UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

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FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

 

For the quarterly period ended June  30, 2015

 

OR

 

 

For the transition period from               to              

 

Commission file number 001-35699

 

PLANET PAYMENT, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

(516) 670-3200

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ☒ No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  ☐ Yes ☒  No

 

As of July 31, 2015, there were 52,548,508 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.

 

 

 

 

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Planet Payment, Inc.

Report on Form 10-Q

For the Quarterly Period Ended June  30, 2015

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Planet Payment®, iPAY® and Pay in Your Currency®, as well as our logo, are registered trademarks of Planet Payment and Shop in Your Currency ™ is an additional trademark of Planet Payment. All other service marks, trademarks and trade names appearing in this report are the property of their respective owners.

 

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

Planet Payment, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

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Planet Payment, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited)

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

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Planet Payment, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited)

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

 

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Planet Payment, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

 

 

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(*)For the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, the effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents was inconsequential.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

 

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Planet Payment, Inc.

 

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1. Business description and basis of presentation

 

Business description

 

Planet Payment, Inc. together with its wholly owned subsidiaries (“Planet Payment,” the “Company,” “we,” or “our”) is a provider of international payment and transaction processing and multi-currency processing services. The Company provides its services to approximately 103,000 active merchant locations in 23  countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, primarily through its acquiring bank and processor customers, as well as through its own direct sales force. The Company provides banks and their merchants with innovative services to accept, process and reconcile electronic payments. The Company’s point-of-sale and e-commerce services are integrated within the payment card transaction process, enabling its acquiring customers to process and reconcile payment transactions in multiple currencies, geographies and channels. The Company’s ATM services provide its domestic and international acquirers with additional processing capabilities to help them increase revenue and improve customer satisfaction.  The Company also offers non-financial transaction processing services that allow merchants to offer a range of commercial services including pre-paid mobile phone top-up and bill payments using the same point-of-sale devices deployed to accept payment cards. The Company is a registered third party processor with the major card associations and operates in accordance with industry standards, including the Payment Card Industry, or PCI, Security Council’s Data Security Standards.

 

Basis of presentation

 

The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of Planet Payment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

 

Unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial information

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of June  30,  2015 and for the periods ended June  30, 2015 and 2014 have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial information for the interim periods presented reflects all adjustments, which are normal and recurring, necessary for a fair presentation of the statement of operations, financial position and cash flows. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Operating results for the interim period ended June  30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015.  The December 31, 2014 balance sheet information has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date. Certain information and disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

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2. Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-09”), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance.  The new guidance includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements intended to provide users of financial statements with comprehensive information about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a company’s contracts with customers.  The original effective date of ASU 2014-09 of January 1, 2017 has been delayed until January 1, 2018.  Early adoption is not permitted before the original effective date.  The standard allows for either retrospective application to each reporting period presented or retrospective application with the cumulative effect of initially applying this update recognized at the date of initial application.  The Company is currently evaluating the effect ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures.

 

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update  No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (Topic 835) (“ASU No. 2015-03”).  The purpose of this update is to simplify presentation of debt issuance costs.  The amendments in this update require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts.  The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this update. The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is currently evaluating the effect ASU 2015-03 will have on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosure.

 

3. Concentration of credit risk

 

The Company’s assets that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and receivables from clients. The Company places some of its cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash with financial banking institutions that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000. The Company also maintains cash balances at foreign banking institutions, which are not insured by the FDIC.

 

The Company maintains an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable based on expected collectability and performs ongoing credit evaluations of customers’ financial condition.

 

The Company’s accounts receivable concentrations of 10% and greater are as follows:

 

 

The Company’s revenue concentrations of 10% and greater are as follows:

 

 

* Less than 10% revenue concentration.

 

a

 

4.  Net income per share

 

The Company computes net income per share in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings per Share (“ASC topic 260”). Under ASC topic 260, securities that contain rights to receive non-forfeitable dividends (whether paid or unpaid) are

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participating securities and should be included in the two-class method of computing earnings per share. The Company’s preferred stockholders are entitled to participate in dividends and earnings when, and if, dividends are declared on the common stock. As such, the Company calculates net income per share using the two-class method. The two-class method is an earnings formula that treats a participating security as having rights to dividends that otherwise would have been available to common and preferred stockholders based on their respective rights to receive dividends. Losses are not allocated to the preferred stockholders for computing net loss per share under the two-class method because the preferred stockholders do not have contractual obligations to share in the losses of the Company.

 

Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income, adjusted for amounts allocated to participating securities under the two-class method, if applicable, by the weighted average number of common stock outstanding during the period.

 

Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding, assuming dilution, during the period. The diluted earnings per share calculation assumes (i) all stock options and warrants which are in the money are exercised at the beginning of the period and (ii) each issue or series of issues of potential common stock are considered in sequence from the most dilutive to the least dilutive. That is, dilutive potential common stock with the lowest “earnings add-back per incremental share” shall be included in dilutive earnings per share before those shares with higher earnings add back per incremental share.

 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share:

 

 

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The following table sets forth the weighted average securities outstanding that have been excluded from the diluted net income per share calculation because the effect would have been anti-dilutive:

 

 

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5. Stock-based compensation expense and assumptions

 

During the first and second quarters of 2015, stock options granted to certain employees of the Company were 0.2 million and 0.1 million, respectively, with a grant fair value of $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively. The actual number of shares that will be issued upon exercise of the options is subject to the achievement of service-based vesting conditions.  Stock-based compensation expense is recorded on a straight line basis from the date of the grant over the requisite service period of 36 months.

 

During the first quarter of 2015, 0.1 million restricted stock awards with a grant fair value of $0.1 million were granted to an employee of the Company.  The final number of vested shares is subject to service-based vesting conditions.  Expense is recorded on a straight line basis from the date of the grant over the applicable service period of 36 months.

 

Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on fair value and recognized as an expense over the requisite service period, net of an estimated forfeiture rate.

 

The following summarizes stock-based compensation expense recognized by income statement classification:

 

 

The following summarizes stock-based compensation expense recognized by type:

 

 

 

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6. Property and equipment

 

Property and equipment, net consist of the following:

 

 

Property and equipment depreciation and amortization expense is as follows:

 

 

 

 

7. Goodwill and intangible assets

 

The change in carrying amount of goodwill for the six months ended June 30, 2015 is as follows:

 

 

 

The entire goodwill balance is assigned to the payment processing services segment as this is the reporting unit expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination.

 

Intangible assets are recorded at estimated fair value and are amortized ratably over their estimated useful lives to processing and service costs, which are included in cost of revenue.

 

The gross book value, accumulated amortization and amortization periods of intangible assets are as follows:

 

 

Amortization expense related to intangible assets is as follows:

 

 

 

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8. Commitments and contingencies

 

Employment agreements

 

Pursuant to employment agreements with certain employees, the Company had a commitment to pay severance of approximately $0.8 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, in the event of termination without cause, as defined in the employment agreements. Additionally, in the event of termination upon a change of control, as defined in the agreements, the Company had a commitment to pay severance of approximately $1.0 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

 

Contingent liabilities

 

In instances where the Company is acting as the merchant acquirer, the Company bears a risk that a merchant may engage in fraud by submitting for payment certain credit card transactions that may have been manipulated, are fictitious, or are otherwise not bona fide. Similarly, the Company bears the risk that a merchant becomes insolvent, owing money to cardholders. To the extent that such fraud or insolvency occurs in circumstances where the Company is liable to make good on any resultant losses, this could affect the Company’s operating results and cash flows. The Company has required certain merchants to post cash reserves of approximately $0.9 million with the sponsoring bank against such liabilities and has itself paid the acquirer a reserve of $0.3 million in connection therewith, which is included in long-term “Restricted cash” on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. In addition, the Company holds merchant reserves of approximately $2.2 million. This reserve amount is included in “Restricted cash” with an offset in “Due to merchants”. Under FASB ASC 460, Guarantees, the Company evaluates its ultimate risk and records an estimate of potential loss for chargeback’s related to merchant fraud and processing errors based upon an assessment of actual historical fraud rates and errors in processing compared to recent bank card processing volume levels. No contingent liability has been recorded as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, as the risk of material loss is considered remote. The Company monitors these contingent liabilities on a quarterly basis and will provide for a reserve if deemed necessary.

 

Outstanding litigation

 

From time to time, the Company’s operating entities are involved in legal proceeding in the ordinary course of business. While any litigation contains an element of uncertainty, the Company has no reason to believe that the outcome of such proceedings or claims will have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the Company.

 

Acquiring bank sponsorship agreement

 

In order to offer merchant acquiring services for Visa and MasterCard transactions, the Company must be sponsored by a financial institution that is a principal member of the Visa and MasterCard networks.

 

The Company entered into a five-year agreement with a sponsoring bank effective September 1, 2013. The Company is required to pay minimum annual sponsorship transaction fees of $0.3 million in year one.  The minimum fees escalates each subsequent year with minimum fees of $0.5 million due in year five for total minimum fees of $1.8 million to be paid over the term of the agreement.  Sponsorship fees are recorded to cost of sales with the total agreement minimum of $1.8 million recognized on a straight line basis over the term of the agreement.

 

Pursuant to the agreement, the Company is liable for all losses incurred by the sponsoring bank with respect to the activities of our merchants sponsored under the agreement.  No contingent liability has been recorded as of June 30, 2015 as the risk of material loss is considered remote based on historical information.  The Company monitors this contingent liability on a quarterly basis and will provide for a reserve if deemed necessary.

 

Insurance reimbursement

 

Based on the loss recovery model the Company recorded an insurance reimbursement gain of $0.5 million in selling, general and administrative expenses during the six months ended June 2015.  The insurance reimbursement was related to a previous property and casualty loss recognized by the Company.   

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9. Credit Facility

 

On June 10, 2015, the Company entered into a $10.0 million secured revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) with Citizens Bank, N.A. (“Citizens”) pursuant to a Credit and Security Agreement by and among the Company, certain affiliates thereof as borrowers or guarantors, and Citizens (the “Credit Agreement”).  The line of credit under the Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the Company’s personal property, including the Company’s intellectual property and that of its subsidiaries that are borrowers or guarantors.  The interest rate applicable to committed borrowings is tied to LIBOR plus a margin of 2.5%.  The Credit Agreement also provides for a letter of credit sub-facility of up to $2.0 million. The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, financial covenants based on the Company’s leverage and fixed charge coverage ratios, as well as an obligation to maintain a minimum availability requirement of at least $5.0 million in the aggregate of cash and availability under the line of credit.  The Credit Facility will provide funds for general corporate purposes and repurchases of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company.  The Credit Facility matures on June 10, 2020 and is payable in full upon maturity.  As of June 30, 2015, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants contained in the Credit Agreement and no amounts were outstanding.    

