actually achieves either (x) the Annual Performance Targets or (y) the Cumulative Performance Targets for such Fiscal Year, each as set forth on Schedule A, as determined by the multiplying the number of Shares of Common Stock subject to Option that would have so vested by a fraction, the numerator of which corresponds to the number of completed months of employment in the Fiscal Year in which the termination of employment occurs and the denominator of which is 12 (the “Performance Pro Rata Fraction”). For the avoidance of doubt, the numerator of the Time Pro Rata Fraction and the Performance Pro Rata Fraction shall in all cases be a whole number.

 

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Section 3.2. - Expiration of Option

Except as otherwise provided in Section 5 or 6 of the Management Stockholder’s Agreement, the Optionee may not exercise the Options to any extent after the first to occur of the following events:

(a) The tenth anniversary of the Closing Date so long as the Optionee remains employed with the Company or any Service Recipient through such date;

(b) The first anniversary of the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment with the Company and all Service Recipients, if the Optionee’s employment is terminated by reason of death or Disability (unless earlier terminated as provided in Section 3.2(h) below);

(c) Immediately upon the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment by the Company and all Service Recipients for Cause;

(d) Immediately upon the date of the Optionee’s termination of employment by the Company and all Service Recipients by the Optionee without Good Reason (except due to death or Disability);

(e) One hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of an Optionee’s termination of employment by the Company and all Service Recipients without Cause (for any reason other than as set forth in Section 3.2(b));

(f) One hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of an Optionee’s termination of employment with the Company and all Service Recipients by the Optionee for Good Reason;

(g) The date the Options are terminated pursuant to Section 5 or 6 of the Management Stockholder’s Agreement; or

(h) At the discretion of the Company, if the Committee so determines pursuant to Section 9 of the Plan.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the time periods set forth in this Section 3.2 shall not begin to run with respect to Performance Options that vest in accordance with Section 3.1(a)(ii) or Section 3.1(c)(ii) above until the time at which the Board certifies the financial statements for the Company for the Fiscal Year immediately preceding the Fiscal Year in which, or for the Fiscal Year in which, termination of employment occurs.

 

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ARTICLE IV

EXERCISE OF OPTION

Section 4.1. - Person Eligible to Exercise

During the lifetime of the Optionee, only the Optionee (or his or her duly authorized legal representative) may exercise an Option or any portion thereof. After the death of the Optionee, any exercisable portion of an Option may, prior to the time when an Option becomes unexercisable under Section 3.2, be exercised by his personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the Optionee’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution.

Section 4.2. - Partial Exercise

Any exercisable portion of an Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised in whole or in part at any time prior to the time when the Option or portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.2; provided , however , that any partial exercise shall be for whole shares of Common Stock only.

Section 4.3. - Manner of Exercise

An Option, or any exercisable portion thereof, may be exercised solely by delivering to the Secretary or his office all of the following prior to the time when the Option or such portion becomes unexercisable under Section 3.2:

(a) Notice in writing signed by the Optionee or the other person then entitled to exercise an Option or portion thereof, stating that the Option or portion thereof is thereby exercised, such notice complying with all applicable rules established by the Committee;

(b) (i) Full payment (in cash or by check or by a combination thereof) for the shares with respect to which such Option or portion thereof is exercised or (ii) indication that the Optionee elects to have the number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to the Optionee reduced by a number of Shares having an equivalent Fair Market Value to the payment that would otherwise be made by Optionee to the Company pursuant to clause (i) of this subsection (b);

(c) Full payment (in cash or by check or by a combination thereof) to satisfy the minimum withholding tax obligation with respect to which such Option or portion thereof is exercised, unless the Committee permits the Optionee to elect to have the number of Shares that would otherwise be issued to the Optionee reduced by a number of Shares having an equivalent Fair Market Value to the payment that would otherwise be made by Optionee to the Company in respect of such tax obligation, such permission not to be unreasonably withheld by the Committee;

(d) A bona fide written representation and agreement, in a form satisfactory to the Committee, signed by the Optionee or other person then entitled to exercise such Option or portion thereof, stating that the shares of Common Stock are being acquired for his own account,

 

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for investment and without any present intention of distributing or reselling said shares or any of them except as may be permitted under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), and then applicable rules and regulations thereunder, and that the Optionee or other person then entitled to exercise such Option or portion thereof will indemnify the Company against and hold it free and harmless from any loss, damage, expense or liability resulting to the Company if any sale or distribution of the shares by such person is contrary to the representation and agreement referred to above; provided , however , that the Committee may, in its reasonable discretion, take whatever additional actions it deems reasonably necessary to ensure the observance and performance of such representation and agreement and to effect compliance with the Act and any other federal or state securities laws or regulations; and

(e) In the event the Option or portion thereof shall be exercised pursuant to Section 4.1 by any person or persons other than the Optionee, appropriate proof of the right of such person or persons to exercise the option.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may require an opinion of counsel acceptable to it to the effect that any subsequent transfer of shares acquired on exercise of an Option does not violate the Act, and may issue stop-transfer orders covering such shares. Share certificates evidencing stock issued on exercise of this Option shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the provisions of subsection (d) above and the agreements herein. The written representation and agreement referred to in subsection (d) above shall, however, not be required if the shares to be issued pursuant to such exercise have been registered under the Act, and such registration is then effective in respect of such shares.

Section 4.4. - Conditions to Issuance of Stock Certificates

The shares of stock deliverable upon the exercise of an Option, or any portion thereof, may be either previously authorized but unissued shares or issued shares, which have then been reacquired by the Company. Such shares shall be fully paid and nonassessable. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for shares of stock purchased (if certified, or if not certified, register the issuance of such shares on its books and records) upon the exercise of an Option or portion thereof prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions:

(a) The obtaining of approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency which the Committee shall, in its reasonable and good faith discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable;

(b) The execution by the Optionee of the Management Stockholder’s Agreement and a Sale Participation Agreement; and

(c) The lapse of such reasonable period of time following the exercise of the Option as the Committee may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience or as may otherwise be required by applicable law.

 

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Section 4.5. - Rights as Stockholder

Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.4 of this Agreement, the holder of an Option shall not be, nor have any of the rights or privileges of, a stockholder of the Company in respect of any shares purchasable upon the exercise of the Options or any portion thereof unless and until certificates representing such shares shall have been issued by the Company to such holder or the Shares have otherwise been recorded in the records of the Company as owned by such holder.

ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 5.1. - Option Not Transferable

Other than to Family Transferees, neither the Options nor any interest or right therein or part thereof shall be liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of the Optionee or his successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy), and any attempted disposition thereof shall be null and void and of no effect; provided, however, that this Section 5.1 shall not prevent transfers by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

Section 5.2. - Notices

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary, and any notice to be given to the Optionee shall be addressed to him at the address given beneath his signature hereto. By a notice given pursuant to this Section 5.2, either party may hereafter designate a different address for notices to be given to him. Any notice, which is required to be given to the Optionee, shall, if the Optionee is then deceased, be given to the Optionee’s personal representative if such representative has previously informed the Company of his status and address by written notice under this Section 5.2. Any notice shall have been deemed duly given when (i) delivered in person, (ii) enclosed in a properly sealed envelope or wrapper addressed as aforesaid, deposited (with postage prepaid) in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, or (iii) enclosed in a properly sealed envelope or wrapper addressed as aforesaid, deposited (with fees prepaid) in an office regularly maintained by FedEx, UPS, or comparable non-public mail carrier.

Section 5.3. - Titles; Pronouns

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement. The masculine pronoun shall include the feminine and neuter, and the singular shall include the plural, where the context so indicates.

 

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Section 5.4. - Applicability of Plan, Management Stockholder’s Agreement and Sale Participation Agreement

The Options and the shares of Common Stock issued to the Optionee upon exercise of the Options shall be subject to all of the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Management Stockholder’s Agreement and a Sale Participation Agreement, to the extent applicable to the Options and such Shares.

Section 5.5. - Amendment

Subject to Section 10 of the Plan, this Agreement may be amended only by a writing executed by the parties hereto, which specifically states that it is amending this Agreement.

Section 5.6. - Governing Law

The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern the interpretation, validity and performance of the terms of this Agreement regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflicts of laws.

Section 5.7. - Arbitration

In the event of any controversy among the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement which cannot be settled amicably by the parties, such controversy shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the American Arbitration Association rules, by a single independent arbitrator. Such arbitration process shall take place within the New York, New York metropolitan area. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties hereto and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision, which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrator’s reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Each party shall bear its own legal fees and expenses, unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

 

NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS CORPORATION
By:  
Its:  

 

 

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Option Grants :

Aggregate number of shares of Common Stock for which the Time Option granted hereunder is exercisable:

Aggregate number of shares of Common Stock for which the Performance Option granted hereunder is exercisable:

 

Grant Date :    

 

 
  OPTIONEE:
 

 

  Name:
 

 

  Address
 

 

 

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EXHIBIT 10.7

FORM OF MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDER’S AGREEMENT

This Management Stockholder’s Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of                                          among New Omaha Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), New Omaha Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“ Parent ”), and the undersigned person (the “ Management Stockholder ”) (the Company, Parent and the Management Stockholder being hereinafter collectively referred to as the “ Parties ”). All capitalized terms not immediately defined are hereinafter defined in Section 7(b) of this Agreement.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 1, 2007 by and among Parent, Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Merger Sub ”), and First Data Corporation, as the same may be amended (the “ Merger Agreement ”), and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged on September 24, 2007 with and into First Data Corporation (the “ Merger ”), with First Data Corporation surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company;

WHEREAS, in connection with the Merger, KKR 2006 Fund L.P. and its affiliated investment funds and certain other co-investors (collectively, the “ Investors ”) contributed certain funds to Parent in exchange for limited partnership units of Parent;

WHEREAS, in connection with the Merger, the Management Stockholder has been selected (i) to exchange certain shares of common stock of First Data Corporation owned immediately prior to the Effective Time for shares of Common Stock (“ Rollover Stock ”) pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, entered into by and between the Company and the Management Stockholder (the “ Exchange Agreement ”), (ii) to transfer to the Company cash in exchange for shares of Common Stock (“ Purchased Stock ”) and/or (iii) to receive options to purchase shares of Common Stock (together with any other options the Management Stockholder may otherwise be granted in the future, the “ Options ”) pursuant to the terms set forth below and the terms of the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees of First Data Corporation and its Affiliates (the “ Option Plan ”) and the Stock Option Agreement dated as of the date hereof, entered into by and between the Company and the Management Stockholder (together with any other option agreements entered into by the Management Stockholder and the Company in the future, the “ Stock Option Agreements ”); and

WHEREAS, this Agreement is one of several other agreements (“ Other Management Stockholders Agreements ”) which concurrently with the execution hereof or in the future will be entered into between the Company and other individuals who are or will be key employees of the Company or one of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Other Management Stockholders ”).

NOW THEREFORE, to implement the foregoing and in consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein, the Parties agree as follows:

1. Issuance of Purchased Shares; New Options .

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, the Management Stockholder hereby subscribes for and shall purchase, as of the date hereof, and the Company shall issue and deliver to the Management Stockholder as of the date hereof, the number of shares of Purchased Stock at a per share purchase price (the “ Base Price ”), in each case as set forth on Schedule I hereto, which Base Price is equal to the effective per share purchase price paid (after taking into account certain equity placement fees paid directly by Parent) by the Investors for the shares of the Company in connection with the Merger.


(b) Subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth and in the Exchange Agreement, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Management Stockholder shall, if applicable, transfer to the Company the shares identified by such Management Stockholder in the Exchange Agreement and immediately after the Effective Time the Management Stockholder will receive the number of shares of Common Stock as set forth in the Exchange Agreement.

(c) Subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth and as set forth in the Option Plan, as of the date hereof the Company is granting to the Management Stockholder Options to acquire such number of shares of Common Stock, and at such exercise prices, as set forth in such Management Stockholder’s Stock Option Agreement which the Parties shall execute and deliver to each other copies of concurrently with the issuance of such Options.

(d) The Company shall have no obligation to sell any Purchased Stock to any person who (i) is a resident or citizen of a state or other jurisdiction in which the sale of the Common Stock to him or her would constitute a violation of the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdiction or (ii) is not an employee or director of the Company or its subsidiaries as of the date hereof.

2. Management Stockholder’s Representations, Warranties and Agreements .

(a) The Management Stockholder agrees and acknowledges that he will not, directly or indirectly, offer, transfer, sell, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of (any of the foregoing acts being referred to herein as a “ transfer ”) any shares of Purchased Stock, Rollover Stock or, at the time of exercise, Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options (“ Option Stock ”; together with all Purchased Stock, Rollover Stock and any other Common Stock otherwise acquired and/or held by the Management Stockholder Entities as of or after the date hereof, whether pursuant to the exercise of Options or otherwise, the “ Stock ”), except as provided in this Section 2(a) below and Section 3 hereof. If the Management Stockholder is an Affiliate of the Company, the Management Stockholder also agrees and acknowledges that he or she will not transfer any shares of the Stock unless:

(i) the transfer is pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations in effect thereunder (the “ Act ”), and in compliance with applicable provisions of state securities laws; or

(ii) (A) counsel for the Management Stockholder (which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company) shall have furnished the Company with an opinion or other advice, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the


Company, that no such registration is required because of the availability of an exemption from registration under the Act; provided that such opinion of counsel or other advice shall not be required if such transfer is pursuant to a Proposed Sale, as defined in the Sale Participation Agreement and (B) if the Management Stockholder is a citizen or resident of any country other than the United States, or the Management Stockholder desires to effect any transfer in any such country, counsel for the Management Stockholder (which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company) shall have furnished the Company with an opinion or other advice reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Company to the effect that such transfer will comply with the securities laws of such jurisdiction; provided that such opinion of counsel or other advice shall not be required if such transfer is pursuant to a Proposed Sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any of the following transfers of Stock are deemed to be in compliance with the Act and this Agreement (including without limitation any restrictions or prohibitions herein), and no opinion or advice of counsel or other advisor is required in connection therewith: (1) a transfer made pursuant to Section 3, 4, 5, 6 or 9 hereof, (2) a transfer (x) upon the death or Disability of the Management Stockholder to the Management Stockholder’s Estate or (y) to the executors, administrators, testamentary trustees, legatees, immediate family members or beneficiaries of a person who has become a holder of Stock in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; provided that it is expressly understood that any such transferee shall be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, (3) a transfer made after the Closing Date in compliance with the federal securities laws to a Management Stockholder’s Trust; provided that such transfer is made expressly subject to this Agreement and that the transferee agrees in writing to be bound by the terms and conditions hereof as a “Management Stockholder” with respect to the representations and warranties and other obligations of this Agreement; and provided further that it is expressly understood and agreed that if such Management Stockholder’s Trust at any point includes any person or entity other than the Management Stockholder, his spouse (or ex-spouse) or his lineal descendants (including adopted children) such that it fails to meet the definition thereof as set forth in Section 7(b) hereof, such transfer shall no longer be deemed in compliance with this Agreement and shall be subject to 3(b) below, (4) a transfer of Stock made by the Management Stockholder to Other Management Stockholders; provided that it is expressly understood that any such transferee(s) shall be bound by the provisions of this Agreement (in addition to the provisions set forth in an Other Management Stockholders Agreement to which such Other Management Stockholders are a party), and (5) a transfer made by the Management Stockholder, with the Board’s approval, to the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.

(b) The certificate (or certificates) representing the Stock, if any, shall bear the following legend:

“THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNLESS SUCH TRANSFER, SALE, ASSIGNMENT, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION OR OTHER DISPOSITION COMPLIES WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDER’S AGREEMENT BETWEEN NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS CORPORATION (THE “COMPANY”) AND THE MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDER NAMED ON THE FACE HEREOF OR THE SALE


PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT AMONG SUCH MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDER AND NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS, L.P., IN EACH CASE DATED AS OF                      (COPIES OF WHICH ARE ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY) AND ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION. THE SHARES HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.”

(c) The Management Stockholder acknowledges that he has been advised that (i) the shares of Stock are characterized as “restricted securities” under the Act inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a Public Offering and that under the Act (including applicable regulations) the Stock may be resold without registration under the Act only in certain limited circumstances, (ii) a restrictive legend in the form heretofore set forth shall be placed on the certificates (if any) representing the Stock and (iii) a notation shall be made in the appropriate records of the Company indicating that the Stock is subject to restrictions on transfer and appropriate stop transfer restrictions will be issued to the Company’s transfer agent with respect to the Stock.

(d) If any shares of the Stock are to be disposed of in accordance with Rule 144 under the Act or otherwise, the Management Stockholder shall promptly notify the Company of such intended disposition and shall deliver to the Company at or prior to the time of such disposition such documentation as the Company may reasonably request in connection with such sale and take any actions reasonably requested by the Coordination Committee prior to any such sale (provided that such instructions shall not have a disproportionate adverse impact on any Management Stockholder vis-à-vis any other stockholders of the Company or limited partners of Parent) and, in the case of a disposition pursuant to Rule 144, shall deliver to the Company an executed copy of any notice on Form 144 required to be filed with the SEC.

(e) The Management Stockholder agrees that, if any shares of the Stock are offered to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Act (other than registration of securities issued on Form S-8, S-4 or any successor or similar form), the Management Stockholder will not effect any public sale or distribution of any shares of the Stock not covered by such registration statement from the time of the receipt of a notice from the Company that the Company has filed or imminently intends to file such registration statement to, or within 180 days (or such shorter period as may be consented to by the managing underwriter or underwriters) in the case of the initial Public Offering and ninety (90) days (or in an underwritten offering such shorter period as may be consented to by the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any) in the case of any other Public Offering after the effective date of such registration statement, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company, provided , however , in no event shall the period during which the Management Stockholders shall be restricted from selling under this paragraph (e) be longer than the period imposed upon the Sponsors.


(f) The Management Stockholder represents and warrants that (i) with respect to the Purchased Stock, Rollover Stock and Options, the Management Stockholder has received and reviewed the available information relating to such Stock and Options, including having received and reviewed the documents related thereto, certain of which documents set forth the rights, preferences and restrictions relating to the Options and the Stock underlying the Options and (ii) the Management Stockholder has been given the opportunity to obtain any additional information or documents and to ask questions and receive answers about such information, the Company and the business and prospects of the Company which the Management Stockholder deems necessary to evaluate the merits and risks related to the Management Stockholder’s investment in the Stock and to verify the information contained in the information received as indicated in this Section 2(f), and the Management Stockholder has relied solely on such information.

(g) The Management Stockholder further represents and warrants that (i) the Management Stockholder’s financial condition is such that the Management Stockholder can afford to bear the economic risk of holding the Stock for an indefinite period of time and has adequate means for providing for the Management Stockholder’s current needs and personal contingencies, (ii) the Management Stockholder can afford to suffer a complete loss of his or her investment in the Stock, (iii) the Management Stockholder understands and has taken cognizance of all risk factors related to the purchase of the Stock, (iv) the Management Stockholder’s knowledge and experience in financial and business matters are such that the Management Stockholder is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the Management Stockholder’s purchase of the Stock as contemplated by this Agreement, and (v) with respect to the Purchased Stock, such Purchased Stock is being acquired by the Management Stockholder for his or her own account, not as nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof in violation of the Act, and the Management Stockholder has no present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the Purchased Stock in violation of the Act.

3. Transferability of Stock .

(a) The Management Stockholder agrees that he or she will not transfer any shares of Stock at any time during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date; provided , however , the Management Stockholder may transfer shares of Stock during such time pursuant to one of the following exceptions: (i) transfers permitted by Section 5 or 6; (ii) transfers permitted by clauses (2), (3), (4) and (5) of Section 2(a); (iii) a sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Act filed by the Company upon the proper exercise of registration rights of such Management Stockholder under Section 9 (excluding any registration on Form S-8, S-4 or any successor or similar form); (iv) transfers permitted pursuant to the Sale Participation Agreement (as defined in Section 7(b)); (v) transfers permitted by the Board or (vi) transfers to Parent or its designee (any such exception, a “ Permitted Transfer ”); provided , further, that following the consummation of a Qualified Public Offering, if the Selling Entities (as defined in the Sale Participation Agreement) transfer, directly or indirectly, for cash or any other consideration any shares of Common Stock owned by any such Selling Entity (other than pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement), the Management Stockholder shall be entitled to transfer (without giving effect to any restrictions included herein) a number of shares of Common Stock that the


Management Stockholder would have been able to transfer in such sale pursuant to Section 2 of the Sale Participation Agreement had it occurred prior to a Qualified Public Offering but treating all unexercisable Options, to the extent such Options would have become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the sale, as exercisable. In addition, during the period commencing on the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date through the earlier of a Change of Control or consummation of a Qualified Public Offering, the Management Stockholder may only transfer shares of Stock in compliance with Section 4 or pursuant to the Sale Participation Agreement.

(b) No transfer of any such shares in violation hereof shall be made or recorded on the books of the Company and any such transfer shall be void ab initio and of no effect.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Parent may, at any time and from time to time, waive the restrictions on transfers contained in Section 3(a), whether such waiver is made prior to or after the transferee has effected or committed to effect the transfer, or has notified the Investors of such transfer or commitment to transfer. Any transfers made pursuant to such waiver or which are later made subject to such a waiver shall, as of the date of the waiver and at all times thereafter, not be deemed to violate any applicable restrictions on transfers contained in this Agreement.

4. Right of First Refusal .

(a) If, at any time after the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date and prior to the earlier to occur of a Change of Control or consummation of a Qualified Public Offering, the Management Stockholder proposes to transfer any or all of the Management Stockholder’s Stock to a third party (any such third party, the “ ROFR Transferee ”) (other than any transfer pursuant to clauses (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5) of Section 2(a), to the extent made to a third party), the Management Stockholder shall notify the Company in writing of the Management Stockholder’s intention to transfer such Stock (such written notice, a “ ROFR Notice ”). The ROFR Notice shall include a true and correct description of the number of shares of Stock to be transferred and the material terms of such proposed transfer and a copy of any proposed documentation to be entered into with any ROFR Transferee in respect of such transfer) and shall contain an irrevocable offer to sell such Stock to the Company or its designees (as provided below) (in the manner set forth below) at a purchase price equal to the minimum price at which the Management Stockholder proposes to transfer such Stock to any ROFR Transferee and on substantially the same terms and conditions as the proposed transfer. At any time within twenty (20) days after the date of the receipt by the Company of the ROFR Notice, the Company shall have the right and option to purchase, or to arrange for a subsidiary, third party or Affiliate to purchase, all (but not less than all) of the shares of Stock proposed to be transferred to a ROFR Transferee, pursuant to Section 4(b).

(b) The Company shall have the right and option to purchase, or to arrange for a subsidiary, third party or Affiliate to purchase, all of the shares of Stock proposed to be transferred to any ROFR Transferee at a purchase price equal to the minimum price at which the Management Stockholder proposes to transfer such Stock to any ROFR Transferee and otherwise on substantially the same terms and conditions as the proposed transfer (or, if the proposed transfer to any ROFR Transferee includes any consideration other than cash, then at the sole option of the Company, at the equivalent all cash price, determined in good faith by the Board), by delivering (i) a certified bank check or checks in the appropriate amount (or by


wire transfer of immediately available funds, if the Management Stockholder Entities provide to the Company wire transfer instructions) and/or (ii) if the proposed transfer to any ROFR Transferee includes any consideration other than cash, any such non-cash consideration to be paid to the Management Stockholder at the principal office of the Company against delivery of certificates or other instruments representing the shares of Stock so purchased, appropriately endorsed by the Management Stockholder. If at the end of the 20-day period, the Company has not tendered (or caused to be tendered) the purchase price for such shares in the manner set forth above, the Management Stockholder may, during the succeeding 60-day period, sell not less than all of the shares of Stock proposed to be transferred to any ROFR Transferee (subject to compliance with the other terms of this Agreement) on terms no less favorable to the Management Stockholder than those contained in the ROFR Notice. Promptly after such sale, the Management Stockholder shall notify the Company of the consummation thereof and shall furnish such evidence of the completion and time of completion of such sale and of the terms thereof as may reasonably be requested by the Company. If, at the end of sixty (60) days following the expiration of the 20-day period during which the Company is entitled hereunder to purchase the Stock, the Management Stockholder has not completed the sale of such shares of the Stock as aforesaid, all of the restrictions on sale, transfer or assignment contained in this Agreement shall again be in effect with respect to such shares of the Stock.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Section 4 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect upon the earlier of occurrence of a Change in Control or a Qualified Public Offering.

5. The Management Stockholder’s Right to Resell Stock and Options to the Company .

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, and subject to Section 6(b), if the Management Stockholder’s employment with the Company (or, if applicable, any of its subsidiaries or affiliates) terminates as a result of the death or Disability of the Management Stockholder, then the applicable Management Stockholder Entity, shall, until the later of (x) 365 days following the date of such termination for death or Disability or (y) if the Company has declared an Event has occurred, 30 days following the date on which the Management Stockholder receives notice that an Event no longer exists (the “ Put Period ”), have the right to:

(i) With respect to Stock, sell to the Company, and the Company shall be required to purchase, on one occasion, all of the shares of Stock then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities at a per share price equal to Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date (the “ Section 5 Repurchase Price ”); and

(ii) With respect to any outstanding vested Options, sell to the Company, and the Company shall be required to purchase, on one occasion, all of the then vested Options then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities for an amount equal to the product of (x) the excess, if any, of the Section 5 Repurchase Price over the Option Exercise Price and (y) the number of Exercisable Option Shares, which Options shall be terminated in exchange for such payment. In the event the Management Stockholder Entity elects to sell under this Section 5(a)(ii) and the foregoing Option Excess Price is zero or a negative number, all outstanding exercisable Options granted to the Management Stockholder shall be automatically terminated without any payment in respect thereof. In addition, and for the avoidance of doubt, upon termination of employment as a result of the death or Disability all unvested Options shall be terminated and cancelled without any payment therefor.


(b) In the event the applicable Management Stockholder Entities intend to exercise their rights pursuant to Section 5(a), such Management Stockholder Entities shall send written notice to the Company, at any time during the Put Period, of their intention to sell shares of Stock in exchange for the payment referred to in Section 5(a)(i) and/or to sell such Options in exchange for the payment referred to in Section 5(a)(ii) (as the case may be) and shall indicate the number of shares of Stock to be sold and the number of Options (based on the number of Exercisable Option Shares) to be sold with payment in respect thereof (the “ Redemption Notice ”). The completion of the purchases shall take place at the principal office of the Company on no later than the twentieth business day (such date to be determined by the Company) after the giving of the Redemption Notice. The applicable Repurchase Price (including any payment with respect to the Options as described above) shall be paid by delivery to the applicable Management Stockholder Entities, at the option of the Company, of a certified bank check or checks in the appropriate amount payable to the order of each of the applicable Management Stockholder Entities (or by wire transfer of immediately available funds, if the Management Stockholder Entities provide to the Company wire transfer instructions) against delivery of certificates or other instruments representing the Stock so purchased and appropriate documents cancelling the Options so terminated appropriately endorsed or executed by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities or any duly authorized representative.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5 to the contrary, if (i) there exists and is continuing a default or an event of default on the part of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company under any loan, guarantee or other agreement under which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company has borrowed money or if the repurchase referred to in Section 5(a) (or Section 6 below, as the case may be) would result in a default or an event of default on the part of the Company or any affiliate of the Company under any such agreement; (ii) a repurchase would reasonably be expected to be prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law (“ DGCL ”) or any federal or state securities laws or regulations (or if the Company reincorporates in another state, the business corporation law of such state) or (iii) a repurchase would materially impair the cash flow of the Company, (each such occurrence being an “ Event ”), the Company shall not be obligated to repurchase for cash any of the Stock or the Options from the applicable Management Stockholder Entities to the extent it would cause any such default, materially impair cash flow or would be so prohibited by the Event for cash but instead, with respect to such portion with respect to which cash settlement is prohibited, may satisfy its obligations with respect to the Management Stockholder Entities’ exercise of their rights under Section 5(a) by delivering to the applicable Management Stockholder Entity a note with a principal amount equal to the amount payable under this Section 5 that was not paid in cash, having terms acceptable to the Company’s (and its affiliate’s, as applicable) lenders and permitted under the Company’s (and its affiliate’s, as applicable) debt instruments but which in any event (i) shall be mandatorily repayable promptly and to the extent that an Event no longer prohibits the payment of cash to the applicable Management Stockholder Entity pursuant to this Agreement; and (ii) shall bear interest at a rate equal to the effective rate of interest in respect of the Company’s U.S. dollar-denominated subordinated public debt securities (including any original issue discount). Notwithstanding the foregoing and subject to Section 5(d), if an Event exists and is continuing for ninety (90) days after the date of the Redemption Notice, the Management Stockholder Entities shall be permitted by written notice to rescind any


Redemption Notice with respect to that portion of the Stock and Options repurchased by the Company from the Management Stockholder Entities pursuant to this Section 5 with the note described in the foregoing sentence, and such repurchase shall be rescinded; provided that, upon such rescission, such note shall be immediately canceled without any action on the part of the Company or the Management Stockholder Entities, and notwithstanding anything herein or in such note to the contrary, the Company shall have no obligation to pay any amounts of principal or interest thereunder.

(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except for any payment obligation of the Company which has arisen prior to the occurrence of a Change in Control, Section 5 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect upon the occurrence of such Change in Control.

6. The Company’s Option to Purchase Stock and Options of the Management Stockholder Upon Certain Terminations of Employment .

(a) Termination for Cause by the Company and other Call Events . If, (i) prior to the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Management Stockholder’s active employment with the Company (or, if applicable, its subsidiaries or affiliates) is terminated by the Company (or, if applicable, its subsidiaries or affiliates) for Cause or (ii) the Management Stockholder Entities effect a transfer of Stock (or Options) that is prohibited under this Agreement (or the Stock Option Agreements, as applicable), after notice from the Company of such impermissible transfer and a reasonable opportunity to cure such transfer which is not so cured (each event described above, a “ Section 6(a) Call Event ”), then:

(i) With respect to Stock, the Company may purchase, on one occasion, all or any portion of the shares of Stock then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities at a per share purchase price equal to the lesser of (x) Base Price (or other applicable price paid by such Management Stockholder Entities for such Stock) and (y) the Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date; and

(ii) With respect to all Options, all outstanding Options, whether vested or unvested, shall be automatically terminated without any payment in respect thereof upon the occurrence of the Section 6(a) Call Event.

(b) Termination without Cause by the Company (other than due to his or her death or Disability), Termination by the Management Stockholder with Good Reason and Termination for Death or Disability . If, prior to the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Management Stockholder’s active employment with the Company (or, if applicable, its subsidiaries or affiliates) is terminated (i) by the Company (or, if applicable, its subsidiaries or affiliates) without Cause (other than due to his death or Disability), (ii) by the Management Stockholder with Good Reason or (iii) as a result of the death or Disability of the Management Stockholder (each, a “ Section 6(b) Call Event ”) then:

(i) With respect to Stock, the Company may purchase, on one occasion, all or any portion of the shares of such Stock then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities at a per share purchase price equal to Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date;


(ii) With respect to any outstanding vested Options, the Company may purchase, on one occasion, all or any portion of the exercisable vested Options held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities for an amount equal to the product of (x) the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date over the Option Exercise Price and (y) the number of Exercisable Option Shares (solely relating to the vested Options), which vested Options shall be terminated in exchange for such payment. In the event the Company elects to repurchase under this Section 6(b)(ii) and the foregoing Option Excess Price is zero or a negative number, all outstanding exercisable vested Options shall be automatically terminated without any payment in respect thereof; and

(iii) With respect to unvested Options, all outstanding unvested Options shall automatically be terminated without any payment in respect thereof.

(c) Termination by the Management Stockholder without Good Reason . If, prior to the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date, the Management Stockholder’s employment with the Company (or, if applicable, its subsidiaries or affiliates) is terminated by the Management Stockholder without Good Reason (a “ Section 6(c) Call Event ”), then:

(i) With respect to Purchased Stock and Rollover Stock, the Company may purchase, on one occasion, all or any portion of the shares of such Purchased Stock and Rollover Stock then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities at a per share purchase price equal to, (i) if the Management Stockholder is not in violation of any of the provisions of Section 23 of this Agreement on the date that the Repurchase Notice is sent, the Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date or (ii) if the Management Stockholder is in violation of any of the provisions of Section 23 of this Agreement on the date that the Repurchase Notice is sent, the lesser of (x) Base Price (or other applicable price paid by such Management Stockholder Entities for such Stock) and (y) the Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date;

(ii) With respect to Option Stock, the Company may purchase, on one occasion, all or any portion of the shares of Option Stock then held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities at a per share purchase price equal to the lesser of (x) Base Price (or other applicable price paid by such Management Stockholder Entities for such Stock) and (y) the Fair Market Value on the Repurchase Calculation Date; and

(iii) With respect to all Options, all outstanding Options, whether vested or unvested, shall be automatically terminated without any payment in respect thereof upon the occurrence of the Section 6(c) Call Event.

(d) Call Notice . The Company shall have a period (the “ Call Period ”) of one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of any Call Event (or, if later, with respect to a Section 6(a) Call Event, the date after discovery of, and the applicable cure period for, an impermissible transfer constituting a Section 6(a) Call Event) in which to give notice in writing to the Management Stockholder of its election to exercise its rights and obligations


pursuant to this Section 6 (“ Repurchase Notice ”). The completion of the purchases pursuant to the foregoing shall take place at the principal office of the Company no later than the fifteenth business day after the giving of the Repurchase Notice. The applicable Repurchase Price (including any payment with respect to the Options as described in this Section 6) shall be paid by delivery to the applicable Management Stockholder Entities of a certified bank check or checks in the appropriate amount payable to the order of each of the applicable Management Stockholder Entities (or by wire transfer of immediately available funds, if the Management Stockholder Entities provide to the Company wire transfer instructions) against delivery of certificates or other instruments representing the Stock so purchased and appropriate documents canceling the Options so terminated, appropriately endorsed or executed by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities or any duly authorized representative.

(e) Use of Note to Satisfy Call Payment . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6 to the contrary, if there exists and is continuing any Event, the Company will, to the extent it has exercised its rights to purchase Stock or Options pursuant to this Section 6, in order to complete the purchase of any Stock or Options pursuant to this Section 6, deliver to the applicable Management Stockholder Entities (i) a cash payment for any amounts payable pursuant to this Section 6 that would not cause an Event and (ii) a note having the same terms as that provided in Section 5(c) above with a principal amount equal to the amount payable but not paid in cash pursuant to this Section 6 due to the Event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event exists and is continuing for ninety (90) days from the date of the Section 6(b) Call Event, the Management Stockholder Entities shall be permitted by written notice to cause the Company to rescind any Repurchase Notice with respect to that portion of the Stock and Options repurchased by the Company from the Management Stockholder Entities pursuant to this Section 6 with the note described in the foregoing sentence; provided that, upon such rescission, such repurchase shall be immediately rescinded and such note shall be immediately canceled without any action on the part of the Company or the Management Stockholder Entities and, notwithstanding anything herein or in such note to the contrary, the Company shall have no obligation to pay any amounts of principal or interest thereunder.

(f) Effect of Change in Control . Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except for any payment obligation of the Company which has arisen prior to the occurrence of a Change in Control, this Section 6 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect upon the occurrence of such Change in Control.

7. Adjustment of Repurchase Price; Definitions .

(a) Adjustment of Repurchase Price . In determining the applicable repurchase price of the Stock and Options, as provided for in Sections 5 and 6 above, appropriate adjustments shall be made for any stock dividends, splits, combinations, recapitalizations or any other adjustment in the number of outstanding shares of Stock in order to maintain, as nearly as practicable, the intended operation of the provisions of Sections 5 and 6.

(b) Definitions . All capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not defined herein shall have such meaning as such terms are defined in the Option Plan. Terms used herein and as listed below shall be defined as follows:

Act ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(i) hereof.


Affiliate ” means with respect to any Person, any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Person.

Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.

Base Price ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1(a) hereof.

Board ” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.

Call Events ” shall mean, collectively, Section 6(a) Call Events, Section 6(b) Call Events and Section 6(c) Call Events.

Call Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d) hereof.

Call Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d) hereof.

Cause ” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in any employment, severance or change in control agreement between the Management Stockholder and the Company or any of its Affiliates, or, if there is no such agreement, “Cause” shall mean (a) the Management Stockholder’s continued failure substantially to perform the Management Stockholder’s duties with the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness) for a period of 10 days following written notice by the Company to the Management Stockholder of such failure, (b) the Management Stockholder’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to a crime constituting (x) a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or (y) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, (c) the Management Stockholder’s willful malfeasance or willful misconduct in connection with the Management Stockholder’s duties with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any willful misrepresentation, willful act or willful omission which is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or its Affiliates or (d) the Management Stockholder’s material breach of the provisions of Section 23 of this Agreement. For purposes hereof, no act, or failure to act, by the Management Stockholder will be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Management Stockholder not in good faith and without reasonable belief the Management Stockholder’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company, and under no circumstances will the failure to meet performance targets, after a good faith attempt to do so, in and of itself constitute Cause.

