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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: February 8, 2010

The Yellow Cab Cooperative pay cards found in the wallets of hundreds of San Francisco-area cab drivers are changing the way drivers are compensated, and receiving national attention. Paybefore has named the pay card a Paybefore Award winner in its Best Business/Corporate-funded Program: B2E category. First National Merchant Solutions and San Francisco Yellow Cab Cooperative created the pay cards – and the program behind them – to streamline Yellow Cab's compensation process, and increase security for the transportation company and its drivers.

"Great customers give you the opportunity to do great work, and we are honored that our work with Yellow Cab Cooperative has been recognized by Paybefore," said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. "In collaboration with Yellow Cab, our team of industry experts stepped up to the challenge and came up with a truly unique solution that offers Yellow Cab a better way to compensate its drivers."

A panel of five industry experts selected First National Merchant Solutions and Yellow Cab Cooperative for the Paybefore Award. The win advances both to Paybefore's Best-in-Category competition. Best-in-Category winners will be announced during the Paybefore Awards ceremony on February 22, 2010 at the Prepaid Expo USA. Yellow Cab Cooperative's pay program incorporates a specially branded smartOne Visa^® Pay Card from First National Merchant Solutions. The card carries Yellow Cab's logo and brand, and is issued to all drivers participating in the program. At the end of each lease period, participating drivers turn in their cash and credit card receipts for settlement as usual, but instead of receiving cash for their credits, enrolled drivers receive payment on their smartOne cards. Credits are immediately available and drivers can use the pay cards wherever Visa is accepted. The program limits Yellow Cab Cooperative's risk associated with keeping large sums of cash on hand to pay drivers, and streamlines settlement operations. It also offers drivers an extra layer of security because they no longer need to carry excess cash. The pay cards are covered by Visa's zero liability protection if lost or stolen, and credits are FDIC insured.

First National Merchant Solutions provides a variety of payment processing solutions to meet the unique needs of businesses accepting card-based payments. Solutions include credit and debit card processing, prepaid card processing and program management, secure Internet commerce processing, electronic benefit transfer processing and check guarantee, authorization and collection. All are designed to help businesses control costs and fraud. First National Merchant Solutions also provides ongoing training and 24/7 personal support.

About First National Merchant Solutions
First National Merchant Solutions is a top 10 payment processor with more than 50 years of experience providing first-rate service and solutions to businesses across the nation. With the combined resources of parent company First National Bank of Omaha and a dedicated, experienced team of industry professionals, First National Merchant Solutions provides complete payment processing with unparalleled customer service to meet the long-term needs of its customers. Fully customizable and used anywhere Visa^® or MasterCard^® branded debit cards are accepted – smartOne Prepaid Products are the perfect solution for businesses of any size. smartOne Prepaid Products are perfect for employee gifts, sales incentives, company promotions, payroll programs or any need where reimbursement checks are used. For more information, visit www.fnms.com

About Paybefore
Paybefore is the leading information provider to prepaid and stored value industry professionals, offering the latest news, commentary and analysis. Paybefore's family of industry publications include: Paybefore.com™, a searchable online information portal; Paybefore News™, daily news briefs delivered electronically; Paybefore News International™, a weekly compilation of prepaid news and events from outside the United States; Paybefore Update™, a downloadable enewsletter delivered 20 times a year; Paybefore Legal™, a downloadable enewsletter covering the legislative, regulatory and judicial developments in prepaid, as well as feature articles by leading attorneys in the field; Paybefore Magazine™, a bi-annual print publication highlighting the best of Paybefore; and Paybefore Buyer's Guide™, available online and in print. Visit us at www.paybefore.com

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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: November 11, 2009

Small businesses wanting to accept American Express^® Cards have a new processing option thanks to an expanding relationship between First National Merchant Solutions and American Express. In addition to its role as an external sales agent, the new agreement gives First National Merchant Solutions the ability to sign up, set up, and directly support and service small businesses under American Express' OnePoint program.

