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 December 31, 2015
OR
o 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 001-33977
VISA INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
 
26-0267673
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)
 
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
 
P.O. Box 8999
San Francisco, California
 
94128-8999
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip Code)

(650) 432-3200
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes   þ     No   o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes   þ     No   o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer  þ
Accelerated filer   o
Non-accelerated filer   o  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company.)
Smaller Reporting Company   o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes   o     No   þ
As of January 22, 2016 there were 1,919,130,968 shares of class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 245,513,385 shares of class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 19,411,327 shares of class C common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Visa Inc. outstanding.

1

Table of Contents

VISA INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
Page
PART I.
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
 
 
 
PART II.
 
 
 
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Item 5.
Item 6.
 
 

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Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
ITEM 1.
Financial Statements
VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions, except par value data)
Assets
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
12,837

 
$
3,518

Restricted cash—litigation escrow (Note 3)
1,061

 
1,072

Investment securities (Note 4):
 
 
 
Trading
80

 
66

Available-for-sale
8,428

 
2,431

Settlement receivable
443

 
408

Accounts receivable
922

 
847

Customer collateral (Note 7)
1,041

 
1,023

Current portion of client incentives
414

 
303

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
247

 
353

Total current assets
25,473

 
10,021

Investment securities, available-for-sale (Note 4)
3,487

 
3,384

Client incentives
128

 
110

Property, equipment and technology, net
1,884

 
1,888

Other assets
832

 
778

Intangible assets, net
11,348

 
11,361

Goodwill
11,825

 
11,825

Total assets
$
54,977

 
$
39,367

Liabilities
 
 
 
Accounts payable
$
118

 
$
127

Settlement payable
744

 
780

Customer collateral (Note 7)
1,041

 
1,023

Accrued compensation and benefits
317

 
503

Client incentives
1,116

 
1,049

Accrued liabilities (Note 8)
1,009

 
849

Accrued litigation (Note 13)
1,012

 
1,024

Total current liabilities
5,357

 
5,355

Long-term debt (Note 5)
15,877

 

Deferred tax liabilities
3,344

 
3,273

Other liabilities (Note 8)
923

 
897

Total liabilities
25,501

 
9,525

 

See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS—(Continued)
(UNAUDITED)
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions, except par value data)
Equity
 
 
 
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 25 shares authorized and none issued
$

 
$

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 2,001,622 shares authorized, 1,926 and 1,950 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015, respectively (Note 9)

 

Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 622 shares authorized, 245 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 (Note 9)

 

Class C common stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,097 shares authorized, 19 and 20 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015, respectively (Note 9)

 

Additional paid-in capital
17,824

 
18,073

Accumulated income
11,701

 
11,843

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net:
 
 
 
Investment securities, available-for-sale
23

 
5

Defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans
(131
)
 
(161
)
Derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedges
60

 
83

Foreign currency translation adjustments
(1
)
 
(1
)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, net
(49
)
 
(74
)
Total equity
29,476

 
29,842

Total liabilities and equity
$
54,977

 
$
39,367



See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions, except per share data)
Operating Revenues
 
 
 
Service revenues
$
1,645

 
$
1,538

Data processing revenues
1,479

 
1,383

International transaction revenues
1,031

 
970

Other revenues
198

 
204

Client incentives
(788
)
 
(713
)
Total operating revenues
3,565

 
3,382

Operating Expenses
 
 
 
Personnel
499

 
509

Marketing
194

 
205

Network and processing
128

 
114

Professional fees
72

 
70

Depreciation and amortization
120

 
120

General and administrative
156

 
126

Total operating expenses
1,169

 
1,144

Operating income
2,396

 
2,238

Non-operating Income
 
 
 
Interest expense
(29
)
 
(3
)
Other
272

 
27

Total non-operating income
243

 
24

Income before income taxes
2,639

 
2,262

Income tax provision (Note 12)
698

 
693

Net income
$
1,941

 
$
1,569

 


See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS—(Continued)
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions, except per share data)
Basic earnings per share (Note 10)
 
 
 
Class A common stock
$
0.80

 
$
0.63

Class B common stock
$
1.32

 
$
1.05

Class C common stock
$
3.20

 
$
2.54

Basic weighted-average shares outstanding (Note 10)
 
 
 
Class A common stock
1,937

 
1,974

Class B common stock
245

 
245

Class C common stock
20

 
22

Diluted earnings per share (Note 10)
 
 
 
Class A common stock
$
0.80

 
$
0.63

Class B common stock
$
1.32

 
$
1.04

Class C common stock
$
3.20

 
$
2.53

Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (Note 10)
 
 
 
Class A common stock
2,430

 
2,478

Class B common stock
245

 
245

Class C common stock
20

 
22



See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Net income
$
1,941

 
$
1,569

Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
 
 
 
Investment securities, available-for-sale:
 
 
 
Net unrealized gain (loss)
34

 
(10
)
Income tax effect
(16
)
 
3

Reclassification adjustment for net gain realized in net income

 
(21
)
Income tax effect

 
8

Defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans:
 
 
 
Net unrealized actuarial gain and prior service credit
56

 
6

Income tax effect
(21
)
 
(1
)
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service credit realized in net income
(7
)
 
(1
)
Income tax effect
2

 

Derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedges:
 
 
 
Net unrealized gain
16

 
63

Income tax effect
(5
)
 
(17
)
Reclassification adjustment for net gain realized in net income
(48
)
 
(6
)
Income tax effect
14

 
2

Foreign currency translation adjustments

 
1

Other comprehensive income, net of tax
25

 
27

Comprehensive income
$
1,966

 
$
1,596




See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
Common Stock
 
Additional Paid-in Capital
 
Accumulated Income
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss
 
Total
Equity
 
Class A
 
Class B
 
Class C
 
 
 
 
 
(in millions, except per share data)
Balance as of September 30, 2015
1,950

 
245

 
20

 
$
18,073

 
$
11,843

 
$
(74
)
 
$
29,842

Net income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1,941

 
 
 
1,941

Other comprehensive income, net of tax
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25

 
25

Comprehensive income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1,966

Conversion of class C common stock upon sale into public market
1

 
 
 
(1
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Issuance and vesting of restricted stock and performance-based shares
1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Share-based compensation, net of forfeitures (Note 11)

(1)  
 
 
 
 
39

 
 
 
 
 
39

Restricted stock and performance-based shares settled in cash for taxes
(1
)
 
 
 
 
 
(81
)
 
 
 
 
 
(81
)
Excess tax benefit for share-based compensation
 
 
 
 
 
 
36

 
 
 
 
 
36

Cash proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee equity plans
1

 
 
 
 
 
29

 
 
 
 
 
29

Cash dividends declared and paid, at a quarterly amount of $0.14 per as-converted share (Note 9)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(340
)
 
 
 
(340
)
Repurchase of class A common stock (Note 9)
(26
)
 
 
 
 
 
(272
)
 
(1,743
)
 
 
 
(2,015
)
Balance as of December 31, 2015
1,926

 
245

 
19

 
$
17,824

 
$
11,701

 
$
(49
)
 
$
29,476

(1)  
Decrease in class A common stock related to forfeitures of restricted stock awards is less than 1 million shares.

See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Operating Activities
 
 
 
Net income
$
1,941

 
$
1,569

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
 
 
 
Amortization of client incentives
788

 
713

Fair value adjustment for the Visa Europe put option
(255
)
 

Share-based compensation
39

 
45

Excess tax benefit for share-based compensation
(36
)
 
(58
)
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets
120

 
120

Deferred income taxes
45

 
97

Other
5

 
(19
)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 
 
Settlement receivable
(35
)
 
286

Accounts receivable
(75
)
 
(78
)
Client incentives
(850
)
 
(687
)
Other assets
23

 
(141
)
Accounts payable

 
10

Settlement payable
(36
)
 
(477
)
Accrued and other liabilities
317

 
484

Accrued litigation (Note 13)
(12
)
 
(103
)
Net cash provided by operating activities
1,979

 
1,761

Investing Activities
 
 
 
Purchases of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets
(126
)
 
(104
)
Investment securities, available-for-sale:
 
 
 
Purchases
(6,803
)
 
(758
)
Proceeds from maturities and sales
739

 
226

Purchases of / contributions to other investments
(8
)
 

Proceeds / distributions from other investments
4

 

Net cash used in investing activities
(6,194
)
 
(636
)
 

See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS—(Continued)
(UNAUDITED)
 
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Financing Activities
 
 
 
Repurchase of class A common stock (Note 9)
$
(2,015
)
 
$
(803
)
Dividends paid (Note 9)
(340
)
 
(297
)
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes (Note 5)
15,971

 

Debt issuance costs (Note 5)
(77
)
 

Payments from litigation escrow account—U.S. retrospective responsibility plan (Note 3 and Note 13)
11

 
100

Cash proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee equity plans
29

 
30

Restricted stock and performance-based shares settled in cash for taxes
(81
)
 
(100
)
Excess tax benefit for share-based compensation
36

 
58

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
13,534

 
(1,012
)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 
1

Increase in cash and cash equivalents
9,319

 
114

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
3,518

 
1,971

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
12,837

 
$
2,085

Supplemental Disclosure
 
 
 
Income taxes paid, net of refunds
$
79

 
$
57

Accruals related to purchases of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets
$
40

 
$
21






See accompanying notes, which are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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Table of Contents

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2015
(UNAUDITED)
Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization. Visa Inc. (“Visa” or the “Company”) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. Visa and its wholly-owned consolidated subsidiaries, including Visa U.S.A. Inc. (“Visa U.S.A.”), Visa International Service Association (“Visa International”), Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited, Visa Canada Corporation, Inovant LLC and CyberSource Corporation (“CyberSource”), operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — which facilitates authorization, clearing and settlement of payment transactions worldwide. VisaNet also offers fraud protection for account holders and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for account holders on Visa-branded cards and payment products. In most cases, account holder and merchant relationships belong to, and are managed by, Visa's financial institution clients. Visa provides a wide variety of payment solutions that support payment products that issuers can offer to their account holders: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. Visa also offers a growing suite of innovative digital, eCommerce and mobile products and services. These services facilitate transactions on Visa's network among account holders, merchants, financial institutions and governments in mature and emerging markets globally.
Consolidation and basis of presentation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Visa and its consolidated entities and are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company consolidates its majority-owned and controlled entities, including variable interest entities (“VIEs”) for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company’s investments in VIEs have not been material to its consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requirements for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and, consequently, do not include all of the annual disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Reference should be made to the Visa Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015 for additional disclosures, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies.
In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements.
In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs by requiring that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The standard impacts presentation only. The Company elected to early adopt the standard effective October 1, 2015 and the carrying amount of the Company's debt liability is presented net of issuance costs on the consolidated financial statements. Also see Note 5—Debt .
In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, which simplifies the accounting for post-acquisition adjustments by eliminating the requirement to retrospectively account for the adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance on a prospective basis effective October 1, 2015. The adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that deferred tax assets and liabilities be presented as non-current. The standard impacts presentation only. The Company elected to early adopt the standard on a retrospective basis effective October 1, 2015 and all deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current. Previously, current deferred tax assets had been presented separately and current deferred tax liabilities had been included in accrued liabilities on the consolidated

11

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


balance sheets. All prior period amounts within the consolidated financial statements have been reclassed to conform to current period presentation. The reclass did not affect the Company's total equity, operating revenues, net income, comprehensive income or cash flows as of and for the periods presented.
In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, which amends certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments, including the requirement to measure certain equity investments at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
Note 2—Visa Europe
Acquisition of Visa Europe
On November 2, 2015, the Company and Visa Europe entered into a transaction agreement (the "Transaction Agreement"), pursuant to which the Company and Visa Europe agreed on the terms and conditions of the Company’s acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Visa Europe for a total purchase price of up to € 21.2 billion . The purchase price consists of: (a) at the closing of the transaction, up-front cash consideration of € 11.5 billion and preferred stock of the Company convertible upon certain conditions into class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock of the Company, as described below, valued at approximately € 5.0 billion , and (b) following the end of sixteen fiscal quarters post-closing, contingent cash consideration of up to € 4.0 billion (plus up to an additional € 0.7 billion in interest), determined based on the achievement of specified net revenue levels during such post-closing period. Closing is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, and is currently expected to occur in the fiscal third quarter of 2016.
Transaction agreement and option amendment . The Transaction Agreement provides for the acquisition to be effected pursuant to the exercise of the amended Visa Europe put option (the "Amended Put Option"), as described further below. In connection with the execution of the Transaction Agreement, the Company and Visa Europe entered into an amendment (the "Put Option Amendment") to the Visa Europe put option (the "Put") to align certain terms of the Put with the terms of the Transaction Agreement. Under the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement, the Visa Europe board of directors is required to exercise the Amended Put Option on the closing date of the transaction to effect Visa’s purchase of all of Visa Europe’s share capital. If the Transaction Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to the completion of the transaction, the Put Option Amendment will also terminate and the Put will revert to its original, unamended form. The Transaction Agreement may be terminated by the Company or Visa Europe, subject to specified exceptions, if the transaction is not consummated by August 2, 2016, or if legal restraints that prohibit the closing have become final and non-appealable.
Preferred stock . In connection with the transaction, the board of directors of the Company has authorized the creation of three new series of preferred stock of the Company:
series A convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, which is designed to be economically equivalent to the Company’s class A common stock (the “class A equivalent preferred stock”);
series B convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “U.K.&I preferred stock”); and
series C convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Europe preferred stock”).
The Transaction Agreement provides that, subject to the terms and conditions thereof, at closing, the Company will issue 2,480,500 shares of U.K.&I preferred stock to those of Visa Europe’s member financial institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland that are entitled to receive preferred stock at closing, and 3,157,000 shares of Europe preferred stock to those of Visa Europe’s other member financial institutions that are entitled to receive preferred stock at closing. Subject to the reduction in conversion rates described below, the U.K.&I preferred stock will be convertible into a number of shares of class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock valued at approximately € 2.2 billion and the Europe preferred stock will be convertible into a number of shares of class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock valued at approximately € 2.8 billion . These approximate values of the UK&I and Europe preferred stock to be issued at closing are based on the average price of the class A common stock of $71.68 per share, and the euro-dollar exchange rate of 1.12750 for the 30 trading days ended October 19, 2015.

12

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


The UK&I and Europe preferred stock will be convertible into shares of class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock, at an initial conversion rate of 13.952 shares of class A common stock for each share of U.K.&I preferred stock and Europe preferred stock. The conversion rates may be reduced from time to time to offset certain liabilities, if any, which may be incurred by the Company, Visa Europe or their affiliates as a result of certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting of multilateral interchange fee rates in the Visa Europe territory. A reduction in the conversion rates of the U.K.&I preferred stock and the Europe preferred stock have the same economic effect on earnings per share as repurchasing the Company's class A common stock because it reduces the as-converted class A common stock share count. Additionally, the shares of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock will be subject to restrictions on transfer and may become convertible in stages based on developments in the existing and potential litigation. The shares of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock will become fully convertible on the 12th anniversary of closing, subject only to a holdback to cover any then-pending claims. See Note 3—U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan and Potential Visa Europe Liabilities .
Upon issuance of the preferred stock at closing, the holders of the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock will have no right to vote on any matters, except for certain defined matters, including, in specified circumstances, any consolidation, merger or combination of the Company. Holders of the class A equivalent preferred stock, upon issuance at conversion, will have similar voting rights to the rights of the holders of the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock. With respect to those limited matters on which the holders of preferred stock may vote, approval by the holders of the preferred stock requires the affirmative vote of the outstanding voting power of each such series of preferred stock, each such series voting as a single class. Once issued, all three series of preferred stock will participate on an as-converted basis in regular quarterly cash dividends declared on the Company's class A common stock.
U.K. loss sharing agreement and litigation management deed . On November 2, 2015, the Company, Visa Europe and certain of Visa Europe’s member financial institutions located in the United Kingdom (the “U.K. LSA members”) entered into a loss sharing agreement (the “U.K. loss sharing agreement”), pursuant to which each of the U.K. LSA members has agreed, on a several and not joint basis, to compensate the Company for certain losses which may be incurred by the Company, Visa Europe or their affiliates as a result of certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting and implementation of domestic multilateral interchange fee rates in the United Kingdom, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein and, with respect to each U.K. LSA member, up to a maximum amount of the up-front cash consideration to be received by such U.K. LSA member. The U.K. LSA members’ obligations under the U.K. loss sharing agreement are conditional upon, among other things, the acquisition closing, and additionally upon either (a) losses valued at in excess of the sterling equivalent at closing of € 1.0 billion having arisen in claims relating to the U.K. domestic multilateral interchange fees (with such losses being recoverable through reductions in the conversion rate of the U.K.&I preferred stock), or (b) the conversion rate of the UK&I preferred stock having been reduced to zero pursuant to losses arising in claims relating to multilateral interchange fee rate setting in the Visa Europe territory, as described above. See Note 3—U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan and Potential Visa Europe Liabilities .
Prior to closing, the Company and the other parties thereto will enter into a litigation management deed, which will set forth the agreed upon procedures for the management of the existing and potential litigation, as described above, relating to the setting and implementation of multilateral interchange fee rates in the Visa Europe territory (the "Europe covered claims"), the allocation of losses resulting from the Europe covered claims, and any accelerated conversion or reduction in the conversion rate of the shares of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, the litigation management deed provides that the Company will generally control the conduct of the Europe covered claims, subject to certain obligations to report and consult with newly established Europe litigation management committees. The Europe litigation management committees, which will be composed of representatives of certain Visa Europe members, will also be granted consent rights to approve certain material decisions in relation to the Europe covered claims.

