Filed by Fiserv, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: First Data Corporation
Commission File No. 001-11073
Letter to clients of Fiserv, Inc., dated January 16, 2019.
Im writing to share some exciting news with you. This morning, Fiserv announced an agreement to acquire First Data. Through this transformative combination, we will unite two industry leaders, creating one of the worlds leading financial and payments technology providers to drive enhanced value for you, our valued client, and your customers.
This acquisition advances our ability to redefine the way money and information moves for you and your customers. Like Fiserv, First Data is a client-focused global company providing best-in-class payments technology solutions that help organizations like yours grow their business. With First Data, we will increase our scale and expand our global reach and presence, as well as offer you greater choice in the evolving payments and financial services landscape.
This combination is about bringing together the complementary strengths and capabilities of both companies to enhance the value we create for you:
| Differentiated Financial Services Platform: With an even more extensive range of end-to-end solutions, the combined company will create additional value for all our clients and deepen relationships. Fiserv and First Data will link their respective merchant and cash management capabilities, further developing new offerings, including First Datas Clover cloud-based platforms for small and medium-sized businesses. For example, First Datas digital merchant account enrollment capabilities can be integrated into the Fiserv digital banking solutions that serve thousands of financial institutions. |
| Enhanced Payments Capabilities: The combination creates a differentiated, end-to-end payments platform from issuance to acceptance. Through an enhanced focus on innovation, the combined company will enable additional payment methods that give financial institutions, merchants and billers the ability to meet their customers needs across the multiple ways they want to pay. |
| Investing to Accelerate Innovation: Fiserv and First Data will explore integrated, complementary technology capabilities and solutions to enhance client value and increase market differentiation. Following the close of the transaction, the combined company expects to invest an incremental $500 million over five years to create significantly enhanced solutions for clients. The program will focus on a series of new and existing technologies, including next-generation merchant solutions, digital enablement, advanced risk management, and data-focused solutions to keep us at the forefront of the evolution of payments. |
Simply put, we will be better positioned to enable you to meet your customers needs both today, and tomorrow.
We believe there are many reasons to be excited about this announcement, yet until the transaction closes, Fiserv and First Data will continue to operate as independent companies. We expect to complete the transaction during the second half of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or your Fiserv client partner.
We appreciate your business and thank you for your continued partnership. We remain committed to your ongoing success.
Jeff Yabuki
President and CEO
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of a proxy or of any vote or approval. This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 16, 2019 (the merger agreement), by and among Fiserv, Inc. (Fiserv), 300 Holdings, Inc. (Merger Sub) and First Data Corporation (First Data). In connection with the proposed transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Fiserv intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) that will include a joint proxy/consent solicitation statement of Fiserv and First Data that will also constitute a prospectus of Fiserv. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, the joint proxy/consent solicitation statement/prospectus or any other documents that will be made available to the shareholders of Fiserv and First Data, or any other documents that any party to the Merger Agreement, including Fiserv, First Data, or any of their respective affiliates, may file with the SEC or make available to their respective security holders. SHAREHOLDERS OF FISERV AND FIRST DATA AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY, INCLUDING THE JOINT PROXY/CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (WHEN AVAILABLE) BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED COMBINATION.
When available, shareholders will be able to obtain copies of the registration statement, including the joint proxy/consent solicitation statement/prospectus and any other documents that may be filed with the SEC (when available) free of charge from the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Fiserv also can be obtained free of charge from Fiservs website at www.fiserv.com. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by First Data also can be obtained free of charge from First Datas website at www.firstdata.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
Fiserv, First Data, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Fiserv is set forth in the proxy statement relating to Fiservs 2018 annual meeting of shareholders filed with the SEC on April 10, 2018. Information about the directors and executive officers of First Data is set forth in the proxy statement relating to First Datas 2018 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the SEC on March 29, 2018. Additional information regarding the interests of these participants will be included in the joint proxy/consent solicitation statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Shareholders should read the joint proxy/consent solicitation statement/prospectus carefully if and when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. Shareholders may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information disclosed in this communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the ability of Fiserv to complete the proposed acquisition and related transactions and to achieve the synergies described herein. Statements can generally be identified as forward-looking because they include words such as believes, anticipates, expects, could, should or words of similar meaning. Statements that describe Fiservs future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.
The factors that could cause Fiservs actual results to differ materially include, among others: the possibility that the parties may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in the transaction within the expected time frames or at all and to successfully integrate the operations of First Data into those of Fiserv; such integration may be more difficult, time- consuming or costly than expected; revenues following the transaction may be lower than expected, including for possible reasons such as unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the transaction; operating costs, customer loss and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the transaction; the retention of certain key employees; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Fiserv, First Data and others related to the merger agreement; unforeseen risks relating to liabilities of Fiserv or First Data may exist; shareholder approval or other conditions to the completion of the transaction may not be satisfied, or the regulatory approvals required for the transaction may not be obtained on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the transaction, including the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to any financing arrangements entered into in connection with the transaction; the parties ability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction. Fiserv and First Data are subject to, among other matters, changes in customer demand for their products and services; pricing and other actions by competitors; general changes in local, regional, national and international economic conditions and the impact they may have on Fiserv and First Data and their customers and Fiservs and First Datas assessment of that impact; rapid technological developments and changes, and the ability of Fiservs and First Datas technology to keep pace with a rapidly evolving marketplace; the impact of a security breach or operational failure on Fiservs and First Datas business; the effect of proposed and enacted legislative and regulatory actions in the United States and internationally affecting the financial services industry as a whole and/or Fiserv and First Data and their subsidiaries individually or collectively; regulatory supervision and oversight, and Fiserv and First Datas ability to comply with government regulations; the impact of Fiservs and First Datas strategic initiatives; Fiservs and First Datas ability to continue to introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis; the ability to contain costs and expenses; the protection and validity of intellectual property rights; the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings; acts of war and terrorism; and other factors included in Risk Factors in Fiservs and First Datas respective filings with the SEC, including their respective Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in other documents that the companies file with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. You should consider these factors carefully in evaluating forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Fiserv assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this presentation.