"We can provide one-stop shopping for small businesses looking to accept American Express Cards," said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. "Our customers will receive one statement combining American Express transactions with those of other cards we may process for them, and we will be their single point of contact to handle any issues that may arise."

American Express will continue to issue cards and authorize transactions while First National Merchant Solutions will increase its processing role to include processing and handling payments, customer service and disputes. First National Merchant Solutions has provided American Express Card processing services for more than six years.

"We are always looking for ways to provide our merchants with exceptional processing and servicing options that best meet their needs," said Brian O'Malley, vice president and general manager, small merchant acquisition, American Express Merchant Services. "With First National Merchant Solutions, we are able to offer small businesses a convenient way to do business and serve their customers, while broadening the acceptance of American Express Cards."

First National Merchant Solutions provides a variety of payment processing solutions to meet the unique needs of businesses accepting card-based payments. Solutions include credit and debit card processing, prepaid card processing and program management, secure Internet commerce processing, electronic benefit transfer processing and check guarantee, authorization and collection. All are designed to help businesses control costs and fraud. First National also provides ongoing training and 24/7 personal support.

About First National Merchant Solutions

First National Merchant Solutions is a top 10 payment processor with more than 50 years of experience providing first-rate service and solutions to businesses across the nation. With the combined resources of parent company First National Bank of Omaha^® and a dedicated, experienced team of industry professionals, First National Merchant Solutions provides complete payment processing with unparalleled customer service to meet the long-term needs of its customers.

For more information, visit www.fnms.com

About American Express

Merchant Services is the merchant network of American Express, which acquires and maintains relationships with millions of merchants around the globe, which welcome American Express-branded Cards. American Express Company is a leading global payments, network, travel and banking company founded in 1850.

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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: October 6, 2009

First National Merchant Solutions, one of the nation's leading payment processors, today announced the availability of First Paid Healthcare Solutions™, a suite of products to help speed up the payment process, eliminate confusion and paper, and cut costs for healthcare providers.

At the heart of the First Paid Healthcare product suite is a real-time calculator that can determine what a patient owes for healthcare services at the time of treatment. The software confirms patients' coverage and benefits, determines out-of-pocket status, calculates charges based on contracted rates with insurance providers, and produces an easy-to-read estimate of insurance reimbursement and the patient's financial responsibility for the visit. Patients can then pay for services via credit card, debit card or check, or set up a recurring payment. The system integrates with First National Merchant Solutions' processing platform to handle payment acquiring, routing and settlement.

"First Paid Healthcare can help add predictability to health providers' cash flow while reducing confusion for patients, said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. "Since the system offers an estimate of out-of-pocket expenses at the time of treatment, there is less guesswork about what a visit is going to cost. Providers and patients have more information as they discuss treatment options. And since patients have the option of paying then and there, the system can increase cash flow by reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the billing cycle."

According to a recent survey, the cost of settlement in healthcare – the price of processing claims, payments, bad debt, etc. – is 15 to 30 percent of total U.S. healthcare transaction volume. That compares with settlement costs of 2.5 percent of transaction volume in the retail industry. Part of the disparity involves the complexity of health care plans, varying fee schedules, the rise in flexible spending accounts, consumer-driven healthcare initiatives and the growing number of uninsured and underinsured patients. First Paid Healthcare Solutions can help to simplify that process and lower settlement costs by determining at the time of treatment what a patient owes and allowing patients to pay for services via credit card or check.

"Streamlining the collections process for healthcare providers can save us all money and time," Mehochko said. "And by making the entire process more efficient and easy to understand, patients and providers can turn their focus from payment concerns to health needs and feeling better."

First Paid Healthcare Solutions is PCI compliant, web-based and integrates with healthcare providers' computer hardware and Internet connections. Account set up, training and 24/7 support are included. First Paid Healthcare Solutions includes services and technology provided by TransEngen™, Inc.

The system is the latest healthcare solution from First National Merchant Solutions. More than 7,000 healthcare practices currently use First National Merchant Solutions to affordably and effectively accept card-based patient payments.

