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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
   
FORM 10-K 
   
xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20132015
or
oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
   
Commission File Number: 001-35462 
   
Vantiv, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
   
Delaware 26-4532998
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 
8500 Governor’s Hill Drive
Symmes Township, OH 45249
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (513) 900-5250
   
Securities registered pursuant to 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, $0.00001 par value New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x  No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o  No x
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 x  No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, 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 x  No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
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. 
Large accelerated filer x
 
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o
 
Smaller reporting company o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o  No x
As of June 28, 201330, 2015 (the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter), the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $2.4$5.5 billion.
As of December 31, 20132015, there were 141,758,681155,488,326 shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding and 48,822,82635,042,826 shares of the registrant’s Class B common stock outstanding.
 
Documents Incorporated by Reference:
Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the 20142016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated. Such proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the registrant's fiscal year ended December 31, 20132015.
     
     


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VANTIV, INC.
FORM 10-K
 
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 20132015
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
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NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the sections entitled "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors," contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our business strategy and plans, our objectives for future operations, and any statements of a general economic or industry specific nature, are forward-looking statements.  You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "may," "will," "continue," "could," "should," "can have," "likely," or the negative or plural of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe, based on information currently available to our management, may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs.  These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of this report. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this report may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
 
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement after the date of this report, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, or to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as may be required by law.


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PART I

Item 1. Business

Vantiv, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a holding company that conducts its operations through its majority-owned subsidiary, Vantiv Holding, LLC ("Vantiv Holding"). Vantiv, Inc., Vantiv Holding and their subsidiaries are referred to collectively as the "Company," "Vantiv," "we," "us" or "our," unless the context requires otherwise.

Business and Client Description    

Vantiv is a leading integrated payment processor differentiated by a single, proprietaryan integrated technology platform.platform, breadth of distribution and superior cost structure. According to the Nilson Report, we are the thirdsecond largest merchant acquirer and the largest PIN debit acquirer by transaction volumenumber of transactions in the United States. WeOur integrated technology platform is differentiated from our competitors' multiple platform architectures. It enables us to efficiently provide a comprehensive suite of comprehensive services to merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. Our technology platform offers our clients a single point of service that is easy to connect to and use in order to access a broad range of payment services and solutions. Our integrated business and single platform also enable ussizes as well as to innovate, develop and deploy new services, and providewhile providing us with significant economies of scale. Our broad and varied distribution includes multiple sales channels, such as our direct and broad distribution providesindirect sales forces and referral partner relationships, which provide us with a growing and diverse client base of merchants and referral partner relationships.financial institutions. We believe this combination of attributes provides us with competitive advantages and has enabled us tothat generate strong growth and profitability.

We believe our single, proprietary technology platform is differentiated from our competitors' multiple platform architectures. Because of our single point of service and ability to collect, manage and analyze data across the payment processing value chain, we can identify and develop new services more efficiently. Once developed, we can more cost-effectively deploy new solutions to our clients through our single platform. Our single scalable platform also enablesprofitability by enabling us to efficiently manage, update and maintain our technology, increase capacityto utilize technology integration and speedvalue-added services to expand our new sales and distribution, and to realize significant operating leverage.

We offer a broad suite of payment processing services that enable our clients to meet their payment processing needs through a single provider.provider, including in omni-channel environments that span point-of-sale, ecommerce and mobile devices. We enable merchants of all sizes to accept and process credit, debit and prepaid payments and provide them supporting value-added services, such as informationsecurity solutions interchange management and fraud management, as well as vertical-specificinformation solutions, in sectors such as grocery, pharmacy, retail and restaurants/quick service restaurants or QSRs.interchange management. We also provide mission critical payment services to financial institutions, such as card issuer processing, payment network processing, fraud protection, card production, prepaid program management, ATM driving and network gateway and switching services that utilize our proprietary Jeanie PIN debit payment network.

We provide small and mid-sized clients with the comprehensive solutions that we have developed to meet the extensive requirements of our large merchant and financial institution clients. We then tailor these solutions to the unique needs of our small and mid-sized clients. In addition, we take a consultative approach to providing services that helps our clients enhance their payments-related services.

Our capabilities differentiate us from other payment processors that focus primarily on just merchant acquiring, card issuer processing or network services and those that operate multiple businesses on disparate technology platforms. Through our integrated business, we believe we can manage our business more efficiently, benefiting both our merchant and financial institution clients and resulting in increased profitability. We are also well positioned to provide payment solutions for high growth markets, such as ecommerce, mobile payment offerings and prepaid because we process payment transactions across the entire payment processing value chain on a single platform.

We distribute our services through diversified distribution channels using a unified sales approach that enables us to efficiently and effectively target merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. These channels include a national sales force that targets financial institutions and national merchants, regional and mid-market sales teams that sell solutions to merchants and third-party reseller clients and a telesales operation that targets small and mid-sized merchants. In addition, we have relationships with a broad range of referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, which include independent software vendors, or ISVs, value-added resellers, or VARs and payment facilitators; independent sales organizations, or ISOs, and trade associations that target a broad range of merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants. We also have relationships with third-party resellers and core processors that target financial institutions.Merchant Services

We have a broad and diversified merchant and financial institution client base. Our merchant client base includes over 400,000approximately 800,000 merchant locations across the United States. In 2015, we processed approximately 19.0 billion transactions for these merchants. Our merchant client base has low client concentration and is heavily weighted in non-discretionary everyday spend categories, such as grocery and pharmacy, and includes large national retailers, including eightten of the top 25 national retailers by revenue in 2012. 2014. We provide a comprehensive suite of payment processing services to our merchant services clients. We authorize, clear, settle and provide reporting for electronic payment transactions, as further discussed below.

Acquiring and Processing. We provide merchants with a broad range of credit, debit and prepaid payment processing services. We give them the ability to accept and process Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PIN debit network card transactions originated at the point of sale as well as for ecommerce and mobile transactions. This service includes all aspects of card processing, including authorization and settlement, customer service, chargeback and retrieval processing and network fee and interchange management.

Value-added Services. We offer value-added services that help our clients operate and manage their businesses including omni-channel acceptance, prepaid services and gift card solutions. We also provide security solutions such as point-to-point encryption and tokenization both at the point of sale and for ecommerce transactions.

Financial Institution Services

Our financial institution client base is also generally well diversified and includes approximately 1,400 financial institutions, including regional banks, community banks, credit unions and regional PIN debit networks. In 2015, we processed approximately 4.0 billion transactions for these financial institutions. We generally focus on small to mid-sized institutions with less than $15 billion in assets. Smaller financial institutions generally do not have the scale or infrastructure typical of large institutions and are more likely to outsource their payment processing needs. We provide integrated card issuer processing, payment network processing and value-added services to our financial institutions clients. These services are discussed further below.


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Integrated Card Issuer and Processing. We process and service credit, debit, ATM and prepaid transactions. We process and provide statement production, collections and inbound/outbound call centers. Our card processing solution includes processing and other services such as card portfolio analytics, program strategy and support, fraud and security management and chargeback and dispute services. We also offer processing for specialized accounts, such as business cards, home equity lines of credit and health savings accounts. We provide authorization support in the form of online or batch settlement, as well as real-time transaction research capability and archiving and daily and monthly cardholder reports for statistical analysis.

Value-added Services. We provide additional services to our financial institution clients that complement our issuing and processing services. These services include fraud protection, card production, prepaid cards, ATM driving, portfolio optimization, data analytics and card program marketing. We also provide network gateway and switching services that utilize our Jeanie PIN network. Our Jeanie network offers real-time electronic payment, network bill payment, single point settlement, shared deposit taking and customer select PINs. Our Jeanie network includes approximately 7,600 ATMs, 26 million cardholders and 710 member financial institution clients.

Integrated Technology Platform

Our integrated technology platform provides our merchant and financial institution clients with differentiated payment processing solutions and provides us with significant strategic and operational benefits. Our clients access our processing solutions primarily through a single point of service, which is easy to use and enables our clients to acquire additional services as their business needs evolve. Small and mid-sized merchants are able to easily connect to our integrated technology platform using our application process interfaces, or APIs, software development kits, or SDKs, and other tools we make available to technology partners, which we believe enhances our capacity to sell to such merchants. Our integrated technology platform allows us to collect, manage and analyze data across both our Merchant Services and our Financial Institution Services segments that we can then package into information solutions for our clients. It provides insight into market trends and opportunities as they emerge, which enhances our ability to innovate and develop new value-added services, including security solutions and fraud management, and it allows us to easily deploy new solutions that span the payment processing value chain, such as ecommerce and mobile services, which are high growth market opportunities. It is highly scalable, which enables us to efficiently manage, update and maintain our technology, increase capacity and speed, and realize significant operating leverage. We believe our integrated technology platform is a key differentiator from payment processors that operate on multiple technology platforms and provides us with a significant competitive advantage.

Sales and Marketing

Our integrated technology platform enables us to provide a comprehensive suite of services to merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. We distribute our services through multiple sales channels that enable us to efficiently and effectively target a growing and diverse client base of merchants and financial institutions. Our sales channels include direct and indirect sales forces as well as referral partner relationships within our Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services segments as described below.

Merchant Services. We distribute our comprehensive suite of services to a broad range of merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants, through multiple sales channels as further discussed below.

Direct: Includes a national sales force that targets large national merchants, a regional and mid-market sales team that sells solutions to merchants and third party reseller clients, and a telesales operation that targets small and mid-sized merchants.
Indirect: Includes Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs) that target small and mid-sized merchants.
Merchant Bank: Includes referral partner relationships with financial institutions that target their financial services customers as merchant referrals to us.
Integrated Payments (IP): Includes referral partner relationships with independent software vendors (ISVs), value-added resellers (VARs), and payment facilitators that target their technology customers as merchant referrals to us.
eCommerce: Includes a sales force that targets internet retail, online services and direct marketing merchants.

These sales channels utilize multiple strategies and leverage relationships with referral partners that sell our solutions to small and mid-sized merchants. We offer certain of our services on a white-label basis which enables them to be marketed under our partners' brand. We select referral partners that enhance our distribution and augment our services with complimentary offerings. We believe our sales structure provides us with broad geographic coverage and access to various industries and verticals.



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Financial Institution Services. We distribute our services by utilizing direct sales forces as well as a diverse group of referral partner relationships. These sales channels utilize multiple strategies and leverage relationships with core processors that sell our solutions to small and mid-sized financial institutions. We offer certain of our services on a white-label basis which enables them to be marketed under our client's brand. We select resellers that enhance our distribution and augment our services with complementary offerings. Our relationships with core processors are necessary for developing the processing environments required by our financial institution clients. Many of our core processing relationships are non-contractual and continue for so long as an interface between us and the core processor is needed to accommodate one or more common financial institution customers.

Our sales teams in both Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services are paid a combination of base salary and commission. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately 1,000 full-time employees participating in sales and marketing, including sales support personnel. Commissions paid to our sales force are based upon a percentage of revenue from new business and cross-selling to existing clients. Residual payments to our referral partners are based upon a percentage of revenues earned from referred business. For the year ended December 31, 2015, combined sales force commissions and residual payments represent approximately 75% of total sales and marketing expenses, or $376.6 million.

Our History and Separation from Fifth Third Bank

We have a 40 year history of providing payment processing services. We operated as a business unit of Fifth Third Bank ("Fifth Third") until June 2009 when certain funds managed by Advent International Corporation, or Advent, acquiredwe separated as a majority interest in Fifth Third Bank's payment processing business unit with the goal of creating a separate stand-alone company. Since the separation, wecompany, established our own organization, headquarters, brand, growth strategy and completed our initial public offering ("IPO") in March 2012. As a stand-alone company,Since the separation, we have made substantial investments, including several key acquisitions, to enhance our single, proprietaryintegrated technology platform recruit additional executives with significant payment processing and operating experience, expand our sales force, reorganize our business to better align it with our market opportunities and broaden our geographic footprint beyond the markets traditionally served by Fifth Third Bank. In addition, since the separation, we have made five strategic acquisitions. We acquired NPC Group, Inc., or NPC, to substantially enhance our access to small to mid-sized merchants, Town North Bank, N.A., or TNB, to broaden our market position with credit unions, and Springbok Services, Inc., or Springbok, to expand our prepaid processing capabilities. In November 2012, we acquired Litle & Co., LLC, or Litle, to increase the Company's capabilities in the ecommerce business, expand its customer base of online merchants, and allow the delivery of Litle's innovative ecommerce solutions to our merchant and financial institution clients. In July 2013, we acquired Element Payment Services, Inc., or Element, which provides us strategic capabilities to partner with ISVs and to increase our presence in the integrated payments market.

We continue to benefit from our relationship with Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Third Bank is one of our largest financial institution clients, one of our sponsor banks for network membership and one of our most significant merchant bank referral partners. Our client contract with Fifth Third Bank as well as our sponsorship and referral agreements with Fifth Third Bank have terms through June 2019.

Industry Background
Electronic Payments

Over the past 60 years, electronicElectronic payments in the United States have evolved into a large and growing market with favorable secular trends that continue to increase the adoption and use of card-based payment services, such as those for credit, debit and prepaid cards. Electronic payments have historically involved (i) financial institutions that issue cards, (ii) merchants that accept cards for payment (iii) payment networks that route card transactions between the merchant's bank and the issuing financial institution, and (iv) payment processors that provide payment transaction processing services to merchants and financial institutions.

According to The Nilson Report, personal consumption expenditures in the United States using cards and other electronic payments reached $5.7 trillion in 2012 and are projected to reach $8.6 trillion in 2017, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.5% during that period. This growth will beis driven by the shift from cash and checks towards card-based and other electronic paymentsforms of payment due to their greater convenience, security, enhanced services and rewards and loyalty features. We believe changing demographics and emerging trends, such as the adoption of new technologies and business models, including ecommerce, mobile commerce and prepaid services, will also continue to drive growth in electronic payments.

Payment Processing Industry

The payment processing industry is comprised of various processors that create and manage the technology infrastructure that enables electronic payments. Payment processors help merchants and financial institutions develop and offer electronic payment solutions to their customers, facilitate the routing and processing of electronic payment transactions and manage a range of supporting security, value-added and back office services. In addition, many large banks manage and process their card accounts in-house. This is collectively referred to as the payment processing value chain.

Many payment processors specialize in providing services in discrete areas of the payment processing value chain, which can result in merchants and isfinancial institutions using payment processing services from multiple providers. A limited number of payment processors have capabilities or offer services in multiple parts of the payment processing value chain. We provide solutions across the payment processing value chain as a merchant acquirer, payment network, and as an issuer processor, primarily by utilizing our integrated technology platform to enable our clients to easily access a broad range of payment processing services as illustrated below:


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The payment processing value chain encompasses three key types of processing:
Merchant Acquiring Processing. Merchant acquiring processors sell electronic payment acceptance, processing and supporting services to merchants and third-party resellers. These processors route transactions originated atby consumer transactions with the point of sale at a merchant, location or on a websiteincluding in omni-channel environments that span point-of-sale, ecommerce and mobile devices, to the appropriate payment networks for authorization, known as "front-end" processing, and then ensure that each transaction is appropriately cleared and settled into the merchant's bank account, known as "back-end" processing. Many of these processors also provide specialized reporting, back office support, risk management and other value-added services to merchants. Merchant acquirers charge merchants based on a percentage of the value of each transaction oron a per transaction.transaction basis. Merchant acquirers pay the payment network processors a routing fee per transaction and pass through interchange fees to the issuing financial institution.

Payment Network Processing. Payment network processors, such as Visa, MasterCard and PIN debit payment networks, sell electronic payment network routing and support services to financial institutions that issue cards and merchant acquirers that provide transaction processing. Depending on their market position and network capabilities, these providers route credit, debit and prepaid card transactions from merchant acquiring processors to the financial institution that issued the card, and they ensure that the financial institution's authorization approvals are routed back to the merchant acquiring processor and that transactions are appropriately settled between the merchant's bank and the card-issuing financial institution. These providers also provide specialized risk management and other value-added services to financial institutions. Payment networks charge merchant acquiring processors and issuing financial institutions routing fees per transaction and monthly or annual maintenance fees and assessments.

Issuer Card Processing. Issuer card processors sell electronic payment issuing, processing and supporting services to financial institutions. These providers authorize transactions received from the payment networks and ensure that each transaction is appropriately cleared and settled from the originating card account. These companies also provide specialized program management, reporting, outsourced customer service, back office support, risk management and other value-added services to financial institutions. Card processors charge issuing financial institutions fees based on the number of transactions processed and the number of cards that are managed.

Many payment processors specialize in providing services in discrete areas of the payment processing value chain, which can result in merchants and financial institutions using payment processing services from multiple providers. A limited number of payment processors have capabilities or offer services in multiple parts of the payment processing value chain. Many processors that provide solutions targeting more than one part of the payment processing value chain utilize multiple, disparate technology platforms requiring their clients to access payment processing services through multiple points of contact. In contrast, we provide solutions across the payment processing value chain primarily utilizing a single integrated technology platform that enables clients to easily access a broad range of payment processing services through a single point of service.

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Emerging Trends and Opportunities in the Payment Processing Industry

The payment processing industry will continue to adopt new technologies, develop new products and services, evolve new business models and experience new market entrants and changes in the regulatory environment. In the near-term, we believeas merchants and financial institutions will seek services that help them enhance their own offerings to consumers, provide additionalincluding acceptance and issuance of Europay-MasterCard-Visa (EMV) chip-based cards, other security and fraud management services, information solution services, to help them run their businesses more efficiently and develop new products and services that provide tangible, incremental revenue streams. To meet these demands,support for omni-commerce environments, we believe that payment processors may seek to develop additional capabilities and expand across the payment processing value chain to meet these demands and capture additional data and provide additional value per transaction. To facilitate this expansion and deliver more robust service offerings, we believe that payment processors will need to develop and seek greater control over and integration of their proprietary technology processing platforms, to enable them to deliver and differentiate their offerings from other providers.

Over the medium- to long-term, weWe believe that emerging, alternative electronic payment technologies such as mobile payments, electronic wallets, mobile marketing offers and incentives and rewards services, will be adopted by merchants and other businesses. As a result, non-financial institution enterprises, such as mobile payment providers, internet, retail and social media companies, could become more active participants in the development of these alternative electronic paymentspayment technologies and facilitate the convergence of retail, online, mobile and social commerce applications, representing an attractive growth opportunity for the industry. We believe that payment processors that have an integrated business, provide solutions across the payment processing value chain and utilize broad distribution capabilities will have a significant market advantage, because they will be better ablebest positioned to provide processing services for emerging alternative electronic payment technologies and to successfully partner with new market entrants.

Our Business

We are a leading provider of payment processing services to merchants and financial institutions across the payment processing value chain. We provide our solutions through our single, proprietary technology platform. Set forth below is a description of our technology platform and our merchant and financial institution clients and services.



Single, Proprietary Technology Platform

Our technology platform provides a single point of service to access our broad suite of solutions, is easy to connect to and use and enables us to innovate, develop and deploy new services and to produce our value-added information solutions, all while providing economies of scale.

Single Point of Service. We provide our clients with a single point of service through which they can access our comprehensive suite of solutions across the payment processing value chain. For example, our financial

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institution clients can utilize our payment processing solutions, our information solutions and our prepaid solutions all from a single Vantiv interface, which distinguishes us from our multi-platform competitors.

Ease of Connection and Delivery. Both our merchant and financial institution clients can easily connect to and interact with our technology platform, which facilitates our ability to deliver services to our clients. In addition, we provide our technology partners the ability to connect and access and manage our services, which facilitates the delivery of our solutions to their customers. Our platform allows all of our clients to seamlessly add new services.

Ability to Innovate. Our technology platform enhances our ability to identify and develop new services. For example, our platform allows us to identify client needs and inefficiencies in payment processing and then to quickly develop and bring solutions to those problems to market. Our technology platform also enables the development of new services for clients spanning the payment processing value chain, including in high growth segments and verticals, such as ecommerce, gaming, mobile, prepaid and information solutions.

Value-added Information Solutions. Our technology platform allows us to collect, manage and analyze data across our Merchant and Financial Institution Services segments. We provide reporting and management tools to all of our clients through Vantiv Direct, our proprietary on-line interactive system for reporting, reconciliation, interfacing and exception processing. We provide data, reports and analytical tools to our financial institution clients to assist with card account, customer relationship, marketing program and fraud management. As the payment processing industry evolves and our clients require more data to serve their customers, we plan to use our single technology platform to provide information solutions and other data-rich services, such as marketing incentives, offers and loyalty programs to our clients.

Operating Leverage. Our single, proprietary technology platform is highly scalable and efficient and provides strong operating margins. In connection with our separation from Fifth Third Bank in 2009, we made a substantial investment to enhance our single, proprietary technology platform. Through these enhancements, we increased the processing speed, efficiency and capacity of our platform and optimized our operations. We believe the scale and efficiency of our single platform is a key differentiator between us and our competitors who operate on multiple non-integrated platforms. For example, it enables us to make enhancements and regulatory updates across our platform simultaneously and with lower execution risk.

Our technology platform is reliable and secure. We have developed our technology platform to be highly resilient with redundant applications and servers and robust network connectivity and storage capacity. We have real-time synchronization between our primary and secondary data centers. Our four-tiered operating model is certified as PCI compliant and is secured through technical controls, policy controls, physical controls and asset protection. We have implemented additional security measures for our systems and data, such as end-to-end encryption and monitoring and logging all activity 24 hours a day seven days a week. These measures are evaluated regularly through internal and third party assessments.

Financial Highlights

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2013, increased 13% to $2,108.1 million from $1,863.2 million in 2012. Income from operations for the year ended December 31, 2013, increased 16% to $352.8 million from $304.9 million in 2012. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2013, increased 88% to $208.1 million from $110.8 million in 2012. Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2013, increased 132% to $133.6 million from $57.6 million in 2012.

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The following tables provide a summary of the results for our two segments, Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services, for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2013 2012 2011
 (dollars in thousands)
Merchant Services 
  
  
Total revenue$1,639,157
 $1,409,158
 $1,185,253
Network fees and other costs801,463
 709,341
 620,852
Net revenue837,694
 699,817
 564,401
Sales and marketing286,200
 255,887
 211,062
Segment profit$551,494
 $443,930
 $353,339
Non-financial data: 
  
  
Transactions (in millions)13,333
 11,912
 9,591
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2013 2012 2011
 (dollars in thousands)
Financial Institution Services 
  
  
Total revenue$468,920
 $454,081
 $437,168
Network fees and other costs133,978
 131,256
 135,883
Net revenue334,942
 322,825
 301,285
Sales and marketing25,844
 24,757
 24,046
Segment profit$309,098
 $298,068
 $277,239
Non-financial data: 
  
  
Transactions (in millions)3,613
 3,450
 3,344

Refer to "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" for more details.

Merchant Services

Clients

According to The Nilson Report, we are the third largest merchant acquirer and the largest PIN debit acquirer by transaction volume in the United States, serving a diverse set of merchants across a variety of end-markets, sizes and geographies. We authorize, clear, settle and provide reporting for electronic payment transactions for our merchant services clients. For the year ended December 31, 2013, we processed sales volume of approximately $611 billion.

Our client base includes over 400,000 merchant locations, with a concentration in non-discretionary everyday spend categories where spending has been more resilient during economic downturns, such as grocery and pharmacy. We serve clients large and small, off-line and on-line, across many industries, including grocery, pharmacy, retail, and others. Our long-term client relationships, low client concentration and everyday spend merchant services clients make us less sensitive to changing economic conditions in the industries and regions in which our clients operate.

We have long-term relationships with many large national retailers, including eight of the top 25 by revenue in 2012. Due to the large transaction volume that they generate, these merchants provide us with significant operating scale efficiencies and recurring revenues. Smaller merchants are more difficult to reach on an individual basis, but generally generate higher per transaction fees. Our acquisition of NPC in 2010 has expanded our small to mid-sized merchant client base.

We plan to grow our client base over the course of the next few years, depending on market conditions, primarily by broadening and deepening our distribution channels and expanding into high growth segments and verticals. We have developed relationships with a broad range of referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, which include ISVs, VARs and payment facilitators; ISOs and trade associations that target a broad range of merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants. While we will continue to serve virtually all major merchant categories, we are

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increasing our focus on several high growth segments and verticals, including business-to-business, ecommerce, healthcare, gaming, government and education. We intend to focus on these high growth segments and verticals by continuing to enhance our offering of services, establishing relationships with technology partners and tailoring our sales approach for each vertical on a region-by-region basis.

Services

We provide a comprehensive suite of payment processing services to merchants across the United States. We authorize, clear, settle and provide reporting for electronic payment transactions for our merchant services clients, as discussed below.
Integrated Acquiring and Processing. We provide merchants with a full range of credit, debit and prepaid payment processing services. We give them the ability to accept and process Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PIN debit network card transactions originated both at the point of sale and for on-line transactions. This service includes all aspects of card processing, including authorization and settlement, customer service, chargeback and retrieval processing and interchange management. We take a consultative approach to providing these services and help our merchants minimize their interchange costs and integrate their settlement systems. We offer merchants the ability to customize routing preferences that help them minimize costs. We utilize a single message format for both credit and debit transactions, which simplifies the storage and processing of data and reduces costs for merchants. We also store data for settlement for all PIN debit transactions, which simplifies the settlement process for merchants and provides the flexibility to route transactions through a merchant's desired network, allowing for lower transaction costs.

Value-added Services. We offer value-added services that help our clients operate and manage their businesses, generating additional revenue from their customers and enhancing our client retention. For example, we offer merchants mobile acceptance, prepaid services and gift card solutions, enabling them to retain a greater share of their customers' transaction volume while building a more loyal customer base. We also provide security solutions such as point-to-point encryption and tokenization both at the point of sale and for on-line transactions that help to protect our merchant services clients and their customers and minimize their losses. Our on-line data and reports provide merchants with detailed transaction information that allows them to perform customer analytics to better understand their business.

Financial Institution Services

Clients

We serve a diverse set of financial institutions, including regional banks, community banks, credit unions and regional PIN debit networks. We focus on small to mid-sized institutions with less than $15 billion in assets. Smaller financial institutions, including many of our clients, generally do not have the scale or infrastructure typical of large institutions and are more likely to outsource their payment processing needs. We provide a turnkey solution to such institutions to enable them to offer payment processing solutions. In 2013, we processed approximately 3.6 billion transactions for approximately 1,400 financial institutions.

Services

We provide integrated card issuer processing, payment network processing and value-added services to financial institutions. Our services include a comprehensive suite of transaction processing capabilities, including fraud protection, card production, prepaid cards, ATM driving, portfolio optimization, data analytics and card program marketing and allow financial institutions to offer electronic payments solutions to their customers on a secure and reliable technology platform at a competitive cost. We provide these services using a consultative approach that helps our financial institution clients enhance their payments-related businesses. These services are discussed further below.

Integrated Card Issuer and Processing. We process and service credit, debit, ATM and prepaid transactions. We process and provide statement production, collections and inbound/outbound call centers for credit transactions. Our card processing solution includes processing and other services such as card portfolio analytics, program strategy and support, fraud and security management and chargeback and dispute services. We also offer processing for specialized types of debit cards, such as business cards, home equity lines of credit and health savings accounts. We provide authorization support in the form of online or batch settlement, as well as real-time transaction research capability and archiving and daily and monthly cardholder reports for statistical analysis. Our call center handles inbound and outbound calls and billing issues for customers of our financial institution clients.


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Value-added Services. We provide additional services to our financial institution clients that complement our issuing and processing services. We offer ATM support and software protocols, as well as foreign currency dispensing, mini statements, ATM cardholder preferences, image capture, electronic journal upload and software distribution. We also provide fraud detection services for credit, signature and PIN transactions and cardholder alerts that help to minimize fraud losses for our clients and their customers. Our prepaid card solutions include incentive, rebate and reward programs, general purpose reloadable cards and gift cards. Our prepaid card solutions allow our clients to offer prepaid cards to their customers and generate additional revenue. We offer a service known as Vantiv Direct, which is a proprietary on-line interactive system for reporting, reconciliation, interfacing and exception processing. We also provide other services, including ATM enhancement, card production and activation and surcharging services. As part of our consultative approach, we provide value-added services such as information solutions, campaign development and delivery, rewards and loyalty programs, and prewards or merchant funded loyalty programs, that help our clients to enhance revenue and profitability. We also provide network gateway and switching services that utilize our Jeanie PIN network.

Our Jeanie network offers real-time electronic payment, network bill payment, single point settlement, shared deposit taking and customer select PINs. Our Jeanie network includes over 6,800 ATMs, 20 million active cardholders and 650 member financial institution clients.

Merchant Services for Financial Institutions. In partnership with our financial institution clients, we offer our financial institutions a full suite of merchant services they can make available to their merchant customers. Depending on the need of the financial institution, we offer a referral option as well as a full white-label option. The referral option allows the financial institution to simply refer their small businesses and merchant services customers to us, and we contract and provide services to the merchant while providing the financial institution referral revenue. Our white-label option allows the financial institution to provide their small business and merchant customers a fully branded merchant services offering that we manage.

Sales and Marketing

We distribute our services through diversified distribution channels using a unified sales approach that enables us to efficiently and effectively target merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. We believe our sales structure provides us with broad geographic coverage and access to various industries and verticals.

Our Merchant Services sales force is comprised of a team that targets large national merchants, a regional and mid-market sales team that sells solutions to merchants and third-party reseller clients and a telesales operation that targets small and mid-sized merchants. Our regional sales teams in our Merchant Services business are responsible for our referral channel, including referrals from Fifth Third Bank and other banks. Our Financial Institution Services sales force focuses on small to mid-sized institutions with less than $15 billion in assets because smaller financial institutions typically do not have similar scale, breadth of services or infrastructure as large banks to process payment transactions as efficiently as large banks and are more likely to outsource their payment processing needs. In addition to generating new sales, we have in-house sales personnel who are responsible for managing key relationships, promoting client retention and generating cross-selling opportunities for both our merchant and financial institution clients. Our sales teams are paid a combination of base salary and commission. As of December 31, 2013, we had over 800 full-time employees participating in sales and marketing, including sales support personnel.

In addition, we have relationships with a broad range of referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, which include ISVs, VARs and payment facilitators; ISOs and trade associations that target a broad range of merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants. Our merchant bank referral program, which consisted of over 1,500 branch locations as of December 31, 2013, enables us to be the preferred processor for those banks, and the banks receive a referral fee. Through our relationships with technology partners, we seek to expand our presence in high growth segments and verticals, such as business-to-business, ecommerce, healthcare, gaming, government and education.

Commissions paid to our sales force are based upon a percentage of revenue from new business and cross-selling to existing clients. Residual payments to our referral partners, including merchant banks, technology partners, ISOs and trade associations are based upon a percentage of revenues earned from referred business. For the year ended December 31, 2013, combined sales force commissions and residual payments represent approximately 67% of total sales and marketing expenses, or $210.2 million.

We also utilize a diverse group of referral partners in our Financial Institution Services segment. This distribution channel utilizes multiple distribution strategies and leverages relationships with reseller partners and arrangements with core processors that sell our solutions to small and mid-sized financial institutions. We offer certain of our services on a white-label

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basis which enables them to be marketed under our client's brand. We select resellers that enhance our distribution channels and augment our services with complementary offerings. Our relationships with core processors are necessary for developing the processing environments required by our financial institution clients. Many of our core processing relationships are non-contractual and continue for so long as an interface between us and the core processor is needed to accommodate one or more common financial institution customers. As of December 31, 2013, we had relationships with approximately 60 core processing companies and 140 core processing platforms.

Competition

Merchant Services

Our Merchant Services segment competitors include financial institutions and well-established payment processing companies, including Bank of America Merchant Services, Chase Paymentech Solutions, Elavon Inc. (a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp), First Data Corporation, Global Payments, Inc., Heartland Payment Systems, Inc., Total System Services, Inc. and WorldPay US, Inc.

in our Merchant Services segment. Furthermore, we are facing new competitive pressure from non-traditional payments processors and other parties entering the payments industry, such as PayPal, Google, Apple, Alibaba and Amazon, who may compete in one or more of the functions performed in processing merchant transactions. The most significant competitive factors in this segment are price, breadth of features and functionality, data security, system performance and reliability, scalability, service capability and brand. Our Merchant Services segment has been and is expected to continue to be impacted by large merchant and large bank consolidation, as larger clients may demand lower fees, card association business model expansion and the expansion of new payment methods and devices. In addition, Advent, through one of its private equity investments, owns an equity interest in WorldPay US, Inc., which may result in their being provided with business opportunities through their relationship with Advent instead of us.

Financial Institution Services

OurIn our Financial Institution Services segment, competitors include Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., First Data Corporation, Fiserv, Inc., Total System Services, Inc. and Visa Debit Processing Service. In addition to competition with direct competitors, we also compete with the capabilities of many larger potential clients that have historically developedto conduct their key payment processing applications in-house, and therefore weigh whether they should develop these capabilities in-house or acquire them from a third party.

in-house. The most significant competitive factors in this segment are price, system performance and reliability, breadth of services and functionality, data security, scalability, flexibility of infrastructure and servicing capability. Our Financial Institution Services segment has been and could continue to be impacted by financial institution consolidation, which in addition to the above, provides more opportunities for clients to bring all or a portion of the services we provide in-house or allows our competitors the opportunity to gain business if our clients consolidate with a financial institution served by a competitor of ours.

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe we have attributes that differentiate us from our competitors and have enabled us to become a leading payment processor in the United States. Our key competitive strengths include:

Single, Proprietary Technology Platform

Our single, proprietary technology platform provides our merchant and financial institution clients with differentiated payment processing solutions and provides us with significant strategic and operational benefits. Our clients access our processing solutions primarily through a single point of service, which is easy to use and enables our clients to acquire additional services as their business needs evolve. Small and mid-sized merchants are able to easily connect to our technology platform using our application process interfaces, or APIs, software development kits, or SDKs, and other tools we make available to technology partners, which we believe enhances our capacity to sell to such merchants. Our platform allows us to collect, manage and analyze data across both our Merchant Services and our Financial Institution Services segments that we can then package into information solutions for our clients. It also provides insight into market trends and opportunities as they emerge, which enhances our ability to innovate and develop new value-added services. Our single platform allows us to more easily deploy new solutions that span the payment processing value chain, such as ecommerce, mobile and prepaid, which are high growth market opportunities. Our single scalable platform also enables us to efficiently manage, update and maintain our technology, increase capacity and speed, and realize significant operating leverage. We believe our single, proprietary technology platform is a key differentiator from payment processors that operate on multiple technology platforms and provides us with a significant competitive advantage.


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Integrated Business

We operate as a single integrated business using a unified sales and product development approach. Our integrated business and established client relationships across the payment processing value chain provide us with insight into our clients' needs. We believe this insight combined with our industry knowledge and experience with both merchants and financial institutions enables us to continuously develop new payment processing services and deliver substantial value to our clients. In addition, we believe this insight, knowledge and experience enhances our ability to cross-sell our services to existing clients. By operating as a single business, we believe we can manage our business more efficiently resulting in increased profitability. We believe our integrated business allows us to deliver better solutions and differentiates us from payment processors that are focused on discrete areas of the payment processing value chain or that operate multiple payment processing businesses.

Comprehensive Suite of Services

We offer a broad suite of payment processing services that enable our merchant and financial institution clients to address their payment processing needs through a single provider. Our solutions include traditional processing services as well as a range of innovative value-added services. We provide small and mid-sized clients with the comprehensive solutions originally developed for our large clients that we have adapted to meet the specific needs of our small and mid-sized clients. We have also developed industry specific merchant solutions with features and functionality to meet the specific requirements of various industry verticals, including grocery, pharmacy, restaurant and retail. We offer our financial institutions a broad range of card issuing, processing and information solutions. As financial institutions seek to generate additional revenue, for example, we offer our full suite of merchant acquiring solutions to banks and credit unions on a referral basis or as a customized white-label service marketed under our client's brand. In addition, our broad range of services provides us with numerous opportunities to generate additional revenues by cross-selling solutions to our existing clients.

Diverse Distribution Channels

We distribute our services through diversified distribution channels using a unified sales approach that enables us to efficiently and effectively target merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. These channels include a national sales force that targets financial institutions and national merchants, regional and mid-market sales teams that sell solutions to merchants and third-party reseller clients and a telesales operation that targets small and mid-sized merchants. In addition, we have relationships with a broad range of referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, including ISVs, VARs and payment facilitators; ISOs and trade associations that target a broad range of merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants. We also have relationships with third-party resellers and core processors that target financial institutions. Through our diversified distribution channels, we have developed a broad client base, which has resulted in low client concentration, consisting of over 400,000 merchant locations and approximately 1,400 financial institutions.

Strong Execution Capabilities

Our management team has significant experience in the payment processing industry and has demonstrated strong execution capabilities. Since we created a stand-alone company in 2009, we have invested substantial resources to enhance our technology platform, deepened our management organization, expanded our sales force to align it with our market opportunities, completed strategic acquisitions to expand our product offerings and distribution channels, introduced several new services, launched the Vantiv brand and built out and moved into our new corporate headquarters. We executed all of these projects while delivering substantial revenue growth and strong profitability.