 

10. Related party transactions

 

The Company incurred the following amounts to companies that are principally owned by executives, directors or stockholders of the Company:

 

 

Rent was paid to BDP Realty Associates LLC, a company in which our former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Philip Beck has a one-third (1/3rd) interest. Furthermore, consulting and professional fees were paid to a professional services company where a family member of Philip Beck has  a substantial interest. Mr. Beck does not have any direct financial interest in such company.

 

In February 2015, Philip Beck ceased to serve as the Company’s Director and Chairman of the Board.  The Company’s related party expense for 2015 is for the two months Philip Beck was Chairman of the Board of Directors.

 

11. Accrued expenses

 

The following are the components of accrued expenses:

 

 

 

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(*)Current deferred revenue will be recognized as revenue ratably over the next 12 months.  As of June  30, 2015, included in the balance sheet classification “Long-term portion of capital leases and deferred revenue” is the non-current portion of deferred revenue in the amount of $0.8 million. The non-current deferred revenue balance as of December 31, 2014 is approximately $1.0 million. 

 

(**)As of June 30, 2015, the Company recorded a $1.2 million short term incentive in relation to future obligations under a  contract.

 

(***)No amounts included in “Other” exceed 10% of total current liabilities. 

 

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12. Segment information

 

General information

 

The segment and geographic information provided in the table below is being reported consistent with the Company’s method of internal reporting. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and which is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The CODM reviews net revenue and gross profit by service by geographical region. The Company operates in two reportable segments: multi-currency processing services and payment processing services.

 

Information about revenue, profit and assets

 

The CODM evaluates performance and allocates resources based on net revenue and gross profit of each segment. For purposes of analyzing segments, gross profit of the multi-currency processing services segment is equal to net revenue less multi-currency cost of sales of $0.7 million and $0.5 million, which is included in “processing and services costs” for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $1.3 million and $1.1 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The gross profit for the payment processing services segment includes net revenue of the segment less the cost of revenue component “payment processing services fees”, which includes interchange and card network fees and assessments. Net revenue and gross profit by geographical region is based upon where the transaction originated. Lastly, the Company does not evaluate performance or allocate resources using segment asset data. Long-lived assets are primarily located in the Americas and Europe and as of June  30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, long-lived asset amounts are $8.4 million and $9.1 million, respectively.

 

The Company conducts its business primarily in three geographical regions: Asia Pacific (“APAC”), the Americas, and Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (“CEMEA”). The following table provides revenue concentration by geographic region. Analysis of revenue by segment and geographical region and reconciliations to consolidated revenue and gross profit are as follows:

 

 

Payment processing services revenue and gross profit are the result of transactions that primarily originated in the Americas. For the three months ended June  30, 2015, Customer B and Customer H had revenue concentration of 14% and 24%,  respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2015, Customer B and Customer H had revenue concentration of 15% and 22%,  respectively.  No individual customer of the payment processing segment was greater than 10% of segment revenue for the three and six months ended June  30, 2014.

 

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Concentration of revenue by customer by geographical region:

 

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(*)Less than 10% revenue concentration.

 

13. Restructuring charges

 

In 2014, the Company initiated a realignment of its workforce aimed at achieving greater operational efficiencies. As a result of the realignment, the Company incurred total restructuring charges during the six months ended June 30, 2014 of approximately $0.7 million.

 

The table below sets forth the cash components and activity associated with the realignment of workforce and business for the six months ended June 30, 2015:

 

 

 

14. Stock Repurchase Program

 

In October 2014, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $6.0 million of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock.  The shares may be purchased from time to time during a period ending on December 31, 2015.  The timing, price and quantity of purchases are at the discretion of the Company and the program may be discontinued or suspended at any time.  As of June 30, 2015, the Company repurchased approximately 1.4 million shares of common stock for an aggregate price of $2.5 million.  From July 1, 2015 to July 31, 2015, the Company repurchased approximately 1.2 million shares of common stock for an aggregate price of $2.7 million. Total amount of common stock repurchased under the program through July 31, 2015 was 2.6 million shares for an aggregate price of $5.2 million.

 

On August 4, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors expanded its share repurchase authorization by an incremental $5.2 million, bringing its total current authorization to $6.0 million. Under the new authorization, the Company may repurchase shares in the open market or as otherwise may be determined by the company, subject to market conditions, business opportunities and other factors. The company has no obligation to repurchase shares under this program.  This authorization has no expiration date and may be suspended or terminated at any time.

 

 

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions, strategies, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected expenses and plans and objectives of management. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “objective,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events and involve known risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievement to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below, and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

 

Business overview

 

We believe Planet Payment is a leading provider of international payment and transaction processing and multi-currency processing services. We provide our services to approximately 103,000 active merchant locations in 23 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, primarily through our acquiring bank and processor customers, as well as through our own direct sales force. Our point-of-sale and e-commerce services help merchants sell more goods and services to consumers and, together with our ATM services, enable our acquiring customers to process and reconcile payment transactions in multiple currencies, geographies and channels.

 

To ensure our long-term success and the success of our customers:

 

 

 

Key trends

 

Our financial results have been and we believe will continue to be impacted by trends in the international payment processing industry, including the global shift toward electronic-based methods of payments and away from paper-based methods of payment, the increasing levels of international travel and commerce and the rapid adoption of e-commerce on a global scale. Our results are impacted by the changes in levels of international spending using electronic methods, and as a result, negative trends in the global economy and other factors which negatively impact international travel may negatively impact the growth in total transaction volume processed using our platform. The global economy has been undergoing a period of economic uncertainty and stock markets are experiencing high levels of volatility, and it is difficult to predict how long this uncertainty and volatility will continue.

 

We plan to grow our business by increasing the use of our services by the merchants of our existing and future acquiring bank and processor customers. If we are successful in increasing our share of this currently addressable market, as well as by adding new acquiring bank and processor customers and expanding into new geographies and business sectors, we would expect our revenue to continue to grow. In addition, based on the positive trends in the international payment processing industry noted above, we anticipate that as and when more payments are made using electronic methods, such as those that we offer, our revenue would also increase.

 

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Key metrics

 

Our management relies on certain performance indicators to manage and assess our business. The key performance indicators set forth below help us evaluate growth trends, establish budgets, measure the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts and assess operational efficiencies. We believe that improvements in these metrics will result in improvements in our financial performance over time. We monitor our non-GAAP financial measures and other business statistics as a measure of operating performance in addition to net income and the other measures included in our consolidated financial statements.

 

The following is a table consisting of non-GAAP financial measures and certain other business statistics that management monitors:

 

 

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Adjusted EBITDA

 

This discussion includes information about Adjusted EBITDA that is not prepared in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. A reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure is included below.

 

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that represents GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude (1) interest expense, (2) interest income, (3) provision (benefit) for income taxes, (4) depreciation and amortization, (5) stock-based compensation expense and (6) certain other items management believes affect the comparability of operating results.

 

Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our results under GAAP and the accompanying reconciliations, provides useful information about our period-over-period results. Adjusted EBITDA is presented because management believes it provides additional information with respect to the performance of our fundamental business activities and is also frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of comparable companies. We also rely on Adjusted EBITDA as a primary measure to review and assess the operating performance of our company and our management team in connection with our executive compensation.

 

Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using Adjusted EBITDA only as a supplement to our GAAP results.

 

The following table sets forth the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income, our most directly comparable financial measure in accordance with GAAP:

 

 

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Components of operating results

 

Sources of revenue

 

We derive our revenue principally through transaction fees earned under fixed contractual arrangements with customers who use our international payment and multi-currency processing services. We operate the business in two reportable segments:

 

 

 

Geographic and customer concentration

 

We conduct our business primarily in three geographical regions: Asia Pacific, or APAC, the Americas, and Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, or CEMEA. The following table provides multi-currency processing services revenue concentration by geographical region. Revenue by region is based upon where the transaction originated. We conduct our payment processing services primarily in North America.

 

Analysis of revenue by segment and geographical region:

 

 

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from agreements with a limited number of customers. Specifically, for the three months ended June 30, 2015, subsidiaries of Global Payments, Inc. represented 19% of our revenue.  For the six months ended June 30, 2015, subsidiaries of Global Payments, Inc. represented 20% of our revenue and Network International, LLC represented 10% of our revenue.

 

Operating expenses

 

Cost of revenue.  Cost of revenue primarily consists of two categories: (1) payment processing services fees, which includes payment processing transactions fees such as sponsorship fees, interchange and card association fees and assessments; and (2) processing and service costs, which include certain expenses related to the multi-currency processing segment, expenses of running our platform infrastructure, including: internet connectivity, hosting and data storage expenses, amortization expense on acquired intangibles and capitalized software development costs, compensation and related benefits and a portion of general overhead expenses.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses.  Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and related benefits, facility costs, public company costs and professional service fees for our sales, marketing, customer service, administrative functions, and a portion of general overhead expenses.

 

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Based on the loss recovery model we recorded an insurance reimbursement gain of $0.5 million in selling, general and administrative expenses during the six months ended June 30, 2015. The insurance reimbursement was related to a previous property and casualty loss.

 

We allocate overhead such as occupancy, telecommunication charges and depreciation expense based on headcount, as we believe this to be the most accurate measure. As a result, a portion of general overhead expenses is reflected in both our cost of revenue and selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

Restructuring charges.  We recorded restructuring charges in connection with a realignment of our workforce.  These charges primarily include employee severance and benefits.

 

Other income (expense), net.  Other income (expense), net, primarily consists of non-operating income as well as interest expense related to our capital leases.

 

Critical accounting policies and estimates

 

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of our operations is based on our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP.  GAAP requires us to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts and the disclosure in our financial statements.  We base our estimates on historical experience, future trends and other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances.  Because these accounting policies require significant judgment, our actual results may differ materially from our estimates.

 

Our critical accounting policies are those that we believe are both important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and that involve difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. The estimates are based on historical experience and on various assumptions about the ultimate outcome of future events. Our actual results may differ from these estimates if unforeseen events occur or should the assumptions used in the estimation process differ from actual results. Management believes there have been no material changes to the critical accounting policies discussed in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

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Results of operations

 

The following tables set forth our condensed consolidated results of operations for the periods presented and as a percentage of our net revenue for those periods. The period-to-period comparison of financial results is not necessarily indicative of financial results to be achieved in future periods.

