DENVER, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC)
today announced that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has advised the
company that it will not require First Data to obtain further shareholder
approval under the NYSE's Shareholder Approval Policy in connection with the
amendment to the merger agreement entered into with Concord EFS, Inc.
(NYSE: CE).  No other requirements for shareholder approval apply.  First Data
shareholders approved the original merger agreement previously on October 28,
2003.
    The transaction is subject to Concord shareholder approval.

    About First Data
    First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), with global headquarters in Denver, helps
power the global economy.  As a leader in electronic commerce and payment
services, First Data serves approximately 3 million merchant locations,
1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers, making it easy, fast and secure
for people and businesses to buy goods and services using virtually any form
of payment.  With 29,000 employees worldwide, the company provides credit,
debit, smart card and stored-value card issuing and merchant transaction
processing services; Internet commerce solutions; money transfer services;
money orders; and check processing and verification services throughout the
United States.  First Data also offers a variety of payment services in the
United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, the
Middle East and Germany.  Its Western Union and Orlandi Valuta money transfer
networks include a total of approximately 169,000 agent locations in more than
195 countries and territories.

    Not a Proxy Solicitation
    This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any security
holder of Concord EFS, Inc.  First Data Corporation will be filing an amended
proxy statement/prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
and other relevant documents concerning the planned merger of Concord EFS,
Inc. with a subsidiary of First Data Corporation.  WE URGE INVESTORS TO READ
THE AMENDED PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TO BE
FILED WITH THE SEC, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Investors will be able to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC's
website, http://www.sec.gov.  In addition, documents filed with the SEC by First Data
Corporation will be available free of charge from First Data Investor
Relations, 6200 S. Quebec St., Suite 340, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111.
Documents filed with the SEC by Concord EFS, Inc. will be available free of
charge from Concord Investor Relations, 2525 Horizon Lake Drive, Suite 120,
Memphis, TN, 38133.
    First Data, its directors and executive officers and other members of its
management and employees, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation
of proxies in connection with the planned merger.  Information about the
directors and executive officers of First Data and their ownership of First
Data stock is set forth in the proxy statement for First Data's 2003 annual
meeting of stockholders.  Investors may obtain additional information
regarding the interests of the participants by reading the amended proxy
statement/prospectus, when it becomes available.

                                                                         FDC-1

Link to this page: