Questions & Answers
About the Visa Check/Master Money Antitrust Litigation Settlement

2005 FAQs

How can we collect our money from the class fund?

The Garden City Group, as Class Administrator, and Constantine Cannon as lead counsel, are responsible for the disbursement of funds to merchants from the Merchant Class Action Litigation (also known as the Visa Check/MasterMoney Antitrust Litigation or the Wal-Mart Litigation).

Global Payments has no involvement in or responsibility for the disbursement of money from the settlement of the Merchant Class Action Litigation. For more information, contact the merchants’ litigation attorneys or class administrator about this issue.

The Garden City Group is the Class Administrator. Merchants can contact The Garden City Group, Inc. at:

Constantine Cannon is lead counsel for the merchants in the Merchant Class Action Litigation. Merchants can contact Constantine Cannon at:

Neither Global Payments nor your Member Bank nor the card associations represent the merchants in the Merchant Class Action Litigation. Therefore, we cannot give merchants legal advice. If merchant(s) wish to receive legal advice, they should contact their own lawyers or counsel for the class (identified above).

Who is sending merchants the communication regarding the disbursement of funds?

Communications about settlement funds come from the Garden City Group as Class Administrator.

Who should merchants contact if merchants receive a communication regarding disbursement of funds from parties other than the Class Administrator?

If a merchant receives a communications about the Merchant Class Action settlement that does not look authentic or did not appear to be from authorized representatives of the plaintiff class, they should contact the Garden City Group or Constantine Cannon.

Where did the merchant contact information come from?

The court in the Merchant Class Action Litigation required Global Payments and other acquiring processors (and other parties) to provide merchant DBA and corporate names and addresses in connection with the litigation. We understand that the Class Administrator used this data in sending the communications you are now receiving.

Where can I locate a copy of the settlement letter?

http://www.constantinecannon.com/pdf_etc/09_19_05.pdf

Where can I get the data or additional information to complete the form?

In certain instances, Global Payments may be able to assist you with information needed to complete the form, although, as noted, we cannot advise you on how to complete the form. For example, a merchant’s credit card processing volume is one factor that is considered in the disbursement of funds. Obviously, volume information has always been provided to you as part of your monthly statement reporting. If this information is not sufficient, or you no longer have this information stored, we will be able to provide volume information back to the year 2000 at the cost of $250 per year requested (because of the manual effort of retrieving data that is not available through our on-line systems).

2003 FAQs

What does the statement message we received mean?

Please refer to the "Honor All Cards" information and links on Global Payments’ Industry Initiatives homepage.

Why is the information on the statement message duplicated?

Pursuant to the Visa/MasterCard settlement agreement, we have provided merchants with Court-approved language - one statement for Visa and a separate statement for MasterCard.

Why is the identical statement message printed monthly?

Pursuant to the Visa/MasterCard settlement agreement, we will be providing merchants with monthly notification of these new guidelines through December 31, 2003.

I would like to maintain acceptance in all categories. Will I need to do anything?

No. You don’t need to do anything if you want to continue offering your customers the widest choice of payment options possible.

At this time, I’d like to maintain acceptance in all categories. Can I make a different choice later?

Yes. If your current contract extends beyond January 1, 2004, you may make that choice at a later date, provided that your new choice will not take effect until thirty (30) days after you give written notice of your new choice, or January 1, 2004, whichever is later.

Exactly which cards/products are impacted by the settlement?

Please refer to the "Honor All Cards" information and links on Global Payments Industry Initiatives homepage.

Should I opt out of a product category?

Ultimately the decision is yours, but consider these industry facts:

• Today, there are over 150 million Visa check cards and a large number of MasterCard check cards in circulation.
• Debit is the fastest growing product category
• More than $38 out of every $100 is spent with a form of payment other than cash or checks.
• Continued acceptance will minimize your customers’ confusion at the point of sale.

I opted out of the class action against Visa and MasterCard. Do I still have the choice to opt out of debit or credit acceptance?

Beginning on January 1, 2004, all U.S. merchants will have the opportunity to opt out of debit (or credit) card acceptance, regardless of whether they opted out of the class action.

What is the process for opting out of credit or debit acceptance?

EXISTING MERCHANTS (with contracts extending past January 1, 2004):
If you would like to stop accepting (after January 1, 2004) one of the product categories under your contract with Global Payments, you must notify us in writing at least 30 days prior to the date when you would like your decision to take effect. Further information on how and where to provide notification will be posted closer to the December 2, 2003 notification deadline for changes to take effect on January 1, 2004.

NEW MERCHANTS:
Merchants signing new contracts must make their card acceptance decisions at the time the contract is signed and those decisions must remain in force through the life of the contract – unless the contract provides explicit procedures for changing your acceptance status.

Will I need to sign a new contract if I decide to change my acceptance options?

We are currently determining what contract changes will be required for any merchants who opt out of debit or credit card acceptance. We will notify any merchant who so opts out of any such changes prior to the time the new guidelines take effect for that merchant.

How will you support me if I make an opt-out decision?

Global Payments will support and continue processing for its merchants regardless of what decision they make. However, merchants who choose to opt out will be ultimately responsible for ensuring that they do not accept the cards they have opted out of. We will provide further information closer to January 1, 2004.

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