 

 

Comparison of the three months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014

 

Revenue

 

 

Net revenue increased $0.8 million, or 7%, to $12.7 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $11.9 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014.  These changes are described below.

 

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Multi-currency processing services revenue

 

APAC multi-currency processing services revenue.    APAC multi-currency processing services revenue increased $0.1 million, or 3%, to $4.2 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $4.1 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014. The increase in APAC multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

 

The 3% increase in our average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed resulted in a $0.1 million increase to revenue. The increase in average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed was primarily due to customer and pricing mix.

 

(*) For the three months ended June 30, 2014, APAC multi-currency processing active merchant locations was updated from the amount originally reported of 12,865.

 

Americas multi-currency processing services revenue.    Americas multi-currency processing services revenue decreased $0.3 million, or 16%, to $1.8 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $2.1 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014.  The decrease in Americas multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

 

The 16% decrease in Americas multi-currency processing revenue is primarily due to a decrease in revenues earned on non-transactional services of $0.4 million.  This decrease was partially offset by a 6% increase in average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed, which resulted in a $0.1 million increase to revenue.  The primary reason for the increase in average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed is due to customer and product mix.

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(*)For the three months ended June 30, 2014, The Americas multi-currency processing active merchant locations was updated from the amount originally reported of 11,663.

(**)For purposes of calculating “Average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed”, multi-currency processing services revenue includes revenue related to multi-currency transactions only.

 

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CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue. CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue increased $0.1 million, or 7%, to $2.1 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $2.0 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014.  The increase in CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

The 9% increase in average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed resulted in a $0.1 million increase to revenue.  This increase is primarily a result of customer and pricing mix.

 

(*) For the three months ended June 30, 2014, CEMEA multi-currency processing active merchant locations was updated from the amount originally reported of 10,192.

 

Payment processing services revenue

 

Payment processing services revenue is primarily earned from transaction processing services for customers in the Americas.  Payment processing services revenue increased $0.9 million, or 23%, to $4.6 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $3.7 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014.  The increase was primarily due to professional service fees along with transaction processing fees, arising from the roll-out of new payment processing customers.

 

Cost of revenue

 

 

Payment processing service fees

 

The increase in payment processing service fees of $0.2 million, or 9%, to $2.6 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $2.4 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014 is a direct result of the mix of business within the payment processing service revenue.

 

Processing and service costs

 

The increase in processing and service costs of $0.1 million, or 4%, to $3.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015 from $3.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2014.  The increase was primarily due to a $0.2 million increase in multi-currency referral commissions earned by third party agents offset by a $0.1 million decrease in salaries and related benefits.  

 

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Selling, general and administrative expenses:

 

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $0.2 million, or 5%, to $4.7 million for the three months ended June  30, 2015 from $4.5 million for the three months ended June  30, 2014.  The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase of $0.3 million in salary compensation.  This increase was partially offset by a $0.1 million decrease in general and administrative expenses.

 

Restructuring charges

 

The Company recorded $0.1 million of restructuring charges in connection with a realignment of its workforce during the three months ended June 30, 2014.  These charges primarily include employee severance and benefits.

 

Comparison of the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014

 

Revenue

 

 

Net revenue increased $1.7 million, or 8%, to $24.8 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $23.1 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014.  These changes are described below.

 

Multi-currency processing services revenue

 

APAC multi-currency processing services revenue.    APAC multi-currency processing services revenue increased $0.3 million, or 3%, to $8.3 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $8.0 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014. The increase in APAC multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

 

The 5% increase in our average net mark-up on settled dollar volume processed resulted in a $0.3 million increase to revenue. This increase is primarily a result of customer and pricing mix.

 

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Americas multi-currency processing services revenue.    Americas multi-currency processing services revenue decreased $0.1 million, or 1%, to $3.2 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $3.3 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014.  The decrease in Americas multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

 

The 1% decrease in Americas multi-currency processing revenue is primarily a result of a decrease in revenues earned on non-transactional services of $0.2 million as well as a 3% decrease in settled dollar volume processed which resulted in a decrease to revenue of $0.1 million.  This decrease is offset by a 9% increase in average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed which resulted in an increase to revenue of $0.2 million. 

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(*)For purposes of calculating “Average net mark-up percentage on settled dollar volume processed”, multi-currency processing services revenue includes revenue related to multi-currency transactions only.

 

CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue. CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue decreased $0.1 million, or 1%, to $4.2 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $4.3 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014.  The decrease in CEMEA multi-currency processing services revenue was driven by changes in the following key business metrics:

 

 

The 3% decrease in settled dollar volume processed resulted in a $0.1 million decrease to revenue.  This decrease is primarily a result of customer and pricing mix.

 

Payment processing services revenue

 

Payment processing services revenue is primarily earned from transaction processing services for customers in the Americas.  Payment processing services revenue increased $1.6 million, or 21%, to $9.1 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $7.5 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014.  The increase was primarily due to professional service fees along with transaction processing fees, arising from the roll-out of new payment processing customers. 

 

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Cost of revenue

 

 

Payment processing service fees

 

The increase in payment processing service fees of $0.3 million, or 6%, to $5.2 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $4.9 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014 is a direct result of the mix of business within the payment processing service revenue.

 

Processing and service costs

 

The decrease in processing and service costs of $0.3 million, or 5%, to $6.6 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $6.9 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014 was primarily the result of a decrease of $0.5 million in salary compensation.  This decrease is partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in multi-currency referral commission earned by third party agents for new multi-currency customers.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $0.4 million, or 4%, to $9.2 million for the six months ended June  30, 2015 from $9.6 million for the six months ended June  30, 2014.  The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily due to a gain related to an insurance reimbursement of $0.5 million as well as a decrease in public company costs of $0.1 million.  These decreases were offset by a $0.2 million increase in professional fees.  

 

Restructuring charges

 

The Company recorded $0.7 million of restructuring charges in connection with a realignment of its workforce during the six months ended June 30, 2014.  These charges primarily include employee severance and benefits.

 

Liquidity and capital resources

 

We currently anticipate that our available cash balances will be sufficient to meet our presently anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. However, we may be required to raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing to meet additional working capital requirements. There can be no assurance that this additional financing will be available, or if available, will be on reasonable terms and not dilutive to our stockholders. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

 

In October 2014, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $6.0 million of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock.  The shares may be purchased from time to time during a period ending on December 31, 2015.  The timing, price and quantity of purchases are at the discretion of the Company and the program may be discontinued or suspended at any time.  As of June 30, 2015, the Company repurchased approximately 1.4 million shares of common stock for an aggregate price of $2.5 million.  From July 1, 2015 to July 31, 2015, the Company repurchased approximately 1.2 million shares of common stock for an aggregate price of $2.7 million. Total amount of common stock repurchased under the program through July 31, 2015 was 2.6 million shares for an aggregate price of $5.2 million.

 

On August 4, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors expanded its share repurchase authorization by an incremental $5.2 million, bringing its total current authorization to $6.0 million. Under the new authorization, the Company may

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repurchase shares in the open market or as otherwise may be determined by the company, subject to market conditions, business opportunities and other factors. The company has no obligation to repurchase shares under this program.  This authorization has no expiration date and may be suspended or terminated at any time.

 

On June 10, 2015, the Company entered into a $10.0 million secured revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) with Citizens Bank, N.A. (“Citizens”) pursuant to a Credit and Security Agreement by and among the Company, certain affiliates thereof as borrowers or guarantors, and Citizens (the “Credit Agreement”).  The line of credit under the Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the Company’s personal property, including the Company’s intellectual property and that of its subsidiaries that are borrowers or guarantors.  The interest rate applicable to committed borrowings is tied to LIBOR plus a margin of 2.5%.  The Credit Agreement also provides for a letter of credit sub-facility of up to $2.0 million. The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including, among others, financial covenants based on the Company’s leverage and fixed charge coverage ratios, as well as an obligation to maintain a minimum availability requirement of at least $5.0 million in the aggregate of cash and availability under the line of credit.  The Credit Facility will provide funds for general corporate purposes and repurchases of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company.  The Credit Facility matures on June 10, 2020 and is payable in full upon maturity.  As of June 30, 2015, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants contained in the Credit Agreement and no amounts were outstanding.    

 

Sources of liquidity

 

As of June  30, 2015, we had approximately $13.5 million in cash and cash equivalents of which we had $6.4 million in cash held by foreign subsidiaries. Currently, if we were to repatriate cash held by our foreign subsidiaries, to the extent that such repatriation was a taxable event, we could utilize a portion of our $67.2 million net operating loss carryforward to offset the tax obligation, so that no U.S. tax liability would arise. However, our intent is to permanently reinvest these funds outside of the U.S. and our current plans do not demonstrate a need to repatriate them to fund our U.S. operations.

 

Capital expenditures

 

Our capital expenditures related to property and equipment, software development costs, and intangible assets were $0.8 million in the first six months of 2015.  The 2015 capital expenditures were primarily attributable to our investment in the business primarily through capital expenditures for network infrastructure and investments in software development and equipment.

 

Cash flows

 

 

Operating activities

 

Cash provided by operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $6.5 million, comprising $5.0 million of cash generated by operations and a net increase in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.5 million. This net increase in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.5 million primarily consisted of a $1.5 million decrease in receivables, prepaid expenses and other assets coupled with a  $0.2 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses and a $0.2 million increase in due to merchants.  These increases were partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in security deposits and other assets and a $0.2 million increase in settlement assets. Cash generated by operations of $5.0 million was inclusive of net income of $3.6 million and total non-cash charges of $1.4 million. Significant non-cash adjustments to net income primarily include depreciation and amortization expense of $1.4 million and stock option expense of $0.5 million which is offset by a gain on insurance proceeds of $0.5 million.

 

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Cash provided by operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $1.3 million, comprising $2.8 million of cash generated by operations and a net decrease in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.5 million.  This net decrease in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.5 million primarily consisted of a $1.3 million decrease in due to merchants, a $1.3 million decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses and a $0.2 million increase in security deposits and other assets.  These decreases were partially offset by a $1.3 million decrease in settlement assets.  Cash generated by operations of $2.8 million was inclusive of net income of $0.7 million and total non-cash charges of $2.1 million.  Significant non-cash adjustments to net income primarily include depreciation and amortization expense of $1.5 million and stock option expense of $0.6 million.

