03.09.05 | TRANSFIRST Introduces Transaction Central™

Proprietary product, Transaction Central™ - a Web-based payment processing solution - provides "big business technology" to smaller merchants worldwide

DALLAS (March 9, 2005)—Dallas-based TRANSFIRST, a leading provider of transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies, introduces its Web-based centralized payment processing system-Transaction Central - enabling customers to perform transactions 24 hours a day from any worldwide location. Transaction Central, a proprietary TRANSFIRST product, provides merchants the flexibility of multiple data entry points, end-user efficiency, and the ability to customize a payment processing system to help grow merchants' businesses and potentially increase market share. Transaction Central was originally developed by Payment Resources International (PRI), a Newport Beach, Calif.-based technology firm acquired by TRANSFIRST in 2004.

With all of the functionality of most countertop terminals, the enhanced reporting and automation tools of more sophisticated PC products, and leading-edge technology of wireless and IP products, Transaction Central offers merchants some of the best aspects of the industry's traditional processing tools, through one product. Additionally, merchants can select multiple card or data entry points through a single Transaction Central account and access the responses and stored data through a single, secure source. Transaction Central facilitates high-speed transactions in a secure environment including credit, ACH, and e-check, all in real-time or batch delivery, as well as for automated or manual recurring payments.

"Transaction Central is a cornerstone asset in the TRANSFIRST product portfolio that provides our customers with a specialized and uniquely tailored competitive edge," said Thomas Rouse, chairman and chief executive officer of TRANSFIRST. "With TRANSFIRST's acquisition of PRI and their proprietary technology, Transaction Central, we have been able to greatly enhance our suite of products and create tremendous cross-selling opportunities throughout our vertical markets."

"The robust nature of Transaction Central facilitates a merchant's ability to increase sales and grow their business through an easy-to-use, end-to-end solution that offers customers the convenience and flexibility of multiple payment options," said Andrew Phillips, founder and president of PRI, a TRANSFIRST company. "Transaction Central opens doors to TRANSFIRST's small- and mid-sized merchants who can now achieve significant business growth by utilizing a complete processing technology with big merchant functionality. It offers a powerful suite of features that allow a merchant the flexibility to add new payment options as the landscape of their business evolves."

Unlike most payment products, hardware is not required to use Transaction Central because of its unique ability to transform a device with an IP connection into a payment- processing engine. This virtual terminal access means that if a merchant has access to the Internet, they can use Transaction Central to process payments. Through optional peripheral hardware, Transaction Central also boasts additional processing capabilities including card stripe capture, check imaging, and wireless and PDA processing. Merchant-support functions include integrated shopping cart technology, multi-location networking and real-time merchant reporting. Transaction Central brings big merchant functionality to small and mid-sized merchants.

Transaction Central's customizable and comprehensive capabilities make it an ideal payment processing tool for a wide spectrum of merchants; both traditional and specialty retailers, e-commerce, card not present, business-to-business, public entities, and healthcare providers, to name a few. Transaction Central is currently used by 3,500 merchants worldwide and is front-end certified by Vital and FDR.

About TRANSFIRST
A premier provider of transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies, TRANSFIRST offers a first-rate suite of products and services and customized processing programs uniquely tailored for the special business needs of financial institutions, independent sales organizations and agents and its referral and reseller partners. Through its in-depth industry knowledge, partnership strategy and innovative solutions, TRANSFIRST provides a specialized approach to transaction processing for healthcare providers, public entities, online and other non-traditional merchants, as well as brick and mortar retailers. Founded in 1995, TRANSFIRST is a market leader in strategic mergers and acquisitions, which has allowed the company to gain significant market share and world-class expertise in growing and profitable industry segments. Built on a platform of personal service, customer commitment and flexible pricing, TRANSFIRST is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has operations facilities in Louisville, Colo., Omaha, Neb., Kansas City, Kan., Newport Beach, Calif., Milwaukee, Wis. and Langhorne, Penn. TRANSFIRST was recapitalized in 2000 by GTCR Golder Rauner LLC, a leading private equity investment firm. Company wide, TRANSFIRST currently processes approximately $20 billion in annual sales volume for more than 160,000 merchants and more than 760 financial institutions. TRANSFIRST can be reached at 1-888-254-4137 or at www.TRANSFIRST.com.