Our Strategy
We plan to grow our business over the course of the next few years, depending on market conditions, by continuing to execute on the following four key strategies:

Increase SmallInvest in and leverage our integrated business model and technology platform to Mid-Sized Client Basestrengthen and protect our core business;

We are focused on increasingBroaden and deepen our smalldistribution channels to mid-sized client base to capitalize on the growth and margin opportunities provided by smaller merchants and financial institutions. Our small and mid-sized merchantsgrow our merchant and financial institutions are generally more profitable on a per transaction basis. In addition, smaller banksclient base;
Differentiate through value-added services that address evolving client demands and credit unions generally do not have the scaleprovide additional cross-selling opportunities, including security and fraud management, information services, ease of connection and delivery, and support for omni-channel environments; and
Enter new geographic markets through strategic partnerships or the internal technology infrastructure to manageacquisitions that enhance our distribution channels, client base, and process their own card programs and consequently, outsource all or a significant portion of their payment processing requirements. We plan to continue to identify and reach these small to mid-sized merchants and financial institutions through our direct sales force, referral partners, third-party resellers and core processors.service capabilities.


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Develop New ServicesFinancial Highlights

By leveragingRevenue for the year ended December 31, 2015, increased 23% to $3,159.9 million from $2,577.2 million in 2014. Income from operations for the year ended December 31, 2015, increased 38% to $434.4 million from $314.7 million in 2014. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2015, increased 24% to $209.2 million from $169.0 million in 2014. Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2015, increased 18% to $147.9 million from $125.3 million in 2014.
The following tables provide a summary of the results for our single technology platform, industry knowledgetwo segments, Merchant Services and client relationships acrossFinancial Institution Services, for the payment processing value chain, we seek to develop additional payment processing services that address evolving client demandsyears ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and provide additional cross-selling opportunities. For example, this includes significant investment in emerging technologies such as mobile and further investment into the ecommerce space. In addition, we seek to expand our fraud management services to financial institutions and have developed a program that allows our clients to outsource this function to us. In the future, we intend to enhance our information solutions by analyzing data we capture across our platform and provide our clients with new opportunities to generate incremental revenue.2013.
 Year Ended
December 31,


2015 2014 2013
 (dollars in thousands)
Merchant Services 
  
  
Total revenue$2,656,906
 $2,100,367
 $1,639,157
Network fees and other costs1,321,312
 1,033,801
 801,463
Net revenue1,335,594
 1,066,566
 837,694
Sales and marketing478,736
 367,998
 286,200
Segment profit$856,858
 $698,568
 $551,494
Non-financial data: 
  
  
Transactions (in millions)18,959
 16,262
 13,333
 Year Ended
December 31,


2015 2014 2013
 (dollars in thousands)
Financial Institution Services 
  
  
Total revenue$503,032
 $476,836
 $468,920
Network fees and other costs156,890
 140,864
 133,978
Net revenue346,142
 335,972
 334,942
Sales and marketing25,213
 28,355
 25,844
Segment profit$320,929
 $307,617
 $309,098
Non-financial data: 
  
  
Transactions (in millions)4,032
 3,815
 3,613

Expand Into High Growth SegmentsRefer to "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Verticals

We believe there is a substantial opportunityAnalysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" for us to expand further into high growth payment segments, such as ecommerce, demonstrated by the acquisition of Litle, mobile and information solutions, prepaid and attractive industry verticals, such as business-to-business, ecommerce, healthcare, gaming, government and education. To facilitate this expansion and capture market share within these high growth segments and verticals, we intend to further develop our technology capabilities to handle specific processing requirements for these segments and verticals, add new services that address their needs and broaden and deepen our distribution channels to reach these potential clients, including through the addition of new referral partners, such as technology partners. We believe that introducing new, complementary solutions that differentiate and enhance the value of our existing services can accelerate our expansion into these segments and verticals. Further, we will seek to penetrate these markets by leveraging our existing distribution channels and entering into new arrangements with complementary referral partners.

Broaden and Deepen Our Distribution Channels

We intend to continue to broaden and deepen our distribution channels to reach potential clients and sell new services to our existing clients. We plan to grow our sales force, including telesales, and add new referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, as demonstrated through our acquisition of Element, which include ISVs, VARs and payment facilitators; ISOs; trade associations; third-party resellers and core processors. By enhancing our referral network and relationships with our partners, we will be able to reach more potential clients, enter into or increase our presence in various markets, segments and industry verticals, such as ecommerce and mobile, and expand into new geographic markets. To establish new relationships and strengthen our existing relationships with various referral partners and drive the implementation of our payment services, we will continue to develop web service APIs, SDKs and documentation in common development languages. We will also continue to develop additional support services for our distribution channels, provide sales and product incentives and increase our business development resources dedicated to growing and promoting our distribution channels.

Enter New Geographic Markets

When we operated as a business unit of Fifth Third Bank we had a strong market position with large national merchants, and we focused on serving small to mid-sized merchants in Fifth Third Bank's core market in the Midwestern United States. We are expanding our distribution channels and leveraging our technology platform to target additional regions. In the future, we will also look to augment our U.S. business by selectively expanding into international markets through strategic partnerships or acquisitions that enhance our distribution channels, client base and service capabilities.

Pursue Acquisitions

We intend to continue to seek acquisitions that provide attractive opportunities. Acquisitions provide us with opportunities to increase our small to mid-sized client base, enhance our service offerings, target high growth segments and verticals, enter into new geographic markets and broaden and deepen our distribution channels. We also will consider acquisitions of discrete merchant portfolios that we believe would enhance our scale and client base and strengthen our market position in the payment processing industry. We believe our single technology platform and integrated business enhances our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions.details.

Regulation

Various aspects of our business are subject to U.S. federal, state and local regulation. Failure to comply with regulations may result in the suspension or revocation of licenses or registrations, the limitation, suspension or termination of services and/or the imposition of civil and criminal penalties, including fines. Certain of our services are also subject to rules set by various payment networks, such as Visa and MasterCard, asMasterCard. Many of these regulations and rules are more fully described below.

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Dodd-Frank Act

In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 was signed into law in the United States. The Dodd-Frank Act has resulted in significant structural and other changes to the regulation of the financial services industry. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, to regulate consumer financial services, including many offered by our clients.

The Dodd-Frank Act provided two immediately effective, self-executing statutory provisions limiting the ability of payment card networks to impose certain restrictions that became effective in July 2010.restrictions. The first provision allows merchants to set minimum dollar amounts (not

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to exceed $10) for the acceptance of a credit card (and allows federal governmental entities and institutions of higher education to set maximum amounts for the acceptance of credit cards). The second provision allows merchants to provide discounts or incentives to entice consumers to pay with cash, checks, debit cards or credit cards, as the merchant prefers.

Separately, the so-called Durbin Amendment"Durbin Amendment" to the Dodd-Frank Act provided that interchange fees that a card issuer or payment network receives or charges for debit transactions will now be regulated by the Federal Reserve and must be "reasonable and proportional" to the cost incurred by the card issuer in authorizing, clearing and settling the transaction. Payment network fees, such as switch fees assessed by our Jeanie network, may not be used directly or indirectly to compensate card issuers in circumvention of the interchange transaction fee restrictions. In July 2011, the Federal Reserve published the final rules governing debit interchange fees. Effective in October 2011, debit interchange rates for card issuing financial institutions with more than $10 billion of assets are capped at $0.21 per transaction with an additional component of five basis points of the transaction's value to reflect a portion of the issuer's fraud losses plus, for qualifying issuing financial institutions, an additional $0.01 per transaction in debit interchange for fraud prevention costs. The debit interchange fee would be $0.24 per transaction on a $38 debit card transaction, the average transaction size for debit card transactions. In July 2013, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the Federal Reserve's regulations implementingaddition, the Durbin Amendment were invalid. The Federal Reserve has appealed the decision. Regardless of the outcome of the litigation, the cap on interchange fees is not expected to have a material direct impact on our results of operations.

In addition, the new rules containcontains prohibitions on network exclusivity and merchant routing restrictions. Beginning in October 2011, (i) a card payment network may not prohibit a card issuer from contracting with any other card payment network for the processing of electronic debit transactions involving the issuer's debit cards and (ii) card issuing financial institutions and card payment networks may not inhibit the ability of merchants to direct the routing of debit card transactions over any card payment networks that can process the transactions. Since April 2012, most debit card issuers have been required to enable at least two unaffiliated card payment networks on each debit card. We do not expect the prohibition on network exclusivity to impact our ability to pass on network fees and other costs to our clients. These regulatory changes create both opportunities and challenges for us. Increased regulation may add to the complexity of operating a payment processing business, creating an opportunity for larger competitors to differentiate themselves both in product capabilities and service delivery. The ban on network exclusivity also will enhance competition to allow us, through our Jeanie network, and certain of our competitors through their networks, to compete for additional business. At the same time, these regulatory changes may cause operating costs to increase as we adjust our activities in light of compliance costs and client requirements. The Dodd-Frank Act's overall impact on us is difficult to estimate as it will take some time for the market to react and adjust to the new regulations.

Banking Regulation

Fifth Third Bank beneficially owns an equity interest representing approximately 25.6%18.4% of Vantiv Holding's voting power and equity interests (through their ownership of Vantiv Holding Class B units), 18.5% and 18.4% of ourthe voting interestsinterest in Vantiv, Inc. (through their ownership of our Class B common stock) and have significant consent rights.. Fifth Third Bank is an Ohio state-chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System and is supervised and regulated by the Federal Reserve and the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, or ODFI. Fifth Third Bank is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp, which is a bank holding company, or BHC, which has elected to be treated as a financial holding company, or FHC, and is supervised and regulated by the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or BHC Act.
Because of the foregoing, and in particular, Fifth Third Bank's interest in us, it may be difficult for us to engage in activities abroad or invest in a non-U.S. company. We and Fifth Third Bank may seek to engage in offshore activities through various entities and structures, each of which may require prior regulatory approval, the receipt of which cannot be assured. The Federal Reserve and the ODFI have substantial discretion in this regard. In addition to the initial filing and application requirements, the chosen entity or structure may subject Fifth Third Bank, and to a lesser extent us, to several banking law requirements and limitations.

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We may not receive regulatory authority to create such an entity, or, if created, we may be unable to comply with all requirements. We will need Fifth Third Bank's cooperation to form and operate any such entity for offshore activities, and the regulatory burdens imposed upon Fifth Third Bank may be too extensive to justify its establishment or continuation. If, after the entity is formed, we or Fifth Third Bank are at any time unable to comply with any applicable regulatory requirements, the Federal Reserve or ODFI may impose additional limitations or restrictions on Fifth Third Bank's or our operations, which could potentially force us to limit the activities or dispose of the entity.

In light of the foregoing, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully engage in activities abroad or invest in a non-U.S. company.

We continue to be deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank for bank regulatory purposes and, therefore, we will continue to beremain subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve under the BHC Act and by the Federal Reserve and the ODFI under applicable federal and state banking laws. We will remain subject to this regulatory regimelaws until Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank are no longer deemed to control us for bank regulatory purposes, which we do not generally have the ability to control and which will generally not occur until Fifth Third Bank has significantly reduced its equity interest in us, as well as certain other factors, including the extent to which we continue to maintain material business relationships with Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank. The ownership level at which the Federal Reserve would consider us no longer controlled by Fifth Third Bank for bank regulatory purposes will generally depend on the circumstances at that time and could be less than 5%. The circumstances and other factors that the Federal Reserve will consider will include, among other things, the extent of our relationships with Fifth Third Bank, including the various agreements entered into at the time of the separation from Fifth Third Bank and the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement.

Given our current business model, regulation byBecause of the foregoing, in certain circumstances, prior approval of the Federal Reserve andor the ODFI has not historically had a material effect on our operations, our ability to make acquisitions or the implementation of our business strategy more generally. Nevertheless, there canmay be no assurance that this will continue going forward, especially if we wish to make certain changes to our business model and related strategy. See "Item 1A - Risk Factors" below. The supervision and regulation ofrequired before Fifth Third Bancorp, Fifth Third Bank andor their subsidiaries under applicablefor bank regulatory purposes, including us, can engage in permissible activities. The Federal Reserve has broad powers to approve, deny or refuse to act upon applications or notices for us to conduct new activities, acquire or divest businesses or assets, or reconfigure existing operations. Additionally, it may be difficult for us to engage in activities abroad or invest in a non-U.S. company. We and Fifth Third Bank may seek to engage in offshore activities through various entities and structures, each of which may require prior regulatory approval, the receipt of which cannot be assured, as well as continued banking laws is intended primarily forregulation and limitations. The Federal Reserve and the protection ofODFI have substantial discretion in this regard. We will need Fifth Third Bank's depositors, the deposit insurance fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC,cooperation to form and operate any such entity for offshore activities, and the banking system as a whole, rather than for the protection of our stockholders, creditors or customers or the stockholders, creditors or customers ofregulatory burdens imposed upon Fifth Third BancorpBank may be too extensive to justify its establishment or continuation. If, after such an entity is formed, we or Fifth Third Bank.Bank are at any time unable to comply with any applicable regulatory requirements, the Federal Reserve or ODFI may impose additional limitations or restrictions on Fifth Third Bank's or our operations, which could potentially force us to limit the activities or dispose of the entity.

For as long as we are deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank for bank regulatory purposes, we are subject to regulation, supervision, examination and potential enforcement action by the Federal Reserve and the ODFI and to mostcertain banking laws, regulations and orders that apply to Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank.orders. Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank are required to file reports with the Federal Reserve and the ODFI on our behalf, and we are subject to examination by the Federal Reserve and the ODFI for the purposes of determining, among other things, our financial condition, the adequacy of our risk management and the financial and operational risks that we pose to the safety and soundness of Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Bancorp, and our compliance with federal and state banking laws applicable to us and our relationship and transactions with Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank. The Federal Reserve has broad authority to take enforcement actions against us if it determines that we are engaged in or are about to engage in unsafe or unsound banking practices or are violating or are about to violate a law, rule or regulation, or a condition imposed by or an agreement with, the Federal Reserve. Enforcement actions can include a variety of informalReserve, and formal supervisory actions. The formal actions include cease and desist and other orders, enforceable written agreements, and removal and prohibition orders, which can remove certain management officials from office or disallow them from further involvement in the affairs of any regulated entity. Informal actions, which in many cases will not be publicly available, include memoranda of understanding, supervisory letters, and board resolutions. For the most serious violations under federal banking laws, the Federal Reserve may impose civil money penalties and criminal penalties. Moreover, any enforcement actions taken against Fifth Third Bancorp or Fifth Third Bank may result in regulatory actions being applied to us or our activities in certain circumstances, even if the enforcement actions are unrelated to our conduct or business. For the most serious violations under federal banking laws, the Federal Reserve may impose civil money penalties and criminal penalties.


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As a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank for bank regulatory purposes, our activities are generally limited to those that are permissible for a national bank. These activities are generally limited to those that are part of, or incidental to, the business of banking. Payment and information processing services are expressly authorized for a national bank. Further, as a condition to Fifth Third Bank's investment in us, we are required under the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement to limit our activities to those activities permissible for a national bank. Accordingly, under the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement: (i) we are required to notify Fifth Third Bank before we engage in any activity, by acquisition, investment, organic growth or otherwise, that may reasonably require Fifth Third Bank

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or an affiliate of Fifth Third Bank to obtain regulatory approval, so that Fifth Third Bank can determine whether the new activity is permissible, permissible subject to regulatory approval or impermissible; and (ii) if a change in the scope of our business activities causes the ownership of our equity not to be legally permissible for Fifth Third Bank without first obtaining regulatory approvals, then we must use reasonable best efforts to assist Fifth Third Bank in obtaining the regulatory approvals, and if the change in the scope of our business activities is impermissible for Fifth Third Bank, then we will not engage in such activity.

In certain circumstances, prior approval of the Federal Reserve or the ODFI may be required before Fifth Third Bancorp, Fifth Third Bank or their subsidiaries for bank regulatory purposes, including us, can engage in permissible activities. The Federal Reserve has broad powers to approve, deny or refuse to act upon applications or notices for us to conduct new activities, acquire or divest businesses or assets, or reconfigure existing operations. Federal Reserve approval may also be required before any subsidiary for bank regulatory purposes of Fifth Third Bancorp or Fifth Third Bank, including us, engages in activities abroad or invests in a non-U.S. company.

The CFPB, created by the Dodd-Frank Act, assumed most of the regulatory responsibilities previously exercised by the federal banking regulators and other agencies with respect to consumer financial products and services and has additional powers granted by the Dodd-Frank Act. In addition to rulemaking authority over several enumerated federal consumer financial protection laws, the CFPB is authorized to issue rules prohibiting unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices by persons offering consumer financial products or services and those, such as us, who are service providers to such persons, and has authority to enforce these consumer financial protection laws and CFPB rules. We are subject to regulation and enforcement by the CFPB, created by the Dodd-Frank Act, because we are an affiliate of Fifth Third Bank (which is an insured depository institution with greater than $10 billion in assets) for bank regulatory purposes and because we are a service provider to insured depository institutions with assets of $10 billion or more in connection with their consumer financial products and to entities that are larger participants in markets for consumer financial products and services such as prepaid cards. CFPB rules, examinations and enforcement actions may require us to adjust our activities and may increase our compliance costs. In addition to rulemaking authority over several enumerated federal consumer financial protection laws, the CFPB is authorized to issue rules prohibiting unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices by persons offering consumer financial products or services and those, such as us, who are service providers to such persons, and has authority to enforce these consumer financial protection laws and CFPB rules.

Collection Services State Licensing

Ancillary to our credit card processing business, we are subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and various similar state laws. We are authorized in 19 states to engage in debt administration and debt collection activities on behalf of some of our card issuing financial institution clients through calls and letters to the debtors in those states. We may seek licenses in other states to engage in similar activities in the future.

Association and Network Rules

While not legal or governmental regulation, we are subject to the network rules of Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks. The payment networks routinely update and modify their requirements. On occasion, we have received notices of non-compliance and fines, which have typically related to excessive chargebacks by a merchant or data security failures. Our failure to comply with the networks' requirements or to pay the fines they impose could cause the termination of our registration and require us to stop providing payment processing services.

Privacy and Information Security Regulations

We provide services that may be subject to privacy laws and regulations of a variety of jurisdictions. Relevant federal privacy laws include the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, which applies directly to a broad range of financial institutions and indirectly, or in some instances directly, to companies that provide services to financial institutions. These laws and regulations restrict the collection, processing, storage, use and disclosure of personal information, require notice to individuals of privacy practices and provide individuals with certain rights to prevent the use and disclosure of protected information. These laws also impose requirements for safeguarding and proper destruction of personal information through the issuance of data security standards or guidelines. In addition, there are state laws restricting the ability to collect and utilize certain types of information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers. Certain state laws impose similar privacy obligations as well as obligations to provide notification of security breaches of computer databases that contain personal information to affected individuals, state officers and consumer reporting agencies and businesses and governmental agencies that own data.

Processing and Back-Office Services

As a provider of electronic data processing and back-office services to financial institutions we are also subject to regulatoryregular oversight and examination by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), an interagency body of the FDIC, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, the National Credit Union Administration and the

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CFPB. In addition, independent auditors annually review several of our operations to provide reports on internal controls for our clients' auditors and regulators. We are also subject to review under state laws and rules that regulate many of the same activities that are described above, including electronic data processing and back-office services for financial institutions and use of consumer information.


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Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Regulation

Our business is subject to U.S. federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which we refer to collectively as the BSA. The BSA, among other things, requires money services businesses to develop and implement risk-based anti-money laundering programs, report large cash transactions and suspicious activity and maintain transaction records.

We are also subject to certain economic and trade sanctions programs that are administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, that prohibit or restrict transactions to or from or dealings with specified countries, their governments and, in certain circumstances, their nationals, narcotics traffickers, and terrorists or terrorist organizations.

Similarorganizations, as well as similar anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing and proceeds of crime laws applyapplicable to movements of currency and payments through electronic transactions and to dealings with personscertain specified on lists maintained by organizations similar to OFAC in several other countries and which may impose specific data retention obligations or prohibitions on intermediaries in the payment process.persons.

We have developedcontinually develop new compliance programs and are enhancing compliance programsenhance existing ones to monitor and address legal and regulatory requirements and developments.

Federal Trade Commission Act and Other Laws Impacting Our and our Customers' Business

All persons engaged in commerce, including, but not limited to, us and our merchant and financial institution customers are subject to Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices, or UDAP.  In addition, there are other laws, rules and or regulations, including the Telemarketing Sales Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, that may directly impact the activities of our merchant customers and in some cases may subject us, as the merchant's payment processor, to litigation, investigations, fees, fines and disgorgement of funds in the event we are deemed to have aided and abetted or otherwise provided the means and instrumentalities to facilitate the illegal activities of the merchant through our payment processing services.  Various federal and state regulatory enforcement agencies including the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and the states' attorneys general have authority to take action against nonbanks that engage in UDAP or violate other laws, rules and regulationsregulations.

As a result of the increasingly uncertain regulatory and judicial environment surrounding Daily Fantasy Sports, we have decided to the extent we aresuspend processing payments for a merchant that may be in violation of laws, rulesthese transactions. Revenue from Daily Fantasy Sports is not material to our business or to our Merchant segment. If there is greater regulatory and regulations,judicial clarity, we may be subjectre-enter the space in the future. In the meantime, we remain firmly committed to enforcement actionsprocessing for online and as a result may incur lossesland-based gaming operators, including state lotteries and liabilities that may impact our business.other regulated gaming activities where the regulatory and judicial framework are more clearly established.

Prepaid Services

Prepaid card programs managed by us are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations, which may include laws and regulations related to consumer and data protection, licensing, consumer disclosures, escheat, anti-money laundering, banking, trade practices and competition and wage and employment. For example, most states require entities engaged in money transmission in connection with the sale of prepaid cards to be licensed as a money transmitter with, and subject to examination by, that jurisdiction's banking department. In the future, we may have to obtain state licenses to expand our distribution network for prepaid cards, which licenses we may not be able to obtain. Furthermore, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 and the Federal Reserve's Regulation E impose requirements on general-use prepaid cards, store gift cards and electronic gift certificates. These laws and regulations are evolving, unclear and sometimes inconsistent and subject to judicial and regulatory challenge and interpretation, and therefore the extent to which these laws and rules have application to, and their impact on, us, financial institutions, merchants or others is in flux. At this time we are unable to determine the impact that the clarification of these laws and their future interpretations, as well as new laws, may have on us, financial institutions, merchants or others in a number of jurisdictions.could change. Prepaid services may also be subject to the rules and regulations of Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks with which we and the card issuers do business. The programs in place to process these products generally may be modified by the payment networks in their discretion and such modifications could also impact us, financial institutions, merchants and others.

We are also registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or FinCEN, as a "money services business-provider of prepaid access" and are subject to examination and review by FinCEN, primarily with respect to anti-money laundering issues.

Other

We are subject to the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, which requires information returns to be made for each calendar year by merchant acquiring entities. In addition, we are subject to U.S. federal and state unclaimed or abandoned

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Housing Assistance Tax Act

The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 requires information returns to be made for each calendar year by merchant acquiring entities and third-party settlement organizations with respect to payments made in settlement of electronic payment transactions and third-party payment network transactions occurring in that calendar year. Reportable transactions are also subject to backup withholding requirements. We could be liable for penalties if our information return is not in compliance with these regulations.

Other

We are subject to U.S. federal and state unclaimed or abandoned property (escheat) laws in the United States which require us to turn over to certain government authorities the property of others we hold that has been unclaimed for a specified period of time such as in our Merchant Services business, account balances that are due to a merchant following discontinuation of its relationship with us.

The foregoing list of laws and regulations to which we are subject is not exhaustive, and the regulatory framework governing our operations changes continuously. Although we do not believe that compliance with future laws and regulations related to the payment processing industry and our business will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations, theThe enactment of new laws and regulations may increasingly affect the operation of our business, directly and indirectly, which could result in substantial regulatory compliance costs, litigation expense, adverse publicity, the loss of revenue and decreased profitability.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our proprietary technology and our brand. We have registered, and applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, and domain names. Additionally, we have filed U.S. and international patent applications covering certain of our proprietary technology relating to payment solutions, transaction processing and other matters. Over time, we have assembled and continue to assemble a portfolio of patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, domain names and trade secrets covering our products and services. Intellectual property is a component of our ability to be a leading payment services provider and any significant impairment of, or third-party claim against, our intellectual property rights could harm our business or our ability to compete.

Employees

As of December 31, 20132015, we had 2,7913,313 employees. As of December 31, 20132015, this included 724896 Merchant Services employees, 11784 Financial Institution Services employees, 716863 IT employees, 793960 operations employees and 441510 general and administrative employees. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that relations with our employees are good.

Corporate Information
We are a Delaware corporation incorporated on March 25, 2009. We completed our initial public offering in March 2012 and our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "VNTV.""VNTV". Our principal executive offices are located at 8500 Governor's Hill Drive, Symmes Township, Ohio 45249, and our telephone number is (513) 900-4811. Our website address is www.vantiv.com.
Available Information
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and file or furnish reports, proxy statements, and other information with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. You can read our SEC filings over the Internet at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports, also are available free of charge on the investors section of our website at http://investors.vantiv.com when such reports are available on the SEC's website. Further corporate governance information, including our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, governance guidelines, board committee charters, and code of business conduct and ethics, is also available on the investors section of our website.

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You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E.,NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain copies of the documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section at the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities. The contents of the websites referred to above are not incorporated into this filing or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors
 
Our business is subject to numerous risks. You should carefully consider the following risk factors and all other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other filings with the SEC. Any of these risks could harmadversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition and our prospects.
 
Risks Related to Our Business
 
If we cannot keep pace with rapid developments, changes and changeconsolidation occurring in our industry and provide new services to our clients, the use of our services could decline, reducing our revenues.
 
The electronic payments market in which we compete is subject to rapid and significant changes. This marketoperate is characterized by rapid technological change, new product and service introductions, including ecommerce services, mobile payment applications, and prepaid services, evolving industry standards, changing customer and consumer needs, and the entrance of non-traditional competitors.competitors and periods of increased consolidation. In order to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving market, we are continually involved in a number of projects to develop new services or compete with these new market entrants, including ecommerce services, the development of mobile phone payment applications, prepaid card offerings, and other new offerings emerging in the electronic payments industry.innovative services. These projects carry risks, such as cost overruns, delays in delivery, performance problems and lack of customer acceptance. In the electronic payments industry these risks are acute.market acceptance of new or innovated services. Any delay in the delivery of new services or the failure to differentiate our services or to accurately predict and address market demand could render our services less desirable, or even obsolete, to our clients. Furthermore, even though the market for alternative payment processing services is evolving, it may not continue to develop rapidly enough for us to recover the costs we have incurred in developing new services targeted at this market.
 
In addition, the new or innovated services we deliverdevelop are designed to process very complex transactions and provide reports and other information on those transactions, all at very high volumes and processing speeds. Any failure to deliver anreliable, effective and secure service or any performance issueservices that arises with a new service could result in significant processing or reporting errors or other losses. As a resultmeet the expectations of these factors, our development effortsclients could result in increased costs and/or we could also experience a loss in business and revenues that could reduce our earnings or could cause a loss of revenue if promised new services are not timely delivered to our clients or do not perform as anticipated. We also rely in part on third parties, including some of our competitors and potential competitors, for the development of, and access to new technologies. Our future success will depend in part on our ability to develop or adapt to technological changes and evolving industry standards.earnings. If we are unable to develop, adapt to or access technological changes or evolving industry standards on a timely and cost effective basis, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.
Furthermore, our competitors may have the ability to devote more financial and operational resources than we can to the development of new technologies and services, including ecommerce and mobile payment processing services, that provide improved operating functionality and features to their existing service offerings. If successful, their development efforts could render our services less desirable to clients, resulting in the loss of clients or a reduction in the fees we could generate from our offerings.

The payment processing industry is highly competitive, and we compete with certain firms that are larger and that have greater financial resources. Such competition could adversely affect the transaction and other fees we receive from merchants and financial institutions, and as a result, our margins, business, financial condition and results of operations.
The market for payment processing services is highly competitive. Other providers of payment processing services have established a sizable market share in the small and mid-sized merchant and financial institution processing and servicing sector, as well as servicing large merchants and financial institutions, which are the markets in which we are principally focused. We also face competition from non-traditional payment processors that have significant financial resources. Our growth will depend on a combination of the continued growth of electronic payments and our ability to increase our market share. Any weakness in the economy or the current economic recovery could cause future growth of electronic payments to slow compared to historical rates of growth.

Our competitors include financial institutions, subsidiaries of financial institutions and well-established payment processing companies, including Bank of America Merchant Services, Chase Paymentech Solutions, Elavon Inc. (a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp), First Data Corporation, Global Payments, Inc., Heartland Payment Systems, Inc., Total System Services, Inc. and WorldPay US, Inc. in our Merchant Services segment, and Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., First Data Corporation, Fiserv, Inc., Total System Services, Inc. and Visa Debit Processing Service in our Financial Institution Services segment. With respect to our Financial Institutions Services segment, in addition to competition with direct competitors, we also compete with the capabilities of many larger potential clients that have either historically developedto conduct their key payment

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processing applications in-house, or have recently moved such application in-house, and therefore weigh whether they should develop these capabilities in-house or acquire them from a third party.in-house.
 
OurMany of our competitors also have substantially greater financial, technological and marketing resources than we have. In addition, our competitors that are financial institutions or are affiliated with financial institutions, may not incur the sponsorship costs we incur for registration with the payment networks. Many of our competitors also have substantially greater financial, technological and marketing resources than we have. Accordingly, these competitors may be able to offer more attractive fees to our current and prospective clients or especially with respect to our financial institution clients, other services that we do not offer.provide. Competition may influence the fees we receive. If competition causes us to reduce the fees we charge, we will have to aggressively control our costs in order to maintain our profit margins. Competition could also result in a loss of existing clients, and greater difficulty attracting new clients. Furthermore, if competition causes us to reduce the fees we charge in order to attract or retain clients, whichthere is no assurance we may not be ablecan successfully control our costs in order to do.maintain our profit margins. One or more of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Furthermore, we are facing new competition emergingcompetitive pressure from non-traditional competitors offering alternative payment methods,payments processors and other parties entering the payments industry, such as PayPal, Google, Apple, Alibaba and Google.Amazon, who may compete in one or more of the functions performed in processing merchant transactions. These non-traditional competitorscompanies have significant financial resources and robust networks and are highly regarded by consumers. If these non-traditional competitorscompanies gain a greater share of total electronic payments transactions or if we are unable to successfully react to changes in the industry spurred by the entry of these new market participants, it could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 

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Unauthorized disclosure of data, whether through cybersecurity breaches, computer viruses or otherwise, could expose us to liability, protracted and costly litigation and damage our reputation.
 
We are responsiblehave responsibility for certain third parties, under Visa, MasterCard and other payment network rules and regulations, including merchants, ISOs, third party service providers and other agents, which we refer to collectively as associated participants.participants, under Visa, MasterCard and other payment network rules and regulations. We and certain of our associated participants process, store and/or transmit sensitive data, such as names, addresses, social security numbers, credit or debit card numbers, driver’s license numbers and bank account numbers, and we have ultimate liability to the payment networks and member financial institutions that register us with Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks for our failure or the failure of our associated participants to protect this data in accordance with payment network requirements. The loss of merchant or cardholder data by us or our associated participants could result in significant fines and sanctions by the payment networks or governmental bodies,bodies. A significant cybersecurity breach could also result in payment networks prohibiting us from processing transactions on their networks or the loss of our financial institution sponsorship that facilitates our participation in the payment networks, which couldwould have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

These concerns about security are increased when we transmit information over the Internet. Computer viruses can be distributedThe techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems change frequently and spread rapidly over the Internet and could infiltrate our systems, which might disrupt our delivery of services and make them unavailable. In addition, a significant cybersecurity breach could result in payment networks prohibiting us from processing transactions on their networks or the loss of our financial institution sponsorship that facilitates our participation in the payment networks.
are often difficult to detect. We and our associated participants have been in the past and could be in the future, subject to breaches of security by hackers. In such circumstances, our encryption of data and other protective measures have not prevented and may not prevent unauthorized access.access service disruption or system sabotage. Although we have not incurred material losses or liabilities as a result of thosesecurity breaches awe or our associated participants have experienced, any future breach of our system or that of one of ouran associated participants may subject us toparticipant could be material losses or liability, including payment network fines and assessments and claims for unauthorized purchases with misappropriated credit, debit or card information, impersonation or other similar fraud claims. A misuse of such data or a cybersecurity breach could harm our reputation, deter clients and deterpotential clients from using electronic payments generally and our services, specifically, increase our operating expenses, in order to correct the breaches or failures, expose us to uninsured liability,losses or other liabilities, increase our risk of regulatory scrutiny, subject us to lawsuits, result in the imposition of material penalties and fines under state and federal laws or by the payment networks, and adversely affect our continued payment network registration and financial institution sponsorship.
 
We cannot assure you that there are written agreements in placeour arrangements with every associated participant or that such written agreementsparticipants will prevent the unauthorized use or disclosure of data or allow us to seek reimbursement fromthat we would be reimbursed by associated participants.participants in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of data. Any such unauthorized use or disclosure of data could result in protracted and costly litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Our systems and our third party providers’ systems may fail due to factors beyond our control, which could interrupt our service, cause us to lose business and increase our costs.
 
We depend on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of numerous systems, including our computer systems, software, data centers and telecommunications networks, as well as the systems of third parties.parties, in order to provide services to our clients. Our systems and operations orand those of our third party providers, could be exposed to damage or interruption from, among other things, fire, natural disaster, power loss, telecommunications failure, unauthorized entry, security breach, computer viruses, defects and computer viruses.development delays. Our property and business interruption

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insurance may not be adequate to compensate us for all losses or failures that may occur. 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:
in loss of revenues;
loss of clients;
loss of merchantrevenues and cardholder data;
clients, reputational harm, additional operating expenses in order to remediate the failures, fines imposed by payment network associations;
harm to our business or reputation resulting from negative publicity;
networks and exposure to fraudother losses or other liabilities; 
additional operating and development costs; and/or
diversion of technical and other resources.liabilities.

We may not be able to continue to expand our share of the existing payment processing markets or expand into new markets which would inhibit our ability to grow and increase our profitability.
 
Our future growth and profitability depend in part, upon our continued expansion withinthe growth of the markets in which we currently operate the further expansion ofand our ability to increase our penetration and service offerings within these markets, as well as the emergence of othernew markets for payment processing,our services and our ability to penetrate these new markets. Future growthIt is difficult to attract new clients because of potential disadvantages associated with switching payment processing vendors, such as transition costs, business disruption and profitabilityloss of accustomed functionality. We seek to overcome these factors by making investments to enhance the functionality of our businesssoftware and differentiate our services. However, there can be no assurance that our efforts will depend uponbe successful, and this resistance may adversely affect our ability to penetrate other markets for payment processing. We may not be able to successfully identify suitable acquisition, investment and partnership or joint venture candidates in the future, and if we do, they may not provide us with the benefits we anticipated. Once completed, investments, partnerships and joint ventures may not realize the value that we expect.growth.

Our expansion into new markets is also dependent upon our ability to applyadapt our existing technology and offerings or to develop new or innovative applications to meet the particular service needs of each new market. We may not have adequateIn order to do so, we will need to anticipate and react to market changes and devote appropriate financial or technologicaland technical resources to develop effectiveour development efforts, and secure services or distribution channelsthere can be no assurance that we will satisfy the demandsbe successful in these efforts.

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Table of these new markets. If we fail to expand into new and existing payment processing markets, we may not be able to continue to grow our revenues and earnings.Contents




Furthermore, in response to market developments, we may expand into new geographical markets and foreign countries in which we do not currently have any operating experience. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully expand in such markets or internationally due to our lack of experience and the multitude of risks associated with global operations or lack of appropriate regulatory approval.
Any acquisitions, partnerships or joint ventures that we make could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.
Acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures are part of our growth strategy. We evaluate, and expect in the future to evaluate potential strategic acquisitions of, and partnerships or joint ventures with, complementary businesses, services or technologies. However, we may not be able to successfully identify suitable acquisition, partnership or joint venture candidates in the future. In addition, for purposes of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or the BHC Act, we are deemed to be a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank. For so long as we continue to be considered a subsidiary of a bank, we may only engage in activities that are permissible for the bank to engage in directly. This range ofThese activities and restrictions may limit our ability to acquire other businesses, enter into other strategic transactions or expand into foreign countries.

AnyIf we do enter into acquisitions, partnerships or joint ventures that we make could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.
Acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures, are part of our growth strategy. We evaluate, and expect inthey may not provide us with the future to evaluate potential strategic acquisitions of and partnerships or joint ventures with complementary businesses, services or technologies.benefits we anticipate. We may not be able to successfully finance or integrate any businesses, services or technologies that we acquire or with which we form a partnership or joint venture.venture, or comply with applicable regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the integration of any acquisition, including our recent acquisitions, may divert management’s time and resources from our core business and disrupt our operations. Certain partnerships and joint ventures we make may also prevent us from competing for certain clients or in certain lines of business. We may spend time and money on projects that do not increase our revenue. As noted above under "We may not be able to continue to expand our share of the existing payment processing markets or expand into new markets which would inhibit our ability to grow and increase our profitability", for so long as we continue to be considered a subsidiary of a bank under the BHC Act and other relevant federal and state banking laws, we face restrictions under such laws with respect to the activities we may conduct.These activities and restrictions may limit our ability to acquire other businesses or enter into other strategic transactions. In addition, in connection with any acquisitions, we must comply with state and federal antitrust requirements. It is possible that perceived or actual violations of these requirements could give rise to regulatory enforcement action or result in us not receiving all necessary approvals in order to complete a desired acquisition. To the extent we pay the purchase price of any acquisition in cash, it would reduce our cash reserves, and to the extent the purchase price is paid with

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our stock, it could be dilutive to our stockholders. To the extent we pay the purchase price with proceeds from the incurrence of debt, it would increase our already high level of indebtedness and could negatively affect our liquidity and restrict our operations. Our competitors may be willing or able to pay more than us for acquisitions, which may cause us to lose certain acquisitions that we would otherwise desire to complete. In addition, pursuant to the Fifth Third Bank consent rights in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement, for so long as such rights remain applicable, Fifth Third Bank’s approval is required for acquisitions and incurrences of indebtedness by us based on certain thresholds. We cannot ensure that any acquisition, partnership or joint venture we make will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we fail to comply with the applicable requirements of the Visa, MasterCard or other payment networks, those payment networks could seek to fine us, suspend us or terminate our registrations through our financial institution sponsors. Fines could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations, and if these registrations are terminated, we may not be able to conduct our business.
 