 

Investing activities

 

Cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $0.9 million, which was attributable to a $0.6 million investment in software development, a $0.2 million purchase of property and equipment and a $0.1 million increase in merchant reserves.

 

Cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $1.0 million, which was attributable to a $2.2 million increase in restricted cash and a $0.9 million investment in the business through capital expenditures for network infrastructure and investments in software development.  These decreases were partially offset by an increase in merchant reserves of $2.1 million.

 

Financing activities

 

Cash used in financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $1.9 million, comprised of $1.6 million of treasury stock repurchases and $0.3 million in payments for capital lease obligations.

 

Cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $0.5 million, comprised of $0.8 million in proceeds from option exercises offset by $0.3 million in capital lease payments.

 

Contractual obligations and commitments

 

As of June 30, 2015, there were no material changes in our contractual obligations and commitments as disclosed in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 except for the following agreements:

 

 

 

Off-balance sheet arrangements

 

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements or relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such entities often referred to as structured finance or variable interest entities, which are typically established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purpose.

 

Effects of inflation

 

Our monetary assets consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and receivables, and our non-monetary assets consist primarily of property and equipment, software development and intangible assets, which are not affected significantly by inflation. We believe the replacement costs of property and equipment will not materially affect our operations. However, the rate of inflation affects our expenses, which may not be readily recoverable in the prices of services we offer.

 

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

Interest rate risk

 

We had cash and cash equivalents totaling $13.5 million and $9.8 million as of June  30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.  The cash and cash equivalents are held for working capital purposes. We did not have any derivative financial instruments as of June  30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. We are not exposed, nor do we anticipate being exposed, to material risks due to changes in market interest rates given the historic low levels of interest being earned on the short-term fixed-rate cash operating accounts.

 

Foreign currency exchange risk

 

We have foreign currency risks related to our revenue and operating expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar, principally the Hong Kong Dollar. The volatility of exchange rates depends on many factors that we cannot forecast with reliable accuracy. Although we have experienced and will continue to experience fluctuations in our net income as a result of transaction gains (losses), we believe such a change would not have a material impact on our results of operations as Hong Kong is not considered to be a highly inflationary or deflationary economy and historically the Hong Kong Dollar has traded in a very narrow band of exchange rates against the U.S. Dollar. Based upon our annual historical financial statements, for every 1% change in the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the Hong Kong Dollar, our net income would be impacted by approximately $10,000 and the carrying value of assets on our balance sheet would be impacted by approximately $0.1 million.

 

In the event our foreign sales and expenses increase and expand into other currencies, our operating results may be more greatly affected by fluctuations in the exchange rates of the currencies in which we do business. At this time we do not enter into derivatives or other financial activities in an attempt to hedge our foreign currency exchange risk, but may do so in the future. It is difficult to predict the impact any hedging activities would have on our results of operations.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, we and our management recognize that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating and implementing possible controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second quarter of 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Internal control over financial reporting means a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

 

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may be involved in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. While any litigation contains an element of uncertainty, we have no reason to believe that the outcome of such proceedings or claims will have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of Planet Payment.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in considering our business and prospects. Our business operating results, financial condition or prospects could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks and uncertainties.  In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.  The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. The occurrence of any of the following risks could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Risks related to our business and industry

 

We have a history of losses and may not maintain profitability in the future.

 

For the six months ended June  30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, we had net income of $3.6 million and $3.2 million, respectively.  Previously, we had incurred losses since our inception, except in 2014, 2013 and 2011.  As a result, we had an accumulated deficit of $75.1 million as of June  30, 2015.

 

Our ability to increase profitability in the future will primarily depend on our ability to continue to increase our revenue, which is subject to a number of factors including our ability to continue to increase multi-currency processing revenue, increase new merchant deployments in the regions in which we currently operate, and add new acquiring banks, processor, and card association customers in new geographies. Our revenue is also impacted by factors beyond our control such as global economic and political conditions, particularly those affecting cross-border travel and commerce, such as the continuing uncertainty in global economic conditions. Our ability to achieve profitability in the future also depends on our expense levels, including our selling, general and administrative expenses, and other expenses related to improvements in our technology, launches of new services, and our expansion into new geographic and vertical markets. In addition, our fees, interchange and assessments may also be influenced by increased competition and changes in card association rules and governmental regulations. Our efforts to grow our business may prove more expensive than we currently anticipate and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue to offset higher expenses. These expenses, among other things, may cause our net income and working capital to decrease. If we fail to grow our revenue, manage our expenses and maintain or improve our gross profit margin, we may not maintain profitability in the future.

 

If the card associations do not allow our services to be offered, either generally or in certain geographies, then we cannot sell our services to acquiring banks, processors and merchants in those geographies and our ability to grow our business would likely be harmed.

 

Our services require us to interconnect with the Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay card associations, and if these card associations do not allow acquiring banks and processors to offer certain services, either generally or in certain geographies, then we cannot sell our services to acquiring banks, processors and merchants, either generally or in those geographies. For example, in April 2010, Visa announced a moratorium on all new acquiring banks and merchants offering dynamic currency conversion, or DCC, services, such as our Pay In Your Currency service, and studied the impact of DCC on Visa cardholders and the Visa brand. In October 2010, Visa lifted the moratorium and established certain rule changes that removed a prior prohibition on offering DCC services in certain regions, namely Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to the lifting of this moratorium we were unable to provide DCC services in those regions to potential customers. If the card associations do not allow the offering of certain services, either generally or in certain geographies, then we will not be able to sell our services to potential customers generally or in those geographies and our ability to grow our business and sustain profitability would likely be materially adversely effected. 

 

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We are required to be registered with Visa and MasterCard in order to provide our services, and we rely on the sponsorship of our acquiring bank customers for this registration.

 

Our services require us to interconnect with the Visa and MasterCard card associations, and to therefore be registered with those card associations. Since we are not a bank, Visa and MasterCard operating regulations require us to be sponsored by an acquiring bank in order to process payment card transactions. We are currently registered with Visa and MasterCard through the sponsorship of acquiring banks that are members of the card associations and a significant majority of our revenue is from transactions processed using Visa and MasterCard payment cards. If these sponsorships are terminated and we are unable to secure another bank sponsor, we will not be able to process payment card transactions. By registering with card associations, we are subject to card association rules that could subject us or our customers to fines or penalties that may be levied by the card associations for certain acts or omissions. If we or our acquiring bank sponsors fail to comply with the applicable requirements of the card associations, the card associations could fine us, suspend us or terminate our registration. The termination or suspension of our registration could require us to stop providing payment processing services, which would cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

A limited number of our customers are responsible for a significant portion of our revenue and a decrease in revenue from these customers could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and cash flow.

 

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from agreements with a limited number of customers. Specifically, for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the six months ended June  30, 2015, subsidiaries of Global Payments Inc. represented 21% and 20%, respectively, of our revenue, and Network International, LLC represented 9% and 10%, respectively, of our revenue. Our contractual arrangements with these customers do not obligate them to offer our services and may not dictate the timing of implementation. Additionally, if these customers lose merchants or if their merchants do not use our services, then our revenue will decrease.

 

We expect that a limited number of customers will continue to account for a significant portion of our revenue in future periods. If we do not adequately perform under, or successfully renew or renegotiate, our agreements with these or other customers, our business will suffer. Our acquiring bank and processor customers typically enter into agreements with three or five year terms and upon the termination of that initial contractual term, customers have the opportunity to consider other providers or renegotiate the terms of the contract. The loss of our contracts with existing customers, our failure to renegotiate contracts with existing customers on terms as favorable as in the past, or a significant decline in the number of transactions we process for them could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the Chinese government could impede the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our services and solutions and damage our business.

 

We conduct significant operations, including through an indirect subsidiary and a branch office, and generate a significant portion of our revenue in China, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, which are special administrative regions of China.

 

Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects are affected significantly by economic, political and legal developments in China. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As the Chinese economy transitions from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy, the Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Although these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, they may have a negative effect on us.  Although the Chinese government has in recent years implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the Chinese government continues to exercise significant control over economic growth in China through the allocation of resources, controlling the payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, state ownership and imposing policies that impact particular industries or companies in different ways. For example, the Chinese government has suggested that Chinese government authorities should strengthen access and supervision with respect to the outsourcing of bank card data processing and related operations, specifically noting the need for specific regulations with respect to foreign-invested organizations that engage in related services in China.

 

Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. Government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof.

 

Any adverse change in economic conditions or government policies in China would likely have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth in China, which in turn would lead to a reduction in demand for our services and solutions and consequently materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.  For example, in June 2015, the Chinese economy experienced a stock market crash in which ‘A-shares’ on the Shanghai Stock Exchange lost approximately one-third of their value.

 

In addition, the financial position of our customers and their willingness to pay for our services and solutions are affected by general market conditions, competitive pressures and operating margins within the banking industry. Any of these factors could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We rely on third parties to implement our services and to market them to consumers.

 

We rely on acquiring banks, processors and merchants to integrate our services within their services and ultimately to offer our services to consumers in order to generate revenue for us. Although we have contracts with our customers, they are not obligated to offer our services and if they choose to do so, the agreements do not dictate the timing of implementation. If the pace of adoption of our services is slower than anticipated it could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Following initial implementation of our services, we continue to be significantly dependent on our relationships with acquiring banks, processors and card associations to market our services to their merchants and customers. Even those contractual arrangements with our customers that contain exclusivity provisions are not perpetual, and customers could reassess their commitments to us in the future, purchase alternative services and/or develop their own competitive services following the expiration of the exclusivity period, which in several cases does not run for the full term of the agreement.

 

Also, we collaborate with service providers that facilitate the provision of our services, technology and service providers to the electronic payments industry, including point-of-sale system providers, such as e-commerce gateways, terminal manufacturers and other processors that have certified their solutions to our platform. These third parties include acquiring banks, processors,  merchants and card associations, each of which could be a customer, as well as a supplier, in addition to commercial communications providers. If these service providers fail to perform in accordance with the requirements of the technological specifications necessary for us to provide our services to our customers, it could result in our failure to provide our services in accordance with our contracts, potentially exposing us to liability to our customers. In these cases, we may have to rely on an indemnity or other contractual obligation from the service provider in order to avoid ultimate liability or suffering damages. However, due to the inherent risk of litigation, such indemnity or other obligation may not prove to be enforceable against the service provider, or even if favorable judgment is obtained, the service provider may not have the financial ability to meet its obligations, thereby exposing us to bearing the burden of the loss.