13

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Note 3—U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan and Potential Visa Europe Liabilities
U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan
Under the terms of the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan, the Company maintains an escrow account from which settlements of, or judgments in, the covered litigation are paid. The balance of the escrow account was $1.1 billion at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015. The Company paid $11 million to opt-out merchants from the litigation escrow account during the three months ended December 31, 2015 to settle their claims associated with the interchange multidistrict litigation. See Note 13—Legal Matters .
The accrual related to the covered litigation could be either higher or lower than the litigation escrow account balance. The Company did not record an additional accrual for the covered litigation during the three months ended December 31, 2015 . See Note 13—Legal Matters .
Potential Visa Europe Liabilities
On November 2, 2015, the Company and Visa Europe entered into the Transaction Agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire Visa Europe. Closing of the acquisition is subject to various conditions including regulatory approvals, and is expected to occur in the fiscal third quarter of 2016. Visa Inc., Visa Europe or their affiliates are, or may become, a party to certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting of multilateral interchange fee rates in the Visa Europe territory. The Company has obtained certain protection in respect of losses resulting from existing and potential litigation through the preferred stock and the U.K. loss sharing agreement, and has agreed to certain terms regarding the conduct of such litigation, all of which is conditioned on the closing of the acquisition of Visa Europe by the Company. See Note 2—Visa Europe .

14

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments
Fair Value Measurements
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
 
Fair Value Measurements
Using Inputs Considered as
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions)
Assets
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash equivalents and restricted cash:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Money market funds
$
3,517

 
$
3,051

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury securities
5,999

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government-sponsored debt securities
 
 
 
 
3,198

 
280

 
 
 
 
Investment securities, trading:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Equity securities
80

 
66

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Investment securities, available-for-sale:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury securities
3,871

 
2,656

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. government-sponsored debt securities
 
 
 
 
7,535

 
2,615

 
 
 
 
Equity securities
59

 
4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate debt securities
 
 
 
 
443

 
533

 
 
 
 
Auction rate securities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
7

 
$
7

Prepaid and other current assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange derivative instruments
 
 
 
 
50

 
76

 
 
 
 
Total
$
13,526

 
$
5,777

 
$
11,226

 
$
3,504

 
$
7

 
$
7

Liabilities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accrued liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Visa Europe put option
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$

 
$
255

Foreign exchange derivative instruments
 
 
 
 
$
10

 
$
13

 
 
 
 
Total
$

 
$

 
$
10

 
$
13

 
$

 
$
255

There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 assets during the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.
Level 1 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Money market funds, publicly-traded equity securities and U.S. Treasury securities are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy, as fair value is based on quoted prices in active markets.

15

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Level 2 assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of U.S. government-sponsored debt securities and corporate debt securities, as provided by third-party pricing vendors, is based on quoted prices in active markets for similar, not identical, assets. The pricing data obtained from outside sources is reviewed internally for reasonableness, compared against benchmark quotes from independent pricing sources, then confirmed or revised accordingly. Foreign exchange derivative instruments are valued using inputs that are observable in the market or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data. There were no substantive changes to the valuation techniques and related inputs used to measure fair value during the three months ended December 31, 2015 .
Level 3 assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Auction rate securities are classified as Level 3 due to a lack of trading in active markets and a lack of observable inputs in measuring fair value. There were no substantive changes to the valuation techniques and related inputs used to measure fair value during the three months ended December 31, 2015 .
Visa Europe put option agreement. On November 2, 2015, the Company and Visa Europe entered into the Put Option Amendment to align certain terms of the Put with the terms of the Visa Europe Transaction Agreement. Under the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement, the Visa Europe board of directors is required to exercise the Amended Put Option on the closing date of the transaction to effect Visa’s purchase of all of Visa Europe’s share capital. If the Transaction Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to the completion of the transaction, the Put Option Amendment will also terminate and the Put will revert to its original, unamended form.
Exercise of the Amended Put Option by the Visa Europe board of directors is mandatory, subject to the satisfaction of the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement. As such, for accounting purposes, it is not treated as a written put option and is not required to be recorded at fair value. At December 31, 2015, Visa expected to complete the transaction in accordance with the Transaction Agreement. Therefore, management concluded that it does not expect the Put to revert to its original, unamended form or to be unilaterally exercised by Visa Europe in the future. As a result, the value of the Put was reduced to zero at December 31, 2015.
Changes in the fair value of the Put are recorded as non-cash, non-operating income in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Non-recurring Basis
Non-marketable equity investments and investments accounted for under the equity method . These investments are classified as Level 3 due to the absence of quoted market prices, the inherent lack of liquidity, and the fact that inputs used to measure fair value are unobservable and require management's judgment. When certain events or circumstances indicate that impairment may exist, the Company revalues the investments using various assumptions, including the financial metrics and ratios of comparable public companies. There were no
events or circumstances that indicated these investments became impaired during the three months ended December 31, 2015 or 2014 . At December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 , these investments totaled $47 million and $45 million , respectively. These assets are classified in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
Due to the completion of an initial public offering by one of the Company's investees during the quarter ended December 31, 2015 , the Company reclassified equity securities previously accounted for as a cost method investment, with a carrying value of $ 4 million , to short-term available-for-sale investment securities. The fair value of this investment at December 31, 2015 was $55 million , resulting in the recognition of a pre-tax unrealized gain of $51 million in other comprehensive income.
Non-financial assets and liabilities. Long-lived assets such as goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, finite-lived intangible assets, and property, equipment and technology are considered non-financial assets. The Company does not have any non-financial liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis. Finite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trade names and reseller relationships, all of which were obtained through acquisitions.
If the Company were required to perform a quantitative assessment for impairment testing of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, the fair values would generally be estimated using an income approach. As the assumptions employed to measure these assets on a non-recurring basis are based on management's judgment using internal and external data, these fair value determinations are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. There were no events or changes in circumstances that indicate impairment at December 31, 2015 .

16

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Other Fair Value Disclosures
Long-term debt. In December 2015, the Company issued fixed-rate senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of $16.0 billion , with maturities ranging between 2 and 30 years. See Note 5—Debt . These debt instruments are measured at amortized cost on the Company's consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015 . The fair value of these notes, as provided by third-party pricing vendors, is based on quoted prices in active markets for similar, not identical, assets. The pricing data obtained from outside sources is reviewed internally for reasonableness, compared against benchmark quotes from independent pricing sources, then confirmed or revised accordingly. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these instruments would be classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
The following table presents the carrying amount and estimated fair value of the Company’s debt in order of maturity:
 
December 31, 2015
 
Carrying Amount
 
Estimated Fair Value
1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017
$
1,745

 
$
1,748

2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020
2,986

 
2,995

2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022
2,237

 
2,259

3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025
3,962

 
4,005

4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035
1,485

 
1,514

4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045
3,462

 
3,551

 
$
15,877

 
$
16,072

Other financial instruments not measured at fair value. The following financial instruments are not measured at     fair value on the Company's consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015 , but require disclosure of their fair values: time deposits recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets, settlement receivable and payable, and customer collateral. The estimated fair value of such instruments at December 31, 2015 approximates their carrying value due to their generally short maturities. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financial instruments would be classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
Investments
Available-for-sale investment securities. The Company had $55 million in gross unrealized gains and $14 million in gross unrealized losses at December 31, 2015 . The unrealized gains were primarily related to the Company's reclassified equity investment discussed above. There were $7 million gross unrealized gains and no gross unrealized losses at September 30, 2015 . A majority of the Company's available-for-sale investment securities with stated maturities are due within one to two years.

17

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Note 5—Debt
The Company had outstanding debt as follows:
 
December 31, 2015
 
 
 
Principal Amount
 
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs
 
Carrying Amount
 
Effective Interest Rate
 
(in millions, except percentages)
1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 (the "2017 Notes")
$
1,750

 
$
(5
)
 
$
1,745

 
1.36
%
2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020 (the "2020 Notes")
3,000

 
(14
)
 
2,986

 
2.30
%
2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022 (the "2022 Notes")
2,250

 
(13
)
 
2,237

 
2.89
%
3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025 (the "2025 Notes")
4,000

 
(38
)
 
3,962

 
3.26
%
4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035 (the "2035 Notes")
1,500

 
(15
)
 
1,485

 
4.23
%
4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045 (the "2045 Notes")
3,500

 
(38
)
 
3,462

 
4.37
%
Total long-term debt
$
16,000

 
$
(123
)
 
$
15,877

 
 
Senior Notes
In December 2015, the Company issued fixed-rate senior notes (the 2017 Notes, 2020 Notes, 2022 Notes, 2025 Notes, 2035 Notes and 2045 Notes, or collectively, the "Notes") in conjunction with the anticipated acquisition of Visa Europe, in an aggregate principal amount of $16.0 billion , with maturities ranging between 2 and 30 years. Interest on the Notes, at a rate ranging between 1.20% and 4.30% , is payable semi-annually on June 14 and December 14 of each year, commencing June 14, 2016. The Company recognized interest expense of $24 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 as non-operating expense. The net aggregate proceeds from the issuance of the Notes, after deducting discounts and debt issuance costs, were $15.9 billion . The discounts and debt issuance costs will be amortized over the respective term of each note using the effective interest method. The indenture governing the Notes contains customary event of default provisions. The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company, ranking equally and ratably among themselves and with the Company's existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The Notes are not secured by any assets of the Company and are not guaranteed by any of the Company's subsidiaries. The Company was in compliance with all related covenants as of December 31, 2015 .
Each series of the Notes may be redeemed as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time, prior to, with respect to the 2017 Notes, their maturity date, and with respect to the 2020 Notes, the 2022 Notes, the 2025 Notes, the 2035 Notes and the 2045 Notes, the applicable par call date (as set forth in the table below), at a price equal to the greater of:
100% of the principal amount of such Notes; and
the sum of the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest through the maturity or par call date for each of the Notes below at the treasury rate defined under the terms of the Notes, plus the applicable spread for such Notes (as set forth in the table below),
plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

18

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Series
 
Maturity/Par Call Date
 
Spread
2017 Notes
 
December 14, 2017
 
5 bps
2020 Notes
 
November 14, 2020
 
10 bps
2022 Notes
 
October 14, 2022
 
12.5 bps
2025 Notes
 
September 14, 2025
 
15 bps
2035 Notes
 
June 14, 2035
 
20 bps
2045 Notes
 
June 14, 2045
 
20 bps
On or after the applicable par call date, the Notes, except the 2017 Notes, may be redeemed as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued interest.
In the event that the Visa Europe acquisition has not been consummated on or prior to February 2, 2017 (which date may be extended in accordance with the terms of the Notes), the Company will be required to redeem all outstanding 2017 Notes, 2020 Notes, 2022 Notes and 2025 Notes on the special mandatory redemption date, as defined in the terms of the Notes, at a redemption price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of such Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest. The 2035 Notes and 2045 Notes are not subject to the special mandatory redemption provision.
Future principal payments on the Company's outstanding debt are as follows:
Fiscal Year
2016
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
2020
 
Thereafter
 
Total
(in millions)
$

 
$

 
$
1,750

 
$

 
$

 
$
14,250

 
$
16,000

Credit Facility Renewal. On January 27, 2016, the Company, Visa International Service Association and Visa U.S.A. Inc. (collectively, the "Borrowers") entered into a 5 -year, unsecured $4.0 billion revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the lenders party thereto. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., acted as syndication agent in connection with the Credit Facility; Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, Barclays Bank PLC, Citibank, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada, Standard Chartered Bank, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., U.S. Bank National Association, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Toronto Dominion (New York) LLC, acted as Documentation Agents; and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Bank of China, Los Angeles Branch, Barclays Bank PLC, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., HSBC Bank USA, N.A., RBC Capital Markets, Standard Chartered Bank, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., U.S. Bank National Association, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and TD Securities (USA) LLC, acted as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners. The Credit Facility, which expires on January 27, 2021, replaced the Company's prior $3.0 billion credit facility, which expired on January 27, 2016.
The Credit Facility provides the Borrowers with a borrowing capacity of up to $4.0 billion . Borrowings under the Credit Facility are available for general corporate purposes. Interest on the borrowings under the Credit Facility would be charged at the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or an alternative base rate, in each case plus applicable margins that fluctuate based on the applicable rating of senior unsecured long-term debt securities of the Company. The Borrowers have agreed to pay a commitment fee which will fluctuate based on such applicable rating of the Company.

19

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Other material terms are:
a financial covenant which requires the Company to maintain a Consolidated Indebtedness to Consolidated EBITDA Ratio (as defined in the Credit Facility) of not greater than 3.75 to 1.00;
customary restrictive covenants, which limit the Borrowers' ability to, among other things, create certain liens, effect fundamental changes to their business, or merge or dispose of substantially all of their assets, subject in each case to customary exceptions and amounts;
customary events of default, upon the occurrence of which, after any applicable grace period, the requisite lenders will have the ability to accelerate all outstanding loans thereunder and terminate the commitments; and
other customary and standard terms and conditions.
The Borrowers currently have no borrowings under the Credit Facility. The participating lenders in the Credit Facility include certain holders of the Company's class B and class C common stock, certain of the Borrowers' customers and their affiliates.
Note 6—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
The Company sponsors various qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans that provide for retirement and medical benefits for substantially all employees residing in the United States. The Company also sponsors other pension benefit plans that provide benefits for internationally-based employees at certain non-U.S. locations, which are not presented below as they are not material.
In October 2015, the Company's board of directors approved an amendment of the qualified defined benefit pension plan such that the Company discontinued employer provided credits after December 31, 2015. Plan participants continue to earn interest credits on existing balances at the time of the freeze. As a result, a curtailment gain totaling $8 million was recognized as part of the Company's net periodic benefit cost. The Company also recorded a net unrealized actuarial gain of $56 million from the remeasurement of its pension plan in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 within other comprehensive income.
The components of net periodic benefit cost are as follows:
 
Pension Benefits
 
Other Postretirement Benefits
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015

2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Service cost
$
13

 
$
12

 
$

 
$

Interest cost
11

 
10

 

 

Expected return on assets
(17
)
 
(18
)
 

 

Amortization of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       Prior service credit
(1
)
 
(2
)
 
(1
)
 
(1
)
       Actuarial loss
2

 

 

 

Curtailment gain
(8
)
 

 

 

Settlement loss

 
2

 

 

Total net periodic benefit cost
$

 
$
4

 
$
(1
)
 
$
(1
)
Note 7—Settlement Guarantee Management
The Company indemnifies its financial institution clients for settlement losses suffered due to failure of any other clients to fund its settlement obligations in accordance with the Visa Rules. This indemnification creates settlement risk for the Company due to the difference in timing between the date of a payment transaction and the date of subsequent settlement. The exposure to settlement losses through Visa's settlement indemnification is accounted for as a settlement risk guarantee. The Company’s settlement exposure is limited to the amount of unsettled Visa payment transactions at any point in time. The Company requires certain financial institution clients that do not meet its credit standards to post collateral to offset potential loss from their estimated unsettled

20

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


transactions. The Company’s estimated maximum settlement exposure was $42.5 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 , compared to $43.5 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 . Of these amounts, $2.2 billion were covered by collateral at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 .
The Company maintained collateral as follows:

December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions)
Cash equivalents
$
1,041

 
$
1,023

Pledged securities at market value
151

 
154

Letters of credit
1,131

 
1,178

Guarantees
935

 
971

Total
$
3,258

 
$
3,326

The total available collateral balances presented in the table above were greater than the settlement exposure covered by customer collateral held due to instances in which the available collateral exceeded the total settlement exposure for certain financial institutions at each date presented.
The fair value of the settlement risk guarantee is estimated based on a proprietary probability-weighted model and was approximately $1 million at December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 . These amounts are reflected in accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Note 8—Accrued and Other Liabilities
Accrued liabilities consisted of the following:
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions)
Accrued operating expenses
$
220

 
$
257

Visa Europe put option (1)

 
255

Deferred revenue
80

 
81

Accrued interest expenses (2)
23

 

Accrued income taxes (3)
522

 
75

Other (4)
164

 
181

Total
$
1,009

 
$
849

Other non-current liabilities consisted of the following:
 
December 31,
2015
 
September 30,
2015
 
(in millions)
Accrued income taxes
$
771

 
$
752

Employee benefits
82

 
77

Other
70

 
68

Total
$
923

 
$
897

(1)  
On November 2, 2015, the Company and Visa Europe entered into the Put Option Amendment to align certain terms of the Put with the terms of the Visa Europe Transaction Agreement. Exercise of the Amended Put Option by the Visa Europe board of directors is mandatory, subject to the satisfaction of the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement. As such, for accounting purposes, it is not treated as a written put option and is not required to be recorded at fair value. At December 31, 2015, Visa expected to complete the transaction in accordance with the Transaction Agreement. Therefore, management concluded that it does not expect the Put to revert to its original, unamended form or to be unilaterally exercised by Visa Europe in the future. As a result,

21

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


the value of the Put was reduced to zero at December 31, 2015. See Note 2—Visa Europe and Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments .
(2)  
The balance at December 31, 2015 is due to the issuance of long-term debt in conjunction with the anticipated acquisition of Visa Europe. See Note 2—Visa Europe and Note 5—Debt .
(3)  
The increase in accrued income taxes is primarily related to current income taxes accrued in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, but payable in the second quarter of fiscal 2016.
(4)  
Prior period current deferred tax liabilities have been retroactively reclassed to non-current deferred tax liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets upon adoption of FASB issued ASU 2015-17. See Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 12—Income Taxes .
Note 9—Stockholders' Equity
Class A common stock split. In January 2015, Visa’s board of directors declared a four -for-one split of its class A common stock. Each class A common stockholder of record at the close of business on February 13, 2015 ("Record Date"), received a dividend of three additional shares on March 18, 2015 for every share held as of the Record Date. Trading began on a split-adjusted basis on March 19, 2015. Holders of class B and C common stock did not receive a stock dividend. Instead, the conversion rate for class B common stock increased to 1.6483 shares of class A common stock per share of class B common stock, and the conversion rate for class C common stock increased to 4.0 shares of class A common stock per share of class C common stock. Immediately following the split, the class A, B and C stockholders retained the same relative ownership percentages that they had prior to the stock split. All per share amounts and number of shares outstanding in these unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are presented on a post-split basis. As a result of the stock split, all historical per share data and number of shares outstanding presented have been retroactively adjusted.
As-Converted Class A Common Stock. The number of shares of each class and the number of shares of class A common stock on an as-converted basis at December 31, 2015 , are as follows:
(in millions, except conversion rates)
Shares Outstanding
 
Conversion Rate
Into Class A
Common Stock
 
As-converted Class A Common
Stock (1)
Class A common stock
1,926

 

 
1,926

Class B common stock
245

 
1.6483

(2)  
405

Class C common stock
19

 
4.0000

 
78

Total
 
 
 
 
2,409

(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted class A common stock is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
(2)  
The class B to class A common stock conversion rate is presented on a rounded basis. Conversion calculations for dividend payments are based on a conversion rate rounded to the tenth decimal.
Reduction in as-converted class A common stock. The following table presents share repurchases in the open market.
(in millions, except per share data)
Three Months Ended
December 31, 2015
Shares repurchased in the open market (1)
26

Average repurchase price per share (2)
$
78.52

Total cost
$
2,015

(1)  
All shares repurchased in the open market have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares.
(2)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Average repurchase price per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
In October 2015, the Company's board of directors authorized a new $5.0 billion share repurchase program, in addition to the existing October 2014 program. As of December 31, 2015 , the Company had remaining authorized funds of $5.8 billion for share repurchase.