In order to provide our transaction processing services, we are registered through our bank partnershipssponsorships with the Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks as service providers for member institutions. We and many of our clients are subject to card association and payment network rules that could subject us or our clients to a variety of fines or penalties that may be levied by the card associations or payment networks for certain acts or omissions by usrules. If we or our associated participants. If weparticipants do not comply with the payment network requirements, the payment networks could seek to fine us, suspend us or terminate our registrations. On occasion, weWe have occasionally received notices of noncompliance and fines, which have typically related to excessive chargebacks by a merchant or data security failures on the part of a merchant. If we are unable to recover fines from or pass through costs to our merchants or other associated participants, we would experience a financial loss. The termination of our registration, or any changes in the payment network rules that would impair our registration, could require us to stop providing payment network services to the Visa, MasterCard or other payment networks, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Changes in payment network rules or standards could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Payment network rules are established and changed from time to time by each payment network as they may determine in their sole discretion and with or without advance notice to their participants. Payment networks generally establish their rules to allocate responsibilities among the payment networks’ participants and generally structure and change such rules for any number of reasons, including as a result of changes in the regulatory environment, to maintain or attract new participants or to serve their own strategic initiatives. In some cases, payment networks compete with us, and their ability to modify and enhance their rules in their sole discretion may provide them an advantage in selling or developing their own services that may compete directly or indirectly with our services. Any changes in card association or other payment network rules or standards including interpretation and implementation ofor the rules or standards, thatway they are implemented could increase our cost of doing business or limit our ability to provide transaction processing services to or through our clients couldand have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 

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If we cannot pass increases from payment networks including interchange, assessment, transaction and other fees along to our merchants increases in interchange and other fees from payment networks, our operating margins willwould be reduced.
 
We pay interchange, assessment, transaction and other fees set by the payment networks to the card issuing financial institution and the payment networks for each transaction we process. From time to time, the payment networks increase the interchange fees and other fees that they charge payment processors and the financial institution sponsors. At their sole discretion, our financial institution sponsors have the right to pass any increases in interchange and other fees on to us and they have consistently done so in the past. We are generally permitted under the contracts into which we enter, and in the past we have been able to, pass these fee increases along to our merchants through corresponding increases in our processing fees. However, if we are unable to pass through these and other fees in the future, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely onIf our agreements with financial institution sponsors which have substantial discretion with respect to certain elements of our business practices, and financial institution clearing service providers in order to process electronic payment transactions. If these sponsorshipstransactions are terminated or clearing services are terminatedotherwise expire and we are unable to renew existing or secure new bank sponsors or financial institutions,clearing service providers, we will not be able to conduct our business.

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Because we are not a bank, we are not eligible for membership in the Visa, MasterCard or other payment networks and are, therefore, unable to directly access the payment networks, which are required to process transactions. The Visa, MasterCard and other payment network operating regulationsrules require us to be sponsored by a member bank in order to process electronic payment transactions. Because we are not a bank, we are unable to directly access these payment networks. We are currently registered with the Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks through Fifth Third Bank and other sponsor banks. Our current agreement with Fifth Third Bank expires in June 2019. Furthermore, ourThese agreements with our financial institutionFifth Third Bank and other sponsors give them substantial discretion in approving certain aspects of our business practices, including our solicitation, application and qualification procedures for merchants and the terms of our agreements with merchants. Our financial institution sponsors’ discretionary actions under these agreements could have a materiallymaterial adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also rely on Fifth Third Bank and various other financial institutions to provide clearing services in connection with our settlement activities. If ourWithout these sponsorships or clearing services agreements, are terminated and we are unable to secure another bank sponsor or clearing service provider, we willwould not be able to process Visa, MasterCard and other payment network transactions or settle transactions which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our financial results could be adversely affected if our costs associated with such sponsorships or clearing services agreements increase.
 
Increased merchant, financial institution or referral partner attrition and decreased transaction volume could cause our revenues to decline.
 
We experience attrition and declines in merchant and financial institution credit, debit or prepaid card processing volume resulting from several factors, including business closures, transfersconsolidations, loss of merchants’ accounts to our competitors, and account closures that we initiate due to heightened credit risks, relating to contract breaches by merchants or a reductionand reductions in same store sales.our merchants' sales volumes. Our referral partners, many of which are not exclusive, such as merchant banks; technology partners, which includebanks, ISVs, VARs, and payment facilitators;facilitators, ISOs and trade associations which purchase and resell our electronic payments services to their own portfolios of merchant customers, are strong contributors to our revenue growth in our Merchant Services segment. If an ISO or referral partner switches to another transaction processor, shuts down or becomes insolvent, we will no longer receive new merchant referrals from the ISO or referral partner, and we risk losing existing merchants that were originally enrolled by the ISO or referral partner. NPC, which was acquired in 2010, has higher rates of attrition due to the makeup of its customer base, which primarily consists of small and mid-sized merchants. We cannot predict the level of attrition and decreased transaction volume in the future and our revenues could decline as a result of higher than expected attrition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
If we do not successfully renew or renegotiate our agreements with our clients or referral partners, our business will suffer.
Our revenue is derived primarily under contracts with clients and referral partners, such as merchant banks; technology partners, which include ISVs, VARs and payment facilitators; ISOs and trade associations. Consolidation among financial institutions and merchants could result in an increasingly concentrated client base. The financial position of our clients, ISOs and other referral partners, and their willingness to pay for our services, are affected by general market conditions, competitive pressures and operating margins within their respective industries. Contract renewal or renegotiation time presents our clients, ISOs and other referral partners with the opportunity to consider other providers. The loss or renegotiation of our contracts with existing clients, ISOs or referral partners or a significant decline in the number of transactions we process for them or the pricing we charge them could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to economic and political risk, the business cycles and credit risk of our clients and the overall level of consumer, business and government spending, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
The electronic payments industry depends heavily on the overall level of consumer, business and government spending. We are exposed to general economic conditions that affect consumer confidence, consumer spending, consumer discretionary income or changes in consumer purchasing habits. A sustained deterioration in general economic conditions, particularly in the United States, or increases in interest rates may adversely affect our financial performancerevenues by reducing the number or average purchase amount of transactions made using electronic payments. A reduction inpayments that we process. Furthermore, if economic conditions cause credit card issuers to tighten credit requirements, the negative effects on the use of electronic payments could be exacerbated. Since we have a certain amount of consumer spending could result in a decreasefixed and semi-fixed costs, including rent, debt service, processing contractual minimums and salaries, our ability to quickly adjust costs and respond to changes in our revenuebusiness and profits. If cardholders of our financial institution clients make fewer transactions with their cards, our merchant clients make fewer sales of their products and services using electronic payments or people spend less money per transaction, we will have fewer transactions to process at lower dollar amounts, resulting in lower revenue.
A further weakening in the economy is limited. As a result, changes in economic conditions could have a negative impact on our clients, as well as their customers who purchase products and services using our payment processing systems, which could, in turn, negativelyadversely impact our business, financial conditionfuture revenues and results of operations, particularly if the recessionary environment disproportionately affects some of the discretionary market segments that represent a larger portion of our payment processing volume. In addition, a furtherprofits.


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weakening in the economy could force retailers to close, resulting in exposure to potential credit losses and future transaction declines. Furthermore, credit card issuers could reduce credit limits, close accounts, and become more selective with respect to whom they issue credit cards. We also haveIn addition, a certain amount of fixed and semi-fixed costs, including rent, debt service, processing contractual minimums and salaries, which could limit our ability to quickly adjust costs and respond to changes in our business and the economy. Changessustained deterioration in economic conditions could also adversely impact our future revenues and profits and cause a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, a recessionary economic environment could affect our merchants through a higher rate of bankruptcy filings,closures or bankruptcies, resulting in lower revenues and earnings for us. OurIn addition, our merchants and other associated participants are liable for any charges properly reversed by the card issuer on behalf of the cardholder. Our associated participants are also liablecardholder and for any fines or penalties that may be assessed by any payment networks. In the event that we are not able to collect such amounts from the associated participants, due to fraud, breach of contract,closure, insolvency bankruptcy or any other reason,reasons, we may be liable for any such charges. Furthermore, in the event of
Fraud by merchants or others could have a closure of a merchant, we are unlikely to receive our fees for any transactions processed by that merchant in its final months of operation, all of which would negatively impactmaterial adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
We incurface potential liability when ourfor fraudulent electronic payment transactions initiated by merchants refuse or cannot reimburse us for chargebacks resolved in favor of their customers, fees, fines or other assessments we incur fromassociated participants. Examples of merchant fraud include when a merchant or other party knowingly accepts payment by a stolen or counterfeit credit, debit or prepaid card, card number or other credentials records a false sales transaction utilizing a stolen or counterfeit card or credentials, processes an invalid card, or intentionally fails to deliver the payment networks. We cannot accurately anticipate these liabilities, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
merchandise or services sold in an otherwise valid transaction. In the event a dispute between a cardholder 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 cardholder. If we 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 may bear the loss for the amount of the refund paid to the cardholder. 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. We may experience significant losses from chargebacks in the future. Any increase in chargebacks not paid by our merchants could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Fraud by merchants or others could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face potential liability for fraudulent electronic payment transactions or credits initiated by merchants or others. Examples of merchant fraud include when a merchant or other party knowingly uses a stolen or counterfeit credit, debit or prepaid card, card number or other credentials to record a false sales transaction, processes an invalid card, 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 counterfeiting and fraud. It is possible that incidents of fraud could increase in the future. Failure to effectively manage risk and prevent fraud would increase our chargeback liability or other liability. In addition, beginning October 2015, merchants that cannot process EMV chip-based cards are held financially responsible for certain fraudulent transactions conducted using such cards. This will likely increase the amount of risk for merchants who are not yet EMV-compliant and could result in us having to seek increased chargebacks from such merchants. Increases in chargebacks or other liability could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
A decline in the use of credit, debit or prepaid cards as a payment mechanism for consumers or adverse developments with respect to the payment processing industry in general could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
If consumers do not continue to use credit, debit or prepaid cards as a payment mechanism for their transactions or if there is a change in the mix of payments between cash, alternative currencies and technologies, credit, debit and prepaid cards, or the corresponding methodologies used for each, which is adverse to us, it could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In response to rules implementing the Durbin Amendment, financial institutions may charge their customers additional fees for the use of debit cards. If such fees result in decreased use of debit cards by cardholders, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.  In addition, on November 29, 2012, the court preliminary approved a definitive class settlement agreement to resolve the plaintiff’s claims in the U.S. merchant class multi-district interchange litigation against Visa, MasterCard and the named member banks. Among other terms, the settlement agreement provides for the modification of Visa and MasterCard’s rules to allow retailers to impose a surcharge on credit card transactions at the point of sale under certain conditions. This provision or other provisions in the final settlement agreement if finally approved may result in decreased use of credit cards or have other adverse impacts that are not readily known and that we may not know for some time.  We believe future growth in the use of credit, debit and prepaid cards and other electronic payments will be driven by the cost, ease-of-use, and quality of services offered to consumers and businesses. In order to consistently increase and maintain our profitability, consumers and businesses must continue to use electronic payment methods including, credit, debit and prepaid cards. Moreover, if there is an

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adverse development in the payments industry in general, such as new legislation or regulation that makes it more difficult for our clients to do business, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
 
Continued consolidation in the banking and retail industries could adversely affect our growth.
Historically, the banking industry has been the subject of consolidation, regardless of overall economic conditions, while the retail industry has been the subject of consolidation due to cyclical economic events. As banks and retail merchants consolidate, our ability to successfully offer our services will depend in part on whether the institutions that survive are willing to outsource their electronic payment processing to third party vendors and whether those institutions have pre-existing relationships with us or any of our competitors. Larger banks and merchants with greater transaction volumes may demand lower fees, which could result in lower revenues and earnings for us. In addition, in times of depressed economic conditions, similar to those experienced in the last few years, a higher number of financial institutions are taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC. The government seizure of a potential or current financial institution customer could have a negative effect on our business, by eliminating the institution’s need for our services or by voiding any contracts we may have had in place with such institution.

If Fifth Third Bank fails or is acquired by a third party, it could place certain of our material contracts at risk, decrease our revenue, and transfer the ultimate voting power of Fifth Third Bank’s stock ownership in us (including any shares of Class A common stock that may be issued in exchange for Fifth Third Bank’s units in Vantiv Holding) to a third party.
Fifth Third Bank accounted for approximately 4%3% of our revenue during the years ended December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, and is the provider of the services under our Clearing, Settlement and Sponsorship Agreement, Referral Agreement and Master Services Agreement. If Fifth Third Bank were to be placed into receivership or conservatorship, it could jeopardize our ability to generate revenue and conduct our business.
If Fifth Third Bank were to be acquired by a third party, it could affect certain of our contractual arrangements with them. For instance, in the event of a change of control or merger of Fifth Third Bank, our Clearing, Settlement and Sponsorship Agreement and our Referral Agreement provide that Fifth Third Bank may assign the contract to an affiliate or successor, in which case we would not have the right to terminate the contract regardless of such assignee’s ability to perform such services. Our Master Services Agreement provides that Fifth Third Bank would be in default under the agreement upon a change of control, in which case we would have the right to terminate the agreement effective upon 60 daysdays' notice to Fifth Third Bank unless the surviving entity assumes Fifth Third Bank’s obligation and the level of fees paid to us pursuant to the Master Services Agreement remains equal or greater than fees paid to us prior to the change of control. In addition, the acquiring company may choose to terminate the terms of such contracts, requiring us to litigate if we believe such termination is not pursuant to contract terms, and find alternative clients, counterparties or sponsorships. The added expense of litigation and the inability to find suitable substitute clients or counterparties in a timely manner would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, such an acquisition would place in the hands of the acquiring third party the voting power of Fifth Third Bank’s stock ownership in Vantiv, Inc. (including any shares of Class A common stock that may be issued in exchange for Fifth Third Bank’s units in Vantiv Holding) and, in some circumstances, certain of Fifth Third Bank’s consent rights in Vantiv, Inc. and Vantiv Holding.. We may not have a historical relationship with the acquiring party, and the acquiring party may be a competitor of ours or provide many of the same services that we provide. The acquiring party may vote its shares of our common stock or units or exercise its consent rights in a manner adverse to us and our other stockholders.

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Our risk management policies and procedures may not be fully effective in mitigating our risk exposure in all market environments or against all types of risks.
We operate in a rapidly changing industry, and we have experienced significant change including our separation from Fifth Third Bank in June 2009, certain acquisitions and our March 2012 initial public offering and listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, ourOur risk management policies and procedures may not be fully effective to identify, monitor and manage our risks. Some of our risk evaluation methods depend upon information provided by others and public information regarding markets, clients or other matters that are otherwise inaccessible by us. In some cases, however, that information may not be accurate, complete or up-to-date. If our policies and procedures are not fully effective or we are not always successful in capturing all risks to which we are or may be exposed, we may suffer harm to our reputation or be subject to litigation or regulatory actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
We are subject to extensive government regulation, and any new laws and regulations, industry standards or revisions made to or interpretations of existing laws, regulations, or industry standards affecting the electronic payments industry and other industries in which we operate may have an unfavorable impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 

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Our business is impacted by numerous laws, regulations and regulationsexaminations that affect us and our industry. Theindustry, many of which are discussed under "Item 1. Business - Regulation." In addition, the number of new and proposed regulations has increased significantly in recent years, particularly pertaining to interchange fees on credit and debit card transactions, which are paid to the card issuing financial institution. In July 2010, Congress passedparticular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, which significantly changed financial regulation. Changes affecting the payment processing industry includeby restricting amounts of debit card fees that certain issuing financial institutions can charge merchants and allowing merchants to set minimum dollar amounts for the acceptance of credit cards and offer discounts for different payment methods. These restrictionsand other regulatory changes on our business and industry could negatively affect our business in a variety of ways including the number of debit transactions, and prices charged per transaction, which would negatively affect our business. The Dodd-Frank Act also created a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, that became operational on July 21, 2011 and assumed responsibility for most federal consumer protection laws in the area of financial services, including consumer credit. The so-called Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act mandates a cap on debit transaction interchange fees for card issuers with assets greater than $10 billion.transaction.

In the future, due to applicable law and regulation, we may have to obtain state licenses to expand our distribution network for prepaid cards, which licenses we may not be able to obtain.cards. If we fail or are unable to comply with these requirements, our clients (or in certain instances, we) could be subject to the imposition of fines, civil liability (and/other penalties or in the case of willful and deliberate non-compliance, criminal liability)enforcement-related actions which may impact our ability to offer our credit issuer processing services, prepaid or other related services whichand could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

All persons engaged in commerce, including, but not limited to, us and our merchant and financial institution customers are subject to Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices, or UDAP.  In addition, there are other laws, rules and or regulations, including the Telemarketing Sales Act, that may directly impact the activities of our merchant customers and in some cases may subject us, as the merchant's payment processor, to investigations, fees, fines and disgorgement of funds in the event we are deemed to have aided and abetted or otherwise provided the means and instrumentalities to facilitate the illegal activities of the merchant through our payment processing services.  Various federal and state regulatory enforcement agencies including the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and the states' attorneys general have authority to take action against nonbanks that engage in UDAP or violate other laws, rules and regulations and to the extent we are processing payments for a merchant that may be in violation of laws, rules and regulations, we may be subject to enforcement actions and as a result may incur losses and liabilities that may impact our business.
Because our business is highly regulated, and subject to the above-discussed laws and requirements, it is very important to our business that our operations, policies and procedures comply with suchapplicable laws, regulations and related requirements. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and requirements.Theseregulations or adapt to changes in applicable laws and regulations, or a material increase in our compliance and other laws and regulationscosts as a result of regulatory changes, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any failure to comply with laws and regulations, even if inadvertent, as well as rapidly evolving social expectations of corporate fairness, could damage our business or our reputation.
 
Governmental regulations designed to protect or limit access to consumer information could adversely affect our ability to effectively provide our services to merchants.
 
Governmental bodies in the United States and abroad have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, laws and regulations restricting the transfer of, and requiring safeguarding of, non-public personal information. For example, in the United States, all financial institutions must undertake certain steps to ensure the privacy and security of consumer financial information. While our operations are subject to certain provisions of these privacy laws,Although we have limited our use of consumer information solely to providing services to other businesses and financial institutions. In connection with providing services to our clients,institutions, we are required by regulations and contracts with our merchants and financial institution clients to provide assurances regarding the confidentiality and security of non-public consumer information. These contracts require periodic audits by independent companies regarding our compliance with industry standards and also allow for similar audits regarding best practices established by regulatory guidelines. The compliance standards relate to our infrastructure, components and operational procedures designed to safeguard the confidentiality and security of non-public consumer personal information shared by our clients with us. Our ability to maintain compliance with these standards and satisfy these audits will affect our ability to attract and maintain business in the future. If we fail to comply with these regulations or requirements, we could be exposed to suits for breach of contract or to governmental proceedings. In addition, our client relationships and reputation could be harmed, and we could be inhibited in our ability to obtain new clients. If more restrictive privacy laws or rules are adopted by authorities in the future on the federal or state level, our compliance costs may increase, our opportunities for growth may be curtailed by our compliance capabilities or reputational harm and our potential liability for security breaches may increase, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
  

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For purposes of federal and state banking laws, we are deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Bancorp, and as such we are subject to supervision and examination by federal and state banking regulators, and our

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activities are limited to those permissible for Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Bancorp. We may therefore be restricted from engaging in new activities or businesses, whether organically or by acquisition. We are also subject to supervision and examination by the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
 
As of December 31, 20132015, Fifth Third Bank owned an equity interest representing approximately 25.6%18.4% of the voting and economic equity interest of Vantiv Holding and 18.5%18.4% of the voting interest in Vantiv, Inc.
 
We and Vantiv Holding historically have been, and are currently, deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank and are therefore considered to be a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank for purposes of relevant federal and state banking laws. We are therefore subject to regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve and the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions, or the ODFI. We will remain subject to regulation and examination until Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank are no longer deemed to control us for bank regulatory purposes. The BHC Act and relevant federal and state banking laws and regulations include different thresholds for regulatory purposes to define control as compared to GAAP requirements, and as a result, Fifth Third Bancorp does not consolidate Vantiv Holding for financial reporting purposes. For financial reporting purposes, we have consolidated the results of Vantiv Holding due to our ownership of a majority voting ownership interest in Vantiv Holding.
 
For as long as we are deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank for bank regulatory purposes, we are subject to regulation, supervision, examination and potential enforcement action by the Federal Reserve and the ODFI and to most banking laws, regulations and orders that apply to Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank.Bank, including restrictions or approval requirements for certain activities or investments abroad. Any restrictions placed on Fifth Third Bancorp or Fifth Third Bank as a result of any supervisory actions may also restrict us or our activities in certain circumstances, even if these actions are unrelated to our conduct or business. Further, as long as we are deemed to be controlled by Fifth Third Bank, our activities are limited to those that are permissible for Fifth Third Bank to engage in, which include activities that are part of, or incidental to, the business of banking. Accordingly, we are subject to a covenant in the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement that is intended to facilitate compliance by Fifth Third Bank with relevant federal and state banking laws.
 
In addition, new activities that we may wish to commence in the future may not be permissible for us under relevant federal or state banking laws, or may require prior regulatory approvals. More generally, the Federal Reserve has broad powers to approve, deny or refuse to act upon applications or notices for us to conduct new activities, acquire or divest businesses or assets, or reconfigure existing operations.

Because of the foregoing limitations, and in particular, Fifth Third Bank’s interest in us, it may be difficult for us to engage in activities abroad or invest in a non-U.S. company. We and Fifth Third Bank may seek to engage in offshore acquisitions and activities through various regulatory structures and entities, each of which will generally require prior regulatory approval. The Federal Reserve and the ODFI would therefore have substantial discretion as to whether any such regulatory structures or entities could be utilized, whether we would be permitted to operate or invest in a non-U.S. company, and under what conditions such structures or entities could operate.
  
In light of the foregoing, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully engage in activities abroad or invest in a non-U.S. company. Any activities or other regulatory restrictions or approval requirements applicable to us as a result of our affiliation for bank regulatory purposes with Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank may inhibit our expansion into new markets or new business lines and may limit our ability to acquire other businesses or enter into other strategic transactions, which may in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to regulation and enforcement by the CFPB because we are an affiliate of Fifth Third Bank (which is an insured depository institution with greater than $10 billion in assets) for bank regulatory purposes and because we are a service provider to insured depository institutions with assets of $10 billion or more in connection with their consumer financial products and to entities that are larger participants in markets for consumer financial products and services such as prepaid cards. CFPB rules and examinations may require us to adjust our activities and may increase our compliance costs, which could have a materialan adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Changes in tax laws or their interpretations, or becoming subject to additional international, U.S., state or local taxes that cannot be passed through to our merchants, could reduce our net income.
We are subject to tax laws in each jurisdiction where we do business. Changes in tax laws or their interpretations could decrease the amount of revenues we receive, the value of any tax loss carryforwards and tax credits recorded on our balance sheet and the amount of our cash flow, and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, companies in the electronic payments industry, including us, may become subject to incremental taxation in various tax jurisdictions. Taxing jurisdictions have not yet adopted uniform positions on this topic. If we are required to pay additional taxes and are unable to pass the tax expense through to our merchants, our costs would increase and our net income would be reduced.


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The costs and effects of pending and future litigation, investigations or similar matters, or adverse facts and developments related thereto, could materially affect our business, financial position and results of operations.
 
We are involved in various litigation matters and from time to time may be involved in governmental or regulatory investigations or similar matters arising out of our current or future business. Our insurance or indemnities may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm

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our reputation. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves in pending or future litigation or similar matters under various laws. Should the ultimate judgments or settlements in any pending litigation or future litigation or investigation significantly exceed our insurance coverage, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
We may not be able to successfully manage our intellectual property and may be subject to infringement claims.
 
We rely on a combination of contractual rights and copyright, trademark, patent and trade secret laws to establish and protect our proprietary technology. Third parties may challenge, invalidate, circumvent, infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property, or such intellectual property may not be sufficient to permitprovide us to take advantage of current market trends or otherwise to provideany competitive advantages, which could result in costly redesign efforts, discontinuance of certain service offerings or other competitive harm. Others, including ourOur competitors maycould also independently develop similar technology, duplicate our services or design around our intellectual property, and in such cases we could not assert our intellectual property rights against such parties. Further, our contractual arrangements may not effectively prevent disclosure of our confidential information or provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of our confidential information.property. We may havebe forced to litigate to enforce or determine the scope and enforceability of our intellectual property rights, trade secrets and know-how, which is expensive, could cause a diversion of resources and may not prove successful. Also, because of the rapid pace of technological change in our industry, aspects of our business and our services rely on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties on reasonable terms or at all. The loss of intellectual property protection or the inability to obtain third party intellectual property could harm our business and ability to compete.
 
We may also be subject to costly litigation in the event our services and technology infringe upon or otherwise violate a third party’s proprietary rights. Third parties mayrights, or if a third party claims we have or may eventually be issued, patents that could be infringed by our services or technology. Any of these third parties could make a claim of infringement against us with respect to our services or technology. We may also be subject to claims by third parties for breach ofbreached their copyright, trademark, license usage or other intellectual property rights. Any claim from third parties may result in a limitation on our ability to use the intellectual property subject to these claims. Additionally, in recent years,we could be required to defend against individuals and groups who have been purchasing intellectual property assets for the sole purpose of making claims of infringement and attempting to extract settlements from companies like ours. Even if we believe that intellectual property related claims are without merit, defending against such claims is time consuming and expensive and could result in the diversion of the time and attention of our management and employees. Claims of intellectual property infringement also might require us to redesign affected services, enter intopay costly settlement or license agreements, pay costly damage awards, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibitingprevent us from marketing or selling certain of our services. Even if we have an agreement for indemnification against such costs, the indemnifying party, if any in such circumstances, may be unable to uphold its contractual obligations. If we cannot redesign affected services or do not license the infringed technology on reasonable terms or substitute similar technology from another source, our revenue and earnings could be adversely impacted.
 
Finally, we use open source software in connection with our technology and services. Companies that incorporate open source software into their products have, from time to time, faced claims challenging the ownership of open source software. As a result, we could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software. Somesoftware, which we use in connection with our technology and services. Despite our efforts to prevent it from occurring, we could be required to by some of our open source software licenses require users who distribute open source software as part of their software to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to such software and/or make available any derivative works of the open source code on unfavorable terms or at no cost. While we monitor the use of open source software in our technology and services and try to ensure that none is used in a manner that would require us to disclose the source code to the related technology or service, such use could inadvertently occur and anyAny requirement to disclose our proprietary source code could be harmful to our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
If we lose key personnel or are unable to attract, recruit, retain and develop qualified employees, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
 
We are dependent upon the ability and experience of a number of our key personnel who have substantial experience with our operations, the rapidly changing payment processing industry and the selected markets in which we offer our services. Many of our key personnel have worked for us for a significant amount of time or were recruited by us specifically due to their industry experience. It is possible that theThe loss of the services of one or a combination of our senior executives or key managers, including Charles D. Drucker, our chief executive officer, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.




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In a dynamic industry like ours, the ability to attract, recruit, retain and develop qualified employees is critical to our success and growth.
Our business functions at the intersection of rapidly changing technological, social, economic and regulatory developments that require a wide ranging set of expertise and intellectual capital. InAdditionally, in order for us to successfully compete and grow, we must attract, recruit, retain and develop the necessary personnel who can provide the needed expertise across the entire spectrum of our intellectual capital needs. While weWe have a numberhired significant numbers of our keynew personnel who have substantial experience with our operations, wein recent years and must also develop ourcontinue to hire additional personnel to provide succession plans capable of maintaining continuity in the midst of the inevitable unpredictability of human capital.execute our strategic plans. However, the market for qualified personnel is competitive, and we may not succeed in recruiting additional personnel or may fail to effectively replace current personnel who depart with qualified or effective successors. We have hired significant numbers of new personnel since our separation from Fifth Third Bank and must continue to hire additional personnel to execute our strategic plans. Our effort to retain and develop personnel may also result in significant additional expenses, which could adversely affect our profitability. We cannot assure that qualified employees will continue to be employed or that we will be able to attract and retain qualified personnel in the future.depart. Failure to retain or attract key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Our operating results are subject to seasonality, which could result in fluctuations in our quarterly net income.
 
We have experienced in the past, and expect to continue to experience, seasonal fluctuations in our revenues as a result of consumer spending patterns. Historically our revenues have been strongest in our fourth quarter, and weakest in our first quarter. This is due to the increase in the number and amount of electronic payment transactions related to seasonal retail events.

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We may need to raise additional funds to finance our future capital needs, which may prevent us from growing our business.
 
We may need to raise additional funds to finance our future capital needs, including developing new services and technologies, and to fund ongoing operating expenses. We also may need additional financing earlier than we anticipate if we, among other things:
are required to pay significant settlements or fines;
repurchase our common stock; or
finance Vantiv, Inc.’s purchase of Class B units of Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third Bank upon the exercise of theirits right to put theirits Class B units of Vantiv Holding to Vantiv, Inc. in exchange for cash to the extent that we decide to purchase rather than exchange such units for Class A common stock.
 
If we raise additional funds through the sale of equity securities, these transactions may dilute the value of our outstanding Class A common stock. In addition, any issuance of securities constituting more than 20% of the total of our outstanding common stock, with certain limited exceptions, and incurrences of indebtedness that cause us to fail to meet a specified leverage ratio are subject to the consent rights of Fifth Third Bank set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement. We may also decide to issue securities, including debt securities that have rights, preferences and privileges senior to our Class A common stock. Any debt financing would increase our already high level of indebtedness and could negatively affect our liquidity and restrict our operations. We may be unable to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us or at all. If financing is not available or is not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to fund our future needs. This may prevent us from increasing our market share, capitalizing on new business opportunities or remaining competitive in our industry.
  
Potential clients may be reluctant to switch to a new vendor, which may adversely affect our growth.
Many potential clients, including both financial institutions and merchants, worry about potential disadvantages associated with switching payment processing vendors, such as a loss of accustomed functionality, increased costs and business disruption. For potential clients of our Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services segments, switching from one vendor of core processing or related software and services (or from an internally-developed system) to a new vendor is a significant undertaking. As a result, potential clients often resist change. We seek to overcome this resistance through strategies such as making investments to enhance the functionality of our software. However, there can be no assurance that our strategies for overcoming potential clients’ reluctance to change vendors will be successful, and this resistance may adversely affect our growth.

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We have a long sales cycle for many of our services, and if we fail to close sales after expending significant time and resources to do so, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
 
The initial installation and set-up of many of our services often involve significant resource commitments by our clients, particularly those with larger operational scale. Potential clients generally commit significant resources to an evaluation of available services and require us to expend substantial time (up to six(six to nine months)months is not uncommon), effort and money educating them as to the value of our services. We incur substantial costs in order to obtain each new customer. We may expend significant funds and management resources during thea sales cycle and ultimately fail to close the sale. Our sales cycle may be extended due to our clients’ budgetary constraints or for other reasons. If we are unsuccessful in closing sales after expending significant funds and management resources or we experience delays, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Risks Related to Our CompanyIndebtedness and Our Organizational Structure
 
Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry, expose us to interest rate risk to the extent of our variable rate debt and prevent us from meeting our debt obligations.
 
We have a high level of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2013,2015, we had total indebtedness of $1.8$3.1 billion. For the year ended December 31, 2013,2015, total payments under our annual debt service obligations, including interest and principal, were approximately $97$215 million. Our high degree of leverage could have significant negative consequences, including:
increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments;
requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereforethereby reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund our operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;
exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates because certain of our borrowings, including and most significantlyour borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities, are at variable rates of interest;
making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, and any failure to comply with the obligations of any of our debt instruments, including restrictive covenants and borrowing conditions, which could result in an event of default under the agreements governing such indebtedness;
restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures;
making it more difficult for us to obtain payment network sponsorship and clearing services from financial institutions;

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limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes; and
limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or market conditions and placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who are less highly leveraged and who, therefore, may be able to take advantage of opportunities that our leverage prevents us from exploiting.
 
The majority of our indebtedness consists of indebtedness under our senior secured credit facilities consisting of a term A loan which maturematures in 2018.2019 and a term B loan which matures in 2021. We may not be able to refinance our senior secured credit facilities or any other existing indebtedness because of our high level of debt, debt incurrence restrictions under our debt agreements or because of adverse conditions in credit markets generally.

Despite our high indebtedness level, we still may be able to incur significant additional amounts of debt, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.
We may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. Although our senior secured credit facilities contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and under certain circumstances, the amount of indebtedness that could be incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. For example, we may incur up to $400$425 million of additional debt pursuant to an incremental facility under our senior secured credit facilities, subject to certain terms and conditions. If new debt is added to our outstanding debt levels, the risks related to our indebtedness that we will face would increase.


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Our use of derivative financial instruments may not be successful in managing our interest rate risks and could result in material financial losses by us.

From time to time,To the extent that we have sought to reducehedge our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, through the use of interest rate hedging arrangements. To the extent that we hedge our interest rate exposures, we forgo the benefits we would otherwise experience if interest rates were to change in our favor. Developing an effective strategy for dealing with movements in interest rates is complex, and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with such fluctuations. In addition, a counterparty to the arrangement could default on its obligation, thereby exposing us to credit risk. Further, we may have to repay certain costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if we terminate these arrangements. Finally, our interest rate risk management activities could expose us to substantial losses if interest rates move materially differently from management's expectations. As a result, we cannot assure that our interest rate hedging arrangements will effectively manage our interest rate sensitivity or have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
 
Our balance sheet includes significant amounts of goodwill and intangible assets. The impairment of a significant portion of these assets would negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Our balance sheet includes goodwill and intangible assets that represent 65% of our total assets at December 31, 20132015. These assets consist primarily of goodwill and customer relationship intangible assets associated with our acquisitions. WeAdditional acquisitions would also expect to engage in additional acquisitions, which may result in our recognition of additional goodwill and intangible assets. Under current accounting standards, we are required to amortize certain intangible assets over the useful life of the asset, while goodwill and certain other intangible assets areis not amortized. On at least an annual basis, we assess whether there have been impairments in the carrying value of goodwill and certain intangible assets. If the carrying value of the asset is determined to be impaired, then it is written down to fair value by a charge to operating earnings. An impairment of a significant portion of goodwill or intangible assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
We are party to tax receivable agreements with Fifth Third Bank and the amounts we may be required to pay under these agreements couldare expected to be significant. In certain cases, payments under the tax receivable agreements may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits we realize in respect of the tax attributes subject to the tax receivable agreements.
 
We are party to two tax receivable agreements with Fifth Third Bank. One provides for the payment by us to Fifth Third Bank("TRAs") as further described in "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of 85%Financial Condition and Results of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that we actually realize as a result of the increases in tax basis that may result from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units from Fifth Third Bank or from the future exchange of units by Fifth Third Bank for cash or shares of our Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such tax receivable agreement. Any actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the agreement, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of shares of our Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable, and the amount and timing of our income. The other tax receivable agreement provides for the payment by us to Fifth Third Bank of 85% of the amount of cash savings according to Fifth Third Bank's respective ownership interests in Vantiv Holding immediately prior to our initial public offering, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that NPC actually realizes as a result of its use of its NOLs and other tax attributes.

Operations." The payments we will be required to make under these tax receivable agreements couldTRAs are expected to be substantial. As of December 31, 20132015, we recordedhave a liability recorded of approximately $560 million$1.0 billion associated with the TRAs. Because payments under the TRAs are determined based on realized cash savings resulting from the underlying tax receivable agreements.attributes, a period of declining profitability would result in a corresponding reduction in our TRA payments. We will incur additional liabilities in connection with any future purchases by us of units in Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third Bank or from the future exchange of units by Fifth Third Bank for cash or shares of our Class A common stock. If Fifth Third Bank had exchanged its remaining Class B units of Vantiv Holding, had exercised the remaining warrant and exchanged the Class C units of Vantiv Holding, all for shares of Class A common stock whichon December 31, 2015, we cannot quantify at this timewould have recorded an additional full and which could be significant.undiscounted TRA obligation of approximately $1.1 billion. This estimate is subject to material change based on changes in Fifth Third Bank’s tax basis in the partnership interest, changes in tax rates, or significant changes in our stock price.  It is possible that future transactions or events, including changes in tax rates, could increase or decrease the actual tax benefits

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realized and the corresponding tax receivable agreementTRA payments. There may be a material adverse effect on our liquidity if, as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise, distributions to us by Vantiv Holding are not sufficient to permit us to make payments under the tax receivable agreements after we have paid taxes. The payments under the tax receivable agreements are not conditioned upon the continued ownership of us or Vantiv Holding by Fifth Third Bank.
In certain cases, payments under the tax receivable agreements may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits we realize in respect of the tax attributes subject to the tax receivable agreements.TRAs.
  