Change of Control ” means in one or a series of transactions, (i) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of New Omaha Holdings, L.P. or the Company or First Data Corporation to any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert), other than to (x) investment funds affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together, the “Sponsor”), any other investor in respect of whom the Sponsor has the power to direct such investor’s vote with respect to the Company’s Common Stock or other equity securities (each an “Investor” and together with the Sponsor, the “Sponsor Group”) or their respective Affiliates or (y) any employee benefit plan (or trust forming a part thereof) maintained by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates or other Person of which a majority of its voting power or other equity securities is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company, the Sponsor Group or their respective Affiliates; or (ii) a merger, recapitalization or other sale by the Sponsor or its Affiliates (other than through a Public Offering) of Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company that results in more than 50% of the Common Stock or other voting securities of the Company (or any resulting company after


a merger) owned, directly or indirectly, by the Sponsor following the Closing Date, no longer being so owned by the Sponsor; and, (iii) in any event of clause (i) or (ii) above, such transaction results in any Person (or group of Persons acting in concert) having the ability to elect more members of the Board than the Sponsor Group; provided , however, that following an event described in clause (i), a liquidation of, or the declaration of an extraordinary dividend by, the Company or First Data Corporation (or any successor entities) shall also constitute a Change in Control.

Closing Date ” shall mean September 24, 2007.

Common Stock ” shall mean the common stock of the Company.

Company ” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.

Confidential Information ” shall mean all non-public information concerning trade secret, know-how, software, developments, inventions, processes, technology, designs, the financial data, strategic business plans or any proprietary or confidential information, documents or materials in any form or media, including any of the foregoing relating to research, operations, finances, current and proposed products and services, vendors, customers, advertising and marketing, and other non-public, proprietary, and confidential information of the Restricted Group, excluding any such non-public information that (i) is required by court or administrative order to be disclosed or (ii) becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a disclosure or failure to safeguard in violation of Section 23.

Controlled by ” means with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

Coordination Committee ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(e) hereof.

DGCL ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.

Disability ” shall mean “Disability” as such term is defined in any employment agreement between the Management Stockholder and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, if there is no such employment agreement, shall mean “Disability” as defined in the Option Agreement.

Effective Time ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Merger Agreement.

Event ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.

Exchange Act ” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (or any successor section thereto).


Exercisable Option Shares ” shall mean the shares of Common Stock that, at the time that a Redemption Notice or Repurchase Notice is delivered (as applicable), could be purchased by the Management Stockholder upon exercise of his or her outstanding and exercisable Options.

Fair Market Value ” shall mean the fair market value of one share of Common Stock on any given date, as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board after consultation with an independent valuation expert, determined without regard to any discount for minority interest and transfer restrictions imposed on the Common Stock of the Management Stockholder Entities; provided that, in the event that the Board has not received an independent valuation of the Company in the six months prior to the determination of Fair Market Value, the Management Stockholder shall have the right to demand that the Board receive such independent valuation prior to the determination of Fair Market Value.

Good Reason ” shall have the meaning ascribed to it any employment agreement between the Management Stockholder and the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Affiliates, or, if there is no such employment agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean (i) a reduction in or demotion of the Management Stockholder’s base salary or the Management Stockholder’s annual incentive compensation opportunity (other than a general reduction in base salary or annual incentive compensation opportunities that affects all members of senior management of the Company and its subsidiaries equally); (ii) a relocation of Management Stockholder’s primary workplace by more than fifty (50) miles from the current workplace; or (iii) a substantial reduction in or demotion of Management Stockholder’s duties, responsibilities or title (other than a change in title that is the result of a broad restructuring of the Company’s titling of officers); in each case other than any isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure by the Company that is not in bad faith and is cured within ten (10) business days after the Management Stockholder gives the Company notice of such event; provided that “Good Reason” shall cease to exist for an event on the 60 th day following the later of its occurrence or the Management Stockholder’s knowledge thereof, unless the Management Stockholder has given the Company written notice thereof prior to such date.

Group ” shall mean “group,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

Investors ” shall have the meaning set forth in the second “whereas” paragraph.

Management Stockholder ” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.

Management Stockholder Entities ” shall mean the Management Stockholder’s Trust, the Management Stockholder and the Management Stockholder’s Estate, collectively.

Management Stockholder’s Estate ” shall mean the conservators, guardians, executors, administrators, testamentary trustees, legatees or beneficiaries of the Management Stockholder.

Management Stockholder’s Trust ” shall mean a partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, private foundation or custodianship, the beneficiaries of which may include only the Management Stockholder, his or her spouse (or ex-spouse) or his or her lineal descendants (including adopted) or, if at any time after any such transfer there shall be no then living spouse or lineal descendants, then to the ultimate beneficiaries of any such trust or to the estate of a deceased beneficiary.


Merger ” shall have the meaning set forth in the first “whereas” paragraph.

Merger Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the first “whereas” paragraph.

Merger Sub ” shall have the meaning set forth in the first “whereas” paragraph.

Options ” shall have the meaning set forth in the third “whereas” paragraph.

Option Excess Price ” shall mean the aggregate amount paid or payable by the Company in respect of Exercisable Option Shares, as determined pursuant to Section 5 or 6 hereof, as applicable.

Option Exercise Price ” shall mean the then-current exercise price of the shares of Common Stock covered by the applicable Option.

Option Plan ” shall have the meaning set forth in the third “whereas” paragraph.

Option Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a) hereof.

Other Management Stockholders ” shall have the meaning set forth in the fourth “whereas” paragraph.

Other Management Stockholders Agreements ” shall have the meaning set forth in the fourth “whereas” paragraph.

Parent ” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.

Parties ” shall have the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph.

Partnership Agreement ” means the Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of New Omaha Holdings L.P., as it may be amended, modified, restated or supplemented from time to time.

Permitted Transfer ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

Person ” shall mean “person,” as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act.

Piggyback Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(b) hereof.

Piggyback Registration Rights ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(a) hereof.

Proposed Registration ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(b) hereof.

Public Offering ” shall mean the sale of shares of Common Stock to the public subsequent to the date hereof pursuant to a registration statement under the Act which has been declared effective by the SEC (other than a registration statement on Form S-4, S-8 or any other similar form).


Purchased Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in the third “whereas” paragraph.

Put Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a) hereof.

Qualified Public Offering ” means the initial Public Offering (i) for which aggregate cash proceeds to be received by the Company (or any successor thereto) from such offering (or series of offerings) (without deducting underwriter discounts, expenses and commissions) are at least $400,000,000, or (ii) pursuant to which at least 35% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock are sold by the Company (or any successor thereto).

Redemption Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(b) hereof.

Registration Rights Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(a) hereof.

Repurchase Calculation Date ” shall mean (i) prior to the occurrence of a Public Offering, the last day of the month preceding the month in which date of repurchase occurs, and (ii) on and after the occurrence of a Public Offering, the last date of trading of the Stock on which there was a closing price for the Stock immediately preceding the date of repurchase.

Repurchase Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(e) hereof.

Repurchase Price ” shall mean the amount to be paid in respect of the Stock and Options to be purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 5 and Section 6, as applicable.

Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9(b) hereof.

Restricted Group ” shall mean, collectively, the Company, its subsidiaries, the Investors and their respective affiliates.

ROFR Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) hereof.

ROFR Transferee ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(a) hereof.

Rollover Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in the third “whereas” paragraph.

Sale Participation Agreement ” shall mean that certain sale participation agreement entered into by and between the Management Stockholder and Parent dated as of the date hereof.

SEC ” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Senior Management Stockholder ” shall mean any of the Management Stockholders or Other Management Stockholders who has been designated as such on Schedule I hereto or the corresponding schedule of the Other Management Stockholders Agreements, as applicable.

Stock ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a) hereof.

Stock Option Agreements ” shall have the meaning set forth in the fourth “whereas” paragraph.


transfer ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a) hereof.

8. The Company’s Representations and Warranties and Covenants .

(a) The Company represents and warrants to the Management Stockholder that (i) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms and (ii) the Stock, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and the other agreements contemplated hereby, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(b) If the Company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of Section 12 of the Exchange Act, the Company will file the reports required to be filed by it under the Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted by the SEC thereunder, to the extent required from time to time to enable the Management Stockholder to sell shares of Stock, subject to compliance with the provisions hereof (including requirements of the Coordination Committee of Parent or the Company) without registration under the Exchange Act within the limitations of the exemptions provided by (A) Rule 144 under the Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or (B) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 8(b), the Company may de-register under Section 12 of the Exchange Act if it is then permitted to do so pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and, in such circumstances, shall not be required hereby to file any reports which may be necessary in order for Rule 144 or any similar rule or regulation under the Act to be available. Nothing in this Section 8(b) shall be deemed to limit in any manner the restrictions on transfers of Stock contained in this Agreement.

(c) The Company will not agree to any amendment of the terms of the credit agreement entered into on the Closing Date, or to any corresponding provision in any successor or equivalent debt agreement, that imposes any limits on the Company’s permission thereunder to repurchase stock, or make payments on any note, in each case under Section 5(c) or 6(e) of this Agreement, that are materially more restrictive than such provision under such credit agreement as in effect on the Closing Date if, at or prior to the time of such agreement, restrictions corresponding and proportionate thereto have not also been imposed thereunder on the payment of cash dividends on the Common Stock.

9. “Piggyback” Registration Rights . Effective after the occurrence of an initial Public Offering:

(a) The Parties agree to be bound, with respect to Senior Management Stockholders or to any other Management Stockholders who are provided such rights pursuant to this Section 9, by all of the terms, conditions and obligations of the Registration Rights Agreement (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”) as they relate to the exercise of piggyback registration rights as provided in Sections 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12 (but not Section 12(l)) of the Registration Rights Agreement entered into by and among the Company and Investors party thereto (the “ Piggyback Registration Rights ”), as in effect on the date hereof (subject, with respect to any such Management Stockholder provided Piggyback Registration Rights, only to any amendments thereto to which such Management Stockholder has agreed in writing to be bound), and, if any of the Investors are selling stock, shall have all of the rights and privileges of the Piggyback Registration Rights (including, without limitation, the right to participate in the initial Public Offering and any rights to indemnification and/or contribution


from the Company and/or the Investors), in each case as if the Management Stockholder were an original party (other than the Company) to the Registration Rights Agreement, subject to applicable and customary underwriter restrictions; provided , however , that at no time shall the Management Stockholder have any rights to request registration under Section 3 of the Registration Rights Agreement. All Stock purchased or held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be “Registrable Securities” as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.

(b) In the event of a sale of Common Stock by any of the Investors in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will promptly notify each Senior Management Stockholder or other Management Stockholder to whom the Board, after consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, has decided to extend the Piggyback Registration Rights, in writing (a “ Piggyback Notice ”) of any proposed registration (a “ Proposed Registration ”), which Piggyback Notice shall include: the principal terms and conditions of the proposed registration, including (A) the number of the shares of Common Stock to be sold, (B) the fraction expressed as a percentage, determined by dividing the number of shares of Common Stock to be sold by the holders of Registrable Securities (other than Management Stockholders) by the total number of shares held by the holders of Registrable Securities (other than Management Stockholders) selling the shares of Common Stock, (C) the proposed per share purchase price (or an estimate thereof), and (D) the proposed date of sale. If within fifteen (15) days of the receipt by the Management Stockholder or Management Stockholder, as the case may be, of such Piggyback Notice, the Company receives from the applicable Management Stockholder Entities of the Senior Management Stockholder or Management Stockholder, as the case may be, a written request (a “ Request ”) to register shares of Stock held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities (which Request will be irrevocable unless otherwise mutually agreed to in writing by the Senior Management Stockholder or Management Stockholder, if any, and the Company), shares of Stock will be so registered as provided in this Section 9; provided , however , that for each such registration statement only one Request, which shall be executed by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities, may be submitted for all Registrable Securities held by the applicable Management Stockholder Entities.

(c) The maximum number of shares of Stock which will be registered pursuant to a Request will be the lowest of (i) the number of shares of Stock then held by the Management Stockholder Entities, including all shares of Stock which the Management Stockholder Entities are then entitled to acquire under an unexercised Option to the extent then exercisable, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of shares of Stock being sold by holders of Registrable Securities (other than Management Stockholders) and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of shares of Stock owned by the holders of Registrable Securities (other than Management Stockholders) or (ii) the maximum number of shares of Stock which the Company can register in connection with such Request in the Proposed Registration without adverse effect on the offering in the view of the managing underwriters (reduced pro rata as more fully described in subsection (d) of this Section 9) or (iii) the maximum number of shares which the Senior Management Stockholder (pro rata based upon the aggregate number of shares of Stock the Senior Management Stockholder and Other Management Stockholders have requested to be registered) is permitted to register under the Piggyback Registration Rights.


(d) If a Proposed Registration involves an underwritten offering and the managing underwriter advises the Company in writing that, in its opinion, the number of shares of Stock requested to be included in the Proposed Registration exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering, so as to be likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the shares of Stock offered in such Public Offering as contemplated by the Company, then, unless the managing underwriter advises that marketing factors require a different allocation, the Company will include in the Proposed Registration (i) first, 100% of the shares of Stock the Company proposes to sell and (ii) second, to the extent of the number of shares of Stock requested to be included in such registration which, in the opinion of such managing underwriter, can be sold without having the adverse effect referred to above, the number of shares of Stock which the selling holders of Registrable Securities, the Senior Management Stockholder and all Other Management Stockholders who are entitled to piggyback or incidental registration rights in respect of Stock and any other Persons who are entitled to piggyback or incidental registration rights in respect of Stock (together, the “ Holders ”) have requested to be included in the Proposed Registration, such amount to be allocated pro rata among all requesting Holders on the basis of the relative number of shares of Stock then held by each such Holder (including upon exercise of all exercisable Options) ( provided that any shares thereby allocated to any such Holder that exceed such Holder’s request will be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner); provided that any Holder that is allocated less than 100% of the shares in such Holder’s request, shall be entitled to transfer that number of shares equal to the difference between such Holder’s requested number of shares (up to the maximum provided for under this Section 9) and the number actually transferred by such Holder in the Proposed Registration, following the expiration of any lock-up period.

(e) Upon delivering a Request a Senior Management Stockholder or other Management Stockholder having Piggyback Registration Rights pursuant to clause (b) of this Section 9 will, if requested by the Company, execute and deliver a custody agreement and power of attorney having customary terms and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company with respect to the shares of Stock to be registered pursuant to this Section 9 (a “ Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney ”). The Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney will provide, among other things, that the Senior Management Stockholder or Management Stockholder, as the case may be, will deliver to and deposit in custody with the custodian and attorney-in-fact named therein a certificate or certificates (to the extent applicable) representing such shares of Stock (duly endorsed in blank by the registered owner or owners thereof or accompanied by duly executed stock powers in blank) and irrevocably appoint said custodian and attorney-in-fact as the Senior Management Stockholder’s or Management Stockholder’s agent and attorney-in-fact with full power and authority to act under the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney on the Senior Management Stockholder’s or Management Stockholder’s behalf with respect to the matters specified therein.

(f) The Management Stockholder agrees that he will execute such other agreements as the Company may reasonably request to further evidence the provisions of this Section 9, including reasonable and customary lock-up agreements; provided that Parent and its Affiliates enter into a similar agreement if requested by the managing underwriter.

(g) Notwithstanding Section 12(l) of the Registration Rights Agreement, this Section 9 will terminate on the date on which such Management Stockholder ceases to own any Registrable Securities.


10. Additional Rights of Management Stockholders . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that the Company receives notice of any event giving rise to piggyback registration rights of Senior Management Stockholders in Section 9 hereof, the Board shall promptly (and in event within such period of time to allow the Management Stockholder to exercise such right, if applicable) after being informed of such notice consult with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to determine whether and to what extent any such rights shall be granted to the Management Stockholder and the Other Management Stockholders who are not Senior Management Stockholders. Any such grant shall be effective upon, and to the extent set forth in, any applicable resolution passed by the Board, and the Company shall give prompt notice to the Management Stockholder and the Other Management Stockholders of the adoption thereof.

11. Rights to Negotiate Repurchase Price . Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit the Company from purchasing, redeeming or otherwise acquiring for value shares of Stock or Options from the Management Stockholder, at any time, upon such terms and conditions, and for such price, as may be mutually agreed upon in writing between the Parties, whether or not at the time of such purchase, redemption or acquisition circumstances exist which specifically grant the Company the right to purchase, or the Management Stockholder the right to sell, shares of Stock or any Options under the terms of this Agreement; provided that no such purchase, redemption or acquisition shall be consummated, and no agreement with respect to any such purchase, redemption or acquisition shall be entered into, without the prior approval of the Board.

12. Notice of Change of Beneficiary . Immediately prior to any transfer of Stock to a Management Stockholder’s Trust, the Management Stockholder shall provide the Company with a copy of the instruments creating the Management Stockholder’s Trust and with the identity of the beneficiaries of the Management Stockholder’s Trust. The Management Stockholder shall notify the Company as soon as practicable prior to any change in the identity of any beneficiary of the Management Stockholder’s Trust.

13. Recapitalizations, etc. The provisions of this Agreement shall apply, to the full extent set forth herein with respect to the Stock or the Options, to any and all shares of capital stock of the Company or any capital stock, partnership units or any other security evidencing ownership interests in any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in exchange for, or substitution of the Stock or the Options by reason of any stock dividend, split, reverse split, combination, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, merger, consolidation or otherwise.

14. Management Stockholder’s Employment by the Company . Nothing contained in this Agreement (a) obligates the Company or any subsidiary of the Company to employ the Management Stockholder in any capacity whatsoever or (b) prohibits or restricts the Company (or any such subsidiary) from terminating the employment of the Management Stockholder at any time or for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, and the Management Stockholder hereby acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor any other Person has made any representations or promises whatsoever to the Management Stockholder concerning the Management Stockholder’s employment or continued employment by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.


15. Binding Effect . The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and accrue to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns. In the case of a transferee permitted under Section 2(a) or Section 3(a) (other than clauses (iii) or (iv) thereof) hereof, such transferee shall be deemed the Management Stockholder hereunder; provided , however , that no transferee (including without limitation, transferees referred to in Section 2(a) or Section 3(a) hereof) shall derive any rights under this Agreement unless and until such transferee has delivered to the Company a valid undertaking and becomes bound by the terms of this Agreement. No provision of this Agreement is intended to or shall confer upon any Person other than the Parties any rights or remedies hereunder or with respect hereto.

16. Amendment . This Agreement may be amended by the Company at any time with the consent of the majority of the Management Stockholders on the Executive Committee of the Company (which shall be comprised of the Chief Executive Officer and his direct reports), which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided that any amendment (i) that materially disadvantages the Management Stockholder shall not be effective unless and until the Management Stockholder has consented thereto in writing and (ii) that disadvantages a class of stockholders in more than a de minimis way but less than a material way shall require the consent of a majority of the equity interests held by such affected class of stockholders.

17. Closing . Except as otherwise provided herein, the closing of each purchase and sale of shares of Stock pursuant to this Agreement shall take place at the principal office of the Company on the tenth business day following delivery of the notice by either Party to the other of its exercise of the right to purchase or sell such Stock hereunder.

18. Applicable Law; Jurisdiction; Arbitration; Legal Fees .

(a) The laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts executed and to be performed entirely in such state shall govern the interpretation, validity and performance of the terms of this Agreement.

(b) In the event of any controversy among the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement which cannot be settled amicably by the parties, such controversy shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the American Arbitration Association rules by a single independent arbitrator. Such arbitration process shall take place in New York, New York. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties hereto and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision, which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrator’s reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Management Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Company, its subsidiaries, the Investors and any of their respective affiliates shall be entitled to injunctive or other relief in order to enforce the covenant not to compete, covenant not to solicit and/or confidentiality covenants as set forth in Section 23(a) of this Agreement.


(d) In the event of any arbitration or other disputes with regard to this Agreement or any other document or agreement referred to herein, each Party shall pay its own legal fees and expenses, unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator.

19. Assignability of Certain Rights by the Company . The Company shall have the right to assign any or all of its rights or obligations) to purchase shares of Stock pursuant to Sections 4, 5 and 6 hereof; provided , however , that no such assignment shall relieve the Company from its obligations thereunder.

20. Miscellaneous .

(a) In this Agreement all references to “dollars” or “$” are to United States dollars and the masculine pronoun shall include the feminine and neuter, and the singular shall include the plural, where the context so indicates.

(b) If any provision of this Agreement shall be declared illegal, void or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions shall not be affected, but shall remain in full force and effect.

21. Withholding . The Company or its subsidiaries shall have the right to deduct from any cash payment made under this Agreement to the applicable Management Stockholder Entities any federal, state or local income or other taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to such payment, if applicable.

22. Notices . All notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing. Any notice or other communication hereunder shall be deemed duly given (i) upon electronic confirmation of facsimile, (ii) one business day following the date sent when sent by overnight delivery and (iii) five (5) business days following the date mailed when mailed by registered or certified mail return receipt requested and postage prepaid, in each case as follows:

 

(a)    If to the Company, to it at the following address:
   First Data Corporation
   6200 S. Quebec Street
   Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
   Attention: General Counsel
   Telecopy:
   with copies to:
   Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.
   9 West 57 th Street
   New York, New York 10019
   Attention: Scott Nuttall
   Telecopy:
   and
   Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
   425 Lexington Avenue
   New York, New York 10017
   Attention: Alvin Brown, Esq.
   Telecopy: (212) 455-2502


(b) If to the Management Stockholder, to the Management Stockholder at the address set forth below under the Management Stockholder’s signature; or at such other address as either party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other.

23. Confidential Information; Covenant Not to Compete; Covenant Not to Solicit .

(a) In consideration of the Company entering into this Agreement with the Management Stockholder, the Management Stockholder shall not, directly or indirectly:

(i) at any time during or after the Management Stockholder’s employment with the Company or its subsidiaries, disclose any Confidential Information pertaining to the business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Investors or any of their respective Affiliates, except when required to perform his or her duties to the Company or one of its subsidiaries, by law or judicial process;

(ii) at any time during the Management Stockholder’s employment with the Company or its subsidiaries and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, directly or indirectly, act as a proprietor, investor, director, officer, employee, substantial stockholder, consultant, or partner in any business that directly or indirectly competes, at the relevant determination date, with the business of the Company, any Investor or any of their respective Affiliates in any geographic area where the Company or its Affiliates manufactures, produces, sells, leases, rents, licenses or otherwise provides products or services,

(iii) at any time during the Management Stockholder’s employment with the Company or its subsidiaries and for a period of two years thereafter, directly or indirectly (A) solicit customers or clients of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, the Investors or any of their respective Affiliates to terminate their relationship with the Company, any of its subsidiaries, the Investors or any of their respective Affiliates or otherwise solicit such customers or clients to compete with any business of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, the Investors or any of their respective Affiliates or (B) solicit or offer employment to any person who is, or has been at any time during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the termination of the Management Stockholder’s employment employed by the Company or any of its Affiliates;

provided that in each of (ii) and (iii) above, such restrictions shall not apply with respect to any Investor or any of their Affiliates that is not engaged in any business that competes, directly or indirectly, with the Company or any of its subsidiaries. If the Management Stockholder is bound by any other agreement with the Company regarding the use or


disclosure of Confidential Information, the provisions of this Agreement shall be read in such a way as to further restrict and not to permit any more extensive use or disclosure of Confidential Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purposes of Section 23(a)(ii), the Management Stockholder may, directly or indirectly own, solely as an investment, securities of any Person engaged in the business of the Company or its Affiliates which are publicly traded on a national or regional stock exchange or quotation system or on the over-the-counter market if the Management Stockholder (I) is not a controlling person of, or a member of a group which controls, such person and (II) does not, directly or indirectly, own 5% or more of any class of securities of such Person.

(b) Notwithstanding clause (a) above, if at any time a court holds that the restrictions stated in such clause (a) are unreasonable or otherwise unenforceable under circumstances then existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum period, scope or geographic area determined to be reasonable under such circumstances by such court will be substituted for the stated period, scope or area. Because the Management Stockholder’s services are unique and because the Management Stockholder has had access to Confidential Information, the parties hereto agree that money damages will be an inadequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement. In the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or injunctive relief in order to enforce, or prevent any violations of, the provisions hereof (without the posting of a bond or other security).

(c) In the event that the Management Stockholder breaches any of the provisions of Section 23(a), in addition to all other remedies that may be available to the Company, the Management Stockholder shall be required to pay to the Company any amounts actually paid to him or her by the Company in respect of any repurchase by the Company of any Options held by such Management Stockholder and, with respect to Stock, the Management Stockholder shall be required to pay to the Company such amounts, if any, that the Management Stockholder received in excess of the price paid by the Management Stockholder in acquiring such Stock, on a net after-tax basis.

24. Effectiveness . Except for Sections 1, 2(a), 2(f), 2(g), 3, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 22 and this Section 24, which shall become effective as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parties, this Agreement shall become effective upon the Effective Time and prior thereto shall be of no force or effect. If the Merger Agreement shall be terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Effective Time, this Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no force or effect.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS CORPORATION
By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS L.P.
By:   New Omaha Holdings LLC, its General Partner
By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

MANAGEMENT STOCKHOLDER:

 

Name:
ADDRESS:

 

 

Exhibit 10.8

FORM OF SALE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

[date]                    

To: The Person whose name is set forth on the signature page hereof

Dear Sir or Madam:

You have entered into a Management Stockholder’s Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, among New Omaha Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), New Omaha Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and the parent entity of the Company (“ Parent ”), and you (the “ Stockholder’s Agreement ”) relating to Rollover Stock (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement), the purchase by you of Purchased Stock (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) and the grant by the Company to you of options (together with any other options granted to you, “ Options ”) to purchase shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“ Common Stock ”, which includes Purchased Stock). Parent hereby agrees with you as follows, effective as of the Closing Date (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement):

1. (a) In the event that at any time on or after the Closing Date, (i) Parent, (ii) any of the Investors (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) or (ii) any of their respective Affiliates (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) (collectively, the “ Selling Entities ”) proposes to sell, directly or indirectly, for cash or any other consideration any shares of Common Stock owned by any such Selling Entity, in any transaction other than (x) a Public Offering (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement), (y) a sale, directly or indirectly, to an Affiliate of Parent or an Investor, or (z) an Initial Syndication (as such term is hereinafter defined), then, unless Parent is entitled to and does exercise the drag-along rights pursuant to Paragraph 7 below and the Drag Transaction is consummated, Parent will notify you or your Management Stockholder’s Estate or Management Stockholder’s Trust (as such terms are defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement, and collectively with you, the “ Management Stockholder Entities ”), as the case may be, in writing (a “ Notice ”) of such proposed sale (a “ Proposed Sale ”) specifying the principal terms and conditions of the Proposed Sale (the “ Material Terms ”) including (A) the amount of Common Stock to be included in the Proposed Sale, (B) the percentage of the outstanding Common Stock at the time the Notice is given that is represented by the number of shares to be included in the Proposed Sale, (C) the price per share of Common Stock subject to the Proposed Sale, including a description of any pricing formulae and of any non-cash consideration sufficiently detailed to permit valuation thereof, (D) the Tag Along Sale Percentage of Parent and (E) the name and address of the Person (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) to whom the offered Common Stock is proposed to be issued. For purposes of this Paragraph 1, the term “Initial Syndication” shall mean a sale to any unaffiliated person or group of persons in connection with the initial syndication of the Selling Entities’ investment in the Common Stock, which sale(s) occur at any time(s) within the first six (6) months following the


Closing Date (as such term is defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) at a per share sale price that does not exceed 110% of the Base Price (as such term is defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement).

(b) If, within 10 business days after the delivery of Notice under Section 1(a), Parent receives from a Management Stockholder Entity a written request (a “ Request ”) to include Common Stock held by the Management Stockholder Entity in the Proposed Sale (which Request shall be irrevocable except (a) as set forth in clauses (c) and (d) of this Section 1 below or (b) if otherwise mutually agreed to in writing by the Management Stockholder Entity and Parent), the Common Stock held by you plus all shares of Common Stock which you are then entitled to acquire under any unexercised portion of Options, to the extent such Option is then exercisable or would become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the Proposed Sale (not in any event to exceed the Tag Along Sale Percentage multiplied by the total number of shares of Common Stock held by the Management Stockholder Entities in the aggregate, including all shares of Common Stock which you are then entitled to acquire under any unexercised portion of Options, to the extent such Option is then exercisable or would become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the Proposed Sale) will be so included as provided herein. Promptly after the execution of the Sale Agreement, Parent will furnish each Management Stockholder Entity with a copy of the Sale Agreement, if any. For purposes of this Agreement, the “ Tag Along Sale Percentage ” shall mean the fraction, expressed as a percentage, determined by dividing the number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased from the Selling Entity by the total number of shares of Common Stock owned directly or indirectly by the Selling Entities.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any of the economic terms of the Proposed Sale change adversely, including without limitation if the per share price will be less than the per share price disclosed in the Notice, or any of the other principal terms or conditions will be materially less favorable to the selling Management Stockholder Entities than those described in the Notice, Parent will provide written notice thereof to each Management Stockholder Entity who has made a Request and each such Management Stockholder Entity will then be given an opportunity to withdraw the offer contained in such holder’s Request (by providing prompt (and in any event within five (5) business days; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the proposed closing with respect to the Proposed Sale is to occur within five (5) business days or less, no later than three (3) business days prior to such closing) written notice of such withdrawal to Parent), whereupon such withdrawing Management Stockholder Entity will be released from all obligations thereunder.

(d) If the Selling Entity does not complete the Proposed Sale by the end of the 120th day following the date of the effectiveness of the Notice, each selling Management Stockholder Entity may elect to be released from all obligations under the applicable Request by notifying Parent in writing of its desire to so withdraw. Upon receipt of that withdrawal notice, the Notice of the relevant Management Stockholder Entity shall be null and void, and it will then be necessary for a separate Notice to be furnished, and the terms and provisions of clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 1 separately complied with, in order to consummate such Proposed Sale pursuant to this Section 1, unless the failure to complete such proposed sale resulted from any failure by any selling Management Stockholder Entity to comply with the terms of this Section 1.

 

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2. (a) The number of shares of Common Stock that you will be permitted to include in a Proposed Sale pursuant to a Request will be the lesser of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock that you have offered to sell in the Proposed Sale as set forth in the Request and (B) the number of shares of Common Stock determined by multiplying (i) the number of shares of Common Stock to be included in the Proposed Sale by (ii) a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock owned by you plus all shares of Common Stock which you are then entitled to acquire under any unexercised portion of Options, to the extent such Option is then exercisable or would become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the Proposed Sale and the denominator of which is the total number of shares of Common Stock owned by the Management Stockholder Entities and all other Persons participating in such sale as tag-along sellers pursuant to Other Management Stockholder Agreements (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) or other agreements (all such participants, the “ Tag Along Sellers ”) plus all shares of Common Stock which you and such Persons are then entitled to acquire under any unexercised portion of Options, to the extent such Options are then exercisable or would become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the Proposed Sale, plus all shares of Common Stock owned by the Selling Entities. Each Tag Along Seller shall be permitted to conditionally exercise Options such that if the Proposed Sale in not consummated, such exercise shall be void and such Options shall remain exercisable on the same terms and conditions as prior to such conditional exercise.

(b) If one or more Tag Along Sellers elect not to include the maximum number of shares of Common Stock which such holders would have been permitted to include in a Proposed Sale pursuant to Paragraph 2(a) (such non-included shares, the “ Eligible Shares ”), then each of the Selling Entities, or the remaining Tag Along Sellers, or any of them, will have the right to sell in the Proposed Sale a number of additional shares of their Common Stock equal to their pro rata portion of the number of Eligible Shares, based on the relative number of shares of Common Stock then held by each such holder plus all shares of Common Stock which you are then entitled to acquire under any unexercised portion of the Option, to the extent such Option is then exercisable or would become exercisable as a result of the consummation of the Proposed Sale, and such additional shares of Common Stock which any such holder or holders propose to sell shall not be included in any calculation made pursuant to Paragraph 2(a) for the purpose of determining the number of shares of Common Stock which the Management Stockholder Entities will be permitted to include in a Proposed Sale. The Selling Entities will have the right to sell in the Proposed Sale additional shares of Common Stock owned by it equal to the number, if any, of remaining Eligible Shares which will not be included in the Proposed Sale pursuant to the foregoing.

3. Except as may otherwise be provided herein, shares of Common Stock subject to a Request will be included in a Proposed Sale pursuant hereto and in any agreements with purchasers relating thereto on the same terms and subject to the same conditions applicable to the shares of Common Stock which the Selling Entity proposes to sell in the Proposed Sale. Such terms and conditions shall include, without limitation: the sale price; the payment of fees, commissions and expenses; the provision of, and customary representations and warranties as to, information reasonably requested by Parent covering matters regarding the Management Stockholder Entities’ ownership of shares; and the provision of requisite indemnification; provided that any indemnification provided by the Management Stockholder Entities shall be pro rata in proportion with the number of shares of Common Stock to be sold; provided , further , that

 

3


no Management Stockholder Entity shall be required to indemnify any Person for an amount, in the aggregate, in excess of the gross proceeds received in such Proposed Sale. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, if the consideration payable for shares of Common Stock is securities and the acquisition of such securities by a Management Stockholder Entity would reasonably be expected to be prohibited under U.S., foreign or state securities laws, such Management Stockholder Entity shall be entitled to receive an amount in cash equal to the value of any such securities such Person would otherwise be entitled to receive.

4. Upon delivering a Request, the Management Stockholder Entities will, if requested by Parent, execute and deliver a custody agreement and power of attorney in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent with respect to the shares of Common Stock which are to be sold by the Management Stockholder Entities pursuant hereto (a “ Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney ”). The Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney will contain customary provisions and will provide, among other things, that the Management Stockholder Entities will deliver to and deposit in custody with the custodian and attorney-in-fact named therein a certificate or certificates (if such shares are certificated) representing such shares of Common Stock (duly endorsed in blank by the registered owner or owners thereof) and irrevocably appoint said custodian and attorney-in-fact as the Management Stockholder Entities’ agent and attorney-in-fact with full power and authority to act under the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney on the Management Stockholder Entities’ behalf with respect to the matters specified therein.

5. Your right pursuant hereto to participate in a Proposed Sale shall be contingent on your material compliance with each of the provisions hereof and your willingness to execute such documents, on the same material terms and conditions, as are executed by Parent in connection therewith.

6. If the consideration to be paid in exchange for shares of Common Stock in a Proposed Sale pursuant to Section 1 includes any securities, and the receipt thereof by Parent and a Management Shareholder Entity would require under applicable law (a) the registration or qualification of such securities or of any Person as a broker or dealer or agent with respect to such securities or (b) the provision to any selling Management Shareholder Entity of any information regarding the Company, its subsidiaries, such securities or the issuer thereof that would not be required to be delivered in an offering solely to a limited number of “accredited investors” under Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations in effect thereunder, Parent and such Management Shareholder Entity shall not, subject to the following sentence, have the right to sell shares of Common Stock in such proposed sale. In such event, Parent shall have the right to cause to be paid to such selling Management Shareholder Entity in lieu thereof, against surrender of the shares of Common Stock which would have otherwise been sold by such selling Management Shareholder Entity to the prospective buyer in the proposed sale, an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) of such shares of Common Stock as of the date such securities would have been issued in exchange for such shares of Common Stock.

7. (a) If the Selling Entities propose to transfer, directly or indirectly, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock (the Person to whom shares are proposed to be transferred, the “ Drag-Along Purchaser ”), then if

 

4


requested by Parent, the Management Stockholder Entities shall be required to sell a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock held by the Management Stockholder Entities (including shares of Common Stock underlying exercisable Options) multiplied by the Tag Along Sale Percentage (such transaction, a “ Drag Transaction ”).