 

In many cases, we have little or no direct access to our customers’ merchant bases and are heavily reliant on our customers’ sales forces to promote our services. It is ultimately up to our customers or our customers’ merchants to offer our services to consumers and to do so in an effective manner, and there is no guarantee that these merchants or their consumers will continue to use our services. Our customers may not be as effective at selling our services and solutions as our own sales personnel. Our customers are also competing with other participants in the industry for processing

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business and may have other actual or perceived disadvantages relative to such competitors, which may affect their ability to generate business, whether or not such business includes our services and solutions. As a result, much of our business depends on the continued success and competitiveness of our acquiring banks,  processors and card associations. We further rely on the success of the merchants. If these merchants experience a reduction in transaction volume or become financially unstable, we may lose revenue. The performance of our customers and our customers’ merchants is subject to general economic conditions and their impact on consumer spending.

 

In addition, we rely on the continuing expansion of merchant and consumer acceptance of the card associations’ brands and programs. There can be no guarantee that merchant and consumer acceptance will continue to expand, and if the rate of merchant acceptance growth slows or reverses itself, our business could suffer.

 

Any security and privacy breaches in our systems may damage client relations and our reputation, and expose us to liability.

 

We electronically collect and store sensitive personal information about consumers, such as credit card numbers. We process that data and deliver our products and services by using computer systems and telecommunications networks operated both by us and third party service providers. The confidentiality of the consumer information that resides on our systems is critical to our business. Although we believe the security around our systems is sufficient to prevent unauthorized access and protect the data security and integrity of our systems, we cannot be certain that our measures will be successful and sufficient to counter all current and emerging technology threats designed to breach our systems and/or gain unauthorized access to confidential information; or otherwise address the security and privacy concerns of existing and potential customers.  If we are unable to protect, or our customers perceive that we are unable to protect, the security and privacy of our electronic transactions and the associated confidential information of consumers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we believe we use proven applications and processes designed for data security and integrity to process electronic transactions, there can be no assurance that our use of these applications and processes will be sufficient to counter all current and emerging technology threats designed to breach our systems or otherwise gain unauthorized access to confidential client information or our intellectual property, or address the security and privacy concerns of existing and potential customers.  Any failures in our security and privacy measures could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Any new laws, regulations, card association rules or other industry standards affecting our business, or any changes made to them, in any of the geographic regions in which we operate, may require significant development efforts or have an unfavorable impact on our financial results.

 

We are subject to regulations that affect the electronic payments industry in the countries and territories in which we operate. Regulation and proposed regulation of the payments industry has increased significantly in recent years. Failure to comply with regulations may result in the suspension or revocation of a license or registration, the limitation, suspension or termination of service, and the imposition of civil and criminal penalties, including fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. For example, we are subject to:

 

 

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For example, in April 2010, Visa announced a moratorium on all new acquiring banks and merchants offering DCC services, including our Pay In Your Currency service, and studied the impact of DCC on Visa cardholders and the Visa brand. In October 2010, Visa lifted the moratorium and also established certain rule changes that removed a prior prohibition on offering DCC services in certain regions, namely Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to the lifting of this moratorium we were unable to provide DCC services in those regions to existing or potential customers.    In addition, Visa now charges acquiring banks an annual fee of $45,000 for each country or territory in which they offer a DCC service. Both Visa and MasterCard may also charge additional cross‑border fees for transactions involving DCC. Visa’s new compliance regime for DCC includes unannounced “mystery shopping” audits of our customer’s merchants, to assess merchant compliance with the regulations applicable to DCC. Repeated failure by an acquiring bank or merchant to comply with regulations can result in substantial fines and could ultimately result in a prohibition upon such acquiring bank or merchant offering DCC. Remediation of negative audit findings can be costly and time consuming for our customers and the mere risk of such fines may reduce the number of acquiring banks willing to offer Pay in Your Currency services.

 

Interchange fees, which are typically paid by the acquiring bank to the card issuing bank in connection with transactions, are subject to increasingly intense legal, regulatory, and legislative scrutiny worldwide. For instance, in the United States, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to regulate the fees charged or received by card issuing banks for processing point-of-sale debit card transactions. Rules limiting point-of-sale debit card interchange fees and restricting routing rules and network exclusivity became effective in 2011, although a number of the rules regulating the limit on debit card interchange fees were struck down in 2013 by a U.S. Federal Court. Certain of our customers or potential customers may experience difficulty complying with any new regulations and as a result, reduce or eliminate purchases of services such as ours. In addition, regulatory actions that impact our industry, even if not directed at us, may require significant efforts and costs to change our services and may require changes to how we price our services to customers. We cannot predict the impact of any of these changes on our operations and financial condition.

 

Although we are registered with the card associations and other payment networks as a third party processor and an independent sales organization (“ISO”), we do not actively participate in their affairs by, for example, participating in the development of operating rules and procedures. The card associations could adopt new operating rules or interpretations of the existing rules that could be damaging to our competitive position because, for example, compliance might be difficult for us or our customers, but not for other participants.

 

Changes in the electronic payments industry in general, or changes in the laws and regulations that affect the electronic payments industry, or interpretation or enforcement thereof, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, even an inadvertent failure to comply with laws and regulations could damage our business or our reputation.

 

We rely on our management team and will need to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled personnel to grow our business, and the loss of one or more key employees or our inability to attract and retain qualified personnel could harm our business.

 

Our success and future growth depend on the skills, working relationships and continued services of our management team and other key personnel. The loss of any of member of our senior management team could adversely affect our business.    In particular, we are dependent on the performance and continued service of our Chief Executive Officer, Carl J. Williams, who has contributed significantly to the Company’s success and achievement of profitability in the last two fiscal years.

 

All of our employees in the United States work for us on an at-will basis, which means they may terminate their employment relationship with us at any time. We do not maintain key-person life insurance on any of our employees.

 

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Our future success will also depend on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled personnel who have experience with our operations, the rapidly changing transaction processing industry, and the selected markets in which we offer our services. Competition for these types of personnel is intense, particularly in the New York metropolitan area, where our headquarters are located. Additionally, we have significant operations abroad, including developing countries, and attracting highly skilled personnel with the necessary experience in these locations may be difficult.

 

Volatility or lack of successful performance in our stock price may also affect our ability to attract and retain our key personnel. Many of our senior management personnel and other key employees have become, or will soon become, vested in a substantial amount of stock or stock options. Employees may be more likely to leave us if the shares they own or the shares underlying their vested stock options have significantly appreciated in value relative to the original purchase prices of the shares or the exercise prices of the options, or if the exercise prices of the options that they hold are significantly above the market price of shares of our common stock. We cannot guarantee that we will continue to attract, retain or motivate such personnel, and our inability to do so could adversely affect our business.

 

We may not be able to secure additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, to meet our future capital needs.

 

In the future, we may require additional capital to respond to business opportunities, challenges, acquisitions or unforeseen circumstances and may determine to engage in equity or debt financings or enter into credit facilities for other reasons. We may not be able to timely secure additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, or at all. Any debt financing obtained by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity, convertible debt securities or other securities convertible into equity, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution in their percentage ownership of our company, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to grow or support our business and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited.

 

In order for us to continue to grow and improve our operating results, we must continue to increase participation by existing customers, develop new services, cross sell additional services and add new customers in existing and new geographies.

 

Our future growth depends in part upon our ability to increase participation by our acquiring bank and processor customers’ merchants in the various services that we offer, develop new services, cross sell additional services to existing acquiring bank, processor and merchant customers, and add new acquiring banks, processors, card associations and merchants in existing and new geographies.

 

In order to increase participation by our customers and their merchants in the various services that we offer together, we need to collaborate with our customers. However, our existing acquiring bank and processor customers may not assist us in increasing participation by their merchants or their merchants may be unreceptive to using our services. If we are not successful in developing, selling and deploying new services (whether in response to market demand or technological changes), we may not be able to achieve planned growth and any development costs incurred may be wasted. If our existing customers do not appreciate, and our sales force does not demonstrate, the benefits of our additional services, we will not be able to effectively cross sell to existing customers. Our expansion into new geographies is also dependent upon our ability to deploy our existing platform or to develop new services to meet the particular service needs of each new geographic location. We may not have adequate financial or technological resources to develop effective and secure services that will satisfy the demands of these new markets.

 

If we fail to increase participation by existing customers, develop new services, cross sell additional services and add new customers in existing and new geographies, we may not be able to continue to grow and improve our operating results.

 

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Fees that may be charged in connection with our Pay In Your Currency processing service are subject to change.

 

When a consumer uses our Pay In Your Currency processing service, they pay a fee that is included in the exchange rate used for each Pay In Your Currency transaction. While Visa and MasterCard rules permit merchants and other third parties to charge these fees, if these card associations change their policies in permitting merchants and other third parties to charge these fees, otherwise restrict the ability to do so or if the card associations increase the additional fees for providing such service, as they have done from time to time in the past, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

In addition, some card issuing banks impose a fee on consumers for any foreign transaction, irrespective of the currency in which it occurred. Where this occurs, the consumer will pay the card issuing bank an extra fee on a foreign transaction in addition to any margin reflected by us in the cost of the converted amount for our Pay In Your Currency service. This additional cost, and other efforts by the card issuing banks to discourage consumers from utilizing our services, may adversely affect consumers’ willingness to use our services.

 

We are subject to international business uncertainties.

 

Our ability to grow our business and our future success will depend to a significant extent on our ability to expand our operations and customer base worldwide. Operating in international markets requires significant resources and management attention. Historically, a significant majority of our revenue has been generated from international customers, including international customers of North American merchants. For example, in 2014, we generated 69% of our revenue internationally and 31% in the United States and for the six months ended June  30, 2015, we generated 63% of our revenue internationally and 37% in the United States.  International revenue and operations may be subject to risks such as:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The legal systems of developing countries continue to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to you and us. In certain instances, local implementation rules and/or the actual implementation are not consistent with the regulations at the national level. Additionally, the laws of certain countries do not protect our intellectual property to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Our failure to

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comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to administrative penalties and injunctive relief, as well as civil remedies, including fines, injunctions and recalls of our services and solutions.

