Competitive Strategies

First Data Corp. has announced that a shareholder vote on its proposed merger with Concord EFS Inc. will take place Oct. 28 in Englewood, Colo., where the giant transaction-processing company is based. First Data announced its proposed all-stock acquisition of Concord EFS, a major electronic-funds-transfer processor and operator of the …

One of the electronic transactions industry’s most active buyers of independent sales organizations and other transaction-services firms says the steady flow of transaction revenue these businesses generate is attracting increasing interest from pension funds and private-equity players, thus driving up valuations. TransFirst, a Dallas-based processor that has grown from 2.5 …

Transaction processor Vital, a joint venture owned by Visa USA and TSYS, is pushing on multiple fronts into new markets. The Tempe, Ariz.-based company is gearing up to grab a chunk of the market for PIN-based debit, in part by demonstrating to merchants how the money they now save on …