(b) Shares of Common Stock held by the Management Stockholder Entities included in a Drag Transaction will be included in any agreements with the Drag-Along Purchaser relating thereto on the same terms and subject to the same conditions applicable to the shares of Common Stock which the Selling Entities propose to sell in the Drag Transaction. Such terms and conditions shall include, without limitation: the pro rata reduction of the number of shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Entities and the Management Stockholder Entities to be included in the Drag Transaction if required by the Drag-Along Purchaser; the sale price; the payment of fees, commissions and expenses; the provision of, and representation and warranty as to, information reasonably requested by Parent covering matters regarding the Management Stockholder Entities’ ownership of shares; and the provision of requisite indemnification; provided that any indemnification provided by the Management Stockholder Entities shall be pro rata in proportion with the number of shares of Common Stock to be sold; provided , further , that no Management Stockholder Entity shall be required to (x) indemnify any Person for an amount, in the aggregate, in excess of the gross proceeds received in such Proposed Sale or (y) agree to any non-compete or non-solicit provisions that are more restrictive than such similar agreement between the Company and such Management Stockholder Entity.

(c) Your pro rata share of any amount to be paid pursuant to Paragraph 3 or 7(b) shall be based upon the number of shares of Common Stock intended to be transferred by the Management Stockholder Entities plus the number of shares of Common Stock you would have the right to acquire under any unexercised portion of the Option which is then vested or would become vested as a result of the Proposed Sale or Drag Transaction, assuming that you receive a payment in respect of such Option.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, if the consideration payable for shares of Common Stock is securities and the acquisition of such securities by a Management Stockholder Entity would reasonably be expected to be prohibited under U.S., foreign or state securities laws, such Management Stockholder Entity shall be entitled to receive an amount in cash equal to the value of any such securities such Person would otherwise be entitled to receive.

8. The obligations of Parent hereunder shall extend only to you and your transferees (“ Permitted Transferees ”) who (a) are Other Management Stockholders (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement), (b) are party to a Management Stockholder’s Agreement with the Company and (c) have acquired Common Stock pursuant to a Permitted Transfer (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement), and none of the Management Stockholder Entities’ successors or assigns, with the exception of any Permitted Transferee and only with respect to the Common Stock acquired by such Permitted Transferee pursuant to a Permitted Transfer, shall have any rights pursuant hereto.

9. For the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of this Agreement and the Stockholder’s Agreement, sales and purchases of interests in Parent held by the Investors or their

 

5


Affiliates shall be treated as a sale and purchase of the underlying shares of Common Stock represented by the interests so sold or purchased, and the parties hereto shall be treated in the same manner had such shares been held directly by the Investors or their Affiliates.

10. This Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force and effect on the occurrence of the consummation of a Qualified Public Offering (as defined in the Stockholder’s Agreement) in which the Investors dispose of substantially all of their interests in the Company.

11. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, if not, then on the next business day, (c) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid or (d) one (1) business day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to such party’s address as set forth below or at such other address or to such other person as the party shall have furnished to each other party in writing in accordance with this provision:

If to Parent, at the following address:

KKR 2006 Fund, L.P.

9 West 57 th Street, Suite 4200

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Scott Nuttall

Telecopy: (212) 750-0003

with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Attention: Sean D. Rodgers, Esq.

Telecopy: (212) 455-2502

If to the Company, to the Company at the following address:

First Data Corporation

6200 S. Quebec Street

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

Attention: General Counsel

Telecopy:

with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Attention: Sean D. Rodgers, Esq.

Telecopy: (212) 455-2502

 

6


If to you, to you at the address first set forth above herein;

If to your Management Stockholder’s Estate or Management Stockholder’s Trust, to the address provided to the Company by such entity.

12. The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern the interpretation, validity and performance of the terms of this Agreement. In the event of any controversy among the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement which cannot be settled amicably by the parties, such controversy shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the American Arbitration Association rules, by a single independent arbitrator. Such arbitration process shall take place in New York, New York. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties hereto and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision, which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrator’s reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Each party shall bear its own legal fees and expenses, unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator; provided that if the Management Stockholder substantially prevails on any of his or her substantive legal claims, then the Investors shall reimburse all legal fees and arbitration fees incurred by the Management Stockholder to arbitrate the dispute. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives any right that it may have had to bring an action in any court, domestic or foreign, or before any similar domestic or foreign authority with respect to this Agreement.

13. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

14. It is the understanding of the undersigned that you are aware that no Proposed Sale is contemplated and that such a sale may never occur.

15. This Agreement may be amended by Parent at any time upon the written consent of the majority of the Management Stockholders on the Executive Committee of the Company (which shall be comprised of the Chief Executive Officer and his direct reports), which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided that any amendment (i) that materially disadvantages the Management Stockholder shall not be effective unless and until the Management Stockholder has consented thereto in writing and (ii) that disadvantages a class of stockholders in more than a de minimis way but less than a material way shall require the consent of a majority of the equity interests held by such affected class of stockholders.

16. Capitalized terms used by not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Stockholder’s Agreement.

[ Signatures on following pages ]

 

7


If the foregoing accurately sets forth our agreement, please acknowledge your acceptance thereof in the space provided below for that purpose.

 

Very truly yours,
NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS L.P.
By:  

NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS LLC,

its general partner

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

Accepted and agreed this      day of              .

 

 

Name:

 

8

EXHIBIT 10.9

Information Regarding Named Executive Officer Salary and Bonus Arrangements

The Compensation and Benefits Committee of the Board of Directors of First Data Corporation (the “Company”) approved: (i) an increase in the base salary for Kimberly S. Patmore, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, from $575,000 to $600,000 effective October 1, 2007; and (ii) 2008 bonus targets for Edward A. Labry III, Senior Executive Vice President of the Company, in the amount of $937,500, and for Kimberly S. Patmore, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in the amount of $600,000.

EXHIBIT 10.10

MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

This Management Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of September 24, 2007 among First Data Corporation (the “ Company ”), Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (the “ Manager ”) and New Omaha Holdings L.P. (“ Parent ”). Any capitalized terms herein not otherwise defined shall have the meaning set forth in the Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of New Omaha Holdings L.P., dated as of September 24, 2007 (the “ Partnership Agreement ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, each of Parent and Omaha Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“ Omaha Acquisition ”), has been formed for the purpose of engaging in a transaction in which Omaha Acquisition will be merged with and into the Company, with the Company surviving (the “ Merger ”), pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger among Parent, Omaha Acquisition and the Company dated as of April 1, 2007 (the “ Merger Agreement ”).

WHEREAS, to enable Parent and Omaha Acquisition to engage in the Merger and related transactions, the Manager provided financial and structural advice and analysis as well as assistance with due diligence investigations and negotiations (the “ Financial Advisory Services ”); and

WHEREAS, the Company wants to retain the Manager to provide certain management, consulting and financial and other advisory services to the Company, and the Manager is willing to provide such services, on the terms set forth below.

AGREEMENT

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1. Services . The Manager hereby agrees that, during the term of this Agreement (the “ Term ”), it will provide the following management, consulting and financial and other advisory services to the Company as requested from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company:

(a) advice in connection with the negotiation of agreements, contracts, documents and instruments relating to the Company’s financing;

(b) financial, managerial and operational advice in connection with the Company’s business, including, without limitation, advice with respect to the development and implementation of strategies for improving the operating and financial performance of the Company and its subsidiaries;


(c) advice in connection with financing, acquisition, disposition, merger, combination or change of control transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries (however structured); and

(d) such other services (which may include financial and strategic planning and analysis, consulting services, human resources and executive recruitment services and other services) as the Manager and the Company may from time to time agree in writing.

The Manager shall devote such time and efforts to the performance of services contemplated hereby as the Manager deems reasonably necessary or appropriate; provided , however , that no minimum number of hours is required to be devoted by the Manager on a weekly, monthly, annual or other basis. The Company acknowledges that the Manager’s services are not exclusive to the Company and that the Manager will render similar services to any other individual or corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, joint stock or other company, business trust, trust, organization, or other entity of any kind (each, a “ Person ”). The Manager and the Company understand that the Company may, at times, engage one or more investment bankers or financial advisers to provide services in addition to, but not in lieu of, services provided by the Manager under this Agreement. In providing services to the Company, the Manager will act as an independent contractor and it is expressly understood and agreed that this Agreement is not intended to create, and does not create, any partnership, agency, joint venture or similar relationship and that no party has the right or ability to contract for or on behalf of any other party or to effect any transaction for the account of any other party.

2. Payment of Fees .

(a) The Company will pay to the Manager (or such affiliate(s) as the Manager may designate), in consideration of the Manager providing the Financial Advisory Services, an aggregate transaction fee (the “ Transaction Fee ”) in the amount of $260,000,000 plus the amount calculated in accordance with Schedule 1 attached hereto, such fee being payable at the closing of the Merger (provided that the amount calculated in accordance with Schedule 1 shall be payable promptly following the determination of such amount). During the Term, the Company will pay to the Manager (or such affiliate(s) as the Manager may designate), an annual fee (the “ Periodic Fee ”) of $20,000,000, which amount shall increase by 5.0% annually, payable in quarterly installments in advance at the beginning of each calendar quarter. The initial Periodic Fee shall be pro rated to reflect the portion of the current fiscal quarter that will elapse after the Merger. The final quarterly Periodic Fee payment shall be pro rated to reflect the portion of the final quarter prior to the end of the Term, as applicable. The Manager represents and warrants to the Company that the Periodic Fee is consistent with the rates of comparable fees charged by the Manager and its affiliated management companies with respect to other portfolio companies and, to the best knowledge of the Manager, is consistent with the fee rates of investment managers not affiliated with the Manager in transactions comparable to the size, type and complexity of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.


(b) The Company will, for each financing, acquisition, disposition, merger, combination or change of control transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries (however structured) pay to the Manager (or such affiliate(s) as the Manager may designate) an aggregate fee (the “ Subsequent Fee ”) in connection with each such transaction equal to a percentage of the gross transaction value (including the purchase price paid (whether in cash or other property) and all liabilities assumed or otherwise included in the transaction) of such transaction consistent with amounts charged by investment banks or advisory firms not affiliated with the Manager for comparable services, or such lesser other amount as may be mutually agreed by the Company and the Manager, such fee to be due and payable for the foregoing services at the closing of such transaction and, in the case of financing transactions, whether or not any such financing is actually committed or drawn upon.

3. Term . This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until December 31, 2019; provided that this Agreement shall be automatically extended each December 31 for an additional year unless the Company provides written notice of its desire not to automatically extend the term of this Agreement to the Manager at least 90 days prior to such December 31; provided , however , that this Agreement shall terminate automatically upon the consummation of an initial public offering unless the Manager determines otherwise and this Agreement may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the parties hereto. In the event of a termination of this Agreement, the Company shall pay the Manager (or such affiliate(s) as the Manager may designate) (x) all unpaid Periodic Fees (pursuant to Section 2(b) above), Subsequent Fees (pursuant to Section 2(c) above) and expenses (pursuant to Section 4(a) below) due with respect to periods prior to the date of termination plus (y) the net present value (using a discount rate equal to the then yield as of such termination date on U.S. Treasury Securities of like maturity based on the time such payments would have been due) of the Periodic Fees that would have been payable with respect to the period from the date of termination until the expiration date in effect immediately prior to such termination. Sections 4 and 5 of this Agreement and any and all accrued and unpaid obligations under Section 2 shall survive any termination of this Agreement with respect to matters occurring before, on or after the date of such termination.

4. Expenses; Indemnification .

(a) Expenses . The Company will pay on demand all Reimbursable Expenses. As used herein, “ Reimbursable Expenses ” means (i) all expenses incurred or accrued prior to the date on which the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are consummated (the “ Closing Date ”) by the Manager or its affiliates in connection with this Agreement, the Merger or any related transactions, consisting of their respective out-of-pocket expenses for travel and other incidentals in connection with such transactions and the out-of-pocket expenses and the fees and charges of outside counsel and any other consultants or advisors retained by the Manager in connection with such transactions, (ii) reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred from and after the Closing Date relating to its affiliated funds’ or affiliated entities’ direct or indirect investment in, the operations of, or the services provided by the Manager to, the Company or any of its affiliates from time to time (including, without limitation, all air travel (by first class on a commercial airline, by charter or by privately owned airplane, as determined by the Manager) and other travel related expenses), (iii) all fees, costs and expenses of any administrators, agents,


custodians, advisors, attorneys and accountants of Parent (including audit and certification fees and the costs of financial and tax reports, including the costs of printing and distributing reports to partners of Parent), (iv) administrative expenses of liquidating Parent, (v) registration expenses and any taxes, fees or other governmental charges levied against Parent and all expenses incurred in connection with any tax audit, investigation, settlement or review of Parent, and (vi) expenses incurred from and after the Closing Date by the Manager or its affiliates, which the Company agrees are properly allocable to the Company under this Agreement.

(b) Indemnity and Liability . The Company will indemnify, exonerate and hold the Manager and Parent and each of their respective partners, shareholders, members, affiliates, directors, officers, fiduciaries, managers, controlling Persons, employees and agents and each of the partners, shareholders, members, affiliates, directors, officers, fiduciaries, managers, controlling Persons, employees and agents of each of the foregoing (collectively, including the Manager, the “ Indemnitees ”) free and harmless from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, liabilities, losses, damages and costs and out-of-pocket expenses in connection therewith (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Indemnitees before or after the date of this Agreement (collectively, the “ Indemnified Liabilities ”), as a result of, arising out of, or in any way relating to (i) this Agreement, the Merger, any transaction to which the Company is a party or any other circumstances with respect to the Company or any transaction entered into after the Closing Date or (ii) operations of, or services provided by the Manager to the Company, or any of its affiliates from time to time, whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise; provided that the foregoing indemnification rights shall not be available to the extent that any such Indemnified Liabilities arose on account of such Indemnitee’s gross negligence or willful misconduct, and further provided that, if and to the extent that the foregoing undertaking may be unavailable or unenforceable for any reason, the Company hereby agrees to make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities which is permissible under applicable Law. For purposes of this Section 4(b), none of the circumstances described in the limitations contained in the two provisos in the immediately preceding sentence shall be deemed to apply absent a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to such effect, in which case to the extent any such limitation is so determined to apply to any Indemnitee as to any previously advanced indemnity payments made by the Company, then such payments shall be promptly repaid by such Indemnitee to the Company.

The rights of any Indemnitee to indemnification hereunder will be in addition to any other rights any such person may have under any other agreement or instrument referenced above or any other agreement or instrument to which such Indemnitee is or becomes a party or is or otherwise becomes a beneficiary or under applicable Law. None of the Indemnitees shall in any event be liable to the Company or any of its affiliates for any act or omission suffered or taken by such Indemnitee in connection with, relating to or arising out of this Agreement, including without limitation the services provided by such Indemniee to the Company or any of its affiliates (a) that does not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct or (b) in excess of the fees received by the Manager hereunder.


5. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability; Opportunities .

(a) Disclaimer; Standard of Care . The Manager makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, in respect of the services to be provided hereunder. In no event shall the Manager be liable to the Company or any of its affiliates for any act, alleged act, omission or alleged omission that does not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Manager as determined by a final, non-appealable determination of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(b) Limitation of Liability . In no event will the Indemnitees be liable to the Company or any of its affiliates for any indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential damages, including, without limitation, lost profits or savings, whether or not such damages are foreseeable, or for any third party claims (whether based in contract, tort or otherwise), relating to, in connection with or arising out of this Agreement, including without limitation the services to be provided hereunder, or for any act or omission that does not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct or in excess of the fees received by the Manager hereunder.

6. Assignment, etc . Except as provided below, none of the parties hereto shall have the right to assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) the Manager may assign all or part of its rights and obligations hereunder to any of its respective affiliates which provides services similar to those called for by this Agreement, in which event the Manager shall be released of its rights to fees under Section 2 and reimbursement of expenses under Section 4(a) and all of its obligations hereunder and (b) the provisions hereof for the benefit of Indemnitees shall inure to the benefit of such Indemnitees and their successors and assigns.

7. Amendments and Waivers . No amendment or waiver of any term, provision or condition of this Agreement shall be effective, unless in writing and executed by the Manager, Parent and the Company; provided , that the Manager may waive any portion of any fee to which it is entitled pursuant to this Agreement, and, unless otherwise directed by the Manager, such waived portion shall revert to the Company. No waiver on any one occasion shall extend to or effect or be construed as a waiver of any right or remedy on any future occasion. No course of dealing of any person nor any delay or omission in exercising any right or remedy shall constitute an amendment of this Agreement or a waiver of any right or remedy of any party hereto.

8. Governing Law: Jurisdiction .

(a) Choice of Law . This Agreement and all matters arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the domestic substantive Laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule that would cause the application of the domestic substantive Laws of any other jurisdiction.

(b) Consent to Jurisdiction . Each party to this Agreement, by its execution hereof, (i) hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal


courts sitting in the State of Delaware for the purpose of any action, claim, cause of action or suit (in contract, tort or otherwise), inquiry, proceeding or investigation arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof, (ii) hereby waives to the extent not prohibited by applicable Law, and agrees not to assert, and agrees not to allow any of its subsidiaries to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that any such proceeding brought in one of the above-named courts is improper, or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof or thereof may not be enforced in or by such court and (iii) hereby agrees not to commence or maintain any action, claim, cause of action or suit (in contract, tort or otherwise), inquiry, proceeding or investigation arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof or thereof other than before one of the above-named courts nor to make any motion or take any other action seeking or intending to cause the transfer or removal of any such action, claim, cause of action or suit (in contract, tort or otherwise), inquiry, proceeding or investigation to any court other than one of the above-named courts whether on the grounds of inconvenient forum or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any party hereto is or becomes a party in any litigation in connection with which it may assert indemnification rights set forth in this Agreement, the court in which such litigation is being heard shall be deemed to be included in clause (i) above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any party to this Agreement may commence and maintain an action to enforce a judgment of any of the above-named courts in any court of competent jurisdiction. Each party hereto hereby consents to service of process in any such proceeding in any manner permitted by Delaware Law, and agrees that service of process by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, at its address specified pursuant to Section 10 hereof is reasonably calculated to give actual notice.

(c) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW WHICH CANNOT BE WAIVED, EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES AND COVENANTS THAT IT WILL NOT ASSERT (WHETHER AS PLAINTIFF, DEFENDANT OR OTHERWISE) ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY FORUM IN RESPECT OF ANY ISSUE OR ACTION, CLAIM, CAUSE OF ACTION OR SUIT (IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE), INQUIRY, PROCEEDING OR INVESTIGATION ARISING OUT OF OR BASED UPON THIS AGREEMENT OR THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH OR RELATED OR INCIDENTAL TO THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, IN EACH CASE WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING. EACH PARTY HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO THAT THIS SECTION 8(c) CONSTITUTES A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT UPON WHICH THEY ARE RELYING AND WILL RELY IN ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. ANY PARTY HERETO MAY FILE AN ORIGINAL COUNTERPART OR A COPY OF THIS SECTION 8(c) WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE CONSENT OF EACH SUCH PARTY TO THE WAIVER OF ITS RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.


9. Entire Agreement . This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior communication or agreement with respect thereto.

10. Notice . Any notices and other communications required or permitted in this Agreement shall be in writing and (a) delivered personally, (b) sent by facsimile or e-mail (if provided and the recipient acknowledges receipt thereof by reply e-mail or otherwise), or (c) sent by overnight courier, in each case, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company, to it:

First Data Corporation

6200 S. Quebec Street

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

with copies to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Facsimile:

   (212) 455-2502

Attention:

   Gary Horowitz, Esq.
   Sean Rodgers, Esq.

E-mail:

   ghorowitz@stblaw.com
   srodgers@stblaw.com
If to the Manager or Parent:

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.

9 West 57 th Street, Suite 4200

New York, NY 10019

Facsimile:

   (212) 750-0003

Attention:

   Scott Nuttall

E-mail:

   nutts@kkr.com

with copies to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Facsimile:

   (212) 455-2502

Attention:

   Gary Horowitz, Esq.
   Sean Rodgers, Esq.

E-mail:

   ghorowitz@stblaw.com
   srodgers@stblaw.com


Unless otherwise specified herein, such notices or other communications shall be deemed effective and duly given upon actual receipt (or refusal of receipt). Each of the parties hereto shall be entitled to specify a different address by giving notice as aforesaid to each of the other parties hereto.

11. Severability . In the event that any provision hereof would, under applicable Law, be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such provision shall be construed by modifying or limiting it so as to be valid and enforceable to the maximum extent compatible with, and possible under, applicable Law. The provisions hereof are severable, and in the event any provision hereof should be held invalid or unenforceable in any respect, it shall not invalidate, render unenforceable or otherwise affect any other provision hereof.

12. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one instrument. A facsimile signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original.

13. Payments . Each payment made pursuant to Section 2, 3 or 4 shall be paid by wire transfer of immediately available federal funds to the accounts specified to the Company in writing prior to such payment.

[ Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank ]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement (or caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by its officer or representative thereunto duly authorized) under seal as of the date first above written.

 

FIRST DATA CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary
KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS & CO. L.P.
By:  

/s/ Scott C. Nuttall

Name:   Scott C. Nuttall
Title:   Member
NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS L.P.
By:   NEW OMAHA HOLDINGS LLC, its general partner
By:  

/s/ Scott C. Nuttall

Name:   Scott C. Nuttall
Title:   President


Schedule I

The additional amount payable pursuant to Section 2.1(a) shall equal the difference, if any, between $7,051,030.56 and the amount payable pursuant to the third bullet of Exhibit B of that certain side letter captioned “Equity Arrangements”, dated April 1, 2007, as amended, by and among New Omaha Holdings L.P. and the investors signatory thereto.

EXHIBIT 10.11

GUARANTEE

THIS GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007, by each of the signatories listed on the signature pages hereto and each of the other entities that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 19 (the “ Guarantors ” and individually, a “ Guarantor ”), in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

WITNESSETH :

WHEREAS, reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent, pursuant to which, among other things, the Lenders have severally agreed to make Loans to the Company and the Letter of Credit Issuer has agreed to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Extensions of Credit ”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks may from time to time enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers have issued Existing Secured Letters of Credit;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor is a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company;

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Extensions of Credit will be used in part to enable valuable transfers to the Guarantors in connection with the operation of their respective businesses;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor acknowledges that it will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the making of the Extensions of Credit; and

WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement that the Guarantors shall have executed and delivered this Guarantee to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders and Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement, to induce one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks to enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and to


induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit, the Guarantors hereby agree with the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, as follows:

1. Defined Terms .

(a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

(b) The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Guarantee shall refer to this Guarantee as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Guarantee, and Section references are to Sections of this Guarantee unless otherwise specified. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.

(c) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.

2. Guarantee .

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 2(b), each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally and irrevocably, guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations of anyone other than such Guarantor (including amounts that would become due for operation of the automatic stay under 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)).

(b) Anything herein or in any other Credit Document to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum liability of each Guarantor hereunder and under the other Credit Documents shall in no event exceed the amount that can be guaranteed by such Guarantor under the Bankruptcy Code or any applicable laws relating to fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers or the insolvency of debtors.

(c) Each Guarantor further agrees to pay any and all expenses (including all reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that may be paid or incurred by the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party in enforcing, or obtaining advice of counsel in respect of, any rights with respect to, or collecting, any or all of the Obligations and/or enforcing any rights with respect to, or collecting against, such Guarantor under this Guarantee.

(d) Each Guarantor agrees that the Obligations may at any time and from time to time exceed the amount of the liability of such Guarantor hereunder without impairing this Guarantee or affecting the rights and remedies of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party hereunder.


(e) No payment or payments made by the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person or received or collected by the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent or any other Secured Party from the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person by virtue of any action or proceeding or any set-off or appropriation or application at any time or from time to time in reduction of or in payment of the Obligations shall be deemed to modify, reduce, release or otherwise affect the liability of any Guarantor hereunder, which shall, notwithstanding any such payment or payments, other than payments made by such Guarantor in respect of the Obligations or payments received or collected from such Guarantor in respect of the Obligations, remain liable for the Obligations up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder until the Obligations under the Credit Documents are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding or the Letters of Credit Outstanding have been Cash Collateralized.

(f) Each Guarantor agrees that whenever, at any time, or from time to time, it shall make any payment to the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party on account of its liability hereunder, it will notify the Collateral Agent in writing that such payment is made under this Guarantee for such purpose.

3. Right of Contribution . Each Guarantor hereby agrees that to the extent that a Guarantor shall have paid more than its proportionate share of any payment made hereunder (including by way of set-off rights being exercised against it), such Guarantor shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against any other Guarantor hereunder who has not paid its proportionate share of such payment. Each Guarantor ‘s right of contribution shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Section 5 hereof. The provisions of this Section 3 shall in no respect limit the obligations and liabilities of any Guarantor to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, and each Guarantor shall remain liable to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder.

4. Right of Set-off . In addition to any rights and remedies of the Secured Parties provided by law, each Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes each Secured Party at any time and from time to time following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, without notice to such Guarantor or any other Guarantor, any such notice being expressly waived by each Guarantor, upon any amount becoming due and payable by such Guarantor hereunder (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), to set-off and appropriate and apply against such amount any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final), in any currency, and any other credits, indebtedness or claims, in any currency, in each case whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, at any time held or owing by such Secured Party to or for the credit or the account of such Guarantor (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Settlement Assets except to effect Settlement Payments such Lender is obligated to make to a third party in respect of such Settlement Assets or as otherwise agreed in writing between the Borrower and such Lender). Each Secured Party shall notify such Guarantor promptly of any such set-off and the appropriation and application made by such Secured Party, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.


5. No Subrogation . Notwithstanding any payment or payments made by any of the Guarantors hereunder or any set-off or appropriation and application of funds of any of the Guarantors by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, no Guarantor shall be entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights (or if subrogated by operation of law, such Guarantor hereby waives such rights to the extent permitted by applicable law) of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party against the Company or any Guarantor or any collateral security or guarantee or right of offset held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party for the payment of any of the Obligations, nor shall any Guarantor seek or be entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from the Company or any Guarantor or other guarantor in respect of payments made by such Guarantor hereunder, in each case, until all amounts owing to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties on account of the Obligations under the Credit Documents are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding or the Letters of Credit Outstanding have been Cash Collateralized. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor on account of such subrogation rights at any time when all the Obligations shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held by such Guarantor in trust for the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, segregated from other funds of such Guarantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by such Guarantor, be turned over to the Collateral Agent in the exact form received by such Guarantor (duly indorsed by such Guarantor to the Collateral Agent, if required), to be applied against the Obligations, whether due or to become due, in such order as the Collateral Agent may determine.

6. Amendments, etc. with Respect to the Obligations; Waiver of Rights . Each Guarantor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of rights against any Guarantor and without notice to or further assent by any Guarantor, (a) any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may be rescinded by such party and any of the Obligations continued, (b) the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or released by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, (c) the Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents, the Letters of Credit, the Existing Secured Letters of Credit and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith and the Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders, as the case may be, or, in the case of any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement, the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuer, Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank party thereto) may deem advisable from time to time, and (d) any collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party for the payment of any of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or released. Neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party shall have any obligation to protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the Obligations or for this Guarantee or any property subject thereto. When making any demand hereunder against any Guarantor, the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar demand on the Company or any Guarantor or any other person, and any failure by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to make any such demand or to collect


any payments from the Company or any Guarantor or any other person or any release of the Company or any Guarantor or any other person shall not relieve any Guarantor in respect of which a demand or collection is not made or any Guarantor not so released of its several obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party against any Guarantor. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.

7. Guarantee Absolute and Unconditional .

(a) Each Guarantor waives any and all notice of the creation, contraction, incurrence, renewal, extension, amendment, waiver or accrual of any of the Obligations, and notice of or proof of reliance by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party upon this Guarantee or acceptance of this Guarantee. All Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended, waived or accrued, in reliance upon this Guarantee, and all dealings between the Company and any of the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, on the other hand, likewise shall be conclusively presumed to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this Guarantee. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor waives diligence, promptness, presentment, protest and notice of protest, demand for payment or performance, notice of default or nonpayment, notice of acceptance and any other notice in respect of the Obligations or any part of them, and any defense arising by reason of any disability or other defense of the Company or any of the Guarantors with respect to the Obligations. Each Guarantor understands and agrees that this Guarantee shall be construed as a continuing, absolute and unconditional guarantee of payment without regard to (a) the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Credit Agreement, any other Credit Document, any Letter of Credit, any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, any Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement, any of the Obligations or any collateral security therefor or guarantee or right of offset with respect thereto at any time or from time to time held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, (b) any defense, set-off or counterclaim (other than a defense of payment or performance) that may at any time be available to or be asserted by the Company against the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party or (c) any other circumstance whatsoever (with or without notice to or knowledge of the Company or such Guarantor) that constitutes, or might be construed to constitute, an equitable or legal discharge of the Company for the Obligations, or of such Guarantor under this Guarantee, in bankruptcy or in any other instance. When pursuing its rights and remedies hereunder against any Guarantor, the Collateral Agent and any other Secured Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, pursue such rights and remedies as it may have against the Company or any other Person or against any collateral security or guarantee for the Obligations or any right of offset with respect thereto, and any failure by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to pursue such other rights or remedies or to collect any payments from the Company or any such other Person or to realize upon any such collateral security or guarantee or to exercise any such right of offset, or any release of the Company or any such other Person or any such collateral security, guarantee or right of offset, shall not relieve such Guarantor of any liability hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, whether express, implied or available as a matter of law, of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties against such Guarantor.


(b) This Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its terms upon each Guarantor and the successors and assigns thereof and shall inure to the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns until all Obligations (other than any contingent indemnity obligations not then due) shall have been satisfied by payment in full, the Commitments thereunder shall be terminated and no Letters of Credit thereunder shall be outstanding (except to the extent that the Letters of Credit have been Cash Collateralized), notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of the Credit Agreement and any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement the Credit Parties may be free from any Obligations.

(c) A Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the Guarantee of such Guarantor shall be automatically released under the circumstances described in Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

8. Reinstatement . This Guarantee shall continue to be effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any of the Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the Company or any Guarantor, or upon or as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor or conservator of, or trustee or similar officer for, the Company or any Guarantor or any substantial part of its property, or otherwise, all as though such payments had not been made.

9. Payments . Each Guarantor hereby guarantees that payments hereunder will be paid to the Collateral Agent without set-off or counterclaim in U.S. Dollars (based on the Dollar Equivalent amount of such Obligations on the date of payment) at the Collateral Agent’s Office. Each Guarantor agrees that the provisions of Sections 5.4 and 13.19 of the Credit Agreement shall apply to such Guarantor ‘s obligations under this Guarantee.

10. Representations and Warranties; Covenants .

(a) Each Guarantor hereby represents and warrants that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 8 of the Credit Agreement as they relate to such Guarantor and in the other Credit Documents to which such Guarantor is a party, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date (except where such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date), and the Collateral Agent and each other Secured Party shall be entitled to rely on each of them as if they were fully set forth herein.

(b) Each Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees with the Collateral Agent and each other Secured Party that, from and after the date of this Guarantee until the Obligations are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated and no Letter of Credit remains outstanding or the Letters of Credit Outstanding have been Cash Collateralized, such Guarantor shall take, or shall refrain from taking, as the case may be, all actions that are necessary to be taken or not


taken so that no violation of any provision, covenant or agreement contained in Section 9 or Section 10 of the Credit Agreement and so that no Default or Event of Default, is caused by any act or failure to act of such Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries.

11. Authority of the Collateral Agent .

(a) The Collateral Agent enters into this Guarantee in its capacity as agent for the Secured Parties from time to time. The rights and obligations of the Collateral Agent under this Guarantee at any time are the rights and obligations of the Secured Parties at that time. Each of the Secured Parties has (subject to the terms of the Credit Documents) a several entitlement to each such right, and a several liability in respect of each such obligation, in the proportions described in the Credit Documents. The rights, remedies and discretions of the Secured Parties, or any of them, under this Guarantee may be exercised by the Collateral Agent. No party to this Guarantee is obliged to inquire whether an exercise by the Collateral Agent of any such right, remedy or discretion is within the Collateral Agent’s authority as agent for the Secured Parties.

(b) Each party to this Guarantee acknowledges and agrees that any changes (in accordance with the provisions of the Credit Documents) in the identity of the persons from time to time comprising the Secured Parties gives rise to an equivalent change in the Secured Parties, without any further act. Upon such an occurrence, the persons then comprising the Secured Parties are vested with the rights, remedies and discretions and assume the obligations of the Secured Parties under this Guarantee. Each party to this Guarantee irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent to give effect to the change in Lenders contemplated in this Section 11(b) by countersigning an Assignment and Acceptance.

12. Notices . All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.

13. Counterparts . This Guarantee may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Guarantee on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Guarantee signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Collateral Agent and the Company.

14. Severability . Any provision of this Guarantee that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.


15. Integration . This Guarantee together with the other Credit Documents and each other document in respect of any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Hedge Agreement and any Secured Cash Management Agreement represent the agreement of each Guarantor and the Collateral Agent with respect to the subject matter hereof, and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Credit Documents or each other document in respect of any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Hedge Agreement or any Secured Cash Management Agreement.

16. Amendments in Writing; No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies .

(a) None of the terms or provisions of this Guarantee may be waived, amended, supplemented or otherwise modified except in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

(b) Neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party shall by any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to Section 16(a)), delay, indulgence, omission or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy hereunder or to have acquiesced in any Default or Event of Default or in any breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party would otherwise have on any future occasion.

(c) The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative, may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies provided by law.

17. Section Headings . The Section headings used in this Guarantee are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.

18. Successors and Assigns . This Guarantee shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of each Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors and assigns except that no Guarantor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Guarantee without the prior written consent of the Collateral Agent.

19. Additional Guarantors . Each Subsidiary of the Company that is required to become a party to this Guarantee pursuant to Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement shall become a Guarantor, with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Guarantor herein,


for all purposes of this Guarantee, upon execution and delivery by such Subsidiary of a written supplement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto. The execution and delivery of any instrument adding an additional Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee shall not require the consent of any other Guarantor hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee.

20. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH GUARANTOR HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS GUARANTEE, ANY OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.

21. Submission to Jurisdiction; Waivers; Service of Process . Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:

(a) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Guarantee and the other Credit Documents to which it is a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York, the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York and appellate courts from any thereof;

(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;

(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Guarantor in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in the Credit Agreement, and such Person hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Company to accept such service on its behalf;

(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to sue in any other jurisdiction; and

(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section 21 any special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages.

22. GOVERNING LAW . THIS GUARANTEE AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Guarantee to be duly executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer or other representative as of the day and year first above written.

 

The following entities, each as Guarantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCIATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION


FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SERVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTHEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITTSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.


ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES
UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary


The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC
By:  

/s/ Brian V. Mooney

Name:   Brian V. Mooney
Title:   President


FDR LIMITED, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ David G. Yates

Name:   David G. Yates
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President

CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH,

as Collateral Agent

By:  

/s/ William O’Daly

Name:   William O’Daly
Title:   Director
By:  

/s/ Mikhail Faybusovich

Name:   Mikhail Faybusovich
Title:   Associate


ANNEX A TO

THE GUARANTEE

SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ] dated as of [                    ] to the GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007, among each of the Guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto (each such subsidiary individually, a “ Guarantor ” and, collectively, the “ Guarantors ”), and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent for the Lenders from time to time parties to the Credit Agreement referred to below.

A. Reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”), among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent

B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Guarantee.

C. The Guarantors have entered into the Guarantee in order to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement and to induce the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement, to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit and to induce one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks to enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements or Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries.

D. Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement and Section 19 of the Guarantee provide that additional Subsidiaries may become Guarantors under the Guarantee by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. Each undersigned Subsidiary (each a “ New Guarantor ”) is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of the Credit Agreement to become a Guarantor under the Guarantee in order to induce the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make additional Extensions of Credit, to induce one or more Hedge Banks or Cash Management Banks to enter into Secured Hedge Agreements and Secured Cash Management Agreements, to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit and as consideration for Extensions of Credit previously made.

Accordingly, the Collateral Agent and each New Guarantor agrees as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 19 of the Guarantee, each New Guarantor by its signature below becomes a Guarantor under the Guarantee with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Guarantor, and each New Guarantor hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Guarantee applicable to it as a Guarantor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Guarantor thereunder are true and correct on and as of the date hereof (except where such representations and


warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date). Each reference to a Guarantor in the Guarantee shall be deemed to include each New Guarantor. The Guarantee is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. Each New Guarantor represents and warrants to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.

SECTION 3. This Supplement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Supplement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Supplement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Company and the Collateral Agent. This Supplement shall become effective as to each New Guarantor when the Collateral Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of such New Guarantor and the Collateral Agent.

SECTION 4. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 5. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 6. Any provision of this Supplement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof and in the Guarantee, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 7. All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to each New Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each New Guarantor and the Collateral Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Guarantee as of the day and year first above written.