22

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


Dividends. The Company declared and paid $340 million in dividends during the three months ended December 31, 2015 .
Note 10—Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to each class and series by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding and participating securities in the form of unvested restricted stock awards, unvested restricted stock units and unvested earned performance-based shares during the period. Net income is allocated to each class and series of common stock based on its proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted number of shares of each class and series of common stock outstanding reflects changes in ownership over the periods presented. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity .
Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, participating securities in the form of unvested restricted stock awards, unvested restricted stock units and unvested earned performance-based shares and, if dilutive, potential class A common stock equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive class A common stock equivalents may consist of: (1) shares of class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of class B and class C common stock based on the conversion rate in effect through the period, and (2) incremental shares of class A common stock calculated by applying the treasury stock method to the assumed exercise of employee stock options, the assumed purchase of stock under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the assumed vesting of unearned performance shares.
The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended December 31, 2015 . (1)       
 
Basic Earnings Per Share
 
 
Diluted Earnings Per Share
 
(in millions, except per share data)
 
Income
Allocation
(A) (2)
 
Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding (B)
 
Earnings per
Share =
(A)/(B)
 
 
Income
Allocation
(A) (2)
 
Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding (B)
 
Earnings per
Share =
(A)/(B)
Class A common stock
$
1,550

 
1,937

 
$
0.80

 
 
$
1,941

 
2,430

(3)  
$
0.80

Class B common stock (4)
324

 
245

 
$
1.32

 
 
$
323

 
245

 
$
1.32

Class C common stock (4)
63

 
20

 
$
3.20

 
 
$
63

 
20

 
$
3.20

Participating securities (5)
4

 
Not presented

 
Not presented

 
 
$
4

 
Not presented

 
Not presented

Net income
$
1,941

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended December 31, 2014 . (1)      
 
Basic Earnings Per Share
 
 
Diluted Earnings Per Share
 
(in millions, except per share data)
 
Income
Allocation
(A) (2)
 
Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding (B)
 
Earnings per
Share =
(A)/(B)
 
 
Income
Allocation
(A) (2)
 
Weighted-
Average
Shares
Outstanding (B)
 
Earnings per
Share =
(A)/(B)
Class A common stock
$
1,253

 
1,974

 
$
0.63

 
 
$
1,569

 
2,478

(3)  
$
0.63

Class B common stock (4)
257

 
245

 
$
1.05

 
 
$
257

 
245

 
$
1.04

Class C common stock (4)
55

 
22

 
$
2.54

 
 
$
55

 
22

 
$
2.53

Participating securities (5)
4

 
Not presented

 
Not presented

 
 
$
4

 
Not presented

 
Not presented

Net income
$
1,569

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Earnings per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers. The number of shares and per share amounts for the prior periods presented have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the four -for-one stock split effected in the fiscal second quarter of 2015. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity .
(2)  
Net income is allocated based on proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class B common stock used in the income allocation was 405 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 . The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class C

23

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


common stock used in the income allocation was 78 million and 88 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively.
(3)  
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are calculated on an as-converted basis, and include incremental common stock equivalents, as calculated under the treasury stock method. The computation includes approximately 5 million common stock equivalents for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , because their effect would be dilutive. The computation excludes 1 million and 2 million of common stock equivalents for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.
(4)  
The outstanding number of shares of class B and C common stock were not impacted by the stock split as these stockholders received an adjustment to their respective conversion ratios instead of stock dividends. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity . Weighted-average basic and diluted shares outstanding for class B and C common stock are calculated based on the common shares outstanding of each respective class rather than on an as-converted basis.
(5)  
Participating securities are unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, such as the Company's restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and unvested earned performance-based shares.
Note 11—Share-based Compensation
The Company granted the following equity awards to employees and non-employee directors under the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan during the three months ended December 31, 2015 :
 
Granted
 
Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair
Value
 
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
Non-qualified stock options
1,362,840

 
$
15.09

 
$
80.15

Restricted stock units ("RSUs")
2,346,825

 
$
80.15

 
 
Performance-based shares (1)
604,219

 
$
92.71

 
 
(1)  
Represents the maximum number of performance-based shares which could be earned.
The Company’s non-qualified stock options and RSUs are equity awards with service-only conditions and are accordingly expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The Company's performance-based shares are equity awards with service, market and performance conditions that are accounted for using the graded-vesting method. Compensation cost is recorded net of estimated forfeitures, which are adjusted as appropriate.
Note 12—Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were 26% and 31% for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2015 differs from the effective tax rate in the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to:
the non-taxable revaluation of the Visa Europe put option recorded in the quarter ended December 31, 2015;
foreign tax credit benefits related to prior fiscal years recognized during the quarter ended December 31, 2015; and
the absence of the reversal of previously established state tax reserves in the quarter ended December 31, 2014.
During the three months ended December 31, 2015 , the Company's gross unrecognized tax benefits increased by $20 million , which would favorably impact the effective tax rate if recognized. The increase in gross unrecognized tax benefits is primarily related to various tax positions across several jurisdictions. During the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, there were no significant changes in interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
The Company’s tax filings are subject to examination by the U.S. federal, state and foreign taxing authorities. The timing and outcome of the final resolutions of the various ongoing income tax examinations are

24

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


highly uncertain. It is not reasonably possible to estimate the increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.
In November 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2015-17, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that deferred tax assets and liabilities be presented as non-current. The standard impacts presentation only. The Company elected to early adopt the standard on a retrospective basis effective October 1, 2015 and all deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. All prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation.
Note 13—Legal Matters
The Company is party to various legal and regulatory proceedings. Some of these proceedings involve complex claims that are subject to substantial uncertainties and unascertainable damages. Accordingly, except as disclosed, the Company has not established reserves or ranges of possible loss related to these proceedings, as at this time in the proceedings, the matters do not relate to a probable loss and/or the amount or range of losses are not reasonably estimable. Although the Company believes that it has strong defenses for the litigation and regulatory proceedings described below, it could, in the future, incur judgments or fines or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. From time to time, the Company may engage in settlement discussions or mediations with respect to one or more of its outstanding litigation matters, either on its own behalf or collectively with other parties.
The litigation accrual is an estimate and is based on management’s understanding of its litigation profile, the specifics of each case, advice of counsel to the extent appropriate and management’s best estimate of incurred loss as of the balance sheet date.
The following table summarizes the activity related to accrued litigation.
 
Fiscal 2016
 
Fiscal 2015
 
(in millions)
Balance at October 1
$
1,024

 
$
1,456

Payments on legal matters
(12
)
 
(103
)
Balance at December 31
$
1,012

 
$
1,353

U.S. Covered Litigation
Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A. and Visa International are parties to certain legal proceedings that are covered by the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan, which the Company refers to as the U.S. covered litigation. See Note 3—U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan and Potential Visa Europe Liabilities . An accrual for the U.S. covered litigation and a charge to the litigation provision are recorded when loss is deemed to be probable and reasonably estimable. In making this determination, the Company evaluates available information, including but not limited to actions taken by the litigation committee. The total accrual related to the U.S. covered litigation could be either higher or lower than the escrow account balance. The following table summarizes the activity related to U.S. covered litigation.
 
Fiscal 2016
 
Fiscal 2015
 
(in millions)
Balance at October 1
$
1,023

 
$
1,449

Payments on covered litigation
(11
)
 
(100
)
Balance at December 31
$
1,012

 
$
1,349

Interchange Opt-out Litigation
Beginning in May 2013, more than 50 opt-out cases have been filed by hundreds of merchants in various federal district courts, generally pursuing damages claims on allegations similar to those raised in MDL 1720. A

25

VISA INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)


number of the cases also include allegations that Visa has monopolized, attempted to monopolize, and/or conspired to monopolize debit card-related market segments, and one of the cases seeks an injunction against the fixed acquirer network fee. The cases name as defendants Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A., Visa International, MasterCard Incorporated, and MasterCard International Incorporated, although some also include certain U.S. financial institutions as defendants. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and its subsidiaries filed an opt-out complaint that also adds Visa Europe Limited and Visa Europe Services Inc. as defendants.
Visa reached a settlement agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and its subsidiaries, which will terminate if, following all appeals, the MDL class settlement is reversed or vacated with respect to certification of the Rule 23   (b)   (2) settlement class or the consideration provided to or release provided by that class. Including this settlement with Wal-Mart, as of the date of filing, Visa has reached settlement agreements with a number of merchants representing approximately 49% of the Visa-branded payment card sales volume of merchants who opted out.
European Competition Proceedings
U.K. Merchant Litigation . A total of approximately 50 merchants (together with subsidiary/affiliate companies) have now commenced proceedings against Visa Europe, Visa Inc. and Visa International relating to interchange rates in Europe.
Other Litigation
"Indirect Purchaser" Actions
On December 1, 2015, the objector's appeal from the trial court's order regarding the distribution of certain settlement funds was dismissed .
Canadian Competition Proceedings
Merchant Litigation. The court approved the settlement agreements entered into by the three named financial institutions, which are not significant Canadian issuers. A settlement with another financial institution is pending court approval.
U.S. ATM Access Fee Litigation
On January 27, 2016, defendants filed petitions for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Pulse Network
On December 17, 2015, the court denied Visa's motion to dismiss the complaint.


26


ITEM 2.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This management’s discussion and analysis provides a review of the results of operations, financial condition and the liquidity and capital resources of Visa Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Visa,” “we,” “our” or the “Company”) on a historical basis and outlines the factors that have affected recent earnings, as well as those factors that may affect future earnings. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "believes," "estimates," "expects," "may," "projected," "could," "will," "will continue" and other similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make about our revenue, client incentives, operating margin, tax rate, earnings per share, free cash flow, and the growth of those items.
By their nature, forward-looking statements: (i) speak only as of the date they are made; (ii) are not statements of historical fact or guarantees of future performance; and (iii) are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Therefore, actual results could differ materially and adversely from our forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including the following:
the impact of laws, regulations and marketplace barriers, including:
increased regulation of fees, transaction routing, payment card practices or other aspects of the payments industry in the United States, including new or revised regulations issued under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act;
increased regulation in jurisdictions outside of the United States;
increased government support of national payments networks outside the United States; and
increased regulation of consumer privacy, data use and security;
developments in litigation and government enforcement, including those affecting interchange reimbursement fees, antitrust and tax;
new lawsuits, investigations or proceedings, or changes to our potential exposure in connection with pending lawsuits, investigations or proceedings;
economic factors, such as:
economic fragility in the Eurozone, the United States and in other advanced and emerging markets;
general economic, political and social conditions in mature and emerging markets globally;
general stock market fluctuations which may impact consumer spending;
material changes in cross-border activity, foreign exchange controls and fluctuations in currency exchange rates; and
material changes in our financial institution clients' performance compared to our estimates;
industry developments, such as competitive pressure, rapid technological developments and disintermediation from our payments network;
system developments, such as:
disruption of our transaction processing systems or the inability to process transactions efficiently;
account data breaches or increased fraudulent or other illegal activities involving Visa-branded cards or payment products; and

27

Table of Contents

failure to maintain systems interoperability with Visa Europe;
the transaction with Visa Europe may not be consummated on the terms currently contemplated or at all;
Visa Europe's business may not be successfully integrated with our business or we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction;
the costs and risks associated with the transaction with Visa Europe;
matters arising in connection with Visa Europe's or our efforts to comply with and satisfy applicable regulatory approvals and closing conditions relating to the transaction;
the loss of organizational effectiveness or key employees;
the failure to integrate acquisitions successfully or to effectively develop new products and businesses;
natural disasters, terrorist attacks, military or political conflicts, and public health emergencies; and
various other factors, including those more fully described in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015, and our subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K.
You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

28

Table of Contents

Overview
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments around the world to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We provide our financial institution clients with a global payments infrastructure and support services for the delivery of Visa-branded payment products, including credit, debit, and prepaid. We facilitate global commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses and government entities. Each of these constituencies has played a key role in the ongoing worldwide migration from paper-based to electronic forms of payment, and we believe that this transformation continues to yield significant growth opportunities, particularly outside the United States. We continue to explore additional opportunities to enhance our competitive position by expanding the scope of payment solutions we provide.
Overall economic conditions. Our business is affected by overall economic conditions and consumer spending. Our business performance during the three months ended December 31, 2015 reflects the impacts of continued uneven and tepid economic growth.
Visa Europe acquisition. On November 2, 2015, we entered into a Transaction Agreement with Visa Europe, pursuant to which we agreed to acquire 100% of the share capital of Visa Europe for a total purchase price of up to €21.2 billion. The purchase price consists of: (a) at the closing of the transaction, up-front cash consideration of €11.5 billion and preferred stock convertible upon certain conditions into class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock, valued at approximately €5.0 billion, and (b) following the end of sixteen fiscal quarters post-closing, contingent cash consideration of up to €4.0 billion (plus up to an additional €0.7 billion in interest), determined based on the achievement of specified net revenue levels during such post-closing period. In connection with the execution of the Transaction Agreement, the Company and Visa Europe entered into the Put Option Amendment to align certain terms of the Put with the terms of the Visa Europe Transaction Agreement. Under the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement, the Visa Europe board of directors is required to exercise the Amended Put Option on the closing date of the transaction to effect Visa's purchase of all of Visa Europe's share capital. The preferred stock conversion rates may be reduced from time to time to offset certain liabilities, if any, which may be incurred by us, Visa Europe or its affiliates as a result of certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting of multilateral interchange fee rates in the Visa Europe territory. As part of the acquisition, we also entered into the U.K. loss sharing agreement with Visa Europe and certain of Visa Europe’s members located in the United Kingdom to compensate us for certain losses which may be incurred by us or Visa Europe as a result of certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting and implementation of domestic multilateral interchange fee rates in the United Kingdom. See Note 2—Visa Europe , Note 3—U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan and Potential Visa Europe Liabilities and Note 13—Legal Matters to our unaudited consolidated financial statements. The closing of our acquisition of Visa Europe is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, and is currently expected to occur in our fiscal third quarter of 2016.
Debt issuance. In December 2015, we issued fixed-rate senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of $16.0 billion , with maturities ranging between 2 and 30 years. Interest on these notes, at a rate ranging between 1.20% and 4.30%, is payable semi-annually on June 14 and December 14, commencing June 14, 2016. The net aggregate proceeds of $15.9 billion , after deducting discounts and debt issuance costs, will be used to fund a portion of the purchase price for the anticipated acquisition of Visa Europe, and the remainder will be used for general corporate purposes including share repurchases. See Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments and Note 5—Debt to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Financial highlights. During the three months ended December 31, 2015, we recorded net income of $1.9 billion or diluted class A earnings per share of $0.80, an increase of 24% and 26%, respectively, over the prior year comparable period. Our non-GAAP adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
 
(in millions, except percentages and per share data)
2015
 
2014
 
%
Change (1)
Net income, as adjusted
$
1,686

 
$
1,569

 
7
%
Diluted earnings per share, as adjusted (2)
$
0.69

 
$
0.63

 
10
%
(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.