The tax receivable agreementsTRAs provide that, upon certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combination or certain other changes of control, our obligations to make payments with respect to tax benefits would be based on certain assumptions, including that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully use the NOLs or deductions arising from increased tax basis of assets. As a result, upon a merger or other change of control, we could be required to make payments under the tax receivable agreementsTRAs that are greater than 85% of our actual tax savings.

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We may elect to terminate any or all of the remaining tax receivable agreementsTRAs prior to the time they terminate in accordance with their terms. If we were to so elect, or if we materially breach a material obligation in the TRAs and we do not cure such breach within a specified time period, we would be required to make an immediate payment equal to the present value of the anticipated future tax benefits taken into account under the tax receivable agreements.TRAs. In addition, if we materially breach a material obligation in the tax receivable agreements and we do not cure such breach within a specified time period, we would also be required to make an immediate payment equal to the present value of the anticipated future tax benefits taken into account under such tax receivable agreement. In the event of either a unilateral termination or a material breach of a material obligation,these circumstances, the anticipated future tax benefits would be determined under certain assumptions that in general assume that we would recognize the greatest amount of benefits at the earliest time. As a result, the payments we would be required to make if we elect to terminate any or all of the tax receivable agreements, unilaterally or otherwise, or if a material breach occurs that is not cured within a specified time period could exceed 85% of the tax savings that we actually realize from the increased tax basis and/or the NOLs, and we could be required to make those payments significantly in advance of the time the tax savings arise.

We will not be reimbursed for any payments made under or relating to the tax receivable agreements in the event that any tax benefits are disallowed.
If the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, challenges the tax basis increases or NOLs that give rise to payments under the tax receivable agreementsTRAs and the tax basis increases or NOLs are subsequently disallowed, the recipients of payments under those agreements will not reimburse us for any payments we previously made to them. Any such disallowance would be taken into account in determining future payments under the tax receivable agreements and would, therefore, reduce the amount of any such future payments. Nevertheless, if the claimed tax benefits from the tax basis increases or NOLs are disallowed, our payments under the tax receivable agreementsTRAs could exceed our actual tax savings, and we may not be able to recoup payments under the tax receivable agreementsTRAs that were calculated on the assumption that the disallowed tax savings were available.
 
We are a holding company and our principal assets are our interests in Vantiv Holding, and we depend on dividends, distributions and other payments advances and transfers of funds from Vantiv Holding to meet any existing or future debt service and other obligations and to pay dividends, if any, and taxes and other expenses.
 
We are a holding company (and are required to remain as one until the exchange agreement, dated March 21, 2012 between us and Fifth Third Bank, or the Exchange Agreement, is no longer in effect), and we conduct all of our operations through Vantiv Holding and its subsidiaries. We have no material assets other than our ownership of units of Vantiv Holding. We have no independent means of generating revenues. The Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement contains consent rights that effectively require Fifth Third Bank’s approval of all distributions paid by Vantiv Holding, other than periodic tax distributions, payments required under the Exchange Agreement and payments under the Advancement Agreement dated March 21, 2012 between us and Vantiv Holding, which allows us to make payments under our tax receivable agreement related to the NPC NOLs, make payments under our other tax receivable agreements to the extent not covered by payments made pursuant to the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement and make payments required under the Exchange Agreement, pay our franchise taxes and cover our reasonable administrative and corporate expenses. To the extent that we need funds and Vantiv Holding is restricted from making such distributions to us under applicable law or regulation, as a result of Fifth Third Bank’s consent rights at Vantiv Holding, or by the terms of Vantiv Holding’s indebtedness, or Vantiv Holding is otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect our liquidity and, consequently, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations and management are subject to certain consent rights and other rights in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement.
All of our business and operations are conducted through Vantiv Holding. Significant, non-ordinary course actions relating to these operations are subject to the consent rights provided to Fifth Third Bank in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement. These consent rights relate to, among other things, certain change of control transactions; acquisitions, dispositions, incurrences of indebtedness by us if we fail to meet a specified leverage ratio after giving effect to such incurrences; investments by us; equity issuances above specified thresholds; declaration and payment of dividends by Vantiv Holding; transactions with affiliates; changes to Vantiv Holding’s business plan; capital expenditures; material changes to the Vantiv Holding Management Phantom Equity Plan; hiring or firing of auditors; material tax elections; and changes in constituent documents or governance of our subsidiaries. Such consent rights lapse upon Fifth Third disposing in excess of 50% of its equity stake in us that it held immediately following our initial public offering. As a result of Fifth Third’s sales of our common stock during 2012 and 2013, it has sold approximately 41.8% of such equity stake. While such consent rights remain in effect, to the extent that the interests

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of Fifth Third Bank differ from those of us or the holders of our Class A common stock, Fifth Third Bank’s ability to consent to certain significant actions may have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain of our stockholders have interests and positions that could present potential conflicts with our and our other stockholders’ interests.
Advent makes investments in companies and may, from time to time, acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. Advent and Fifth Third Bank may alsohas the ability to pursue, for theirits own accounts, business line or acquisition opportunities that may be similar or complementary to our business, and as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. Advent, through one of its private equity investments, owns an equity interest in WorldPay, one of our direct competitors, which may result in their being provided with business opportunities through their relationship with Advent instead of us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy we may have in certain corporate opportunities held by or known to our directors affiliated with Advent and Fifth Third Bank in certain corporate opportunities.Bank. Accordingly, the interests of Advent and Fifth Third Bank may supersede ours, causing themit or theirits affiliates to compete against us or to pursue opportunities instead of us, for which we would have no recourse. Such actions on the part of Advent and Fifth Third Bank and inaction on our part could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some provisions of Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may deter third parties from acquiring us and diminish the value of our Class A common stock.
 
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide for, among other things: 
restrictions on the ability of our stockholders to call a special meeting and the business that can be conducted at such meeting; 
prohibition on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors elected by the holders of our Class A common stock without cause;
our ability to issue additional shares of Class A common stock and to issue preferred stock with terms that the board of directors may determine, in each case without stockholder approval (other than as specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation);
the absence of cumulative voting in the election of directors;

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supermajority approval requirements for amending or repealing provisions in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws;
a classified board of directors;
a prohibition on action by written consent of stockholders following the date when Advent and Fifth Third Bank collectively cease to beneficially own 50% or more of our outstanding shares of, collectively, Class A common stock and Class B common stock;stockholders; and
advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations.
 
These provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company that is in the best interest of our minority stockholders. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our Class A common stock if they are viewed as discouraging future takeover attempts. These provisions could also make it more difficult for stockholders to nominate directors for election to our board of directors and take other corporate actions.

 Risks Related to the Ownership of our Class A Common Stock
 
Future sales of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Class A common stock could depress the market price of our Class A common stock.
 
Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock. As of December 31, 20132015, we had 141,758,681155,488,326 shares of Class A common stock outstanding. Subject to vesting requirementscompliance with applicable documentation, which includes the Exchange Agreement and may include the requirementsWarrant, Fifth Third Bank could acquire up to 42,834,782 shares of Rule 144our Class A common stock.  Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, Fifth Third Bank is entitled to certain demand and "piggyback" registration rights and any shares of the Securities Act, approximately 90,627,651 additional shares will beour Class A common stock that are sold by Fifth Third Bank pursuant to such a registration would become eligible for sale in the public market including any shareswithout restriction.  In addition, we have filed registration statements on Form S-8 relating to an aggregate of Class A common stock that Fifth Third Bank obtains through the exercise of their right to exchange Class B units of Vantiv

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Holding for shares of our Class A common stock, as well as any shares of Class A common stock obtained through any conversion of Class C non-voting units of Vantiv Holding issuable upon exercise of the Warrant held by Fifth Third Bank. Advent and Fifth Third Bank (and certain permitted transferees thereof) have registration rights with respect to the Class A common stock they hold. We have also registered 35,500,00039,750,519 shares of our Class A common stock that we have issued or have reserved for issuance under our 2012 equity incentive plan.may issue in the future pursuant to employee benefit plans. These shares may be sold in the public market upon issuance and once vested, subject to the terms of the equity incentive plan and applicable award agreements.
We also may issue our sharesFailure to maintain effective systems of common stock or securities convertible into our common stock from time to time in connection with a financing, acquisition, investments or otherwise. Any such issuanceinternal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders.  Due to these factors, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock inadversely affect the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to or could sell shares, could reduce the markettrading price of our common stock.  Any decline
Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide accurate financial information. If we are unable to adequately maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, which could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and negatively affect the trading price of shares of our Class A common stock could impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our Class A common stock or other equity securities.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management's attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the NYSE and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations has increased and will continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly, and increase demand on our systems and resources.
We have and will continue to consume management resources and incur significant expenses for Section 404 compliance on an ongoing basis. In the event that our chief executive officer, chief financial officer or independent registered public accounting firm determines in the futurestock. Furthermore, we cannot be certain that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective as defined under Section 404, weand disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all possible error and fraud. Because of inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of error or fraud, if any, in our company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake, which could be subject to one or more investigations or enforcement actions by state or federal regulatory agencies, stockholder lawsuits or otherhave an adverse actions requiring us to incur defense costs, pay fines, settlements or judgments and causing investor perceptions to be adversely affected and potentially resulting in a decline in the market price ofimpact on our Class A common stock.business.
The price of our Class A common stock may be volatile.
 
Securities markets worldwide have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions could reduce the market price of our Class A common stock regardless of our results of operations. The trading price of our Class A common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide price fluctuations in response to various factors, including, among other things, the risk factors described in this section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other factors beyond our control.  Factors affecting the trading price of our common stock will include:
market conditions in the broader stock market; 
actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly financial and operating results; 
variations in operating results of similar companies; 
introduction of new services by us, our competitors or our clients
issuance of new, negative or changed securities analysts’ reports or recommendations or estimates; 
investor perceptions of us and the industries in which we or our clients operate; 

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sales, or anticipated sales, of our stock, including sales by existing stockholders; 
additions or departures of key personnel; 
regulatory or political developments; 
stock-based compensation expense under applicable accounting standards; 
litigation and governmental investigations; and
changing economic conditions.
 

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These and other factors may cause the market price and demand for shares of our Class A common stock to fluctuate substantially, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares of Class A common stock and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of our Class A common stock. In addition, in the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. Securities litigation against us, regardless of the merits or outcome, could result in substantial costs and divert the time and attention of our management from our business, which could significantly harm our business, profitability and reputation.
 
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock since our initial public offering, and we have no current plando not intend to do so.in the foreseeable future.
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock since our initial public offering, and we have no current plando not intend to do so.in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to repay indebtedness and to support our general corporate purposes. We are a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of our own. As a result, our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Vantiv Holding, which are subject to certain Fifth Third Bank consent rights in the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement.Holding. The amounts available to us to pay cash dividends are also restricted by our subsidiaries’ debt agreements, and, to the extent that we require additional funding, the sources of such additional funding may prohibit the payment of a dividend. As a result, appreciation in the price of our Class A common stock, if any, will be yourthe only source of gain on an investment in our Class A common stock.

 

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None

Item 2. Properties
Our principal place of business is our corporate headquarters located at 8500 Governor's Hill Drive, Symmes Township, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249.

In addition to our corporate headquarters, and as of December 31, 20132015, we leased operational, sales, and administrative facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Texas.Texas and owned a facility in Colorado. As of December 31, 20132015, we leased data center facilities in Colorado, Kentucky and Michigan. We believe that our facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as presently conducted, however, we periodically review our facility requirements and may acquire new space to meet the needs of our business or consolidate and dispose of facilities that are no longer required.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings
 
From time to time, we are involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of our business. While it is impossible to ascertain the ultimate resolution or range of financial liability with respect to these contingent matters, management believes none of these matters, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on us.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable


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PART II


Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Price Range of Common Stock

Our Class A common stock has traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "VNTV" since March 22, 2012. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our Class A common stock. Our initial public offering of Class A common stock was priced at $17.00 per share on March 21, 2012. There is currently no established public trading market for our Class B common stock. The information presented in the table below represents the high and low sales prices per share of Class A common stock as reported on the NYSE for the periods indicated.

2012 High Low
First Quarter (beginning March 22, 2012) $20.65
 $18.49
2014 High Low
First Quarter $34.42
 $29.05
Second Quarter $24.43
 $19.30
 $33.74
 $28.45
Third Quarter $24.06
 $21.27
 $34.90
 $30.25
Fourth Quarter $22.15
 $18.85
 $35.11
 $29.35
        
2013 High Low
2015 High Low
First Quarter $23.75
 $19.55
 $39.11
 $32.99
Second Quarter $28.25
 $21.73
 $41.09
 $37.16
Third Quarter $28.70
 $25.37
 $47.02
 $38.20
Fourth Quarter $32.88
 $25.21
 $53.46
 $44.46

There were approximately 10050 holders of record of our Class A common stock and one holder of our Class B common stock as of January 31, 2014.2016.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
 
The following table sets forth information regarding shares of Class A common stock repurchased by us during the three months ended December 31, 20132015:
Period Total Number
of Shares
Purchased (1)(2)
 Average Price
Paid per
Share
 Total Shares
Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs (2)
 Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) (2)
October 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013 18,074
 $27.57
 
 $137.0
November 1, 2013 to November 30, 2013 2,482,211
 $29.53
 2,482,211
 $63.6
December 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 1,011,409
 $30.24
 968,500
 $34.4
Period 
Total Number
of Shares
Purchased
(1)(2)
 Average Price
Paid per
Share
 
Total Shares
Purchased as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Plans or
Programs
(2)
 
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) (2)
October 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015 874,436
 $45.11
 869,651
 $74.6
November 1, 2015 to November 30, 2015 2,463
 $51.11
 
 $74.6
December 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 125
 $47.25
 
 $74.6
 
(1) Includes shares of Class A common stock surrendered to us to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock awards.
(2) On October 22, 2013, our board of directors approved a $137 million share repurchase program. During the three months ended December 31, 2013, we repurchased approximately 3.5 million shares of Class A common stock for approximately $103 million. The repurchases occurred in the open market and pursuant to a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The share repurchase program has no expiration date and may be suspended or discontinued at any time without notice.
(1)
Includes shares of Class A common stock surrendered to us to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock awards.
(2)
On February 12, 2014, our board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to $300 million of our Class A common stock. During the three months ended December 31, 2015, we repurchased approximately 870,000 shares of Class A common stock for approximately $39.3 million. The repurchases occurred in the open market and pursuant to a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The share repurchase program has no expiration date and may be suspended or discontinued at any time without notice.

Dividend Policy

Since our initial public offering, we have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, and we have no current plan to do so. We are a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of our own. As a result, our

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Dividend Policy

Since our initial public offering, we have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not intend to in the foreseeable future. We are a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of our own. As a result, our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Vantiv Holding, which are subject to certain Fifth Third Bank consent rights in the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement.Holding. The amounts available to us to pay cash dividends are also subject to the covenants and restrictions in our subsidiaries' loan agreement.agreements. Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then existing conditions, including our financial condition, operating results, legal and contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

Vantiv Holding paid aggregate tax distributions to or on behalf of its equity holders including Fifth Third Bank and JPDN Enterprises, LLC, an affiliate of Charles D. Drucker, our chief executive officer, of $41.2$12.9 million, $22.9 million and $32.6$41.2 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 2014 and 2012,2013, pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement. Vantiv Holding will continue to make tax distributions to its equity holders in accordance with the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement. In connection with the reorganization transactions in 2012, we paid Fifth Third Bank a $15.0 million fee related to the modification of its consent rights (specifically with respect to (i) increasing the threshold on when certain actions require Fifth Third Bank's approval, (ii) the termination of transferability and (iii) all of the consent rights terminating upon the transfer of more than 50% of the shares of Class A and Class B common stock held by Fifth Third Bank and its affiliates immediately following the consummation of our initial public offering) under the prior Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement. During the year ending December 31, 2012, Vantiv, Inc. made a cash distribution of approximately $40.1 million in the aggregate to certain funds managed by Advent as well as to Pamela H. Patsley, a former director, which amount represented accumulated cash in Vantiv, Inc. resulting from tax distributions we received as a member of Vantiv Holding prior to our initial public offering and that was payable to certain funds managed by Advent as well as to Ms. Patsley as our stockholders prior to our initial public offering.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph shows a comparison from March 22, 2012 (the date our Class A common stock commenced trading on the NYSE) through December 31, 20132015 of the cumulative total return for our Class A common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Information Technology Index. Data for the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Information Technology Index assume reinvestment of dividends. Note that historic stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

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COMPARISON OF 2145 MONTH CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Vantiv, Inc., the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P Information Technology Index

*$100 invested on 3/22/12 in stock or 2/29/12 in index, including reinvestment of dividends.
Fiscal year ending December 31.

This performance graph shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the Securities and Exchange Commission for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Vantiv, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The periods prior to and including June 30, 2009, the date of the separation from Fifth Third Bank, are referred to in the following table as "Predecessor," and all periods after such date are referred to in the following table as "Successor." Prior to the separation from Fifth Third Bank, we operated as a business unit of Fifth Third Bank. As a result, the financial data for the predecessor periods included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K does not necessarily reflect what our financial position or results of operations would have been had we operated as a separate, stand-alone entity during those periods. The financial statements for all successor periods are not comparable to those of the predecessor periods.

The following table sets forth our historical financial and other data for the periods and as of the dates indicated. We derived the statement of income data for the years ended December 31, 2013, 20122015, 2014 and 20112013 and our balance sheet data as of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014 from our audited financial statements for such periods included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The statement of income data for the yearyears ended December 31, 20102012 and the six months ended December 31, 2009 and June 30, 20092011 and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2011, 2010,2013, 2012 and 20092011 are derived from our audited financial statements that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


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The results indicated below are not necessarily indicative of our future performance. You should read this information together with "Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."
  Successor  Predecessor
  Year Ended
December 31,
2013
 Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 Year Ended
December 31,
2011
 Year Ended
December 31,
2010
 Six Months
Ended
December 31,
2009
  Six Months
Ended
June 30,
2009
  (in thousands, except per share data)
Statement of income data:             
Revenue $2,108,077
 $1,863,239
 $1,622,421
 $1,162,132
 $506,002
  $444,724
Network fees and other costs 935,441
 840,597
 756,735
 595,995
 254,925
  221,680
Sales and marketing 312,044
 280,644
 236,917
 98,418
 32,486
  37,561
Other operating costs 200,630
 158,374
 143,420
 124,383
 48,275
  
General and administrative 121,707
 118,231
 86,870
 58,091
 38,058
  8,468
Depreciation and amortization 185,453
 160,538
 155,326
 110,964
 49,885
  2,356
Allocated expenses (1) 
 
 
 
 
  52,980
Income from operations 352,802
 304,855
 243,153
 174,281
 82,373
  121,679
Interest expense-net (40,902) (54,572) (111,535) (116,020) (58,877)  (9,780)
Non-operating expenses (20,000) (92,672) (14,499) (4,300) (9,100)  (127)
Income before applicable income taxes 291,900
 157,611
 117,119
 53,961
 14,396
  111,772
Income tax expense (benefit) 83,760
 46,853
 32,309
 (956) (191)  36,891
Net income 208,140
 110,758
 84,810
 54,917
 14,587
  $74,881
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests (74,568) (53,148) (48,570) (32,924) (16,728)   
Net income (loss) attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $133,572
 $57,610
 $36,240
 $21,993
 $(2,141)   
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock (2):             
Basic $0.96
 $0.50
 $0.40
 $0.25
 $(0.02)   
Diluted $0.87
 $0.47
 $0.40
 $0.25
 $(0.02)   
Shares used in computing net income (loss) per share of Class A common stock (2):             
Basic 138,836,314
 116,258,204
 89,515,617
 89,515,617
 89,515,617
   
Diluted 206,027,557
 122,747,362
 89,515,617
 89,515,617
 89,515,617
   
              
(1)Represent expenses allocated to us prior to June 30, 2009, while we were a business unit of Fifth Third Bank. These expenses were related to certain functions performed by Fifth Third Bank on behalf of the business unit, such as information technology, operational and administrative functions.
(2)We have retrospectively adjusted our earnings per share and average shares outstanding for the Successor periods to reflect the reorganization transactions. See Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

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  As of December 31,
           
  2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
  (in thousands)
Balance sheet data:          
Cash and cash equivalents $171,427
 $67,058
 $370,549
 $236,512
 $289,169
Total assets 4,189,553
 3,979,529
 3,489,710
 3,370,517
 2,661,997
Total long-term liabilities 2,327,918
 1,665,826
 1,793,270
 1,750,977
 1,239,153
Non-controlling interests 408,391
 626,309
 632,022
 599,256
 590,915
Total equity 1,176,322
 1,444,235
 1,255,720
 1,194,713
 1,162,642
 Year Ended
December 31,
2015
 Year Ended
December 31,
2014
 Year Ended
December 31,
2013
 Year Ended
December 31,
2012
 Year Ended
December 31,
2011


(in thousands, except per share data)
Statement of income data:         
Revenue$3,159,938
 $2,577,203
 $2,108,077
 $1,863,239
 $1,622,421
Network fees and other costs1,478,202
 1,174,665
 935,441
 840,597
 756,735
Sales and marketing503,949
 396,353
 312,044
 280,644
 236,917
Other operating costs284,066
 242,439
 200,630
 158,374
 143,420
General and administrative182,369
 173,986
 121,707
 118,231
 86,870
Depreciation and amortization276,942
 275,069
 185,453
 160,538
 155,326
Income from operations434,410
 314,691
 352,802
 304,855
 243,153
Interest expense-net(105,736) (79,701) (40,902) (54,572) (111,535)
Non-operating income (expense)(31,268) 177
 (20,000) (92,672) (14,499)
Income before applicable income taxes297,406
 235,167
 291,900
 157,611
 117,119
Income tax expense88,177
 66,177
 83,760
 46,853
 32,309
Net income209,229
 168,990
 208,140
 110,758
 84,810
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests(61,283) (43,698) (74,568) (53,148) (48,570)
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc.$147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572
 $57,610
 $36,240
Net income per share attributable to Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock:         
Basic$1.02
 $0.88
 $0.96
 $0.50
 $0.40
Diluted$0.95
 $0.75
 $0.87
 $0.47
 $0.40
Shares used in computing net income per share of Class A common stock:         
Basic145,044,577
 141,936,933
 138,836,314
 116,258,204
 89,515,617
Diluted200,934,442
 199,170,813
 206,027,557
 122,747,362
 89,515,617

 As of December 31,
 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
 (in thousands)
Balance sheet data:         
Cash and cash equivalents$197,096
 $411,568
 $171,427
 $67,058
 $370,549
Total assets6,465,426
 6,336,083
 4,189,553
 3,979,529
 3,489,710
Total long-term liabilities3,944,981
 4,072,164
 2,327,918
 1,665,826
 1,793,270
Non-controlling interests272,278
 397,573
 408,391
 626,309
 632,022
Total equity1,225,066
 1,300,586
 1,176,322
 1,444,235
 1,255,720

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
 
This management's discussion and analysis provides a review of the results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and capital resources of Vantiv, Inc. ("Vantiv", "we", "us", "our" or the "company" refer to Vantiv, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries) and outlines the factors that have affected recent results, as well as those factors that may affect future results. Our actual results in the future may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under "Risk Factors," Forward Looking Statements" and elsewhere in this report. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this report.

GeneralOverview

We areVantiv is the thirdsecond largest merchant acquirer and the largest PIN debit acquirer by transaction volume,number of transactions, according to the Nilson Report, and a leading integrated payment processor in the United States differentiated by a single, proprietaryour integrated technology platform. Thisplatform, breadth of distribution and superior cost structure. Our integrated technology platform enables us to efficiently provide a comprehensive suite of comprehensive services to both merchants and financial institutions of all sizes in the United States. Our technology platform offers our clients a single point of access and service that is easy to connect to and use in order to access a broad range of payment services and solutions. Our integrated business and single platform also enable usas well as to innovate, develop and deploy new services, and providewhile providing us with significant economies of scale. Our variedbroad and broadvaried distribution provides us with a growing and diverse client base and channel partner relationships.

We believe our single, proprietary technology platform is differentiated from our competitors' multiple platform architectures. Because of our single point of service and ability to collect, manage and analyze data across the payment processing value chain, we can identify and develop new services more efficiently. Once developed, we can more cost-effectively deploy new solutions to our clients through our single platform. Our single scalable platform also enables us to efficiently manage, update and maintain our technology, increase capacity and speed and realize significant operating leverage.

We enable merchants of all sizes to accept and process credit, debit and prepaid payments and provide them supporting services, such as information solutions, interchange management and fraud management, as well as vertical-specific solutions in sectors such as grocery, pharmacy, retail, petroleum and restaurants/quick service restaurants. We also provide mission critical payment services to financial institutions, such as card issuer processing, payment network processing, fraud protection, card production, prepaid program management, ATM driving and network gateway and switching services that utilize our proprietary Jeanie PIN debit payment network.

We provide small and mid-sized clients with the comprehensive solutions that we have developed to address the extensive requirements of our large clients. We then tailor these solutions to the unique needs of our small and mid-sized clients. In addition, we take a consultative approach to providing these services that helps our clients enhance their payments-related services.

We distribute our services through diversified distribution channels using a unified sales approach that enables us to efficiently and effectively target merchants and financial institutions of all sizes. These channels include a national sales force that targetsinstitutions. Our merchant client base includes approximately 800,000 merchant locations across the United States and is heavily-weighted in non-discretionary everyday spend categories where spending has generally been more resilient during economic downturns. In 2015, we processed approximately 19.0 billion transactions for these merchants. Our financial institution client base includes approximately 1,400 financial institutions, including regional banks, community banks, credit unions and national merchants, regional and mid-market sales teams that sell solutions to merchants and third-party reseller clients and a telesales operation that targets small and mid-sized merchants.PIN debit networks. In addition,2015, we have relationships with a broad range of merchant banks; technology partners, which include independent software vendors, or ISVs, value-added resellers, or VARs and payment facilitators; independent sales organizations, or ISOs, and trade associations that target merchants, including difficult to reach small and mid-sized merchants. We also have relationships with third-party resellers and core processors that targetprocessed approximately 4.0 billion transactions for these financial institutions. See Item 1 - Business for a more detailed discussion of the business overview.

Executive Overview

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 20132015 increased 13%23% to $2,108.1$3,159.9 million from $1,863.2$2,577.2 million in 2012.     2014.     

Income from operations for the year ended December 31, 20132015 increased 16%38% to $352.8$434.4 million from $304.9$314.7 million in 2012.2014.

Net income for the year ended December 31, 20132015 increased 88%24% to $208.1$209.2 million from $110.8$169.0 million in 2012.2014. Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 20132015 increased 132%18% to $133.6$147.9 million from $57.6$125.3 million in 2012.
2014. See the "Results of Operations" section of this Management's Discussion and Analysis for a discussion of our financial results.

Strategic Capital Deployment

The highly recurring nature of our revenues and significant cost structure advantages provided by our integrated technology platform enable our business to generate high levels of free cash flow. As a result, we maintain a balanced and strategic focus on capital allocation with priorities of investing in our business for growth and returning capital to shareholders. In-line with these priorities, the following events during 2015 signify our efforts to strategically deploy capital to our shareholders:

In January 2015, we made an early principal payment of $200 million on our term B loan. See Note 6 - Long-Term Debt in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information about the early principal payment.

In July 2015, we entered into a Repurchase Addendum to Tax Receivable Agreement (the "TRA Addendum") with each of the Mercury Payment Systems, LLC ("Mercury") pre-acquisition owners ("TRA Holders"), which terminated and settled a portion of our obligations under the Mercury TRA, in consideration for a cash payment of $44.8 million that was paid on a pro rata basis to the Mercury TRA Holders. In addition, under the terms of the TRA Addendum, we are granted call options and the Mercury TRA Holders are granted put options to settle the remaining obligations under the Mercury TRA. See Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information about the TRA transaction.

In October 2015, we entered into a tax receivable purchase addendum with Fifth Third to terminate a portion of our obligations owed to Fifth Third under the Fifth Third TRA. Under the terms of the tax receivable repurchase

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In May 2013, a secondary offering took place in which selling shareholders sold 40.7 million shares of Vantiv Class A common stock. We did not receive any proceeds from these sales. In connection with the secondary offering, we repurchased approximately 17.5 million shares of our Class A common stock sold to the underwriters in the secondary offering for $400 million at a price per share equal to the price paid by the underwriters to purchase the shares from the selling shareholders in the offering. In connection with the stock repurchase, we refinanced our existing senior secured credit facilities, resulting in an increase in the amount of debt by approximately $650 million, $400 million of which was used to fund the share repurchase.
In August and November 2013, secondary offerings took place in which selling shareholders sold 20.0 million and 15.0 million shares, respectively, of our Class A common stock. We did not receive any proceeds from these sales.

On October 22, 2013, our board of directors approved a program to repurchase up to $137 million of our Class A common stock. Through December 31, 2013, 3.5 million shares have been repurchased under this program for approximately $103 million. As of the date of this filing, repurchases pursuant to the October 2013 authorization were substantially complete. On February 12, 2014, our board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of our Class A common stock.
On October 23, 2013, we entered into substantially identical tax receivable termination agreements with Advent International Corporation, or Advent, and JPDN Enterprises, LLC, or JPDN, to terminate the obligations owed to them under the tax receivable agreements, or TRAs, established at the time of our initial public offering, or IPO. Under the terms of the tax receivable termination agreements,addendum, we paid approximately $112$49 million to Advent and $0.5 million to JPDNFifth Third to settle approximately $254$140 million of obligations under the TRAs, the difference of which was recorded as an addition to paid-in capital. As a result of the termination agreements, the TRAs with Advent and JPDN were terminated, and we have no further obligations to Advent or JPDN under the TRAs.  We remain obligated to pay amounts due to Fifth Third Bank under their TRAs. Advent is a stockholder, and JPDN is an affiliate of our president and chief executive officer. A special committee of our board of directors comprised of independent, disinterested directors authorized the tax receivable termination agreements.TRA. See Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additionalmore information about the TRAs. TRA transaction.

In December 2015, we entered into a warrant cancellation agreement (the "Warrant Cancellation Agreement") with Fifth Third Bank to cancel a portion of the warrant that was issued to Fifth Third on June 30, 2009. The Warrant Cancellation Agreement canceled the rights under the warrant to purchase approximately 4.8 million Class C Units of Vantiv Holding for aggregate consideration of $200 million paid by us to Fifth Third. At the time of the Warrant Cancellation Agreement, the 4.8 million Class C Units cancelled would have been equivalent to approximately 3.2 million dilutive shares on a full quarterly basis. See Note 9 - Controlling and Non-controlling Interests in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information about the warrant cancellation.

Throughout 2015 we repurchased approximately 4.4 million shares of our Class A common stock for approximately $200.4 million under various programs approved by our board of directors. See Note 12 - Capital Stock in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information about the share repurchases.

Recent AcquisitionsAcquisition

On November 30, 2012,June 13, 2014, we acquired Litle & Co., LLC ("Litle"), an ecommerce payment processorMercury for approximately $361$1.68 billion in cash and $192.5 million in cash. Thecontingent consideration related to the Mercury TRA entered into with the Mercury TRA Holders as part of the acquisition of Litle has strengthenedMercury. We funded the acquisition by borrowing an additional $1.7 billion through an amendment and refinancing of our capabilities in ecommerce, expanded our customer base of on-line merchantssenior secured credit facilities. Mercury is a payment technology and enabled delivery of Litle's innovative ecommerceservice leader whose solutions are integrated into point-of-sale software applications and brought to our merchantmarket through dealer and financial institution clients. On July 31, 2013, we acquired Element Payment Services, Inc. for approximately $162.5 million in cash.developer partners. This acquisition provides us the strategic capabilitieshelps to partner with ISVs and positions us to increaseaccelerate our presencegrowth in the integrated payments market.channel. The operations of Litle and ElementMercury are included in our Merchant Services segment operating results.

Our Segments, Revenue and Expenses
 
Segments
 
We operate as a single integrated business and report our results of operations in two segments, Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services. We evaluate segment performance based upon segment profit, which is defined as net revenue, which represents total revenue less network fees and other costs, less sales and marketing expense attributable to that segment.

Merchant Services

We provide See Item 1 - Business for a comprehensive suitemore detailed discussion of payment processing services, including acquiring and processing transactions, value-added services and merchant services for banks and credit unions. We authorize, clear, settle and provide reporting for electronic payment transactions for our merchant services clients. Our client base includes over 400,000 merchant locations, with a concentration in the non-discretionary everyday spend categories where spending has generally been more resilient during economic downturns.

We provide our merchant services to merchants of varying sizes, which provides us with a number of key benefits. Due to the large transaction volume that they generate, large national merchants provide us with significant operating scale efficiencies and recurring revenues. Small and mid-sized merchants are more difficult to reach on an individual basis, but generally generate higher per transaction fees.


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Financial Institution Services

We provide integrated card issuer processing, payment network processing and value-added services to financial institutions. Our services include a comprehensive suite of transaction processing capabilities, including fraud protection, card production, prepaid cards, ATM driving, portfolio optimization, data analytics and card program marketing and allow financial institutions to offer electronic payments solutions to their customers on a secure and reliable technology platform at a competitive cost. We provide these services using a consultative approach that helps our financial institution clients enhance their payments-related business.

We serve a diverse set of financial institutions, including regional banks, community banks, credit unions and regional PIN debit networks. We focus on small to mid-sized institutions with less than $15 billion in assets. Smaller financial institutions, including many of our clients, generally do not have the scale or infrastructure typical of large banks and are more likely to outsource payment processing needs. We provide a turnkey solution to such institutions to enable them to offer payment processing solutions.business segments.

Revenue
 
We generate revenue primarily by processing electronic payment transactions. Set forth below is a description of our revenues by segment and factors impacting segment revenues.

 Our Merchant Services segment revenues are primarily derived from processing credit and debit card transactions. Merchant Services revenue is primarily comprised of fees charged to businesses, net of interchange fees, for payment processing services, including authorization, capture, clearing, settlement and information reporting of electronic transactions. The fees charged consist of either a percentage of the dollar volume of the transaction or a fixed fee, or both, and are recognized at the time of the transaction. Merchant Services revenue also includes a number of revenue items that are incurred by us and are reimbursable as the costs are passed through to and paid by our clients. These items primarily consist of Visa, MasterCard and other payment network fees. In addition, for sales through referral partners in which we are the primary party to the contract with the merchant, we record the full amount of the fees collected from the merchant as revenue. Associated residual payments made to referral partners are included in sales and marketing expenses. Merchant Services revenue also includes revenue from ancillary services such as fraud management, equipment sales and terminal rent. Revenue in our Merchant Services segment is impacted primarily by transaction volume, average transaction size, the mix of merchant types in our client portfolio, the performance of our merchant clients and the effectiveness of our distribution channels.
    
Our Financial Institution Services revenues are primarily derived from debit, credit and ATM card transaction processing, ATM driving and support, and PIN debit processing services. Financial Institution Services revenue associated with processing transactions includes per transaction and account related fees, card production fees and fees generated from our Jeanie network. Financial Institution Services revenue is impacted by the number of financial institutions using our services as well as their transaction volume. The number of financial institutions in the United States has declined as a result of prevailing economic conditions and consolidation, as well as other market and regulatory pressures. These factors have contributed to industry-wide pricing compression of the fees that financial institutions are willing to pay for payment processing. Since 2011,

33




pricing compression in the Financial Institution Services segment has represented on average 3% or less of segment net revenue on an annual basis.
 
Network Fees and Other Costs
 
Network fees and other costs primarily consist primarily of chargespass through expenses incurred by us which we pass throughin connection with providing processing services to our clients, including Visa and MasterCard and othernetwork association fees, payment network fees, card production costs,third party processing expenses, telecommunication charges, postage and other third party processing expenses.card production costs.
 
Net Revenue
 
Net revenue is revenue, less network fees and other costs and reflects revenue generated from the services we provide to our clients. Management uses net revenue to assess our operating performance. We believe that net revenue, when reviewed together with revenue, is meaningful to our investors in order to understand our performance.
 
Expenses
 
Set forth below is a brief description of the components of our expenses, aside from the network fees and other costs discussed above:

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Sales and marketing expense primarily consists of salaries and benefits paid to sales personnel, sales management and other sales and marketing personnel, residual payments made to ISOs and referral partners and advertising and promotional costs.

Other operating costs primarily consist of salaries and benefits paid to operational and IT personnel, costs associated with operating our technology platform and data centers, information technology costs for processing transactions, product development costs, software consulting fees and maintenance costs.
 
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries and benefits paid to executive management and administrative employees, including finance, human resources, product development, legal and risk management, share-based compensation costs, equipment and occupancy costs and consulting costs.

Depreciation and amortization expense consists of our depreciation expense related to investments in property, equipment and software as well as our amortization of intangible assets, principally customer relationships acquired in connection with the acquisition of a majority interest in Vantiv Holding in June 2009 and our subsequent acquisitions.

Interest expense—net consists primarily of interest on borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities less interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Income tax expense represents federal, state and local taxes based on income in multiple jurisdictions.

