Equity Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Equity Investments

NOTE 11 Equity Investments

The Company has an equity investment with TSYS de Mexico and records its 49% ownership using the equity method of accounting. The operation prints statements and provides card-issuing support services to the equity investment clients and others.

The Company has an equity investment with CUP Data and records its 44.56% ownership using the equity method of accounting. China Union Pay Co., Ltd. (CUP) is sanctioned by the People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, and has become one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing payments networks. CUP Data currently provides transaction processing, disaster recovery and other services for banks and bankcard issuers in China.

TSYS’ equity investments are recorded initially at cost and subsequently adjusted for equity in earnings, cash contributions and distributions, and foreign currency translation adjustments. TSYS believes the carrying value approximates the underlying assets of the equity investments.

TSYS’ equity in income of equity investments (net of tax) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $10.2 million, $8.7 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

A summary of TSYS’ equity investments at December 31 is as follows:

(in thousands)	2012		2011
CUP Data	$	79,859		76,110
TSYS de México		7,905		6,814
Total	$	87,764		82,924