 

[NAME OF NEW GUARANTOR]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, as Collateral Agent
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

EXHIBIT 10.12

PLEDGE AGREEMENT

PLEDGE AGREEMENT dated as of September 24, 2007 among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), each of the Subsidiaries of the Company listed on the signature pages hereto or that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 9 hereof (each such Subsidiary being a “ Subsidiary Pledgor ” and, collectively, the “ Subsidiary Pledgors ”; the Subsidiary Pledgors and the Company are referred to collectively as the “ Pledgors ”) and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent (in such capacity, the “ Collateral Agent ”) under the Credit Agreement (as defined below) for the benefit of the Secured Parties (as defined below).

WITNESSETH :

WHEREAS, the Company is party to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among the Company, the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders ”), and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent;

WHEREAS, (a) pursuant to the Credit Agreement, among other things, the Lenders have severally agreed to make Loans to the Company and the Letter of Credit Issuer has agreed to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Extensions of Credit ”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, (b) one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks may from time to time enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements or Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and (c) the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers have issued Existing Secured Letters of Credit;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Guarantee, dated as of the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Guarantee ”), each Subsidiary Pledgor has agreed to unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations (as defined below);

WHEREAS, each Subsidiary Pledgor is a Subsidiary;

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Extensions of Credit will be used in part to enable the Company to make valuable transfers to the Subsidiary Pledgors in connection with the operation of their respective businesses;

WHEREAS, each Pledgor acknowledges that it will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the making of the Extensions of Credit;


WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement that the Company and the Subsidiary Pledgors shall have executed and delivered this Pledge Agreement to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties; and

WHEREAS, (a) the Pledgors are the legal and beneficial owners of the Equity Interests, described in Schedule 1 hereto and issued by the entities named therein (the pledged Equity Interests are, together with any Equity Interests of the issuer of such Equity Interests or any other Subsidiary directly held by any Pledgor in the future (the “ After-acquired Shares ”), in each case, except to the extent excluded from the Collateral for the applicable Obligations pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 2 below, referred to collectively herein as the “ Pledged Shares ”) and (b) each of the Pledgors is the legal and beneficial owner of the Indebtedness described in Schedule 1 hereto (together with any other Indebtedness owed to any Pledgor hereafter and required to be pledged pursuant to Section 9.12(a) of the Credit Agreement, the “ Pledged Debt ”);

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit under the Credit Agreement, to induce one or more Cash Management Banks and Hedge Banks to enter into Secured Cash Managements Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit, the Pledgors hereby agree with the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as follows:

1. Defined Terms .

(a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

(b) “ Proceeds ” and any other term used herein or in the Credit Agreement without definition that is defined in the UCC has the meaning given to it in the UCC.

(c) “ Collateral ” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2 .

(d) As used herein, the term “ Equity Interests ” shall mean, collectively, Stock and Stock Equivalents.

(e) As used herein, the term “ UCC ” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York; provided , however , that, in the event that, by reason of mandatory provisions of law, any of the attachment, perfection or priority of the Collateral Agent’s and the Secured Parties’ security interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, the term “ UCC ” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such attachment, perfection or priority and for purposes of definitions related to such provisions

(f) References to “Lenders” in this Pledge Agreement shall be deemed to include Cash Management Banks that may from time to time enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Hedge Banks that may from time to time enter into Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and each Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuer.


(g) The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Pledge Agreement shall refer to this Pledge Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Pledge Agreement, and Section references are to Sections of this Pledge Agreement unless otherwise specified. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.

(h) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.

2. Grant of Security . Each Pledgor hereby transfers, assigns and pledges to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and grants to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a lien on and a security interest in (the “ Security Interest ”) all of such Pledgor’s right, title and interest in, to and under the following, whether now owned or existing or at any time hereafter acquired or existing (collectively, the “ Collateral ”):

(a) the Pledged Shares held by such Pledgor and the certificates representing such Pledged Shares and any interest of such Pledgor in the entries on the books of the issuer of the Pledged Shares or any financial intermediary pertaining to the Pledged Shares and all dividends, cash, warrants, rights, instruments and other property or Proceeds from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of the Pledged Shares.

(b) the Pledged Debt and the instruments evidencing the Pledged Debt owed to such Pledgor, and all interest, cash, instruments and other property or Proceeds from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of such Pledged Debt; and

(c) to the extent not covered by clauses (a) and (b) above, respectively, all Proceeds of any or all of the foregoing Collateral.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Collateral for the Obligations shall not include any Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents.

3. Security for Obligations . This Pledge Agreement secures the payment of all the Obligations of each Credit Party. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Pledge Agreement secures the payment of all amounts that constitute part of the Obligations and would be owed by any of the Credit Parties to the Secured Parties under the Credit Documents but for the fact that they are unenforceable or not allowable due to the existence of a bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding involving any Credit Party.

4. Delivery of the Collateral . All certificates or instruments, if any, representing or evidencing the Collateral shall be promptly delivered to and held by or on behalf of the Collateral Agent pursuant hereto to the extent required by the Credit Agreement and shall be in suitable form for transfer by delivery, or shall be accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in blank, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral


Agent. The Collateral Agent shall have the right, at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and with notice to the relevant Pledgor, to transfer to or to register in the name of the Collateral Agent or any of its nominees any or all of the Pledged Shares. Each delivery of Collateral (including any After-acquired Shares) shall be accompanied by a notice to the Collateral Agent describing the securities theretofore and then being pledged hereunder.

5. Representations and Warranties . Each Pledgor represents and warrants as follows:

(a) Schedule 1 hereto (i) correctly represents as of the Closing Date (A) the issuer, the certificate number, the Pledgor and the record and beneficial owner, the number and class and the percentage of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of such class of all Pledged Shares and (B) the issuer, the initial principal amount, the Pledgor and holder, date of issuance and maturity date of all Pledged Debt and (ii) together with the comparable schedule to each supplement hereto, includes all Equity Interests, debt securities and promissory notes required to be pledged hereunder. Except as set forth on Schedule 1, and except for Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents, the Pledged Shares represent all (or 65% in the case of pledges of the Voting Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries) of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each class of Equity Interests in the issuer on the Closing Date.

(b) Such Pledgor is the legal and beneficial owner of the Collateral pledged or assigned by such Pledgor hereunder free and clear of any Lien, except for Permitted Liens and the Lien created by this Pledge Agreement.

(c) As of the Closing Date, the Pledged Shares pledged by such Pledgor hereunder have been duly authorized and validly issued and, in the case of Pledged Shares issued by a corporation, are fully paid and non-assessable.

(d) The execution and delivery by such Pledgor of this Pledge Agreement and the pledge of the Collateral pledged by such Pledgor hereunder pursuant hereto create a legal, valid and enforceable security interest in such Collateral to the extent the creation of such security interest in the Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC and, upon delivery of such Collateral to the Collateral Agent in the State of New York, shall constitute a fully perfected Lien on and security interest in the Collateral, securing the payment of the Obligations, in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties to the extent the creation and perfection of such security interest in the stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.

(e) Such Pledgor has full power, authority and legal right to pledge all the Collateral pledged by such Pledgor pursuant to this Pledge Agreement and this Pledge Agreement, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of each Pledgor to the extent the creation and perfection of such security interest in the Stock of the Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.


6. Certification of Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership Interests, Equity Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries and Pledged Debt .

(a) In the event that any Equity Interests in any Subsidiary that is organized as a limited liability company or limited partnership and pledged hereunder shall be represented by a certificate, the applicable Pledgor shall cause the issuer of such interests to elect to treat such interests as a “security” within the meaning of Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of its jurisdiction of organization or formation, as applicable, by including in its organizational documents language substantially similar to the following and, accordingly, such interests shall be governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code:

“The Partnership/Company hereby irrevocably elects that all membership interests in the Partnership/Company shall be securities governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of [jurisdiction of organization or formation, as applicable]. Each certificate evidencing partnership/membership interests in the Partnership/Company shall bear the following legend: “This certificate evidences an interest in [name of Partnership/LLC] and shall be a security for purposes of Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code.” No change to this provision shall be effective until all outstanding certificates have been surrendered for cancellation and any new certificates thereafter issued shall not bear the foregoing legend.”

(b) Each Pledgor will comply with Section 9.12(b) of the Credit Agreement.

(c) In the event that any Equity Interests in any Foreign Subsidiary pledged hereunder are not represented by a certificate, the Pledgors agree not to permit such Foreign Subsidiary to issue Equity Interests represented by a certificate to any other Person.

7. Further Assurances . Each Pledgor agrees that at any time and from time to time, at the expense of such Pledgor, it will execute or otherwise authorize the filing of any and all further documents, financing statements, agreements and instruments, and take all such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements, fixture filings, mortgages, deeds of trust and other documents), which may be required under any applicable law, or which the Collateral Agent or the Administrative Agent may reasonably request, in order (x) to perfect and protect any pledge, assignment or security interest granted or purported to be granted hereby (including the priority thereof) or (y) to enable the Collateral Agent to exercise and enforce its rights and remedies hereunder with respect to any Collateral.

8. Voting Rights; Dividends and Distributions; Etc .

(a) So long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing:

(i) Each Pledgor shall be entitled to exercise any and all voting and other consensual rights pertaining to the Collateral or any part thereof for any purpose not prohibited by the terms of this Pledge Agreement or the other Credit Documents.


(ii) The Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver (or cause to be executed and delivered) to each Pledgor all such proxies and other instruments as such Pledgor may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling such Pledgor to exercise the voting and other rights that it is entitled to exercise pursuant to paragraph (i) above.

(b) Subject to paragraph (c) below, each Pledgor shall be entitled to receive and retain and use, free and clear of the Lien created by this Pledge Agreement, any and all dividends, distributions, principal and interest made or paid in respect of the Collateral to the extent permitted by the Credit Agreement, as applicable; provided , however , that any and all noncash dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that would constitute Pledged Shares or Pledged Debt, whether resulting from a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the outstanding Equity Interests of the issuer of any Pledged Shares or received in exchange for Pledged Shares or Pledged Debt or any part thereof, or in redemption thereof, or as a result of any merger, consolidation, acquisition or other exchange of assets to which such issuer may be a party or otherwise, shall be, and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent to hold as, Collateral and shall, if received by such Pledgor, be received in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent, be segregated from the other property or funds of such Pledgor and be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent as Collateral in the same form as so received (with any necessary endorsement).

(c) Upon written notice to a Pledgor by the Collateral Agent following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default,

(i) all rights of such Pledgor to exercise or refrain from exercising the voting and other consensual rights that it would otherwise be entitled to exercise pursuant to Section 8(a)(i) shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Collateral Agent, which shall thereupon have the sole right to exercise or refrain from exercising such voting and other consensual rights during the continuance of such Event of Default, provided that, unless otherwise directed by the Required Lenders, the Collateral Agent shall have the right from time to time following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default to permit the Pledgors to exercise such rights. After all Events of Default have been cured or waived, each Pledgor will have the right to exercise the voting and consensual rights that such Pledgor would otherwise be entitled to exercise pursuant to the terms of Section 8(a)(i) (and the obligations of the Collateral Agent under Section 8(a)(ii) shall be reinstated);

(ii) all rights of such Pledgor to receive the dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments that such Pledgor would otherwise be authorized to receive and retain pursuant to Section 8(b) shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Collateral Agent, which shall thereupon have the sole right to receive and hold as Collateral such dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments during the continuance of such Event of Default. After all Events of Default have been cured or waived, the Collateral Agent shall repay to each Pledgor (without interest) all dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments that such Pledgor would otherwise be permitted to receive, retain and use pursuant to the terms of Section 8(b);


(iii) all dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments that are received by such Pledgor contrary to the provisions of Section 8(b) shall be received in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent shall be segregated from other property or funds of such Pledgor and shall forthwith be delivered to the Collateral Agent as Collateral in the same form as so received (with any necessary endorsements); and

(iv) in order to permit the Collateral Agent to receive all dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments to which it may be entitled under Section 8(b) above, to exercise the voting and other consensual rights that it may be entitled to exercise pursuant to Section 8(c)(i) above, and to receive all dividends, distributions and principal and interest payments that it may be entitled to under Sections 8(c)(ii) and (c)(iii) above, such Pledgor shall from time to time execute and deliver to the Collateral Agent, appropriate proxies, dividend payment orders and other instruments as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request in writing.

9. Transfers and Other Liens; Additional Collateral; Etc . Each Pledgor shall:

(a) not (i) except as permitted by the Credit Agreement, sell or otherwise dispose of, or grant any option or warrant with respect to, any of the Collateral or (ii) create or suffer to exist any consensual Lien upon or with respect to any of the Collateral, except for the Lien created by this Pledge Agreement provided that in the event such Pledgor sells or otherwise disposes of assets as permitted by the Credit Agreement, and such assets are or include any of the Collateral, upon the request of the applicable Pledgor the Collateral Agent shall release such Collateral to such Pledgor free and clear of the Lien created by this Agreement concurrently with the consummation of such sale;

(b) pledge and, if applicable, cause each Subsidiary to pledge, to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, immediately upon acquisition thereof, all the Equity Interests and all evidence of Indebtedness held or received by such Pledgor or Subsidiary required to be pledged hereunder pursuant to Section 9.12 of the Credit Agreement, in each case pursuant to a supplement to this Pledge Agreement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto (it being understood that the execution and delivery of such a supplement shall not require the consent of any Pledgor hereunder and that the rights and obligations of each Pledgor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Subsidiary Pledgor as a party to this Pledge Agreement); and

(c) defend its and the Collateral Agent’s title or interest in and to all the Collateral (and in the Proceeds thereof) against any and all Liens (other than Permitted Liens and the Lien created by this Agreement), however arising, and any and all Persons whomsoever.

10. Collateral Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact . Each Pledgor hereby appoints, which appointment is irrevocable and coupled with an interest, the Collateral Agent as such Pledgor’s attorney-in-fact, with full authority in the place and stead of such Pledgor and in the name of such Pledgor or otherwise, to take any action and to execute any instrument, in each case after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and with notice to


such Pledgor, that the Collateral Agent may deem reasonably necessary or advisable to accomplish the purposes of this Pledge Agreement, including to receive, indorse and collect all instruments made payable to such Pledgor representing any dividend, distribution or principal or interest payment in respect of the Collateral or any part thereof and to give full discharge for the same.

11. The Collateral Agent’s Duties . The powers conferred on the Collateral Agent hereunder are solely to protect its interest in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon it to exercise any such powers. Except for the safe custody of any Collateral in its possession and the accounting for moneys actually received by it hereunder, the Collateral Agent shall have no duty as to any Collateral, as to ascertaining or taking action with respect to calls, conversions, exchanges, maturities, tenders or other matters relative to any Pledged Shares, whether or not the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party has or is deemed to have knowledge of such matters, or as to the taking of any necessary steps to preserve rights against any parties or any other rights pertaining to any Collateral. The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of any Collateral in its possession if such Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which the Collateral Agent accords its own property.

12. Remedies . If any Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing:

(a) The Collateral Agent may exercise in respect of the Collateral, in addition to other rights and remedies provided for herein or otherwise available to it, all the rights and remedies of a secured party upon default under the UCC (whether or not the UCC applies to the affected Collateral) and also may with notice to the relevant Grantor, sell the Collateral or any part thereof in one or more parcels at public or private sale, at any exchange broker’s board or at any of the Collateral Agent’s offices or elsewhere, for cash, on credit or for future delivery, at such price or prices and upon such other terms as are commercially reasonable irrespective of the impact of any such sales on the market price of the Collateral. The Collateral Agent shall be authorized at any such sale (if it deems it advisable to do so) to restrict the prospective bidders or purchasers of Collateral to Persons who will represent and agree that they are purchasing the Collateral for their own account for investment and not with a view to the distribution or sale thereof, and, upon consummation of any such sale, the Collateral Agent shall have the right to assign, transfer and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers thereof the Collateral so sold. Each purchaser at any such sale shall hold the property sold absolutely free from any claim or right on the part of any Pledgor, and each Pledgor hereby waives (to the extent permitted by law) all rights of redemption, stay and/or appraisal that it now has or may at any time in the future have under any rule of law or statute now existing or hereafter enacted. The Collateral Agent or any Secured Party shall have the right upon any such public sale, and, to the extent permitted by law, upon any such private sale, to purchase all or any part of the Collateral so sold, and the Collateral Agent or such Secured Party may pay the purchase price by crediting the amount thereof against the Obligations. Each Pledgor agrees that, to the extent notice of sale shall be required by law, at least ten days’ notice to such Pledgor of the time and place of any public sale or the time after which any private sale is to be made shall constitute reasonable notification. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale of Collateral regardless of notice of sale having been given. The


Collateral Agent may adjourn any public or private sale from time to time by announcement at the time and place fixed therefor, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the time and place to which it was so adjourned. To the extent permitted by law, each Pledgor hereby waives any claim against the Collateral Agent arising by reason of the fact that the price at which any Collateral may have been sold at such a private sale was less than the price that might have been obtained at a public sale, even if the Collateral Agent accepts the first offer received and does not offer such Collateral to more than one offeree.

(b) The Collateral Agent shall apply the Proceeds of any collection or sale of the Collateral in the manner specified in Section 11.14 of the Credit Agreement. Upon any sale of the Collateral by the Collateral Agent (including pursuant to a power of sale granted by statute or under a judicial proceeding), the receipt of the Collateral Agent or of the officer making the sale shall be a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the Collateral so sold and such purchaser or purchasers shall not be obligated to see to the application of any part of the purchase money paid over to the Collateral Agent or such officer or be answerable in any way for the misapplication thereof.

(c) The Collateral Agent may exercise any and all rights and remedies of each Pledgor in respect of the Collateral.

(d) All payments received by any Pledgor in respect of the Collateral after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default shall be received in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent shall be segregated from other property or funds of such Pledgor and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent as Collateral in the same form as so received (with any necessary endorsement).

13. Amendments, etc. with Respect to the Obligations; Waiver of Rights . Each Pledgor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of rights against any Pledgor and without notice to or further assent by any Pledgor, (a) any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may be rescinded by such party and any of the Obligations continued, (b) the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or released by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, (c) the Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents, the Letters of Credit, the Existing Secured Letters of Credit and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith, the Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as the applicable Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders, as the case may be, or, in the case of any Existing Secured Letters of Credit, Secured Cash Management Agreement and Secured Hedge Agreement, the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuer, Cash Management Bank or Hedge Bank party thereto) may deem advisable from time to time, and (d) any collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party for the payment of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or released. Neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party shall have any obligation to


protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the Obligations or for this Pledge Agreement or any property subject thereto. When making any demand hereunder against any Pledgor, the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar demand on the Company or any Pledgor or any other person, and any failure by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to make any such demand or to collect any payments from the Company or any Pledgor or any other person or any release of the Company or any Pledgor or any other person shall not relieve any Pledgor in respect of which a demand or collection is not made or any Pledgor not so released of its several obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party against any Pledgor. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.

14. Continuing Security Interest; Assignments Under the Credit Agreement; Release .

(a) This Pledge Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its terms upon each Pledgor and the successors and assigns thereof, and shall inure to the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors, endorsees, transferees and assigns until all the Obligations (other than any contingent indemnity obligations not then due) under the Credit Documents shall have been satisfied by payment in full, the Commitments shall be terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding (or all Letters of Credit Outstanding shall have been Cash Collateralized), notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of the Credit Agreement and any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement the Credit Parties may be free from any Obligations.

(b) A Subsidiary Pledgor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the Collateral of such Subsidiary Pledgor shall be automatically released upon such Subsidiary Pledgor ceasing to be a Guarantor in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

(c) The Collateral shall be automatically released from the Liens of this Agreement (i) to the extent provided for in Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement and (ii) upon the effectiveness of any written consent to the release of the security interest granted in such Collateral pursuant to Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement. Any such release in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of such Collateral shall result in such Collateral being sold, transferred or disposed of, as applicable, free and clear of the Liens of this Agreement.

(d) In connection with any termination or release pursuant to the foregoing paragraph (a), (b) or (c), the Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to any Pledgor or authorize the filing of, at such Pledgor’s expense, all documents that such Pledgor shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section 14 shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Collateral Agent.

15. Reinstatement . Each Pledgor further agrees that, if any payment made by any Credit Party or other Person and applied to the Obligations is at any time annulled, avoided,


set aside, rescinded, invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential or otherwise required to be refunded or repaid, or the Proceeds of Collateral are required to be returned by any Secured Party to such Credit Party, its estate, trustee, receiver or any other party, including any Pledgor, under any bankruptcy law, state, federal or foreign law, common law or equitable cause, then, to the extent of such payment or repayment, any Lien or other Collateral securing such liability shall be and remain in full force and effect, as fully as if such payment had never been made or, if prior thereto the Lien granted hereby or other Collateral securing such liability hereunder shall have been released or terminated by virtue of such cancellation or surrender), such Lien or other Collateral shall be reinstated in full force and effect, and such prior cancellation or surrender shall not diminish, release, discharge, impair or otherwise affect any Lien or other Collateral securing the obligations of any Pledgor in respect of the amount of such payment.

16. Notices . All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Pledgor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.

17. Counterparts . This Pledge Agreement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Pledge Agreement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.

18. Severability . Any provision of this Pledge Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

19. Integration . This Pledge Agreement together with the other Credit Documents represents the agreement of each of the Pledgors with respect to the subject matter hereof and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Credit Documents.

20. Amendments in Writing; No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies .

(a) None of the terms or provisions of this Pledge Agreement may be waived, amended, supplemented or otherwise modified except by a written instrument executed by the affected Pledgor and the Collateral Agent in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

(b) Neither the Collateral Agent nor any Secured Party shall by any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to Section 20(a) hereof), delay, indulgence, omission or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy hereunder or to have acquiesced in any


Default or Event of Default or in any breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that the Collateral Agent or such other Secured Party would otherwise have on any future occasion.

(c) The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative, may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies provided by law.

21. Section Headings . The Section headings used in this Pledge Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.

22. Successors and Assigns . This Pledge Agreement shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of each Pledgor and shall inure to the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors and assigns, except that no Pledgor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Pledge Agreement without the prior written consent of the Collateral Agent.

23. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS PLEDGE AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.

24. Submission to Jurisdiction; Waivers . Each party hereto irrevocably and unconditionally:

(a) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Pledge Agreement and the other Credit Documents to which it is a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York, the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York and appellate courts from any thereof;

(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;

(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Person at its address referred to in Section 16 or at such other address of which the Collateral Agent shall have been notified pursuant thereto;


(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of any other party hereto (or any Secured Party) to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of any party hereto (or any Secured Party) to sue in any other jurisdiction; and

(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section 24 any special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages.

25. GOVERNING LAW . THIS PLEDGE AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

[Signature Pages Follow]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Pledge Agreement to be duly executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer as of the day and year first above written.

 

FIRST DATA CORPORATION, as Pledgor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:  

Kimberly S. Patmore

Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
The following entities, each as Pledgor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCIATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC


DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION
FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SERVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTHEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITTSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.
ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.


INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES
UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary


The following entities, each as Pledgor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Pledgor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Pledgor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Pledgor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC
By:  

/s/ Brian V. Mooney

Name:   Brian V. Mooney
Title:   President
FDR LIMITED, as Pledgor
By:  

/s/ David G. Yates

Name:   David G. Yates
Title:   Chief Executive Officer


The following entities, each as Pledgor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President

CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH,

as Collateral Agent

By:  

/s/ William O’Daly

Name:   William O’Daly
Title:   Director
By:  

/s/ Mikhail Faybusovich

Name:   Mikhail Faybusovich
Title:   Associate


ANNEX A

TO THE PLEDGE AGREEMENT

SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ] dated as of [                    ] to the PLEDGE AGREEMENT dated as of September 24, 2007 among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), each of the Subsidiaries of the Company listed on the signature pages hereto (each such Subsidiary being a “ Subsidiary Pledgor ” and, collectively, the “ Subsidiary Pledgors ”; the Subsidiary Pledgors and the Company are referred to collectively as the “ Pledgors ”) and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent (in such capacity, the “ Collateral Agent ”) under the Credit Agreement referred to below.

A. Reference is made to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among the Company, the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto (the “ Lenders ”), Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent and the Guarantee dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented and or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Guarantee ”), among the Company, the Guarantors party thereto and the Collateral Agent.

B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Pledge Agreement.

C. The Pledgors have entered into the Pledge Agreement in order to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Syndication Agent, the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement, to induce the respective Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement and to induce one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks to enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements or Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit.

D. The undersigned Guarantors (each an “ Additional Pledgor ”) are (a) the legal and beneficial owners of the Equity Interests described in Schedule 1 hereto and issued by the entities named therein (such pledged Equity Interests, together with any Equity Interests of the issuer of such Pledged Shares or any other Subsidiary held directly by any Additional Pledgor in the future, in each case, except to the extent excluded from the Collateral for the applicable Obligations pursuant to the penultimate paragraph of Section 1 below (the “ After-acquired Additional Pledged Shares ”), referred to collectively herein as the “ Additional Pledged Shares ”) and (b) the legal and beneficial owners of the Indebtedness described under Schedule 1 hereto (together with any other Indebtedness owed to any Additional Pledgor hereafter and required to be pledged pursuant to Section 9.12(a) of the Credit Agreement, the “ Additional Pledged Debt ”).

E. Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement and Section 9(b) of the Pledge Agreement provide that additional Subsidiaries may become Subsidiary Pledgors under the


Pledge Agreement by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. Each undersigned Additional Pledgor is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of Section 9(b) of the Pledge Agreement to pledge to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties the Additional Pledged Shares and the Additional Pledged Debt and to become a Subsidiary Pledgor under the Pledge Agreement in order to induce the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make additional Extensions of Credit and as consideration for Extensions of Credit previously made.

Accordingly, the Collateral Agent and each undersigned Additional Pledgor agree as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 9(b) of the Pledge Agreement, each Additional Pledgor by its signature hereby transfers, assigns and pledges to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in all of such Additional Pledgor’s right, title and interest in the following, whether now owned or existing or hereafter acquired or existing (collectively, the “ Additional Collateral ”):

(a) the Additional Pledged Shares held by such Additional Pledgor and the certificates representing such Additional Pledged Shares and any interest of such Additional Pledgor in the entries on the books of the issuer of the Additional Pledged Shares or any financial intermediary pertaining to the Additional Pledged Shares and all dividends, cash, warrants, rights, instruments and other property or Proceeds from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of the Additional Pledged Shares;

(b) the Additional Pledged Debt and the instruments evidencing the Additional Pledged Debt owed to such Additional Pledgor, and all interest, cash, instruments and other property or Proceeds from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of or in exchange for any or all of such Additional Pledged Debt; and

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Additional Collateral for the Obligations shall not include any Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents.

For purposes of the Pledge Agreement, the Collateral shall be deemed to include the Additional Collateral.

SECTION 2. Each Additional Pledgor by its signature below becomes a Pledgor under the Pledge Agreement with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Pledgor, and each Additional Pledgor hereby agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Pledge Agreement applicable to it as a Pledgor thereunder. Each reference to a “Subsidiary Pledgor” or a “Pledgor” in the Pledge Agreement shall be deemed to include each Additional Pledgor. The Pledge Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 3. Each Additional Pledgor represents and warrants as follows:

(a) Schedule 1 hereto correctly represents as of the date hereof (A) the issuer, the certificate number, the Additional Pledgor and registered owner, the number and class and the percentage of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of such class of all Additional Pledged Shares and (B) the issuer, the initial principal amount, the Additional Pledgor and holder, date of and maturity date of all Additional Pledged Debt. Except as set forth on Schedule 1 and except for Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents, the Pledged Shares represent all (or 65% in the case of pledges of the Voting Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries) of the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each class of Equity Interests of the issuer on the date hereof.


(b) Such Additional Pledgor is the legal and beneficial owner of the Additional Collateral pledged or assigned by such Additional Pledgor hereunder free and clear of any Lien, except for the Lien created by this Supplement to the Pledge Agreement.

(c) As of the date of this Supplement, the Additional Pledged Shares pledged by such Additional Pledgor hereunder have been duly authorized and validly issued and, in the case of Additional Pledged Shares issued by a corporation, are fully paid and non-assessable.

(d) The execution and delivery by such Additional Pledgor of this Supplement and the pledge of the Additional Collateral pledged by such Additional Pledgor hereunder pursuant hereto create a valid and perfected first-priority security interest in the Additional Collateral to the extent the creation of such security interest in the Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, as applicable, and upon delivery of such Additional Collateral to the Collateral Agent in the State of New York, shall constitute a fully perfected lien and security interest in the Additional Collateral to the extent the creation and perfection of such security interest in the Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, securing the payment of the Obligations, in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

(e) Such Additional Pledgor has full power, authority and legal right to pledge all the Additional Collateral pledged by such Additional Pledgor pursuant to this Supplement, and this Supplement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of each Additional Pledgor to the extent the creation and perfection of such security interest in the Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.

SECTION 4. This Supplement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Supplement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Supplement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Collateral Agent and the Company. This Supplement shall become effective as to each Additional Pledgor when the Collateral Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of such Additional Pledgor and the Collateral Agent.


SECTION 5. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Pledge Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 7. Any provision of this Supplement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof and in the Pledge Agreement, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 8. All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 16 of the Pledge Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to each Additional Pledgor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Additional Pledgor and the Collateral Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Pledge Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

[NAME OF ADDITIONAL PLEDGOR]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS

BRANCH, as Collateral Agent

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  


SCHEDULE 1

TO SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ]

TO THE PLEDGE AGREEMENT

Pledged Shares

 

Record owner

   Issuer    Certificate No.    Number of Shares   

% of Shares

Owned

Pledged Debt

Payee

   Issuer    Principal Amount    Date of Instrument    Maturity Date

EXHIBIT 10.13

SECURITY AGREEMENT

THIS SECURITY AGREEMENT dated as of September 24, 2007, among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), each of the Subsidiaries of the Company listed on the signature pages hereto or that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 8.13 (each such entity being a “ Subsidiary Grantor ” and, collectively, the “ Subsidiary Grantors ”; the Subsidiary Grantors and the Company are referred to collectively as the “ Grantors ”), and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Collateral Agent (in such capacity, the “ Collateral Agent ”) under the Credit Agreement (as defined below) for the benefit of the Secured Parties.

WITNESSETH :

WHEREAS, the Company is party to the Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among the Company), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent;

WHEREAS, (a) pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have severally agreed to make Loans to the Company and the Letter of Credit Issuer has agreed to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries (collectively, the “ Extensions of Credit ”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, (b) one or more Cash Management Banks or Hedge Banks may from time to time enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements or Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and (c) the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers have issued Existing Secured Letters of Credit;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Guarantee dated as of the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Guarantee ”), each Subsidiary Grantor party thereto has agreed to unconditionally and irrevocably guarantee, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations;

WHEREAS, each Subsidiary Grantor is a Guarantor;

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Extensions of Credit will be used in part to enable the Company to make valuable transfers to the Subsidiary Grantors in connection with the operation of their respective businesses;

WHEREAS, each Grantor acknowledges that it will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the making of the Extensions of Credit; and


WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement that the Grantors shall have executed and delivered this Security Agreement to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement, to induce one or more Lenders or Affiliates of Lenders to enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit, the Grantors hereby agree with the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as follows:

1. Defined Terms .

(a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

(b) Terms used herein without definition that are defined in the UCC have the meanings given to them in the UCC, including the following terms (which are capitalized herein): Account, Chattel Paper, Commodity Contract, Documents, Instruments, Inventory, Letter-of-Credit Right, Security Entitlement, Supporting Obligation and Tangible Chattel Paper.

(c) The following terms shall have the following meanings:

Collateral ” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.

Collateral Account ” shall mean any collateral account established by the Collateral Agent as provided in Section 5.1 or Section 5.3.

Collateral Agent ” shall have the meaning provided in the preamble to this Security Agreement.

Control ” shall mean “control,” as such term is defined in Section 9-104 or 9-106, as applicable, of the UCC.

Copyright License ” shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting any right to any third party under any copyright now or hereafter owned by any Grantor (including all Copyrights) or that any Grantor otherwise has the right to license, or granting any right to any Grantor under any copyright now or hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of any Grantor under any such agreement, including those listed on Schedule 1 .

copyrights ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by such Person: (i) all copyright rights in any work subject to the copyright laws of the United States or any other country, whether as author, assignee, transferee


or otherwise, and (ii) all registrations and applications for registration of any such copyright in the United States or any other country, including registrations, recordings, supplemental registrations and pending applications for registration in the United States Copyright Office.

Copyrights ” shall mean all copyrights now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, including those listed on Schedule 2 .

equipment ” shall mean all “equipment,” as such term is defined in Article 9 of the UCC, now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or to which any Grantor has rights and, in any event, shall include all machinery, equipment, furnishings, movable trade fixtures and vehicles now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or to which any Grantor has rights and any and all Proceeds, additions, substitutions and replacements of any of the foregoing, wherever located, together with all attachments, components, parts, equipment and accessories installed thereon or affixed thereto; but excluding equipment to the extent it is subject to a Lien, in each case permitted by clauses (e) or (h) of Section 10.2 of the Credit Agreement and the terms of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien prohibit assignment of, or granting of a security interest in, such Grantor’s rights and interests therein (other than to the extent that any such prohibition would be rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the UCC (or any successor provision or provisions) of any relevant jurisdiction or any other applicable law), provided , that immediately upon the repayment of all Indebtedness secured by such Lien, such Grantor shall be deemed to have granted a Security Interest in all the rights and interests with respect to such equipment.

Excluded Property ” shall mean all Settlement Assets.

Extensions of Credit ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the recitals hereto.

General Intangibles ” shall mean all “general intangibles” as such term is defined in Article 9 of the UCC and, in any event, including with respect to any Grantor, all contracts, agreements, instruments and indentures in any form, and portions thereof, to which such Grantor is a party or under which such Grantor has any right, title or interest or to which such Grantor or any property of such Grantor is subject, as the same may from time to time be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified, including (a) all rights of such Grantor to receive moneys due and to become due to it thereunder or in connection therewith, (b) all rights of such Grantor to receive proceeds of any insurance, indemnity, warranty or guarantee with respect thereto, (c) all claims of such Grantor for damages arising out of any breach of or default thereunder and (d) all rights of such Grantor to terminate, amend, supplement, modify or exercise rights or options thereunder, to perform thereunder and to compel performance and otherwise exercise all remedies thereunder, in each case to the extent the grant by such Grantor of a Security Interest pursuant to this Security Agreement in its right, title and interest in any such contract, agreement, instrument or indenture (i) is not prohibited by such contract, agreement, instrument or indenture without the consent of any other party thereto (other than a Credit Party), (ii) would not give any other party (other than a Credit Party) to any such contract, agreement, instrument or indenture the right to terminate its obligations thereunder or (iii) is permitted with consent if all necessary consents to such grant of a Security Interest have been obtained from the other parties thereto (other than to the extent that any such prohibition referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) would be


rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the Uniform Commercial Code (or any successor provision or provisions) of any relevant jurisdiction or any other applicable law) (it being understood that the foregoing shall not be deemed to obligate such Grantor to obtain such consents), provided that the foregoing limitation shall not affect, limit, restrict or impair the grant by such Grantor of a Security Interest pursuant to this Security Agreement in any Account or any money or other amounts due or to become due under any such contract, agreement, instrument or indenture.

Grantor ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the recitals hereto.

Intellectual Property ” shall mean all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor: (A) all Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents, and (B) all rights, priorities and privileges relating to intellectual property, whether arising under United States, multinational or foreign laws or otherwise now owned or hereafter acquired, including (a) all information used or useful arising from the business including all goodwill, trade secrets, trade secret rights, know-how, customer lists, processes of production, ideas, confidential business information, techniques, processes, formulas and all other proprietary information, and (b) rights, priorities and privileges relating to the Copyrights, the Patents, the Trademarks and the Licenses and all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement or other impairment thereof, including the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom, in each case to the extent the grant by such Grantor of a Security Interest pursuant to this Security Agreement in any such rights, priorities and privileges relating to intellectual property (i) is not prohibited by any contract, agreement or other instrument governing such rights, priorities and privileges without the consent of any other party thereto (other than a Credit Party), (ii) would not give any other party (other than a Credit Party) to any such contract, agreement or other instrument the right to terminate its obligations thereunder or (iii) is permitted with consent if all necessary consents to such grant of a Security Interest have been obtained from the relevant parties (other than to the extent that any such prohibition referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) would be rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the UCC (or any successor provision or provisions) of any relevant jurisdiction or any other applicable law) (it being understood that the foregoing shall not be deemed to obligate such Grantor to obtain such consents).

