PR - Heartland Payment Systems and American Express Sign Agreement

Small and mid-sized businesses can now benefit from an integrated solution for all of their card processing transactions. In an agreement announced today, American Express (NYSE:AXP) and Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE:HPY) will offer a streamlined process that enables merchants to accept American Express Cards on Heartland’s merchant processing platform.

By signing up for the new program, merchants who are new to American Express Card acceptance will have a single source for statements, settlement and customer service. Heartland will provide these merchants with payment processing services on behalf of American Express, while American Express will retain the Card acceptance contract with participating merchants, continue to establish merchant pricing, and receive the same transactional information it does today. The program will be available in the second half of 2008. Specific terms and conditions of the agreement are not being disclosed.

Bob Carr, chairman and chief executive officer of Heartland Payment Systems, said, “Until today, owners of small and mid-sized business had to deal with two separate platforms for card processing: one for American Express and one for all other cards. Our agreement with American Express simplifies card processing for these business owners. We look forward to helping ease the complexity of card processing for our customers with one unified statement and one place to call for live customer support.”

“Merchants and consumers both benefit through this innovative program with Heartland Payment Systems,” said Kim Goodman, executive vice president, Merchant Services North America, American Express. “Small to mid-size merchants now have the choice of a new way to streamline payment acceptance and consumers will enjoy the convenience of being able to use the American Express Card at even more locations.”

Heartland delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll and payment solutions to more than 162,000 small and mid-sized businesses nationwide.