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Table of Contents

(2)  
The per share amount for the prior period presented has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the four -for-one stock split effected in the fiscal second quarter of 2015.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2016, we recorded a decrease of $255 million in the fair value of the Put, resulting in the recognition of non-cash, non-operating income that we do not believe is indicative of our operating performance. As such, we believe the presentation of adjusted financial results provides a clearer understanding of our operating performance for the current period presented. This amount is not subject to income tax and therefore has no impact on our reported income tax provision. See Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments to our unaudited consolidated financial statements. There was no comparable adjustment recorded for the three months ended December 31, 2014. Adjusted net income, effective income tax rate and diluted earnings per share are non-GAAP financial measures and should not be relied upon as substitutes for measures calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The following table reconciles our as-reported net income, effective income tax rate and diluted earnings per share, which are calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP, to our respective non-GAAP adjusted financial measures for the three months ended December 31, 2015:
 
Three Months Ended
December 31, 2015
(in millions, except percentages and per share data)
Net Income
 
Effective Income Tax Rate
(1)
 
Diluted Earnings Per Share
(1)
As reported
$
1,941

 
26
%
 
$
0.80

Revaluation of Visa Europe put option
(255
)
 
3
%
 
(0.10
)
As adjusted
$
1,686

 
29
%
 
$
0.69

Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding, as reported
 
 
 
 
2,430

(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Effective income tax rate and diluted earnings per share figures are calculated based on unrounded numbers.
We recorded total operating revenues of $3.6 billion for the three months ended December 31, 2015, an increase of 5% over the prior year comparable period driven by continued growth in processed transactions and nominal payments volume. The general strengthening of the U.S. dollar during the quarter resulted in a negative three percentage point impact to our total operating revenue growth.
Total operating expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2015 were $1.2 billion, a 2% increase over the prior year comparable period.
Reduction in as-converted class A common stock. In October 2015, our board of directors authorized a new $5.0 billion share repurchase program, in addition to the existing October 2014 program. During the three months ended December 31, 2015, we repurchased 26 million shares of our class A common stock in the open market using $2.0 billion of cash on hand. As of December 31, 2015 , we had remaining authorized funds of $5.8 billion for share repurchase. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Nominal payments volume and transaction counts. Payments volume is the primary driver for our service revenues, and the number of processed transactions is the primary driver for our data processing revenues. Nominal payments volume over the prior year posted double-digit growth in the United States, driven mainly by consumer debit and credit. Nominal international payments volume growth was negatively impacted by the overall strengthening of the U.S. dollar. On a constant dollar basis, which excludes the impact of exchange rate movements, our international payments volume growth rate for the three months ended September 30, 2015 (1) was 15% . Processed transactions sustained healthy growth reflecting the ongoing worldwide shift to electronic currency.

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Table of Contents

The following tables present nominal payments volume. (2)      
 
United States
 
International
 
Visa Inc.
 
3 Months Ended September 30, (1)
 
3 Months Ended September 30, (1)
 
3 Months Ended September 30, (1)
 
2015
 
2014
 
%
Change
 
2015
 
2014
 
%
Change
 
2015
 
2014
 
%
Change
 
(in billions, except percentages)
Nominal payments volume
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consumer credit
$
263

 
$
238

 
10
%
 
$
424

 
$
423

 
 %
 
$
687

 
$
662

 
4
 %
Consumer debit (3)
319

 
291

 
9
%
 
111

 
122

 
(9
)%
 
430

 
413

 
4
 %
Commercial (4)
111

 
102

 
9
%
 
37

 
39

 
(6
)%
 
148

 
142

 
5
 %
Total nominal payments volume
$
693

 
$
632

 
10
%
 
$
572

 
$
584

 
(2
)%
 
$
1,265

 
$
1,216

 
4
 %
Cash volume
129

 
124

 
4
%
 
456

 
543

 
(16
)%
 
585

 
667

 
(12
)%
Total nominal volume (5)
$
822

 
$
756

 
9
%
 
$
1,027

 
$
1,127

 
(9
)%
 
$
1,850

 
$
1,883

 
(2
)%
The following table presents nominal and constant payments volume growth. (2)  
 
International
 
Visa Inc.
 
3 Months
Ended September 30,
2015 vs. 2014
(1)
 
3 Months
Ended September 30,
2015 vs. 2014
(1)
 
Nominal
 
Constant (6)
 
Nominal
 
Constant (6)
Payments volume growth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consumer credit
 %
 
16
%
 
4
 %
 
14
%
Consumer debit (3)
(9
)%
 
12
%
 
4
 %
 
10
%
Commercial (4)
(6
)%
 
14
%
 
5
 %
 
10
%
Total payments volume growth
(2
)%
 
15
%
 
4
 %
 
12
%
Cash volume growth
(16
)%
 
5
%
 
(12
)%
 
5
%
Total volume growth
(9
)%
 
10
%
 
(2
)%
 
10
%
(1)  
Service revenues in a given quarter are assessed based on nominal payments volume in the prior quarter. Therefore, service revenues reported for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, were based on nominal payments volume reported by our financial institution clients for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
(2)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.
(3)  
Includes consumer prepaid volume.
(4)  
Includes large, middle and small business credit and debit, as well as commercial prepaid volume.
(5)  
Total nominal volume is the sum of total nominal payments volume and cash volume. Total nominal payments volume is the total monetary value of transactions for goods and services that are purchased on cards carrying the Visa, Visa Electron and Interlink brands. Cash volume generally consists of cash access transactions, balance access transactions, balance transfers and convenience checks. Total nominal volume is provided by our financial institution clients, subject to review by Visa. On occasion, previously presented volume information may be updated. Prior period updates are not material.
(6)  
Growth on a constant-dollar basis excludes the impact of foreign currency fluctuations against the U.S. dollar.
The following table provides the number of transactions processed by our VisaNet system, including transactions involving Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS cards processed on Visa's networks. (1)  
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
2015
 
2014
 
% Change
(in millions, except percentages)
Visa processed transactions
18,986

 
17,599

 
8
%
(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.

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Results of Operations
Operating Revenues
The following table sets forth our operating revenues earned in the United States, internationally and from Visa Europe. Revenues earned from Visa Europe are a result of our contractual arrangement with Visa Europe, as governed by the framework agreement that provides for trademark and technology licenses and bilateral services.
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
2015 vs. 2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
$
Change
 
%
Change (1)
 
(in millions, except percentages)
United States
$
1,941

 
$
1,784

 
$
157

 
9
%
International
1,559

 
1,544

 
15

 
1
%
Visa Europe
65

 
54

 
11

 
20
%
Total operating revenues
$
3,565

 
$
3,382

 
$
183

 
5
%
(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.
The increase in operating revenues primarily reflects continued growth in processed transactions and nominal payments volume. These benefits were partially offset by increases in client incentives.
Our operating revenues, primarily service revenues, international transaction revenues, and client incentives, are impacted by the overall strengthening or weakening of the U.S. dollar as payments volume and related revenues denominated in local currencies are converted to U.S. dollars. The effect of exchange rate movements in the three months ended December 31, 2015 , as partially mitigated by our hedging program, resulted in an overall decline of about three percentage points in total operating revenue growth.
The following table sets forth the components of our total operating revenues.
 
Three Months Ended December 31,
 
2015 vs. 2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
$
Change
 
%
Change (1)
 
(in millions, except percentages)
Service revenues
$
1,645

 
$
1,538

 
$
107

 
7
 %
Data processing revenues
1,479

 
1,383

 
96

 
7
 %
International transaction revenues
1,031

 
970

 
61

 
6
 %
Other revenues
198

 
204

 
(6
)
 
(3
)%
Client incentives
(788
)
 
(713
)
 
(75
)
 
10
 %
Total operating revenues
$
3,565

 
$
3,382

 
$
183

 
5
 %
(1)  
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.
Service revenues increased during the three month comparable period primarily due to 4% growth in nominal payments volume. Service revenues also benefited from select pricing modifications which became effective in the third quarter of fiscal 2015.
Data processing revenues increased mainly due to overall growth in processed transactions of 8% during the three month comparable period.

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International transaction revenues increased primarily due to select pricing modifications that became effective in the third quarter of fiscal 2015, partially offset by a 4% decline in nominal cross-border payments volume growth driven by continued strengthening of the U.S. dollar.
Client incentives increased during the three month comparable period mainly due to overall growth in U.S. payments volume, and incentives recognized on long-term customer contracts that were initiated or renewed after the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The amount of client incentives we record in future periods will vary based on changes in performance expectations, actual client performance, amendments to existing contracts or the execution of new contracts.
Operating Expenses
The following table sets forth components of our total operating expenses.
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015 vs. 2014
 
2015
 
2014
 
$
Change
 
%
Change (1)
 
(in millions, except percentages)
Personnel
$
499

 
$
509

 
$
(10
)
 
(2
)%
Marketing
194

 
205

 
(11
)
 
(5
)%
Network and processing
128

 
114

 
14

 
12
 %
Professional fees
72

 
70

 
2

 
2
 %
Depreciation and amortization
120

 
120

 

 
(1
)%
General and administrative
156

 
126

 
30

 
24
 %
Total operating expenses
$
1,169

 
$
1,144

 
$
25

 
2
 %
(1)
Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Percentage changes are calculated based on unrounded numbers.
Marketing expenses decreased due to lower levels of advertising and promotional campaigns during the first quarter of fiscal 2016.
Network and processing expenses increased primarily due to fees associated with the processing of Russian domestic transactions that were transitioned to the Russian National Payment Card system during the third quarter of fiscal 2015.
General and administrative expenses increased mainly due to foreign exchange losses incurred as a result of the strengthening U.S. dollar, combined with an increase in product enhancements and travel activities in support of our business growth.
Non-operating Income
Other non-operating income in fiscal 2016 primarily reflects a non-cash adjustment to the fair value of the Put of $255 million, which is not subject to tax. The change in value primarily reflects our expectation at December 31, 2015 that we will complete the transaction in accordance with the Transaction Agreement and the Put will not revert to its original, unamended form or be unilaterally exercised by Visa Europe in the future. See Note 2—Visa Europe and Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments to our consolidated financial statements.
Effective Income Tax Rate
The effective income tax rates were 26% and 31% for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2015 differs from the effective tax rate in the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to:
the non-taxable revaluation of the Visa Europe put option recorded in the quarter ended December 31, 2015;
foreign tax credit benefits related to prior fiscal years recognized during the quarter ended December 31, 2015; and
the absence of the reversal of previously established state tax reserves in the quarter ended December 31, 2014.

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Excluding the non-cash, non-taxable $255 million gain recognized as non-operating income upon the revaluation of the Visa Europe put option, the adjusted non-GAAP effective income tax rate was 29% for the three months ended December 31, 2015. We believe the adjusted effective income tax rate provides a clearer understanding of our operating performance for the current period.
During the three months ended December 31, 2015 , our gross unrecognized tax benefits increased by $20 million, which would favorably impact our effective tax rate if recognized. The increase in gross unrecognized tax benefits is primarily related to various tax positions across several jurisdictions.
Our tax filings are subject to examination by the U.S. federal, state and foreign taxing authorities. The timing and outcome of the final resolutions of the various ongoing income tax examinations are highly uncertain. It is not reasonably possible to estimate the increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Flow Data
The following table summarizes our cash flow activity for the periods presented:
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
(in millions)
Total cash provided by (used in):
 
 
 
Operating activities
$
1,979

 
$
1,761

Investing activities
(6,194
)
 
(636
)
Financing activities
13,534

 
(1,012
)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 
1

Increase in cash and cash equivalents
$
9,319

 
$
114

Operating activities. Cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended December 31, 2015 was higher than prior year comparable period, reflecting continued growth in our underlying business.
Investing activities. Cash used in investing activities was higher compared to the prior year comparable period as we invested a portion of the proceeds received from our debt issuance in available-for-sale securities. See Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments and Note 5—Debt to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Financing activities. Financing activities for the three months ended December 31, 2015 reflect net aggregate proceeds of $15.9 billion received from our debt issuance completed on December 14, 2015, and $2.0 billion used to repurchase class A common stock in the open market. See Note 5—Debt and Note 9—Stockholders' Equity .
Sources of Liquidity
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flow from operations, our investment portfolio and access to various equity and borrowing arrangements. Funds from operations are maintained in cash and cash equivalents and short-term or long-term available-for-sale investment securities based upon our funding requirements, access to liquidity from these holdings, and the returns that these holdings provide. We believe that cash flow generated from operations, in conjunction with access to our other sources of liquidity, will be more than sufficient to meet our ongoing operational needs.
Cash and cash equivalents and short-term and long-term available-for-sale investment securities held by our foreign subsidiaries totaled $7.4 billion at December 31, 2015 . If it were necessary to repatriate these funds for use in the United States, we would be required to pay U.S. income taxes on most of this amount. The amount of income taxes that would have resulted had these funds been repatriated is not practicably determinable. It is our intent to indefinitely reinvest the majority of these funds outside of the United States. As such, we have not accrued any U.S. income tax provision in our financial results related to the majority of these funds.

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Long-term debt and change in capital structure. In conjunction with the anticipated Visa Europe acquisition, we have evolved our long-term capital structure. In December 2015, we issued fixed-rate senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of $16.0 billion , with maturities ranging between 2 and 30 years. Our first principal payment of $1.8 billion is due on December 14, 2017. Interest on the Notes, at a rate ranging between 1.20% and 4.30% , is payable semi-annually on June 14 and December 14 of each year, commencing June 14, 2016. The Notes may be redeemed as a whole or in part, at our option at any time prior to maturity, at a specified redemption price. In the event that the Visa Europe acquisition is not completed on or prior to February 2, 2017 (which date may be extended), we will be required to redeem all Notes except for the 2035 Notes and the 2045 Notes, at a specified redemption price. The net aggregate proceeds of $15.9 billion , after deducting underwriting discounts and debt issuance costs of $123 million , will be used to fund a portion of the purchase price for the anticipated acquisition of Visa Europe, and the remainder will be used for general corporate purposes including share repurchases. We are not subject to any financial covenants and did not experience any changes to our investment credit ratings as a result of this debt issuance. See Note 5—Debt to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Credit Facility. On January 27, 2016, we entered into an unsecured $4.0 billion revolving credit facility. The credit facility, which expires on January 27, 2021, replaced our previous $3.0 billion credit facility, which expired on January 27, 2016. The new credit facility contains covenants and events of default customary for facilities of this type. See Note 5—Debt to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Uses of Liquidity
There has been no significant change to our primary uses of liquidity since September 30, 2015 , except as discussed below. Based on our current cash flow budgets and forecasts of our short-term and long-term liquidity needs, we believe that our projected sources of liquidity will be sufficient to meet our projected liquidity needs for more than the next 12 months. We will continue to assess our liquidity position and potential sources of supplemental liquidity in view of our operating performance, current economic and capital market conditions and other relevant circumstances.
Visa Europe acquisition. On November 2, 2015, we entered into a transaction agreement to acquire Visa Europe for a total purchase price of up to € 21.2 billion . The purchase price consists of: (a) at the closing of the transaction, up-front cash consideration of € 11.5 billion and preferred stock convertible upon certain conditions into class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock, valued at approximately € 5.0 billion , and (b) following the end of sixteen fiscal quarters post-closing, contingent cash consideration of up to € 4.0 billion (plus up to an additional € 0.7 billion in interest), determined based on the achievement of specified net revenue levels during such post-closing period. Closing is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, and is currently expected to occur in the fiscal third quarter of 2016. See Note 2—Visa Europe to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
We also entered into the Put Option Amendment with Visa Europe to align certain terms of the Put with the terms of the Visa Europe Transaction Agreement. Under the terms and conditions of the Transaction Agreement, the Visa Europe board of directors is required to exercise the Amended Put Option on the closing date of the transaction to effect our purchase of all of Visa Europe’s share capital. If the Transaction Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to the completion of the transaction, the Put Option Amendment will also terminate and the Put will revert to its original, unamended form. We expect to complete the transaction in accordance with the Transaction Agreement, and therefore do not expect the Put to revert to its original, unamended form.
Reduction in as-converted class A common stock. In October 2015, our board of directors authorized a new $5.0 billion share repurchase program, in addition to the existing October 2014 program. During the three months ended December 31, 2015 , we repurchased 26 million shares of our class A common stock using $2.0 billion of cash on hand. As of December 31, 2015 , we had remaining authorized funds of $5.8 billion for share repurchase. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Dividends . During the three months ended December 31, 2015 , we declared and paid $340 million in dividends. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity to our unaudited consolidated financial statements. We expect our board of directors to declare a quarterly cash dividend at the beginning of February 2016.
Fair Value Measurements—Financial Instruments
As of December 31, 2015 , our financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis included $24.8 billion of assets and $10 million of liabilities. Of these instruments, fair value of $7 million was based on significant

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unobservable inputs. See Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
ITEM 3.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
There have been no significant changes to our market risks during the three months ended December 31, 2015 , compared to September 30, 2015 .
ITEM 4.
Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures. Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f)) of Visa Inc. at the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of Visa Inc. were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting. There has been no change in the internal control over financial reporting of Visa Inc. that occurred during the fiscal period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
 
ITEM 1.
Legal Proceedings.
Refer to Note 13—Legal Matters to the unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q for a description of the Company’s current material legal proceedings.  
ITEM 1A.
Risk Factors.
For a discussion of the Company’s risk factors, see the information under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015 , filed with the SEC on November 19, 2015 .
ITEM 2.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The table below sets forth information with respect to purchases of the Company’s common stock made by or on behalf of the Company during the quarter ended December 31, 2015 .
Period
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased (1)
 
Average
Price Paid
per Share
 
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs (2),(3)
 
Approximate
Dollar Value
of Shares that
May Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs (2),(3)
October 1-31, 2015
558

 
$
78.51

 

 
$
7,772,396,506

November 1-30, 2015
15,706,612

 
$
78.88

 
15,050,125

 
$
6,585,825,936

December 1-31, 2015
10,607,954

 
$
78.09

 
10,606,371

 
$
5,757,324,650

Total
26,315,124

 
$
78.56

 
25,656,496

 
 
(1)  
Includes 658,628 shares of class A common stock withheld at an average price of $80.15 per share (per the terms of grants under our 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan) to offset tax withholding obligations that occur upon vesting and release of restricted shares.
(2)  
The figures in the table reflect transactions according to trade dates. For purposes of our consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q, the impact of these repurchases is recorded according to settlement dates.
(3)  
Our board of directors from time to time authorizes the repurchase of shares of our common stock up to a certain monetary limit. In October 2015, our board of directors authorized a new $5.0 billion share repurchase program in addition to the existing $5.0 billion October 2014 program. These authorizations have no expiration date. All share repurchase programs authorized prior to October 2014 have been completed.
ITEM 3.
Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
None.  
ITEM 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
ITEM 5.
Other Information.
None.  