Non-operating expensesincome (expense) consistduring the year ended December 31, 2015 primarily relates to the change in the fair value of charges relatedthe Mercury TRA entered into as part of the acquisition of Mercury. The 2014 amount primarily relates to a benefit recorded as a result of a reduction in certain TRA liabilities, partially offset by the refinancing of the Company’s senior secured credit facilities in June 2014 and the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA. The 2013 amount relates to the refinancing of ourthe Company's senior secured credit facilities in May 2013 and March 2012 and the early termination of our interest rate swaps in connection with our March 2012 debt refinancing; a one-time activity fee assessed by MasterCard as a result of our IPO; charges related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in 2011; and, during 2011, periodic changes in the value of the put rights we received in connection with the separation from Fifth Third Bank in 2009.2013.

Non-Controlling Interest
 
As a result of the non-controlling ownership interests in Vantiv Holding held by Fifth Third, Bank, our results of operations include net income attributable to non-controlling interests. Net income attributable to non-controlling interests for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $74.6 million, $53.1 million and $48.6 million, respectively. Future sales or redemptions of ownership interests in Vantiv Holding by Fifth Third Bank will continue to reduce the amount recorded as non-controlling interest and increase net earnings attributable to our Class A stockholders. In addition, net income attributable to non-controlling interests includes the non-controlling interest related to a joint venture with a bank partner. Net income attributable to non-controlling interests for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $61.3 million, $43.7 million and $74.6 million, respectively. See Note 9 - Controlling and Non-controlling Interests in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information.


34




Factors and Trends Impacting Our Business and Results of Operations
 
We expect a number of factors will impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. In general, our revenue is impacted by the number and dollar volume of card based transactions which in turn are impacted by general economic conditions, consumer spending and the emergence of new technologies and payment types, such as ecommerce, mobile payments, and prepaid cards. In our Merchant Services segment, our net revenues are impacted by the mix of the size of merchants that we provide services to as well as the mix of transaction volume by merchant category. In our Financial Institution Services segment, our net revenues are also impacted by the mix of the size of financial institutions to which we provide services as well as consolidation and market and industry pressures, which have contributed and are expected to continue to contribute to pricing compression of payment processing fees in this segment. We also expect our results of operations to be impacted by the factors discussed below.

Pro Forma Adjusted Net Income
 
We use pro forma adjusted net income for financial and operational decision making as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons of our performance and results of operations. Pro forma adjusted net income is also incorporated into performance metrics underlying certain share-based payments issued under the 2012 Vantiv, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan and our variable compensationannual incentive plan. We believe pro forma adjusted net income provides useful information about our performance and operating results, enhances the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects and allows for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision making.


47




In calculating pro forma adjusted net income, we make certain non-GAAP adjustments, as well as pro forma adjustments, to adjust our GAAP operating results for the items discussed below. This non-GAAP measure should be considered together with GAAP operating results.
 
Non-GAAP Adjustments

Transition, Acquisition and Integration Costs
 
In connection with our acquisitions, we incurred costs associated with the acquisitions and related integration activities, consisting primarily of consulting fees for advisory, conversion and integration services and related personnel costs. Additionally, our expenses include costs associated with a one-time signing bonus issued to certain employees that transferred to us from Fifth Third Bank in connection with our separation from Fifth Third Bank in June 2009. This signing bonus contained a five-year vesting period beginning on the date of the separation. Also included in these expenses are costs related to employee termination benefits and other transition activities. These transition, acquisition and integration costs are included in other operating costs and general and administrative expenses.

Share-Based Compensation
 
Prior to our IPO, certain employees and directors of Vantiv Holding participated in the Vantiv Holding Management Phantom Equity Plan. In connection with the IPO, outstanding awards under the Vantiv Holding Management Phantom Equity Plan were converted into unrestricted and restricted stock, issued under the 2012 Vantiv, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan. Subsequent to the IPO, weWe have granted share-based awards to certain employees and members of our board of directors and intend to continue to grant additional share-based awards in the future. Share-based compensation is included in general and administrative expense. See Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation Plans in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."
 
Intangible Amortization Expense

These expenses represent amortization of intangible assets acquired through business combinations and customer portfolio and related asset acquisitions. For the year ended December 31, 2014, intangible amortization expense also included a $34.3 million charge related to phasing out a trade name.

Non-operating ExpensesIncome (Expense)
 
Non-operating expenses were $20.0expense was $31.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013,2015, which primarily related to the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA. Non-operating income was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, which consisted of chargesa benefit recorded as a result of a reduction in certain TRA liabilities of $41.3 million, partially offset by $26.5 million in expenses related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in May 2013. For the year ended December, 2012, we recorded $92.7 million within non-operating expenses, which consistedJune 2014 and expense of $86.7$14.6 million related to the refinancingchange in fair value of our senior secured credit facilities and the early termination of our interest rate swaps in March 2012 and a $6.0 million one-time activity fee assessed by MasterCard as a result of our IPO.  During the year ended December 31, 2011, we recorded $14.5 million within non-operating expenses of which $13.7 million related primarily to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in May 2011.Mercury TRA. 


35




Pro Forma Adjustments

Income Tax Expense Adjustments
 
Our effective tax rate reported in our results of operations reflects the impact of our non-controlling interest not being taxed at the statutory corporate tax rate. For purposes of calculating pro forma adjusted net income, income tax expense is adjusted to reflect an effective tax rate of 38.5%, assuming conversion of Fifth Third's non-controlling interests into shares of Class A common stock, including the income tax effect of the non-GAAP adjustments described above. The adjusted effective tax rate was 36.0% for the year ended December 31, 2015 and 36.5% for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Tax Adjustments

In addition to the adjustment described above, income tax expense is also adjusted for the cash tax benefits resulting from certain tax attributes, primarily the amortization of tax intangible assets resulting from or acquired with our acquisitions, the tax basis step up associated with our separation from Fifth Third and the purchase or exchange of Class B units of Vantiv Holding, net of payment obligations under TRAs established at the time of our IPO.IPO and in connection with our acquisition of Mercury. Additionally, as a result of the Mercury TRA Addendum and the Fifth Third TRA Addendum entered into during 2015 as discussed in Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" we reflect the retention of the cash tax benefits resulting from the realization of the tax attributes underlying each respective TRA in pro forma adjusted net income. The estimate of the cash tax benefits is based on the consistent and highly predictable realization of the underlying tax attributes.

The following table provides a schedule of the tax adjustments discussed above which are reflected in the pro forma adjusted net income table below:
  Year Ended December 31,
  2015 2014
Fifth Third Tax Benefit (a)
 $41,701
 $37,989
Mercury Tax Benefit (b)
 25,230
 23,796
Total Tax Benefits 66,931
 61,785
Less: TRA payments (c)
 (56,891) (52,517)
TRA Tax Benefits (d)
 10,040
 9,268
Acquired Tax Benefits (e)
 48,146
 37,194
Pro Forma Tax Benefits (f)
 $58,186
 $46,462
(a) Represents the cash tax benefits which are shared with Fifth Third Bank (85%) pursuant to a TRA.
(b) Represents the cash tax benefits shared with Mercury former shareholders (85%) pursuant to a TRA.
(c) Represents the amount of the TRA payment to be made to Fifth Third Bank and Mercury shareholders (85% payment).
(d) Represents the 15% benefit that we retain for the shared tax benefits related to the TRAs.
(e) Represents the tax benefits wholly owned by us, acquired through acquisition or termination of TRAs in which we retain 100% of the benefit.
(f) Represents the net cash tax benefit retained by us from the use of the tax attributes, as reflected in the Pro forma Tax Adjustments.

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As a result of the agreement to terminate and settle in full our obligations to Advent and JPDN under the TRAs as discussed above, the full amount of the cash tax benefits resulting from the realization of the tax attributes underlying the respective TRAs, beginning in the fourth quarter, are reflected in pro forma adjusted net income.
The table below provides a reconciliation of GAAP income before applicable income taxes to pro forma adjusted net income to GAAP net income for the years ended December 31, 20132015 and 2012:2014:
 Year Ended December 31,
 2013 2012
 (in thousands)
Income before applicable taxes$291,900
 $157,611
Non-GAAP Adjustments:   
Transition, acquisition and integration costs15,075
 11,007
Share-based compensation29,729
 33,444
Intangible amortization124,961
 117,435
Non-operating expenses20,000
 92,672
Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Before Applicable Taxes481,665
 412,169
Pro Forma Adjustments:   
Income tax expense adjustment(185,441) (158,685)
Tax adjustments24,294
 6,525
Pro Forma Adjusted Net Income$320,518
 $260,009

Pro forma adjusted net income was previously referred to as cash net income.
 Year Ended December 31,
 2015 2014
 (in thousands)
Income before applicable income taxes$297,406
 $235,167
Non-GAAP Adjustments:   
Transition, acquisition and integration costs62,583
 38,482
Share-based compensation30,492
 42,171
Intangible amortization191,441
 198,563
Non-operating (income) expense31,268
 (177)
Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Before Applicable Taxes613,190
 514,206
Pro Forma Adjustments:   
Income tax expense adjustment(220,748) (187,685)
Tax adjustments58,186
 46,462
   Less: JV non-controlling interest(1,501) (622)
Pro Forma Adjusted Net Income$449,127
 $372,361

Results of Operations
 
The following tables set forth our statements of income in dollars and as a percentage of net revenue for the periods presented.
Year Ended
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    
2013 2012 $ Change % Change2015 2014 $ Change % Change
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Revenue$2,108,077
 $1,863,239
 $244,838
 13%$3,159,938
 $2,577,203
 $582,735
 23%
Network fees and other costs935,441
 840,597
 94,844
 11
1,478,202
 1,174,665
 303,537
 26
Net revenue1,172,636
 1,022,642
 149,994
 15
1,681,736
 1,402,538
 279,198
 20
Sales and marketing312,044
 280,644
 31,400
 11
503,949
 396,353
 107,596
 27
Other operating costs200,630
 158,374
 42,256
 27
284,066
 242,439
 41,627
 17
General and administrative121,707
 118,231
 3,476
 3
182,369
 173,986
 8,383
 5
Depreciation and amortization185,453
 160,538
 24,915
 16
276,942
 275,069
 1,873
 1
Income from operations$352,802
 $304,855
 $47,947
 16%$434,410
 $314,691
 $119,719
 38%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)16,946
 15,362
  
 10%22,991
 20,077
  
 15%
     
As a Percentage of Net RevenueYear Ended
December 31,
Year Ended
December 31,
2013 20122015 2014
Net revenue100.0% 100.0%100.0% 100.0%
Sales and marketing26.6
 27.4
30.0
 28.3
Other operating costs17.1
 15.5
16.9
 17.3
General and administrative10.4
 11.6
10.8
 12.4
Depreciation and amortization15.8
 15.7
16.5
 19.6
Income from operations30.1% 29.8%25.8% 22.4%


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Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014

Revenue

Revenue increased 23% to $3,159.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $2,577.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was due to transaction growth of 15%, primarily in the Merchant Services segment which includes the impact of the Mercury acquisition and expansion in our merchant bank and integrated payments channels, which contributed to higher net revenue per transaction.

Network Fees and Other Costs

Network fees and other costs increased 26% to $1,478.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1,174.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was due primarily to transaction growth of 15%, including the impact of the Mercury acquisition, and to a lesser extent an increase in third party processing costs in connection with the Mercury acquisition.

Net Revenue

Net revenue, which is revenue less network fees and other costs, increased 20% to $1,681.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1,402.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 due to the factors discussed above.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 27% to $503.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $396.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily attributable to the Mercury acquisition, higher sales and marketing personnel and related costs and higher residual payments to referral partners in connection with increased revenue.

Other Operating Costs
Other operating costs increased 17% to $284.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $242.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily attributable to the Mercury acquisition and an increase in information technology spend. Also contributing to the increase was a $11.1 million increase in transition, acquisition and integration costs due to our recent acquisitions.
General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses increased 5% to $182.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $174.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily attributable to the Mercury acquisition, continued investment in our infrastructure in support of growth initiatives, and an increase in acquisition and integration costs of $13.0 million, partially offset by a decrease in share-based compensation of $11.7 million. In addition, synergies and operating leverage has decelerated the increase of general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenue.
Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation expense associated with our property, equipment and software increased 9% to $76.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $70.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase during the year reflects depreciation expense associated with increased capital expenditures largely related to our continued investment in information technology infrastructure in support of growth initiatives, as well as assets acquired in connection with the Mercury acquisition.

Amortization expense associated with intangible assets, which consist primarily of customer relationship intangible assets, decreased 2% to $200.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $205.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. A $34.3 million charge related to phasing out a trade name during the year ended December 31, 2014 more than offset an increase in amortization expense associated with intangible assets acquired in connection with the Mercury acquisition.


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Income from Operations

Income from operations increased 38% to $434.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $314.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Interest Expense—Net

Interest expense—net increased to $105.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $79.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase in interest expense—net is primarily attributable to our June 2014 debt refinancing, which resulted in an increase in the amount of outstanding debt, as well as an increase in the applicable interest rates. The increase in outstanding debt was used to fund the acquisition of Mercury.

Non-Operating Income (Expense)

Non-operating expenses were $31.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, primarily relating to the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA entered into as part of the acquisition of Mercury. Non-operating income was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, which consisted of a benefit recorded as a result of a reduction in certain TRA liabilities of $41.3 million, partially offset by $26.5 million in expenses related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in June 2014 and expense of $14.6 million related to the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $88.2 million compared to $66.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, reflecting effective rates of 29.6% and 28.1%, respectively.  Our effective rate reflects the impact of our non-controlling interest not being taxed at the statutory corporate tax rates. The increase in our effective tax rate reflects the 2014 favorable impact of cumulative deductions related to Internal Revenue Code Section 199, which allows for the deduction of a portion of the income related to domestically produced computer software and the impact to deferred taxes due to a change in state tax rates. As our non-controlling interest declines to the point Vantiv Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary, we expect our effective rate to increase to approximately 36.0%.

Segment Results

The following tables provide a summary of the components of segment profit for our two segments for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

Merchant Services


Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2015 2014 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Total revenue$2,656,906
 $2,100,367
 $556,539
 26%
Network fees and other costs1,321,312
 1,033,801
 287,511
 28
Net revenue1,335,594
 1,066,566
 269,028
 25
Sales and marketing478,736
 367,998
 110,738
 30
Segment profit$856,858
 $698,568
 $158,290
 23%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
 

Transactions (in millions)18,959
 16,262
  
 17%

Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 25% to $1,335.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1,066.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase during the year ended December 31, 2015 was due primarily to transaction growth of 17%, including the impact of the Mercury acquisition and expansion in our merchant bank and integrated payments channels, which contributed to higher net revenue per transaction. On a pro forma organic basis, net revenue would have increased 14% for the year ended December 31, 2015 when compared to the year ended December 31, 2014 if we had owned Mercury throughout both years.

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Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013 ComparedSales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expense increased 30% to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012

Revenue

Revenue increased 13% to $2,108.1$478.7 million for the year ended December 31, 20132015 from $1,863.2$368.0 million for the year ended December 31, 20122014. The increase was primarily attributable to the Mercury acquisition, higher sales and marketing personnel and related costs and higher residual payments to referral partners in connection with increased revenue.

Financial Institution Services

 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2015 2014 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Total revenue$503,032
 $476,836
 $26,196
 5 %
Network fees and other costs156,890
 140,864
 16,026
 11
Net revenue346,142
 335,972
 10,170
 3
Sales and marketing25,213
 28,355
 (3,142) (11)
Segment profit$320,929
 $307,617
 $13,312
 4 %
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)4,032
 3,815
  
 6 %

Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 3% to $346.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $336.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase during the year ended December 31, 2015 was due primarily to an increase in transactions and value-added services revenue. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in net revenue per transaction, which was driven by pricing compression and shift in the mix of our client portfolio, resulting in a lower rate per transaction.

Sales and Marketing
     Sales and marketing expense decreased $3.1 million to $25.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $28.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013

The following tables set forth our statements of income in dollars and as a percentage of net revenue for the periods presented.
 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2014 2013 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Revenue$2,577,203
 $2,108,077
 $469,126
 22 %
Network fees and other costs1,174,665
 935,441
 239,224
 26
Net revenue1,402,538
 1,172,636
 229,902
 20
Sales and marketing396,353
 312,044
 84,309
 27
Other operating costs242,439
 200,630
 41,809
 21
General and administrative173,986
 121,707
 52,279
 43
Depreciation and amortization275,069
 185,453
 89,616
 48
Income from operations$314,691
 $352,802
 $(38,111) (11)%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)20,077
 16,946
  
 18 %

40




As a Percentage of Net RevenueYear Ended
December 31,
 2014 2013
Net revenue100.0% 100.0%
Sales and marketing28.3
 26.6
Other operating costs17.3
 17.1
General and administrative12.4
 10.4
Depreciation and amortization19.6
 15.8
Income from operations22.4% 30.1%

Revenue

Revenue increased 22% to $2,577.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $2,108.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase was due primarily to transaction growth of 10%18%, including the impact of our recent acquisitions, which have expanded our ecommerceintegrated payments and technology partnerecommerce channels and have contributed to higher revenue per transaction.

Network Fees and Other Costs

Network fees and other costs increased 11%26% to $1,174.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $935.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $840.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase was due primarily to transaction growth of 10% and higher network fees due to a shift in transaction mix as a result18%, including the impact of our recent acquisitions, partially offset by debit routing benefits and to a reduction oflesser extent an increase in third party processing fees as we transitioned clients to our single processing platform.costs.

Net Revenue

Net revenue, which is revenue less network fees and other costs, increased 15%20% to $1,402.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $1,172.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $1,022.6 due to the factors discussed above.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 27% to $396.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 due to the factors discussed above.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 11% to2014 from $312.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $280.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase was attributable to our recent acquisitions, higher sales and marketing personnel and related costs and higher residual payments to referral partners as a result of increased revenue.

Other Operating Costs

Other operating costs increased 27%21% to $242.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $200.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $158.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase was primarily attributable to our recent acquisitions and an increase in information technology infrastructure and personnel costs in support of growth initiatives. Also contributing to the increase was a $7.2$6.9 million increase in transition, acquisition and integration costs.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses increased 3%43% to $174.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $121.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $118.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase was primarily attributable to higher personnel and related costs and professional service costs associated with our recent acquisitions, partially offset by a decreasecontinued investment in our infrastructure in support of $3.1 milliongrowth initiatives, and increases in transition, acquisition and integration costs and a decrease in share-based compensation of $3.7 million.$16.5 million and $12.4 million, respectively.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation expense associated with our property, equipment and software increased 40%23% to $70.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $56.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $40.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase during the year reflects depreciation expense associated with increased capital expenditures largely related to our continued investment in information technology infrastructure in support of growth initiatives, as well as assets acquired in connection with our recent acquisitions. After 2014, while depreciation expense will continue to increase on an absolute basis, growth on an annual basis is expected to slow as assets acquired at the time of our separation from Fifth Third as well as subsequent investments related to our transition to a stand-alone company reach the end of their depreciable lives.

Amortization expense associated with intangible assets, which consist primarily of customer relationship intangible assets, increased 7% to $128.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $119.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The increase during the year is the result of intangible assets acquired in connection with our recent acquisitions, primarily consisting of amortization of customer relationship intangible assets.




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Amortization expense associated with intangible assets, which consist primarily of customer relationship intangible assets, increased 59% to $205.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $128.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase during the year is due to a $34.3 million charge related to phasing out a trade name and amortization expense related to intangible assets acquired in connection with our recent acquisitions, primarily consisting of amortization of customer relationship intangible assets.

Income from Operations

Income from operations increased 16%decreased 11% to $314.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $352.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $304.92013.

Interest Expense-Net

Interest expense—net increased to $79.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Interest Expense—Net

Interest expense—net decreased to $40.92014 from $40.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $54.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The decreaseincrease in interest expense—net reflectsis primarily attributable to our June 2014 debt refinancing, in March 2012, which resulted in a reduction of our outstanding debt at the time of the refinancing to approximately $1.3 billion from $1.8 billion, as well as a reduction in the applicable interest rate. Our May 2013 debt refinancing resulted in an increase in the amount of outstanding debt byof approximately $650 million,$1.7 billion, as well as an increase in the impact of which was substantially offset by the reduction in applicable interest rates. The increase in outstanding debt was used to fund the acquisition of Mercury.

Non-Operating Expenses

Non-operating expenses were $20.0income (expense) was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, which consisted of a benefit recorded as a result of a reduction in certain TRA liabilities of $41.3 million, partially offset by $26.5 million in expenses related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in June 2014 and expense of $14.6 million related to the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA. Non-operating expenses were $20.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013,, which consisted of charges related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in May 2013. Non-operating expenses were $92.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 and consisted of $86.7 million in charges related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities and the early termination of our interest rate swaps in connection with our March 2012 debt refinancing as well as a $6.0 million one-time activity fee assessed by MasterCard as a result of our IPO.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 20132014 was $83.8$66.2 million compared to $46.9$83.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012,2013, reflecting effective rates of 28.7%28.1% and 29.7%28.7%, respectively. Our effective rate also reflects the impact of our non-controlling interest not being taxed at the statutory corporate tax rates. The decrease in our effective tax rate reflects the favorable impact of deductions related to Internal Revenue Code Section 199, which allows for the mixdeduction of a portion of the income earned by our various legal entities,related to domestically produced computer software. This was partially offset by thea decrease in non-controlling interest,interests, which washave been reduced over the last two years in connection with the secondary offerings in May and August 2013. As our non-controlling interest declines to the point Vantiv Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary, we expect our effective rate to increase to approximately 38.5%.2013 and June 2014.

AsSegment Results

The following tables provide a resultsummary of the acquisitioncomponents of Litle, we generated tax benefits to be recognized over a period of 15segment profit for our two segments for the years from the date of the acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2013, these benefits were approximately $10.6 million. This benefit does not have an impact on our effective tax rate; however, these tax benefits are reflected in pro forma adjusted net income discussed above.2014 and 2013.

In connection with our IPO, we entered into four TRAs with our pre-IPO investors. The TRAs obligate us to make payments to such investors equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in income taxes that we realize as a result of certain tax basis increases and net operating losses. We will retain the remaining 15% of cash savings. As we purchase units of Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third or as Fifth Third exchanges units of Vantiv Holding for cash or shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock in the future, we expect the associated cash savings to increase as a result of additional tax basis increases. For a further discussion of TRAs, see the "Liquidity and Capital Resources" section.Merchant Services

In the fourth quarter of 2013, we entered into tax receivable termination agreements with Advent and JPDN to terminate the obligations owed to them under the TRAs established at the time of our IPO. Under the terms of the tax receivable termination agreements, we paid approximately $112 million to Advent and $0.5 million to JPDN to settle approximately $254 million of obligations under the TRAs, the difference of which was recorded as an addition to paid-in capital. As a result of the termination agreements, the TRAs with Advent and JPDN were terminated and we have no further obligations to Advent or JPDN under the TRAs.  We remain obligated to pay amounts due to Fifth Third Bank under their TRAs.  As a result, we have reflected the retention of the full amount of the cash tax benefits resulting from the realization of the tax attributes underlying the Advent and JPDN TRAs in pro forma adjusted net income.
 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2014 2013 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Total revenue$2,100,367
 $1,639,157
 $461,210
 28%
Network fees and other costs1,033,801
 801,463
 232,338
 29
Net revenue1,066,566
 837,694
 228,872
 27
Sales and marketing367,998
 286,200
 81,798
 29
Segment profit$698,568
 $551,494
 $147,074
 27%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)16,262
 13,333
  
 22%

During the year ended December 31, 2013, the cash savings associated with the TRAs retained by us were approximately $13.7 million. The TRAs do not have an impact on our effective tax rate; however, savings retained by us are reflected in pro forma adjusted net income discussed above.


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Segment Results

The following tables provide a summary of the components of segment profit for our two segments for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.
 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2013 2012 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Merchant Services 
  
  
  
Total revenue$1,639,157
 $1,409,158
 $229,999
 16%
Network fees and other costs801,463
 709,341
 92,122
 13
Net revenue837,694
 699,817
 137,877
 20
Sales and marketing286,200
 255,887
 30,313
 12
Segment profit$551,494
 $443,930
 $107,564
 24%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
 

Transactions (in millions)13,333
 11,912
  
 12%

Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 20%27% to $1,066.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $837.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $699.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase during the year ended December 31, 20132014 was due primarily to transaction growth of 12%22%, including the impact of our recent acquisitions, and debit routing benefits. Additionally, our recent acquisitions havewhich expanded our ecommerceintegrated payments and technology partnerecommerce channels and contributed to higher net revenue per transaction.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 12%29% to $368.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $286.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $255.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The increase was primarily attributable to our recent acquisitions, higher sales and marketing personnel and related costs and higher residual payments to referral partners as a result of increased revenue.

Financial Institution Services
Year Ended
December 31,
    Year Ended
December 31,
    
2013 2012 $ Change % Change2014 2013 $ Change % Change
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Financial Institution Services 
  
  
  
Total revenue$468,920
 $454,081
 $14,839
 3%$476,836
 $468,920
 $7,916
 2 %
Network fees and other costs133,978
 131,256
 2,722
 2
140,864
 133,978
 6,886
 5
Net revenue334,942
 322,825
 12,117
 4
335,972
 334,942
 1,030
 
Sales and marketing25,844
 24,757
 1,087
 4
28,355
 25,844
 2,511
 10
Segment profit$309,098
 $298,068
 $11,030
 4%$307,617
 $309,098
 $(1,481)  %
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)3,613
 3,450
  
 5%3,815
 3,613
  
 6 %

Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 4%slightly to $336.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $334.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $322.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012.2013. The slight increase during the year ended December 31, 20132014 was due primarily to an increase in transactions and higher value addedvalue-added services revenue. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in net revenue per transaction, which was driven by continued pricing compression and a continuing shift in the mix of our client portfolio, resulting in a lower rate per transaction.
 




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Sales and Marketing
 
Sales and marketing expense increased 4%10% to $28.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 from $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, from $24.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, due primarily to personnel related costs associated with our product initiatives.

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2011

The following tables set forth our statements of income in dollars and as a percentage of net revenue for the periods presented.
 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2012 2011 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Revenue$1,863,239
 $1,622,421
 $240,818
 15%
Network fees and other costs840,597
 756,735
 83,862
 11
Net revenue1,022,642
 865,686
 156,956
 18
Sales and marketing280,644
 236,917
 43,727
 18
Other operating costs158,374
 143,420
 14,954
 10
General and administrative118,231
 86,870
 31,361
 36
Depreciation and amortization160,538
 155,326
 5,212
 3
Income from operations$304,855
 $243,153
 $61,702
 25%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)15,362
 12,935
  
 19%
As a Percentage of Net RevenueYear Ended
December 31,
 2012 2011
Net revenue100.0% 100.0%
Sales and marketing27.4
 27.4
Other operating costs15.5
 16.6
General and administrative11.6
 10.0
Depreciation and amortization15.7
 17.9
Income from operations29.8% 28.1%

Revenue

Revenue increased 15% to $1,863.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $1,622.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was due primarily to transaction growth of 19% driven primarily by investments in sales and marketing in connection with the expansion of our distribution. Revenue growth lagged transaction growth primarily due to the addition of a large national processing contract in the second quarter of 2012.

Network Fees and Other Costs

Network fees and other costs increased 11% to $840.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $756.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was due primarily to transaction growth of 19%, partially offset by debit routing benefits and the elimination of third party processing fees as we transitioned clients to our single processing platform. The increase in network fees and other costs lagged transaction growth due to the addition of a large national processing contract during the second quarter for which there are no substantial associated network fees and other costs.

Net Revenue

Net revenue increased 18% to $1,022.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $865.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase in net revenue was due primarily to transaction growth of 19%.

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Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 18% to $280.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $236.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 associated with growth in revenue and an increase in sales and marketing personnel and related costs, including residual payments made to ISOs and other third-party organizations. 

Other Operating Costs

Other operating costs increased 10% to $158.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $143.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in information technology infrastructure and personnel costs associated with growth in transactions, partially offset by a reduction in transition, acquisition and integration costs of $12.6 million.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses increased 36% to $118.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $86.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was due primarily to an increase in share-based compensation of $30.5 million to $33.4 million and higher personnel costs, offset by a decrease in transition, acquisition and integration costs of $12.9 million.  The increase in share-based compensation was the result of compensation cost associated with awards triggered by our IPO in March 2012.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense increased 3% to $160.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $155.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase during the year was primarily due to an increase in capital expenditures largely related to our information technology infrastructure.

Income from Operations

Income from operations increased 25% to $304.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $243.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Interest Expense-Net

As a result of our debt refinancing in March 2012, interest expense—net decreased to $54.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $111.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The decrease was due primarily to the reduction of our outstanding debt to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2012 from $1.8 billion at December 31, 2011 and a reduction in our weighted average interest rate to approximately 3.2% during the current year compared to 5.1% during the prior year.

Non-Operating Expenses

Non-operating expenses were $92.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 and consisted of $86.7 million in charges related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities and the early termination of our interest rate swaps in connection with our March 2012 debt refinancing as well as a $6.0 million one-time activity fee assessed by MasterCard as a result of our IPO.  Non-operating expenses were $14.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2011 and consisted primarily of expenses related to the May 2011 debt refinancing.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2012 was $46.9 million compared to $32.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011, reflecting effective rates of 29.7% and 27.6%, respectively.  Our effective rate reflects the impact of our non-controlling interest not being taxed at the statutory corporate tax rate. The increase in our effective rate during the period is primarily a result of the decrease in non-controlling interest, which was reduced in connection with our IPO and the December 2012 secondary offering from approximately 49% at the beginning of the year to approximately 33% at December 31, 2012. The effective tax rate is also impacted by the mix of income earned by our various legal entities. Further, as our non-controlling interest declines to the point Vantiv Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary, we expect our effective rate to increase to approximately 38.5%.


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In connection with our IPO, we entered into four TRAs with our pre-IPO investors. The TRAs obligate us to make payments to such investors equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in income taxes that we realize as a result of certain tax basis increases and net operating losses. We will retain the remaining 15% of cash savings. During the year ended December 2012, the cash savings retained by us were approximately $5.7 million.

The TRAs do not have an impact on our effective tax rate; however, savings retained by us are reflected in pro forma adjusted net income discussed above.

Further, as a result of the acquisition of Litle, we generated tax benefits to be recognized over a period of 15 years from the date of the acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2012, these benefits were approximately $0.9 million. This benefit does not have an impact on our effective tax rate; however, savings retained by us are reflected in pro forma adjusted net income discussed above.

Segment Results

The following tables provide a summary of the components of segment profit for our two segments for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011.

 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2012 2011 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Merchant Services 
  
  
  
Total revenue$1,409,158
 $1,185,253
 $223,905
 19%
Network fees and other costs709,341
 620,852
 88,489
 14
Net revenue699,817
 564,401
 135,416
 24
Sales and marketing255,887
 211,062
 44,825
 21
Segment profit$443,930
 $353,339
 $90,591
 26%
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)11,912
 9,591
  
 24%
Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 24% to $699.8 million for the year ended December, 2012 from $564.4 million for the year ended December, 2011. The increase during the year ended December 31, 2012 was due primarily to transaction growth of 24%. The increase is also a result of the addition of a large national processing contract as well as debit routing benefits, which partially offset increased network fees and other costs.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expense increased 21% to $255.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $211.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily attributable to the increase in revenue and an increase in sales and marketing personnel and related costs, including residual payments to ISOs and other third-party organizations, as a result of investments in sales and marketing in connection with the expansion of our distribution.


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 Year Ended
December 31,
    
 2012 2011 $ Change % Change
 (dollars in thousands)
Financial Institution Services 
  
  
  
Total revenue$454,081
 $437,168
 $16,913
 4 %
Network fees and other costs131,256
 135,883
 (4,627) (3)
Net revenue322,825
 301,285
 21,540
 7
Sales and marketing24,757
 24,046
 711
 3
Segment profit$298,068
 $277,239
 $20,829
 8 %
Non-financial data: 
  
  
  
Transactions (in millions)3,450
 3,344
  
 3 %
Net Revenue

Net revenue in this segment increased 7% to $322.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $301.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase during the year ended December 31, 2012 was primarily due to transaction growth of 3%, and growth in value added services. In addition, network fees and other costs were reduced due to the elimination of third party processing fees as we transitioned clients to our single processing platform as well as network incentives.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expense increased 3% to $24.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $24.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily due to an increase in revenue.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
 
Our liquidity is funded primarily through cash provided by operations, debt and a line of credit, which is generally sufficient to fund our operations, planned capital expenditures, tax distributions made to our non-controlling interest holders, required payments under TRAs, debt service and acquisitions. However, because paymentsPayments under the TRAs are determined based on realized cash savings resulting from the underlying tax attributes,attributes. Excluding the call and put structure in the Mercury TRA Addendum discussed in Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," a period of declining profitability would result in a corresponding reduction in our TRA payments, thus resulting in the TRA having a minimal effect on our liquidity and capital resources. As of December 31, 20132015, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of $171.4197.1 million of cash and cash equivalents and $250.0$425.0 million of availability under the revolving portion of our senior secured credit facilities. Our total indebtedness, including capital leases, was $1.8$3.1 billion as of December 31, 2013.2015.

In October 2013, our board of directors approved a programDuring 2015, we continued to repurchase up to $137 millionshares of our Class A common stock. As of December 31, 2013, approximately 3.5 million shares have been repurchasedstock under this program for approximately $103 million. As of the date of this filing, repurchases pursuant to the October 2013 authorization were substantially complete.

In February 2014,various programs approved by our board of directors authorizeddirectors. We repurchased approximately 4.4 million shares for approximately $200.4 million under these programs during the year ended December 31, 2015. We have approximately $75 million of share repurchase authority remaining as of December 31, 2015 under a program authorized by the board of directors on February 12, 2014 to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of our Class A common stock.


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Purchases under the repurchase program are allowed from time to time in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The manner, timing, and amount of any purchases isare determined by management based on an evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors. WeThe share repurchase program has no expiration date and we may discontinue purchases at any time that management determines additional purchases are not warranted.

In connection with our IPO, we entered into the Exchange Agreement with Fifth Third, under which Fifth Third has the right, from time to time, to exchange their units in Vantiv Holding for shares of our Class A common stock or, at our option, cash. If we choose to satisfy the exchange in cash, we anticipate that we will fund such exchange through cash from operations, funds available under the revolving portion of our senior secured credit facilities, equity financings or a combination thereof.

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We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Vantiv, Inc. is a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of its own. As a result, Vantiv, Inc.’s ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Vantiv Holding. The amounts available to Vantiv, Inc. to pay cash dividends are subject to the covenants and distribution restrictions in its subsidiaries’ loan agreements.

In addition to principal needs for liquidity discussed above, our strategy includes expansion into high growth segmentsinvesting in and verticals,leveraging our integrated business model and technology platform, broadening and deepening our distribution channels, entry into new geographic markets and development of additional payment processing services. Our near-term priorities for capital allocation include debt reduction, share repurchases and investing in our operations to support organic growth. Long-term priorities remain unchanged and include investing for growth through strategic acquisitions and returning excess capital to shareholders.

 We anticipate that to the extent that we require additional liquidity, it will be funded through the incurrence of other indebtedness, equity financings or a combination.combination thereof. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain this additional liquidity on reasonable terms, or at all. Additionally, our liquidity and our ability to meet our obligations and fund our capital requirements are also dependent on our future financial performance, which is subject to general economic, financial and other factors that are beyond our control. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available under our credit facilities or otherwise to meet our liquidity needs. If we decide to pursue one or more significant acquisitions, we may incur additional debt or sell additional equity to finance such acquisitions.

Cash Flows
 
The following table presents a summary of cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 (in thousands).
Year Ended
 December 31,
Year Ended
 December 31,
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Net cash provided by operating activities$480,622
 $293,114
 $233,454
$757,878
 $592,905
 $480,622
Net cash used in investing activities(228,298) (417,291) (69,920)(126,727) (1,798,956) (228,298)
Net cash used in financing activities(147,955) (179,314) (29,497)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities(845,623) 1,446,192
 (147,955)
 
Cash Flow from Operating Activities
 
Net cash provided by operating activities was $480.6757.9 million for the year ended December 31, 20132015 as compared to $293.1592.9 million for the year ended December 31, 20122014.  The increase is due primarily to an increase in net income, changes in working capital including the favorable impact of year-over-year changes in accounts receivable, prepaid and other assets and other liabilities, partially offset by customer incentives.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $592.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to $480.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase is due primarily to changes in working capital, principally due to the favorable impact of year-over-year changes in net settlement assets and obligations.obligations and accounts payable and accrued expenses. Settlement assets and obligations can fluctuate due to seasonality as well as the day of the month end.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $293.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to $233.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily due to an increase in net income, the impact of non-cash expense items included in net income, primarily related to charges associated with our debt refinancing and share-based compensation, and changes in working capital.

Cash Flow from Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $228.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to $417.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease was primarily due to the acquisition of Litle during the year ended December 31, 2012, partially offset by cash used to fund the acquisition of Element during the year ended December 31, 2013.

