First Data is to provide merchant processing services to 14,000 retailers under a long-term revenue sharing alliance with UK bank HBOS.
Under the agreement, First Data will take responsibility for the full range of merchant acquiring services including core processing, credit and risk, sales and back office services. The transactions will be processed via First Data’s MerchantStar International platform in the UK and will embrace Visa, MasterCard and Switch payment cards.
Gerald Hawkins, president of EMEA operations for First Data, says: "HBOS has a strong portfolio of clients and there is substantial potential for us to work together, to build on these excellent existing relationships and to cultivate other opportunities."