 

International expansion and market acceptance depend on our ability to modify our business approach and technology to take into account such factors as differing customer business models, services requirements and needs, the applicable regulatory and business environment, labor costs and other economic conditions. There can be no assurance that these factors will not have an adverse effect on our future international revenue and, consequently, on our overall business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Additionally, we are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) and other laws in the United States and elsewhere that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have operations in and deal with countries known to experience corruption. Our activities in these countries create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of our employees, contractors or customers that could be in violation of various laws, including the FCPA, even though these parties are not always subject to our control. We have implemented safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees, consultants and customers. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and our employees, contractors or customers may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or similar laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We derive a significant percentage of our net revenue from a limited number of countries and territories, and any natural disasters or other adverse changes could harm our business.

 

A significant portion of our net revenue is derived from certain countries and territories. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we derived 31%, 16%, 16%, 6%, 5% and 5% of our net revenue from the United States, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Latin America, China and Canada, respectively, and for the six months ended June  30, 2015, we derived 37%, 17%, 15% and 5%, of our net revenue from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and China, respectively. We expect that a limited number of countries and territories will continue to account for a significant portion of our net revenue in future periods. If any of these countries or territories are affected by acts of terrorism, political unrest, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, outbreaks of diseases or other significant adverse changes, cross-border travel to these countries and territories could decline, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Adverse changes in general economic or political conditions in any of the major countries or territories in which we do business could adversely affect our operating results.

 

Our business can be affected by a number of factors that are beyond our control, such as general geopolitical, economic, and business conditions. As a result of the continuing global economic uncertainty, concerns over the downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt and monetary and financial uncertainties internationally, international travel and spending may be reduced. We cannot predict the reoccurrence of any economic slowdown or the strength or sustainability of the economic recovery, or the magnitude of any changes in geopolitical or economic conditions and the affect they would have on our business. Continuing economic uncertainty or a further weakening in the global economy may reduce the number of settled transactions and dollar volumes processed and, as a result, reduce our revenue.

 

Additionally, we generate a significant amount of our revenue from cross-border transactions. Thus, revenue from processing cross-border transactions for our customers fluctuates with cross-border travel and the need for transactions to be converted into a different currency. Cross-border travel may be adversely affected by world geopolitical, economic and other conditions. These include the threat of terrorism, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, outbreaks of diseases, such as the Ebola virus, war, such as in Ukraine and the Middle East and political unrest, such as the demonstrations in 2013 and 2014 in Brazil, Hong Kong and other countries. A decline in cross-border travel could adversely affect our revenue. A decline in the need for conversion of currencies might also adversely affect our revenue and profitability.

 

Additionally, because we are domiciled in the United States, a negative perception of the United States arising from its political or other positions could harm the perception of our company and our brand. Any of these factors could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Consolidation among financial institutions, including the merger of our customers with entities that are not our customers or the sale of portfolios of merchants by our customers to entities that are not our customers could materially impact our financial position and results of operation.

 

We face the risk that our acquiring bank or processor customers may merge with entities that are not our customers or may sell portfolios of merchants to entities that are not our customers, thereby impacting our existing agreements and projected revenue with these customers. Consolidation among financial institutions results in an increasingly concentrated client base of large acquiring banks and processors could increase the bargaining power of our current and future customers. In addition, any nationalization or seizure of one of our acquiring bank customers by banking regulators in any of the jurisdictions in which we operate may also impact the services that we provide. Any significant changes in the ownership or operation of our customers, as a result of consolidation or otherwise, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

If our services and solutions do not interoperate with our customers’ systems or experience defects, errors, or delays, the purchase or deployment of our services and solutions may be delayed or cancelled.

 

Our services are based on sophisticated software and computing systems and are designed to interface with our customers’ payment card systems, each of which may have different specifications and utilize different standards. If we find errors in the existing software or defects in the hardware used in our customers’ systems, or if there are errors or delays in our processing of electronic transactions or defects in our software, we may need to modify our services or solutions to fix or overcome these errors, delays and defects and/or our customers may need to modify or fix their systems so that our services and solutions will interoperate with the existing software and hardware. Either of these solutions could result in additional development costs, diversion of technical and other resources from our other development efforts, loss of credibility with current or potential customers, harm to our reputation, breaches in security and/or exposure to liability claims. Such errors and defects and any delays in fixing them, whether in our system or those of our customers could impact the processing of transactions, which would have an adverse effect on our revenues derived from transaction processing. In addition, if our services and solutions do not interoperate with our customers’ systems, customers may seek to hold us liable and demand for our services and solutions could be adversely affected. Any of these events could hurt our operating results, damage our reputation, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Interruptions or delays in service from our systems and processing centers could impair the delivery of our services and harm our business.

 

We currently serve our customers out of eight synchronized processing centers linked by a global telecommunications network. Our primary data centers are located in Elmsford, New York, and New Castle, Delaware, but we also host facilities in Bermuda, Dublin, Shanghai and Macau and host two facilities in Hong Kong, through co-location arrangements. We depend on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our computer network systems, software, telecommunications networks, and processing centers, as well as the systems and services of third parties.

 

Our systems and processing centers are vulnerable to damage or interruption from, among other things, fire, natural disaster, power loss, telecommunications failure, terrorist acts, war, unauthorized entry, human error, and computer viruses or other defects. They may also be subject to break-ins, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and similar misconduct.

 

We have security, backup and recovery systems in place, as well as business continuity plans designed to ensure our systems will not be inoperable. However, there is still a risk that a system outage or data loss may occur which would not only damage our reputation but as a result of contractual commitments could also require the payment of penalties to our clients if our systems do not meet certain operating standards. Despite precautions taken at these facilities, the occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of sabotage or terrorism, a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice or other unanticipated problems at these facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. Our property and business interruption insurance may not be applicable or adequate to compensate us for all losses or failures that may occur.

 

Any damage to, failure of, or defects in our systems or those of third parties, errors or delays in the processing of payment transactions, telecommunications failures or other difficulties could result in loss of revenue, loss of

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merchants, loss of merchant and consumer data, harm to our business or reputation, exposure to fraud losses or other liabilities, negative publicity, additional operating and development costs, and diversion of technical and other resources.

 

If we fail to respond to evolving technological changes, our services and solutions could become obsolete or less competitive.

 

Our industry is characterized by new and rapidly evolving technologies, developing industry standards and legal regulations and customer requirements and preferences. Recent technological developments include smart cards as well as money transfer, mobile commerce and radio frequency and proximity payment devices, such as contactless cards. Accordingly, our operating results depend upon, among other things, our ability to anticipate and respond to these industry and customer changes in order to remain competitive. The process of developing new technologies and services and solutions is complex, and carries the risks associated with any research and development effort, including cost overruns, delays in delivery and performance problems.

 

Our markets are experiencing rapid technological change. Any delay in the delivery of new services or solutions or the failure to differentiate our services and solutions could render them less desirable to our customers, or possibly even obsolete. In addition, our services and solutions are designed to process complex transactions and deliver reports and other information on those transactions, all at high volumes and processing speeds. Any failure to deliver an effective and secure service or solution, or any performance issue that arises with a new service or solution could result in significant processing or reporting errors, possibly resulting in losses.

 

If we are unable to develop enhancements and new features for our existing services and solutions or new services and solutions that keep pace with technological developments, industry standards, legal regulations, and customer requirements and preferences, our services and solutions may become obsolete and less marketable, and our business could be significantly harmed. Additionally, if there are delays in the introduction of new features or new services and solutions to the market, our business could be significantly harmed.

 

We operate in a highly competitive industry and we compete against many companies with substantially greater financial and other resources, and our business may be harmed if we are unable to respond to our competitors effectively.

 

Competition in our market is intense and involves rapidly changing technologies, evolving industry standards, frequent new product and service introductions, and changes in customer requirements. To maintain and improve our competitive position, we must keep pace with the evolving needs of our customers and continue to develop and introduce new features, services and solutions in a timely and efficient manner. Our primary competitors are international payment processors, multi-currency payment service providers and global e-commerce payment service providers.

 

Currently, there is a high level of concentration in the international payment processing industry, with a few large processors providing payment card processing services to acquiring banks on a multi-national and multi-regional basis. International processors with whom we compete include:

 

 

We may also compete against prospective acquiring bank customers and regional processors that may prefer to develop and offer their own payment processing solution.

 

The multi-currency payment service industry is largely segmented among large, international processors, which provide multi-currency processing services as part of their broader international payment processing service, including those referenced above, and smaller companies who work on a regional or local basis to provide DCC or multi-currency processing services on behalf of acquiring banks or merchants. Specialized DCC providers include:

 

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In the global e-commerce payment space, our Shop In Your Currency service and iPAY Gateway, or iPAY, compete with several international online payment service providers, including:

 

 

In the United States, we compete against acquiring banks offering multi-currency processing solutions to online merchants, including Chase Paymentech and Bank of America. In the Asia Pacific region, we compete against regional providers, including AsiaPay Limited, or JETCO, and eNETS Pte Ltd, but also support MIGS and AsiaPay Limited. Our iPAY service competes with them based on the specialized multi-currency solutions we offer. We also work cooperatively with several payment gateway providers to offer Shop In Your Currency services online, including RocketGate, USAePAY and Plug’n Pay, but also support our services through certain competitors including CyberSource, MIGS and PayPal.

 

Several of our competitors enjoy substantial competitive advantages such as:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conditions in our market could change rapidly and significantly as a result of technological advancements or market consolidation. For example, one of our smaller payment processing competitors may be acquired by a larger company with significant resources, and could leverage those resources to become a more significant competitive presence in our market. The development and market acceptance of alternative technologies could decrease the demand for our services and solutions or render them obsolete.

 

Our competitors may have the ability to devote more financial and operational resources than we can to the development of new technologies, including Internet payment processing services that provide improved operating functionality and features to their service and solution offerings. If successful, their development efforts could render our services and solutions less desirable to customers. If we are unable to compete successfully in the future, our business may be harmed.

 

We have experienced rapid growth in recent periods. If we fail to manage our growth effectively, our financial performance may suffer.

 

We have substantially expanded our overall business, customer base, employee headcount and operations in recent periods both domestically and internationally. Our expansion has placed, and our expected future growth will continue to place, a significant strain on our managerial, customer operations, research and development, sales and marketing, manufacturing, administrative, financial and other resources. In particular, we provided our services to

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approximately 17,000 active merchant locations in 16 countries and territories as of December 31, 2010, approximately 88,000 active merchant locations in 23 countries and territories as of December 31, 2014 and approximately 103,000 active merchant locations in 23 countries and territories as of June  30, 2015.  The total number of active merchant locations for the year ended December 31, 2014 was updated from the originally reported amount of 93,000. Our growth strategy contemplates further increasing the number of our customers and active merchant locations however, the rate at which we have been able to establish relationships with our customers and active merchant locations in the past may not be indicative of the rate at which we will be able to do so in the future.

