03.21.06 | TRANSFIRST Signs Contract with the Historic City of Coronado to Deliver Payment Processing Services

The City of Coronado, Calif., improves efficiencies in resource allocation by implementing TRANSFIRST’s transaction processing program.

DALLAS (March 21, 2006) – Dallas-based TRANSFIRST, LLC, a leading provider of transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies, recently announced that the City of Coronado, Calif., home of the famous Hotel Del Coronado, has awarded the sole contract for payment processing services to TRANSFIRST. TRANSFIRST will help the City improve overall customer service for residents and visitors and create significant efficiencies, allowing Coronado the opportunity to reallocate existing municipal resources to other priorities. The city will be able to perform transactions 24 hours a day, replace their current conventional terminals, and provide more precise reporting over their existing network.

Through this contract, TRANSFIRST will provide Coronado with its proprietary Web-based centralized payment processing system, TRANSACTION CENTRAL™, a solution that is secure, robust, easy-to-use and affordable within the constraints of today’s thin municipal budgets. TRANSACTION CENTRAL instantly networks all devices, including POS, e-commerce, software and wireless. Transactions of all types, including e-check, ACH and recurring payments, can be entered over the counter, over the phone or over the Internet with this single, integrated system – and can be accessed in real-time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Internet.

“At TRANSFIRST, we are acutely aware of the challenges that municipalities face and are committed to providing specialized transaction processing services and customized programs that meet each city’s distinct needs,” said Dan Palmquist, director of the TRANSFIRST Government Services Division. “Our proven processing solutions for the Government/Public Sector market and the ever-changing municipal environment provide flexibility for cities like Coronado by making payment acceptance easier and faster, improving staffing and financial reporting efficiencies, and providing protection from potential fraud.”

 “We have made a significant improvement in the quality of service since we selected TRANSFIRST,” said Leslie Suelter, Director of Administrative Services at the City of Coronado. “We now offer a variety of payment processing options and have streamlined our citywide credit card and ACH transactions, which has significantly improved our cash flow while reducing customer wait times.”

Secured through its Government Services Division in a competitive bid process, TRANSFIRST was selected over seven other electronic transaction providers to facilitate all municipal credit card and ACH transactions citywide.

About TRANSFIRST
A premier provider of transaction processing services and payment enabling technologies, TRANSFIRST offers a first-rate suite of products and services and customized processing programs uniquely tailored for the special business needs of financial institutions, independent sales organizations and agents and its referral and reseller partners. Through its in-depth industry knowledge, partnership strategy and innovative solutions, TRANSFIRST provides a specialized approach to transaction processing for healthcare providers, public entities, online and other non-traditional merchants, as well as brick and mortar retailers.  Founded in 1995, TRANSFIRST is a market leader in strategic mergers and acquisitions, which has allowed the company to gain significant market share and world-class expertise in growing and profitable industry segments.  Built on a platform of personal service, customer commitment and flexible pricing, TRANSFIRST is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has operations facilities in Louisville, Colo., Omaha, Neb., Kansas City, Kan., Newport Beach, Calif., Milwaukee, Wis. and Langhorne, Penn.  Company wide, TRANSFIRST currently processes approximately $22 billion in annual sales volume for more than 155,000 merchants and more than 965 financial institutions. TRANSFIRST can be reached at 1-800-745-2659 or at www.TRANSFIRST.com.