For more information about First Paid Healthcare Solutions, visit www.firstpaidhealthcare.com

About First National Merchant Solutions
First National Merchant Solutions is a top 10 payment processor with more than 50 years of experience providing first-rate service and solutions to businesses across North America. With the combined resources of parent company First National Bank of Omaha and a dedicated, experienced team of industry professionals, First National Merchant Solutions provides complete in-house processing with unparalleled customer service to meet the long-term needs of its customers.

For more information, visit www.fnms.com

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1 LeCuyer, Nick A., Singhal Shubham. Overhauling the U.S. Health Care Payment System. The McKinsey Quarterly. June 2007.

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First National Merchant Solutions, one of the nation's leading payment processors, today launched a Level 4  merchant program to validate compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

All Level 4 businesses using First National Merchant Solutions services will have access to TrustKeeper^®, Trustwave's on-demand compliance management solution. TrustKeeper provides the automated tools necessary to support a business' on-going compliance, such as quarterly network vulnerability scans. First National Merchant Solutions will also offer its customers access to TrustKeeper Agent, which provides on-site monitoring software that performs policy checks and inspects for prohibited data storage on any installed system.

"Validation not only meets industry standards, it protects our customers' reputations," said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. "A security breach carries a high cost, from a loss of customer trust to non-compliance fees and fines. To alleviate the risk, and help overcome what can be an overwhelming compliance process, we're offering an extra level of assistance to our customers who may need it."

In addition to providing access to Trustwave tools and services, First National Merchant Solutions is holding educational webinars throughout the summer to help answer customers' questions and guide them through the compliance process. Trustwave will work with First National to provide merchants with Security Awareness Training, an educational platform that focuses on the specific security and compliance needs of Level 4 merchants.

"Validating compliance with the PCI DSS helps to protect merchants from data compromise and consequently reduces the risk of fraud," says Robert J. McCullen, chairman and CEO of Trustwave. "Our solutions will help First National merchants better understand the PCI DSS and better protect cardholder data."

About Trustwave
Trustwave is the leading provider of on-demand and subscription-based information security and payment card industry compliance management solutions to businesses and government entities throughout the world. For organizations faced with today's challenging data security and compliance environment, Trustwave provides a unique approach with comprehensive solutions that include its flagship TrustKeeper^® compliance management software and other proprietary security solutions. Trustwave has helped thousands of organizations—ranging from Fortune 500 businesses and large financial institutions to small and medium-sized retailers—manage compliance and secure their network infrastructure, data communications and critical information assets. Trustwave is headquartered in Chicago with offices throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa, China and Australia. For more information, visit https://www.trustwave.com. 

About First National Merchant Solutions
First National Merchant Solutions is a top 10 payment processor with more than 50 years of experience providing first-rate service and solutions to businesses across North America. With the combined resources of parent company First National Bank of Omaha and a dedicated, experienced team of industry professionals, First National Merchant Solutions provides complete in-house processing with unparalleled customer service to meet the long-term needs of its customers.

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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: July 9, 2009

First National Merchant Solutions, one of the nation’s leading payment processors, today announced it is expanding its customer portfolio internationally, adding businesses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The expansion is part of a long-term strategy to extend the processor’s footprint beyond the United States.

“Many of our customers have an international presence and they’ve been asking us to expand our operations for quite some time,” said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. “They want to maintain their relationship with us, which is a true tribute to our team of customer service and product experts, while handling electronic transactions outside the U.S. In response, we’ve had a team of experts investigating how best to handle an expansion of our processing capabilities while determining an appropriate timetable. Balancing the world economy with our customers’ requests and the business opportunities outside the U.S., we feel that the time is right to begin our international growth in the Caribbean.”

First National Merchant Solutions is developing new products and services to meet business processing requirements in each country. Additional international expansion will take place as economic and business conditions permit.

“Our customers want to be ready when the economic recovery hits, and we’re going to be here to help with their processing needs,” Mehochko added.

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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: February 23, 2009

First National Merchant Solutions, one of the nation's leading payment processors, today announced it has joined the SIGIS Special Interest Group for IIAS Compliance. First National Merchant Solutions joins a broad range of participants – retailers, merchant processors, financial institutions and payment card networks – working to establish a voluntary industry standard for Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) debit card transactions that meets IRA requirements.

