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Heartland Payment Systems® and MasterCard Agree to $41.4 Million Intrusion Settlement
Company has now reached breach-related settlements with three major card brands
PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heartland Payment Systems® (NYSE: HPY), the nation’s fifth largest payments processor, has entered into a settlement agreement with MasterCard Worldwide to resolve claims from MasterCard and its issuers related to the 2008 criminal intrusion into Heartland's payment system environment. Under the agreement, alternative recovery offers totaling $41.4 million will be made to eligible MasterCard issuers with respect to losses alleged to have been incurred by them as a result of the criminal intrusion, and MasterCard will recommend that eligible MasterCard issuers accept such offers.
Bob Carr, Heartland’s chairman and chief executive officer, stated, “We are pleased to have reached an equitable settlement agreement that helps issuers of MasterCard-branded cards obtain a recovery with respect to losses they may have incurred from the intrusion. We look forward to working with MasterCard to encourage these issuers to participate in the settlement program for a speedy resolution.”
The settlement is contingent upon financial institutions representing 80 percent of the claimed-on MasterCard accounts accepting their alternative recovery offers by June 25, 2010. The settlement also includes mutual releases between Heartland and its sponsoring bank acquirers on the one hand – and MasterCard and the accepting issuers on the other. Issuers that accept their alternative recovery offers must waive rights to any other recovery of alleged intrusion-related losses from Heartland and its sponsoring bank acquirers through litigation or other remedies and release MasterCard, Heartland and its sponsoring bank acquirers from all legal and financial responsibility related to the intrusion.
All eligible issuers will soon receive notification from MasterCard with full details of the settlement agreement and how to accept their alternative recovery offers before the offers expire.
About Heartland Payment Systems
Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (NYSE: HPY), the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift marketing, payroll, check managementand related business solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. Heartland is the founding Heartland and MasterCard Worldwide agree on settlement/supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. For more information, please visitHeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.org, CostOfABurger.com and E3secure.com.
Contacts
Vault Communications
Leanne Scott Brown, 610-455-2742
LBrown@VaultCommunications.com
OR
Heartland Payment Systems
Nancy Gross, 888-798-3131 x2202
Nancy.Gross@e-hps.com
Leanne Scott Brown, 610-455-2742
LBrown@VaultCommunications.com
OR
Heartland Payment Systems
Nancy Gross, 888-798-3131 x2202
Nancy.Gross@e-hps.com
Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100519007054/en/Heartland-Payment-Systems%C2%AE-MasterCard-Agree-41.4-Million
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