ATLANTA, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leader in electronic transaction processing services, announced today that Forbes.com has recognized Global Payments as one of the "Platinum 400 - Best Big Companies." In a special report on the Forbes.com Web site, Global Payments is acknowledged under "Business Services and Supplies," which is one of the 26 industries rated by Forbes for this prestigious listing.

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According to the editors, Forbes selected the Platinum 400, which they list as "The Best Big Companies in America" on such factors as sales and earnings growth, debt to total capital, earnings outlook, and stock market returns. The candidates were chosen from a pool of nearly 1,100 corporations that have a significant presence in the U.S., at least $1 billion in revenue, a stock price of at least $5 per share and positive equity.

To get down to a final list of 400 Platinum companies, Forbes.com began by assigning companies into 26 industries and ranking them against their peers on five-year and 12-month sales and earnings growth, as well as total return to shareholders. The ranking system also included consensus forecasts for long-term earnings growth and debt-to-capital ratios. Using these individual rankings, the editors and gave each company a composite ranking score and an overall rank within its industry. Visit http://www.forbes.com/platinum/ to view the entire article.

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading provider of electronic transaction processing services for consumers, merchants, Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), financial institutions, government agencies, gaming establishments, and multi-national corporations located throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Global Payments offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards, business-to-business purchasing cards, gift cards, electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification and recovery including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also provides consumer money transfer services from the U.S. and Europe to destinations in Latin America, Morocco, and the Philippines. Visit http://www.globalpaymentsinc.com for more information about the company and its services.

Contact: Phyllis McNeill


             770-829-8245
             phyllis.mcneill@globalpay.com

SOURCE Global Payments Inc.