The industry standards were developed to assist retailers and consumers by identifying products that are eligible medical expenses and ultimately reduce the number of times consumers with FSA and HRA cards are required to send in sales receipts after using their FSA/HRA cards. By enabling real-time approval of purchased items meeting FSA/HRA requirements, the industry standards mark an end to "pay and chase" for pharmacy and over-the-counter medical purchases.

"One of the last things patients and healthcare providers want to worry about is getting reimbursed and whether or not an item meets IRS requirements," said Diana Mehochko, president of First National Merchant Solutions. "The industry standards members of the SIGIS Special Interest Group are working on will help make the whole process more efficient, allowing patients and providers to focus on their health needs."

A long-time provider of solutions to help streamline healthcare payment processing, First National Merchant Solutions offers a suite of Healthcare Acceptance Solutions designed specifically for healthcare providers. The solutions specifically facilitate:

• Immediate payment by accepting credit and debit card transactions.
• Streamlined patient check-in with integrated point of sale terminals and processing.
• Reduced paperwork with online reporting.

Account set up, training and 24/7 support are included with the healthcare product and service suites. Additional solutions, including corporate card, and gift and loyalty programs are also available.

More than 10,000 healthcare providers across the nation use First National Merchant Solutions for their payment processing.

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Media Contacts: Bailey Lauerman Gene Hinkle 402.514.9406 Date: January 26, 2009

San Francisco Yellow Cab Cooperative drivers now receive a large portion of their receipts on a smartOne Visa Pay Card* at the end of their lease periods instead of cash. Yellow Cab Cooperative, through its relationship with First National Merchant Solutions, is crediting cab drivers' private accounts and providing access to those credits with a smartOne Visa Pay Card to eliminate the dangers of storing and distributing large amounts of cash.

At the end of each lease period, Yellow Cab Cooperative drivers turn in their cash and credit card receipts for settlement as usual. Instead of receiving cash for their credits, participating drivers will now receive payment on a specially branded Yellow Cab Cooperative smartOne Visa Pay Card. The cards are issued to each participating driver and credits are made available to them at the end of their lease periods. The smartOne Visa Pay Card carries the Visa debit logo and allows the cardholder to use it to make purchases or withdrawals wherever Visa debit cards are accepted. Drivers are also covered by Visa's zero liability protection if the card is lost or stolen, and deposits are FDIC insured.

"Yellow Cab Cooperative was looking for a way to limit the amount of cash needed on hand, and the amount our drivers carry with them during their lease periods," said Nate Dwiri, president of Yellow Cab Cooperative. "First National Merchant Solutions worked with us to create this solution that solves both our cash problems and help us to streamline our settlement operation."

Participating drivers can keep track of card value and usage by logging on to a secure web site. Drivers can view purchase transactions, print statements and confirm value load transactions by Yellow Cab Cooperative.

Yellow Cab Cooperative expects 80 percent of drivers to sign up for the specially branded Yellow Cab Cooperative smartOne Visa Pay Card in the next few months.

"We are always ready to find and design solutions that help our customers succeed, and we are pleased Yellow Cab Cooperative asked us to help them create and manage their new driver smartOne Visa Pay Card," said Scott McCormack, vice president of First National Merchant Solutions. "Working with Yellow Cab Cooperative we were able to develop a pay card solution in which funds are available to the drivers immediately following their lease periods. The pay cards are able to provide convenience and security to the drivers and cash management efficiency to Yellow Cab Cooperative by eliminating the worries associated with having significant amounts of cash on hand."

First National Merchant Solutions provides a variety of prepaid products and services, as well as payment processing solutions to meet the unique needs of its clients. These solutions include payroll and corporate prepaid products, debit and credit payment processing, secure Internet commerce processing, electronic benefit transfer processing and check guarantee, authorization and collection. All are designed to help its clients control costs and fraud.

*The smartOne Visa Pay Card is issued by First National Bank of Omaha pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Incorporated.

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