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Table of Contents

ITEM 6.
Exhibits.
The list of exhibits required to be filed as exhibits to this report is listed in the “Exhibit Index,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 
 
 
VISA INC.
 
 
 
 
 
Date:
January 28, 2016
By:
 
/s/ Charles W. Scharf
 
 
Name:
 
Charles W. Scharf
 
 
Title:
 
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
 
 
 
 
 
Date:
January 28, 2016
By:
 
/s/ Vasant M. Prabhu
 
 
Name:
 
Vasant M. Prabhu
 
 
Title:
 
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer )

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EXHIBIT INDEX
 
 
 
 
 
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit
Number
 
Description of Documents
 
Schedule/ Form
 
File Number
 
Exhibit
 
Filing Date
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.1
 
Transaction Agreement, dated as of November 2, 2015, between Visa Inc. and Visa Europe Limited #
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
2.1
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.1
 
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Visa Inc.
 
10-K
 
001-33977
 
3.3
 
11/20/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1
 
Form of certificate of designations of series A convertible participating preferred stock of Visa Inc.
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
3.1
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.2
 
Form of certificate of designations of series B convertible participating preferred stock of Visa Inc.
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
3.2
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.3
 
Form of certificate of designations of series C convertible participating preferred stock of Visa Inc.
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
3.3
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.4
 
Indenture dated December 14, 2015 between Visa Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
4.1
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.5
 
Form of 1.200% Senior Note due 2017
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
4.2
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.6
 
Form of 2.200% Senior Note due 2020
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
4.3
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.7
 
Form of 2.800% Senior Note due 2022
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
4.4
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.8
 
Form of 3.150% Senior Note due 2025
 
8-K
 
001-33977
 
4.5
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.9
 
Form of 4.150% Senior Note due 2035
 
8-K
 
001-33977
 
4.6
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.10
 
Form of 4.300% Senior Note due 2045
 
8-K
 
001-33977
 
4.7
 
12/14/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.1+
 
Form of Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan Stock Option Award Agreement for awards granted after November 1, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.2+
 
Form of Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for awards granted after November 1, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.3+
 
Form of Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan Performance Share Award Agreement for awards granted after November 1, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.4
 
Amendment No. 1 to the Visa Europe Put-Call Option Agreement, dated November 2, 2015, by and between Visa Inc. and Visa Europe Limited
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
2.2
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.5
 
Amendment of Interchange Judgment Sharing Agreement
 
10-K
 
001-33977
 
10.10
 
11/20/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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10.6
 
Amendment of Loss Sharing Agreement
 
10-K
 
001-33977
 
10.13
 
11/20/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.7
 
Second Amendment, dated October 22, 2015, to Omnibus Agreement regarding Interchange Litigation Judgment Sharing and Settlement Sharing by and among Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A. Inc., Visa International Service Association, MasterCard Incorporated, MasterCard International Incorporated and the parties thereto
 
10-K
 
001-33977

 
10.17
 
11/20/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.8
 
Loss Sharing Agreement, dated as of November 2, 2015, among the UK Members listed on Schedule 1 thereto, Visa Inc. and Visa Europe Limited
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
10.1
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.9
 
Form of Litigation Management Deed, among the VE Member Representative, Visa Inc., Visa Europe Limited, the LMC Appointing Members to be listed on Schedule 1 thereto, the UK&I DCC Appointing Members to be listed on Schedule 2 thereto and the Europe DCC Appointing Members to be listed on Schedule 3 thereto
 
8-K
 
001-33977

 
10.2
 
11/2/2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31.1+
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31.2+
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32.1+
 
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
32.2+
 
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.INS
 
XBRL Instance Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.SCH
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.CAL
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.DEF
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.LAB
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
101.PRE
 
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

41

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+
Filed or furnished herewith.
#
Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule will be furnished supplementally to the SEC upon request; provided, however, that the parties may request confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the Exchange Act for any document so furnished.

42
EXHIBIT 10.1


Notice of Option Grant

Participant:      <first_name> <middle_name> <last_name>

Employee ID:      <emp_id>

Company:      Visa Inc.


Notice:
You have been granted the following stock option (the “Option”) to purchase Shares in accordance with the terms of the Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) and the Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Agreement”) attached hereto.

Type of Award:      Nonqualified Stock Option

Grant ID:      <award_id>


Grant:      Grant Date: <award_date>
Option Price per Share: <award_price>
Number of Shares under Option: <shares_awarded>


Vesting:      The exercise of your Option is subject to the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
Beginning on each of the following dates, you may exercise your Option to purchase the corresponding portion of the total number of Shares underlying your Option. You may then exercise your Option to purchase that portion of the Shares at any time until your Option terminates or expires.

Shares on Vesting Date
<vesting_schedule>

However, in the event of your termination of employment due to death or Disability (as those terms are defined in the Agreement), your Option will then immediately become fully exercisable or in the event of your termination of employment due to Retirement (as the term is defined in the Agreement), your Option will continue to vest according to the stated vesting schedule. Moreover, your Option and any Shares issued or cash payment(s) made hereunder are subject to rescission and forfeiture during Participant’s employment and for twelve (12) months after the later of Participant’s (i) Termination or (ii) receipt of cash payment(s) or Shares hereunder if Participant engages in Detrimental Activity during such periods, as described in Section 4(f) below.

Expiration Date:
Your Option will expire ten years from the Grant Date, subject to earlier termination as set forth in the Plan and the Agreement.

Acceptance:
To accept or reject your Stock Option award, please complete the on­line form (“Accept or Reject Your Grant”) as promptly as possible, but, in any case, within ninety (90)



 

days after the Grant Date. If you accept your award, you will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of the Agreement. Your Agreement is available to you online in your Schwab Equity Award Center (EAC) account via this link https://eac.schwab.com.

2






Visa Inc.
2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan
Stock Option Award Agreement
This Stock Option Award Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of the Grant Date set forth in the Notice of Option Grant attached as Schedule A hereto (the “Grant Notice”), is made between Visa Inc. (the “Company”) and the Participant set forth in the Grant Notice. The Grant Notice is included in and made part of this Agreement.
1.      Grant of the Option .
(a)    Subject to the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of the Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), the Company hereby grants to the Participant, pursuant to the Plan, the right and option (the “Option”) to purchase all or any part of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company (“Shares”) set forth in the Grant Notice at the Option Price per Share and on the other terms as set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b)    The Option is intended to be a Nonqualified Stock Option.
2.      Exercisability of the Option .
The Option shall become exercisable in accordance with the exercisability schedule and other terms set forth in the Grant Notice. The Option shall terminate on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date stated in the Grant Notice (the “Expiration Date”), subject to earlier termination as set forth in the Plan and this Agreement.
3.      Method of Exercise of the Option .
(a)    The Participant may exercise the Option, to the extent then exercisable, by delivering a written or electronic notice to the Stock Plan Administrator in a form satisfactory to the Committee specifying the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised and payment to the Company of the aggregate Option Price in accordance with Section 3(b).
(b)    At the time the Participant exercises the Option, the Participant shall pay the Option Price of the Shares as to which the Option is being exercised to the Company, subject to such terms, conditions and limitations as the Committee may prescribe: (i) in cash or its equivalent; (ii) by tendering (either by actual delivery or attestation) unencumbered Shares previously acquired by the Participant exercising such Option having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price; (iii) a cashless (broker-assisted) exercise that complies with all applicable laws; (iv) withholding of Shares otherwise deliverable to the Participant pursuant to the Option having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price; or (v) by a combination of the consideration provided for in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv).
(c)    The Company’s obligation to deliver the Shares to which the Participant is entitled upon exercise of the Option is conditioned on the Participant’s satisfaction in full to the Company of the aggregate Option Price of those Shares and the required tax withholding related to such exercise.
4.      Termination .

1





Except as provided below, the Option shall terminate and be forfeited upon Termination of the Participant, and upon such termination and forfeiture of the Option; no Shares may thereafter be purchased under the Option. The Participant acknowledges that an important and material purpose of this Agreement, as a matter of the internal affairs of the Company, is to ensure that Participant’s interests and those of the Company remain aligned. This is achieved by Participant agreeing to avoid Detrimental Activity during the life of the Option and for a period of twelve (12) months after the later of Participant’s (i) Termination or (ii) receipt of cash payment(s) or Shares hereunder . Avoidance of Detrimental Activity in accordance with the terms of this Agreement is understood to be a precondition to entitlement and retention of any award under this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, the Option shall not be exercised after the Expiration Date.
(a)     Termination by the Company without Cause or by Participant. Upon Termination of the Participant by the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate without Cause (as defined below), or by the Participant for any reason (other than a Termination under circumstances described in paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this Section 4, the Option, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such Termination, shall thereafter be exercisable for a period of 90 days from the date of such Termination or the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of the Option that is not exercisable as of the date of such Termination shall be immediately forfeited on such date. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 15.1(a) of the Plan shall not apply to the Option to the extent such provision conflicts with this Section 4(a).
(b)     Death and Disability. Upon Termination of the Participant due to the Participant’s death or disability (as defined under the Company’s, a Subsidiary’s or an Affiliate’s long-term disability plan under which the Participant is covered from time to time (“Disability”)), the Option shall thereafter be immediately exercisable for all or any portion of the full number of Shares available for purchase under the Option and shall remain exercisable until the third anniversary of the date of such Termination or the Expiration Date, if earlier.
(c)     Retirement. Upon Termination of the Participant at or after attainment of age fifty-five and five years of completed service and six months of service from the date of grant (“Retirement”), then the Shares subject to the Option shall continue to vest according to the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice and the number of Shares of the award that have vested or become vested during this period will be available for purchase under the Option until the third anniversary of the date of such Termination or the Expiration Date, if earlier.
(d)     Termination for Cause. Upon Termination of the Participant by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate for Cause, any portion of the Option, whether vested or unvested, that has not been exercised shall immediately terminate.
(e)     Change of Control. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this Section 4, if a Change of Control occurs, and, at any time prior to the second (2nd) anniversary of such Change of Control, the Participant incurs a Termination, either by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate without Cause, or by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined below), then the Option shall thereafter be exercisable for all or any portion of the full number of Shares available for purchase under the Option until the first anniversary of the date of such Termination or the Expiration Date, if earlier. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 15.1(a) of the Plan shall not apply to the Option to the extent such provision conflicts with this Section 4(e).
(f)     Detrimental Activity . If, at any time during Participant’s employment by the Company, any Affiliate or a Subsidiary or within the later of (i) twelve (12) months after the Participant’s

2





Termination (as defined in the Plan) or (ii) twelve (12) months after Participant is delivered Shares or cash payment(s) pursuant to this Award, Participant engages in any Detrimental Activity, then the Company may rescind any portion of the Award distributed to the Participant within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity and/or pursue any other remedies allowed under applicable law. In the event of such a rescission, any portion of the Option, whether vested or unvested, that has not been exercised shall immediately terminate for no additional consideration by the Company and Participant will have no rights in same, and Participant shall immediately repay or return to the Company any cash payment(s) and Shares that have been paid or issued to Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity. If any such Shares are no longer held by Participant then Participant shall pay the Company a sum equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time they were sold or otherwise conveyed to another party by Participant. This Section 4(f) shall be construed to supplement, and not contradict, replace or eliminate, any remedies available to the Company under Section 14, or otherwise available under applicable law.
(g)     Business Days. If the relevant date until which the Option would otherwise be exercisable specified in Section 4 (a), (b), (c) or (e) hereof is not a business day on which the main office of Visa Inc. is open for business, such relevant date shall be deemed to be the immediately next following such business day for purposes of such section. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 4, in no event may the Option be exercised after the Expiration Date.
5.      Non-Transferability of the Option .
The Option shall not be transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable, during the lifetime of the Participant, only by him or her; provided , however , that the Company may, in its discretion, permit the Option to be transferred subject to such conditions and limitations as the Company may impose. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the Participant’s lifetime, the Option may be transferred to and exercised by the Participant’s former spouse pursuant to a domestic relations order which is approved by the Company, in accordance with any procedures, and subject to any limitations, as the Company may prescribe and subject to applicable law.
6.      Taxes and Withholdings .
At the time of receipt of Shares upon the exercise of all or any part of the Option, the Participant shall pay to the Company in cash, or make other arrangements, in accordance with Article XVII of the Plan, for the satisfaction of, any taxes of any kind and social insurance payments due or potentially payable or required to be withheld with respect to such Shares; provided , however , that subject to any limitations as the Committee may prescribe and subject to applicable law, the Participant may elect to satisfy, in whole or in part, such withholding obligations by (a) directing the Company to withhold Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant upon exercise of the Option; provided, however, that the amount of any Shares so withheld shall not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy required federal, state, local and non-United States withholding obligations using the minimum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and/or non-U.S. tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income; and/or (b) tendering to the Company a number of Shares then owned by the Participant (or by the Participant and his or her spouse jointly) and purchased or held for the requisite period of time as may be required to avoid the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate incurring an adverse accounting charge and having an aggregate Fair Market Value as of the exercise date not greater than such tax and other obligations. Any such election made by the Participant must be (i) made on or prior to the applicable exercise date; and (ii)

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irrevocable, made in writing, signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.
Regardless of any action the Company, an Affiliate and/or a Subsidiary takes with respect to any or all tax withholding (including social insurance contribution obligations, if any), the Participant acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all such taxes is and remains the Participant’s responsibility (or that of the Participant’s beneficiary), and that none of the Company, an Affiliate and /or a Subsidiary: (a) makes any representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with any aspect of the Option, including the grant or vesting thereof, the subsequent sale of Shares and the receipt of any dividends; or (b) commits to structure the terms of the Option or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s (or his or her beneficiary’s) liability for such tax.
7.      No Rights as a Shareholder .
Neither the Participant nor any other person shall become the beneficial owner of the Shares subject to the Option, nor have any rights to dividends or other rights as a shareholder with respect to any such Shares, until the Participant has actually received such Shares following the exercise of the Option in accordance with the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
8.      No Right to Continued Employment .
Neither the Option nor any terms contained in this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any rights or claims except in accordance with the express provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, and shall not give the Participant any express or implied right to be retained in the employment or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate for any period or in any particular position or at any particular rate of compensation, nor restrict in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate, which right is hereby expressly reserved, to modify or terminate the Participant’s employment or service at any time for any reason. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that any right to exercise the Option is earned only by continuing as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate at the will of the Company or such Subsidiary or Affiliate, or satisfaction of any other applicable terms and conditions contained in the Plan and this Agreement, and not through the act of being hired, being granted the Option or acquiring Shares hereunder.
9.      The Plan .
By accepting any benefit under this Agreement, the Participant and any person claiming under or through the Participant shall be conclusively deemed to have indicated his or her acceptance and ratification of, and consent to, all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement and any action taken under the Plan by the Board, the Committee or the Company, in any case in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan. Unless defined herein, capitalized terms are used herein as defined in the Plan. Subject to Section 4(a) of this Agreement, in the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control, and this Agreement shall be deemed to be modified accordingly. This Agreement is subject to all the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference, and to such rules, policies and regulations as may from time to time be adopted by the Committee. The Plan and the prospectus describing the Plan can be found on the Company’s Human Resources intranet site. A paper copy of the Plan and the prospectus shall be provided to the Participant upon the Participant’s written request to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administrator.
10.     Certain Defined Terms .

