First Data

First Data was founded in 1971 in Omaha, Nebraska, as a bank card processing service, growing into one of the world's largest payment technology companies over five decades.

At its peak the company processed more than 100 billion transactions annually, serving approximately six million merchant locations and thousands of financial institutions across more than 100 countries.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, First Data was acquired by Fiserv in 2019 and no longer operates as an independent company.

First Data History

• 1971
  A consortium of Midwest banks founds First Data Resources in Omaha, Nebraska, to process BankAmericard and other credit card transactions for member institutions.
• 1992
  First Data goes public on the NYSE and acquires Western Union's money transfer business, establishing its footprint beyond card processing into cross-border payments.
• 2007
  KKR takes First Data private in a $29 billion leveraged buyout, one of the largest LBOs in US history at the time, loading the company with significant debt.
• 2015
  First Data relists on the NYSE under ticker FDC, raising $2.6 billion in one of the largest US IPOs of that year, as the company worked to reduce its KKR-era debt.
• 2019
  Fiserv acquires First Data in a $22 billion all-stock deal, creating one of the world's largest financial technology companies with combined revenues above $15 billion.

FAQs

• Who owns First Data?

  First Data was acquired by Fiserv in July 2019 in a $22 billion all-stock merger. It no longer exists as a standalone company. Its operations are fully integrated into Fiserv, which trades on Nasdaq under ticker FISV.
• When did First Data come out?

  First Data was founded in 1971 as First Data Resources in Omaha, Nebraska. It went public on the NYSE in 1992, was taken private by KKR in 2007, and relisted on the NYSE in 2015 before its 2019 acquisition by Fiserv.
• Is First Data an American company?

  Yes. First Data was an American financial technology company, originally headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and later in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1971, it operated globally before being acquired by Fiserv in 2019.
• Who made the First Data logo?

  First Data's logo underwent several redesigns over its history. The final logo — a blue wordmark with a stylized checkmark — was developed internally and through agency branding work following the company's 2015 NYSE relisting and rebranding effort.