Investment Property ” shall mean all Securities (whether certificated or uncertificated), Security Entitlements and Commodity Contracts of any Grantor (other than (i) as pledged pursuant to the Pledge Agreement and (ii) solely with respect to the Obligations, any Stock or Stock Equivalents of any Foreign Subsidiary in excess of 65% of the outstanding voting class of such Stock or Stock Equivalents), whether now or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, except, in each case, to the extent the grant by a Grantor of a Security Interest therein pursuant to this Security Agreement in its right, title and interest in any such Investment Property (i) is prohibited by any contract, agreement, instrument or indenture governing such Investment Property without the consent of any other party thereto (other than a Credit Party) unless such consent has been expressly obtained, or (ii) would give any other party (other than a Credit Party) to any such contract, agreement, instrument or indenture the right to terminate its obligations thereunder (other than to the extent that any such prohibition referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) would be rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the UCC (or any successor provision or provisions) of any relevant jurisdiction or any other applicable law) (it being understood that the foregoing shall not be deemed to obligate any Grantor to obtain any such consents referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above).


License ” shall mean any Patent License, Trademark License, Copyright License or other license or sublicense to which any Grantor is a party.

Patent License ” shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any third party any right to make, use or sell any invention on which a patent, now or hereafter owned by any Grantor (including all Patents) or that any Grantor otherwise has the right to license, is in existence, or granting to any Grantor any right to make, use or sell any invention on which a patent, now or hereafter owned by any third party, is in existence, and all rights of any Grantor under any such agreement, including those listed on Schedule 3 .

patents ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by such Person: (a) all letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications for letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country, including registrations, recordings and pending applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any similar offices in any other country, and (b) all reissues, continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, renewals or extensions thereof, and the inventions disclosed or claimed therein, including the right to make, use and/or sell the inventions disclosed or claimed therein.

Patents ” shall mean all patents now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, including those listed on Schedule 4 .

Proceeds ” shall mean all “proceeds” as such term is defined in Article 9 of the UCC and, in any event, shall include with respect to any Grantor, any consideration received from the sale, exchange, license, lease or other disposition of any asset or property that constitutes Collateral, any value received as a consequence of the possession of any Collateral and any payment received from any insurer or other Person or entity as a result of the destruction, loss, theft, damage or other involuntary conversion of whatever nature of any asset or property that constitutes Collateral, and shall include (a) all cash and negotiable instruments received by or held on behalf of the Collateral Agent, (b) any claim of any Grantor against any third party for (and the right to sue and recover for and the rights to damages or profits due or accrued arising out of or in connection with) (i) past, present or future infringement of any Patent now or hereafter owned by any Grantor, or licensed under a Patent License, (ii) past, present or future infringement or dilution of any Trademark now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or licensed under a Trademark License or injury to the goodwill associated with or symbolized by any Trademark now or hereafter owned by any Grantor, (iii) past, present or future breach of any License and (iv) past, present or future infringement of any Copyright now or hereafter owned by any Grantor or licensed under a Copyright License and (c) any and all other amounts from time to time paid or payable under or in connection with any of the Collateral.

Security Agreement ” shall mean this Security Agreement, as the same may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

Security Interest ” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.


Trademark License ” shall mean any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any third party any right to use any trademark now or hereafter owned by any Grantor (including any Trademark) or that any Grantor otherwise has the right to license, or granting to any Grantor any right to use any trademark now or hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of any Grantor under any such agreement, including those listed on Schedule 5 .

trademarks ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by such Person: (i) all trademarks, service marks, trade names, corporate names, company names, business names, fictitious business names, trade styles, trade dress, logos, other source or business identifiers, designs and general intangibles of like nature, now existing or hereafter adopted or acquired, all registrations and recordings thereof (if any), and all registration and recording applications filed in connection therewith, including registrations and registration applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any similar offices in any State of the United States or any other country or any political subdivision thereof, and all extensions or renewals thereof, (ii) all goodwill associated therewith or symbolized thereby and (iii) all other assets, rights and interests that uniquely reflect or embody such goodwill.

Trademarks ” shall mean all trademarks now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, including those listed on Schedule 6 hereto; provided that any “intent to use” Trademark applications for which a statement of use has not been filed (but only until such statement is filed) are excluded from this definition.

UCC ” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York; provided , however , that, in the event that, by reason of mandatory provisions of law, any of the attachment, perfection or priority of the Collateral Agent’s and the Secured Parties’ security interest in any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of New York, the term “UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such attachment, perfection or priority and for purposes of definitions related to such provisions.

(d) The words “hereof”, “herein”, “hereto” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Security Agreement shall refer to this Security Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Security Agreement, and Section, subsection, clause and Schedule references are to this Security Agreement unless otherwise specified. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.

(e) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.

(f) Where the context requires, terms relating to the Collateral or any part thereof, when used in relation to a Grantor, shall refer to such Grantor’s Collateral or the relevant part thereof.


(g) References to “Lenders” in this Security Agreement shall be deemed to include Affiliates of any Lender that may from time to time enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and each Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuer.

2. Grant of Security Interest .

(a) Each Grantor hereby bargains, sells, conveys, assigns, sets over, mortgages, pledges, hypothecates and transfers to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and grants to the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a lien on and security interest in (the “ Security Interest ”), all of its right, title and interest in, to and under all of the following property now owned or at any time hereafter acquired by such Grantor or in which such Grantor now has or at any time in the future may acquire any right, title or interest (collectively, the “ Collateral ”), as collateral security for the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations:

(i) all Accounts;

(ii) all Chattel Paper;

(iii) all Documents;

(iv) all equipment and fixtures;

(v) all General Intangibles;

(vi) all Instruments;

(vii) all Intellectual Property;

(viii) all Inventory;

(ix) all Investment Property;

(x) all Supporting Obligations;

(xi) all Collateral Accounts;

(xii) all books and records pertaining to the Collateral; and

(xiii) the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds and products of any and all of the foregoing;

provided , that (x) the Collateral for any Obligations shall not include any (A) Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents with respect to such Obligations, (B) Excluded Property or (C) any assets as to which the Collateral Agent and the Company have determined that the costs or other consequences (including adverse tax consequences) of providing a security interest is excessive in


view of the benefits to be gained thereby by the Lenders and (y) none of the items included in clauses (i) through (xiii) above shall constitute Collateral to the extent (and only to the extent) that the grant of the Security Interest therein would violate any Requirement of Law applicable to such Collateral.

(b) Each Grantor hereby irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent and its Affiliates, counsel and other representatives, at any time and from time to time, to file or record financing statements, amendments to financing statements and, with notice to the Company, and other filing or recording documents or instruments with respect to the Collateral in such form and in such offices as the Collateral Agent reasonably determines appropriate to perfect the Security Interests of the Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement, and such financing statements and amendments may describe the Collateral covered thereby as “all assets excluding Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents and Excluded Property, as defined on Schedule A hereto”, “all personal property excluding Excluded Stock and Stock Equivalents and Excluded Property, as defined on Schedule A hereto” or words of similar effect, provided that with respect to fixtures the Collateral Agent shall only file or record financing statements in the jurisdiction of organization of a Grantor, except in connection with a Mortgage. Each Grantor hereby also authorizes the Collateral Agent and its Affiliates, counsel and other representatives, at any time and from time to time, to file continuation statements with respect to previously filed financing statements.

Each Grantor hereby agrees to provide to the Collateral Agent, promptly upon request, any information reasonably necessary to effectuate the filings or recordings authorized by this Section 2(b).

The Collateral Agent is further authorized to file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or United States Copyright Office (or any successor office or any similar office in any other country) such documents as may be necessary or advisable for the purpose of perfecting, confirming, continuing, enforcing or protecting the Security Interest granted hereunder by each Grantor, without the signature of any Grantor, and naming any Grantor or the Grantors as debtors and the Collateral Agent, as the case may be, as secured party.

The Security Interests are granted as security only and shall not subject the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to, or in any way alter or modify, any obligation or liability of any Grantor with respect to or arising out of the Collateral.

3. Representations and Warranties .

Each Grantor hereby represents and warrants to the Collateral Agent and each Secured Party on the date hereof that:

3.1 Title; No Other Liens . Except for (a) the Security Interest granted to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties pursuant to this Security Agreement, (b) the Liens permitted by the Credit Agreement and (c) any Liens securing Indebtedness which is no longer outstanding or any Liens with respect to commitments to lend which have been terminated, such Grantor owns each item of the Collateral free and clear of any and all Liens or claims


of others. No security agreement, financing statement or other public notice with respect to all or any part of the Collateral that evidences a Lien securing any material Indebtedness is on file or of record in any public office, except such as (i) have been filed in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties pursuant to this Security Agreement or (ii) are permitted by the Credit Agreement.

3.2 Perfected First Priority Liens .

(a) This Security Agreement is effective to create in favor of the Collateral Agent, for its benefit and for the benefit of the Secured Parties, legal, valid and enforceable Security Interests in the Collateral to the extent the enforceability of such obligation with respect to Stock of Foreign Subsidiaries is governed by the UCC, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles.

(b) Subject to the limitations set forth in clause (c) of this Section 3.2, the Security Interests granted pursuant to this Security Agreement (i) will constitute valid and perfected Security Interests in the Collateral (as to which perfection may be obtained by the filings or other actions described in clause (A), (B) or (C) of this paragraph) in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, as collateral security for the Obligations, upon (A) the filing in the applicable filing offices of all financing statements, in each case, naming each Grantor as “debtor” and the Collateral Agent as “secured party” and describing the Collateral, (B) delivery to the Collateral Agent (or its bailee) of all Instruments, Chattel Paper, Certificated Securities and negotiable Documents in each case, properly endorsed for transfer in blank and (C) completion of the filing, registration and recording of a fully executed agreement in the form hereof (or a supplement hereto) and containing a description of all Collateral constituting Intellectual Property in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or any successor office) within the three month period (commencing as of the date hereof) or, in the case of Collateral constituting Intellectual Property acquired after the date hereof, thereafter pursuant to 35 USC § 261 and 15 USC § 1060 and the regulations thereunder with respect to United States Patents and United States registered Trademarks and in the United States Copyright Office (or any successor office) within the one month period (commencing as of the applicable date of acquisition or filing) or, in the case of Collateral constituting Intellectual Property acquired after the date hereof, thereafter with respect to United States registered Copyrights pursuant to 17 USC § 205 and the regulations thereunder as soon as reasonably practicable, and otherwise as may be required pursuant to the laws of any other necessary jurisdiction to the extent that a security interest may be perfected by such filings, registrations and recordings, and (ii) are prior to all other Liens on the Collateral other than Liens permitted pursuant to Section 10.2 of the Credit Agreement.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Grantor shall be required to perfect the Security Interests granted by this Security Agreement (including Security Interests in cash, cash accounts and Investment Property) by any means other than by (i) filings pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code of the relevant State(s), (ii) filings approved by United States government offices with respect to Intellectual Property and (iii) delivery to the Collateral Agent (or its bailee) to be held in its possession of all Collateral consisting of Tangible Chattel Paper, Instruments or Certificated Securities with a fair market value in excess of $10,000,000 individually.


(d) It is understood and agreed that the Security Interests in cash and Investment Property created hereunder shall not prevent the Grantors from using such assets in the ordinary course of their respective businesses.

4. Covenants .

Each Grantor hereby covenants and agrees with the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties that, from and after the date of this Security Agreement until the Obligations are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated and no Letter of Credit remains outstanding (or all such Letters of Credit shall have been Cash Collateralized):

4.1 Maintenance of Perfected Security Interest; Further Documentation .

(a) Such Grantor shall maintain the Security Interest created by this Security Agreement as a perfected Security Interest having at least the priority described in Section 3.1 and shall defend such Security Interest against the claims and demands of all Persons whomsoever, in each case subject to Section 3.2(c).

(b) Such Grantor will furnish to the Collateral Agent and the Lenders from time to time statements and schedules further identifying and describing the assets and property of such Grantor and such other reports in connection therewith as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request.

(c) Such Grantor will furnish to the Collateral Agent at the time of the delivery of the financial statements provided for in Sections 9.1(a) and (b) of the Credit Agreement, a schedule setting forth any additional Copyrights, Copyright Licenses, Patents, Patent Licenses, Trademarks and Trademark Licenses that are registered (or for which an application to register such items has been filed) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office (or any successor to either such office) acquired by any Credit Party following the Closing Date (or following the date of the last supplement provided to the Collateral Agent pursuant to this Section 4.1(c)), all in reasonable detail.

(d) Subject to clause (e) below and Section 3.2(c), each Grantor agrees that at any time and from time to time, at the expense of such Grantor, it will execute any and all further documents, financing statements, agreements and instruments, and take all such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements and other documents, including all applicable documents required under Section 3.2(b)(C)), which may be required under any applicable law, or which the Collateral Agent or the Required Lenders may reasonably request, in order (i) to grant, preserve, protect and perfect the validity and priority of the Security Interests created or intended to be created hereby or (ii) to enable the Collateral Agent to exercise and enforce its rights and remedies hereunder with respect to any Collateral, including the filing of any financing or continuation statements under the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in any jurisdiction with respect to the Security Interests created hereby and all applicable documents required under Section 3.2(b)(C), all at the expense of such Grantor.


(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4.1 to the contrary, (i) with respect to any assets acquired by such Grantor after the date hereof that are required by the Credit Agreement to be subject to the Lien created hereby or (ii) with respect to any Person that, subsequent to the date hereof, becomes a Subsidiary that is required by the Credit Agreement to become a party hereto, the relevant Grantor after the acquisition or creation thereof shall promptly take all actions required by the Credit Agreement or this Section 4.1.

4.2 Damage or Destruction of Collateral . The Grantors agree promptly to notify the Collateral Agent if any material portion of the Collateral is damaged or destroyed in any manner which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

4.3 Notices . Each Grantor will advise the Collateral Agent and the Lenders promptly, in reasonable detail, of any Lien of which it has knowledge (other than the Security Interests created hereby or Liens permitted under the Credit Agreement) on any of the Collateral which would adversely affect, in any material respect, the ability of the Collateral Agent to exercise any of its remedies hereunder.

4.4 Changes in Locations, Name, etc . Each Grantor will furnish to the Collateral Agent promptly (an in any event within 30 days of such change) a written notice of any change (i) in its legal name, (ii) in its jurisdiction of organization or location for purposes of the UCC, (iii) in its identity or type of organization or corporate structure or (iv) in its Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or organizational identification number. Each Grantor agrees promptly to provide the Collateral Agent with certified organizational documents reflecting any of the changes described in the first sentence of this paragraph.

5. Remedial Provisions .

5.1 Certain Matters Relating to Accounts .

(a) At any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and after giving reasonable notice to the Company and any other relevant Grantor, the Administrative Agent shall have the right, but not the obligation, to instruct the Collateral Agent to (and upon such instruction, the Collateral Agent shall) make test verifications of the Accounts in any manner and through any medium that the Administrative Agent reasonably considers advisable, and each Grantor shall furnish all such assistance and information as such Agent may require in connection with such test verifications. Such Agent shall have the absolute right to share any information it gains from such inspection or verification with any Secured Party.

(b) The Collateral Agent hereby authorizes each Grantor to collect such Grantor’s Accounts and the Collateral Agent may curtail or terminate said authority at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default. If required in writing by the Collateral Agent at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, any payments of Accounts, when collected by any Grantor, (i) shall be forthwith (and, in


any event, within two Business Days) deposited by such Grantor in the exact form received, duly endorsed by such Grantor to the Collateral Agent if required, in a Collateral Account maintained under the sole dominion and control of and on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, subject to withdrawal by the Collateral Agent for the account of the Secured Parties only as provided in Section 5.5, and (ii) until so turned over, shall be held by such Grantor in trust for the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties, segregated from other funds of such Grantor. Each such deposit of Proceeds of Accounts shall be accompanied by a report identifying in reasonable detail the nature and source of the payments included in the deposit.

(c) At the Collateral Agent’s request at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor shall deliver to the Collateral Agent all original and other documents evidencing, and relating to, the agreements and transactions which gave rise to the Accounts, including all original orders, invoices and shipping receipts.

(d) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, a Grantor shall not grant any extension of the time of payment of any of the Accounts, compromise, compound or settle the same for less than the full amount thereof, release, wholly or partly, any Person liable for the payment thereof, or allow any credit or discount whatsoever thereon if the Collateral Agent shall have instructed the Grantors not to grant or make any such extension, credit, discount, compromise or settlement under any circumstances during the continuance of such Event of Default.

(e) At the direction of the Collateral Agent, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor shall grant to the Collateral Agent to the extent assignable, an irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully paid-up, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, assign, license or sublicense any of the Intellectual Property now owned or hereafter acquired by such Grantor. Such license shall include access to all media in which any of the licensed items may be recorded or stored and to all computer programs used for the compilation or printout thereof.

5.2 Communications with Credit Parties; Grantors Remain Liable .

(a) The Collateral Agent in its own name or in the name of others may at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, after giving reasonable notice to the relevant Grantor of its intent to do so, communicate with obligors under the Accounts to verify with them to the Collateral Agent’s satisfaction the existence, amount and terms of any Accounts. The Collateral Agent shall have the absolute right to share any information it gains from such inspection or verification with any Secured Party.

(b) Upon the written request of the Collateral Agent at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor shall notify obligors on the Accounts that the Accounts have been assigned to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties and that payments in respect thereof shall be made directly to the Collateral Agent.

(c) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, each Grantor shall remain liable under each of the Accounts to observe and perform all the conditions and obligations


to be observed and performed by it thereunder, all in accordance with the terms of any agreement giving rise thereto. Neither the Collateral Agent nor any Secured Party shall have any obligation or liability under any Account (or any agreement giving rise thereto) by reason of or arising out of this Security Agreement or the receipt by the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party of any payment relating thereto, nor shall the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party be obligated in any manner to perform any of the obligations of any Grantor under or pursuant to any Account (or any agreement giving rise thereto), to make any payment, to make any inquiry as to the nature or the sufficiency of any payment received by it or as to the sufficiency of any performance by any party thereunder, to present or file any claim, to take any action to enforce any performance or to collect the payment of any amounts which may have been assigned to it or to which it may be entitled at any time or times.

5.3 Proceeds to be Turned Over To Collateral Agent . In addition to the rights of the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties specified in Section 5.1 with respect to payments of Accounts, if an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing and the Collateral Agent so requires by notice in writing to the relevant Grantor (it being understood that the exercise of remedies by the Secured Parties in connection with an Event of Default under Section 11.5 of the Credit Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a request by the Collateral Agent for the purposes of this sentence and in such circumstances, no such written notice shall be required), all Proceeds received by any Grantor consisting of cash, checks and other near cash items shall be held by such Grantor in trust for the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties, segregated from other funds of such Grantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by such Grantor, be turned over to the Collateral Agent in the exact form received by such Grantor (duly endorsed by such Grantor to the Collateral Agent, if required). All Proceeds received by the Collateral Agent hereunder shall be held by the Collateral Agent in a Collateral Account maintained under its dominion and control and on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent. All Proceeds while held by the Collateral Agent in a Collateral Account (or by such Grantor in trust for the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties) shall continue to be held as collateral security for all the Obligations and shall not constitute payment thereof until applied as provided in Section 5.4.

5.4 Application of Proceeds . The Collateral Agent shall apply the proceeds of any collection or sale of the Collateral as well as any Collateral consisting of cash, at any time after receipt in the order specified in Section 11.14 of the Credit Agreement. Upon any sale of the Collateral by the Collateral Agent (including pursuant to a power of sale granted by statute or under a judicial proceeding), the receipt of the Collateral Agent or of the officer making the sale shall be a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the Collateral so sold and such purchaser or purchasers shall not be obligated to see to the application of any part of the purchase money paid over to the Collateral Agent or such officer or be answerable in any way for the misapplication thereof.

5.5 Code and Other Remedies . If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the Collateral Agent may exercise in respect of the Collateral, in addition to all other rights and remedies provided for herein or otherwise available to it, all the rights and remedies of


a secured party upon default under the UCC or any other applicable law and also may with notice to the relevant Grantor, sell the Collateral or any part thereof in one or more parcels at public or private sale or sales, at any exchange, broker’s board or office of the Collateral Agent or any Lender or elsewhere for cash or on credit or for future delivery at such price or prices and upon such other terms as are commercially reasonable irrespective of the impact of any such sales on the market price of the Collateral. The Collateral Agent shall be authorized at any such sale (if it deems it advisable to do so) to restrict the prospective bidders or purchasers of Collateral to Persons who will represent and agree that they are purchasing the Collateral for their own account for investment and not with a view to the distribution or sale thereof, and, upon consummation of any such sale, the Collateral Agent shall have the right to assign, transfer and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers thereof the Collateral so sold. Each purchaser at any such sale shall hold the property sold absolutely free from any claim or right on the part of any Grantor, and each Grantor hereby waives (to the extent permitted by law) all rights of redemption, stay and/or appraisal that it now has or may at any time in the future have under any rule of law or statute now existing or hereafter enacted. The Collateral Agent and any Secured Party shall have the right upon any such public sale, and, to the extent permitted by law, upon any such private sale, to purchase the whole or any part of the Collateral so sold, and the Collateral Agent or such Secured Party may pay the purchase price by crediting the amount thereof against the Obligations. Each Grantor agrees that, to the extent notice of sale shall be required by law, at least ten days’ notice to such Grantor of the time and place of any public sale or the time after which any private sale is to be made shall constitute reasonable notification. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale of Collateral regardless of notice of sale having been given. The Collateral Agent may adjourn any public or private sale from time to time by announcement at the time and place fixed therefor, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the time and place to which it was so adjourned. To the extent permitted by law, each Grantor hereby waives any claim against the Collateral Agent arising by reason of the fact that the price at which any Collateral may have been sold at such a private sale was less than the price that might have been obtained at a public sale, even if the Collateral Agent accepts the first offer received and does not offer such Collateral to more than one offeree. Each Grantor further agrees, at the Collateral Agent’s request to assemble the Collateral and make it available to the Collateral Agent, at places which the Collateral Agent shall reasonably select, whether at such Grantor’s premises or elsewhere. The Collateral Agent shall apply the net proceeds of any action taken by it pursuant to this Section 5.5 in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.4.

5.6 Deficiency . Each Grantor shall remain liable for any deficiency if the proceeds of any sale or other disposition of the Collateral are insufficient to pay its Obligations and the fees and disbursements of any attorneys employed by the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party to collect such deficiency.

5.7 Amendments, etc. with Respect to the Obligations; Waiver of Rights . Each Grantor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of rights against any Grantor and without notice to or further assent by any Grantor, (a) any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may be rescinded by such party and any of the Obligations continued, (b) the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee


therefor or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or released by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, (c) the Credit Agreement, the other Credit Documents, the Letters of Credit, the Existing Secured Letters of Credit and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith and the Secured Cash Management Agreements and the Secured Hedge Agreements and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders, as the case may be, or, in the case of any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Hedge Agreement or Secured Cash Management Agreement, the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuer, Hedge Bank or Cash Management Bank party thereto) may deem advisable from time to time, and (d) any collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party for the payment of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or released. Neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party shall have any obligation to protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the Obligations or for this Security Agreement or any property subject thereto. When making any demand hereunder against any Grantor, the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar demand on any Grantor or any other Person, and any failure by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to make any such demand or to collect any payments from the Company or any Grantor or any other Person or any release of the Company or any Grantor or any other Person shall not relieve any Grantor in respect of which a demand or collection is not made or any Grantor not so released of its several obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party against any Grantor. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.

6. The Collateral Agent .

6.1 Collateral Agent’s Appointment as Attorney-in-Fact, etc .

(a) Each Grantor hereby appoints, which appointment is irrevocable and coupled with an interest, effective upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Collateral Agent and any officer or agent thereof, with full power of substitution, as its true and lawful attorney-in-fact with full irrevocable power and authority in the place and stead of such Grantor and in the name of such Grantor or otherwise, for the purpose of carrying out the terms of this Security Agreement, to take any and all appropriate action and to execute any and all documents and instruments that may be necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes of this Security Agreement, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor hereby gives the Collateral Agent the power and right, on behalf of such Grantor, either in the Collateral Agent’s name or in the name of such Grantor or otherwise, without assent by such Grantor, to do any or all of the following, in each case after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and after written notice by the Collateral Agent of its intent to do so:

(i) take possession of and endorse and collect any checks, drafts, notes, acceptances or other instruments for the payment of moneys due under any Account or with respect to any other Collateral and file any claim or take any other action or proceeding in any court of law or equity or otherwise deemed appropriate by the Collateral Agent for the purpose of collecting any and all such moneys due under any Account or with respect to any other Collateral whenever payable;


(ii) in the case of any Intellectual Property, execute and deliver, and have recorded, any and all agreements, instruments, documents and papers as the Collateral Agent may request to evidence the Collateral Agent’s and the Secured Parties’ Security Interest in such Intellectual Property and the goodwill and general intangibles of such Grantor relating thereto or represented thereby;

(iii) pay or discharge taxes and Liens levied or placed on or threatened against the Collateral;

(iv) execute, in connection with any sale provided for in Section 5.5, any endorsements, assignments or other instruments of conveyance or transfer with respect to the Collateral;

(v) obtain and adjust insurance required to be maintained by such Grantor pursuant to Section 9.3 of the Credit Agreement;

(vi) direct any party liable for any payment under any of the Collateral to make payment of any and all moneys due or to become due thereunder directly to the Collateral Agent or as the Collateral Agent shall direct;

(vii) ask or demand for, collect and receive payment of and receipt for, any and all moneys, claims and other amounts due or to become due at any time in respect of or arising out of any Collateral;

(viii) sign and endorse any invoices, freight or express bills, bills of lading, storage or warehouse receipts, drafts against debtors, assignments, verifications, notices and other documents in connection with any of the Collateral;

(ix) commence and prosecute any suits, actions or proceedings at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect the Collateral or any portion thereof and to enforce any other right in respect of any Collateral;

(x) defend any suit, action or proceeding brought against such Grantor with respect to any Collateral (with such Grantor’s consent to the extent such action or its resolution could materially affect such Grantor or any of its Affiliates in any manner other than with respect to its continuing rights in such Collateral);

(xi) settle, compromise or adjust any such suit, action or proceeding and, in connection therewith, give such discharges or releases as the Collateral Agent may deem appropriate (with such Grantor’s consent to the extent such action or its resolution could materially affect such Grantor or any of its Affiliates in any manner other than with respect to its continuing rights in such Collateral);


(xii) assign any Copyright, Patent or Trademark (along with the goodwill of the business to which any such Copyright, Patent or Trademark pertains), throughout the world for such term or terms, on such conditions, and in such manner, as the Collateral Agent shall in its sole discretion determine; and

(xiii) generally, sell, transfer, pledge and make any agreement with respect to or otherwise deal with any of the Collateral as fully and completely as though the Collateral Agent were the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, and do, at the Collateral Agent’s option and such Grantor’s expense, at any time, or from time to time, all acts and things that the Collateral Agent deems necessary to protect, preserve or realize upon the Collateral and the Collateral Agent’s and the Secured Parties’ Security Interests therein and to effect the intent of this Security Agreement, all as fully and effectively as such Grantor might do.

Anything in this Section 6.1(a) to the contrary notwithstanding, the Collateral Agent agrees that it will not exercise any rights under the power of attorney provided for in this Section 6.1(a) unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

(b) If any Grantor fails to perform or comply with any of its agreements contained herein, the Collateral Agent, at its option, but without any obligation so to do, may perform or comply, or otherwise cause performance or compliance, with such agreement.

(c) The expenses of the Collateral Agent incurred in connection with actions undertaken as provided in this Section 6.1, together with interest thereon at a rate per annum equal to the highest rate per annum at which interest would then be payable on any category of past due ABR Loans under the Credit Agreement, from the date of payment by the Collateral Agent to the date reimbursed by the relevant Grantor, shall be payable by such Grantor to the Collateral Agent on demand.

(d) Each Grantor hereby ratifies all that said attorneys shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. All powers, authorizations and agencies contained in this Security Agreement are coupled with an interest and are irrevocable until this Security Agreement is terminated and the Security Interests created hereby are released.

6.2 Duty of Collateral Agent . The Collateral Agent’s sole duty with respect to the custody, safekeeping and physical preservation of the Collateral in its possession, under Section 9-207 of the UCC or otherwise, shall be to deal with it in the same manner as the Collateral Agent deals with similar property for its own account. The Collateral Agent shall be deemed to have exercised reasonable care in the custody and preservation of any Collateral in its possession if such Collateral is accorded treatment substantially equal to that which the Collateral Agent accords its own property. Neither the Collateral Agent, any Secured Party nor any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents shall be liable for failure to demand, collect or realize upon any of the Collateral or for any delay in doing so or shall be under any obligation to sell or otherwise dispose of any Collateral upon the request of any Grantor or any other Person or to


take any other action whatsoever with regard to the Collateral or any part thereof. The powers conferred on the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties hereunder are solely to protect the Collateral Agent’s and the Secured Parties’ interests in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party to exercise any such powers. The Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties shall be accountable only for amounts that they actually receive as a result of the exercise of such powers, and neither they nor any of their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be responsible to any Grantor for any act or failure to act hereunder, except for their own gross negligence or willful misconduct.

6.3 Authority of Collateral Agent . Each Grantor acknowledges that the rights and responsibilities of the Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement with respect to any action taken by the Collateral Agent or the exercise or non-exercise by the Collateral Agent of any option, voting right, request, judgment or other right or remedy provided for herein or resulting or arising out of this Security Agreement shall, as between the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties, be governed by the Credit Agreement, and by such other agreements with respect thereto as may exist from time to time among them, but, as between the Collateral Agent and the Grantors, the Collateral Agent shall be conclusively presumed to be acting as agent for the applicable Secured Parties with full and valid authority so to act or refrain from acting, and no Grantor shall be under any obligation, or entitlement, to make any inquiry respecting such authority.

6.4 Security Interest Absolute . All rights of the Collateral Agent hereunder, the Security Interest and all obligations of the Grantors hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional.

6.5 Continuing Security Interest; Assignments Under the Credit Agreement; Release .

(a) This Security Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its terms upon each Grantor and the successors and assigns thereof and shall inure to the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns until all Obligations under the Credit Documents (other than any contingent indemnity obligations not then due) and the obligations of each Grantor under this Security Agreement shall have been satisfied by payment in full, the Commitments shall be terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding (or all such Letters of Credit shall have been Cash Collateralized), notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of the Credit Agreement and any Existing Secured Letter of Credit, Secured Cash Management Agreement and Secured Hedge Agreement the Credit Parties may be free from any Obligations.

(b) A Subsidiary Grantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder if it ceases to be a Guarantor in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

(c) The Security Interest granted hereby in any Collateral shall automatically be released (i) to the extent provided in Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement and (ii) upon the effectiveness of any written consent to the release of the Security Interest granted hereby in such


Collateral pursuant to Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement. Any such release in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of such Collateral shall result in such Collateral being sold, transferred or disposed of, as applicable, free and clear of the Lien and Security Interest created hereby.

(d) In connection with any termination or release pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c), the Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to any Grantor, at such Grantor’s expense, all documents that such Grantor shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section 6.5 shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Collateral Agent.

6.6 Reinstatement . Each Grantor further agrees that, if any payment made by any Credit Party or other Person and applied to the Obligations is at any time annulled, avoided, set aside, rescinded, invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential or otherwise required to be refunded or repaid, or the proceeds of Collateral are required to be returned by any Secured Party to such Credit Party, its estate, trustee, receiver or any other party, including any Grantor, under any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause, then, to the extent of such payment or repayment, any Lien or other Collateral securing such liability shall be and remain in full force and effect, as fully as if such payment had never been made or, if prior thereto the Lien granted hereby or other Collateral securing such liability hereunder shall have been released or terminated by virtue of such cancellation or surrender), such Lien or other Collateral shall be reinstated in full force and effect, and such prior cancellation or surrender shall not diminish, release, discharge, impair or otherwise affect any Lien or other Collateral securing the obligations of any Grantor in respect of the amount of such payment.

7. Collateral Agent As Agent .

(a) Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch has been appointed to act as the Collateral Agent under the Credit Agreement, by the Lenders under the Credit Agreement and, by their acceptance of the benefits hereof, the other Secured Parties. The Collateral Agent shall be obligated, and shall have the right hereunder, to make demands, to give notices, to exercise or refrain from exercising any rights, and to take or refrain from taking any action (including the release or substitution of Collateral), solely in accordance with this Security Agreement and the Credit Agreement, provided that the Collateral Agent shall exercise, or refrain from exercising, any remedies provided for in Section 5 in accordance with the instructions of Required Lenders. In furtherance of the foregoing provisions of this Section 7(a), each Secured Party, by its acceptance of the benefits hereof, agrees that it shall have no right individually to realize upon any of the Collateral hereunder, it being understood and agreed by such Secured Party that all rights and remedies hereunder may be exercised solely by the Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of the applicable Lenders and Secured Parties in accordance with the terms of this Section 7(a).

(b) The Collateral Agent shall at all times be the same Person that is the Collateral Agent under the Credit Agreement. Written notice of resignation by the Collateral Agent pursuant to Section 12.9 of the Credit Agreement shall also constitute notice of resignation as Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement; removal of the Collateral Agent shall also constitute


removal under this Security Agreement; and appointment of a Collateral Agent pursuant to Section 12.9 of the Credit Agreement shall also constitute appointment of a successor Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Collateral Agent under Section 12.9 of the Credit Agreement by a successor Collateral Agent, that successor Collateral Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring or removed Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement, and the retiring or removed Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement shall promptly (i) transfer to such successor Collateral Agent all sums, securities and other items of Collateral held hereunder, together with all records and other documents necessary or appropriate in connection with the performance of the duties of the successor Collateral Agent under this Security Agreement, and (ii) execute and deliver to such successor Collateral Agent or otherwise authorize the filing of such amendments to financing statements and take such other actions, as may be necessary or appropriate in connection with the assignment to such successor Collateral Agent of the Security Interests created hereunder, whereupon such retiring or removed Collateral Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Security Agreement. After any retiring or removed Collateral Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder as Collateral Agent, the provisions of this Security Agreement shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it under this Security Agreement while it was Collateral Agent hereunder.

(c) The Collateral Agent shall not be deemed to have any duty whatsoever with respect to any Secured Party that is a counterparty to a Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement the obligations under which constitute Obligations, unless it shall have received written notice in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent from a Grantor or any such Secured Party as to the existence and terms of the applicable Secured Cash Management Agreement or Secured Hedge Agreement.

8. Miscellaneous .

8.1 Amendments in Writing . None of the terms or provisions of this Security Agreement may be waived, amended, supplemented or otherwise modified except by a written instrument executed by the affected Grantor and the Collateral Agent in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement.

8.2 Notices . All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Subsidiary Grantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.

8.3 No Waiver by Course of Conduct; Cumulative Remedies . Neither the Collateral Agent nor any Secured Party shall by any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to Section 8.1), delay, indulgence, omission or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy hereunder or to have acquiesced in any Default or Event of Default or in any breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party, any right, power or privilege hereunder


shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that the Collateral Agent or such other Secured Party would otherwise have on any future occasion. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative, may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies provided by law.

8.4 Enforcement Expenses; Indemnification .

(a) Each Grantor agrees to pay any and all reasonable out of pocket expenses (including all reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that may be paid or incurred by any Secured Party in enforcing, or obtaining advice of counsel in respect of, any rights with respect to, or collecting, any or all of the Obligations and/or enforcing any rights with respect to, or collecting against, such Grantor under this Security Agreement.

(b) Each Grantor agrees to pay, and to save the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties harmless from, any and all liabilities with respect to, or resulting from any delay in paying, any and all stamp, excise, sales or other taxes that may be payable or determined to be payable with respect to any of the Collateral or in connection with any of the transactions contemplated by this Security Agreement.

(c) Each Grantor agrees to pay, and to save the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties harmless from, any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever with respect to the execution, delivery, enforcement, performance and administration of this Security Agreement to the extent the Company would be required to do so pursuant to Section 13.5 of the Credit Agreement.

(d) The agreements in this Section 8.4 shall survive repayment of the Obligations and all other amounts payable under the Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents.

8.5 Successors and Assigns . The provisions of this Security Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that no Grantor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Security Agreement without the prior written consent of the Collateral Agent except pursuant to a transaction permitted by the Credit Agreement.

8.6 Counterparts . This Security Agreement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Security Agreement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Security Agreement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Collateral Agent and the Company.


8.7 Severability . Any provision of this Security Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

8.8 Section Headings . The Section headings used in this Security Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.

8.9 Integration . This Security Agreement together with the other Credit Documents represents the agreement of each of the Grantors with respect to the subject matter hereof and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Credit Documents.

