8-K

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT
         Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 15, 2000
                                                         ----------------

                         Commission File No. 001-12392
                                             ---------

                           NATIONAL DATA CORPORATION
                           -------------------------
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

                      DELAWARE                   59-0977458
                      --------                   ----------
          (State or other jurisdiction of       (IRS Employer
           incorporation or organization)    Identification Number)

          National Data Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia       30329-2010
         ----------------------------------------     ----------
         (Address of principal executive offices)     (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (404) 728-2000
                                                   --------------
                                     NONE
                                     ----
            (Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if
                           changed since last year)





Item 5.  Other Events
         ------------

On November 15, 2000, National Data Corporation issued a press release which is
filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated in this Item 5 by this
reference.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
- ------------------------------------------

     (c)  99.1 Press Release dated November 15, 2000.


                                  SIGNATURES
                                  ----------

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        NATIONAL DATA CORPORATION
                                        -------------------------
                                               (Registrant)

                                        By: /s/ David H. Shenk
                                        -------------------------
                                        David H. Shenk
                                        Interim Chief Financial Officer
                                        (Principal Financial Officer
                                        and Chief Accounting Officer)

Date: November 15, 2000

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


PRESS RELEASE
11/15/100


                             For Immediate Release
                             ---------------------


                       NDC RECEIVES IRS TAX FREE RULING
                      FOR PENDING SPIN OF GLOBAL PAYMENTS

     ATLANTA, November 15, 2000 -  National Data Corporation (NYSE:  NDC)
announced that it has received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue
Service regarding the pending spin off of its eCommerce line of business into a
separate publicly traded company known as Global Payments Inc.  The IRS has
ruled that the transaction will be tax free to stockholders of NDC.

     The timing of the spin transaction and share distribution is dependent on
completion of registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
currently in process.  On November 9, 2000, Global Payments amended its Form 10
filing to reflect the planned acquisition of Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce's Merchant Card Services business in Canada.

     National Data Corporation is a leading provider of health information
services and electronic commerce solutions that add value to its customers'
operations.

When used  in this report,  press releases, and elsewhere by management of
National Data Corporation, from time to time, the words "believes,"
"anticipates," "expects," and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements concerning the Company's operations, economic
performance and financial condition, including in particular, the Company's
ability to realize the benefits of the change in its business, the write-offs,
and the charges, including growth in revenue and earnings.  These statements are
based on a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to
significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the
control of the Company, and reflect future business decisions which are subject
to change.  A variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially
from those anticipated in the Company's forward-looking statements, some of
which include competition in the market for the Company's services, continued
expansion of the Company's product and service offerings, product demand, market
and customer acceptance, the effect of economic conditions, competition,
pricing, development difficulties, the ability to consummate and integrate
acquisitions, and other risk factors that are discussed from time to time in the
Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") reports and other filings.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  The Company undertakes no
obligations to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-
looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the
date hereof, or thereof, as the case may be, or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.

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