 

Our success will depend in part upon the ability of our management team to manage growth effectively. Our ability to grow also depends upon our ability to successfully hire, train, supervise, and manage new employees, obtain financing for our capital needs, expand our systems effectively, control increasing costs, allocate our human resources optimally, enhance and improve our operational functions and our finance and accounting functions, and manage the pressures on our management and administrative, operational and financial infrastructure. There can be no assurance that we will be able to accurately anticipate and respond to the changing demands we will face as we continue to expand our operations or that we will be able to manage growth effectively or achieve further growth at all. If our business does not continue to grow or if we fail to effectively manage any future growth, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Our quarterly results are inherently unpredictable and subject to substantial fluctuations, and, as a result, we may fail to meet the expectations of securities analysts and investors, which could adversely affect the trading price of shares of our common stock.

 

We expect our quarterly revenue and operating results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control and any of which may cause our stock price to fluctuate. The factors that may affect the unpredictability of our quarterly results include, but are not limited to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As a result, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of operating results are not necessarily a good indication of what our future performance will be. It is likely that in some future quarters, our operating results may be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, in which case the price of shares of our common stock may decline in any one fiscal quarter or from quarter to quarter. 

 

Seasonality may cause fluctuations in our operating results.

 

Our revenue has historically been seasonal with the first quarter of our year traditionally having less revenue compared to the prior fourth fiscal quarter. We have experienced that increased international travel and spending by consumers around the holiday season during the fourth quarter of our year have relatively higher revenue than our other quarters. Our seasonal volumes and revenue trends could change from those we have historically experienced upon our entry into new geographies.

 

In addition, the timing of signing a contract and implementing our services with a large acquiring bank or processor and bringing their merchants on board may overshadow seasonal factors in any particular quarterly period. In the future, we may experience revenue growth from additional other factors such as regulatory mandates that could continue to mask underlying seasonality of our business. Seasonal or cyclical variations in our operations may become more pronounced over time and may materially affect our results of operations in the future. We expect seasonality to continue to impact our business in the future.

 

Where we have direct contractual acquiring relationships with merchants, we incur chargeback liability when our merchants fail to reimburse chargebacks resolved in favor of their customers. We cannot accurately anticipate these liabilities, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

In the event a billing dispute between a consumer and a merchant is not resolved in favor of the merchant, the transaction is normally “charged back” to the merchant and the purchase price is credited or otherwise refunded to the consumer. If we are acting as the acquiring bank by virtue of our status as an ISO or under our acquiring agreements with American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay and are unable to collect such amounts from the merchant’s account or reserve account (if applicable), or if the merchant refuses or is unable, due to closure, bankruptcy or other reasons, to reimburse us for a chargeback, we bear the loss for the amount of the refund paid to the consumer. The risk of chargebacks is typically greater with those merchants that promise future delivery of goods and services rather than delivering goods or rendering services at the time of payment. Although only a small part of our revenue is derived from direct contractual acquiring relationships with merchants, any increase in chargebacks not paid by our merchants may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Where we have direct contractual acquiring relationships with merchants, fraud by merchants or others or the violation of card association requirements by merchants could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

 

We have potential liability for fraudulent bankcard transactions or credits initiated by merchants or others where we are acting as the acquiring bank by virtue of our status as an ISO or under our acquiring agreements with American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay. Examples of merchant fraud include when a merchant processes fraudulent debit transactions or credits an accomplice’s payment card for transactions that did not occur or intentionally fails to deliver the merchandise or services sold in an otherwise valid transaction. Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to engage in illegal activities such as counterfeit and fraud. While we have systems and procedures designed to detect and reduce the impact of fraud, we cannot ensure the effectiveness of these measures. It is possible that incidents of fraud could increase in the future. Failure to effectively manage risk and prevent fraud would increase our chargeback or other liability. Additionally, if a merchant fails to comply with the applicable requirements of the card associations, including for example where a merchant is a victim of fraud or its data is compromised due to a failure to comply with PCI or card association data security standards, it could be subject to a variety of fines or penalties that may be levied by the card associations. If we cannot collect such amounts from the applicable merchant, we could end up bearing such fines or penalties. Although only a small part of our revenue is derived from direct contractual relationships with merchants, increases in chargebacks or other liability could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We are exposed to currency exchange risk.

 

We perform currency conversion data processing services, which involves processing and accounting for payments in multiple currencies. The currency conversion underlying such services is presently carried out through the

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card associations and certain acquiring banks with different exchange rates being applied to a transaction on authorization and subsequent settlement. In most cases, we may have exposure to between one and three days of currency exchange risk. Daily fluctuations will occur in the rate of exchange of the various currencies for which we offer multi-currency payment processing. These fluctuations may be favorable or adverse. Although there can be no guarantee that future fluctuations will match events to date, our analysis of these variations over an extended period of years indicates that variations over the short run have been substantially less than the margin that we charge for multi- currency payment processing transactions, and over the long run to date, the average variation has been nominal. In most cases, we share revenue with acquiring banks and processors and merchants after taking into account foreign exchange fluctuations, and therefore the risk is borne proportionately by us and the other parties participating in these transactions. Although we do not currently engage in hedging or other techniques to minimize exposure to currency exchange risk, we may decide to do so in the future as international transactional volume increases, and such techniques would introduce additional risks, including the risk that a counterparty may be unable to fulfill its obligations to us under such contracts.

 

Additionally, in the future, it is possible that an increasing proportion of our revenue will be received in non-U.S. currencies that may be subject to foreign currency risk as international currencies fluctuate relative to the value of the U.S. Dollar. Resulting exchange gains and losses are included in our net income. This may give rise to an exchange risk against the U.S. Dollar upon repatriation of foreign currency earnings or upon consolidation for financial account purposes. We will consider strategies for managing and hedging such risks once the volume of foreign earnings reaches certain threshold levels. Furthermore, we may become subject to exchange control regulations that might restrict or prohibit the conversion of its revenue currencies into U.S. Dollars or other freely tradable currencies. The occurrence of any of these factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our business may suffer if it is alleged or found that our services infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

 

The operation of our business may subject us to claims of infringement or misappropriation of third party intellectual property. Responding to such claims, regardless of their merit, can be time consuming and costly to defend in litigation.  Such claims can also divert management’s attention and resources, damage our reputation and brand, and cause us to incur significant expenses. Even if we are indemnified against such costs, the indemnifying party may be unable to uphold its contractual obligations. Further, claims of intellectual property infringement might require us to redesign or replace affected services, delay affected service offerings, enter into costly settlement or license agreements or pay costly damage awards or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing, selling or distributing the affected services. If we cannot or do not license the infringed technology on reasonable terms or at all, or substitute similar technology from another source, our revenue and earnings could be adversely impacted. Additionally, our customers may not purchase our services if they are concerned that our services infringe third party intellectual property rights. This could reduce the market opportunity for the sale of our services and solutions.

 

For example, a competitor holds a patent for a particular method of performing DCC in several countries and territories including Canada, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore and Taiwan, which could obstruct or impair us from doing business in those jurisdictions. Other parties, including other competitors, have filed patent applications or obtained patents with respect to various aspects of DCC in the United States and abroad. We closely monitor these applications and the actions of other parties who hold patents relating to DCC. Our ability to do business in particular jurisdictions may be severely impaired in the event that a third party successfully argues that any of our services, including Pay In Your Currency, infringe a patent held by such third party. Any pre-emptive legal action or legal action to defend against a lawsuit may not be successful, and could result in substantial legal fees.

 

Further, we are contractually obligated to indemnify certain customers or other third parties that use our services for losses suffered or incurred in the event our services are alleged to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights. The term of these indemnity provisions is generally perpetual after execution of the customer agreement subject to the statute of limitations.

 

The occurrence of any of these events may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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The success of our business depends on our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights.

 

We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual restrictions, to establish, maintain and protect our proprietary rights. These laws, procedures and restrictions provide only limited protection and any of our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated. Further, the laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States and, to the extent available, may be very difficult to enforce;  therefore, in certain jurisdictions, we may be unable to protect our proprietary technology adequately against unauthorized third party copying, infringement or use, which could adversely affect our competitive position.

 

As of June 30, 2015, we had issued patents in the United States, Australia, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Japan. We also have patent applications pending in the United States and several other jurisdictions, all of which are counterparts to our patents and patent applications in the United States. Our patents generally have a duration of 20 years from the relevant priority date of each patent. We cannot ensure that any of our pending applications will be granted or that any of our issued patents will adequately protect our intellectual property. Any patents that may be issued to us may be contested, circumvented, found unenforceable or invalidated and we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing them. In addition, third parties could claim invalidity, co-inventorship, re-examination, or similar claims with respect to any of our currently issued patents or any patents that may be issued to us in the future. Any such claims, whether or not successful, could be extremely costly to defend, divert management’s attention and resources, damage our reputation and brand, and substantially harm our business.

 

In addition to patented technology, we rely on our unpatented technology and trade secrets. We generally seek to protect this information by confidentiality, non-disclosure and assignment of invention agreements with our employees and contractors and with parties with which we do business. These agreements may be breached and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent unauthorized use or reverse engineering of our technology. Moreover, our trade secrets may be disclosed to or otherwise become known or be independently developed by competitors. To the extent that our employees, contractors, or other third parties with whom we do business use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions.

 

In order to protect or enforce our proprietary technology, we may initiate litigation against third parties, such as patent infringement suits or patent interference proceedings. Litigation may be necessary to assert claims of infringement, enforce our patents, protect our trade secrets or know-how, or determine the enforceability, scope and validity of the proprietary rights of others. Any lawsuits that we initiate could be expensive, take significant time and divert management’s attention from other business concerns. Litigation also puts our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing. Additionally, we may provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially valuable.

 

If, for any of the above reasons, our intellectual property is disclosed or misappropriated, it would harm our ability to protect our rights and would likely adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may not be able to enforce our contracts with our customers, including any exclusivity arrangements.