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For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a)    “Cause” means: (i) engaging in (A) willful or gross misconduct or (B) willful or gross neglect; (ii) the commission of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, dishonesty, breach of trust or unethical business conduct, or any crime involving the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (iii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (iv) a material breach of the Participant’s employment agreement or offer letter (if any) with the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (v) acts or omissions constituting a material failure to perform substantially and adequately the duties assigned to the Participant (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental illness); provided , however , that following a Change of Control, any such failure will only serve as the basis for a termination for Cause if it is willful; or (vi) any illegal act detrimental to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.
(b)    “Good Reason” means: (i) a diminution in the Participant’s annual base salary, annual incentive opportunity or annual long-term incentive award opportunity, as applicable, in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control l; (ii) the assignment to the Participant of any duties inconsistent with the Participant’s positions (including status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties or responsibilities from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control or any action by the Company that results in a diminution in any of the foregoing from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control, or (iii) the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate requires the Participant to change the Participant’s principal location of work to a location that is in excess of fifty (50) miles from the location thereof immediately prior to the Change of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Termination by a Participant for Good Reason shall not have occurred unless (i) the Participant gives written notice to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, as applicable, of Termination within thirty (30) days after the Participant first becomes aware of the occurrence of the circumstances constituting Good Reason, specifying in reasonable detail the circumstances constituting Good Reason, and (ii) the Company, the Subsidiary or the Affiliate, as the case may be, has failed within thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice to cure the circumstances constituting Good Reason.
(c)    “Detrimental Activity” means: (i) providing services or material assistance to any payments business that is in competition with the payments business of the Company in the United States or any other country where the Company does business; (ii) soliciting or knowingly inducing a Company customer that Participant had material dealings with or was provided confidential information about while employed with the Company to cease or reduce doing business with the Company or to divert a business opportunity related to the Company’s line of business to another party; or, (iii) soliciting or knowingly inducing an employee of the Company that Participant gained knowledge of while employed with the Company to leave the employment of the Company. Detrimental Activity is not intended to include (i) duly authorized activity undertaken for the benefit of the Company in the ordinary course of Participant’s employment duties for the Company, (ii) employment with an independently operated subsidiary, division, or unit of a diversified corporation so long as the independently operated business unit at issue is truly independent and does not compete in any way with the Company; or, (iii) holding a passive and non-controlling ownership interest of less than 5% of the stock or other securities of a publicly traded company.
11.     Compliance with Laws and Regulations .
(a)    The Option and the obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Shares hereunder shall be subject in all respects to: (i) all applicable Federal and state laws, rules and regulations; and (ii) any registration, qualification, approvals or other requirements imposed by any government or

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regulatory agency or body which the Committee shall, in its discretion, determine to be necessary or applicable. Moreover, the Option may not be exercised if its exercise, or the receipt of Shares pursuant thereto, would be contrary to applicable law. If at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of Shares upon any national securities exchange or under any state or Federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary or desirable, the Company shall not be required to deliver any certificates for Shares to the Participant or any other person pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval has been effected or obtained, or otherwise provided for, free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company.
(b)    It is intended that the Shares received upon the exercise of the Option shall have been registered under the Securities Act. If the Participant is an “affiliate” of the Company, as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), the Participant may not sell the Shares received except in compliance with Rule 144. Certificates representing Shares issued to an “affiliate” of the Company may bear a legend setting forth such restrictions on the disposition or transfer of the Shares as the Company deems appropriate to comply with Federal and state securities laws.
(c)    If at the time of exercise of all or part of the Option, the Shares are not registered under the Securities Act, and/or there is no current prospectus in effect under the Securities Act with respect to the Shares, the Participant shall execute, prior to the delivery of any Shares to the Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, an agreement (in such form as the Company may specify) in which the Participant represents and warrants that the Participant is purchasing or acquiring the shares acquired under this Agreement for the Participant’s own account, for investment only and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof, and represents and agrees that any subsequent offer for sale or distribution of any kind of such Shares shall be made only pursuant to either (i) a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act, which registration statement has become effective and is current with regard to the Shares being offered or sold; or (ii) a specific exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, but in claiming such exemption the Participant shall, prior to any offer for sale of such Shares, obtain a prior favorable written opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, from counsel for or approved by the Company, as to the applicability of such exemption thereto.
12.     Notices and Consent to Service of Process .
Any notice or other communication provided for hereunder shall be made in writing and deemed given (a) three days after being deposited in the U.S. mail, first class, postage prepaid, certified receipt requested, or (b) when delivered by a nationally recognized overnight courier which provides confirmation of delivery. All notices by the Participant or the Participant’s successors or permitted assigns shall be addressed to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administration in the Benefits Department, or such other address as the Company may from time to time specify, and any notice that involves service of legal process on the Company shall be directed to Company’s Registered Agent for purposes of service of legal process. All notices and service of legal process to the Participant shall be addressed to the Participant at the Participant’s last known address in the Company's records or such forwarding address as Participant may provide to the Company in writing and in accordance with this Section 12.
13.     Other Plans .
The Participant acknowledges that any income derived from the exercise of the Option shall not affect the Participant’s participation in, or benefits under, any other benefit plan or other contract or arrangement maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate.

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14.     Clawback Policy .
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any cash incentive compensation received by the Participant, Option granted and/or Shares issued hereunder, and/or any amount received with respect to any sale of any such Shares, shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of the Company’s Clawback Policy, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Policy”). The Participant agrees and consents to the Company’s application, implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policy or any similar policy established by the Company that may apply to the Participant and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and expressly agrees that the Company may take such actions as are necessary to effectuate the Policy, any similar policy (as applicable to the Participant) or applicable law without further consent or action being required by the Participant. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and the Policy or any similar policy conflict, then the terms of such policy shall prevail.
15.     Rights of Participant.
In accepting the grant, the Participant acknowledges that:
(a)     the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, as provided in the Plan and this Agreement;
(b)     the grant of the Options is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right for the Participant or any other person to receive future grants of Options, or benefits in lieu of Options;
(c)     all decisions with respect to any future grants will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)     the Options do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company, its Affiliates and /or Subsidiaries, and are not part of the terms and conditions of the Participant’s employment;
(e)     no provision of this Agreement or of the Option granted hereunder shall give the Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any Affiliate or Subsidiary, create any inference as to the length of employment of the Participant, affect the right of an employer to terminate the employment of the Participant, with or without Cause, or give the Participant any right to participate in any employee welfare or benefit plan or other program (other than the Plan);
(f)     if the Participant ceases to be an employee of the Company or any Affiliate or Subsidiary for any reason, the Participant shall not be entitled by way of compensation for loss of office or otherwise howsoever to any sum or other benefit to compensate the Participant for the loss of any rights under this Agreement or the Plan;
(g)     notwithstanding any terms or conditions of the Plan to the contrary, in the event of termination of the Participant’s employment for any reason other than a termination pursuant to which accelerated or continued vesting occurs as provided in Section 4 hereof, the Participant’s right to receive Options and vest in Options under the Plan, if any, will terminate immediately on the date that the Participant is no longer actively employed and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under

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local law (e.g., active employment would not include a period of “garden leave” or similar period pursuant to local law); and
(h) notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Option Granted hereunder shall be subject to any special terms and conditions for Participant’s country set forth in the Addendum attached hereto as Exhibit A. Moreover, if Participant relocates to one of the countries included in the Addendum, the special terms and conditions for such country will apply to Participant, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
16.     Data Protection.
(a)    The Participant hereby explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of his personal data as described in this document by and among, as applicable, the Company, its Affiliates and its Subsidiaries (“the Group”) for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing his participation in the Plan.
(b)     The Participant acknowledges that the Group holds certain personal information about him, including, but not limited to, his name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, details of all Options or any other entitlement to Shares outstanding in the Participant’s favor, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan (“Data”).
(c)     The Participant acknowledges and agrees that Data may be transferred to any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Participant’s country of residence or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country of residence may have different data privacy laws and protections than those of the Participant’s country. The Participants authorize the recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares acquired. The Participant understands that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage his participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that he may, at any time, view Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing his local human resources representative. The Participant understands, however, that refusing or withdrawing his consent may affect his ability to participate in the Plan.
17.     Choice of Law and Forum / Consent to Jurisdiction.
In order to maintain uniformity in the interpretation of this Agreement across the Company’s operations in many different locations, the parties have expressly agreed that this Agreement shall be governed by and enforced under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any contrary principles of conflict of laws of Delaware or another state. The parties further agree that any legal action, suit or proceeding arising from or related to this Agreement shall be instituted exclusively in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction located in Delaware. The parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of such Delaware courts over them, waive all objections to the contrary, and waive any and all objections to the exclusive location of legal proceedings in Delaware (including, without limitation, any objection based on cost, convenience or location of relevant persons). The parties further agree that there shall be a conclusive

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presumption that this Agreement has a significant, material and reasonable relationship to the State of Delaware.
18.     Acceptance .
The Participant must accept or reject his award under this Agreement no later than ninety (90) days after the Grant Date (“Acceptance Period”). If the Participant accepts the award within the Acceptance Period, he will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this Agreement.


    


9

EXHIBIT 10.2


Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant

Participant:         <first_name> <middle_name> <last_name>

Employee ID:      <emp_id>

Company:      Visa Inc.


Notice:
You have been granted the following Restricted Stock Units in accordance with the terms of the Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) and the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (“Agreement”) attached hereto.

Type of Award:
Restricted Stock Units

Grant ID:
<award_id>


Grant:
Grant Date: <award_date>
Number of Shares Underlying Restricted Stock Units: <shares_awarded>


Period of Restriction:
The Period of Restriction applicable to those portions of the total number of your Restricted Stock Units listed in the schedule below shall commence on the Grant Date and shall lapse on the corresponding “Vesting Date” listed below.

Shares on Vesting Date
<vesting_schedule>

However, in the event of your termination of employment due to your death or Disability (as those terms are defined in the Agreement), the Period of Restriction will immediately lapse as to the full number of Restricted Stock Units. In addition, in the event of your termination of employment due to Retirement (as defined in the Agreement), the Period of Restriction will continue to lapse according to the vesting schedule set forth above. Moreover, the Award and any Shares issued or cash payment(s) made hereunder are subject to rescission and forfeiture during Participant’s employment and for twelve (12) months after the later of Participant’s (i) Termination or (ii) receipt of cash payment(s) or Shares hereunder if Participant engages in Detrimental Activity during such periods, as described in Section 4(e) below.


Acceptance:
To accept or reject your Restricted Stock Units award, please complete the on-line form ("Accept or Reject Your Grant") as promptly as possible, but, in any case, within ninety (90) days after the Grant Date. If you accept your award, you will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this Agreement.







Your Agreement is available to you online in your Schwab Equity Award Center (EAC) account via this link https://eac.schwab.com.






Visa Inc.
2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan
Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement
This Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of the Grant Date (the “Grant Date”) set forth in the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant attached as Schedule A hereto (the “Grant Notice”), is made between Visa Inc. (the “Company”) and the Participant set forth in the Grant Notice. The Grant Notice is included in and made part of this Agreement.
1.      Definitions .
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning set forth in the Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”).
2.      Grant of the Restricted Stock Units .
Subject to the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of the Plan, the Company hereby grants to the Participant, pursuant to the Plan, the number of Restricted Stock Units set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Restricted Stock Units”).
3.      Dividend Equivalents .
Each Restricted Stock Unit shall entitle the Participant to Dividend Equivalents with respect to regular cash dividends that would otherwise be paid on the Share underlying such Restricted Stock Unit during the period from the Grant Date to the date such Share is delivered in accordance with Section 5. Any such Dividend Equivalent shall be paid to the Participant at (or within thirty (30) days following) the time such related dividends are paid to holders of Shares.
4.      Period of Restriction; Termination .  
The Period of Restriction with respect to the Restricted Stock Units shall be as set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Period of Restriction”). The Participant acknowledges that an important and material purpose of this Agreement, as a matter of the internal affairs of the Company, is to ensure that Participant’s interests and those of the Company remain aligned. This is achieved by Participant agreeing to avoid Detrimental Activity during the Period of Restriction and for a period of twelve (12) months after the later of Participant’s (i) Termination or (ii) receipt of cash payment(s) or Shares hereunder . Avoidance of Detrimental Activity in accordance with the terms of this Agreement is understood to be precondition to entitlement and retention of any award under this Agreement. The Participant acknowledges that prior to the expiration of the applicable portion of the Period of Restriction, the Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, encumbered, alienated, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of (whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy)), other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Upon the expiration of the applicable portion of the Period of Restriction, the restrictions set forth in this Agreement with respect to the Restricted Stock Units theretofore subject to such expired Period of Restriction shall lapse, except as may be provided in accordance with Section 11 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the expiration of the applicable portion of the Period of Restriction, the Restricted Stock Units may be transferred to the Participant’s former spouse pursuant to a domestic relations order which is approved by the Company, in accordance with any procedures, and






subject to any limitations, as the Company may prescribe and subject to applicable law. Subject to the terms of the Plan and the remaining provisions of this Section 4, all Restricted Stock Units for which the Period of Restriction had not lapsed prior to the date of the Participant’s Termination shall be immediately forfeited. Notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary:
(a)     Death and Disability . Upon Termination of the Participant due to death or disability (within the meaning of the Company’s or its Affiliate’s long-term disability plan under which the Participant is covered from time to time (“Disability”)), then the Period of Restriction shall immediately lapse as to the full number of Restricted Stock Units.
(b)     Retirement . Upon Termination of the Participant at or after attainment of age fifty-five and five years of completed service and six months of service from the date of grant (“Retirement”), then the Period of Restriction for any Restricted Stock Units that remain unvested as of the date of such Termination shall continue to lapse in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice.
(c)     Change of Control. If a Change of Control occurs, and, at any time prior to the second (2nd) anniversary of the Change of Control, the Participant incurs a Termination, either by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate without Cause (as defined below), or by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined below), then the Period of Restriction shall immediately lapse as to the full number of Restricted Stock Units. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 15.1(b) of the Plan shall not apply to the Restricted Stock Units to the extent such provision conflicts with this Section 4(c).
(d)     Other Terminations . Upon Termination of the Participant due to any reason other than due to death, Disability, Retirement, termination without Cause following a Change of Control or termination for Good Reason following a Change of Control, then all Restricted Stock Units for which the Period of Restriction had not lapsed prior to the date of such Termination shall be immediately forfeited.
(e)     Detrimental Activity . If, at any time during Participant’s employment by the Company, any Affiliate or a Subsidiary or within the later of (i) twelve (12) months after the Participant’s Termination (as defined in the Plan) or (ii) twelve (12) months after Participant is delivered Shares or cash payment(s) pursuant to this Award, Participant engages in any Detrimental Activity, then the Company may rescind any portion of the Award distributed to the Participant within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity and/or pursue any other remedies allowed under applicable law. In the event of such a rescission, Participant’s then outstanding Restricted Stock Units will be cancelled for no additional consideration by the Company and Participant will have no rights in same, and Participant shall immediately repay or return to the Company any cash payment(s) and Shares that have been paid or issued to Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity. If any such Shares are no longer held by Participant then Participant shall pay the Company a sum equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time they were sold or otherwise conveyed to another party by Participant. This Section 4(e) shall be construed to supplement, and not contradict, replace or eliminate, any remedies available to the Company under Section 14, or otherwise available under applicable law.
5.      Payment of Restricted Stock Units .
As soon as reasonably practicable following the lapse of the applicable portion of the Period of Restriction, but in no event later than 90 days following the date of such lapse, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Participant (a) the full number of Shares underlying the Restricted Stock Units as to which such portion of the Period of Restriction has so lapsed, (b) a cash payment determined






by reference to the then-current Fair Market Value of such Shares or (c) a combination of Shares and such cash payment as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine, subject to satisfaction of applicable tax withholding obligations with respect thereto in accordance with Section 6 of this Agreement; provided , however , that if the Participant’s Termination occurs under any circumstances other than death, any such delivery of Shares or cash payment due to lapse of the Period of Restriction upon such Termination shall be delayed for six months from the date of such Participant’s Termination if the Participant is a “specified employee” (as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) determined in accordance with the methodology established by the Company as in effect on the date of such Termination.
6.      Taxes and Withholdings .
Upon the expiration of the applicable portion of the Period of Restriction, or such earlier date on which the value of any Restricted Stock Units otherwise becomes includible in the Participant’s gross income for income tax purposes or on which taxes are otherwise payable, any taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to such Restricted Stock Units shall be satisfied by the Company withholding Shares or cash otherwise deliverable or payable to the Participant pursuant to the Restricted Stock Unit award; provided , however , that the amount of any Shares so withheld shall not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy required Federal, state, local and non-United States withholding obligations using the minimum statutory withholding rates for Federal, state, local and/or non-U.S. tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income, subject to any limitations as the Committee may prescribe and subject to applicable law, based on the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the payment date. The Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate may, in the discretion of the Committee, provide for alternative arrangements to satisfy applicable tax withholding requirements in accordance with Article XVII of the Plan.
Regardless of any action the Company, an Affiliate and /or a Subsidiary takes with respect to any or all tax withholding (including social insurance contribution obligations, if any), the Participant acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all such taxes is and remains the Participant’s responsibility (or that of the Participant’s beneficiary), and that none of the Company, an Affiliate and /or a Subsidiary: (a) makes any representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with any aspect of the Restricted Stock Units, including the grant or vesting thereof, the subsequent sale of Shares and the receipt of any dividends; or (b) commits to structure the terms of the Restricted Stock Units or any aspect of the Restricted Stock Units to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s (or his or her beneficiary’s) liability for such tax.
7.      No Rights as a Shareholder Prior to Issuance of Shares .
Neither the Participant nor any other person shall become the beneficial owner of the Shares underlying the Restricted Stock Units, nor have any rights to dividends or other rights as a shareholder with respect to any such Shares, until and after such Shares, if any, have been actually issued to the Participant and transferred on the books and records of the Company or its agent in accordance with the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
8.      No Right to Continued Employment .
Neither the Restricted Stock Units nor any terms contained in this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any rights or claims except in accordance with the express provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, and shall not give the Participant any express or implied right to be retained in the employment or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate for any period or in any particular position or at any particular rate of compensation, nor restrict in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary






or Affiliate, which right is hereby expressly reserved, to modify or terminate the Participant’s employment or service at any time for any reason. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that any right to lapse of the Period of Restriction is earned only by continuing as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate at the will of the Company or such Subsidiary or Affiliate, or satisfaction of any other applicable terms and conditions contained in the Plan and this Agreement, and not through the act of being hired or being granted the Restricted Stock Units hereunder.
9.      The Plan .
By accepting any benefit under this Agreement, the Participant and any person claiming under or through the Participant shall be conclusively deemed to have indicated his or her acceptance and ratification of, and consent to, all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement and any action taken under the Plan by the Board, the Committee or the Company, in any case in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan. Subject to Section 4(c) of this Agreement, in the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control, and this Agreement shall be deemed to be modified accordingly. This Agreement is subject to all the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference, and to such rules, policies and regulations as may from time to time be adopted by the Committee. The Plan and the prospectus describing the Plan can be found on the Company’s Human Resources intranet site. A paper copy of the Plan and the prospectus shall be provided to the Participant upon the Participant’s written request to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administrator.
10.     Certain Defined Terms .
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a)    “Cause” means: (i) engaging in (A) willful or gross misconduct or (B) willful or gross neglect; (ii) the commission of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, dishonesty, breach of trust or unethical business conduct, or any crime involving the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (iii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (iv) a material breach of the Participant’s employment agreement or offer letter (if any) with the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (v) acts or omissions constituting a material failure to perform substantially and adequately the duties assigned to the Participant (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental illness); provided , however , that following a Change of Control, any such failure will only serve as the basis for a termination for Cause if it is willful; or (vi) any illegal act detrimental to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.
(b)     “Good Reason” means: (i) a diminution in the Participant’s annual base salary, annual incentive opportunity or annual long-term incentive award opportunity, as applicable, in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control; (ii) the assignment to the Participant of any duties inconsistent with the Participant’s positions (including status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties or responsibilities from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control or any action by the Company that results in a diminution in any of the foregoing from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control, or (iii) the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate requires the Participant to change the Participant’s principal location of work to a location that is in excess of fifty (50) miles from the location thereof immediately prior to the Change of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Termination by a Participant for Good Reason shall not have occurred unless (i) the Participant gives written notice to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, as applicable, of Termination within thirty (30) days after the Participant first becomes aware of the occurrence of the circumstances constituting Good Reason, specifying in reasonable detail the






circumstances constituting Good Reason, and (ii) the Company, the Subsidiary or the Affiliate, as the case may be, has failed within thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice to cure the circumstances constituting Good Reason.
(c)     “Detrimental Activity” means: (i) providing services or material assistance to any payments business that is in competition with the payments business of the Company in the United States or any other country where the Company does business; (ii) soliciting or knowingly inducing a Company customer that Participant had material dealings with or was provided confidential information about while employed with the Company to cease or reduce doing business with the Company or to divert a business opportunity related to the Company’s line of business to another party; or, (iii) soliciting or knowingly inducing an employee of the Company that Participant gained knowledge of while employed with the Company to leave the employment of the Company. Detrimental Activity is not intended to include (i) duly authorized activity undertaken for the benefit of the Company in the ordinary course of Participant’s employment duties for the Company, (ii) employment with an independently operated subsidiary, division, or unit of a diversified corporation so long as the independently operated business unit at issue is truly independent and does not compete in any way with the Company; or, (iii) holding a passive and non-controlling ownership interest of less than 5% of the stock or other securities of a publicly traded company.
11.     Compliance with Laws and Regulations .
(a)    The Restricted Stock Units and the obligation of the Company to deliver Shares or cash payments hereunder shall be subject in all respects to (i) all applicable Federal and state laws, rules and regulations; and (ii) any registration, qualification, approvals or other requirements imposed by any government or regulatory agency or body which the Committee shall, in its discretion, determine to be necessary or applicable. Moreover, the Company shall not deliver any certificates for Shares to the Participant or any other person pursuant to this Agreement if doing so would be contrary to applicable law. If at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of Shares upon any national securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary or desirable, the Company shall not be required to deliver any certificates for Shares to the Participant or any other person pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval has been effected or obtained, or otherwise provided for, free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company.
(b)    It is intended that any Shares received upon expiration of the Period of Restriction shall have been registered under the Securities Act. If the Participant is an “affiliate” of the Company, as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), the Participant may not sell the Shares received except in compliance with Rule 144. Certificates representing Shares issued to an “affiliate” of the Company may bear a legend setting forth such restrictions on the disposition or transfer of the Shares as the Company deems appropriate to comply with federal and state securities laws.
(c)    If at any time the Shares are not registered under the Securities Act, and/or there is no current prospectus in effect under the Securities Act with respect to the Shares, the Participant shall execute, prior to the delivery of any Shares to the Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, an agreement (in such form as the Company may specify) in which the Participant represents and warrants that the Participant is purchasing or acquiring the Shares acquired under this Agreement for the Participant's own account, for investment only and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof, and represents and agrees that any subsequent offer for sale or distribution of any kind of such Shares shall be made only pursuant to either (i) a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act, which






registration statement has become effective and is current with regard to the Shares being offered or sold; or (ii) a specific exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, but in claiming such exemption the Participant shall, prior to any offer for sale of such Shares, obtain a prior favorable written opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, from counsel for or approved by the Company, as to the applicability of such exemption thereto.
12.     Notices and Consent to Service of Process .
Any notice or other communication provided for hereunder shall be made in writing and deemed given (a) three days after being deposited in the U.S. mail, first class, postage prepaid, certified receipt requested, or (b) when delivered by a nationally recognized overnight courier which provides confirmation of delivery. All notices by the Participant or the Participant’s successors or permitted assigns shall be addressed to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administration in the Benefits Department, or such other address as the Company may from time to time specify, and any notice that involves service of legal process on the Company shall be directed to Company’s Registered Agent for purposes of service of legal process. All notices and service of legal process to the Participant shall be addressed to the Participant at the Participant’s last known address in the Company's records or such forwarding address as Participant may provide to the Company in writing and in accordance with this Section 12.
13.     Other Plans .
The Participant acknowledges that any income derived from this Restricted Stock Units award shall not affect the Participant’s participation in, or benefits under, any other benefit plan or other contract or arrangement maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate.
14.     Clawback Policy .
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any cash incentive compensation received by the Participant, Restricted Stock Unit granted, Shares issued and/or amount paid hereunder, and/or any amount received with respect to any sale of any such Shares, shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of the Company’s Clawback Policy, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Policy”). The Participant agrees and consents to the Company’s application, implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policy or any similar policy established by the Company that may apply to the Participant and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and expressly agrees that the Company may take such actions as are necessary to effectuate the Policy, any similar policy (as applicable to the Participant) or applicable law without further consent or action being required by the Participant. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and the Policy or any similar policy conflict, then the terms of such policy shall prevail.
15.     Rights of Participant.
In accepting the grant, the Participant acknowledges that:
(a)     the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, as provided in the Plan and this Agreement;






(b)     the grant of Restricted Stock Units is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right for the Participant or any other person to receive future grants, or benefits;
(c)     all decisions with respect to any future grants will be at the sole discretion of the Company;
(d)     the Restricted Stock Unit grants do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company, its Affiliates and /or Subsidiaries, and are not part of the terms and conditions of the Participant’s employment;
(e)     no provision of this Agreement or the Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder shall give the Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any Affiliate or Subsidiary, create any inference as to the length of employment of the Participant, affect the right of an employer to terminate the employment of the Participant, with or without Cause, or give the Participant any right to participate in any employee welfare or benefit plan or other program (other than the Plan);
(f)     if the Participant ceases to be an employee of the Company or any Affiliate or Subsidiary for any reason, the Participant shall not be entitled by way of compensation for loss of office or otherwise howsoever to any sum or other benefit to compensate the Participant for the loss of any rights under this Agreement or the Plan;
(g)     notwithstanding any terms or conditions of the Plan to the contrary, in the event of termination of the Participant’s employment for any reason other than a termination pursuant to which accelerated or continued lapsing of restrictions occurs as provided in Section 4 hereof, the Participant’s right to receive Restricted Stock Units and vest in Restricted Stock Units under the Plan, if any, will terminate immediately on the date that the Participant is no longer actively employed and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under local law (e.g., active employment would not include a period of “garden leave” or similar period pursuant to local law); and
(h)     notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder shall be subject to any special terms and conditions for Participant’s country set forth in the Addendum attached hereto as Exhibit A. Moreover, if Participant relocates to one of the countries included in the Addendum, the special terms and conditions for such country will apply to Participant, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Addendum constitutes part of this Agreement.
16.     Data Protection.
(a)    The Participant hereby explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of his personal data as described in this document by and among, as applicable, the Company, its Affiliates and its Subsidiaries (“the Group”) for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing his participation in the Plan.
(b)     The Participant acknowledges that the Group holds certain personal information about him, including, but not limited to, his name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, details of all Options or any other entitlement to Shares outstanding in the Participant’s favor, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan (“Data”).






(c)     The Participant acknowledges and agrees that Data may be transferred to any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Participant’s country of residence or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country of residence may have different data privacy laws and protections than those of the Participant’s country. The Participants authorize the recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares acquired. The Participant understands that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage his participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that he may, at any time, view Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing his local human resources representative. The Participant understands, however, that refusing or withdrawing his consent may affect his ability to participate in the Plan.
17. Choice of Law and Forum / Consent to Jurisdiction .
In order to maintain uniformity in the interpretation of this Agreement across the Company’s operations in many different locations, the parties have expressly agreed that this Agreement shall be governed by and enforced under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any contrary principles of conflict of laws of Delaware or another state. The parties further agree that any legal action, suit or proceeding arising from or related to this Agreement shall be instituted exclusively in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction located in Delaware. The parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of such Delaware courts over them, waive all objections to the contrary, and waive any and all objections to the exclusive location of legal proceedings in Delaware (including, without limitation, any objection based on cost, convenience or location of relevant persons). The parties further agree that there shall be a conclusive presumption that this Agreement has a significant, material and reasonable relationship to the State of Delaware.
18.     Acceptance .
The Participant must accept or reject his award under this Agreement no later than ninety (90) days after the Grant Date (“Acceptance Period”). If the Participant accepts the award within the Acceptance Period, he will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this Agreement.
    




EXHIBIT 10.3


Visa Inc.
2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan
Performance Share Award Agreement
This Performance Share Award Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated <date> , (the “Grant Date”), is by and between Visa Inc. (the “Company”) and <first_name> <last_name> (the “Participant”), pursuant to the Visa Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”). Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Plan.
WHEREAS , pursuant to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee has authorized the grant to the Participant of Performance Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and
WHEREAS , the Participant and the Company desire to enter into this Agreement to evidence and confirm the grant of such Performance Shares on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
NOW , THEREFORE , the Participant and the Company agree as follows:
1. Grant of Performance Shares . Pursuant to the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the Company on the Grant Date has granted and hereby evidences the grant to the Participant, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, in the Plan and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this Agreement, an award of <shares_awarded> Performance Shares (this “Award”).
2.      Payment of Earned and Vested Performance Shares . Subject to the provisions of this Section 2 and Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Agreement, the Payment Value of each Performance Share covered by this Award that has been determined, in writing, to be earned and vested pursuant to Sections 3, 4(b) or 5 shall be paid or delivered to the Participant on a date that is as soon as administratively practicable (but no later than 60 days) after the applicable vesting date described in Sections 3(b), 4(b) or 5 on which such Performance Share initially becomes vested. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Payment Value ” means the Fair Market Value of a Share on the applicable vesting date. Payments hereunder shall be made in Shares, unless the Committee, in its discretion, determines to make such payments in cash or a combination of cash and Shares. The foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, if the Participant’s Separation from Service occurs under any circumstances other than death, any such payment due by reason of such Separation from Service shall be delayed for six months from the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service if the Participant is a “specified employee” (as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) determined in accordance with the methodology established by the Company as in effect on the date of such Separation from Service.
3.      Performance Criteria and Vesting Applicable to Performance Shares .
(a)      Performance Criteria .
(i)     Performance Cycle . The Performance Cycle for this Award shall end on September 30, 2018.
(ii)     Performance Goals . The Performance Goals for this Award are (A) specified levels of the Company’s Earnings Per Share (EPS) over the course of the Performance Cycle and (B) the total shareholder return of the Company ranked against the total shareholder return of companies that are included in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (“S&P 500 Index”) as of the end of the applicable period used for purposes of calculating this goal, as described below (“TSR Rank”). For this purpose, “Earnings

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Per Share” or “EPS” means the Company’s fiscal year 2016 and 2017 and 2018 diluted earnings per share reported in its annual report on Form 10-K for the applicable years. The Committee, in its discretion, may determine to adjust the results by excluding some or all of the effects of certain unusual items. “TSR Rank” means the aggregate total shareholder return on Shares over the approximately three year period beginning November 2, 2015 and ending on the day the Company’s earnings are announced following the close of the Company’s 2018 fiscal year, ranked against the total shareholder return over the same three year period for each of the companies that comprise the S&P 500 Index. Total shareholder return will be calculated using a beginning price equal to the trading volume weighted average price over the period from October 12, 2015 to November 20, 2015, and an ending price equal to the trading volume weighted average price over the period beginning 14 trading days before and ending 15 trading days after the date of the release of the Company’s fiscal year 2018 earnings, and accounting for reinvestment of dividends over this period; provided, however , that if the date of the release of the Company’s fiscal year 2018 earnings is fewer than 15 trading days prior to November 21, 2018, then the ending price will be equal to the average price over the 30-trading day period ending on November 20, 2018. For purposes of this provision, TSR will be calculated using the trading volume weighted average share price for Visa Inc. and the simple average of the closing prices for the S&P 500.
(iii)      Percentage of Performance Shares Earned . Following the end of the Performance Cycle, the Committee will determine the extent to which Performance Shares have become earned during the Performance Cycle according to the product of the results of the following two schedules and accompanying descriptions:

Performance Level

Earnings Per Share
Base Percentage of
Performance
Shares Earned
 
Less than $X
0
%
Threshold
$X
50
%
Target
$Y
100
%
Maximum
$Z or more
200
%

The specific EPS goals for the Company’s fiscal years 2017 and 2018 will be provided separately. The Committee shall determine the applicable Threshold, Target and Maximum EPS goals for the remaining two years of the Performance Cycle (fiscal years 2017 and 2018) based on the Company’s annual operating plan for the applicable year. If the Earnings Per Share for an applicable year of the Performance Cycle falls between Threshold and Target, or between Target and Maximum, then the percentage of Performance Shares earned shall be the sum of the Base Percentage of Performance Shares Earned in the schedule above for the lower such Performance Level plus the product of (A) the difference between the Base Percentage of Performance Shares Earned in the schedule above for the greater and lower such Performance Levels and (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount by which the Earnings Per Share achieved exceeds the Earnings Per Share in the schedule above for the lower such Performance Level and the denominator of which is the difference between Earnings Per Share amounts in the schedule above for the greater and lower of such Performance Levels. The Percentage of Performance Shares Earned with respect to Earnings Per Share for the Performance Cycle shall be determined based on the average Base Percentage of Performance Shares Earned over the three years of the Performance Cycle and shall never exceed 200%.


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Performance Level
TSR Rank
Adjustment Multiplier
Threshold
0 - 25%
75%
Target
50%
100%
Maximum
75% and above
125%
If the Performance Level for TSR Rank falls between Threshold and Target, or between Target and Maximum, then the Adjustment Multiplier shall be the sum of the Adjustment Multiplier in the schedule above for the lower such Performance Level plus the product of (A) the difference between the Adjustment Multiplier in the schedule above for the greater and lower such Performance Levels and (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount by which the TSR Rank achieved exceeds the TSR Rank in the schedule above for the lower such Performance Level and the denominator of which is the difference between TSR Ranks in the schedule above for the greater and lower of such Performance Levels. The Adjustment Multiplier for the TSR Rank shall never exceed 125%. The product of the Base Percentage Performance Shares Earned and the Adjustment Multiplier shall be limited to a maximum of 200% and is then multiplied by the grant amount to determine the number of Performance Shares earned.
(iv)     Notification . As soon as practicable following the end of the Performance Cycle, the Participant shall be notified in writing of the number of Performance Shares earned.
(b)     Vesting . Subject to Sections 4, 5 and 6 of this Agreement, all of the Performance Shares that are earned pursuant to Section 3(a) shall become vested on November 30, 2018.
(c)     Separate Payments .    For purposes of this Award and Agreement, each amount to be paid hereunder shall be construed as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.
4.      Separation from Service .
(a)      In General . Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4 or in Section 5 of this Agreement or in the Plan, all Performance Shares subject to this Award that have not become vested pursuant to Section 3(b) prior to the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service shall be immediately forfeited upon such Separation from Service.
(b)      This Section 4(b) applies only in the event that (i) a Change of Control has not occurred prior to November 30, 2018, or (ii) a Change of Control has occurred prior to November 30, 2018, but the Participant’s Separation from Service has not occurred within two years following the Change of Control:
(i)     Separation from Service by Reason of Death or Disability, Before the End of the Performance Cycle : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service before the end of the Performance Cycle due to death or Disability (as defined below), then the Participant shall become vested, as of November 30, 2018, in a prorated number of Performance Shares calculated by multiplying the number of Performance Shares that would have been both earned pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii), and vested pursuant to Section 3(b), had the Participant remained employed through November 30, 2018, by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full calendar days that the Participant was actively employed during the Performance Cycle and the denominator of which is the total number of calendar days in the Performance Cycle.