Net cash used in investing activities was $417.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 as compared to $69.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily due to the acquisition of Litle and customer portfolios and related assets, partially offset by a decrease in capital expenditures during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities was $148.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to $179.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. Cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2013 reflects incremental funds of approximately $650.0 million received in connection with our debt refinancing in May 2013, substantially offset by $503.2 million used to fund share repurchases and $112.6 million paid in connection with the settlement of certain TRA obligations as discussed above. Cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2012 primarily reflects the net impact of transactions related to our IPO and debt refinancing transactions. Cash used in financing activities during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 also reflects $41.2 million and $32.6 million, respectively, of distributions made to our non-controlling interest holders.


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Cash Flow from Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $126.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to $1,799.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The decrease was primarily due to the acquisition of Mercury in the prior year.

Net cash used in financinginvesting activities was $179.31,799.0 million for the year ended December 31, 20122014 as compared to $29.5228.3 million for the year ended December 31, 20112013. The net impactincrease was primarily due to the acquisition of our IPO proceedsMercury as well as an increase in capital expenditures and March 2012 debt refinancing, including paymentthe acquisition of customer portfolios and related debt issuance costs,assets.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities was an outflow of approximately $81.1 million. As a result of transactions related to our IPO, we made distributions of approximately $55.1 million. During$845.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, we also made repayments2015 as compared to net cash provided by financing activities of debt and capital lease obligations of $93.7$1,446.2 million and tax distributions of $32.6 million to our non-controlling interest holders. Duringfor the year ended December 31, 2014. Cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2011,2015 consisted primarily of the repayment of debt and capital leases, including the early principal payment of $200 million on the term B loan on January 6, 2015, the Warrant Cancellation Agreement with Fifth Third, repurchases of Class A common stock, payments made under the tax receivable agreements and addendums and distributions to non-controlling interests.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $1,446.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as compared to net cash used in financing activities of $148.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. Cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2014 consisted primarily of repaymentsproceeds from the June 2014 refinancing, partially offset by the repayment of existing debt and capital leaserelated debt issuance costs, repurchases of Class A common stock and distributions to non-controlling interests. Cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2013 primarily reflects the net impact of the May 2013 debt refinancing, share repurchases and the settlement of certain TRA obligations as discussed above. Cash used in financing activities during the years ended December 31, 2014 and tax2013 also reflects $22.9 million and $41.2 million, respectively, of distributions made to our non-controlling interest holders.


Credit Facilities

As of At December 31, 2013,2015, we have $1.9 billion and $1.2 billion outstanding under our debt consisted of the following:
 December 31,
2013
 (in thousands)
$1,850.0 million term A loan, maturing on May 15, 2018, and bearing interest at a variable base rate (LIBOR) plus a spread rate (175 basis points) (total rate of 1.92% at December 31, 2013) and amortizing on a basis of 1.25% during each of the first eight quarters, 1.875% during each of the second eight quarters and 2.5% during each of the following three quarters with a balloon payment due at maturity$1,803,750
$10.1 million leasehold mortgage, expiring on August 10, 2021 and bearing interest payable monthly at a fixed rate (rate of 6.22% at December 31, 2013)10,131
Less: Current portion of note payable and current portion of note payable to related party(92,500)
Less: Original issue discount(2,631)
Total Long-Term Debt$1,718,750

In May 2013, the Company entered into a $1.85 billion term A loan, of which a portion of the proceedsand term B loans, respectively, and there were used to repay senior secured credit facilities with an aggregateno outstanding balance of approximately $1.2 billion. The related revolving credit facility was also terminated. In addition to the new term A loan, the new debt agreement includes a $250 millionborrowings on our revolving credit facility. The maturity dateSee additional discussion in Note 6 - Long-Term Debt in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and debt service requirements relating to the new term A loan are listed in the table above. The revolving credit facility matures in May 2018 and includes a $75 million swing line facility and a $40 million letter of credit facility. The commitment fee rate for the unused portion of the revolving credit facility is 0.375% per year.
As of December 31, 2013, Fifth Third Bank held $343.6 million of the term A loans.Supplementary Data."

TheOn June 13, 2014, Vantiv, LLC completed a debt refinancing by entering into an amended and restated loan agreement ("Amended Loan Agreement"). The Amended Loan Agreement requires us to maintain a maximum leverage ratio no greater than established thresholds (based upon the ratio of total funded debt to consolidated EBITDA, as defined in the loan agreement) and a minimum interest coverage ratio (based upon the ratio of consolidated EBITDA to interest expense), which are tested quarterly based on the last four fiscal quarters beginning with the four fiscal quarters ended September 30, 2013.quarters. The required financial ratios become more restrictive over time, with the specific ratios required by period set forth in the below table.
Period 
Leverage
Ratio
(must not exceed)
 
Interest Coverage
Ratio
(must exceed)
September 30, 2013 to September 30, 20144.75 to 1.003.50 to 1.00
December 31, 2014 to September 30,March 31, 2015 4.256.50 to 1.00 4.00 to 1.00
December 31,June 30, 2015 to September 30, 2016 4.006.25 to 1.00 4.00 to 1.00
December 31, 2016 to September 30, 20175.50 to 1.004.00 to 1.00
December 31, 2017 to September 30, 20184.75 to 1.004.00 to 1.00
December 31, 2018 and thereafter 3.754.25 to 1.00 4.00 to 1.00
 
As of December 31, 20132015, we were in compliance with these covenants with a leverage ratio of 3.113.87 to 1.00 and an interest coverage ratio of 16.678.26 to 1.00.
 

Interest Rate Swaps



As of December 31, 2015, we have a total of 14 outstanding interest rate swaps that were designated as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk. See Note 8 - Derivatives in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more information about the interest rate swaps.

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Interest Rate Swaps

As of December 31, 2013, we had 16 outstanding interest rate swaps with a combined notional balance of $1.4 billion (amortizing to $1.1 billion) covering an exposure period from June 2013 through June 2017 that were designated as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk.

Building Loan
On July 12, 2011, we entered into a term loan agreement for approximately $10.1 million for the purchase of our corporate headquarters facility. The interest rate is fixed at 6.22%, with interest only payments required for the first 84 months. Thereafter, and until maturity, we will pay interest and principal based upon a 30 year amortization schedule, with the remaining principal amount due at maturity, August 2021.

Tax Receivable Agreements
 
In connection with our IPO, weWe entered into fourseveral TRAs in which obligate uswe agree to make payments to our pre-IPO investors. A descriptionvarious parties of each TRA is as follows:
TRA with Fifth Third Bank:  Provides for the payment by us to Fifth Third Bank equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that we realizebenefits realized by us as a result of the increases incertain tax basis that result from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units from Fifth Third Bank or from the exchange of Vantiv Holding units by Fifth Third Bank for cash or shares of Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRA. Any actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the TRA, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of shares of our Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable, and the amount and timing of our income.

As we purchase units of Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third or as Fifth Third exchanges units of Vantiv Holding for cash or shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock in the future, we expect the associated cash savings to increase as a result of additional tax basis increases, therefore increasing the corresponding obligations under the TRA.
TRA with Advent:  Provided for the payment by us to Advent equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that we realize as a result of the use of our tax attributes in existence prior to the effective date of our IPO.
TRA with all pre-IPO investors:  Provides for the payment by us to our pre-IPO investors of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that NPC Group, Inc., or NPC, realizes as a result of its use of its NOLs and other tax attributes, with any such payment being paid to Advent, Fifth Third Bank and JPDN according to their respective ownership interests in Vantiv Holding immediately prior to the IPO.
TRA with JPDN:  Provided for the payment to JPDN of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that we realize as a result in the increase of tax basis that may result from the Vantiv Holding units exchanged for our Class A common stock by JPDN, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRA.  As part of the recapitalization of Vantiv, Inc. and Vantiv Holding immediately prior to the IPO, JPDN contributed its units of Vantiv Holding to Vantiv, Inc. in exchange for shares of our Class A common stock.

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The following table reflects TRA activity and balances for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):
 IPO Transaction 2012 Secondary Offerings Balance as of December 31, 2012 2013 Secondary Offerings TRA Settlements Balance as of December 31, 2013
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$11,100
 $154,000
 $165,100
 $329,400
 $
 $494,500
TRA with Advent183,800
 
 183,800
 
 (183,800) 
TRA with all pre-IPO investors134,100
 
 134,100
 
 (68,900) 65,200
TRA with JPDN1,700
 
 1,700
 
 (1,700) 
Total$330,700
 $154,000
 $484,700
 $329,400
 $(254,400) $559,700
Refer to discussion above regarding termination of the Advent and JPDN TRAs.

deductions. Payments under the TRAs will be based on our tax reporting positions and are only required to the extent we realize cash savings as a result of the underlying tax attributes. For each of the TRAs discussed above, theThe cash savings realized by us are computed by comparing our actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes we would have been required to pay had there been no increasedeductions related to the tax basis of the assets of Vantiv Holding as a result of the purchase or exchange of Vantiv Holding units and had there been no tax benefit as a result of the NOLs and other tax attributes at NPC.discussed below. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of thesethe cash savings associated with the TRAs. We currently have the following TRAs:

A TRA with pre-IPO investors for its use of NOLs and other tax savings.attributes existing at the IPO date, all of which is currently held by Fifth Third.

A TRA with Fifth Third in which we realize tax deductions as a result of the increases in tax basis from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units or from the exchange of Vantiv Holding units for cash or shares of Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRA.
A TRA with Mercury shareholders as part of the acquisition of Mercury as a result of the increase in tax basis of the assets of Mercury resulting from the acquisition and the use of the net operating losses and other tax attributes of Mercury that were acquired as part of the acquisition.
    
All TRA obligations are recorded based on the full and undiscounted amount of the expected future payments, except for the Mercury TRA which represents contingent consideration relating to an acquired business, and is recorded at fair value for financial reporting purposes. The following table reflects TRA activity and balances for the year ended December 31, 2015 (in thousands):
 Balance as of December 31, 2014 2015 TRA Payment 2015 TRA Settlements 2015 Secondary Offering Purchase Accounting Adjustment Change in Value Balance as of December 31, 2015
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$620,062
 $(22,805) $(140,024) $376,597
 $
 $(769) $833,061
Mercury TRA152,420
 
 (44,800) 
 54,647
 28,940
 191,207
Total$772,482
 $(22,805) $(184,824) $376,597
 $54,647
 $28,171
 $1,024,268

During 2015, we terminated a portion of our obligations under the Mercury TRA. In addition to the Mercury TRA settlement presented in the table above, the Mercury TRA Addendum contains the following provisions to acquire a significant portion of the remaining Mercury TRA:

Beginning December 1st of each of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, and ending June 30th of 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively, we are granted call options (collectively, the "Call Options") pursuant to which certain of our additional obligations under the Mercury TRA would be terminated in consideration for cash payments of $41.4 million, $38.1 million, $38.0 million, and $43.0 million, respectively.

In the unlikely event we do not exercise the relevant Call Option, the Mercury TRA Holders are granted put options beginning July 10th and ending July 25th of each of 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively (collectively, the "Put Options"), pursuant to which certain of our additional obligations would be terminated in consideration for cash payments with similar amounts to the Call Options.

The timing and/or amount of aggregate payments due under the TRAs may vary based on a number of factors, including the amount and timing of the taxable income we generate in the future and the tax rate then applicable, the use of loss carryovers and amortizable basis.  Payments under the TRAs, if necessary, are required to be made no later than January 5th5th of the second year immediately following the current taxable year.  Therefore, no payments underyear in which the TRAs wereobligation occurred.  We made during the year ended December 31, 2013.  The first contractually obligateda payment under the TRA obligations of approximately $8.6$53.5 million was paid duringin January 2014.2016. The January 2016 payment is recorded as current portion of tax receivable agreement obligations on the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position. The term of the TRAs will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless we exercise our right to terminate the TRA for an amount based on the agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement.

Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2013:

If Fifth Third Bank had exchanged its remaining Class B units of Vantiv Holding, had exercised the remaining warrant and exchanged the Class C units of Vantiv Holding, all for shares of Class A common stock on December 31, 2015, we would have recorded an additional full and undiscounted TRA obligation of approximately $1.1 billion. This estimate is subject to
   Payments Due By Period
 Total 
Less than
1 year
 1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 Years 
More than
5 Years
   (in thousands)
Operating leases$23,848
 $5,455
 $5,957
 $3,032
 $9,404
Capital leases16,951
 4,593
 9,980
 2,378
 
Borrowings(a)1,953,273
 127,546
 318,306
 1,495,727
 11,694
Purchase commitments:         
Technology and telecommunications(b)53,629
 31,137
 21,548
 944
 
Processing Services(c)14,225
 6,471
 6,554
 960
 240
Other13,037
 5,583
 7,454
 
 
Obligations under TRAs559,700
 8,639
 52,132
 58,666
 440,263
Total$2,634,663
 $189,424
 $421,931
 $1,561,707
 $461,601
          
(a)
Represents principal and variable interest payments due under our senior secured credit facilities and our loan agreement for our corporate headquarters facility as of December 31, 2013. Interest payments are as follows: $35.0 million for less than 1 year; $63.9 million for 1 - 3 years; $38.8 million for 3 - 5 years and $1.6 million for more than 5 years. Variable interest payments were calculated using interest rates as of December 31, 2013.
(b)Includes obligations related to software licenses, software maintenance support and telecommunication and network services.

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material change based on changes in Fifth Third Bank’s tax basis in the partnership interest, changes in tax rates, or significant changes in our stock price.

See additional discussion in Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2015:
   Payments Due By Period
 Total 
Less than
1 year
 1 - 3 Years 3 - 5 Years 
More than
5 Years
   (in thousands)
Operating leases$44,175
 $9,539
 $12,472
 $8,814
 $13,350
Capital leases30,876
 8,454
 17,938
 4,484
 
Borrowings(1)
3,471,113
 205,893
 503,766
 1,621,377
 1,140,077
Purchase commitments:         
Technology and telecommunications(2)
59,826
 32,742
 21,772
 5,312
 
Processing Services(3)
3,945
 1,945
 1,760
 240
 
Other23,758
 12,920
 10,750
 88
 
Obligations under TRAs(4)
1,076,450
 94,855
 191,816
 140,867
 648,912
Total$4,710,143
 $366,348
 $760,274
 $1,781,182
 $1,802,339
          
(c)
(1)
Represents principal and variable interest payments due under our senior secured credit facilities and our loan agreement for our corporate headquarters facility as of December 31, 2015. Interest payments are as follows: $89.4 million for less than 1 year; $168.2 million for 1 - 3 years; $106.9 million for 3 - 5 years and $21.2 million for more than 5 years. Variable interest payments were calculated using interest rates as of December 31, 2015.
(2)
Includes obligations related to software licenses, software maintenance support and telecommunication and network services.
(3)
We have agreements with third-party processors to provide gateway authorization and other processing services. These agreements require us to submit a minimum number of transactions for processing. If we submit a number of transactions that is less than the minimum, we are required to pay the third party processor's fees that they would have received if we had submitted the required minimum number of transactions. Processing services includes amounts due under network sponsorship agreements.
(4)
Represents estimated TRA payments to various parties and cash payments to exercise the call options pursuant to which certain additional obligations of the Company under the Mercury TRA would be terminated. See Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for more details.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
 
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our audited consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our critical estimates including those relatedgiving consideration to revenue recognition, goodwill and intangible assets, derivative financial instruments, income taxes and share-based compensation. We base our estimates ona combination of factors, including historical experience, current conditions and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

The accounting policies we believe to be most critical to understanding our financial results and condition and that require complex and subjective management judgments are discussed below.

Revenue Recognition
 
We have contractual agreements with our clients that set forth the general terms and conditions of the relationship including line item pricing, payment terms and contract duration. Revenues are recognized as earned (i.e., for transaction based fees, when the underlying transaction is processed) in conjunction with ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, establishes guidance as to when revenue is realized or realizable and earned by using the following criteria: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (3) the seller’s price is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectibility is reasonably assured.

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We follow guidance provided in ASC 605-45, Principal Agent Considerations. ASC 605-45, Principal Agent Considerations, states that the determination of whether a company should recognize revenue based on the gross amount billed to a customer or the net amount retained is a matter of judgment that depends on the facts and circumstances of the arrangement and that certain factors should be considered in the evaluation. We recognize processing revenues net of interchange fees, which are assessed to our merchant customers on all processed transactions. Interchange rates are not controlled by us, in which we effectively act as a clearing house collecting and remitting interchange fee settlement on behalf of issuing banks, debit networks, credit card associations and its processing customers. All other revenue is reported on a gross basis, as we contract directly with the end customer, assume the risk of loss and have pricing flexibility.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets
 
In accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, we test goodwill for impairment for our two reporting units (Merchant Services and Financial Institution Services) on an annual basis, or when events occur or circumstances change that would indicate the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying value. These reporting units are also the segments for which we report financial results. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that fair value of the goodwill within the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. We performed our most recent annual goodwill impairment test for all reporting units as of July 31, 20132015 using market data and discounted cash flow analysis. Based on this analysis, it was determined that the fair value of all reporting units was substantially in excess of the carrying value.

Intangible assets consist primarily of acquired customer relationships, trade names and customer portfolios and related assets that are amortized over their estimated useful lives and an indefinite lived trade name not subject to amortization.lives. We review the acquired customer relationshipsfinite lived intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The indefinite lived trade name is tested for impairment annually. We performed our most recent annual trade name impairment test as of July 31, 2013, which indicated there was no impairment.

Income Taxes
We are taxed as a C corporation for U.S. income tax purposes and is therefore subject to both federal and state taxation at a corporate level.
Income taxes are computed in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, and reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the financial reporting carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and the corresponding income tax amounts. We

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have deferred tax assets and liabilities and maintain valuation allowances where it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. To the extent we determine that we will not realize the benefit of some or all of its deferred tax assets, such deferred tax assets will be adjusted through our provision for income taxes in the period in which this determination is made. As of December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 we had recorded no valuation allowances against deferred tax assets.

Our effective tax rate reflects the effect of our non-controlling interests as the non-controlling interest holders are responsible for paying income taxes on their percentage ownership of Vantiv Holding, thereby reducing our income tax expense. Our effective rate will increase as our controlling interest in Vantiv Holding increases as we will be responsible for paying income taxes on a greater percentage of taxable income, thereby increasing our income tax expense.

Share-Based Compensation
In March 2012, our board of directors adopted the 2012 Vantiv, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan. This plan provides for grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units, performance awards and other stock-based awards. Under this plan, stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards have been issued. The weighted average grant date fair value of the restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance units is based on the quoted fair market value of our common stock on the award grant date.

The stock options have a weighted-average grant date fair value of $7.10, which was estimated by us using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the assumptions below:
2013
Expected option life at grant (in years)6.25
Expected volatility30.60%
Expected dividend yield—%
Risk-free interest rate1.15%
The expected option life represents the period of time the stock options are expected to be outstanding and is based on the "simplified method" allowed under SEC guidance. We used the "simplified method" due to the lack of sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to otherwise estimate the expected life of the stock options. Since our publicly traded stock history is relatively short, expected volatility is based on our historical volatility and the historical volatility of a group of peer companies. We do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, we used an expected dividend yield of zero. The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, share-based compensation expense was $29.7 million.

Tax Receivable Agreements
We are party to two tax receivable agreements with Fifth Third Bank, which were executed in connection with our IPO. One provides for the payment by us to Fifth Third Bank of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that we actually realize as a result of the increases in tax basis that may result from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units from Fifth Third Bank or from the future exchange of units by Fifth Third Bank for cash or shares of our Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such tax receivable agreement. Any actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the agreement, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of shares of our Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable, and the amount and timing of our income. The other tax receivable agreement provides for the payment by us to Fifth Third Bank of 85% of the amount of cash savings according to Fifth Third Bank's respective ownership interests in Vantiv Holding immediately prior to our initial public offering, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that NPC actually realizes as a result of its use of its NOLs and other tax attributes.

Payments under the TRAs are only required to the extent we realize cash savings as a result of the underlying tax attributes. For each of the TRAs discussed above, the cash savings realized by us are computed by comparing our actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes we would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the assets of Vantiv Holding as a result of the purchase or exchange of Vantiv Holding units and had there been no tax benefit as a result of the NOLs and other tax attributes at NPC.  As such, obligations recorded pursuant to the TRAs are based on estimates of future taxable income and future tax rates. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of these tax savings.


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The timing and/or amount of aggregate payments due under the TRAs may vary based on a number of factors, including the amount and timing of the taxable income we generate in the future and the tax rate then applicable, the use of loss carryovers and amortizable basis. The term of the TRAs will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless we exercise our right to terminate the TRA for an amount based on the agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
 
We have no off-balance sheet financing arrangements.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
 
We are exposed to interest rate risk in connection with our senior secured credit facilities, which are subject to variable interest rates.

As of December 31, 20132015, we had 16a total of 14 outstanding interest rate swaps. Of the 14 outstanding swaps, with8 of them cover an exposure period from June 2015 through June 2017 and have a combined notional balance of $1.4$1.2 billion (amortizing to $1.1 billion) covering. The remaining 6 interest rate swaps cover an exposure period from June 2013January 2016 through June 2017.January 2019 and have a combined notional balance of $500 million. As of December 31, 20132015, we had $454 million$1.9 billion of variable rate debt not subject to a fixed rate swap.swap effective at December 31, 2015.
 
Based on the amount outstanding under our senior secured credit facilities at December 31, 20132015, a change in one percentage point in variable interest rates, after the effect of our interest rate swaps effective at December 31, 2015, would cause an increase or decrease in interest expense of $4.5$19.0 million on an annual basis.
 

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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

  Page
Vantiv, Inc. and Subsidiaries  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Vantiv, Inc.
Symmes Township, Ohio

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Vantiv, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 20132015 and 2012,2014, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2013.2015. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Vantiv, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 20132015 and 2012,2014, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2013,2015, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, such financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013,2015, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992)(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 14, 201410, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company'sCompany’s internal control over financial reporting.


/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Cincinnati, Ohio
February 14, 201410, 2016



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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In thousands, except share data)
 
 Year Ended
December 31,
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2013 2012 2011 2015 2014 2013
Revenue:  
  
    
  
  
External customers $2,028,681
 $1,787,119
 $1,553,069
 $3,079,506
 $2,496,899
 $2,028,681
Related party revenues 79,396
 76,120
 69,352
 80,432
 80,304
 79,396
Total revenue 2,108,077
 1,863,239
 1,622,421
 3,159,938
 2,577,203
 2,108,077
Network fees and other costs 935,441
 840,597
 756,735
 1,478,202
 1,174,665
 935,441
Sales and marketing 312,044
 280,644
 236,917
 503,949
 396,353
 312,044
Other operating costs 200,630
 158,374
 143,420
 284,066
 242,439
 200,630
General and administrative 121,707
 118,231
 86,870
 182,369
 173,986
 121,707
Depreciation and amortization 185,453
 160,538
 155,326
 276,942
 275,069
 185,453
Income from operations 352,802
 304,855
 243,153
 434,410
 314,691
 352,802
Interest expense—net (40,902) (54,572) (111,535) (105,736) (79,701) (40,902)
Non-operating expenses (20,000) (92,672) (14,499)
Non-operating income (expense) (31,268) 177
 (20,000)
Income before applicable income taxes 291,900
 157,611
 117,119
 297,406
 235,167
 291,900
Income tax expense 83,760
 46,853
 32,309
 88,177
 66,177
 83,760
Net income 208,140
 110,758
 84,810
 209,229
 168,990
 208,140
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests (74,568) (53,148) (48,570) (61,283) (43,698) (74,568)
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $133,572
 $57,610
 $36,240
 $147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572
Net income per share attributable to Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock:            
Basic $0.96
 $0.50
 $0.40
 $1.02
 $0.88
 $0.96
Diluted $0.87
 $0.47
 $0.40
 $0.95
 $0.75
 $0.87
Shares used in computing net income per share of Class A common stock:  
  
    
  
  
Basic 138,836,314
 116,258,204
 89,515,617
 145,044,577
 141,936,933
 138,836,314
Diluted 206,027,557
 122,747,362
 89,515,617
 200,934,442
 199,170,813
 206,027,557
 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.


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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In thousands)
 
 Year Ended
December 31,
 Year Ended
December 31,
 2013 2012 2011 2015 2014 2013
Net income $208,140
 $110,758
 $84,810
 $209,229
 $168,990
 $208,140
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:  
  
  
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges 663
 23,929
 (23,929)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:  
  
  
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges and other (8,209) (6,172) 663
Comprehensive income 208,803
 134,687
 60,881
 201,020
 162,818
 208,803
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests (74,967) (67,563) (34,155) (58,510) (41,558) (74,967)
Comprehensive income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $133,836
 $67,124
 $26,726
 $142,510
 $121,260
 $133,836
 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.


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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
(In thousands, except share data) 

December 31,
2013
 December 31,
2012
December 31,
2015
 December 31,
2014
Assets 
  
 
  
Current assets: 
  
 
  
Cash and cash equivalents$171,427
 $67,058
$197,096
 $411,568
Accounts receivable—net472,196
 397,664
680,033
 607,674
Related party receivable5,155
 4,415
3,999
 6,164
Settlement assets127,144
 429,377
143,563
 135,422
Prepaid expenses18,059
 10,629
31,147
 26,906
Other13,932
 11,934
61,661
 27,002
Total current assets807,913
 921,077
1,117,499
 1,214,736
Customer incentives30,808
 28,927
57,984
 39,210
Property, equipment and software—net217,333
 174,940
308,009
 281,715
Intangible assets—net795,332
 884,536
863,066
 1,034,692
Goodwill1,943,613
 1,804,592
3,366,528
 3,291,366
Deferred taxes362,785
 141,361
731,622
 429,623
Other assets31,769
 24,096
20,718
 44,741
Total assets$4,189,553
 $3,979,529
$6,465,426
 $6,336,083
Liabilities and equity 
  
 
  
Current liabilities: 
  
 
  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses$233,383
 $215,998
$364,878
 $299,771
Related party payable2,381
 1,625
4,698
 2,035
Settlement obligations333,649
 542,564
677,502
 501,042
Current portion of note payable to related party17,621
 28,800
10,353
 10,353
Current portion of note payable74,879
 63,700
106,148
 106,148
Current portion of tax receivable agreement obligations to related parties8,639
 
31,232
 22,789
Current portion of tax receivable agreement obligations64,227
 
Deferred income9,053
 9,667
14,470
 5,480
Current maturities of capital lease obligations4,326
 5,505
7,931
 8,158
Other1,382
 1,609
13,940
 7,557
Total current liabilities685,313
 869,468
1,295,379
 963,333
Long-term liabilities: 
  
 
  
Note payable to related party325,993
 292,000
181,169
 191,521
Note payable1,392,757
 871,605
2,762,469
 3,085,716
Tax receivable agreement obligations to related parties551,061
 484,700
801,829
 597,273
Tax receivable agreement obligations126,980
 152,420
Capital lease obligations12,044
 8,275
21,801
 14,779
Deferred taxes37,963
 8,207
15,836
 24,380
Other8,100
 1,039
34,897
 6,075
Total long-term liabilities2,327,918
 1,665,826
3,944,981
 4,072,164
Total liabilities3,013,231
 2,535,294
5,240,360
 5,035,497
Commitments and contingencies (See Note 10 - Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees)

 



 

Equity: 
  
 
  
Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value; 890,000,000 shares authorized; 141,758,681 shares outstanding at December 31, 2013; 142,243,680 shares outstanding at December 31, 20121
 1
Class B common stock, no par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 48,822,826 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2013; 70,219,136 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2012
 
Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value; 890,000,000 shares authorized; 155,488,326 shares outstanding at December 31, 2015; 145,455,008 shares outstanding at December 31, 20141
 1
Class B common stock, no par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 35,042,826 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015; 43,042,826 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2014
 
Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding
 

 
Paid-in capital597,730
 766,337
553,145
 629,353
Retained earnings203,066
 69,494
476,304
 328,358
Accumulated other comprehensive income264
 
Treasury stock, at cost; 1,606,664 shares at December 31, 2013 and 978,226 shares at December 31, 2012(33,130) (17,906)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(9,204) (3,768)
Treasury stock, at cost; 2,593,242 shares at December 31, 2015 and 2,173,793 shares at December 31, 2014(67,458) (50,931)
Total Vantiv, Inc. equity767,931
 817,926
952,788
 903,013
Non-controlling interests408,391
 626,309
272,278
 397,573
Total equity1,176,322
 1,444,235
1,225,066
 1,300,586
Total liabilities and equity$4,189,553
 $3,979,529
$6,465,426
 $6,336,083
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Year Ended
December 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Operating Activities: 
  
   
  
  
Net income$208,140
 $110,758
 $84,810
209,229
 $168,990
 $208,140
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: 
  
  
 
  
  
Depreciation and amortization expense185,453
 160,538
 155,326
276,942
 240,802
 185,453
Loss on derivative assets
 
 800
Write-off of intangible asset
 34,267
 
Amortization of customer incentives10,139
 6,372
 3,511
18,256
 12,032
 10,139
Amortization and write-off of debt issuance costs24,427
 59,407
 19,544
8,376
 31,956
 24,427
Share-based compensation expense29,729
 33,444
 2,974
30,492
 42,171
 29,729
Deferred taxes31,340
 352
 31,133
55,280
 32,469
 31,340
Other non-cash items491
 1,208
 303
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation(16,707) (13,420) (5,464)
Tax receivable agreements non-cash items28,171
 (25,838) 
Other(945) 
 491
Change in operating assets and liabilities: 
  
  
 
  
  
Accounts receivable and related party receivable(71,614) (28,517) (25,715)(70,194) (94,326) (71,614)
Net settlement assets and obligations93,318
 (48,668) (38,258)168,319
 157,663
 93,318
Customer incentives(13,034) (9,306) (11,385)(32,892) (17,108) (13,034)
Prepaid and other assets(5,127) 11,053
 (10,532)11,324
 (25,557) (5,127)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(12,714) (3,415) 30,693
57,861
 53,172
 (7,250)
Payable to related party756
 (2,189) (8,652)2,663
 (433) 756
Other liabilities(682) 2,077
 (1,098)11,703
 (3,935) (682)
Net cash provided by operating activities480,622
 293,114
 233,454
757,878
 592,905
 480,622
Investing Activities: 
  
   
  
  
Purchases of property and equipment(61,578) (51,435) (62,714)(84,730) (103,179) (61,578)
Acquisition of customer portfolios and related assets(7,892) (13,213) (3,906)(41,997) (29,596) (7,892)
Purchase of investments(3,174) (313) (3,300)
 (7,487) (3,174)
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired(155,654) (352,330) 

 (1,658,694) (155,654)
Net cash used in investing activities(228,298) (417,291) (69,920)(126,727) (1,798,956) (228,298)
Financing Activities: 
  
   
  
  
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of offering costs of $39,091
 460,913
 
Proceeds from follow-on offering, net of offering costs of $1,951
 33,512
 
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt1,850,000
 1,338,750
 

 3,443,000
 1,850,000
Borrowings on revolving credit facility177,000
 
 
Repayment of debt and capital lease obligations(1,304,966) (1,859,199) (20,373)(503,462) (1,870,540) (1,304,966)
Payment of debt issuance costs(26,288) (28,949) (6,276)
 (38,092) (26,288)
Purchase of Class B units in Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third Bank
 (33,512) 
Proceeds from exercise of Class A common stock options13,630
 4,492
 
Warrant termination(200,219) 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(503,225) 
 
(200,406) (59,364) (503,225)
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligations)(15,224) (17,906) 
(16,527) (17,801) (15,224)
Settlement of certain tax receivable agreements(112,562) 
 
(94,022) 
 (112,562)
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation5,464
 14,747
 
Distribution to funds managed by Advent International Corporation
 (40,086) 
Payments under tax receivable agreements(22,805) (8,639) 
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation16,707
 13,420
 5,464
Distribution to non-controlling interests(41,154) (47,584) (2,848)(12,892) (22,911) (41,154)
Net cash used in financing activities(147,955) (179,314) (29,497)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents104,369
 (303,491) 134,037
(Decrease) increase in cash overdraft(2,627) 2,627
 
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities(845,623) 1,446,192
 (147,955)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents(214,472) 240,141
 104,369
Cash and cash equivalents—Beginning of period67,058
 370,549
 236,512
411,568
 171,427
 67,058
Cash and cash equivalents—End of period$171,427
 $67,058
 $370,549
$197,096
 $411,568
 $171,427
Cash Payments: 
  
   
  
  
Interest$37,975
 $60,886
 $106,459
$98,971
 $70,751
 $37,975
Taxes46,198
 29,261
 12,127
6,565
 35,157
 46,198
Non-cash Items: 
  
  
 
  
  
Issuance of tax receivable agreements$329,400
 $484,700
 $
Issuance of tax receivable agreements to related parties$376,597
 $109,400
 $329,400
Issuance of tax receivable agreement as contingent consideration
 137,860
 
Assets acquired under capital lease obligations20,345
 1,202
 19,711

 12,997
 20,345
Assets acquired under debt obligations
 
 19,302
Accrual of secondary offering costs
 3,000
 
 See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSSTATEMENT OF EQUITY
(In thousands)

                   Accumulated  
   Common Stock         Other Non-
 Total Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive Controlling
 Equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings Income Interests
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2013$1,444,235
 142,244
 $1
 70,219
 $
 978
 $(17,906) $766,337
 $69,494
 $
 $626,309
Net income208,140
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 133,572
 
 74,568
Issuance of Class A common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units
 4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation5,464
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5,464
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligation)(15,224) (629) 
 
 
 629
 (15,224) 
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock and cancellation of Class B common stock in connection with secondary offering
 21,396
 
 (21,396) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(503,225) (20,904) 
 
 
 
 
 (503,225) 
 
 
Issuance of tax receivable agreements(93,000) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (93,000) 
 
 
Termination of certain tax receivable agreements140,694
 
 
 
 
 
 
 140,694
 
 
 
Unrealized gain on hedging activities, net of tax663
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 264
 399
Distribution to non-controlling interests(41,154) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (41,154)
Share-based compensation29,729
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21,239
 
 
 8,490
Forfeitures of restricted stock awards
 (352) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reallocation of non-controlling interests of Vantiv Holding due to change in ownership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 260,221
 
 
 (260,221)
Ending Balance, December 31, 2013$1,176,322
 141,759
 $1
 48,823
 $
 1,607
 $(33,130) $597,730
 $203,066
 $264
 $408,391
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
                   Accumulated  
   Common Stock         Other Non-
 Total Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive Controlling
 Equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings Income (Loss) Interests
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2015$1,300,586
 145,455
 $1
 43,043
 $
 2,174
 $(50,931) $629,353
 $328,358
 $(3,768) $397,573
Net income209,229
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 147,946
 
 61,283
Issuance of Class A common stock under employee stock plans, net of forfeitures13,630
 1,523
 
 
 
 
 
 13,630
 
 
 
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation16,707
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16,707
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligation)(16,527) (419) 
 
 
 419
 (16,527) 
 
 
 
Warrant retirement(144,568) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (129,173) 
 
 (15,395)
Issuance of Class A common stock and cancellation of Class B common stock in connection with secondary offering
 8,000
 
 (8,000) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(200,406) (4,446) 
 
 
 
 
 (200,406) 
 
 
Termination of certain tax receivable agreements58,191
 
 
 
 
 
 
 58,191
 
 
 
Partial exercise of warrant
 5,375
 
 
 
 
 
 25,022
 
 
 (25,022)
Issuance of tax receivable agreements(21,167) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (21,167) 
 
 
Unrealized loss on hedging activities and other, net of tax(8,209) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (5,436) (2,773)
Distribution to non-controlling interests(12,892) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (12,892)
Share-based compensation30,492
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23,588
 
 
 6,904
Reallocation of non-controlling interests of Vantiv Holding due to change in ownership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 137,400
 
 
 (137,400)
Ending Balance, December 31, 2015$1,225,066
 155,488
 $1
 35,043
 $
 2,593
 $(67,458) $553,145
 $476,304
 $(9,204) $272,278


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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSSTATEMENT OF EQUITY
(In thousands)
 
                   Accumulated  
   Common Stock         Other Non-
 Total Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive Controlling
 Equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings (Loss) Income Interests
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2012$1,255,720
 89,516
 $1
 
 $
 
 $
 $581,241
 $51,970
 $(9,514) $632,022
Net income110,758
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 57,610
 
 53,148
Issuance of Class A common stock upon initial public offering, net of offering costs457,913
 29,412
 
 
 
 
 
 457,913
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock in connection with follow-on offering, net of offering costs33,512
 2,086
 
 
 
 
 
 33,512
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock to prior unit holders under the Vantiv Holding Management Phantom Equity Plan
 8,716
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation14,747
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14,747
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock to JPDN in exchange for Class A and Class B units in Vantiv Holding held by JPDN
 240
 
 
 
 
 
 4,074
 
 
 (4,074)
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligation)(17,906) (978) 
 
 
 978
 (17,906) 
 
 
 
Issuance of Class B common stock under Recapitalization Agreement
 
 
 86,005
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase of Class B units in Vantiv Holding from Fifth Third Bank and cancellation of related Class B common stock(33,512) 
 
 (2,086) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (33,512)
Issuance of Class A common stock and cancellation of Class B common stock in connection with secondary offering
 13,700
 
 (13,700) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Issuance of tax receivable agreements(346,700) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (346,700) 
 
 
Cash flow hedge reclassification adjustment23,929
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9,514
 14,415
Distribution to non-controlling interests(47,584) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (47,584)
Distribution to funds managed by Advent International Corporation(40,086) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (40,086) 
 
Share-based compensation33,444
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20,223
 
 
 13,221
Forfeitures of restricted stock awards
 (448) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reallocation of non-controlling interests of Vantiv Holding due to change in ownership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1,327
 
 
 (1,327)
Ending Balance, December 31, 2012$1,444,235
 142,244
 $1
 70,219
 $
 978
 $(17,906) $766,337
 $69,494
 $
 $626,309
                   Accumulated  
   Common Stock         Other Non-
 Total Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive Controlling
 Equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings Income (Loss) Interests
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2014$1,176,322
 141,759
 $1
 48,823
 $
 1,607
 $(33,130) $597,730
 $203,066
 $264
 $408,391
Net income168,990
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 125,292
 
 43,698
Issuance of Class A common stock under employee stock plans, net of forfeitures4,492
 419
 
 
 
 
 
 4,492
 
 
 
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation13,420
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13,420
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligation)(17,801) (567) 
 
 
 567
 (17,801) 
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock and cancellation of Class B common stock in connection with secondary offering
 5,780
 
 (5,780) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(59,364) (1,936) 
 
 
 
 
 (59,364) 
 
 
Issuance of tax receivable agreements(17,400) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (17,400) 
 
 
Unrealized loss on hedging activities and other, net of tax(6,172) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (4,032) (2,140)
Formation of joint venture18,839
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18,839
Distribution to non-controlling interests(22,911) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (22,911)
Share-based compensation42,171
 
 
 
 
 
 
 32,103
 
 
 10,068
Reallocation of non-controlling interests of Vantiv Holding due to change in ownership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 58,372
 
 
 (58,372)
Ending Balance, December 31, 2014$1,300,586
 145,455
 $1
 43,043
 $
 2,174
 $(50,931) $629,353
 $328,358
 $(3,768) $397,573
 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.


