Heartland Payment Systems(TM) Teams with the Arkansas Community Bankers Association to Offer Members Full Suite of Electronic Payments Processing...

Business Editors/Banking Writers
     PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2008--Heartland Payment Systems™ (NYSE:HPY), a leading provider of credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll, check management and payments services, has teamed with the Arkansas Community Bankers Association (ACB) to provide its member banks with a full suite of payments solutions. The ACB is a trade association committed to serving the interests of Arkansas community banks and consists of 148 member banks with almost $50 billion in total assets.
     As the ACB’s exclusive referral partner, Heartland can now provide the association’s member banks with credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift cards, payroll and check management services – from deposit through recovery of bounced checks – as well as Heartland’s innovative campus OneCard solutions. The OneCard system offers campuses all aspects of card technology use including student, staff and faculty identification; dining; access control; security; vending; print control; recreation and event management; equipment rental; parking; voting; activity verification and more. In turn, the community banks throughout the state can provide their business banking customers with the same offerings. Member banks that work with Heartland have the added benefit of reaching Heartland’s business clients.
     â€œWe have seen firsthand how Heartland can help community and regional banks better serve their business banking customers,” said Brad Wilson, director of bank alliances at Heartland. “Our new relationship with the ACB will expand our network in the state, helping the banks’ customers manage their payments processing and enhance operational efficiencies.”
     â€œOur organization is dedicated to providing our state’s community banks with the information and resources they need to be successful,” said Richard Trammell, executive director of the association. “Partnering with Heartland enables us to do just that.”
     Heartland services more than 250,000 businesses nationwide.
     Headquartered in Hot Springs, AR, the ACB is committed to the preservation of community banks, their franchise values and the integrity of their local economies.
     About Heartland Payment Systems
     Heartland Payment Systems, Inc., a NYSE company trading under the symbol HPY, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll, check management and payments solutions to more than 250,000 businesses nationwide.
     Heartland is the founding supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. For more information, visit www.HeartlandPaymentSystems.com and www.MerchantBillOfRights.com.
     About the Arkansas Community Bankers Association (ACB)
     Community banks are independently owned and operated and are characterized by attention to customer service, lower fees and small business, agricultural and consumer lending. ACB has 148 independent community banks and thrifts in its membership and is the only trade association exclusively serving the interests of Arkansas’ Realcommunity banks.
     For more information, visit http://www.acbonline.org/index.htm.
     Forward-looking Statements
     This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors. Information concerning these factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's registration statement on Form 10- K, or Form 10-Q as applicable. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
    Gregory FCA CommunicationsPaul Johnson610-228-2113Paul@GregoryFCA.comorHeartland Payment SystemsNancy Gross888-798-3131 Ext. 2202nancy.gross@e-hps.com
    State Keywords: Arkansas; New JerseyIndustry Keywords: Education; University; Professional Services; BankingSource: Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.