8.10 GOVERNING LAW . THIS SECURITY AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

8.11 Submission To Jurisdiction Waivers . Each party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:

(a) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Security Agreement and the other Credit Documents to which it is a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York, the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York, and appellate courts from any thereof;

(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;

(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Person at its address referred to in Section 8.2 or at such other address of which such Person shall have been notified pursuant thereto;


(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of any other party hereto (or any Secured Party) to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of any party hereto (or any Secured Party) to sue in any other jurisdiction; and

(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section 8.11 any special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages.

8.12 Acknowledgments . Each party hereto hereby acknowledges that:

(a) it has been advised by counsel in the negotiation, execution and delivery of this Security Agreement and the other Credit Documents to which it is a party;

(b) neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party has any fiduciary relationship with or duty to any Grantor arising out of or in connection with this Security Agreement or any of the other Credit Documents, and the relationship between the Grantors, on the one hand, and the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties, on the other hand, in connection herewith or therewith is solely that of debtor and creditor; and

(c) no joint venture is created hereby or by the other Credit Documents or otherwise exists by virtue of the transactions contemplated hereby among the Lenders and any other Secured Party or among the Grantors and the Lenders and any other Secured Party.

8.13 Additional Grantors . Each Subsidiary of the Company that is required to become a party to this Security Agreement pursuant to Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement shall become a Grantor, with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Grantor herein, for all purposes of this Security Agreement upon execution and delivery by such Subsidiary of a written supplement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto. The execution and delivery of any instrument adding an additional Grantor as a party to this Security Agreement shall not require the consent of any other Grantor hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Grantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Grantor as a party to this Security Agreement.

8.14 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS SECURITY AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Security Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

 

FIRST DATA CORPORATION, as Grantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:  

Kimberly S. Patmore

Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
The following entities, each as Grantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC


CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION
FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SRVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITSSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.


FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.
ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES


UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary
The following entities, each as Grantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Grantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Grantor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Grantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC


By:  

/s/ Brian V. Mooney

Name:   Brian V. Mooney
Title:   President
FDR LIMITED, as Grantor
By:  

/s/ David G. Yates

Name:   David G. Yates
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
The following entities, each as Grantor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President
CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, as Collateral Agent
By:  

/s/ William O’Daly

Name:   William O’Daly
Title:   Director
By:  

/s/ Mikhail Faybusovich

Name:   Mikhail Faybusovich
Title:   Associate


ANNEX A TO THE

SECURITY AGREEMENT

SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ] dated as of [                    ], to the Security Agreement dated as of September 24, 2007 (the “ Security Agreement ”) among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), each subsidiary of the Company listed on Annex A thereto (each such subsidiary individually a “ Subsidiary Grantor ” and, collectively, the “ Subsidiary Grantors ”; the Subsidiary Grantors and the Company are referred to collectively herein as the “ Grantors ”), Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch, as collateral agent (in such capacity, the “ Collateral Agent ”) under the Credit Agreement referred to below.

A. Reference is made to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 24, 2007 (as modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time, the “ Credit Agreement ”) among the Company, the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and the Administrative Agent.

B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Security Agreement.

C. The Grantors have entered into the Security Agreement in order to induce the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to enter into the Credit Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Credit Agreement, to induce one or more Cash Management Banks and Hedge Banks to enter into Secured Cash Management Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and to induce the Existing Secured Letter of Credit Issuers to continue the Existing Secured Letters of Credit.

D. Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement and Section 8.13 of the Security Agreement provide that each Subsidiary of the Company that is required to become a party to the Security Agreement pursuant to Section 9.11 of the Credit Agreement shall become a Grantor, with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Grantor therein, for all purposes of the Security Agreement upon execution and delivery by such Subsidiary of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. Each undersigned Subsidiary (each a “ New Grantor ”) is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of the Security Agreement to become a Subsidiary Grantor under the Security Agreement in order to induce the Lenders and the Letter of Credit Issuer to make additional Extensions of Credit and as consideration for Extensions of Credit previously made.

Accordingly, the Collateral Agent and the New Grantors agree as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 8.13 of the Security Agreement, each New Grantor by its signature below becomes a Grantor under the Security Agreement with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Grantor and each New Grantor hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Security Agreement applicable to it as a Grantor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Grantor thereunder are true and correct on and as of the date hereof. In furtherance of the foregoing,


each New Grantor, as security for the payment and performance in full of the Obligations, does hereby bargain, sell, convey, assign, set over, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate and transfer to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, a Security Interest in all of the Collateral of such New Grantor, in each case whether now or hereafter existing or in which it now has or hereafter acquires an interest. Each reference to a “Grantor” in the Security Agreement shall be deemed to include each New Grantor. The Security Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. Each New Grantor represents and warrants to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles.

SECTION 3. This Supplement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Supplement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Supplement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Collateral Agent and the Company. This Supplement shall become effective as to each New Grantor when the Collateral Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of such New Grantor and the Collateral Agent.

SECTION 4. Such New Grantor hereby represents and warrants that (a) set forth on Schedule I hereto is (i) the legal name of such New Grantor, (ii) the jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of such New Grantor, (iii) the identity or type of organization or corporate structure of such New Grantor (iv) the Federal Taxpayer Identification Number and organizational number of such New Grantor and (v) the true and correct location of the chief executive office and principal place of business and any office in which it maintains books of records relating to Collateral owned by it and (b) as of the date hereof (i) Schedule II hereto lists all of each New Grantor’s Copyright Licenses, (ii) Schedule III hereto lists in all material respects all of each New Grantor’s registered Copyrights (and all applications therefor), (iii) Schedule IV hereto lists all of each New Grantor’s Patent Licenses, (iv) Schedule V hereto lists in all material respects all of each New Grantor’s Patents (and all applications therefor), (v) Schedule VI hereto lists all of each New Grantor’s Trademark Licenses and (vi) Schedule VII hereto lists in all material respects all of each New Grantor’s registered Trademarks (and all applications therefor).

SECTION 5. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Security Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 7. Any provision of this Supplement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition


or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof and in the Security Agreement, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 8. All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to each New Grantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Credit Agreement.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each New Grantor and the Collateral Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Security Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

[NAME OF NEW GRANTOR]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, as Collateral Agent
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

EXHIBIT 10.14

 


REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Dated as of October 24, 2007

Among

FIRST DATA CORPORATION,

THE GUARANTORS LISTED ON SCHEDULE I HERETO

and

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

9  7 / 8 % Senior Notes due 2015

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

1.

   Definitions    1

2.

   Exchange Offer    4

3.

   Shelf Registration    7

4.

   [Reserved]    8

5.

   Additional Interest    8

6.

   Registration Procedures    9

7.

   Registration Expenses    15

8.

   Indemnification and Contribution    16

9.

   Rules 144 and 144A    20

10.

   Underwritten Registrations    20

11.

   Miscellaneous    20

 

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REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of October 24, 2007, among FIRST DATA CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “ Issuer ”), the guarantors listed on Schedule I hereto (the “ Guarantors ”) and CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC., as representative (the “ Representative ”) of the several initial purchasers (the “ Initial Purchasers ”) named on Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement (as defined below).

This Agreement is entered into in connection with the Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 16, 2007 (the “ Purchase Agreement ”), by and among First Data Corporation and the Initial Purchasers, which provides for, among other things, the sale by the Issuer to the Initial Purchasers of $[            ] aggregate principal amount of the Issuer’s 9  7 / 8 % Senior Notes due 2015 (the “ Notes ”). The Notes are issued by the Company pursuant to an indenture, dated as of the date hereof (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “ Indenture ”), among the Company, the Guarantors and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”). Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Indenture, the Guarantors are required to guarantee (collectively, the “ Guarantees ”) the Issuer’s obligations under the Notes and the Indenture. References to the “ Securities ” shall mean, collectively, the Notes and, when issued, the Guarantees. In order to induce the Initial Purchasers to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Issuer has agreed to provide the registration rights set forth in this Agreement for the benefit of the Initial Purchasers and any subsequent holder or holders of the Securities. The execution and delivery of this Agreement is a condition to the Initial Purchasers’ obligations under the Purchase Agreement.

The parties hereby agree as follows:

 

  1. Definitions

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Additional Interest : See Section 5(a) hereof.

Advice : See the last paragraph of Section 6 hereof.

Agreement : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Applicable Period : See Section 2(b) hereof.

Business Day : Shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 14d-1 under the Exchange Act.

Effectiveness Date : With respect to any Shelf Registration Statement, the 90th day after the Filing Date with respect thereto; provided , however , that if the Effectiveness Date would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, then the Effectiveness Date shall be the next succeeding Business Day.

Effectiveness Period : See Section 3(a) hereof.

Event Date : See Section 5(b) hereof.

Exchange Act : The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.


Exchange Notes : See Section 2(a) hereof.

Exchange Offer : See Section 2(a) hereof.

Exchange Offer Registration Statement : See Section 2(a) hereof.

Exchange Securities : See Section 2(a) hereof.

Filing Date : The 90th day after the delivery of a Shelf Notice as required pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof; provided , however , that if the Filing Date would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, then the Filing Date shall be the next succeeding Business Day.

Guarantees : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Guarantors : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Holder : Any holder of a Registrable Security or Registrable Securities.

Indenture : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Information : See Section 6(n) hereof.

Initial Purchasers : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Initial Shelf Registration : See Section 3(a) hereof.

Inspectors : See Section 6(n) hereof.

Issue Date : October 24, 2007, the date of original issuance of the Notes.

Issuer : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

NASD : See Section 6(r) hereof.

New Guarantees : See Section 2(a) hereof.

Notes : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

Participant : See Section 8(a) hereof.

Participating Broker-Dealer : See Section 2(b) hereof.

Person : An individual, trustee, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, union, business association, firm or other legal entity.

Private Exchange : See Section 2(b) hereof.

Private Exchange Notes : See Section 2(b) hereof.

Prospectus : The prospectus included in any Registration Statement (including, without limitation, any prospectus subject to completion and a prospectus that includes any information previously

 

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omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A under the Securities Act and any term sheet filed pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all materials incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.

Purchase Agreement : See the introductory paragraphs hereof.

Records : See Section 6(n) hereof.

Registrable Securities : Each Security upon its original issuance and at all times subsequent thereto, each Exchange Security as to which Section 2(c)(iv) hereof is applicable upon original issuance and at all times subsequent thereto and each Private Exchange Note (and the related Guarantees) upon original issuance thereof and at all times subsequent thereto, until, in each case, the earliest to occur of (i) a Registration Statement (other than, with respect to any Exchange Securities as to which Section 2(c)(iv) hereof is applicable, the Exchange Offer Registration Statement) covering such Security, Exchange Security or Private Exchange Note (and the related Guarantees) has been declared effective by the SEC and such Security, Exchange Security or such Private Exchange Note (and the related Guarantees), as the case may be, has been disposed of in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (ii) such Security has been exchanged pursuant to the Exchange Offer for an Exchange Security or Exchange Securities that may be resold without restriction under state and federal securities laws, (iii) such Security, Exchange Security or Private Exchange Note (and the related Guarantees), as the case may be, ceases to be outstanding for purposes of the Indenture or (iv) such Security, Exchange Security or Private Exchange Note (and the related Guarantees), as the case may be, may be resold without restriction pursuant to Rule 144(k) (as amended or replaced).

Registration Statement : Any registration statement of the Issuer that covers any of the Securities, the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Notes (and the related Guarantees) filed with the SEC under the Securities Act, including, in each case, the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

Representative : See the introductory paragraphs hereof.

Rule 144 : Rule 144 (as amended or replaced) under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A : Rule 144A (as amended or replaced) under the Securities Act.

Rule 144(k) : Rule 144(k) (as amended or replaced) under the Securities Act.

Rule 405 : Rule 405 (as amended or replaced) under the Securities Act.

Rule 415 : Rule 415 (as amended or replaced) under the Securities Act.

Rule 424 : Rule 424 (as amended or replaced)under the Securities Act.

SEC : The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities : See the introductory paragraphs hereto.

 

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Securities Act : The Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

Shelf Notice : See Section 2(c) hereof.

Shelf Registration : See Section 3(b) hereof.

Shelf Registration Statement : Any Registration Statement relating to a Shelf Registration.

Shelf Suspension Period : See Section 3(a) hereof.

Subsequent Shelf Registration : See Section 3(b) hereof.

TIA : The Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

Trustee : The trustee under the Indenture and the trustee under any indenture (if different) governing the Exchange Securities and Private Exchange Notes (and the related Guarantees).

Underwritten registration or underwritten offering : A registration in which securities of the Issuer is sold to an underwriter for reoffering to the public.

Except as otherwise specifically provided, all references in this Agreement to acts, laws, statutes, rules, regulations, releases, forms, no-action letters and other regulatory requirements (collectively, “ Regulatory Requirements ”) shall be deemed to refer also to any amendments thereto and all subsequent Regulatory Requirements adopted as a replacement thereto having substantially the same effect therewith; provided that Rule 144 shall not be deemed to amend or replace Rule 144A.

 

  2. Exchange Offer

(a) Unless the Exchange Offer would violate applicable law or any applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC, the Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC a Registration Statement (the “ Exchange Offer Registration Statement ”) on an appropriate registration form with respect to a registered offer (the “ Exchange Offer ”) to exchange any and all of the Registrable Securities for a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities of the Issuer (the “ Exchange Notes ”), guaranteed, to the extent applicable, on an senior secured basis by the Guarantors (the “ New Guarantees ” and, together with the Exchange Notes, the “ Exchange Securities ”), that are identical in all material respects to the Notes, except that (i) the Exchange Notes shall contain no restrictive legend thereon, (ii) interest thereon shall accrue from the last date on which interest was paid on such Notes or, if no such interest has been paid, from the Issue Date and (iii) the Exchange Securities shall be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture or trust indenture which is identical in all material respects to the Indenture (other than such changes to the Indenture or any such identical trust indenture as are necessary to comply with the TIA) and which, in either case, has been qualified under the TIA. The Exchange Offer shall comply with all applicable tender offer rules and regulations under the Exchange Act and other applicable laws. The Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to (x) prepare and file with the SEC the Exchange Offer Registration Statement with respect to the Exchange Offer; (y) keep the Exchange Offer open for at least 20 Business Days (or longer if required by applicable law) after the date that notice of the Exchange Offer is mailed to Holders; and (z) consummate the Exchange Offer on or prior to the 360th day following the Issue Date.

Each Holder (including, without limitation, each Participating Broker-Dealer) that participates in the Exchange Offer, as a condition to participation in the Exchange Offer, will be required to

 

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represent to the Issuer in writing (which may be contained in the applicable letter of transmittal) that: (i) any Exchange Securities acquired in exchange for Registrable Securities tendered are being acquired in the ordinary course of business of the Person receiving such Exchange Securities, whether or not such recipient is such Holder itself; (ii) at the time of the commencement or consummation of the Exchange Offer neither such Holder nor, to the actual knowledge of such Holder, any other Person receiving Exchange Securities from such Holder has an arrangement or understanding with any Person to participate in the distribution (within the meaning of the Securities Act) of the Exchange Securities in violation of the Securities Act; (iii) neither the Holder nor, to the actual knowledge of such Holder, any other Person receiving Exchange Securities from such Holder is an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 405) of the Issuer or, if it is an affiliate of the Issuer, it will comply with the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act to the extent applicable and will provide information to be included in the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with Section 6 hereof in order to have their Securities included in the Shelf Registration Statement and benefit from the provisions regarding Additional Interest in Section 5 hereof; (iv) if such Holder is not a broker-dealer, neither such Holder nor, to the actual knowledge of such Holder, any other Person receiving Exchange Securities from such Holder is engaging or intends to engage in a distribution of the Exchange Securities; and (v) if such Holder is a Participating Broker-Dealer, such Holder has acquired the Registrable Securities for its own account in exchange for Securities that were acquired as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities and that it will comply with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act (including, but not limited to, the prospectus delivery requirements thereunder).

Upon consummation of the Exchange Offer in accordance with this Section 2, the provisions of this Agreement shall continue to apply, mutatis mutandis , solely with respect to Registrable Securities that are Private Exchange Notes (and the related Guarantees), Exchange Securities as to which Section 2(c)(iv) is applicable and Exchange Securities held by Participating Broker-Dealers, and the Issuer shall have no further obligation to register Registrable Securities (other than Private Exchange Notes (and the related Guarantees) and Exchange Securities as to which clause 2(c)(iv) hereof applies) pursuant to Section 3 hereof.

No securities other than the Exchange Securities shall be included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement.

(b) The Issuer shall include within the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement a section entitled “Plan of Distribution,” which shall contain a summary statement of the positions taken or policies made by the staff of the SEC with respect to the potential “underwriter” status of any broker-dealer that is the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of Exchange Notes received by such broker-dealer in the Exchange Offer (a “ Participating Broker-Dealer ”), whether such positions or policies have been publicly disseminated by the staff of the SEC or such positions or policies represent the prevailing views of the staff of the SEC. Such “Plan of Distribution” section shall also expressly permit, to the extent permitted by applicable policies and regulations of the SEC, the use of the Prospectus by all Participating Broker-Dealers, and include a statement describing the means by which Participating Broker-Dealers may resell the Exchange Securities in compliance with the Securities Act.

The Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement effective and to amend and supplement the Prospectus contained therein in order to permit such Prospectus to be lawfully delivered by all Persons subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act for such period of time as is necessary to comply with applicable law in connection with any resale of the Exchange Securities; provided , however , that such period shall not be required to exceed 90 days, or such longer period if extended pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 6 hereof (the “ Applicable Period ”).

 

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If, prior to consummation of the Exchange Offer, the Initial Purchasers hold any Notes acquired by them that have the status of an unsold allotment in the initial distribution, the Issuer, upon the request of the Initial Purchasers, shall simultaneously with the delivery of the Exchange Notes issue and deliver to the Initial Purchasers, in exchange (the “ Private Exchange ”) for such Notes held by any such Holder, a like principal amount of notes (the “ Private Exchange Notes ”) of the Issuer, guaranteed by the Guarantors, that are identical in all material respects to the Exchange Notes except for the placement of a restrictive legend on such Private Exchange Notes. The Private Exchange Notes shall be issued pursuant to the same indenture as the Exchange Notes and bear the same CUSIP number as the Exchange Notes if permitted by the CUSIP Service Bureau.

In connection with the Exchange Offer, the Issuer shall:

(1) mail, or cause to be mailed, to each Holder of record entitled to participate in the Exchange Offer a copy of the Prospectus forming part of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate letter of transmittal and related documents;

(2) use their respective reasonable best efforts to keep the Exchange Offer open for not less than 20 Business Days from the date that notice of the Exchange Offer is mailed to Holders (or longer if required by applicable law);

(3) utilize the services of a depositary for the Exchange Offer with an address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or in Wilmington, Delaware;

(4) permit Holders to withdraw tendered Notes at any time prior to the close of business, New York time, on the last Business Day on which the Exchange Offer remains open; and

(5) otherwise comply in all material respects with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Exchange Offer.

As soon as practicable after the close of the Exchange Offer and any Private Exchange, the Issuer shall:

(1) accept for exchange all Registrable Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Exchange Offer and any Private Exchange;

(2) deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all Registrable Securities so accepted for exchange; and

(3) cause the Trustee to authenticate and deliver promptly to each Holder of Notes, Exchange Notes or Private Exchange Notes, as the case may be, equal in principal amount to the Notes of such Holder so accepted for exchange; provided that, in the case of any Notes held in global form by a depositary, authentication and delivery to such depositary of one or more replacement Notes in global form in an equivalent principal amount thereto for the account of such Holders in accordance with the Indenture shall satisfy such authentication and delivery requirement.

The Exchange Offer and the Private Exchange shall not be subject to any conditions, other than that (i) the Exchange Offer or Private Exchange, as the case may be, does not violate applicable

 

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law or any applicable interpretation of the staff of the SEC; (ii) no action or proceeding shall have been instituted or threatened in any court or by any governmental agency which might materially impair the ability of the Issuer to proceed with the Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, and no material adverse development shall have occurred in any existing action or proceeding with respect to the Issuer; and (iii) all governmental approvals shall have been obtained, which approvals the Issuer deems necessary for the consummation of the Exchange Offer or Private Exchange.

The Exchange Securities and the Private Exchange Notes (and related guarantees) shall be issued under (i) the Indenture or (ii) an indenture identical in all material respects to the Indenture and which, in either case, has been qualified under the TIA or is exempt from such qualification and shall provide that the Exchange Securities shall not be subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in the Indenture. The Indenture or such indenture shall provide that the Exchange Notes, the Private Exchange Notes and the Notes shall vote and consent together on all matters as one class and that none of the Exchange Notes, the Private Exchange Notes or the Notes will have the right to vote or consent as a separate class on any matter.

(c) If, (i) because of any change in law or in currently prevailing interpretations of the staff of the SEC, the Issuer is not permitted to effect the Exchange Offer, (ii) the Exchange Offer is not consummated within 360 days of the Issue Date, (iii) any holder of Private Exchange Notes so requests in writing to the Issuer at any time within 30 days after the consummation of the Exchange Offer, or (iv) in the case of any Holder that participates in the Exchange Offer, such Holder does not receive Exchange Securities on the date of the exchange that may be sold without restriction under state and federal securities laws (other than due solely to the status of such Holder as an affiliate of the Issuer within the meaning of the Securities Act) and so notifies the Issuer within 30 days after such Holder first becomes aware of such restrictions, then, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iv) of this sentence, the Issuer shall promptly deliver to the Trustee (to deliver to the Holders) written notice thereof (the “ Shelf Notice ”) and shall file a Shelf Registration pursuant to Section 3 hereof.

 

  3. Shelf Registration

If at any time a Shelf Notice is delivered as contemplated by Section 2(c) hereof, then:

(a) Shelf Registration . The Issuer shall promptly file with the SEC a Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 covering all of the Registrable Securities (the “ Initial Shelf Registration ”). The Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC the Initial Shelf Registration on or prior to the Filing Date. The Initial Shelf Registration shall be on Form S-1 or another appropriate form permitting registration of such Registrable Securities for resale by Holders in the manner or manners designated by them (including, without limitation, one or more underwritten offerings). The Issuer shall not permit any securities other than the Registrable Securities and the Guarantees to be included in the Initial Shelf Registration or any Subsequent Shelf Registration (as defined below).

The Issuer shall use its respective reasonable best efforts to cause the Shelf Registration to be declared effective under the Securities Act on or prior to the Effectiveness Date and to keep the Initial Shelf Registration continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earliest of (i) the date that is two years from the Issue Date, (ii) such shorter period ending when all Registrable Securities covered by the Initial Shelf Registration have been sold in the manner set forth and as contemplated in the Initial Shelf Registration or, if applicable, a Subsequent Shelf Registration or (iii) the date upon which all Registrable Securities become eligible for resale without regard to volume, manner of sale or other restrictions contained in Rule 144(k) (the “ Effectiveness Period ”); provided , however , that the Effectiveness Period in respect of the Initial Shelf Registration shall be extended to the extent required to permit dealers to comply

 

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with the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of Rule 174 under the Securities Act and as otherwise provided herein. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, at any time, the Issuer may delay the filing of any Initial Shelf Registration Statement or delay or suspend the effectiveness thereof, for a reasonable period of time, but not in excess of 60 consecutive days or more than three (3) times during any calendar year (each, a “ Shelf Suspension Period ”), if the Board of Directors of the Issuer determines reasonably and in good faith that the filing of any such Initial Shelf Registration Statement or the continuing effectiveness thereof would require the disclosure of non-public material information that, in the reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors of the Issuer, would be detrimental to the Issuer if so disclosed or would otherwise materially adversely affect a financing, acquisition, disposition, merger or other material transaction or if such action is required by applicable law.

(b) Withdrawal of Stop Orders; Subsequent Shelf Registrations . If the Initial Shelf Registration or any Subsequent Shelf Registration ceases to be effective for any reason at any time during the Effectiveness Period (other than because of the sale of all of the Securities registered thereunder), the Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness thereof, and in any event shall file an additional Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 415 covering all of the Registrable Securities covered by and not sold under the Initial Shelf Registration or an earlier Subsequent Shelf Registration (each, a “ Subsequent Shelf Registration ”). If a Subsequent Shelf Registration is filed, the Issuer shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Subsequent Shelf Registration to be declared effective under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after such filing and to keep such subsequent Shelf Registration continuously effective for a period equal to the number of days in the Effectiveness Period less the aggregate number of days during which the Initial Shelf Registration or any Subsequent Shelf Registration was previously continuously effective. As used herein the term “ Shelf Registration ” means the Initial Shelf Registration and any Subsequent Shelf Registration.

(c) Supplements and Amendments . The Issuer shall promptly supplement and amend the Shelf Registration if required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used for such Shelf Registration, if required by the Securities Act, or if reasonably requested by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities (or their counsel) covered by such Registration Statement with respect to the information included therein with respect to one or more of such Holders, or, if reasonably requested by any underwriter of such Registrable Securities, with respect to the information included therein with respect to such underwriter.

 

  4. [Reserved]

 

  5. Additional Interest

(a) The Issuer and the Initial Purchasers agree that the Holders will suffer damages if the Issuer fails to fulfill its obligations under Section 2 or Section 3 hereof and that it would not be feasible to ascertain the extent of such damages with precision. Accordingly, the Issuer and the Guarantors agree to pay, jointly and severally, as liquidated damages, additional interest on the Notes (“ Additional Interest ”) if (A) the Issuer has neither (i) exchanged Exchange Securities for all Securities of a series validly tendered in accordance with the terms of the Exchange Offer nor (ii) had a Shelf Registration Statement declared effective, in either case on or prior to the 360th day after the Issue Date, (B) notwithstanding clause (A), the Issuer is required to file a Shelf Registration Statement and such Shelf Registration Statement is not declared effective on or prior to the 360th day after the date such Shelf Registration Statement filing was requested or required or (C), if applicable, a Shelf Registration has been declared effective and such Shelf Registration ceases to be effective at any time during the Effectiveness Period (other than because of the sale of all of the Securities of a series registered thereunder), then Additional Interest shall accrue on the principal amount of the Notes in such series at a rate of 0.25% per annum (which rate will be increased by

 

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an additional 0.25% per annum for each subsequent 90 day period that such Additional Interest continues to accrue, provided that the rate at which such Additional Interest accrues may in no event exceed 0.50% per annum) (such Additional Interest to be calculated by the Issuer) commencing on the (x) 361st day after the Issue Date, in the case of (A) above; (y) the 361st day after the date such Shelf Registration Statement filing was requested or required in the case of (B) above; or (z) the day such Shelf Registration ceases to be effective in the case of (C) above; provided , however , that upon the exchange of the Exchange Securities for all Securities tendered (in the case of clause (A) of this Section 5(a), upon the effectiveness of the applicable Shelf Registration Statement (in the case of clause (B) of this Section 5(a), or upon the effectiveness of the applicable Shelf Registration Statement which had ceased to remain effective (in the case of clause (C) of this Section 5(a), Additional Interest on the Notes in respect of which such events relate as a result of such clause (or the relevant subclause thereof), as the case may be, shall cease to accrue. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 5, the Issuer shall not be obligated to pay Additional Interest provided in Section 5(a)(B) during a Shelf Suspension Period permitted by Section 3(a) hereof.

(b) The Issuer shall notify the Trustee within five business days after each and every date on which an event occurs in respect of which Additional Interest is required to be paid (an “ Event Date ”). Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to (a) of this Section 5 will be payable in cash, semiannually on each March 31 and September 30 (to the holders of record on the March 15 and September 15 immediately preceding such dates), commencing with the first such date occurring after any such Additional Interest commences to accrue. The amount of Additional Interest will be determined by the Issuer by multiplying the applicable Additional Interest rate by the principal amount of the Registrable Securities, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days such Additional Interest rate was applicable during such period (determined on the basis of a 360 day year comprised of twelve 30-day months and, in the case of a partial month, the actual number of days elapsed), and the denominator of which is 360.

 

  6. Registration Procedures

In connection with the filing of any Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2 or 3 hereof, the Issuer shall effect such registrations to permit the sale of the securities covered thereby in accordance with the intended method or methods of disposition thereof, and pursuant thereto and in connection with any Registration Statement filed by the Issuer hereunder the Issuer shall:

(a) Prepare and file with the SEC (prior to the applicable Filing Date in the case of a Shelf Registration), a Registration Statement or Registration Statements as prescribed by Section 2 or 3 hereof, and use its reasonable best efforts to cause each such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective as provided herein; provided , however , that if (1) such filing is pursuant to Section 3 hereof or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period relating thereto from whom the Issuer has received prior written notice that it will be a Participating Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, before filing any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, the Issuer shall furnish to and afford counsel for the Holders of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof) or counsel for such Participating Broker-Dealer (with respect to any such Registration Statement), as the case may be, and counsel to the managing underwriters, if any, a reasonable opportunity to review copies of all such documents (including copies of any documents to be incorporated by reference therein and all exhibits thereto) proposed to be filed (in each case, at least three Business Days prior to such filing). The Issuer shall not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto if the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, their counsel or the managing underwriters, if any, shall reasonably object.

 

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(b) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to each Shelf Registration Statement or Exchange Offer Registration Statement, as the case may be, as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective for the Effectiveness Period, the Applicable Period or until consummation of the Exchange Offer, as the case may be; cause the related Prospectus to be supplemented by any Prospectus supplement required by applicable law, and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; and comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act applicable to it with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented and with respect to the subsequent resale of any securities being sold by an Participating Broker-Dealer covered by any such Prospectus in all material respects. The Issuer shall be deemed not to have used its reasonable best efforts to keep a Registration Statement effective if it voluntarily takes any action that is reasonably expected to result in selling Holders of the Registrable Securities covered thereby or Participating Broker-Dealers seeking to sell Exchange Securities not being able to sell such Registrable Securities or such Exchange Securities during that period unless such action is required by applicable law or permitted by this Agreement.

(c) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period relating thereto from whom the Issuer has received written notice that it will be a Participating Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, notify the selling Holders of Registrable Securities (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof), or each such Participating Broker-Dealer (with respect to any such Registration Statement), as the case may be, their counsel and the managing underwriters, if any, promptly (but in any event within three Business Days), and confirm such notice in writing, (i) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective under the Securities Act (including in such notice a written statement that any Holder may, upon request, obtain, at the sole expense of the Issuer, one conformed copy of such Registration Statement or post-effective amendment including financial statements and schedules, documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference and exhibits), (ii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose, (iii) if at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Registrable Securities or resales of Exchange Securities by Participating Broker-Dealers the representations and warranties of the Issuer contained in any agreement (including any underwriting agreement) contemplated by Section 6(m) hereof cease to be true and correct, (iv) of the receipt by the Issuer of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of a Registration Statement or any of the Registrable Securities or the Exchange Securities to be sold by any Participating Broker-Dealer for offer or sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the happening of any event, the existence of any condition or any information becoming known that makes any statement made in such Registration Statement or related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in or amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (vi) of the Issuer’s determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement would be appropriate.

 

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(d) Use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of a Prospectus or suspending the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities or the Exchange Securities to be sold by any Participating Broker-Dealer, for sale in any jurisdiction.

(e) If a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 and if requested during the Effectiveness Period by the managing underwriter or underwriters (if any) or the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities being sold in connection with an underwritten offering, (i) as promptly as practicable incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the managing underwriter or underwriters (if any), such Holders or counsel for either of them reasonably request to be included therein, (ii) make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or such post-effective amendment as soon as practicable after the Issuer has received notification of the matters to be incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment, and (iii) supplement or make amendments to such Registration Statement.

(f) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof, or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, furnish to each selling Holder of Registrable Securities (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof) and to each such Participating Broker-Dealer who so requests (with respect to any such Registration Statement) and to their respective counsel and each managing underwriter, if any, at the sole expense of the Issuer, one conformed copy of the Registration Statement or Registration Statements and each post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, and, if requested, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits.

(g) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof, or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, deliver to each selling Holder of Registrable Securities (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof), or each such Participating Broker-Dealer (with respect to any such Registration Statement), as the case may be, their respective counsel, and the underwriters, if any, at the sole expense of the Issuer, as many copies of the Prospectus or Prospectuses (including each form of preliminary prospectus) and each amendment or supplement thereto and any documents incorporated by reference therein as such Persons may reasonably request; and, subject to the last paragraph of this Section 6, the Issuer hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders of Registrable Securities or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, and the underwriters or agents, if any, and dealers, if any, in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by, or the sale by Participating Broker-Dealers of the Exchange Securities pursuant to, such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.

(h) Prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities or any delivery of a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify, and to cooperate with the selling Holders of Registrable Securities or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, and their respective counsel

 

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in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from such registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any selling Holder, Participating Broker-Dealer, or the managing underwriter or underwriters reasonably request in writing; provided , however , that where Exchange Securities held by Participating Broker-Dealers or Registrable Securities are offered other than through an underwritten offering, the Issuer agrees to cause its counsel to perform Blue Sky investigations and file registrations and qualifications required to be filed pursuant to this Section 6(h), keep each such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept effective and do any and all other acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Exchange Securities held by Participating Broker-Dealers or the Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement; provided , however , that the Issuer shall not be required to (A) qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, (B) take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or (C) subject itself to taxation in excess of a nominal dollar amount in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.

(i) If a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof, cooperate with the selling Holders of Registrable Securities and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be sold, which certificates shall not bear any restrictive legends and shall be in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company; and enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations (subject to applicable requirements contained in the Indenture) and registered in such names as the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, or Holders may request.

(j) Use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other U.S. governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to enable the seller or sellers thereof or the underwriter or underwriters, if any, to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities, except as may be required solely as a consequence of the nature of such selling Holder’s business, in which case the Issuer will cooperate in all respects with the filing of such Registration Statement and the granting of such approvals.

(k) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof, or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by paragraph 6(c)(v) or 6(c)(vi) hereof, as promptly as practicable prepare and (subject to Section 6(a) hereof) file with the SEC, at the sole expense of the Issuer, a supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities being sold thereunder (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof) or to the purchasers of the Exchange Securities to whom such Prospectus will be delivered by a Participating Broker-Dealer (with respect to any such Registration Statement), any such Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(l) Prior to the effective date of the first Registration Statement relating to the Registrable Securities, (i) provide the Trustee with certificates for the Registrable Securities in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company and (ii) provide a CUSIP number for the Registrable Securities.

 

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(m) In connection with any underwritten offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration, enter into an underwriting agreement as is customary in underwritten offerings of debt securities similar to the Securities (including, without limitation, a customary condition to the obligations of the underwriters that the underwriters shall have received “cold comfort” letters and updates thereof in form, scope and substance reasonably satisfactory to the managing underwriter or underwriters from the independent registered public accountants of the Issuer (and, if necessary, any other independent registered public accountants of the Issuer, or of any business acquired by the Issuer, for which financial statements and financial data are, or are required to be, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement), addressed to each of the underwriters, such letters to be in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in “cold comfort” letters in connection with underwritten offerings of debt securities similar to the Securities), and take all such other actions as are reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters in order to expedite or facilitate the registration or the disposition of such Registrable Securities and, in such connection, (i) make such representations and warranties to, and covenants with, the underwriters with respect to the business of the Issuer (including any acquired business, properties or entity, if applicable), and the Registration Statement, Prospectus and documents, if any, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, in each case, as are customarily made by issuers to underwriters in underwritten offerings of debt securities similar to the Securities, and confirm the same in writing if and when requested; (ii) obtain the written opinions of counsel to the Issuer, and written updates thereof in form, scope and substance reasonably satisfactory to the managing underwriter or underwriters, addressed to the underwriters covering the matters customarily covered in opinions reasonably requested in underwritten offerings; and (iii) if an underwriting agreement is entered into, the same shall contain indemnification provisions and procedures no less favorable to the sellers and underwriters, if any, than those set forth in Section 8 hereof (or such other provisions and procedures reasonably acceptable to Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and the managing underwriter or underwriters or agents, if any). The above shall be done at each closing under such underwriting agreement, or as and to the extent required thereunder.