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(ii)     Separation from Service by Reason of Retirement Before the End of the Performance Cycle : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service by the Participant at or after attainment of age fifty-five and five years of completed service and six months of service from the date of grant (“Retirement”), then the Participant shall become fully vested, as of November 30, 2018, in all of his or her Performance Shares that had been earned pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) but had not yet vested under Section 3(b) had the Participant remained in employment through November 30, 2018.
(iii)     Separation from Service by Reason of Death, Disability, or Retirement After the End of the Performance Cycle : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service after the end of the Performance Cycle (A) due to death or Disability, or (B) by the Participant by reason of Retirement, then the Participant shall be fully vested, as of the date of such Separation from Service, or if later, as of November 30, 2018, in all of his or her Performance Shares that had been earned pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) but had not yet vested under Section 3(b) as of the date of such Separation from Service.
(iv)      Separation from Service, Whether Before or After the End of the Performance Cycle, Other than by Reason of Death, Disability, or Retirement : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service, whether before or after the end of the Performance Cycle, other than by reason of death, Disability or Retirement, then any and all of the Performance Shares that have not vested as the date of such Separation from Service shall be forfeited.
5.      Change of Control .
(a)    This Section 5(a) applies (i) only in the event that (A) a Change of Control has occurred prior to November 30, 2018, and (B) the Participant’s Separation from Service has occurred within two years following the Change of Control, and (ii) notwithstanding any provision in Sections 2, 3 or 4 of this Agreement to the contrary:
(i)     Separation from Service by Reason of Death, Disability, Without Cause, Good Reason or Retirement Before the End of the Performance Cycle : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service before the end of the Performance Cycle (A) due to death or Disability, (B) either by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate without Cause (as defined below), (C) by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined below) or (D) by the Participant by reason of Retirement, then, as of the date of such Separation from Service, the Participant will become vested in that number of Performance Shares subject to this Award that would have been earned under Section 3(a)(iii), as of the end of the Performance Cycle, based on the deemed achievement of the Target Performance Level (within the meaning of Section 3(a)(iii)).
(ii)     Separation from Service by Reason of Death, Disability, without Cause, Good Reason or Retirement After the End of the Performance Cycle : Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service after the end of the Performance Cycle (A) due to death or Disability, (B) either by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate without Cause, (C) by the Participant for Good Reason or (D) by the Participant by reason of Retirement, then the Participant shall be fully vested, as of such Separation from Service, or if later, as of November 30, 2018, in all of his or her Performance Shares that have been earned pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) but have not yet vested under Section 3(b); provided, however , that if the Change of Control had occurred prior to the end of the Performance Cycle, then the Participant shall become vested, as of such Separation from Service, or, if later, as of November 30, 2018, in the greater of (I) all of his or her Performance Shares that have been earned pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) but have not yet vested under Section 3(b) as of the date of such Separation from Service, and (II) that number of Performance Shares subject to this Award that would have been earned as of the end of the Performance Cycle under Section 3(a)(iii), based on the deemed achievement of the Target Performance Level (within the meaning of Section 3(a)(iii)).
(iii)     Separation from Service, Whether Before or After the End of the Performance Cycle by the Company for Cause or by the Participant Other than by Reason of Death, Disability,

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Good Reason or Retirement: Upon a Participant’s Separation from Service, whether before or after the end of the Performance Cycle, (A) by the Company for Cause, or (B) by the Participant other than by reason of death, Disability, Good Reason or Retirement, then any of the Performance Shares that have not vested as the date of such Separation from Service shall be forfeited.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, no Change of Control shall be deemed to have occurred unless it constitutes a “change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.
(c) For the avoidance of doubt, Section 15.1(b) of the Plan shall not apply to the Performance Shares subject to this Agreement to the extent such provision conflicts with this Section 5, but the applicable provisions of Article XV of the Plan shall otherwise apply to this Agreement.
6.     Detrimental Activity . The Participant acknowledges that an important and material purpose of this Agreement, as a matter of the internal affairs of the Company, is to ensure that Participant’s interests and those of the Company remain aligned. If, at any time during Participant’s employment by the Company, any Affiliate or a Subsidiary or within the later of (i) twelve (12) months after the Participant’s Separation from Service or (ii) twelve (12) months after Participant is delivered the Payment Value pursuant to Section 2, Participant engages in any Detrimental Activity, then the Company may rescind any portion of the Award distributed to the Participant within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity and/or pursue any other remedies allowed under applicable law. In the event of such a rescission, Participant’s then outstanding Performance Shares will be cancelled for no additional consideration by the Company and Participant will have no rights in same, and Participant shall immediately repay or return to the Company any cash payment(s) and Shares that have been paid or issued to Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement within the twenty-four (24) month period immediately prior to the Participant’s engagement in Detrimental Activity. If any such Shares are no longer held by Participant then Participant shall pay the Company a sum equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time they were sold or otherwise conveyed to another party by Participant. This Section 6 shall be construed to supplement, and not contradict, replace or eliminate, any remedies available to the Company under Section 18, or otherwise available under applicable law.
7.     Restrictions on Transfer . Performance Shares may not be sold, assigned, hypothecated, pledged or otherwise transferred or encumbered in any manner except (a) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or (b) as otherwise permitted pursuant to the Plan.
8.     Dividend Equivalents . Each Performance Share subject to this Award shall entitle the Participant to Dividend Equivalents with respect to regular cash dividends that would otherwise be paid on one Share during the period from the date such Performance Share is earned in accordance with Section 3(a) to the date such Performance Share is paid in accordance with Section 2 or forfeited in accordance with Section 4 or 5. Any such Dividend Equivalent shall be paid to the Participant at (or within thirty (30) days following) the time such related dividends are paid to holders of Shares.
9.     No Rights as a Shareholder Prior to Issuance of Shares . Neither the Participant nor any other person shall become the beneficial owner of any Shares that may become payable with respect to the Performance Shares subject to this Award, nor have any rights to dividends or other rights as a shareholder with respect to any such Shares, until and after such Shares, if any, have been actually issued in satisfaction of the Company’s obligations under this Award, in the time and manner specified in Section 2, and such Shares are transferred on the books and records of the Company or its agent in accordance with the terms of the Plan and this Agreement.
10.     Taxes and Withholding . The Company shall have the right to deduct from all amounts otherwise payable to the Participant in cash in respect of Performance Shares covered by this Award any amount of taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy tax withholding required under the laws of any country, state, province, city or other jurisdiction.

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In the case of any payments in the form of Shares of Performance Shares covered by this Award, at the Committee’s discretion, the Participant shall be required to either pay to the Company in cash the amount of any such taxes required to be withheld with respect to such Shares or, in lieu thereof, the Company shall have the right to retain (or the Participant may be offered the opportunity to elect to tender) the number of Shares for which the Fair Market Value equals such amount required to be withheld; provided , however , that the amount of any Shares so retained shall not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy required Federal, state, local and non-United States withholding obligations using the minimum statutory withholding rates for Federal, state, local and/or non-U.S. tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income. To the extent any such taxes are required by law to be withheld with respect to the Performance Shares covered by this Award prior to the date such Performance Shares are paid in accordance with Section 2, the Participant shall be required to pay to the Company in cash the amount of such taxes promptly following written notice thereof by the Company.
11.     No Right to Continued Employment . Neither the Performance Shares covered by this Award nor any terms contained in this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any rights or claims except in accordance with the express provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, and shall not give the Participant any express or implied right to be retained in the employment or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate for any period or in any particular position or at any particular rate of compensation, nor restrict in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate, which right is hereby expressly reserved, to modify or terminate the Participant’s employment or service at any time for any reason. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that any right to vesting of this Award is earned only by continuing as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate at the will of the Company or such Subsidiary or Affiliate, or satisfaction of any other applicable terms and conditions contained in the Plan and this Agreement, and not through the act of being hired or being granted this Award.
12.     The Plan . By accepting any benefit under this Agreement, the Participant and any person claiming under or through the Participant shall be conclusively deemed to have indicated his or her acceptance and ratification of, and consent to, all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement and any action taken under the Plan by the Board, the Committee or the Company, in any case in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan. Subject to Section 5(c) of this Agreement, in the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control, and this Agreement shall be deemed to be modified accordingly. This Agreement is subject to all the terms, provisions and conditions of the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference, and to such rules, policies and regulations as may from time to time be adopted by the Committee. The Plan and the prospectus describing the Plan can be found on the Company’s Human Resources intranet site. A paper copy of the Plan and the prospectus shall be provided to the Participant upon the Participant’s written request to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administrator.
13.     Certain Defined Terms . For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a)      “Cause” means: (i) engaging in (A) willful or gross misconduct or (B) willful or gross neglect; (ii) the commission of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, dishonesty, breach of trust or unethical business conduct, or any crime involving the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (iii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (iv) a material breach of the Participant’s employment agreement or offer letter (if any) with the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate; (v) acts or omissions constituting a material failure to perform substantially and adequately the duties assigned to the Participant (other than any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or mental illness); provided , however , that following a Change of Control, any such failure will only serve as the basis for a termination for Cause if it is willful; or (vi) any illegal act detrimental to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.
(b)      “Good Reason” means: (i) a diminution in the Participant’s annual base salary, annual incentive opportunity or annual long-term incentive award opportunity, as applicable, in effect

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immediately prior to the Change of Control l; (ii) the assignment to the Participant of any duties inconsistent with the Participant’s positions (including status, offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties or responsibilities from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control or any action by the Company that results in a diminution in any of the foregoing from those in effect immediately prior to such Change of Control, or (iii) the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate requires the Participant to change the Participant’s principal location of work to a location that is in excess of fifty (50) miles from the location thereof immediately prior to the Change of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Termination by a Participant for Good Reason shall not have occurred unless (i) the Participant gives written notice to the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, as applicable, of Termination within thirty (30) days after the Participant first becomes aware of the occurrence of the circumstances constituting Good Reason, specifying in reasonable detail the circumstances constituting Good Reason, and (ii) the Company, the Subsidiary or the Affiliate, as the case may be, has failed within thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice to cure the circumstances constituting Good Reason.
(c)    “Detrimental Activity” means: (i) providing services or material assistance to any payments business that is in competition with the payments business of the Company in the United States or any other country where the Company does business; (ii) soliciting or knowingly inducing a Company customer that Participant had material dealings with or was provided confidential information about while employed with the Company to cease or reduce doing business with the Company or to divert a business opportunity related to the Company’s line of business to another party; or, (iii) soliciting or knowingly inducing an employee of the Company that Participant gained knowledge of while employed with the Company to leave the employment of the Company. Detrimental Activity is not intended to include (i) duly authorized activity undertaken for the benefit of the Company in the ordinary course of Participant’s employment duties for the Company, (ii) employment with an independently operated subsidiary, division, or unit of a diversified corporation so long as the independently operated business unit at issue is truly independent and does not compete in any way with the Company; or, (iii) holding a passive and non-controlling ownership interest of less than 5% of the stock or other securities of a publicly traded company.
(d)    “Separation from Service” shall have the meaning ascribed to it under Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
14.     Compliance with Laws and Regulations .
(a)    The Performance Shares subject to this Award and the obligation of the Company to deliver Shares or cash payments hereunder shall be subject in all respects to (i) all applicable Federal and state laws, rules and regulations; and (ii) any registration, qualification, approvals or other requirements imposed by any government or regulatory agency or body which the Committee shall, in its discretion, determine to be necessary or applicable. Moreover, the Company shall not deliver any certificates for Shares to the Participant or any other person pursuant to this Agreement if doing so would be contrary to applicable law. If at any time the Company determines, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of Shares upon any national securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary or desirable, the Company shall not be required to deliver any certificates for Shares to the Participant or any other person pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval has been effected or obtained, or otherwise provided for, free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company.
(b)    It is intended that any Shares received pursuant to this Agreement shall have been registered under the Securities Act. If the Participant is an “affiliate” of the Company, as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), the Participant may not sell the Shares received except in compliance with Rule 144. Certificates representing Shares issued to an “affiliate” of the Company may bear a legend setting forth such restrictions on the disposition or transfer of the Shares as the Company deems appropriate to comply with federal and state securities laws.

7
    




(c)    If at any time the Shares are not registered under the Securities Act, and/or there is no current prospectus in effect under the Securities Act with respect to the Shares, the Participant shall execute, prior to the delivery of any Shares to the Participant by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, an agreement (in such form as the Company may specify) in which the Participant represents and warrants that the Participant is purchasing or acquiring the Shares acquired under this Agreement for the Participant's own account, for investment only and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof, and represents and agrees that any subsequent offer for sale or distribution of any kind of such Shares shall be made only pursuant to either (i) a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act, which registration statement has become effective and is current with regard to the Shares being offered or sold; or (ii) a specific exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, but in claiming such exemption the Participant shall, prior to any offer for sale of such Shares, obtain a prior favorable written opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, from counsel for or approved by the Company, as to the applicability of such exemption thereto.
15.     Notices and Consent to Service of Process . Any notice or other communication provided for hereunder shall be made in writing and deemed given (a) three days after being deposited in the U.S. mail, first class, postage prepaid, certified receipt requested, or (b) when delivered by a nationally recognized overnight courier which provides confirmation of delivery. All notices by the Participant or the Participant’s successors or permitted assigns shall be addressed to the Company at 900 Metro Center Blvd., Foster City, California 94404, Attention: Stock Plan Administrator, or such other address as the Company may from time to time specify, and any notice that involves service of legal process on the Company shall be directed to Company’s Registered Agent for purposes of service of legal process. All notices and service of legal process to the Participant shall be addressed to the Participant at the Participant’s last known address in the Company's records or such forwarding address as Participant may provide to the Company in writing and in accordance with this Section 15.
16.     Other Plans . The Participant acknowledges that any income derived from this Award shall not affect the Participant’s participation in, or benefits under, any other benefit plan or other contract or arrangement maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate.
17.     Acceptance or Rejection of this Award . To accept or reject your Award, please complete the on-line form ("Accept or Reject Your Grant") as promptly as possible, but, in any case, within ninety (90) days after the Grant Date. If you accept your award, you will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this award Agreement. Your agreement is available to you online in your Schwab Equity Award Center (EAC) account via this link https://eac.schwab/.com.
18.     Clawback Policy . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, any cash incentive compensation received by the Participant, Performance Shares granted and/or Shares issued hereunder, and/or any amount received with respect to any sale of any such Shares, shall be subject to potential cancellation, recoupment, rescission, payback or other action in accordance with the terms of the Company's Clawback Policy, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Policy").  The Participant agrees and consents to the Company's application. implementation and enforcement of (a) the Policy or any similar policy established by the Company that may apply to the Participant and (b) any provision of applicable law relating to cancellation, rescission, payback or recoupment of compensation, and expressly agrees that the Company may take such actions as are necessary to effectuate the Policy, any similar policy (as applicable to the Participant) or applicable law without further consent or action being required by the Participant. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and the Policy or any similar policy conflict, then the terms of such policy shall prevail.    
19. Data Protection . The Participant hereby explicitly and unambiguously consents to the following:

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(a) Collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of his personal data as described in this document by and among, as applicable, the Company, its Affiliates and its Subsidiaries (“the Group”) for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing his participation in the Plan;
(b) Acknowledges that the Group holds certain personal information about him, including, but not limited to, his name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, details of all Options or any other entitlement to Shares outstanding in the Participant’s favor, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan (“Data”); and
(c) Acknowledges and agrees that Data may be transferred to any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Participant’s country of residence or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country of residence may have different data privacy laws and protections than those of the Participant’s country. The Participants authorize the recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares acquired. The Participant understands that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage his participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that he may, at any time, view Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing his local human resources representative. The Participant understands, however, that refusing or withdrawing his consent may affect his ability to participate in the Plan.
20. Choice of Law and Forum / Consent to Jurisdiction . In order to maintain uniformity in the interpretation of this Agreement across the Company’s operations in many different locations, the parties have expressly agreed that this Agreement shall be governed by and enforced under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any contrary principles of conflict of laws of Delaware or another state. The parties further agree that any legal action, suit or proceeding arising from or related to this Agreement shall be instituted exclusively in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction located in Delaware. The parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of such Delaware courts over them, waive all objections to the contrary, and waive any and all objections to the exclusive location of legal proceedings in Delaware (including, without limitation, any objection based on cost, convenience or location of relevant persons). The parties further agree that there shall be a conclusive presumption that this Agreement has a significant, material and reasonable relationship to the State of Delaware.
21. Acceptance . The Participant must accept or reject his award under this Agreement no later than ninety (90) days after the Grant Date (“Acceptance Period”). If the Participant accepts the award within the Acceptance Period, he will be deemed to have agreed to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Addendum with Additional Country Specific Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit A, all of which are made part of this Agreement.


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EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13A-14(A)/15D-14(A),
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Charles W. Scharf, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Visa Inc.;
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;
(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:
January 28, 2016
 
/s/ Charles W. Scharf        
 
 
 
Charles W. Scharf
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)





EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO
EXCHANGE ACT RULES 13A-14(A)/15D-14(A),
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Vasant M. Prabhu, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Visa Inc.;
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;
(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:
January 28, 2016
 
/s/ Vasant M. Prabhu      
 
 
 
Vasant M. Prabhu
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)




EXHIBIT 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Visa Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2015 , as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Charles W. Scharf, do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
 
 
 
 
 
Date:
January 28, 2016
 
/s/ Charles W. Scharf    
 
 
 
Charles W. Scharf
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)





EXHIBIT 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Visa Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2015 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Vasant M. Prabhu, do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
 
 
 
 
 
Date:
January 28, 2016
 
/s/ Vasant M. Prabhu      
 
 
 
Vasant M. Prabhu
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)