Diners Club International® Signs Merchant Acquiring Agreement With Global Payments

Deal with Leading Global Acquirer Expected to Increase Acceptance of Diners Club^® and Discover Cards

RIVERWOODS, Ill. & ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diners Club International® Ltd., a business unit of Discover (NYSE: DFS), and Global Payments Direct, Inc., a subsidiary of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), today announced the signing of a merchant acquiring agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Global Payments will add Diners Club® card acceptance to its portfolio of payment processing services in selected markets. Diners Club and Discover Cardmembers soon will have the ability to use their cards in markets where Global Payments has a presence, which include the U.K. and certain other territories in Western Europe, Hong Kong, India, and Taiwan.





“This agreement helps to further enhance Diners Club International’s position as a leading global payments network and demonstrates our commitment to expand acceptance throughout the world”



“This agreement helps to further enhance Diners Club International’s position as a leading global payments network and demonstrates our commitment to expand acceptance throughout the world,” said Rajive Chadha, President of Diners Club International. “Our relationship with a marketplace leader like Global Payments will bring more value, choice and convenience for Diners Club and Discover Cardmembers.”



Global Payments, one of the largest worldwide merchant acquirers, will provide consolidated pricing, underwriting, risk management, processing, settlement, support and reporting to merchants, ultimately simplifying payments processing. The relationship will increase volume and broaden Diners Club and Discover card acceptance among small to mid-sized merchants.



“The ability of our organization to provide an easy to use, integrated solution for merchants, particularly throughout our key markets in Europe and Asia, will help Diners Club and Discover reach their goal of international acceptance,” said Paul R. Garcia, Chairman and CEO, Global Payments. “It’s important that merchants have a streamlined process in place when it comes to acceptance. With this deal, merchants will benefit from increased transaction volume as well as a single point of contact for all of their processing needs.”



About Diners Club International:



Diners Club International is owned by Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS), a leading credit card issuer and electronic payment services company. Established in 1950, Diners Club International became the first multi-purpose charge card in the world, launching a financial revolution in how consumers and companies pay for products and services. Today, Diners Club is a globally recognized brand serving the payment needs of select and affluent consumers as well as providing corporations and small business owners with a complete array of expense management solutions. With acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories, millions of merchant locations and access to over 675,000 cash access locations and ATMs, Diners Club is uniquely qualified to serve its cardmembers all over the world. For more information, visit www.dinersclub.com.



About Global Payments:



Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of electronic transaction processing services for merchants, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), financial institutions, government agencies and multi-national corporations located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Global Payments offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards, electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. Visit www.globalpaymentsinc.com for more information about the company and its services.



About Discover:



Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company operates the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers personal and student loans, online savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its Discover Bank subsidiary. Its payment businesses consist of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discoverfinancial.com.

PULSE and Woodforest Financial Group Sign Exclusive, Long-Term Agreement for PIN Point-of-Sale Debit Services

Cardholder Access to National ATM Network Also Included in Agreement

HOUSTON & THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PULSE, one of the nation’s leading PIN debit/ATM networks, has extended and expanded its long-term relationship with Woodforest Financial Group for PIN point-of-sale (POS) debit and ATM services.



Under terms of the agreement, PULSE will be the exclusive network provider of PIN POS debit services to Woodforest Financial Group and its bank affiliates – Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Bank. In addition, PULSE will provide the banks’ cardholders with access to PULSE’s nationwide network of ATMs.

“PULSE has provided ATM and PIN debit services to Woodforest for more than 25 years, and we are very pleased to extend and further develop our relationship,” said Dave Schneider, President of PULSE. “Being chosen to provide PIN debit network services by an innovative institution like Woodforest demonstrates our ability to deliver the acceptance, transaction processing services and customer support necessary to meet the institution’s PIN debit needs.”

Woodforest Financial Group is a privately owned community bank holding company headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Through its bank affiliates, Woodforest Financial Group services over 850,000 accounts from more than 725 branches located throughout 17 states.



“We have long relied on PULSE as a trusted debit network to serve our cardholders, and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship,” said Robert E. Marling, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Woodforest Financial Group. “With debit playing an increasingly important role in how consumers spend and manage their money, working with a network that possesses the expertise in PIN debit that PULSE does is critical.



“PULSE’s ability to deliver reliable electronic payment services to our cardholders, along with the responsiveness and outstanding customer service we expect, were deciding factors in continuing our mutually successful relationship,” added Marling.



About PULSE



PULSE, a Discover Financial Services company, is a leading debit/ATM network, serving more than 4,400 banks, credit unions and savings institutions across the United States. The network links cardholders with ATMs and POS terminals at retail locations nationwide. Through its global ATM network, PULSE provides worldwide cash access for Diners Club and Discover cardholders through hundreds of thousands of ATM locations. The company is also a source of electronic payments research and is committed to providing its participants with education on emerging products, services and trends in the payments industry. For more information, visit www.pulsenetwork.com.



About Woodforest Financial Group, Inc. and Its Family of Companies



Celebrating 30 years of banking success, Woodforest Financial Group, Inc. is a privately owned community bank holding company that includes Woodforest National Bank and Woodforest Bank in its family of companies. Together, they currently service over 850,000 accounts from more than 725 branches located throughout Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Georgia and Florida. For more information, visit www.woodforest.com.