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Vantiv, Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTSSTATEMENT OF EQUITY
(In thousands)
 
                  Accumulated                    Accumulated  
  Common Stock         Other Non-  Common Stock         Other Non-
Total Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive ControllingTotal Class A Class B Treasury Stock Paid-in Retained Comprehensive Controlling
Equity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings Loss InterestsEquity Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Earnings Income Interests
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2011$1,194,713
 89,516
 $1
 
 $
 
 $
 $579,726
 $15,730
 $
 $599,256
Beginning Balance, January 1, 2013$1,444,235
 142,244
 $1
 70,219
 $
 978
 $(17,906) $766,337
 $69,494
 $
 $626,309
Net income84,810
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 36,240
 
 48,570
208,140
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 133,572
 
 74,568
Unrealized loss on hedging activities, net of tax(23,929) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (9,514) (14,415)
Issuance of Class A common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units
 4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax benefit from employee share-based compensation5,464
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5,464
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligation)(15,224) (629) 
 
 
 629
 (15,224) 
 
 
 
Issuance of Class A common stock and cancellation of Class B common stock in connection with secondary offering
 21,396
 
 (21,396) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(503,225) (20,904) 
 
 
 
 
 (503,225) 
 
 
Issuance of tax receivable agreements(93,000) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (93,000) 
 
 
Termination of certain tax receivable agreements140,694
 
 
 
 
 
 
 140,694
 
 
 
Unrealized gain on hedging activities, net of tax663
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 264
 399
Distribution to non-controlling interests(2,848) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (2,848)(41,154) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (41,154)
Share-based compensation2,974
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1,515
 
 
 1,459
29,729
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21,239
 
 
 8,490
Ending Balance, December 31, 2011$1,255,720
 89,516
 $1
 
 $
 
 $
 $581,241
 $51,970
 $(9,514) $632,022
Forfeitures of restricted stock awards
 (352) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reallocation of non-controlling interests of Vantiv Holding due to change in ownership
 
 
 
 
 
 
 260,221
 
 
 (260,221)
Ending Balance, December 31, 2013$1,176,322
 141,759
 $1
 48,823
 $
 1,607
 $(33,130) $597,730
 $203,066
 $264
 $408,391
 
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.


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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
Description of Business
 
Vantiv, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a holding company that conducts its operations through its majority-owned subsidiary, Vantiv Holding, LLC ("Vantiv Holding"). Vantiv, Inc. and Vantiv Holding are referred to collectively as the "Company," "Vantiv," "we," "us" or "our," unless the context requires otherwise.
 
The Company provides electronic payment processing services to merchants and financial institutions throughout the United States of America. The Company markets its services through diverse distribution channels, including national, regional and mid-market sales teams, third-party reseller clients and a telesales operation. The Company also has relationships with a broad range of referral partners that include merchant banks; technology partners, which includebanks, independent software vendors ("ISVs"), value-added resellers ("VARs") and, payment facilitators;facilitators, independent sales organizations ("ISOs") and trade associations as well as arrangements with core processors.
 
Segments
 
The Company’s segments consist of the Merchant Services segment and the Financial Institution Services segment. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), who is the chief operating decision maker ("CODM"), evaluates the performance and allocates resources based on the operating results of each segment. Below is a summary of each segment:
 
Merchant Services—Provides merchant acquiring and payment processing services to large national merchants, regional and small-to-mid sized businesses. Merchant services are sold to small to large businesses through diverse distribution channels. Merchant Services includes all aspects of card processing including authorization and settlement, customer service, chargeback and retrieval processing and interchange management.
 
Financial Institution Services—Provides card issuer processing, payment network processing, fraud protection, card production, prepaid program management, automated teller machine ("ATM") driving and network gateway and switching services that utilize the Company’s proprietary Jeanie debit payment network to a diverse set of financial institutions, including regional banks, community banks, credit unions and regional personal identification number ("PIN") networks. Financial Institution Services also provides statement production, collections and inbound/outbound call centers for credit transactions, and other services such as credit card portfolio analytics, program strategy and support, fraud and security management and chargeback and dispute services.
 
Initial Public Offering and Reorganization Transactions
On March 21, 2012, Vantiv, Inc. completed the initial public offering ("IPO") of its Class A common stock. Immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO, the Company executed several reorganization transactions, collectively referred to as the "Reorganization Transactions." The Reorganization Transactions included, among other things, the following:
Amendment and restatement of Vantiv, Inc.’s certificate of incorporation to provide for Class A and Class B common stock (see Note 12 - Capital Stock for further discussion);
Reclassification of Vantiv, Inc.’s existing common stock into shares of Class A common stock and a 175.76 for 1 stock split of the Class A common stock, which has been retrospectively reflected within these accompanying consolidated financial statements;
Amendment and restatement of the Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement and a 1.7576 for 1 split of the Class A units and Class B units of Vantiv Holding;
Execution of an exchange agreement (the "Exchange Agreement") among the Company and Fifth Third Bank, a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp, and FTPS Partners, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank, collectively referred to as "Fifth Third," to provide for a 1 to 1 ratio between the units of Vantiv Holding and the common stock of Vantiv, Inc., and the exchange of Class B units and Class C non-voting units of Vantiv Holding for Class A common stock of Vantiv, Inc. on a one-for-one basis, or, at Vantiv, Inc.’s option, for cash;

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



Exchange of Class A and Class B units of Vantiv Holding held by JPDN Enterprises, LLC ("JPDN"), an affiliate of Charles D. Drucker, the Company’s CEO, for shares of Vantiv, Inc.’s Class A common stock;
Execution of four tax receivable agreements ("TRAs") with Vantiv Holding’s pre-IPO investors, which obligate the Company to make payments to such investors equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that the Company realizes as a result of certain tax basis increases and net operating losses ("NOLs"). During the year ended December 31, 2013, certain of these tax receivable agreements were terminated (see Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements for a discussion of the TRAs);
Execution of a recapitalization agreement with Vantiv Holding’s pre-IPO investors, pursuant to which, among other things, the Company paid Fifth Third a $15.0 million fee related to the modification of its consent rights under the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement, which is reflected as a distribution to non-controlling interests within the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows and equity for the year ended December 31, 2012. Additionally, the Company made a $40.1 million cash distribution to funds managed by Advent International Corporation ("Advent"), which is reflected as such in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows and equity for the year ended December 31, 2012; and
Conversion of outstanding awards under the Vantiv Holding Management Phantom Equity Plan ("Phantom Equity Plan") into unrestricted and restricted Class A common stock issued under the 2012 Vantiv, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan ("2012 Equity Incentive Plan") (see Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation Plans for a discussion of the Company’s share-based compensation plans).
In the IPO, Vantiv, Inc. issued and sold 29,412,000 shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $17.00 per share for net proceeds of $457.9 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, including $3.0 million accrued for offering costs associated with contractually obligated future offerings. The Company used the net proceeds to pay down a portion of the amount outstanding under its senior secured credit facilities. Vantiv, Inc. also issued 86,005,200 shares of Class B common stock, which give voting rights, but no economic interests, to Fifth Third. No proceeds were generated from the issuance of the Class B common stock.

In connection with the exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option, an additional 4,411,800 shares of Class A common stock were sold to the public at an offering price of $17.00 per share. Of the shares sold in the overallotment, 2,325,736 shares were sold by the selling stockholders and 2,086,064 shares were sold by Vantiv, Inc. Vantiv, Inc. used the net proceeds resulting from the shares it sold in the overallotment option to redeem an equivalent number of Class B units of Vantiv Holding held by Fifth Third pursuant to the Exchange Agreement. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

Secondary Offerings and Share Repurchase

In August 2012, a secondary offering took place in which Advent sold 14.1 million shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock at a price of $21.90 per share. In December 2012, a secondary offering took place in which Fifth Third sold 13.7 million shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock at a price of $20.10 per share. The Company did not receive any proceeds from these sales.

In May 2013, a secondary offering took place in which selling shareholders sold 40.7 million shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from these sales. In connection with the secondary offering, the Company repurchased approximately 17.5 million shares of its Class A common stock sold to the underwriters in the secondary offering for $400 million at a price per share equal to the price paid by the underwriters to purchase the shares from the selling shareholders in the offering. The repurchased shares were retired and accounted for as a reduction to equity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. In connection with the share repurchase, the Company incurred costs of approximately $0.6 million, which are also reflected as a reduction to equity in the accompanying consolidated statement of equity. In connection with the share repurchase, the Company refinanced our existing senior secured credit facilities, resulting in an increase in the amount of debt by approximately $650 million, $400 million of which was used to fund the share repurchase (see Note 6 - Long-Term Debt).


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In August and November 2013, secondary offerings took place in which selling shareholders sold 20.0 million and 15.0 million shares, respectively, of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from these sales.

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include those of Vantiv, Inc. and all subsidiaries thereof, including its majority-owned subsidiary, Vantiv Holding, LLC. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
 
As of December 31, 20132015, Vantiv, Inc. and Fifth Third owned interests in Vantiv Holding of 74.38%81.61% and 25.62%18.39%, respectively (see Note 9 - Controlling and Non-controlling Interests in Vantiv Holding for changes in non-controlling interests).
 
The Company accounts for non-controlling interests in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 810, Consolidation. Non-controlling interests primarily represent theFifth Third's minority shareholders’ share of net income or loss of and equity in Vantiv Holding. Net income attributable to non-controlling interests does not include expenses incurred directly by Vantiv, Inc., including income tax expense attributable to Vantiv, Inc. All of the Company’s non-controlling interests are presented after Vantiv Holding income tax expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income as "Net income attributable to non-controlling interests." Non-controlling interests are presented as a component of equity in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position.

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Sponsorship
 
In order to provide electronic payment processing services, Visa, MasterCard and other payment networks require sponsorship of non-financial institutions by a member clearing bank. In June 2009, the Company entered into a ten-year agreement with Fifth Third (the "Sponsoring Member"), to provide sponsorship services to the Company. The Company also has agreements with certain other banks that provide sponsorship into the card networks.
 
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition
 
The Company has contractual agreements with its clients that set forth the general terms and conditions of the relationship including line item pricing, payment terms and contract duration. Revenues are recognized as earned (i.e., for transaction based fees, when the underlying transaction is processed) in conjunction with ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, establishes guidance as to when revenue is realized or realizable and earned by using the following criteria: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (3) the seller’s price is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectibility is reasonably assured.
 
The Company follows guidance provided in ASC 605-45, Principal Agent Considerations,. ASC 605-45, Principal Agent Considerations, which states that the determination of whether a company should recognize revenue based on the gross amount billed to a customer or the net amount retained is a matter of judgment that depends on the facts and circumstances of the arrangement and that certain factors should be considered in the evaluation. The Company recognizes processing revenues net of interchange fees, which are assessed to the Company’s merchant customers on all processed transactions. Interchange rates are not controlled by the Company, which effectively acts as a clearing house collecting and remitting interchange fee settlement on behalf of issuing banks, debit networks, credit card associations and its processing customers. All other revenue is reported on a gross basis, as the Company contracts directly with the end customer, assumes the risk of loss and has pricing flexibility.
 
The Company generates revenue primarily by processing electronic payment transactions. Set forth below is a description of the Company’s revenue by segment.

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Merchant Services
 
The Company’s Merchant Services segment revenue is primarily derived from processing credit and debit card transactions. Merchant Services revenue is primarily comprised of fees charged to businesses, net of interchange fees, for payment processing services, including authorization, capture, clearing, settlement and information reporting of electronic transactions. The fees charged consist of either a percentage of the dollar volume of the transaction or a fixed fee, or both, and are recognized at the time of the transaction. Merchant Services revenue also includes a number of revenue items that are incurred by the Company and are reimbursable as the costs are passed through to and paid by the Company’s clients. These items primarily consist of Visa, MasterCard and other payment network fees. In addition, for sales through ISOs and certain other referral sources in which the Company is the primary party to the contract with the merchant, the Company records the full amount of the fees collected from the merchant as revenue. Merchant Services segment revenue also includes revenue from ancillary services such as fraud management, equipment sales and terminal rent. Merchant Services revenue is recognized as services are performed. 

Financial Institution Services

The Company’s Financial Institution Services segment revenues are primarily derived from debit, credit and ATM card transaction processing, ATM driving and support, and PIN debit processing services. Financial Institution Services revenue associated with processing transactions includes per transaction and account related fees, card production fees and fees generated from the Company’s Jeanie network. Financial Institution Services revenue related to card transaction processing is recognized when consumers use their client-issued cards to make purchases. Financial Institution Services also generates

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revenue through other services, including statement production, collections and inbound/outbound call centers for credit transactions and other services such as credit card portfolio analytics, program strategy and support, fraud and security management and chargeback and dispute services. Financial Institution Services revenue is recognized as services are performed.
 
Financial Institution Services provides certain services to Fifth Third. Revenues related to these services are included in the accompanying statements of income as related party revenues.
 
Expenses
 
Set forth below is a brief description of the components of the Company’s expenses:
 
Network fees and other costs consistsprimarily consist of certainpass through expenses incurred by the Company in connection with providing processing services to its clients, including Visa and MasterCard network association fees, payment network fees, card production costs,third party processing fees, telecommunication charges, postage and other third party processing expenses.card production costs.
 
Sales and marketing expense primarily consists of salaries and benefits paid to sales personnel, sales management and other sales and marketing personnel, residual payments made to ISOs technology partners, merchant banks and other third partyreferral partners, and advertising and promotional costs.
 
Other operating costs primarily consist of salaries and benefits paid to operational and IT personnel, costs associated with operating the Company’s technology platform and data centers, information technology costs for processing transactions, product development costs, software consulting fees and maintenance costs.

General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries and benefits paid to executive management and administrative employees, including finance, human resources, product development, legal and risk management, share-based compensation costs, equipment and occupancy costs and consulting costs.

Non-operatingexpenses consist of charges related to the refinancing of the Company’s senior secured credit facilities (see Note 6 - Long-Term Debt) in May 2013 and March 2012, the early termination of the Company’s interest rate swaps (see Note 8 - Derivatives and Hedging Activities) in connection with the March 2012 debt refinancing and a one-time activity fee of $6.0 million assessed by MasterCard as a result of the Company's IPO. income (expense):




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The 2015 amount primarily relates to the change in the fair value of the Mercury TRA entered into as part of the acquisition of Mercury (see Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements).

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The 2014 amount consists of non-operating income of $41.3 million related to a benefit recorded as a result of a reduction in certain TRA liabilities (see Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements), partially offset by non-operating expenses of $41.1 million related to the refinancing of our senior secured credit facilities in June 2014 (see Note 6 - Long-Term Debt) and the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA (see Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements).
The 2013 amount relates to the refinancing of the Company's senior secured credit facilities in May 2013 (see Note 6 - Long-Term Debt).


Share-Based Compensation
 
The Company expenses employee share-based payments under ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, which requires compensation cost for the grant-date fair value of share-based payments to be recognized over the requisite service period. The Company estimates the grant date fair value of the share-based awards issued in the form of options using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock awards and performance awards is measured based on the market price of the Company’s stock on the grant date. See Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation Plans for further discussion.

Earnings Per Share
 
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. by the weighted average shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc., adjusted as necessary for the impact of potentially dilutive securities, by the weighted-average shares outstanding during the period and the impact of securities that would have a dilutive effect on earnings per share. See Note 16 - Net Income Per Share for further discussion.


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Income Taxes
 
Vantiv, Inc. is taxed as a C corporation for U.S. income tax purposes and is therefore subject to both federal and state taxation at a corporate level.
 
Income taxes are computed in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, and reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the financial reporting carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and the corresponding income tax amounts. The Company has deferred tax assets and liabilities and maintains valuation allowances where it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. To the extent the Company determines that it will not realize the benefit of some or all of its deferred tax assets, such deferred tax assets will be adjusted through the Company’s provision for income taxes in the period in which this determination is made. As of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, the Company had recorded no valuation allowances against deferred tax assets. See Note 14 - Income Taxes for further discussion of income taxes.
 
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
InvestmentsCash on hand and investments with original maturities of three months or less (that are readily convertible to cash) are considered to be cash equivalents and are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of overnight EuroDollar sweep accounts which are maintained at reputable financial institutions with high credit quality and therefore are considered to bear minimal credit risk.
 
Accounts Receivable—net
 
Accounts receivable primarily represent processing revenues earned but not collected. For a majority of its customers, the Company has the authority to debit the client’s bank accounts through the Federal Reserve’s Automated Clearing House; as such, collectibility is reasonably assured. The Company records a reserve for doubtful accounts when it is probable that the accounts receivable will not be collected. The Company reviews historical loss experience and the financial position of its customers when estimating the allowance. As of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, the allowance for doubtful accounts was not material to the Company’s statements of financial position.
 
Customer Incentives
 
Customer incentives represent signing bonuses paid to customers. Customer incentives are paid in connection with the acquisition or renewal of customer contracts, and are therefore deferred and amortized using the straight-line method based on the contractual agreement. Related amortization is recorded as contra-revenue.
 
Property, Equipment and Software—net
 
Property, equipment and software consists of the Company’s corporate headquarters facility,facilities, furniture and equipment, software, land and leasehold improvements. These assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their respective useful lives, which are 15 to 40 years for the Company’s corporate headquarters facilityfacilities and related improvements, 2 to 10 years for furniture and equipment, 3 to 5 years for software and 3 to 10 years for leasehold improvements or the lesser of the estimated

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useful life of the improvement or the term of lease. Also included in property, equipment and software is work in progress consisting of costs associated with software developed for internal use which has not yet been placed in service.
 
The Company capitalizes certain costs related to computer software developed for internal use and amortizes such costs on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of3 to 5 years. Research and development costs incurred prior to establishing technological feasibility are charged to operations as such costs are incurred. Once technological feasibility has been established, costs are capitalized until the software is placed in service.
 
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
 
In accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, the Company tests goodwill for impairment for each reporting unit on an annual basis, or when events occur or circumstances indicate the fair value of a reporting unit is below its carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that fair value of the goodwill within the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The Company performed its most recent annual goodwill impairment test for all reporting units as of July 31, 20132015 using market data and discounted cash flow analyses. Based on this analysis, it was determined that the fair value of all reporting units waswere substantially in excess of the

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carrying value. There have been no other events or changes in circumstances subsequent to the testing date that would indicate impairment of these reporting units as of December 31, 2013.2015.

Intangible assets consist primarily of acquired customer relationships, trade names and customer portfolios and related assets that are amortized over their estimated useful lives and an indefinite lived trade name not subject to amortization.lives. The Company reviews the acquired customer relationshipsfinite lived intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amounts may not be recoverable. As of December 31, 2013,2015, there have been no such events or circumstances that would indicate potential impairment. The indefiniteimpairment of finite lived intangible assets. Subsequent to the Mercury acquisition in June 2014, the Company decided to phase out an existing trade name used in the ISO channel within the Merchant Services segment. As a result of this decision, the remaining useful life was changed from indefinite to definite which resulted in the Company recording a charge to amortization expense of $34.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2014. The remaining fair value is tested for impairment annually. The Company performed its most recent annual trade name impairment test asbeing amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining estimated useful life of July 31, 2013, which indicated there was no impairment. There have been no other events or changes in circumstances subsequent to the testing date that would indicate impairment of the trade name as of December 31, 2013.two years.
 
Settlement Assets and Obligations
 
Settlement assets and obligations result from Financial Institution Services when funds are transferred from or received by the Company prior to receiving or paying funds to a different entity. This timing difference results in a settlement asset or obligation. The amounts are generally collected or paid the following business day.
 
The settlement assets and obligations recorded by Merchant Services represent intermediary balances due to differences between the amount the Sponsoring Member receives from the card associations and the amount funded to the merchants. Such differences arise from timing differences, interchange expenses, merchant reserves and exception items. In addition, certain card associations limit the Company from accessing or controlling merchant settlement funds and, instead, require that these funds be controlled by the Sponsoring Member. The Company follows a net settlement process whereby, if the settlement received from the card associations precedes the funding obligation to the merchant, the Company temporarily records a corresponding liability. Conversely, if the funding obligation to the merchant precedes the settlement from the card associations, the amount of the net receivable position is recorded by the Company, or in some cases, the Sponsoring Member may cover the position with its own funds in which case a receivable position is not recorded by the Company.
 
Derivatives
 
The Company accounts for derivatives in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. This guidance establishes accounting and reporting for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. All derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, are required to be recorded on the statement of financial position at fair value. If the derivative is designated as a fair value hedge, the changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item will be recognized in earnings. If the derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the change in the fair value of the derivative will be recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") and will be recognized in the statement of income when the hedged item affects earnings. For a derivative that does not qualify as a hedge ("free-standing derivative"), changes in fair value are recognized in earnings. The Company does not enter into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. The update simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in the balance sheet. The update is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The guidance may be adopted prospectively or retrospectively and early adoption is permitted. As of December 31, 2015, the Company has elected to early adopt this ASU on a prospective basis and therefore, prior years were not retrospectively adjusted.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The update requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of being presented as an asset. Amortization of the costs will continue to be reported as interest expense. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements. The update provides additional guidance to ASU 2015-03, which did not address presentation or subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements. The update noted that the SEC staff would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and

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New Accounting Pronouncementssubsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. These updates require retrospective application and represent a change in accounting principle. The change in accounting principle, resulting from the Company's adoption of this ASU, has been implemented and the results are not material to the Company's consolidated statement of financial position.

In February 2013,May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards BoardFASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2013-02, "ReportingASU 2014-09, "Revenue From Contracts With Customers." The ASU supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The new standard provides a five-step analysis of Amounts Reclassified Outtransactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized, based upon the core principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income." This amendmentgoods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard also requires companies to disclose, in a single location withinadditional disclosures regarding the financial statements or footnotes, reclassifications outnature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of AOCI separately for each component of other comprehensive income. For significant reclassifications, the disclosure is required to include the respective line items in net earnings affected by the reclassification.revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The amendmentnew standard, as amended, is effective prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2012.2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company'samendment allows companies to use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt this ASU. The Company is currently evaluating which transition approach to use and assessing the impact of the adoption of this principle did not have a material impact on our accompanyingthe Company's consolidated financial statements.

2. BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

Acquisition of Mercury Payment Systems, LLC

On June 13, 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Mercury Payment Systems, LLC ("Mercury"), acquiring all of the outstanding voting interest. Mercury was a payment technology and service leader whose solutions are integrated into point-of-sale software applications and brought to market through dealer and developer partners. This acquisition helps to accelerate the Company's growth in the integrated payments channel.

During the second quarter of 2015, the Company recorded measurement period adjustments to the trade name and to the Mercury TRA. The adjustment to the trade name, which is included in intangible assets below, is based on a change in the underlying assumptions used to value the trade name due to the refinement of estimates. The trade name was initially assigned a value of $59.1 million and a weighted average estimated useful life of 9.5 years utilizing the relief from royalty method. As a result of a change in the underlying assumptions due to the refinement of estimates, the Company assigned the trade name a value of $15.0 million based on a weighted average estimated useful life of 2.5 years. The adjustment to the Mercury TRA is due to a change in the inputs used in determining the fair value of the TRA as a result of refining estimates. Both measurement period adjustments are reflected in the table below and have no effect on the accompanying statement of income.

The following is the estimated fair value of the purchase price for Mercury (in thousands):
Cash purchase price paid at closing$1,681,179
Fair value of contingent consideration related to a TRA192,507
Total purchase price$1,873,686

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The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under ASC 805, Business Combinations ("ASC 805"). The purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, a significant portion of which is deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill, assigned to Merchant Services, consists primarily of the acquired workforce and growth opportunities, none of which qualify as an intangible asset. The final purchase price allocation is as follows (in thousands):
Cash acquired$22,485
Current assets47,421
Property, equipment and software32,257
Intangible assets347,000
Goodwill1,422,916
Deferred tax assets43,054
Other non-current assets767
Current and non-current liabilities(42,214)
Total purchase price$1,873,686

Simultaneously and in connection with the completion of the Mercury acquisition, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement (the "Mercury TRA") with pre-acquisition owners of Mercury ("Mercury TRA Holders"). See Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements for further discussion of the Mercury TRA. The Mercury TRA is considered contingent consideration under ASC 805 as it is part of the consideration payable to the former owners of Mercury. In accordance with ASC 805, the contingent consideration is initially measured at fair value at the acquisition date and recorded as a liability. The Mercury TRA liability is therefore recorded at fair value based on estimates of discounted future cash flows associated with estimated payments to the Mercury TRA Holders. The liability recorded by the Company for the Mercury TRA obligations will be re-measured at fair value at each reporting date with the change in fair value recognized in earnings as a non-operating expense.
Intangible assets consist of customer relationship assets of $332.0 million and a trade name of $15.0 million having weighted average estimated useful lives of 10 years and 2.5 years, respectively. The trade name was valued utilizing a relief from royalty method.

The Company incurred transaction and integration expenses of approximately $17.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2014 in conjunction with the acquisition of Mercury, which are included within general and administrative expenses and other operating costs on the accompanying consolidated statement of income. From the acquisition date of June 13, 2014 through December 31, 2014, revenue included in the accompanying statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2014 attributable to Mercury was approximately $217 million. Net income for the period could not be determined due to integration activities that were implemented subsequent to the acquisition.

Under the terms of the Mercury transaction agreement, the Company replaced unvested employee stock options held by certain employees of Mercury. The number of replacement stock options was based on a conversion factor into equivalent stock options of the Company on the acquisition date. The weighted average fair value of the replacement options was $32.1 million and was calculated on the acquisition date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The portion of the fair value of the replacement awards related to services provided prior to the acquisition of $17.7 million was part of the consideration transferred to acquire Mercury. The remaining portion of the fair value is associated with future service and will be recognized as expense over the future service period. See additional discussion in Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation Plans.


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The following unaudited pro forma information shows the Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 as if the Mercury acquisition had occurred January 1, 2013. The unaudited pro forma information is presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of what would have occurred if the acquisition had been made as of that date, nor is it intended to be indicative of future operating results.
 Year Ended December 31,
 2014 2013
 (in thousands, except share data)
Total revenue$2,737,024
 $2,435,234
Income from operations322,746
 354,517
Net income including non-controlling interests174,797
 155,145
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc.129,630
 95,819
Net income per share attributable to Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock:   
Basic$0.91
 $0.69
Diluted$0.78
 $0.61
Shares used in computing net income per share of Class A common stock:   
Basic141,936,933
 138,836,314
Diluted199,170,813
 206,027,557
The unaudited pro forma results include certain pro forma adjustments that were directly attributable to the business combination as follows:
additional amortization expense that would have been recognized relating to the acquired intangible assets,
adjustment of interest expense to reflect the additional borrowings of the Company in conjunction with the acquisition and removal of Mercury historical debt, and
a reduction in non-operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014 and a corresponding increase for the year ended December 31, 2013 for acquisition-related transaction costs and debt refinancing costs incurred by the Company.

Acquisition of Element Payment Services, Inc.

On July 31, 2013, the Company completed the acquisition of Element Payment Services, Inc. ("Element"), acquiring all of the outstanding voting interest. Element iswas a provider of fully integrated payment processing solutions for ISVs.solutions. This acquisition provides the Company with strategic capabilities to partner with ISVsintegrated point-of-sale developers and dealers and positions the Company to increase its presence in the integrated payments market.channel.
    
The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under ASC 805, Business Combinations.805. The purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, none of which is deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill, assigned to Merchant Services, consists primarily of the acquired workforce and growth opportunities, none of which qualifies as an identifiable intangible asset. The preliminaryfinal purchase price allocation is as follows (in thousands):    
Current assets $11,359
Equipment and software 8,193
Goodwill 135,068
Customer relationship intangible assets 29,300
Trade name 500
Current liabilities (8,189)
Deferred tax liabilities (13,772)
Total purchase price $162,459

Customer relationship intangible assets and the trade name have weighted average useful lives of 10 years and 1 year, respectively.    

The pro forma results of the Company reflecting the acquisition of Element were not material to our financial results and therefore have not been presented.
Acquisition of Litle & Co., LLC

On November 30, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Litle & Co., LLC ("Litle"), acquiring all of the outstanding voting interests. Litle is an ecommerce payment processor, providing a fully-integrated payments solution for companies that sell goods and services to consumers over the internet and through direct response marketing. This acquisition significantly increases the Company's capabilities in ecommerce, expands its customer base of online merchants, and enables the delivery of Litle's innovative ecommerce solutions to the Company's clients.
The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under ASC 805, Business Combinations. The purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill, all of which is deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill, assigned to Merchant Services, consists primarily of tax benefits resulting from the acquisition, the acquired workforce and growth opportunities, none of which qualifies as an amortizable intangible asset. The final purchase price allocation is as follows (in thousands):    

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Current assets $10,326
Property and equipment 13,503
Non-current assets 30
Goodwill 276,171
Customer relationship intangible assets 73,600
Trade name 1,300
Current liabilities (14,341)
Total purchase price $360,589

Customer relationship intangible assets and the trade name have weighted average useful lives of 10 years and 1 year, respectively.

The pro forma results of the Company reflecting the acquisition of Litle as if it had occurred at the beginning of the yearElement were not material to our financial results and therefore have not been presented.

The Company incurred expenses of approximately $3.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2012 in conjunction with the acquisition of Litle, which are included within general and administrative expenses on the accompanying statement of income.

3. PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE

A summary of the Company's property, equipment and software is as follows (in thousands):
 Estimated Useful Life December 31, 2013 December 31, 2012 Estimated Useful Life December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Land N/A $6,401
 $6,401
Building and improvements 15 - 40 years $18,645
 $18,645
 15 - 40 years 33,938
 33,454
Furniture and equipment 2 - 10 years 88,650
 75,913
 2 - 10 years 134,191
 116,065
Software 3 - 5 years 204,222
 146,322
 5 years 319,866
 259,495
Leasehold improvements 3 - 10 years 5,162
 3,558
 3 - 10 years 8,885
 8,753
Work in progress 38,039
 16,304
 45,061
 60,309
Accumulated depreciation (137,385) (85,802) (240,333) (202,762)
Total $217,333
 $174,940
 $308,009
 $281,715

Depreciation and amortization expense related to property, equipment and software for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 was $56.8$76.6 million,, $40.7 $70.0 million and $31.756.8 million, respectively.

4. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

A summaryChanges in the carrying amount of changes in goodwill, through December 31, 2013 isby business segment, are as follows (in thousands):

 Merchant Services Financial Institution Services Total
Balance as of December 31, 2011 $957,524
 $574,850
 $1,532,374
Goodwill attributable to acquisition of Litle 272,218
 
 272,218
Balance as of December 31, 2012 1,229,742
 574,850
 1,804,592
Goodwill attributable to acquisition of Litle (1) 3,953
 
 3,953
Goodwill attributable to acquisition of Element 135,068
 
 135,068
Balance as of December 31, 2013 $1,368,763
 $574,850
 $1,943,613
  Merchant Services Financial Institution Services Total
Balance as of December 31, 2013 $1,368,763
 $574,850
 $1,943,613
Goodwill attributable to acquisition of Mercury 1,347,753
 
 1,347,753
Balance as of December 31, 2014 2,716,516
 574,850
 3,291,366
Goodwill attributable to acquisition of Mercury (1)
 75,162
 
 75,162
Balance as of December 31, 2015 $2,791,678
 $574,850
 $3,366,528
 
(1) Amount represents adjustments to goodwill associated with the acquisition of LitleMercury as a result of the finalization of purchase accounting.


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Intangible assets consist primarily of acquired customer relationships, trade names and trade names.customer portfolios and related assets. The useful lives of customer relationships are determined based on forecasted cash flows, which include estimates for customer attrition associated with the underlying portfolio of customers acquired. The customer relationships acquired in conjunction with acquisitions are amortized based on the pattern of cash flows expected to be realized taking into consideration expected revenues and customer attrition, which are based on historical data and the Company's estimates of future performance. These estimates result in accelerated amortization on certain acquired intangible assets.

Indefinite lived trade names are reviewed for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Subsequent to the Mercury acquisition in June 2014, the Company decided to phase out an existing trade name used in the ISO channel. The trade name acquired in conjunction with the Company's acquisition of NPC Group, Inc. ("NPC") in 2010 iswas originally expected to remain in use for the foreseeable future and has therefore beenwas deemed an indefinite lived intangible asset not subject to amortization. As a result of this decision, the remaining useful life was changed from indefinite to definite which resulted in the Company recording a charge to amortization expense of $34.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2014. The trade name was revalued utilizing an income approach using the relief-from-royalty method. The revised fair value of $6.7 million is reviewed for impairmentbeing amortized on an annual basis. a straight-line basis over the remaining estimated useful life of two years.

The Company reviews finite lived intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amounts may not be recoverable.

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As of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, the Company's finite lived intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
 December 31,
2013
 December 31,
2012
 December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Customer relationship intangible assets $1,234,042
 $1,212,919
 $1,596,581
 $1,596,581
Trade name - indefinite lived 41,000
 41,000
Trade name - finite lived 500
 1,300
Trade name 21,733
 65,833
Customer portfolios and related assets 129,734
 57,383
Patents 366
 
 1,748,414
 1,719,797
Less accumulated amortization on:    
Customer relationship intangible assets 821,580
 655,017
Trade name 14,350
 5,105
Customer portfolios and related assets 26,422
 16,780
 49,418
 24,983
 1,301,964
 1,271,999
 885,348
 685,105
     $863,066
 $1,034,692
Less accumulated amortization on:    
Customer relationship intangible assets 496,906
 383,962
Trade name - finite lived 208
 
Customer portfolios and related assets 9,518
 3,501
 506,632
 387,463
 $795,332
 $884,536
  
As ofCustomer portfolios and related assets acquired during the year ended December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, finite-lived intangible assets had estimated remaininghave weighted-average livesamortization periods of 7.14.8 years and 7.64.2 years,, respectively. Amortization expense on intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 was $128.6$200.4 million,, $119.9 $205.1 million and $123.6$128.6 million,, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2014, intangible amortization expense included the $34.3 million charge related to the phasing out of a trade name discussed above.

The estimated amortization expense of intangible assets for the next five years is as follows (in thousands):
2014 $127,599
2015 121,141
2016 116,268
 $192,296
2017 111,813
 171,382
2018 108,856
 161,930
2019 153,530
2020 81,470

5. CAPITAL LEASES

The Company has various lease agreements for equipment that are classified as capital leases. The cost and accumulated depreciation of equipment under capital leases as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 of approximately $20.4 million and $20.9 million, respectively, is included onin the accompanying statements of financial position within property and equipment.equipment were $36.6 million and $4.4 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2015 and $33.4 million and $8.3 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2014. Depreciation expense associated with capital leases for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014, and 20112013 was $7.8 million, $6.0 million and $6.7 million,$4.1 million and $3.6 million, respectively.
    

