Feb 21, 2013, 3:00am

TSYS (NYSE: TSS) today announced that it is now a Certified Service Bureau of the LINK Scheme. TSYS will begin processing ATM transactions through the LINK network for its first client in 2013 and will have the ability to process LINK transactions on behalf of any LINK member.

LINK is the United Kingdom’s ATM network with more than 35 member institutions, including various banks and building societies — many of whom are TSYS clients. The network connects virtually every ATM in the United Kingdom, and its infrastructure is operated by VocaLink.

“Providing TSYS with access to the LINK ATM scheme allows their card issuing clients to process ATM transactions through more than 65,000 UK cash machines connected to the LINK network,” said John Howells, chief executive officer, LINK. “Cardholders of TSYS’ clients will also now be able to take advantage of the additional services available through LINK, such as mobile phone top-up and direct charity donations.”

“This announcement demonstrates TSYS’ on-going commitment and the significant investments we are making in the UK payments market,” said Bob Evans, managing director of Europe, TSYS. “Payments processing is key to our business, and now that we have access to the LINK scheme, TSYS is able to offer our clients in the UK and Ireland a comprehensive debit solution, built on our industry-leading card processing platform.”

About LINK

LINK is the UK’s ATM network

• There were 20.4 billion cash payments in the UK in 2010 accounting for 56% of all payments.
• 70% of cash acquisition is via the extensive UK network of 65,000 ATMs.
• All the UK's significant debit and ATM card issuers are LINK members and there are around 100 million LINK cards in circulation.
• There are over 64,000 ATMs connected to LINK, effectively every ATM in the UK.
• The LINK network processed over 3 billion transactions in 2011, (over 250 million a month), and at its busiest, it processes over 20,000 transactions a minute.
• Over £10 billion in cash is dispensed in LINK cash withdrawals per month.
• The number of free-to-use ATMs, transactions and the value of cash withdrawn from LINK ATMs continue to grow.

About TSYS

At TSYS, (NYSE: TSS), we believe payments should revolve around people — not the other way around. We call this belief "People-Centered Payments^SM." By putting people at the center of every decision we make, with unmatched customer service and industry insight, TSYS is able to support financial institutions, businesses and governments in more than 80 countries. Offering merchant payment-acceptance solutions as well as services in credit, debit, prepaid, mobile, chip, healthcare and more, we make it possible for those in the global marketplace to conduct safe and secure electronic transactions with trust and convenience.

TSYS’ headquarters are located in Columbus, Georgia, with local offices spread across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. TSYS provides services to more than half of the top 20 international banks, is a Fortune 1000 company and was named one of the 2012 World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere magazine. For more information, please visit us at www.tsys.com.