 

If our customers do not comply with the terms of our contracts, such as the payment of fees or exclusivity arrangements, we may lose revenue and this may adversely affect our business. Particularly, if those customers with whom we have exclusivity arrangements do not comply with these provisions, we may lose business to our competitors. If our customers do not comply with the provisions of our contracts, we may be required to enter into expensive litigation in order to enforce our rights. We cannot be certain that any such litigation would be successful. Even if successful, litigation may merely prevent a customer from engaging in competitive activity but would not necessarily require the customer to continue to use our services and, in any event, may severely harm the working relationship with such customer and other existing and potential customers that may learn of the litigation.

 

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The costs and effects of litigation, investigations or similar matters, or adverse facts and developments related thereto, could materially affect our financial position and results of operations.

 

From time to time, we may be involved in various litigation matters and governmental or regulatory investigations or similar matters arising out of our business. Our insurance may not cover all claims that may be asserted against it, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. Final judgments or settlements in any pending or future litigation or investigation could significantly exceed our insurance coverage.  In addition, we may not be able to obtain appropriate types or levels of insurance in the future, or obtain adequate replacement policies with acceptable terms, if at all. Furthermore, the expense of defending litigation may be significant, the amount of time to resolve lawsuits is unpredictable and defending ourselves may divert management’s attention from the day-to-day operations of our business.  The occurrence of any of the above could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our inability to acquire and integrate other businesses, services or technologies could seriously harm our competitive position.

 

In order to remain competitive, obtain key competencies or accelerate our time to market, we may seek to acquire additional businesses or technologies and new products. To date, we have a limited history of acquisitions. Most recently, in May 2012, we completed the acquisition of Branded Payment Solutions Ltd, or BPS, a payments technology company headquartered in Ireland. If we identify an appropriate acquisition candidate, we may not be successful in negotiating the terms of the acquisition, financing the acquisition, or effectively integrating the acquired business, services or technology into our existing business and operations. We may have difficulty integrating acquired technologies or products with our existing services and solutions. Our due diligence may fail to identify all of the problems, liabilities or other shortcomings or challenges of an acquired business, services or technology, including issues related to intellectual property, quality, regulatory compliance practices, revenue recognition or other accounting practices, deficiencies or weaknesses in the disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, or employee or customer issues. If we finance acquisitions by issuing convertible debt or equity securities, our existing stockholders may be diluted which could affect the market price of shares of our common stock. In addition, any acquisitions we are able to complete may not result in the synergies or other benefits we had expected to achieve, which could result in substantial write-offs. Contemplating or completing an acquisition and integrating an acquired business, services or technology will significantly divert management and employee time and resources. Further, if the integration process does not proceed smoothly, the following factors, among others, could reduce our revenue and earnings, increase our operating costs, and result in a loss of projected synergies:

 

 

 

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We are an “emerging growth company,” and any decision on our part to comply with certain reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies could make our common stock less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act  (“JOBS Act”) enacted in 2012. We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of an initial public offering of our equity securities; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three year period; and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer.” For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may choose to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of any choices to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

 

Under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to take advantage of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

 

Our business is subject to changing regulations regarding corporate governance, disclosure controls, internal control over financial reporting and other compliance areas that will increase both our costs and the risk of noncompliance. If we fail to comply with these regulations we could face difficulties in preparing and filing timely and accurate financial reports.

 

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act , the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), the Dodd-Frank Act , and the rules and regulations of NASDAQ.  Maintaining compliance with these rules and regulations, particularly after we cease to be an emerging growth company, will increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly and may also place increased strain on our personnel, systems and resources.

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will be required to provide attestation that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures by our registered public accounting firm. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that are required to be included in our periodic reports filed with the SEC under Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or the annual auditor attestation reports regarding effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting that we will be required to include in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, beginning for our year ending December 31, 2016 (unless, under the JOBS Act, we meet certain criteria that would require such reports to be included prior to then).  Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of shares of our common stock.

 

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In order to maintain the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting going forward, we will need to expend significant resources and provide significant management oversight. There is a substantial effort involved in continuing to implement appropriate processes, document our system of internal control over relevant processes, assess their design, remediate any deficiencies identified and test their operation. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. These efforts will also involve substantial accounting-related costs. Prior to becoming subject to the Securities Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of NASDAQ in December 2012, we were not required to test our internal controls within a specified period and, as a result, we may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner.

 

If we are unable to maintain key controls currently in place or that we implement in the future, or if any difficulties are encountered in their implementation or improvement, (1) our management might not be able to certify, and our independent registered public accounting firm might not be able to report on, the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, which would cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, (2)  misstatements in our financial statements may occur that may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis and (3) we may be deemed to have significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors, officers and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, and take a significant period of time to complete. Such changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and could materially impair our ability to operate our business. In the event that we are not able to demonstrate compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, our internal controls are perceived as inadequate or we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, our stock price could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by NASDAQ, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of NASDAQ may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to maintain or increase coverage. If we are unable to maintain adequate directors’ and officers’ insurance, our ability to recruit and retain qualified directors, especially those directors who may be considered independent for purposes of NASDAQ rules, may be curtailed. 

 

Changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse, unexpected financial reporting fluctuations and affect our reported results of operations.

 

A change in accounting standards or practices can have a significant effect on our reported results and may even affect our reporting of transactions completed before the change is effective. New accounting pronouncements and varying interpretations of accounting pronouncements have occurred and may occur in the future. Changes to existing rules or the questioning of current practices may adversely affect our reported financial results or the way we conduct our business.

 

 

We may not be able to utilize a significant portion of our net operating loss carryforwards, which could adversely affect our results.

 

As of December 31, 2014, we had available federal net operating loss carry forwards of $67.2 million, state net operating loss carry forwards, primarily the state of New York, of $68.1 million, and various foreign net operating loss carry forwards, the most significant of which expire between 2020 and 2033. Realization of these net operating loss carry forwards is dependent upon future income arising prior to the expiration dates and other factors under the relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Our existing net operating loss carry forwards could expire and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities or the use of our net operating loss carry forwards could be limited, which would adversely affect our results.

 

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Our business and financial performance could be negatively impacted by the application of new tax regulations or changes in existing tax laws or regulations.

 

We are subject to taxation by various jurisdictions on our net income or fees charged to customers for our services. New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time. Additionally, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. These events could require us or our customers to pay additional tax amounts on a prospective or retroactive basis, as well as require us or our customers to pay fines and/or penalties and interest for past amounts deemed to be due. If we raise our prices to offset the costs of these changes, existing and potential future customers may elect not to continue or purchase our services and solutions in the future. If we are unable to pass these tax expenses on to our customers, our costs will increase, reducing our earnings. Any or all of these events could adversely impact our business and financial performance.

 

Risks related to ownership of our common stock

 

To date, there has been only a limited market for our common stock and an active trading market for our common stock may not develop.

 

To date, there has been a limited public market for shares of our common stock in the United States. For certain periods between 2006 and 2014, our common stock traded on AIM under the symbol “PPT” and “PPTR.”  From 2008 until December 2012, our common stock traded on the OTCQX in the United States under the symbol “PLPM” and since December 2012, our common stock has traded on the NASDAQ. There is currently a limited volume of trading in our common stock on the NASDAQ, which affects its liquidity. We cannot predict when or whether investor interest in our common stock might lead to an increase in its market price or the development of a more active trading market. An active trading market for our shares may never develop or be sustained. If an active market for our common stock does not develop, it may be difficult to sell shares of our common stock without depressing the market price for the shares, or at all.

 

In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of listed companies. The market price of our common stock, like the securities of many other technology companies, fluctuates over a wide range, and will continue to be highly volatile in the future. From January 1, 2014 to June  30, 2015, the closing price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Stock Market ranged from $1.37 to $3.95 per share. Stock prices of many newly public companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the market pursuant to registration rights of certain stockholders. If there are substantial sales of shares of our common stock, the price of shares of our common stock could decline.

 

The price of shares of our common stock could decline if there are substantial sales of our common stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders, or if there is a large number of shares of our common stock available for sale. As of July 31, 2015, we had 52,548,508 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, and an additional 6,851,144 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock.

 

The holders of up to an aggregate of 6,768,874 shares of our common stock (which includes shares of our Series A Preferred Stock on an as-converted to common stock basis) outstanding as of July 31, 2015 have rights, subject to some conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or our stockholders.

 

Additionally, we have registered shares of common stock that we issue under our employee equity incentive plans. These shares may be sold freely in the public market upon issuance. The market price of the shares of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of a substantial number of our shares in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares.

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If securities or industry analysts do not continue to publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

 

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have widespread research coverage by securities analysts, and industry analysts that currently cover us may cease to do so. If there is limited securities analysts’ coverage of our company, or if industry analysts cease coverage of our company, the trading price for our stock would likely be negatively impacted. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

 

Our directors, executive officers, principal stockholders and their respective affiliates have substantial control over us and could delay or prevent a change in corporate control.

 

As of July 31, 2015, our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 5% of our common stock (which includes preferred stock on an as converted to common stock basis), together with their affiliates, beneficially own, in the aggregate, 32.0% of our outstanding capital stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, would have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, these stockholders, acting together, would have the ability to control the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership might harm the market price of shares of our common stock by:

 

 

 

 

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

 

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our common stock if the market price of shares of our common stock increases.

 

Holders of our Series A Preferred Stock have rights that are superior to holders of our common stock.

 

If we ever liquidate or sell our company to another company or transfer substantially all of our assets or a majority of our stock to another company, the holders of our outstanding Series A Preferred Stock may be entitled to receive proceeds prior and in preference to the holders of our common stock pursuant to the rights set forth in our certificate of incorporation. Accordingly, it is possible that you will receive nothing in exchange for your shares in the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation or sale of our company.

 

Delaware law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of shares of our common stock.

 

We are a Delaware corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control by prohibiting us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an interested stockholder, even if a change of control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain

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provisions that may make the acquisition of our company more difficult without the approval of our Board of Directors, including the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

Not Applicable.

 

Use of Proceeds

 

Not Applicable.

 

Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities

 

 

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Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not Applicable.

 

Item 5. Other Information

 

Not Applicable.

 

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Item 6. Exhibits

 

(a) Exhibits

 

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†The Company has omitted portions of the referenced exhibit and filed such exhibit separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a request for confidential treatment under Rule 24b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

*This exhibit is being furnished and is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (whether made before or after the date of the Report), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

 

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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 thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

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†The Company has omitted portions of the referenced exhibit and filed such exhibit separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a request for confidential treatment under Rule 24b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

*This exhibit is being furnished and is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (whether made before or after the date of the Report), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

 

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