(n) If (1) a Shelf Registration is filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof, or (2) a Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2 hereof is required to be delivered under the Securities Act by any Participating Broker-Dealer who seeks to sell Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, make available for inspection by any Initial Purchaser, any selling Holder of such Registrable Securities being sold (with respect to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 3 hereof), or each such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, any underwriter participating in any such disposition of Registrable Securities, if any, and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such selling Holder or each such Participating Broker-Dealer (with respect to any such Registration Statement), as the case may be, or underwriter (any such Initial Purchasers, Holders, Participating Broker-Dealers, underwriters, attorneys, accountants or agents, collectively, the “ Inspectors ”), upon written request, at the offices where normally kept, during reasonable business hours, all pertinent financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and instruments of the Issuer and subsidiaries of the Issuer (collectively, the “ Records ”), as shall be reasonably necessary to enable them to exercise any applicable due diligence responsibilities, and cause the officers, directors and employees of the Issuer and any of its subsidiaries to supply all information (“ Information ”) reasonably requested by any such Inspector in connection with such due diligence responsibilities. Each Inspector shall agree in writing that it will keep the Records and Information confidential, to use the Information only for due diligence purposes, to abstain from using the Information as the basis for any market transactions in Securities of the Issuer and that it will not disclose any of the Records or Information that the Issuer determines, in good faith, to be confidential and notifies the Inspectors in writing are confidential unless (i) the disclosure of such Records or Information is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in such Registration Statement or Prospectus, (ii) the release of such Records or Information is ordered pursuant

 

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to a subpoena or other order from a court of competent jurisdiction, (iii) disclosure of such Records or Information is necessary or advisable, in the opinion of counsel for any Inspector, in connection with any action, claim, suit or proceeding, directly or indirectly, involving or potentially involving such Inspector and arising out of, based upon, relating to, or involving this Agreement or the Purchase Agreement, or any transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or arising hereunder or thereunder, or (iv) the information in such Records or Information has been made generally available to the public other than by an Inspector or an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 405) thereof; provided , however , that prior notice shall be provided as soon as practicable to the Issuer of the potential disclosure of any information by such Inspector pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) of this sentence to permit the Issuer to obtain a protective order (or waive the provisions of this paragraph (n)) and that such Inspector shall take such actions as are reasonably necessary to protect the confidentiality of such information (if practicable) to the extent such action is otherwise not inconsistent with, an impairment of or in derogation of the rights and interests of the Holder or any Inspector.

(o) Provide an indenture trustee for the Registrable Securities or the Exchange Securities, as the case may be, and cause the Indenture or the trust indenture provided for in Section 2(a) hereof, as the case may be, to be qualified under the TIA not later than the effective date of the first Registration Statement relating to the Registrable Securities; and in connection therewith, cooperate with the trustee under any such indenture and the Holders of the Registrable Securities, to effect such changes (if any) to such indenture as may be required for such indenture to be so qualified in accordance with the terms of the TIA; and execute, and use its commercially reasonable best efforts to cause such trustee to execute, all documents as may be required to effect such changes, and all other forms and documents required to be filed with the SEC to enable such indenture to be so qualified in a timely manner.

(p) Comply in all material respects with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and make generally available to its securityholders with regard to any applicable Registration Statement, a consolidated earning statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any similar rule promulgated under the Securities Act) no later than 60 days after the end of any fiscal quarter (or 105 days after the end of any 12-month period if such period is a fiscal year) (i) commencing at the end of any fiscal quarter in which Registrable Securities are sold to underwriters in a firm commitment or best efforts underwritten offering and (ii) if not sold to underwriters in such an offering, commencing on the first day of the first fiscal quarter of the Issuer, after the effective date of a Registration Statement, which statements shall cover said 12-month periods; provided that this requirement shall be deemed satisfied by the Issuer complying with Section 4.03 of the Indenture.

(q) Upon consummation of the Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange, obtain an opinion of counsel to the Issuer, in a form customary for underwritten transactions, addressed to the Trustee for the benefit of all Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Exchange Offer or the Private Exchange, as the case may be, that the Exchange Securities or Private Exchange Notes, as the case may be, the related guarantees and the related indenture constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Issuer, enforceable against the Issuer in accordance with their respective terms, subject to customary exceptions and qualifications. If the Exchange Offer or a Private Exchange is to be consummated, upon delivery of the Registrable Securities by Holders to the Issuer (or to such other Person as directed by the Issuer), in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Notes (and the related guarantees), as the case may be, the Issuer shall mark, or cause to be marked, on such Registrable Securities that such Registrable Securities are being cancelled in exchange for the Exchange Securities or the Private Exchange Notes (and the related guarantees), as the case may be; in no event shall such Registrable Securities be marked as paid or otherwise satisfied.

 

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(r) Use reasonable efforts to cooperate with each seller of Registrable Securities covered by any Registration Statement and each underwriter, if any, participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “ NASD ”).

(s) Use its respective reasonable best efforts to take all other steps reasonably necessary to effect the registration of the Exchange Securities and/or Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement contemplated hereby.

The Issuer may require each seller of Registrable Securities as to which any registration is being effected to furnish to the Issuer such information regarding such seller and the distribution of such Registrable Securities as the Issuer may, from time to time, reasonably request. The Issuer may exclude from such registration the Registrable Securities of any seller so long as such seller fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request. Each seller as to which any Shelf Registration is being effected agrees to furnish promptly to the Issuer all information required to be disclosed in order to make the information previously furnished to the Issuer by such seller not materially misleading.

If any such Registration Statement refers to any Holder by name or otherwise as the holder of any securities of the Issuer, then such Holder shall have the right to require (i) the insertion therein of language, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Holder, to the effect that the holding by such Holder of such securities is not to be construed as a recommendation by such Holder of the investment quality of the securities covered thereby and that such holding does not imply that such Holder will assist in meeting any future financial requirements of the Issuer, or (ii) in the event that such reference to such Holder by name or otherwise is not required by the Securities Act or any similar federal statute then in force, the deletion of the reference to such Holder in any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement filed or prepared subsequent to the time that such reference ceases to be required.

Each Holder of Registrable Securities and each Participating Broker-Dealer agrees by its acquisition of such Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities to be sold by such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, that, upon actual receipt of any notice from the Issuer of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 6(c)(ii), 6(c)(iv), 6(c)(v) or 6(c)(vi) hereof, such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement or Prospectus or Exchange Securities to be sold by such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, until such Holder’s or Participating Broker-Dealer’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 6(k) hereof, or until it is advised in writing (the “ Advice ”) by the Issuer that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and has received copies of any amendments or supplements thereto. In the event that the Issuer shall give any such notice, each of the Applicable Period and the Effectiveness Period shall be extended by the number of days during such periods from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement or Exchange Securities to be sold by such Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, shall have received (x) the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 6(k) hereof or (y) the Advice.

 

  7. Registration Expenses

All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Agreement by the Issuer of its obligations under Sections 2, 3, 6 and 9 shall be borne by the Issuer, whether or not the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or any Shelf Registration Statement is filed or becomes effective or the Exchange Offer is consummated, including, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, (A) fees with respect to filings required to be made with the NASD in connection

 

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with an underwritten offering and (B) fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or Blue Sky laws (including, without limitation, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with Blue Sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions in the United States (x) where the holders of Registrable Securities are located, in the case of the Exchange Securities, or (y) as provided in Section 6(h) hereof, in the case of Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities to be sold by a Participating Broker-Dealer during the Applicable Period)), (ii) printing expenses, including, without limitation, printing prospectuses if the printing of prospectuses is requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement or in respect of Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities to be sold by any Participating Broker-Dealer during the Applicable Period, as the case may be, (iii) fees and expenses of the Trustee, any exchange agent and their counsel, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Issuer and, in the case of a Shelf Registration, reasonable fees and disbursements of one special counsel for all of the sellers of Registrable Securities selected by the Holder of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration (which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Issuer) exclusive of any counsel retained pursuant to Section 8 hereof), (v) fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants referred to in Section 6(m) hereof (including, without limitation, the expenses of any “cold comfort” letters required by or incident to such performance), (vi) rating agency fees, if any, and any fees associated with making the Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities eligible for trading through The Depository Trust Company, (vii) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Issuer desires such insurance, (viii) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Issuer, (ix) internal expenses of the Issuer (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of officers and employees of the Issuer performing legal or accounting duties), (x) the expense of any annual audit, (xi) any fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the securities to be registered on any securities exchange, and the obtaining of a rating of the securities, in each case, if applicable and (xii) the expenses relating to printing, word processing and distributing all Registration Statements, underwriting agreements, indentures and any other documents necessary in order to comply with this Agreement.

 

  8. Indemnification and Contribution

(a) The Issuer and the Guarantors jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder of Registrable Securities and each Participating Broker-Dealer selling Exchange Securities during the Applicable Period, and each Person, if any, who controls any such Persons or its affiliates within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “ Participant ”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which any Participant may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon:

(i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Issuer shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary prospectus; or

(ii) the omission or alleged omission to state, in any Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Issuer shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or any other document or any amendment or supplement thereto, a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except, in each case, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or omission or alleged

 

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untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Initial Purchaser or any Holder furnished to the Issuer in writing through the Initial Purchasers or any selling Holder expressly for use therein;

and agree (subject to the limitations set forth in this sentence) to reimburse, as incurred, the Participant for any reasonable legal or other expenses incurred by the Participant in connection with investigating, defending against or appearing as a third-party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided , however , neither the Issuer nor the Guarantors will be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Issuer shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to any Participant furnished to the Issuer by such Participant specifically for use therein. The indemnity provided for in this Section 8 will be in addition to any liability that the Issuer may otherwise have to the indemnified parties. The Issuer and the Guarantors shall not be liable under this Section 8 to any indemnified party regarding any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent is consented to by the Issuer and the Guarantors, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(b) Each Participant, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Issuer, the Guarantors, their respective directors (or equivalent), their respective officers who sign any Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Issuer, the Guarantors or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement or Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto, or any preliminary prospectus, or (ii) the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Participant, furnished to the Issuer by or on behalf of such Participant, specifically for use therein; and subject to the limitation set forth immediately preceding this clause, will reimburse, as incurred, any reasonable legal or other expenses incurred by the Issuer, the Guarantors or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in connection with any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action in respect thereof. The indemnity provided for in this Section 8 will be in addition to any liability that the Participants may otherwise have to the indemnified parties. The Participants shall not be liable under this Section 8 to any indemnified party regarding any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent is consented to by the Participants, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Issuer and the Guarantors shall not, without the prior written consent of such Participant, effect any settlement or compromise of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which such Participant is or could have been a party, or indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Participant, unless such settlement (A) includes an unconditional written release of such Participant, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Participant, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (B) does not include any statement as to an admission of fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of such Participant.

 

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(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof in writing; but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from any liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent such indemnifying party did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel (including local counsel) of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel, other than local counsel if not appointed by the indemnifying party, retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided , however , that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel (including local counsel) to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest (based on the advice of counsel to the indemnified person); (ii) such action includes both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel to the indemnified person) that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party; (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action; or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. It is understood and agreed that the indemnifying person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or separate but related or substantially similar proceedings in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) representing the indemnified parties under paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this Section 8, as the case may be, who are parties to such action or actions. Any such separate firm for any Participants shall be designated in writing by Participants who sold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities and Exchange Securities sold by all such Participants in the case of paragraph (a) of this Section 8 or the Issuer in the case of paragraph (b) of this Section 8. In the event that any Participants are indemnified persons collectively entitled, in connection with a proceeding or separate but related or substantially similar proceedings in a single jurisdiction, to the payment of fees and expenses of a single separate firm under this Section 8(c), and any such Participants cannot agree to a mutually acceptable separate firm to act as counsel thereto, then such separate firm for all such Indemnified Persons shall be designated in writing by Participants who sold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities and Exchange Securities sold by all such Participants. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include any statement as to, or any admission of, fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. All fees and expenses that are reimbursable pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be reimbursed as they are incurred.

 

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(d) After notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and approval by such indemnified party of counsel appointed to defend such action, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses, other than reasonable costs of investigation, subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof, unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the third sentence of paragraph (c) of this Section 8 or (ii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party. After such notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party, the indemnifying party will not be liable for the costs and expenses of any settlement of such action effected by such indemnified party without the prior written consent of the indemnifying party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), unless such indemnified party waived in writing its rights under this Section 8, in which case the indemnified party may effect such a settlement without such consent.

(e) In circumstances in which the indemnity agreement provided for in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 8 is unavailable to, or insufficient to hold harmless, an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (other than by virtue of the failure of an indemnified party to notify the indemnifying party of its right to indemnification pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 8, where such failure materially prejudices the indemnifying party (through the forfeiture of substantial rights or defenses)), each indemnifying party, in order to provide for just and equitable contribution, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by the foregoing clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other in connection with the statements or omissions or alleged statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof). The relative benefits received by the Issuer and the Guarantors on the one hand and such Participant on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion that the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) of the Securities received by the Issuer bear to the total discounts and commissions received by such Participant in connection with the sale of the Securities (or if such Participant did not receive discounts or commissions, the value or receiving the Securities). The relative fault of the parties shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Issuer on the one hand, or the Participants on the other, the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission or alleged statement or omission, and any other equitable considerations appropriate in the circumstances. The parties agree that it would not be equitable if the amount of such contribution were determined by pro rata or per capita allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph (e). Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph (e), no Participant shall be obligated to make contributions hereunder that in the aggregate exceed the total discounts, commissions and other compensation or net proceeds on the sale of Securities received by such Participant in connection with the sale of the Securities, less the aggregate amount of any damages that such Participant has otherwise been required to pay by reason of the untrue or alleged untrue statements or the omissions or alleged omissions to state a material fact, and no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this paragraph (e), each person, if any, who controls a

 

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Participant within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Participants, and each director and officer of the Issuer and the Guarantors and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer and the Guarantors within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Issuer.

 

  9. Rules 144 and 144A

The Issuer covenants and agrees that it will use reasonable best efforts to file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted by the SEC thereunder in a timely manner in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and, if at any time the Issuer is not required to file such reports, the Issuer will, upon the request of any Holder or beneficial owner of Registrable Securities, make available such information necessary to permit sales pursuant to Rule 144A. The Issuer further covenants and agrees, for so long as any Registrable Securities remain outstanding that it will take such further action as any Holder of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such holder to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144(k) and Rule 144A unless the Issuer is then subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and reports filed thereunder satisfy the information requirements of Rule 144A then in effect.

 

  10. Underwritten Registrations

The Issuer shall not be required to assist in an underwritten offering unless requested by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities. If any of the Registrable Securities covered by any Shelf Registration are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the underwriters and managers that will manage the offering will be selected by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Registrable Securities included in such offering and shall be reasonably acceptable to the Issuer.

No Holder of Registrable Securities may participate in any underwritten registration hereunder unless such Holder (a) agrees to sell such Holder’s Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements and (b) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

 

  11. Miscellaneous

(a) No Inconsistent Agreements . The Issuer has not as of the date hereof, and the Issuer shall not, after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to any of its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. The rights granted to the Holders hereunder do not in any way conflict with and are not inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the Issuer other issued and outstanding securities under any such agreements. The Issuer will not enter into any agreement with respect to any of its securities which will grant to any Person “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to any Registration Statement.

(b) Adjustments Affecting Registrable Securities . The Issuer shall not, directly or indirectly, take any action with respect to the Registrable Securities as a class that would adversely affect the ability of the Holders of Registrable Securities to include such Registrable Securities in a registration undertaken pursuant to this Agreement.

 

-20-


(c) Amendments and Waivers . The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, otherwise than with the prior written consent of (i) the Issuer, and (ii) (a) the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Registrable Securities and (b) in circumstances that would adversely affect the Participating Broker-Dealers, the Participating Broker-Dealers holding not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Exchange Notes held by all Participating Broker-Dealers; provided , however , that Section 8 and this Section 11(c) may not be amended, modified or supplemented without the prior written consent of each Holder and each Participating Broker-Dealer (including any person who was a Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer of Registrable Securities or Exchange Securities, as the case may be, disposed of pursuant to any Registration Statement) affected by any such amendment, modification or supplement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders of Registrable Securities whose securities are being sold pursuant to a Registration Statement and that does not directly or indirectly affect, impair, limit or compromise the rights of other Holders of Registrable Securities may be given by Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Registrable Securities being sold pursuant to such Registration Statement.

(d) Notices . All notices and other communications (including, without limitation, any notices or other communications to the Trustee) provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, registered first-class mail, next-day air courier or facsimile:

(i) if to a Holder of the Registrable Securities or any Participating Broker-Dealer, at the most current address of such Holder or Participating Broker-Dealer, as the case may be, set forth on the records of the registrar under the Indenture, with a copy in like manner to the Initial Purchasers as follows:

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich St.

New York, New York 10013

Facsimile No.: (212)816-7912

Attention: General Counsel

with a copy to:

Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP

80 Pine Street

New York, New York 10005

Facsimile No.: (212) 269-5420

Attention: Ann Makich, Esq.

(ii) if to the Initial Purchasers, at the address specified in Section 11(d)(i);

(iii) if to the Issuer, at the address as follows:

First Data Corporation

6200 South Quebec Street

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

Fax No.: (303) 889-6615

Attention: General Counsel

 

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with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Ave.

New York, New York 10017

Facsimile No.: (212) 455-2502

Attention: Richard Fenyes, Esq.

All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given: when delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; one Business Day after being timely delivered to a next-day air courier; and upon written confirmation, if sent by facsimile.

Copies of all such notices, demands or other communications shall be concurrently delivered by the Person giving the same to the Trustee at the address and in the manner specified in such Indenture.

(e) Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto, the Holders and the Participating Broker-Dealers; provided , however , that nothing herein shall be deemed to permit any assignment, transfer or other disposition of Registrable Securities in violation of the terms of the Purchase Agreement or the Indenture.

(f) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

(g) Headings . The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

(h) GOVERNING LAW . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.

(i) Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their best efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

(j) Notes Held by the Issuer or Its Affiliates . Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of Registrable Securities is required hereunder, Registrable Securities held by the Issuer or its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) shall not be counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such required percentage.

 

-22-


(k) Third-Party Beneficiaries . Holders of Registrable Securities and Participating Broker-Dealers are intended third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement, and this Agreement may be enforced by such Persons.

(l) Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with the Purchase Agreement and the Indenture, is intended by the parties as a final and exclusive statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein and therein and any and all prior oral or written agreements, representations, or warranties, contracts, understandings, correspondence, conversations and memoranda between the Holders on the one hand and the Issuer on the other, or between or among any agents, representatives, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, predecessors in interest or successors in interest with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof are merged herein and replaced hereby.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

Very truly yours,
FIRST DATA CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCIATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.

 

-23-


CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION
FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SERVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTHEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITTSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC

 

-2-


FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.
ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES

 

-3-


UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President

 

-4-


EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
FDR LIMITED, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Jon E. Vantyghem

Name:   Jon E. Vantghem
Title:   Secretary
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION-MICHIGAN, LLC
By:  

/s/ Brian V. Mooney

Name:   Brian V. Mooney
Title:   President

 

-5-


The foregoing Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the
date first above written.
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
HSBC SECURITIES (USA) INC.
LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED
By: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
By:  

/s/ Caesar W. Wyszomirjki

Name:   Caesar W. Wyszomirjki
Title:   Director
For itself, and as Representative of the other
several Initial Purchasers.

 

-6-


SCHEDULE I

THE GUARANTORS

Atlantic Bankcard Properties Corporation

CallTeleservices, Inc.

Cardservice International, Inc.

Concord Emerging Technologies, Inc.

Concord Equipment Sales, Inc.

Concord Payment Services, Inc.

Concord Transaction Services, LLC

CTS Holdings, LLC

CTS, Inc.

EFS Transportation Services, Inc.

EFTLogix, Inc.

First Data Card Solutions, Inc.

First Data Merchant Services Corporation

First Data Retail ATM Services L.P.

First Data Voice Services

FundsXpress Financial Network, Inc.

Gibbs Management Group, Inc.

Gift Card Services, Inc.

H & F Services, Inc.

Intelligent Results, Inc.

IPS Inc.

JOT, Inc.

Linkpoint International, Inc.

New Payment Services, Inc.

PaySys International, Inc.

POS Holdings, Inc.

Shared Global Systems, Inc.

Size Technologies, Inc.

Southern Telecheck, Inc.

TASQ Technology, Inc.

Technology Solutions International, Inc.

TeleCheck Holdings, Inc.

TeleCheck International, Inc.

TeleCheck Pittsburgh/West Virginia, Inc.

Unified Merchant Services

Achex, Inc.

Atlantic States Bankcard Association, Inc.

B1 PTI Services, Inc.

Bankcard Investigative Group Inc.

Business Office Services, Inc.

BUYPASS Inco Corporation

Call Interactive Holdings LLC

Cardservice Delaware, Inc.

CESI Holdings, Inc.

CIFS Corporation


CIFS LLC

Concord Computing Corporation

Concord Corporate Services, Inc.

Concord EFS Financial Services, Inc.

Concord EFS, Inc.

Concord Financial Technologies, Inc.

Concord NN, LLC

Concord One, LLC

Concord Processing, Inc.

Credit Performance Inc.

DDA Payment Services, LLC

DW Holdings, Inc.

EPSF Corporation

FDC International Inc.

FDFS Holdings, LLC

FDMS Partner, Inc.

FDR Interactive Technologies Corporation

FDR Ireland Limited

FDR Limited

FDR Missouri Inc.

FDR Signet Inc.

FDR Subsidiary Corp.

First Data Aviation LLC

First Data Capital, Inc.

First Data Commercial Services Holdings, Inc.

First Data Communications Corporation

First Data Corporation

First Data Digital Certificates Inc.

First Data Financial Services, L.L.C.

First Data Integrated Services Inc.

First Data Latin America Inc.

First Data Merchant Services Northeast, LLC

First Data Merchant Services Southeast, L.L.C.

First Data Payment Services, LLC

First Data Pittsburgh Alliance Partner Inc.

First Data PS Acquisition Inc.

First Data Real Estate Holdings L.L.C.

First Data Resources, LLC

First Data Secure LLC

First Data Solutions L.L.C.

First Data Technologies, Inc.

First Data, L.L.C.

FSM Services Inc.

FundsXpress, Inc.

FX Securities, Inc.

Gratitude Holdings LLC

ICVerify Inc.

IDLogix, Inc.

Initial Merchant Services, LLC

Instant Cash Services, LLC

IPS Holdings Inc.

 

-2-


LoyaltyCo LLC

MAS Inco Corporation

MAS Ohio Corporation

National Payment Systems Inc.

NPSF Corporation

PayPoint Electronic Payment Systems, LLC

QSAT Financial, LLC

REMITCO LLC

Sagebrush Holdings Inc.

Sagetown Holdings Inc.

Sageville Holdings LLC

Star Networks, Inc.

Star Processing, Inc.

Star Systems Assets, Inc.

Star Systems, Inc.

Star Systems, LLC

Strategic Investment Alternatives LLC

SurePay Real Estate Holdings, Inc.

SY Holdings, Inc.

TASQ Corporation

TeleCheck Acquisition LLC

TeleCheck Acquisition-Michigan, LLC

TeleCheck Services, Inc.

Transaction Solutions Holdings, Inc.

Transaction Solutions, LLC

Unibex, LLC

Unified Partner, Inc.

ValueLink, LLC

Virtual Financial Services, LLC

Yclip, LLC

 

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EXHIBIT 10.15

SENIOR SUBORDINATED GUARANTEE

THIS SENIOR SUBORDINATED GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007, by each of the signatories listed on the signature pages hereto and each of the other entities that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 20 (the “ Guarantors ” and individually, a “ Guarantor ”), in favor of Citibank, N.A. as the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties.

WITNESSETH :

WHEREAS, reference is made to that certain Senior Subordinated Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Loan Agreement ”) among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, pursuant to which, among other things, the Lenders have severally agreed to make Loans to the Company (the “ Extensions of Credit ”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor is a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company;

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Extensions of Credit will be used in part to enable valuable transfers to the Guarantors in connection with the operation of their respective businesses;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor acknowledges that it will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the making of the Extensions of Credit; and

WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement that the Guarantors shall have executed and delivered this Guarantee to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and to induce the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into the Loan Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement, the Guarantors hereby agree with the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties, as follows:

1. Defined Terms .

(a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.


(b) The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Guarantee shall refer to this Guarantee as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Guarantee, and Section references are to Sections of this Guarantee unless otherwise specified. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.

(c) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.

2. Guarantee .

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 2(b), each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally and irrevocably, guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties, the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations of anyone other than such Guarantor (including amounts that would become due for operation of the automatic stay under 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)).

(b) Anything herein or in any other Loan Document to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum liability of each Guarantor hereunder and under the other Loan Documents shall in no event exceed the amount that can be guaranteed by such Guarantor under the Bankruptcy Code or any applicable laws relating to fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers or the insolvency of debtors.

(c) Each Guarantor further agrees to pay any and all expenses (including all reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that may be paid or incurred by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party in enforcing, or obtaining advice of counsel in respect of, any rights with respect to, or collecting, any or all of the Obligations and/or enforcing any rights with respect to, or collecting against, such Guarantor under this Guarantee.

(d) Each Guarantor agrees that the Obligations may at any time and from time to time exceed the amount of the liability of such Guarantor hereunder without impairing this Guarantee or affecting the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party hereunder.

(e) No payment or payments made by the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person or received or collected by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party from the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person by virtue of any action or proceeding or any set-off or appropriation or application at any time or from time to time in reduction of or in payment of the Obligations shall be deemed to modify, reduce, release or otherwise affect the liability of any Guarantor hereunder, which shall, notwithstanding any such payment or payments, other than payments made by such Guarantor in respect of the Obligations or payments received or collected from such Guarantor in


respect of the Obligations, remain liable for the Obligations up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder until the Obligations under the Loan Documents are paid in full and the Commitments are terminated.

(f) Each Guarantor agrees that whenever, at any time, or from time to time, it shall make any payment to the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party on account of its liability hereunder, it will notify the Administrative Agent in writing that such payment is made under this Guarantee for such purpose.

3. Right of Contribution . Each Guarantor hereby agrees that to the extent that a Guarantor shall have paid more than its proportionate share of any payment made hereunder (including by way of set-off rights being exercised against it), such Guarantor shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against any other Guarantor hereunder who has not paid its proportionate share of such payment. Each Guarantor ’s right of contribution shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Section 5 hereof. The provisions of this Section 3 shall in no respect limit the obligations and liabilities of any Guarantor to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, and each Guarantor shall remain liable to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder.

4. Right of Set-off . In addition to any rights and remedies of the Guaranteed Parties provided by law, each Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes each Guaranteed Party at any time and from time to time following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, without notice to such Guarantor or any other Guarantor, any such notice being expressly waived by each Guarantor, upon any amount becoming due and payable by such Guarantor hereunder (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), to set-off and appropriate and apply against such amount any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final), in any currency, and any other credits, indebtedness or claims, in any currency, in each case whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, at any time held or owing by such Guaranteed Party to or for the credit or the account of such Guarantor (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Settlement Assets). Each Guaranteed Party shall notify such Guarantor promptly of any such set-off and the appropriation and application made by such Guaranteed Party, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.

5. No Subrogation . Notwithstanding any payment or payments made by any of the Guarantors hereunder or any set-off or appropriation and application of funds of any of the Guarantors by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, no Guarantor shall be entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights (or if subrogated by operation of law, such Guarantor hereby waives such rights to the extent permitted by applicable law) of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party against the Company or any Guarantor or any collateral security or guarantee or right of offset held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party for the payment of any of the Obligations, nor shall any Guarantor seek or be entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from the Company or any Guarantor or other guarantor


in respect of payments made by such Guarantor hereunder, in each case, until all amounts owing to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties on account of the Obligations under the Loan Documents are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor on account of such subrogation rights at any time when all the Obligations shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held by such Guarantor in trust for the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, segregated from other funds of such Guarantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by such Guarantor, be turned over to the Administrative Agent in the exact form received by such Guarantor (duly indorsed by such Guarantor to the Administrative Agent, if required), to be applied against the Obligations, whether due or to become due, in such order as the Administrative Agent may determine.

6. Amendments, etc. with Respect to the Obligations; Waiver of Rights . Each Guarantor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of rights against any Guarantor and without notice to or further assent by any Guarantor, (a) any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party may be rescinded by such party and any of the Obligations continued, (b) the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or released by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, (c) the Loan Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders, as the case may be) may deem advisable from time to time, and (d) any collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party for the payment of any of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or released. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Guaranteed Party shall have any obligation to protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the Obligations or for this Guarantee or any property subject thereto. When making any demand hereunder against any Guarantor, the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar demand on the Company or any Guarantor or any other person, and any failure by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to make any such demand or to collect any payments from the Company or any Guarantor or any other person or any release of the Company or any Guarantor or any other person shall not relieve any Guarantor in respect of which a demand or collection is not made or any Guarantor not so released of its several obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party against any Guarantor. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.

7. Guarantee Absolute and Unconditional .

(a) Each Guarantor waives any and all notice of the creation, contraction, incurrence, renewal, extension, amendment, waiver or accrual of any of the Obligations, and notice of or proof of reliance by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party upon this


Guarantee or acceptance of this Guarantee. All Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended, waived or accrued, in reliance upon this Guarantee, and all dealings between the Company and any of the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, on the other hand, likewise shall be conclusively presumed to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this Guarantee. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor waives diligence, promptness, presentment, protest and notice of protest, demand for payment or performance, notice of default or nonpayment, notice of acceptance and any other notice in respect of the Obligations or any part of them, and any defense arising by reason of any disability or other defense of the Company or any of the Guarantors with respect to the Obligations. Each Guarantor understands and agrees that this Guarantee shall be construed as a continuing, absolute and unconditional guarantee of payment without regard to (a) the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Loan Agreement, any other Loan Document, any of the Obligations or any collateral security therefor or guarantee or right of offset with respect thereto at any time or from time to time held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, (b) any defense, set-off or counterclaim (other than a defense of payment or performance) that may at any time be available to or be asserted by the Company against the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party or (c) any other circumstance whatsoever (with or without notice to or knowledge of the Company or such Guarantor ) that constitutes, or might be construed to constitute, an equitable or legal discharge of the Company for the Obligations, or of such Guarantor under this Guarantee, in bankruptcy or in any other instance. When pursuing its rights and remedies hereunder against any Guarantor, the Administrative Agent and any other Guaranteed Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, pursue such rights and remedies as it may have against the Company or any other Person or against any collateral security or guarantee for the Obligations or any right of offset with respect thereto, and any failure by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to pursue such other rights or remedies or to collect any payments from the Company or any such other Person or to realize upon any such collateral security or guarantee or to exercise any such right of offset, or any release of the Company or any such other Person or any such collateral security, guarantee or right of offset, shall not relieve such Guarantor of any liability hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, whether express, implied or available as a matter of law, of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties against such Guarantor.

(b) This Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its terms upon each Guarantor and the successors and assigns thereof and shall inure to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties and their respective successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns until all Obligations (other than any contingent indemnity obligations not then due) shall have been satisfied by payment in full, the Commitments thereunder shall be terminated, notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of the Loan Agreement, the Loan Parties may be free from any Obligations.

(c) A Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the Guarantee of such Guarantor shall be automatically released under the circumstances described in Section 13.1 of the Loan Agreement.


8. Reinstatement . This Guarantee shall continue to be effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any of the Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the Company or any Guarantor, or upon or as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor or conservator of, or trustee or similar officer for, the Company or any Guarantor or any substantial part of its property, or otherwise, all as though such payments had not been made.

9. Payments . Each Guarantor hereby guarantees that payments hereunder will be paid to the Administrative Agent without set-off or counterclaim in Dollars at the Administrative Agent’s Office. Each Guarantor agrees that the provisions of Sections 5.4 and 13.19 of the Loan Agreement shall apply to such Guarantor’s obligations under this Guarantee.

10. Representations and Warranties; Covenants .

(a) Each Guarantor hereby represents and warrants that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 8 of the Loan Agreement as they relate to such Guarantor and in the other Loan Documents to which such Guarantor is a party, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date (except where such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date), and the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party shall be entitled to rely on each of them as if they were fully set forth herein.

(b) Each Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees with the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party that, from and after the date of this Guarantee until the Obligations are paid in full and the Commitments are terminated, such Guarantor shall take, or shall refrain from taking, as the case may be, all actions that are necessary to be taken or not taken so that no violation of any provision, covenant or agreement contained in Section 9 or Section 10 of the Loan Agreement and so that no Default or Event of Default, is caused by any act or failure to act of such Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries.

11. Authority of the Administrative Agent .

(a) The Administrative Agent enters into this Guarantee in its capacity as agent for the Guaranteed Parties from time to time. The rights and obligations of the Administrative Agent under this Guarantee at any time are the rights and obligations of the Guaranteed Parties at that time. Each of the Guaranteed Parties has (subject to the terms of the Loan Documents) a several entitlement to each such right, and a several liability in respect of each such obligation, in the proportions described in the Loan Documents. The rights, remedies and discretions of the Guaranteed Parties, or any of them, under this Guarantee may be exercised by the Administrative Agent. No party to this Guarantee is obliged to inquire whether an exercise by the Administrative Agent of any such right, remedy or discretion is within the Administrative Agent’s authority as agent for the Guaranteed Parties.


(b) Each party to this Guarantee acknowledges and agrees that any changes (in accordance with the provisions of the Loan Documents) in the identity of the persons from time to time comprising the Guaranteed Parties gives rise to an equivalent change in the Guaranteed Parties, without any further act. Upon such an occurrence, the persons then comprising the Guaranteed Parties are vested with the rights, remedies and discretions and assume the obligations of the Guaranteed Parties under this Guarantee. Each party to this Guarantee irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to give effect to the change in Lenders contemplated in this Section 11(b) by countersigning an Assignment and Acceptance.

12. Subordination of Guarantees

(a) The Company agrees, and each of the Administrative Agent and other Guaranteed Parties agrees, that the obligations of each Guarantor under this Guarantee are subordinated in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Section 12, to the prior payment in full of all existing and future Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor and that the subordination is for the benefit of and enforceable by the holders of such Senior Indebtedness. A Guarantor’s obligations under this Guarantee shall in all respects rank pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future Senior Subordinated Indebtedness of such Guarantor and only Indebtedness of the Company that is Senior Indebtedness shall rank senior to the obligations of such Guarantor under this Guarantee in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.

(b) Upon any payment or distribution of the assets of a Guarantor to creditors upon a total or partial liquidation or a total or partial dissolution of such Guarantor, or in a reorganization of or similar proceeding relating to such Guarantor or its property:

(i) the holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor shall be entitled to receive payment in full in cash of such Senior Indebtedness before Guaranteed Parties shall be entitled to receive any payment; and

(ii) until the Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor is paid in full in cash, any payment or distribution to which Guaranteed Parties would be entitled but for the subordination provisions of this Guarantee shall be made to holders of such Senior Indebtedness as their interests may appear, except that Guaranteed Parties may receive Permitted Junior Securities.

(c) A Guarantor shall not make any payment pursuant to its Guarantee (or pay any other Obligations relating to its Guarantee, including fees, costs, expenses, indemnities and rescission or damage claims) and may not purchase, redeem or otherwise retire any Loans (collectively, “ pay Guarantee ”) (except in the form of Permitted Junior Securities) if either of the following occurs (a “ Payment Default ”):

(i) any Obligation on any Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor is not paid in full in cash when due (after giving effect to any applicable grace period); or


(ii) any other default on Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor occurs and the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness is accelerated in accordance with its terms;

unless, in either case, the Payment Default has been cured or waived and any such acceleration has been rescinded or such Designated Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash; provided , however , that such Guarantor shall be entitled to pay its Guarantee without regard to the foregoing if such Guarantor and the Administrative Agent receive written notice approving such payment from the Representatives of all Designated Senior Indebtedness with respect to which the Guarantor Payment Default has occurred and is continuing.

During the continuance of any default (other than a Payment Default) (a “ Non- Payment Default ”) with respect to any Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be accelerated without further notice (except such notice as may be required to effect such acceleration) or the expiration of any applicable grace periods, such Guarantor shall not pay its Guarantee (except in the form of Permitted Junior Securities) for a period (a “ Guarantor Payment Blockage Period ”) commencing upon the receipt by the Administrative Agent (with a copy to such Guarantor) of written notice (a “ Guarantee Blockage Notice ”) of such Non-Payment Default from the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness specifying an election to effect a Guarantee Payment Blockage Period and ending 179 days thereafter. So long as there shall remain outstanding any Senior Indebtedness under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, a Guarantee Blockage Notice may be given only by the administrative agent thereunder unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the requisite lenders named therein. The Guarantee Payment Blockage Period shall end earlier if such Guarantee Payment Blockage Period is terminated (i) by written notice to the Administrative Agent, the relevant Guarantor and such Guarantor from the Person or Persons who gave such Guarantee Blockage Notice; (ii) because the default giving rise to such Blockage Notice is cured, waived or otherwise no longer continuing; or (iii) because such Designated Senior Indebtedness has been discharged or repaid in full in cash.

