Payment Processing: First Data Provides Payment Processing To A&P Grocery Stores

First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) today announced that they have begun processing credit and debit card transactions for the 407 locations of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P, NYSE: GAP).

Founded in 1859, A&P was one of the nation's first supermarket chains, and is today among North America's largest with annual sales volume of approximately $11 billion. A&P operates in the United States under eight retail banners that include traditional supermarkets, food and drug combination stores and discount food stores. The retail banners include A&P, A&P Super Foodmart, Farmer Jack, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, Sav-A-Center, Super Fresh and Waldbaum's.

First Data, a leading payment processor which handled nearly 23 billion merchant transactions in 2005, provides a full spectrum of payment solutions, including credit, PIN-secured and signature debit, along with paper and electronic check processing that match the needs of grocery merchants and their consumers. With its breadth of payment solutions and proven industry experience, First Data helps supermarket and grocery merchants offer their consumers the greatest payments variety, choice and convenience while keeping the cost to accept these payments low.

"First Data is thrilled with the opportunity to help A&P grow its business by providing industry leading payment solutions that allow consumers the ultimate convenience, choice and flexibility when paying for goods and services," said Brett Narlinger, senior vice president of First Data. "Like First Data, A&P places customer convenience at the forefront by offering consumers options that allow them to pay how and when they want."

About First Data
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) is a leading provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions for businesses and consumers worldwide. Serving 4.6 million merchant locations, 1,600 financial institutions and millions of consumers, First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods and services using virtually any form of payment. The company's portfolio of services and solutions includes credit, debit, private-label, gift and other prepaid card issuing and merchant transaction processing services; money transfer services; money orders; fraud protection and authentication solutions; check guarantee and verification services through TeleCheck; as well as Internet commerce and mobile solutions. Western Union, together with its affiliates Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, are leaders in global money transfer, providing people with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send money around the world, pay bills and purchase money orders through a network of over 270,000 agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. The company's STAR Network offers PIN-secured debit acceptance at 1.9 million ATM and retail locations. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.