Notwithstanding the provisions described in the immediately preceding two sentences (but subject to the provisions contained in the first sentence of this Section 12(c) and Section 12(d) hereof), unless the holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness shall have accelerated the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or a Payment Default has occurred and is continuing, the relevant Guarantor shall be entitled to resume paying its Guarantee after the end of such Guarantee Payment Blockage Period. The Guarantee of each Guarantor shall not be subject to more than one Guarantee Payment Blockage Period in any consecutive 360-day period irrespective of the number of defaults with respect to Designated Senior Indebtedness of the relevant Guarantor during such period; provided that if any Guarantee Blockage Notice is delivered to the Administrative Agent by or on behalf of the holders of Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor (other than the holders of Indebtedness under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement), a Representative of holders of Indebtedness under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement may give another Guarantee Blockage Notice within such period. However, in no event shall the total number of days during which any such Guarantor Payment Blockage Period or Periods on a Guarantee is in effect exceed 179 days in the aggregate during any consecutive 360-day period, and there must be at least 181 days during any consecutive 360-day period during which no Guarantee Payment


Blockage Period is in effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, no default that existed or was continuing on the date of delivery of any Guarantee Blockage Notice to the Administrative Agent shall be, or be made, the basis for a subsequent Guarantee Blockage Notice unless such default shall have been waived for a period of not less than 90 days (it being acknowledged that any subsequent action, or any breach of any financial covenants during the period after the date of delivery of a Guarantee Blockage Notice, that, in either case, would give rise to a Non- Payment Default pursuant to any provisions under which a Non- Payment Default previously existed or was continuing shall constitute a new Non- Payment Default for this purpose).

(d) If payment of the Loans is accelerated because of an Event of Default, the Company shall promptly notify the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness of the Company or such Guarantor shall, or shall cause the Representative of such Designated Senior Indebtedness of such demand; provided that any failure to give such notice shall have no effect whatsoever on the provisions of this Section 12. If any Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor is outstanding, such Guarantor may not pay its Guarantee until five Business Days after the Representatives of each Designated Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor receive notice of such acceleration and, thereafter, such Guarantor may pay its Guarantee only if this Section 12 otherwise permits payment at that time.

(e) If a distribution is made to Guaranteed Parties that, due to the subordination provisions of this Section 12, should not have been made to them, such Guaranteed Parties are required to hold it in trust for the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company and pay it over to them as their interests may appear.

(f) After all Senior Indebtedness of the Company is paid in full and until the Loans are paid in full, Lenders shall be subrogated to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company to receive distributions applicable to such Senior Indebtedness. A distribution made under this Section 12 to holders of such Senior Indebtedness which otherwise would have been made to Lenders is not, as between the Company and Lenders, a payment by the Company on such Senior Indebtedness.

(g) This Section 12 defines the relative rights of the Guaranteed Parties and holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor. Nothing in this Guarantee shall:

(i) impair, as between such Guarantor and the Guaranteed Parties, the obligation of such Guarantor, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay principal of and interest on its Guarantee in accordance with their terms;

(ii) prevent the Administrative Agent or any Guaranteed Party from exercising its available remedies upon a default, subject to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor to receive payments or distributions otherwise payable to the Guaranteed Parties and such other rights of such holders of Senior Indebtedness as set forth herein; or

(iii) affect the relative rights of the Guaranteed Parties and creditors of such Guarantor other than their rights in relation to holders of Senior Indebtedness.


(h) No right of any holder of Senior Indebtedness of a Guarantor to enforce the subordination of the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee shall be impaired by any act or failure to act by such Guarantor or by its failure to comply with this Guarantee.

(i) Whenever a distribution is to be made or a notice given to holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Guarantor, the distribution may be made and the notice given to their Representative (if any).

(j) The failure of a Guarantor to make a payment pursuant to its Guarantee by reason of any provision in this Section 12 shall not be construed as preventing the occurrence of a default by such Guarantor under its Guarantee. Nothing in this Section 12 shall have any effect on the right of the Guaranteed Parties or the Administrative Agent to make a demand for payment on a Guarantor pursuant to this Guarantee.

(k) The Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties, acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing subordination provisions are, and are intended to be, an inducement and a consideration to each holder of any Senior Indebtedness of a Guarantor, whether such Senior Indebtedness was created or acquired before or after the Closing Date, to acquire and continue to hold, or to continue to hold, such Senior Indebtedness and such holder of such Senior Indebtedness shall be deemed conclusively to have relied on such subordination provisions in acquiring and continuing to hold, or in continuing to hold, such Senior Indebtedness.

Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness of a Guarantor may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders, without incurring responsibility to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Section 12 or the obligations hereunder of the Guaranteed Parties to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of the Company, do any one or more of the following:

(1) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor, or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor is outstanding;

(2) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Indebtedness of the Company;

(3) release any Person liable in any manner for the payment or collection of Senior Indebtedness of the Company; and

(4) exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Company and any other Person.

13. Notices . All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement.


14. Counterparts . This Guarantee may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Guarantee on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Guarantee signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Administrative Agent and the Company.

15. Severability . Any provision of this Guarantee that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

16. Integration . This Guarantee together with the other Loan Documents represent the agreement of each Guarantor and the Administrative Agent with respect to the subject matter hereof, and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Loan Documents.

17. Amendments in Writing; No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies .

(a) None of the terms or provisions of this Guarantee may be waived, amended, supplemented or otherwise modified except in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Loan Agreement.

(b) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Guaranteed Party shall by any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to Section 17(a)), delay, indulgence, omission or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy hereunder or to have acquiesced in any Default or Event of Default or in any breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that the Administrative Agent or any Guaranteed Party would otherwise have on any future occasion.


(c) The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative, may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies provided by law.

18. Section Headings . The Section headings used in this Guarantee are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.

19. Successors and Assigns . This Guarantee shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of each Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties and their respective successors and assigns except that no Guarantor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Guarantee without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent.

20. Additional Guarantors . Each Subsidiary of the Company that is required to become a party to this Guarantee pursuant to Section 9.13 of the Loan Agreement shall become a Guarantor, with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Guarantor herein, for all purposes of this Guarantee, upon execution and delivery by such Subsidiary of a written supplement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto. The execution and delivery of any instrument adding an additional Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee shall not require the consent of any other Guarantor hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee.

21. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH GUARANTOR HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS GUARANTEE, ANY OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.

22. Submission to Jurisdiction; Waivers; Service of Process . Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:

(a) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Guarantee and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York, the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York and appellate courts from any thereof;

(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;


(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Guarantor in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in the Loan Agreement, and such Person hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Company to accept such service on its behalf;

(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to sue in any other jurisdiction; and

(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section 22 any special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages.

23. GOVERNING LAW . THIS GUARANTEE AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

[Signature pages follow]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Guarantee to be duly executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer or other representative as of the day and year first above written.

 

The following entities, each as Guarantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION


FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SRVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITSSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.


ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES
UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC

 

By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary


The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC
By:  

/s/ Lee H. Pint

Name:   Lee H. Pint
Title:   Assistant Secretary


FDR LIMITED, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ David G. Yates

Name:   David G. Yates
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President
CITIBANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By:  

/s/ Edward T. Crook

Name:   Edward T. Crook
Title:   Managing Director


ANNEX A TO

THE SENIOR SUBORDINATED GUARANTEE

SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ] dated as of [                    ] to the GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007 (the “ Supplement ”), among each of the Guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto (each such subsidiary individually, a “ Guarantor ” and, collectively, the “ Guarantors ”), and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent for the Lenders from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement referred to below.

A. Reference is made to that certain Senior Subordinated Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Loan Agreement ”), among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent and as Administrative Agent

B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Guarantee.

C. The Guarantors have entered into the Guarantee in order to induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into the Loan Agreement and to induce the Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement.

D. Section 9.13 of the Loan Agreement and Section 19 of the Guarantee provide that additional Subsidiaries may become Guarantors under the Guarantee by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. Each undersigned Subsidiary (each a “ New Guarantor ”) is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of the Loan Agreement to become a Guarantor under the Guarantee in order to induce the Lenders and as consideration for Extensions of Credit previously made.

Accordingly, the Administrative Agent and each New Guarantor agrees as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 19 of the Guarantee, each New Guarantor by its signature below becomes a Guarantor under the Guarantee with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Guarantor, and each New Guarantor hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Guarantee applicable to it as a Guarantor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Guarantor thereunder are true and correct on and as of the date hereof (except where such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date). Each reference to a Guarantor in the Guarantee shall be deemed to include each New Guarantor. The Guarantee is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. Each New Guarantor represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed


and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.

SECTION 3. This Supplement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Supplement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Supplement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Company and the Administrative Agent. This Supplement shall become effective as to each New Guarantor when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of such New Guarantor and the Administrative Agent.

SECTION 4. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 5. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 6. Any provision of this Supplement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof and in the Guarantee, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 7. All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to each New Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each New Guarantor and the Administrative Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Guarantee as of the day and year first above written.

 

[NAME OF NEW GUARANTOR ]

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

CITIBANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

EXHIBIT 10.16

SENIOR UNSECURED GUARANTEE

THIS SENIOR UNSECURED GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007, by each of the signatories listed on the signature pages hereto and each of the other entities that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 19 (the “ Guarantors ” and individually, a “ Guarantor ”), in favor of Citibank, N.A. as the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties.

WITNESSETH :

WHEREAS, reference is made to that certain Senior Unsecured Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Loan Agreement ”) among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, pursuant to which, among other things, the Lenders have severally agreed to make Loans to the Company (the “ Extensions of Credit ”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor is a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company;

WHEREAS, the proceeds of the Extensions of Credit will be used in part to enable valuable transfers to the Guarantors in connection with the operation of their respective businesses;

WHEREAS, each Guarantor acknowledges that it will derive substantial direct and indirect benefit from the making of the Extensions of Credit; and

WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the obligation of the Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement that the Guarantors shall have executed and delivered this Guarantee to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and to induce the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into the Loan Agreement and to induce the respective Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement, the Guarantors hereby agree with the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties, as follows:

1. Defined Terms .

(a) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.


(b) The words “hereof”, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Guarantee shall refer to this Guarantee as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Guarantee, and Section references are to Sections of this Guarantee unless otherwise specified. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.

(c) The meanings given to terms defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms.

2. Guarantee .

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 2(b), each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally and irrevocably, guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Guaranteed Parties, the prompt and complete payment and performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of the Obligations of anyone other than such Guarantor (including amounts that would become due for operation of the automatic stay under 362(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 362(a)).

(b) Anything herein or in any other Loan Document to the contrary notwithstanding, the maximum liability of each Guarantor hereunder and under the other Loan Documents shall in no event exceed the amount that can be guaranteed by such Guarantor under the Bankruptcy Code or any applicable laws relating to fraudulent conveyances, fraudulent transfers or the insolvency of debtors.

(c) Each Guarantor further agrees to pay any and all expenses (including all reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that may be paid or incurred by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party in enforcing, or obtaining advice of counsel in respect of, any rights with respect to, or collecting, any or all of the Obligations and/or enforcing any rights with respect to, or collecting against, such Guarantor under this Guarantee.

(d) Each Guarantor agrees that the Obligations may at any time and from time to time exceed the amount of the liability of such Guarantor hereunder without impairing this Guarantee or affecting the rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party hereunder.

(e) No payment or payments made by the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person or received or collected by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party from the Company, any of the Guarantors, any other guarantor or any other Person by virtue of any action or proceeding or any set-off or appropriation or application at any time or from time to time in reduction of or in payment of the Obligations shall be deemed to modify, reduce, release or otherwise affect the liability of any Guarantor hereunder, which shall, notwithstanding any such payment or payments, other than payments made by such Guarantor in respect of the Obligations or payments received or collected from such Guarantor in


respect of the Obligations, remain liable for the Obligations up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder until the Obligations under the Loan Documents are paid in full and the Commitments are terminated.

(f) Each Guarantor agrees that whenever, at any time, or from time to time, it shall make any payment to the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party on account of its liability hereunder, it will notify the Administrative Agent in writing that such payment is made under this Guarantee for such purpose.

3. Right of Contribution . Each Guarantor hereby agrees that to the extent that a Guarantor shall have paid more than its proportionate share of any payment made hereunder (including by way of set-off rights being exercised against it), such Guarantor shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against any other Guarantor hereunder who has not paid its proportionate share of such payment. Each Guarantor ’s right of contribution shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Section 5 hereof. The provisions of this Section 3 shall in no respect limit the obligations and liabilities of any Guarantor to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, and each Guarantor shall remain liable to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties up to the maximum liability of such Guarantor hereunder.

4. Right of Set-off . In addition to any rights and remedies of the Guaranteed Parties provided by law, each Guarantor hereby irrevocably authorizes each Guaranteed Party at any time and from time to time following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, without notice to such Guarantor or any other Guarantor, any such notice being expressly waived by each Guarantor, upon any amount becoming due and payable by such Guarantor hereunder (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), to set-off and appropriate and apply against such amount any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final), in any currency, and any other credits, indebtedness or claims, in any currency, in each case whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, at any time held or owing by such Guaranteed Party to or for the credit or the account of such Guarantor (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Settlement Assets). Each Guaranteed Party shall notify such Guarantor promptly of any such set-off and the appropriation and application made by such Guaranteed Party, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such set-off and application.

5. No Subrogation . Notwithstanding any payment or payments made by any of the Guarantors hereunder or any set-off or appropriation and application of funds of any of the Guarantors by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, no Guarantor shall be entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights (or if subrogated by operation of law, such Guarantor hereby waives such rights to the extent permitted by applicable law) of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party against the Company or any Guarantor or any collateral security or guarantee or right of offset held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party for the payment of any of the Obligations, nor shall any Guarantor seek or be entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from the Company or any Guarantor or other guarantor


in respect of payments made by such Guarantor hereunder, in each case, until all amounts owing to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties on account of the Obligations under the Loan Documents are paid in full, the Commitments are terminated. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor on account of such subrogation rights at any time when all the Obligations shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held by such Guarantor in trust for the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, segregated from other funds of such Guarantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by such Guarantor, be turned over to the Administrative Agent in the exact form received by such Guarantor (duly indorsed by such Guarantor to the Administrative Agent, if required), to be applied against the Obligations, whether due or to become due, in such order as the Administrative Agent may determine.

6. Amendments, etc. with Respect to the Obligations; Waiver of Rights . Each Guarantor shall remain obligated hereunder notwithstanding that, without any reservation of rights against any Guarantor and without notice to or further assent by any Guarantor, (a) any demand for payment of any of the Obligations made by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party may be rescinded by such party and any of the Obligations continued, (b) the Obligations, or the liability of any other party upon or for any part thereof, or any collateral security or guarantee therefor or right of offset with respect thereto, may, from time to time, in whole or in part, be renewed, extended, amended, modified, accelerated, compromised, waived, surrendered or released by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, (c) the Loan Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and any other documents executed and delivered in connection therewith may be amended, modified, supplemented or terminated, in whole or in part, as the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders, as the case may be) may deem advisable from time to time, and (d) any collateral security, guarantee or right of offset at any time held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party for the payment of any of the Obligations may be sold, exchanged, waived, surrendered or released. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Guaranteed Party shall have any obligation to protect, secure, perfect or insure any Lien at any time held by it as security for the Obligations or for this Guarantee or any property subject thereto. When making any demand hereunder against any Guarantor, the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, make a similar demand on the Company or any Guarantor or any other person, and any failure by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to make any such demand or to collect any payments from the Company or any Guarantor or any other person or any release of the Company or any Guarantor or any other person shall not relieve any Guarantor in respect of which a demand or collection is not made or any Guarantor not so released of its several obligations or liabilities hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, express or implied, or as a matter of law, of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party against any Guarantor. For the purposes hereof “demand” shall include the commencement and continuance of any legal proceedings.

7. Guarantee Absolute and Unconditional .

(a) Each Guarantor waives any and all notice of the creation, contraction, incurrence, renewal, extension, amendment, waiver or accrual of any of the Obligations, and notice of or proof of reliance by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party upon this


Guarantee or acceptance of this Guarantee. All Obligations shall conclusively be deemed to have been created, contracted or incurred, or renewed, extended, amended, waived or accrued, in reliance upon this Guarantee, and all dealings between the Company and any of the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties, on the other hand, likewise shall be conclusively presumed to have been had or consummated in reliance upon this Guarantee. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor waives diligence, promptness, presentment, protest and notice of protest, demand for payment or performance, notice of default or nonpayment, notice of acceptance and any other notice in respect of the Obligations or any part of them, and any defense arising by reason of any disability or other defense of the Company or any of the Guarantors with respect to the Obligations. Each Guarantor understands and agrees that this Guarantee shall be construed as a continuing, absolute and unconditional guarantee of payment without regard to (a) the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Loan Agreement, any other Loan Document, any of the Obligations or any collateral security therefor or guarantee or right of offset with respect thereto at any time or from time to time held by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, (b) any defense, set-off or counterclaim (other than a defense of payment or performance) that may at any time be available to or be asserted by the Company against the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party or (c) any other circumstance whatsoever (with or without notice to or knowledge of the Company or such Guarantor ) that constitutes, or might be construed to constitute, an equitable or legal discharge of the Company for the Obligations, or of such Guarantor under this Guarantee, in bankruptcy or in any other instance. When pursuing its rights and remedies hereunder against any Guarantor, the Administrative Agent and any other Guaranteed Party may, but shall be under no obligation to, pursue such rights and remedies as it may have against the Company or any other Person or against any collateral security or guarantee for the Obligations or any right of offset with respect thereto, and any failure by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to pursue such other rights or remedies or to collect any payments from the Company or any such other Person or to realize upon any such collateral security or guarantee or to exercise any such right of offset, or any release of the Company or any such other Person or any such collateral security, guarantee or right of offset, shall not relieve such Guarantor of any liability hereunder, and shall not impair or affect the rights and remedies, whether express, implied or available as a matter of law, of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties against such Guarantor.

(b) This Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and be binding in accordance with and to the extent of its terms upon each Guarantor and the successors and assigns thereof and shall inure to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties and their respective successors, indorsees, transferees and assigns until all Obligations (other than any contingent indemnity obligations not then due) shall have been satisfied by payment in full and the Commitments thereunder shall be terminated, notwithstanding that from time to time during the term of the Loan Agreement, the Loan Parties may be free from any Obligations.

(c) A Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the Guarantee of such Guarantor shall be automatically released under the circumstances described in Section 13.1 of the Loan Agreement.


8. Reinstatement . This Guarantee shall continue to be effective, or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any of the Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization of the Company or any Guarantor, or upon or as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor or conservator of, or trustee or similar officer for, the Company or any Guarantor or any substantial part of its property, or otherwise, all as though such payments had not been made.

9. Payments . Each Guarantor hereby guarantees that payments hereunder will be paid to the Administrative Agent without set-off or counterclaim in Dollars at the Administrative Agent’s Office. Each Guarantor agrees that the provisions of Sections 5.4 and 13.19 of the Loan Agreement shall apply to such Guarantor ’s obligations under this Guarantee.

10. Representations and Warranties; Covenants .

(a) Each Guarantor hereby represents and warrants that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 8 of the Loan Agreement as they relate to such Guarantor and in the other Loan Documents to which such Guarantor is a party, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date (except where such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date), and the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party shall be entitled to rely on each of them as if they were fully set forth herein.

(b) Each Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees with the Administrative Agent and each other Guaranteed Party that, from and after the date of this Guarantee until the Obligations are paid in full and the Commitments are terminated, such Guarantor shall take, or shall refrain from taking, as the case may be, all actions that are necessary to be taken or not taken so that no violation of any provision, covenant or agreement contained in Section 9 or Section 10 of the Loan Agreement and so that no Default or Event of Default, is caused by any act or failure to act of such Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries.

11. Authority of the Administrative Agent .

(a) The Administrative Agent enters into this Guarantee in its capacity as agent for the Guaranteed Parties from time to time. The rights and obligations of the Administrative Agent under this Guarantee at any time are the rights and obligations of the Guaranteed Parties at that time. Each of the Guaranteed Parties has (subject to the terms of the Loan Documents) a several entitlement to each such right, and a several liability in respect of each such obligation, in the proportions described in the Loan Documents. The rights, remedies and discretions of the Guaranteed Parties, or any of them, under this Guarantee may be exercised by the Administrative Agent. No party to this Guarantee is obliged to inquire whether an exercise by the Administrative Agent of any such right, remedy or discretion is within the Administrative Agent’s authority as agent for the Guaranteed Parties.


(b) Each party to this Guarantee acknowledges and agrees that any changes (in accordance with the provisions of the Loan Documents) in the identity of the persons from time to time comprising the Guaranteed Parties gives rise to an equivalent change in the Guaranteed Parties, without any further act. Upon such an occurrence, the persons then comprising the Guaranteed Parties are vested with the rights, remedies and discretions and assume the obligations of the Guaranteed Parties under this Guarantee. Each party to this Guarantee irrevocably authorizes the Administrative Agent to give effect to the change in Lenders contemplated in this Section 11(b) by countersigning an Assignment and Acceptance.

12. Notices . All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement.

13. Counterparts . This Guarantee may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Guarantee on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Guarantee signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Administrative Agent and the Company.

14. Severability . Any provision of this Guarantee that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

15. Integration . This Guarantee together with the other Loan Documents represent the agreement of each Guarantor and the Administrative Agent with respect to the subject matter hereof, and there are no promises, undertakings, representations or warranties by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party relative to the subject matter hereof not expressly set forth or referred to herein or in the other Loan Documents.

16. Amendments in Writing; No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies .

(a) None of the terms or provisions of this Guarantee may be waived, amended, supplemented or otherwise modified except in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Loan Agreement.

(b) Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Guaranteed Party shall by any act (except by a written instrument pursuant to Section 16(a)), delay, indulgence, omission


or otherwise be deemed to have waived any right or remedy hereunder or to have acquiesced in any Default or Event of Default or in any breach of any of the terms and conditions hereof. No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party, any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. A waiver by the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party of any right or remedy hereunder on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to any right or remedy that the Administrative Agent or any Guaranteed Party would otherwise have on any future occasion.

(c) The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided are cumulative, may be exercised singly or concurrently and are not exclusive of any other rights or remedies provided by law.

17. Section Headings . The Section headings used in this Guarantee are for convenience of reference only and are not to affect the construction hereof or be taken into consideration in the interpretation hereof.

18. Successors and Assigns . This Guarantee shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of each Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties and their respective successors and assigns except that no Guarantor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Guarantee without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent.

19. Additional Guarantors . Each Subsidiary of the Company that is required to become a party to this Guarantee pursuant to Section 9.13 of the Loan Agreement shall become a Guarantor, with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Guarantor herein, for all purposes of this Guarantee, upon execution and delivery by such Subsidiary of a written supplement substantially in the form of Annex A hereto. The execution and delivery of any instrument adding an additional Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee shall not require the consent of any other Guarantor hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Guarantor as a party to this Guarantee.

20. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH GUARANTOR HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS GUARANTEE, ANY OTHER CREDIT DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN.

21. Submission to Jurisdiction; Waivers; Service of Process . Each Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:

(a) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating to this Guarantee and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect thereof, to the non-exclusive general jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York, the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York and appellate courts from any thereof;


(b) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same;

(c) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to such Guarantor in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in the Loan Agreement, and such Person hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Company to accept such service on its behalf;

(d) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of the Administrative Agent or any other Guaranteed Party to sue in any other jurisdiction; and

(e) waives, to the maximum extent not prohibited by law, any right it may have to claim or recover in any legal action or proceeding referred to in this Section 21 any special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages.

22. GOVERNING LAW . THIS GUARANTEE AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

[Signature pages follow]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Guarantee to be duly executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer or other representative as of the day and year first above written.

 

The following entities, each as Guarantor:
ACHEX, INC.
ATLANTIC BANKCARD PROPERTIES CORPORATION
ATLANTIC STATES BANKCARD ASSOCATION, INC.
B1 PTI SERVICES, INC.
BANKCARD INVESTIGATIVE GROUP INC.
BUSINESS OFFICE SERVICES, INC.
BUYPASS INCO CORPORATION
CALL INTERACTIVE HOLDINGS LLC
CALLTELESERVICES, INC.
CARDSERVICE DELAWARE, INC.
CARDSERVICE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
CESI HOLDINGS, INC.
CIFS CORPORATION
CIFS LLC
CONCORD COMPUTING CORPORATION
CONCORD CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD EFS, INC.
CONCORD EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD EQUIPMENT SALES, INC.
CONCORD FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONCORD NN, LLC
CONCORD ONE, LLC
CONCORD PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
CONCORD PROCESSING, INC.
CONCORD TRANSACTION SERVICES, LLC
CREDIT PERFORMANCE INC.
CTS HOLDINGS, LLC
CTS, INC.
DDA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
DW HOLDINGS, INC.
EFTLOGIX, INC.
EPSF CORPORATION


FDC INTERNATIONAL INC.
FDMS PARTNER, INC.
FDR INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
FDR IRELAND LIMITED
FDR MISSOURI INC.
FDR SIGNET INC.
FDR SUBSIDIARY CORP.
FIRST DATA FINANCIAL SRVICES, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA AVIATION LLC
FIRST DATA CARD SOLUTIONS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMERCIAL SERVICES HOLDINGS, INC.
FIRST DATA COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
FIRST DATA INTEGRATED SERVICES INC.
FIRST DATA LATIN AMERICA INC.
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES CORPORATION
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES NORTHEAST, LLC
FIRST DATA MERCHANT SERVICES SOUTEAST, L.L.C.
FIRST DATA PITSSBURGH ALLIANCE PARTNER INC.
FIRST DATA PS ACQUISITION INC.
FIRST DATA REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA RESOURCES, LLC
FIRST DATA RETAIL ATM SERVICES L.P.
FIRST DATA SECURE LLC
FIRST DATA SOLUTIONS L.L.C.
FIRST DATA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
FIRST DATA VOICE SERVICES
FIRST DATA, L.L.C.
FSM SERVICES INC.
FUNDSXPRESS FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.
FUNDSXPRESS, INC.
FX SECURITIES, INC.
GIBBS MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC.
GIFT CARD SERVICES, INC.
H & F SERVICES, INC.


ICVERIFY INC.
IDLOGIX, INC.
INITIAL MERCHANT SERVICES, LLC
INSTANT CASH SERVICES, LLC
INTELLIGENT RESULTS, INC.
IPS INC.
JOT, INC.
LINKPOINT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
LOYALTYCO LLC
MAS INCO CORPORATION
MAS OHIO CORPORATION
NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC.
NEW PAYMENT SERVICES, INC.
NPSF CORPORATION
PAYPOINT ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS, LLC
PAYSYS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
POS HOLDINGS, INC.
QSAT FINANCIAL, LLC
REMITCO LLC
SIZE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SOUTHERN TELECHECK, INC.
STAR NETWORKS, INC.
STAR PROCESSING, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS ASSETS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, INC.
STAR SYSTEMS, LLC
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ALTERNATIVES LLC
SY HOLDINGS, INC.
TASQ CORPORATION
TASQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION LLC
TELECHECK HOLDINGS, INC.
TELECHECK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
TRANSACTION SOLUTIONS, LLC
UNIFIED MERCHANT SERVICES
UNIFIED PARTNER, INC.
VALUELINK, LLC
VIRTUAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC
YCLIP, LLC

 

By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   Vice President and Assistant Secretary


The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA CAPITAL, INC.
FIRST DATA DIGITAL CERTIFICATES INC.
GRATITUDE HOLDINGS LLC
IPS HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEBRUSH HOLDINGS INC.
SAGETOWN HOLDINGS INC.
SAGEVILLE HOLDINGS LLC
SUREPAY REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, INC.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
UNIBEX, LLC
By:  

/s/ Stanley J. Andersen

Name:   Stanley J. Andersen
Title:   President
FDFS HOLDINGS, LLC, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

Name:   Kimberly S. Patmore
Title:   President
EFS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, INC., as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ Edward A. Labry III

Name:   Edward A. Labry III
Title:   President
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
TELECHECK SERVICES, INC.
TELECHECK ACQUISITION – MICHIGAN, LLC
By:  

/s/ Lee H. Pint

Name:   Lee H. Pint
Title:   Assistant Secretary


FDR LIMITED, as Guarantor
By:  

/s/ David G. Yates

Name:   David G. Yates
Title:   Chief Executive Officer
The following entities, each as Guarantor:
FIRST DATA PAYMENT SERVICES, LLC
SHARED GLOBAL SYSTEMS, INC.
TELECHECK PITTSBURGH/WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey R. Billat

Name:   Jeffrey R. Billat
Title:   Vice President
CITIBANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent
By:  

/s/ Edward T. Crook

Name:   Edward T. Crook
Title:   Managing Director


ANNEX A TO

THE SENIOR UNSECURED GUARANTEE

SUPPLEMENT NO. [    ] dated as of [                    ] to the GUARANTEE dated as of September 24, 2007 (the “ Supplement ”), among each of the Guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto (each such subsidiary individually, a “ Guarantor ” and, collectively, the “ Guarantors ”), and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent for the Lenders from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement referred to below.

A. Reference is made to that certain Senior Unsecured Interim Loan Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2007 (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified, refinanced or replaced from time to time, the “ Loan Agreement ”), among First Data Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), the lenders or other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto (the “ Lenders ”) and Citibank, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Guarantee.

C. The Guarantors have entered into the Guarantee in order to induce the Administrative Agent and the Lenders to enter into the Loan Agreement and to induce the Lenders to make their respective Extensions of Credit to the Company under the Loan Agreement.

D. Section 9.13 of the Loan Agreement and Section 19 of the Guarantee provide that additional Subsidiaries may become Guarantors under the Guarantee by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. Each undersigned Subsidiary (each a “ New Guarantor ”) is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of the Loan Agreement to become a Guarantor under the Guarantee in order to induce the Lenders to make additional Extensions of Credit, and as consideration for Extensions of Credit previously made.

Accordingly, the Administrative Agent and each New Guarantor agrees as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 19 of the Guarantee, each New Guarantor by its signature below becomes a Guarantor under the Guarantee with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Guarantor, and each New Guarantor hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Guarantee applicable to it as a Guarantor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Guarantor thereunder are true and correct on and as of the date hereof (except where such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date). Each reference to a Guarantor in the Guarantee shall be deemed to include each New Guarantor. The Guarantee is hereby incorporated herein by reference.


SECTION 2. Each New Guarantor represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the other Guaranteed Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.

SECTION 3. This Supplement may be executed by one or more of the parties to this Supplement on any number of separate counterparts (including by facsimile or other electronic transmission), and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. A set of the copies of this Supplement signed by all the parties shall be lodged with the Company and the Administrative Agent. This Supplement shall become effective as to each New Guarantor when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of such New Guarantor and the Administrative Agent.

SECTION 4. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 5. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 6. Any provision of this Supplement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof and in the Guarantee, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 7. All notices, requests and demands pursuant hereto shall be made in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to each New Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Company at the Company’s address set forth in Section 13.2 of the Loan Agreement.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each New Guarantor and the Administrative Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Guarantee as of the day and year first above written.

 

[NAME OF NEW GUARANTOR ]

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

CITIBANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

EXHIBIT 12

FIRST DATA CORPORATION

COMPUTATION OF

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

     Successor            Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from July 1
through September 24,
   Three months ended
September 30,

(in millions)

   2007            2007    2006

Earnings:

            

Income before income taxes (1)

   $ (49.9 )        $ 82.0    $ 136.0

Interest expense

     34.6            33.2      72.3

Other adjustments

     3.6            7.3      8.7
                          

Total earnings (a)

   $ (11.7 )        $ 122.5    $ 217.0
                          

Fixed charges:

            

Interest expense

   $ 34.6          $ 33.2    $ 72.3

Other adjustments

     3.6            7.3      8.7
                          

Total fixed charges (b)

   $ 38.2          $ 40.5    $ 81.0
                          

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (a/b) (2)

     —              3.02      2.68
 
     Successor            Predecessor
     Period from September 25
through September 30,
           Period from January 1
through September 24,
   Nine months ended
September 30,

(in millions)

   2007            2007    2006

Earnings:

            

Income before income taxes (1)

   $ (49.9 )        $ 590.2    $ 772.5

Interest expense

     34.6            103.6      190.8

Other adjustments

     3.6            23.5      23.7
                          

Total earnings (a)

   $ (11.7 )        $ 717.3    $ 987.0
                          

Fixed charges:

            

Interest expense

   $ 34.6          $ 103.6    $ 190.8

Other adjustments

     3.6            23.5      23.7
                          

Total fixed charges (b)

   $ 38.2          $ 127.1    $ 214.5
                          

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (a/b) (2)

     —              5.64      4.60

(1)

Income before income taxes includes minority interest and equity earnings in affiliates, and excludes discontinued operations. Reflecting such amounts on a cash basis would not materially impact the ratio due to the frequency of cash distributions.

(2)

The computed ratio is not meaningful as a loss was generated in the period.

For purposes of computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, fixed charges consist of interest on debt, amortization of deferred financing costs and a portion of rentals determined to be representative of interest. Fixed charges do not include interest on income tax liabilities. Earnings consist of income before income taxes plus fixed charges.

EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Michael D. Capellas, Chief Executive Officer of First Data Corporation, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of First Data Corporation;

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. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are 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 our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us 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 our 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 our 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. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our 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: November 14, 2007    

/s/ Michael D. Capellas

    Michael D. Capellas
    Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

I, Kimberly S. Patmore, Chief Financial Officer of First Data Corporation, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of First Data Corporation;

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. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are 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 our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us 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 our 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 our 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. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our 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: November 14, 2007      

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

    Kimberly S. Patmore
    Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

The certification set forth below is being submitted in connection with the Quarterly Report of First Data Corporation on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2007 (the “Report”) for the purpose of complying with Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

Michael D. Capellas, the Chief Executive Officer of First Data Corporation, certifies that, to the best of his knowledge:

 

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and

 

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of First Data Corporation.

 

Date: November 14, 2007      

/s/ Michael D. Capellas

    Michael D. Capellas
    Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT 32.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

The certification set forth below is being submitted in connection with the Quarterly Report of First Data Corporation on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2007 (the “Report”) for the purpose of complying with Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

Kimberly S. Patmore, the Chief Financial Officer of First Data Corporation, certifies that, to the best of her knowledge:

 

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and

 

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of First Data Corporation.

 

Date: November 14, 2007      

/s/ Kimberly S. Patmore

    Kimberly S. Patmore
    Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT 99

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters we discuss in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other public statements may constitute forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or “anticipates” or similar expressions which concern our strategy, plans, projections or intentions. All statements we make relating to revenue, EBITDA, earnings, margins, growth rates and other financial results for future periods are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected. Important factors upon which the Company’s forward-looking statements are premised include: (a) no adverse impact on our business as a result of our high degree of leverage; (b) continued growth at rates approximating recent levels for card-based payment transactions and other product markets; (b) successful conversions under service contracts with major clients; (c) renewal of material contracts in the Company’s business units consistent with past experience; (d) timely, successful and cost-effective implementation of processing systems to provide new products, improved functionality and increased efficiencies; (e) successful and timely integration of significant businesses and technologies acquired by the Company and realization of anticipated synergies; (f) continuing development and maintenance of appropriate business continuity plans for the Company’s processing systems based on the needs and risks relative to each such system; (g) absence of further consolidation among client financial institutions or other client groups which has a significant impact on Company client relationships and no material loss of business from significant customers of the Company; (h) achieving planned revenue growth throughout the Company, including in the merchant alliance program which involves several joint ventures not under the sole control of the Company and each of which acts independently of the others, and successful management of pricing pressures through cost efficiencies and other cost-management initiatives; (i) successfully managing the credit and fraud risks in the Company’s business units and the merchant alliances, particularly in the context of the developing e-commerce markets; (j) anticipation of and response to technological changes, particularly with respect to e-commerce; (k) attracting and retaining qualified key employees; (l) no unanticipated changes in laws, regulations, credit card association rules or other industry standards affecting the Company’s businesses which require significant product redevelopment efforts, reduce the market for or value of its products or render products obsolete; (m) continuation of the existing interest rate environment so as to avoid increases in agent fees related to IPS’ products and increases in interest on the Company’s borrowings; (n) no unanticipated developments relating to previously disclosed lawsuits, investigations or similar matters; (o) no catastrophic events that could impact the Company’s or its major customer’s operating facilities, communication systems and technology or that has a material negative impact on current economic conditions or levels of consumer spending; (p) no material breach of security of any of our systems; (q) successfully managing the potential both for patent protection and patent liability in the context of rapidly developing legal framework for expansive software patent protection; and (r) other risks that are set forth in the “Risk Factors” and “Management Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition” sections of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.