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The future minimum lease payments required under capital leases and the present value of net minimum lease payments as of December 31, 20132015 are as follows (in thousands):
 Amount Amount
2014 $4,593
2015 4,990
2016 4,990
 $8,454
2017 2,378
 8,969
2018 8,969
2019 4,484
Total minimum lease payments 16,951
 30,876
Less: Amount representing interest (581) (1,144)
Present value of minimum lease payments 16,370
 29,732
Less: Current maturities of capital lease obligations (4,326) (7,931)
Long-term capital lease obligations $12,044
 $21,801

6. LONG-TERM DEBT

As of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014, the Company’s long-term debt consisted of the following:following (in thousands): 
 December 31,
2013
 December 31,
2012
 (in thousands)
$1,850.0 million term A loan, maturing on May 15, 2018, and bearing interest at a variable base rate (LIBOR) plus a spread rate (175 basis points) (total rate of 1.92% at December 31, 2013) and amortizing on a basis of 1.25% during each of the first eight quarters, 1.875% during each of the second eight quarters and 2.5% during each of the following three quarters with a balloon payment due at maturity$1,803,750
 $
$1,000.0 million term A loans, expiring on March 27, 2017, bearing interest payable quarterly based on the Company’s leverage ratio at a variable base rate (LIBOR) plus a spread rate (175 to 250 basis points) (total rate of 2.46% at December 31, 2012) and amortizing on a basis of 1.25% during each of the first eight quarters, 1.875% during each of the second eight quarters and 2.5% during each of the following three quarters with a balloon payment due at maturity
 962,500
$250.0 million term B loans, expiring on March 27, 2019, bearing interest payable quarterly at a variable base rate (LIBOR) plus a spread rate (275 basis points) with a floor of 100 basis points (total rate of 3.75% at December 31, 2012) and amortizing on a basis of 1.0% per year with a balloon payment due at maturity
 248,125
Borrowings under revolving credit facility (rate of 4.50% at December 31, 2012)
 40,000
$10.1 million leasehold mortgage, expiring on August 10, 2021 and bearing interest payable monthly at a fixed rate (rate of 6.22% at December 31, 2013)10,131
 10,131
Less: Current portion of note payable and current portion of note payable to related party(92,500) (92,500)
Less: Original issue discount(2,631) (4,651)
Note payable and note payable to related party$1,718,750
 $1,163,605
 December 31,
2015
 December 31,
2014
$2,050.0 million term A loan, maturing on June 13, 2019, and bearing interest at a variable base rate (LIBOR) plus a spread rate (200 basis points) (total rate of 2.33% at December 31, 2015) and amortizing on a basis of 1.25% per quarter during each of the first twelve quarters, 1.875% per quarter during the next four quarters and 2.50% during the next three quarters with a balloon payment due at maturity$1,896,250
 $1,998,750
$1,400.0 million term B loan, maturing on June 13, 2021, and bearing interest at a variable base rate (LIBOR) with a floor of 75 basis points plus a spread rate (300 basis points) (total rate of 3.75% at December 31, 2015) and amortizing on a basis of 0.25% per quarter, with a balloon payment due at maturity1,179,000
 1,393,000
$10.1 million leasehold mortgage, expiring on August 10, 2021 and bearing interest payable monthly at a fixed rate (rate of 6.22% at December 31, 2015)10,131
 10,131
Less: Current portion of note payable and current portion of note payable to related party(116,501) (116,501)
Less: Original issue discount(6,024) (8,143)
Less: Debt issuance costs(19,218) 
Note payable and note payable to related party$2,943,638
 $3,277,237

May 20132014 Debt Refinancing

In May 2013, the Company enteredOn June 13, 2014, Vantiv, LLC completed a debt refinancing by entering into an amended and restated loan agreement ("Amended Loan Agreement"). The Amended Loan Agreement provides for senior secured credit facilities comprised of a $1.85$2.05 billion term A loan, of which a portion of$1.4 billion term B loan and a $425 million revolving credit facility. Proceeds from the proceedsrefinancing were primarily used to fund the Mercury acquisition and repay the existing senior secured credit facilities which consisted ofprior term A and term B loansloan discussed below with an aggregate outstanding balance of approximately $1.2 billion.$1.8 billion as of the date of refinancing. The relatedprior revolving credit facility was also terminated. In addition to the new term A loan, the new debt agreement includes a $250 million revolving credit facility. The maturity date and debt service requirements relating to the new term A loanand term B loans are listed in the table above. The new revolving credit facility matures in May 2018June 2019 and includes a $75$100 million swing line facility and a $40 million letter of credit facility. The commitment fee rate for the unused portion of the revolving credit facility is 0.375% per year. The Company borrowed $177 million under its revolving credit facility in December 2015 and repaid the amount prior to year-end. There were no outstanding borrowings on the revolving credit facility at December 31, 2015 and 2014.

As of December 31, 2013,2015 and 2014, Fifth Third held $343.6$191.5 million and $201.9 million, respectively, of the term A loans.loans, which are presented as note payable to related party on the consolidated statements of financial position.

March 2012 Debt Refinancing
On January 6, 2015, the Company made an early principal payment of $200 million on the term B loan. The Company expensed approximately $1.8 million in non-operating expenses related to the write-off of deferred financing fees and OID in connection with the early principal payment. At December 31, 2015, deferred financing fees of approximately $19.2 million

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Uponand OID of approximately $6.0 million are recorded as a reduction of note payable in the completionaccompanying consolidated statement of financial position as a result of implementing the Company’s IPO, the Company used net proceedschange in accounting principle discussed in ASU 2015-03 under New Accounting Pronouncements in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and cash on handSummary of $538.9 million to repay outstanding debt under the Company’s 2011 refinanced debt agreement discussed below. Contemporaneous with the repayment, the Company refinanced the remaining debt outstanding under the 2011 refinanced debt agreement, which consisted of two tranches, "term B-1" and "term B-2", and terminated its $150.0 million revolving credit facility.Significant Accounting Policies.

The first lien loan agreement of the 2011 refinanced debt was refinanced into a new loan agreement consisting of term A loans and term B loans and a $250.0 million revolving credit facility. As of the date of refinancing, the term A loans and term B loans had balances of $1,000.0 million and $250.0 million, respectively. The maturity dates and debt service requirements related to the term A loans and term B loans are listed in the table above. The revolving credit facility matured in March 2017 and included a $75.0 million swing line facility and a $40.0 million letter of credit facility. As of December 31, 2012, $40.0 million was borrowed under the revolving credit facility. This borrowing was repaid in January 2013. The commitment fee rate for the unused portion of the revolving credit facility was 0.50% per year.

As of December 31, 2012, Fifth Third held $308.0 million, of the term A loans and $12.8 million of the $40.0 million borrowed under the revolving credit facility.

May 2011 Debt Refinancing

On May 17, 2011, the Company refinanced $1,771.1 million of debt outstanding under the existing first and second lien loan agreements (the "original debt"). Outstanding debt under the original first and second lien loan agreements was $1,571.1 million and $200.0 million, respectively, and matured in November 2016 and 2017, respectively.

The original debt was refinanced into a single first lien loan agreement (the "2011 refinanced debt") consisting of two tranches, "term B-1" and "term B-2," and a $150.0 million revolving credit facility. As of the date of refinancing, term B-1 had a balance of $1,621.1 million, while term B-2 carried a non-amortizing balance of $150.0 million. The original second lien loan agreement was repaid in connection with the refinancing. The maturity dates of term B-1 and term B-2 were November 3, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The revolving credit facility was to mature on November 3, 2015. The primary change under the 2011 refinanced debt was the reduced applicable interest rate.
Original Issue Discount and Deferred Financing Fees
2013 Debt Refinancing
As a result of the Company's May 20132014 debt refinancing, discussed above, the Company expensed approximately $20.0$26.5 million, which consisted primarily of the write-offs of unamortized deferred financing fees and original issue discount ("OID") associated with the component of the refinancing accounted for as a debt extinguishment.extinguishment and certain third party costs incurred in connection with the refinancing. Amounts expensed in connection with the refinancing are recorded as a component of non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2013.2014. At December 31, 2013,2014, deferred financing fees of approximately $17.9$25.5 million and OID of approximately $2.6$8.1 million are recorded as a component of other non-current assets and as a reduction of note payable, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position. Fifth Third participated in the debt both prior and subsequent to the refinancing pursuant to terms and conditions consistent with third-party lenders, and therefore the refinancing of the component of the Company's debt held by Fifth Third was treated consistently with the overall refinancing.
20122013 Debt Refinancing

In May 2013, the Company entered into a $1.85 billion term A loan (the "2013 term A loan"), of which a portion of the proceeds were used to repay outstanding debt under the Company's 2012 refinanced debt agreement with an aggregate outstanding balance of approximately $1.2 billion as of the date of refinancing. The related revolving credit facility was also terminated. In addition to the 2013 term A loan, the new debt agreement included a $250 million revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility originally matured in May 2018 and included a $75 million swing line facility and a $40 million letter of credit facility. The commitment fee rate for the unused portion of the revolving credit facility was 0.375% per year.

As a result of the Company's 20122013 debt refinancing, discussed above, the Company expensed approximately $55.6$20.0 million,, which consisted primarily of the write-offs of unamortized deferred financing fees and OIDoriginal issue discount associated with the component of the refinancing accounted for as a debt extinguishment, as well as a call premium equal to 1% of the outstanding balance of the original debt, or approximately $12.2 million.extinguishment. Amounts expensed in connection with the refinancing are recorded as a component of non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2012. At December 31, 2012, deferred financing fees of approximately $14.0 million and OID of approximately $4.7 million are recorded as a component of other non-current assets and as a reduction of note payable, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position.2013. Fifth Third participated in the debt both prior and subsequent to the refinancing pursuant to terms and conditions consistent with third-party lenders, and therefore the refinancing of the component of the Company's debt held by Fifth Third was treated consistently with the overall refinancing.


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2011 Debt Refinancing
As a result of the Company's 2011 debt refinancing discussed above, the Company expensed approximately $13.7 million, which consisted primarily of the write-offs of unamortized deferred financing fees and OID associated with the component of the refinancing accounted for as a debt extinguishment, as well as a call premium equal to 2% of the outstanding balance of the original debt, or approximately $4.0 million. Amounts expensed in connection with the refinancing are recorded as a component of non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Guarantees and Security
 
OurThe Company's debt obligations at December 31, 20132015 are unconditional and are guaranteed by Vantiv Holding and certain of Vantiv Holding’s existing and subsequently acquired or organized domestic subsidiaries. The refinanced debt and related guarantees are secured on a first-priority basis (subject to liens permitted under the Amended Loan Agreement) inby substantially all the capital stock (subject to a 65% limitation on pledges of capital stock of foreign subsidiaries and domestic holding companies of foreign subsidiaries) and personal property of Vantiv Holding and any obligors as well as any real property in excess of $510 million in the aggregate held by Vantiv Holding or any obligors (other than Vantiv Holding), subject to certain exceptions. 

Covenants
 
There are certain financial and non-financial covenants contained in the loan agreementAmended Loan Agreement for the refinanced debt, which are tested quarterly.on a quarterly basis. The financial covenants require maintenance of certain leverage and interest coverage ratios. At December 31, 20132015, the Company was in compliance with these financial covenants.

Building Loan

On July 12, 2011, the Company entered into a term loan agreement for approximately $10.1 million for the purchase of our corporate headquarters facility. The interest rate is fixed at 6.22%, with interest only payments required for the first 84 months. Thereafter, until maturity, we will pay interest and principal based upon a 30 year amortization schedule, with the remaining principal amount due at maturity, August 2021.

7. TAX RECEIVABLE AGREEMENTS
 
In connection with its IPO, theThe Company entered into fourseveral TRAs with its pre-IPO investors,in which consisted of certain funds managed by Advent, Fifth Third and JPDN. A description of each TRA is as follows:
TRA with Fifth Third:  Provides for the payment by the Company agrees to Fifth Third equalmake payments to various parties of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax thatbenefits realized by the Company as a result of certain tax deductions. Payments under the TRAs will be based on the tax reporting positions of the Company and are only required to the extent the Company realizes cash savings as a result of the increases inunderlying tax basis that results from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units from Fifth Third or from the exchange of Vantiv Holding units by Fifth Third for cash or shares of Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRA. Any actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the TRA, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges, the price of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock at the time of the exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable, and the amount and timing of the Company’s income.

Obligations of the Company under the TRA have been created as a result of the purchase of Vantiv Holding units from Fifth Third in connection with the underwriters' exercise of their option to purchase additional shares of the Company’s Class A common stock subsequent to the IPO, as well as through the exchange by Fifth Third of Class B units of Vantiv Holding for Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock in subsequent secondary offerings, as discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

TRA with Advent:  Provides for the payment by the Company to Advent equal to 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that the Company realizes as a result of the use of the Company’s tax attributes in existence prior to the effective date of the Company’s IPO.
TRA with all pre-IPO investors:  Provides for the payment by the Company to its pre-IPO investors of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that NPC, a wholly-owned

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subsidiary of the Company, realizes as a result of its use of its NOLs and other tax attributes, with any such payment being paid to Advent, Fifth Third and JPDN according to their respective ownership interests in Vantiv Holding immediately prior to the IPO.
TRA with JPDN:  Provides for the payment to JPDN of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income tax that the Company realizes as a result in the increase of tax basis that may result from the Vantiv Holding units exchanged for the Company’s Class A common stock by JPDN, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRA.  As part of the recapitalization of Vantiv, Inc. and Vantiv Holding immediately prior to the IPO, JPDN contributed its units of Vantiv Holding to Vantiv, Inc. in exchange for shares of Class A common stock of Vantiv, Inc. creating a TRA obligation.

On October 23, 2013, the Company entered into substantially identical tax receivable termination agreements with Advent and JPDN to terminate the obligations owed to them under the TRAs discussed above. Under the terms of the tax receivable termination agreements, the Company paid approximately $112 million to Advent and $0.5 million to JPDN to settle approximately $254 million of obligations under the TRAs. As Advent and JPDN are considered related parties of the Company, the difference between the TRA payment amount and the liabilities settled was recorded as an addition to paid-in capital. As a result of the termination agreements, the TRAs with Advent and JPDN were terminated and the Company has no further obligations to Advent or JPDN under the TRAs.attributes. The Company remains obligated to pay amounts due to Fifth Third Bank under its TRA. Advent is a stockholder of the Company and JPDN is an affiliate of the Company’s president and chief executive officer. A special committee of the Company’s board of directors comprised of independent, disinterested directors authorized the tax receivable termination agreements.
The Company will retain the benefit of the remaining 15% of the cash savings associated with the Fifth Third TRAs. As a result of the termination agreements with Advent and JPDN, the Company will retain 100% of the cash savings associated with their respective TRAs.

The following table reflects TRA activity and balances for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):
 IPO Transaction 2012 Secondary Offerings Balance as of December 31, 2012 2013 Secondary Offerings TRA Settlements Balance as of December 31, 2013
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$11,100
 $154,000
 $165,100
 $329,400
 $
 $494,500
TRA with Advent183,800
 
 183,800
 
 (183,800) 
TRA with all pre-IPO investors134,100
 
 134,100
 
 (68,900) 65,200
TRA with JPDN1,700
 
 1,700
 
 (1,700) 
Total$330,700
 $154,000
 $484,700
 $329,400
 $(254,400) $559,700

As a result of the exchanges of units of Vantiv Holding and TRA settlements discussed above, the Company recorded a deferred tax asset of $373.5 million associated with the increase in tax basis. The Company recorded a corresponding reduction to paid-in capital for the difference between the TRA liability and the related deferred tax asset.
For each of the TRAs discussed above, the cash savings realized by the Company are computed by comparing the actual income tax liability of the Company to the amount of such taxes the Company would have been required to pay had there been no increasedeductions related to the tax attributes discussed below. The Company will retain the benefit of

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the remaining 15% of the cash savings associated with the TRAs. The Company has entered into the following three TRAs:

TRAs with pre-IPO investors for its use of NOLs and other tax attributes existing at the IPO date, all of which is currently held by Fifth Third.

TRAs with Fifth Third, Advent and JPDN Enterprises, LLC ("JPDN"), an affiliate of Charles D. Drucker, our Chief Executive Officer, in which the Company realizes tax deductions as a result of the increases in tax basis from the purchase of Vantiv Holding units or from the exchange of Vantiv Holding units for cash or shares of Class A common stock, as well as the tax benefits attributable to payments made under such TRAs.

A TRA with Mercury shareholders as part of the acquisition of Mercury as a result of the increase in tax basis of the assets of Vantiv HoldingMercury resulting from the acquisition and the use of the net operating losses and other tax attributes of Mercury that were acquired as part of the acquisition.

Obligations recorded pursuant to the TRAs are based on estimates of future taxable income and future tax rates. On an annual basis, the Company evaluates the assumptions underlying the TRA obligations. As a result of this process, obligations under the tax receivable agreements with Fifth Third were adjusted in 2014 to reflect the impact of tax planning strategies implemented during the year which are expected to reduce the amount of future obligations.  The Company recorded a benefit of $41.3 million in non-operating income (expense) during the year ended December 31, 2014 as a result of the purchase or exchange of Vantiv Holding units, had there been no tax benefit from the tax basisreduction in the intangible assetsTRA obligations with Fifth Third.

As discussed in Note 2 - Business Combinations, the Company entered into the Mercury TRA and recorded a liability of Vantiv Holding$192.5 million for the Mercury TRA and non-operating expenses of $28.9 million and $14.6 million related to the change in fair value of the Mercury TRA during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

From time to time, the Company enters into repurchase addendums to the TRA agreements. The following table presents the Company's TRA settlements and the impact of these settlements on the dateCompany's consolidated statement of financial position (in thousands):
TRA Settlement Date Cash Buyout Payment Balance Sheet Obligation Prior to Settlement Deferred Taxes and Other Net Gain Recorded in Equity
Advent & JPDN October 2013 $(112,562) $254,400
 $1,144
 $140,694
Mercury July 2015 (44,800) 44,800
 
 
Fifth Third October 2015 (48,866) 140,024
 32,967
 58,191

In addition to the Mercury TRA settlement presented in the table above, the Mercury TRA Addendum contains the following provisions to acquire a significant portion of the IPOremaining Mercury TRA:

Beginning December 1st of each of 2015, 2016, 2017, and had there2018, and ending June 30th of 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively, the Company is granted call options (collectively, the "Call Options") pursuant to which certain additional obligations of the Company under the Mercury TRA would be terminated in consideration for cash payments of $41.4 million, $38.1 million, $38.0 million, and $43.0 million, respectively.

In the unlikely event the Company does not exercise the relevant Call Option, the Mercury TRA Holders are granted put options beginning July 10th and ending July 25th of each of 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively (collectively, the "Put Options"), pursuant to which certain additional obligations of the Company would be terminated in consideration for cash payments with similar amounts to the Call Options.

Except to the extent the Company’s obligations under the Mercury TRA have been no tax benefitterminated and settled in full in accordance with the terms of the Mercury TRA Addendum, the Mercury TRA will remain in effect, and the parties thereto will continue to have all rights and obligations thereunder.


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The Company’s President, Integrated Payments, is a Mercury TRA Holder. Pursuant to the initial payment under the Mercury TRA Addendum, this individual is entitled to receive an aggregate of $0.6 million, and could receive as much as an additional $2.2 million with respect to payments made pursuant to the Mercury TRA Addendum.
All TRA obligations are recorded based on the full and undiscounted amount of the expected future payments, except for the Mercury TRA which represents contingent consideration relating to an acquired business, and is recorded at fair value for financial reporting purposes (see Note 15 - Fair Value Measurements). The following table reflects TRA activity and balances for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands):
 Balance as of December 31, 2012 2013 Secondary Offerings 2013 TRA Settlements Balance as of December 31, 2013
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$165,100
 $329,400
 $
 $494,500
TRA with Advent183,800
 
 (183,800) 
TRA with all pre-IPO investors134,100
 
 (68,900) 65,200
TRA with JPDN1,700
 
 (1,700) 
Total$484,700
 $329,400
 $(254,400) $559,700

 Balance as of December 31, 2013 2014 TRA Payment 2014 Secondary Offering Acquisition of Mercury Change in Value Balance as of December 31, 2014
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$559,700
 $(8,639) $109,400
 $
 $(40,399) $620,062
Mercury TRA
 
 
 137,860
 14,560
 152,420
Total$559,700
 $(8,639) $109,400
 $137,860
 $(25,839) $772,482

 Balance as of December 31, 2014 2015 TRA Payment 2015 TRA Settlements 2015 Secondary Offering Purchase Accounting Adjustment Change in Value Balance as of December 31, 2015
TRA with Fifth Third Bank$620,062
 $(22,805) $(140,024) $376,597
 $
 $(769) $833,061
Mercury TRA152,420
 
 (44,800) 
 54,647
 28,940
 191,207
Total$772,482
 $(22,805) $(184,824) $376,597
 $54,647
 $28,171
 $1,024,268

As a result of the NOLssecondary offerings and other tax attributes at NPC.  Subsequent adjustmentsexchange of units of Vantiv Holding discussed in Note 12 - Capital Stock, the tax receivable agreement obligations due to certain events (e.g. changes toCompany recorded the expected realization of NOLs or changes in tax rates) will be recognized in the statement of income.following (in thousands):
Secondary Offerings by Year TRA Liability Deferred Tax Asset Net Equity
2015 $376,597
 $355,430
 $21,167
2014 109,400
 92,000
 17,400
2013 329,400
 236,400
 93,000
    
The timing and/or amount of aggregate payments due under the TRAs may vary based on a number of factors, including the amount and timing of the taxable income the Company generates in the future and the tax rate then applicable, the use of loss carryovers and amortizable basis.  Payments under the TRAs, if necessary, are required to be made no later than January 5th of the second year immediately following the current taxable year.year in which the obligation occurred.  Therefore, the Company was not required to make any payments under the TRAs during the year ended December 31, 2013.  The first contractually obligated payment

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under the TRA obligations of approximately $8.6 million was paid during January 2014. An additional payment under the TRA obligations of approximately $22.8 million was paid during January 2015. Additionally, the Company made a payment under the TRA obligations of approximately $53.5 million in January 2016. The January 2016 payment is recorded as current portion of tax receivable agreement obligations to related parties on the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position. The term of the TRAs will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless the Company exercises its right to terminate the TRA for an amount based on the agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement.


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8. DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
 
Risk Management Objective of Using Derivatives
 
The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage differences in the amount, timing and duration of its known or expected cash payments related to its variable-rate debt. As of December 31, 20132015, and 2014, the Company’s derivative instruments consisted of interest rate swaps, which hedged the variable rate debt by converting floating-rate payments to fixed-rate payments. These swaps are designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes.
 
Accounting for Derivative Instruments
 
The Company recognizes derivatives in other current and non-current assets or liabilities in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position at their fair values. Refer to Note 15 - Fair Value Measurements for a detailed discussion of the fair value of its derivatives. The Company designates its interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges of forecasted interest rate payments related to its variable-rate debt.
 
The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and underlying hedged transactions, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives that are designated as cash flow hedges to forecasted transactions. A formal assessment of hedge effectiveness is performed both at inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis to determine whether the hedge is highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the underlying hedged item. Hedge effectiveness is assessed using a regression analysis. If it is determined that a derivative ceases to be highly effective during the term of the hedge, the Company will discontinue hedge accounting for such derivative.
 
The Company’s interest rate swaps qualify for hedge accounting under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Therefore, the effective portion of changes in fair value were recorded in AOCI and will be reclassified into earnings in the same period during which the hedged transactions affected earnings.

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
 
The Company's objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish these objectives, the Company uses interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. As of December 31, 20132015, the Company had 16a total of 14 outstanding interest rate swaps with a combined notional balance of $1.4 billion (amortizing to $1.1 billion) covering an exposure period from June 2013 through June 2017 that were designated as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk. Of the 14 outstanding interest rate swaps, 8 of them cover an exposure period from June 2015 through June 2017 and have a combined notional balance of $1.2 billion (amortizing to $1.1 billion). The remaining 6 interest rate swaps cover an exposure period from January 2016 through January 2019 and have a combined notional balance of $500 million. Fifth Third is the counterparty to 5 of the 1614 outstanding interest rate swaps with notional balances ranging from $318.8$293.8 million to $262.5$250.0 million.
 
The Company does not offset derivative positions in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges included within the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position (in thousands):
Consolidated Statement of
Financial Position Location
 December 31, 2013 December 31, 2012Consolidated Statement of
Financial Position Location
 December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014
Interest rate swapsOther long-term assets $4,545
 $
Other long-term assets $
 $104
Interest rate swapsOther long-term liabilities $3,728
 $
Other current liabilities 9,343
 5,205
Interest rate swapsOther long-term liabilities 9,885
 2,283
 
Any ineffectiveness associated with such derivative instruments will be recorded immediately as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 20132015, the Company estimates that $2.1$10.0 million will be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income as an increase to interest expense during the next 12 months.


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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


During the year ended December 31, 2012, as a result of the refinancing of the Company’s debt during March 2012, the Company accelerated the reclassification of amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to earnings as a result of the hedged forecasted transactions becoming probable of not occurring.  The accelerated amounts were a loss of approximately $31.1 million, which was recorded as a component of non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The table below presents the pre-tax effect of the Company’s interest rate swaps on the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 (in thousands): 
Year Ended
December 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships: 
  
   
  
  
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in OCI (effective portion) (1)$244
 $(4,256) $(36,643)$(18,836) $(11,240) $244
Amount of loss reclassified from accumulated OCI into earnings (effective portion)(573) (2,600) (7,220)(6,990) (3,040) (573)
Amount of loss recognized in earnings (2)
 (31,079) (3,492)
 (1) 
 
(1)
"OCI" represents other comprehensive income.
(2)
For the year ended December 31, 2012,2014, amount represents loss due to missed forecasted transaction and is recorded as a component of non-operating expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of income. For the year ended December 31, 2011, amount represents ineffectiveness and is recorded as a component of interest expense—net in the accompanying consolidated statement of income.hedge ineffectiveness.

Credit Risk Related Contingent Features

The Company has agreements with each of its derivative counterparties that contain a provision where if the Company defaults on any of its indebtedness, then the Company could also be declared in default on its derivative obligations.

As of December 31, 20132015, the fair value of derivatives in a net liability position, which includes accrued interest but excludes any adjustment for nonperformance risk, related to these agreements was $2.2$20.4 million. As of December 31, 20132015, the Company hashad not posted any collateral related to these agreements. If the Company had breached any of these provisions at December 31, 20132015, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at their termination value of $2.2$20.4 million.

9. CONTROLLING AND NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS IN VANTIV HOLDING
 
The Company has various non-controlling interests that are accounted for in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation ("ASC 810"). As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Vantiv, Inc. owns a controlling interest in Vantiv Holding, and therefore consolidates the financial results of Vantiv Holding and its subsidiaries and records non-controlling interest for the economic interests in Vantiv Holding held by Fifth Third, with respect to periods subsequent to the IPO, and held by Fifth Third and JPDN, with respect to periods prior to the IPO. In connection with the IPO, various recapitalization and reorganization transactions were executed, as discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. Further, as discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, theThird. The Exchange Agreement entered into prior to the IPO provides for a 1 to 1 ratio between the units of Vantiv Holding and the common stock of Vantiv, Inc.
 
In May 2014, the Company entered into a joint venture with a bank partner which provides customers a comprehensive suite of payment solutions. Vantiv Holding owns 51% and the bank partner owns 49% of the joint venture. The joint venture is consolidated by the Company in accordance with ASC 810, with the associated non-controlling interest included in “Net income attributable to non-controlling interests" in the consolidated statements of income. The bank partner contributed a merchant asset portfolio to the joint venture valued at $18.8 million which was recorded to non-controlling interests in the 2014 consolidated statement of equity.


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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


As of December 31, 20132015, Vantiv, Inc.’s interest in Vantiv Holding was 74.38%81.61%. Changes in units and related ownership interest in Vantiv Holding are summarized as follows:
 Vantiv, Inc. Fifth Third JPDN Total
As of December 31, 201150,930,455
 48,933,182
 136,363
 100,000,000
% of ownership50.93% 48.93% 0.14%  
Recapitalization transactions: 
  
  
  
Incremental units as a result of split38,585,162
 37,072,018
 103,309
 75,760,489
JPDN exchange of units for Class A common stock239,672
 
 (239,672) 
IPO transactions: 
  
  
  
Issuance of Class A units of Vantiv Holding in connection with issuance of Class A common stock to public31,498,064
 (2,086,064) 
 29,412,000
Issuance of Class A units of Vantiv Holding in connection with issuance of Class A common stock under equity plan8,716,141
 
 
 8,716,141
Fifth Third exchange of Vantiv Holding units for shares of Class A common stock in connection with December 2012 secondary offering13,700,000
 (13,700,000) 
 
Equity plan activity (a)(1,425,814) 
 
 (1,425,814)
As of December 31, 2012142,243,680
 70,219,136
 
 212,462,816
% of ownership66.95% 33.05% %  
Fifth Third exchange of Vantiv Holding units for shares of Class A common stock in connection with 2013 secondary offerings21,396,310
 (21,396,310) 
 
Share repurchases(20,903,669) 
 
 (20,903,669)
Equity plan activity (a)(977,640) 
 
 (977,640)
As of December 31, 2013141,758,681
 48,822,826
 
 190,581,507
% of ownership74.38% 25.62% %  
 Vantiv, Inc. Fifth Third Total
As of December 31, 2013141,758,681
 48,822,826
 190,581,507
% of ownership74.38% 25.62%  
Fifth Third exchange of Vantiv Holding units for shares of Class A common stock in connection with June 2014 secondary offering5,780,000
 (5,780,000) 
Share repurchases(1,936,400) 
 (1,936,400)
Equity plan activity (1)
(147,273) 
 (147,273)
As of December 31, 2014145,455,008
 43,042,826
 188,497,834
% of ownership77.17% 22.83%  
Fifth Third exchange of Vantiv Holding units for shares of Class A common stock in connection with December 2015 secondary offering8,000,000
 (8,000,000) 
Fifth Third exchange of Class C units of Vantiv Holding for shares of Class A common stock in connection with partial warrant exercise5,374,592
 
 5,374,592
Share repurchases(4,445,551) 
 (4,445,551)
Equity plan activity (1)
1,104,277
 
 1,104,277
As of December 31, 2015155,488,326
 35,042,826
 190,531,152
% of ownership81.61% 18.39% 

 
(a)
(1)
Includes repurchase ofstock issued under the equity plans less Class A common stock withheld to satisfy employee tax withholding obligations upon vesting or exercise of employee equity awards and forfeitures of restricted Class A common stock awards and the conversion of restricted stock units to Class A common stock.awards.

As a result of the changes in ownership interests in Vantiv Holding, an adjustmentadjustments of $260.2137.4 million has beenand $58.4 million were recognized during the yearyears ended December 31, 20132015 and 2014, respectively, in order to reflect the portion of net assets of Vantiv Holding attributable to non-controlling unit holders based on changes in the proportionate ownership interests in Vantiv Holding at the time of the secondary offerings in 2013.during those periods.
 
The table below provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to non-controlling interests based on relative ownership interests in Vantiv Holding as discussed above (in thousands):
Year Ended December, 31Year Ended December 31,
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Net income$208,140
 $110,758
 $84,810
$209,229
 $168,990
 $208,140
Items not allocable to non-controlling interests: 
  
  
 
  
  
Miscellaneous expenses (a)
 
 861
Vantiv, Inc. income tax expense (b)58,520
 21,274
 13,310
Vantiv, Inc. expenses (1)
55,111
 7,725
 58,520
Vantiv Holding net income266,660
 132,032
 98,981
$264,340
 $176,715
 $266,660
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests (c)$74,568
 $53,148
 $48,570
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests of Fifth Third (2)
$58,938
 $43,022
 $74,568
Net income attributable to joint venture non-controlling interest (3)
2,345
 676
 
Total net income attributable to non-controlling interests$61,283
 $43,698
 $74,568
 
 
(a)(1)  Represents miscellaneous expenses incurred by Vantiv, Inc., primarily consisting of losses associated with the put rights received in conjunction with the separation from Fifth Third in 2009.
(b)Represents     Primarily represents income tax expense related to Vantiv, Inc. and TRA related expense (credits) (see Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements).
(c)(2)Net income attributable to non-controlling interests of Fifth Third reflects the allocation of Vantiv Holding’s net income based on the proportionate ownership interests in Vantiv Holding held by the non-controlling unitholders.unit holders. The net income attributable to non-controlling unitholdersunit holders reflects the changes in ownership interests summarized in the table above.

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(3)
Reflects net income attributable to the non-controlling interest of the joint venture.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



In connection with the separation from Fifth Third, Fifth Third received a warrant that allows for the purchase of up to 20.4 million Class C Non-Voting Units of Vantiv Holding. The warrant is currently exercisable, in whole or in part, and from time to time, but not during a restricted period. A restricted period means a period during which Vantiv Holding (or any successor thereto) is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes; provided that the restricted period shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) a change of control, and (ii) in the event Vantiv, Inc. is no longer a public company owning Vantiv Holding, both as defined in the warrant agreement. In addition, the warrant is exercisable if Fifth Third delivers an opinion of counsel to Vantiv Holding that concludes, based on any Treasury regulations or guidance then in effect, that the exercise of the warrant will not cause an immediate taxable event to the other members of Vantiv Holding.time. The warrant expires upon the earliest to occur of the 20th anniversary of the issue dateJune 30, 2029 or a change of control where the price paid per unit in such change of control minus the exercise price of the warrant inis less than zero. Fifth Third is entitled to purchase the

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underlying Units of the warrant at a price of $15.98 per unit. The warrant was valued at approximately $65.4 million at June 30, 2009, the issuance date, using a Black-Scholes option valuation model using probability weighted scenarios, assuming expected terms of 10 to 20 years, expected volatilities of 37.5% to 44.4%, risk free rates of 4.03% to 4.33% and expected dividend rates of 0%. The expected volatilities were based on historical and implied volatilities of comparable companies assuming similar expected terms.scenarios. The warrant is recorded as a component of the non-controlling interest on the accompanying statements of financial position asposition.

On December 2, 2015, the Company entered into a warrant cancellation agreement (the "Warrant Cancellation Agreement") with Fifth Third to cancel a portion of the warrant. The Warrant Cancellation Agreement cancels the rights under the warrant to purchase 4.8 million Class C Units of Vantiv Holding for aggregate consideration of $200 million paid by the Company to Fifth Third.

Following the effectiveness of the Warrant Cancellation Agreement discussed above, Fifth Third net exercised a portion of the remaining warrants to purchase 5.4 million Class C Units of Vantiv Holding.

After giving effect to the above transactions, at December 31, 2013 and 2012.2015, Fifth Third holds the rights to purchase 7.8 million Class C Units of Vantiv Holding under the warrant at an exercise price of $15.98 per unit.

10. COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND GUARANTEES

Leases

The Company leases office space under non-cancelable operating leases that expire between March 2014January 2016 and December 2045. Future minimum commitments under these leases are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ending December 31,    
2014 $5,455
2015 3,601
2016 2,356
 $9,539
2017 1,695
 7,250
2018 1,337
 5,222
2019 4,941
2020 3,873
Thereafter 9,404
 13,350
Total $23,848
 $44,175

Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 was approximately $7.0$11.6 million,, $6.6 $9.9 million and $9.8$7.0 million, respectively. Rent expense for 2011 primarily reflects the lease agreement between the Company and Fifth Third entered into on July 1, 2009.

Legal Reserve
 
From time to time, the Company is involved in various litigation matters arising in the ordinary course of its business. While it is impossible to ascertain the ultimate resolution or range of financial liability with respect to these contingent matters, management believes none of these matters, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a material effect upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

11. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company offers a defined contribution savings plan to virtually all Company employees. The plan provides for elective, tax-deferred participant contributions and Company matching contributions.

Expenses associated with the defined contribution savings plan for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 were $5.9$9.1 million,, $4.5 $7.3 million and $3.6$5.9 million,, respectively.





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12. CAPITAL STOCK

Common Stock

Under the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Company is authorized to issue 890,000,000 shares of Class A common stock with a par value of $0.00001 per share and 100,000,000 shares of Class B

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common stock with no par value per share. The Class A and Class B common stock each provide holders with one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders; however, the holders of shares of Class B common stock shall be limited to voting power, including voting power associated with any Class A common stock held, of 18.5% at any time other than in connection with a stockholder vote with respect to a change of control. Also, holders of Class B common stock do not have any of the economic rights (including rights to dividends and distributions upon liquidation) provided to the holders of Class A common stock. The holders of Class B common stock hold one share of Class B common stock for each Vantiv Holding Class B unit they hold.  The Class B units of Vantiv Holding may be exchanged for shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis or, at the Company's option, for cash.cash equal to the fair value of the shares tendered for exchange.  Upon exchange of any Class B units of Vantiv Holding, an equal number of shares of Class B common stock automatically will be cancelled.  The Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class, except that the holders of Class B common stock are entitled to elect a number of the Company's directors equal to the percentage of the voting power of all of the outstanding common stock represented by the Class B common stock but not exceeding 18.5% of the board of directors. Fifth Third holds all of the issued and outstanding Class B common stock.
 
As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, on March 21, 2012, the Company completed the IPO of its Class A common stock. In the IPO, an aggregate of 33,823,800 shares of Class A common stock were issued and sold to the public (including 4,411,800 Class A shares representing an over-allotment option granted by the Company and the selling stockholders to the underwriters in the IPO) at a price per share of $17.00. In conjunction with the IPO, the Company also issued 86,005,200 shares of Class B common stock to Fifth Third. As of December 31, 20132015, 141,758,681155,488,326 shares of Class A common stock and 48,822,82635,042,826 shares of Class B common stock were issued and outstanding.

Secondary Offerings

In May 2013, a secondary offering took place in which selling shareholders sold 40.7 million shares of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock. In August and November 2013, secondary offerings took place in which selling shareholders sold 20.0 million and 15.0 million shares, respectively, of Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from these sales.

In March 2014, a secondary offering took place in which Advent sold its remaining 18.8 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock. In June 2014, a secondary offering took place in which Fifth Third sold 5.8 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from these sales.

On December 8, 2015, subsequent to the Warrant Cancellation Agreement and the Partial Warrant Exercise described in Note 9 - Controlling and Non-controlling Interests, a secondary offering took place in which Fifth Third sold 13.4 million shares of the Company's Class A common stock. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this sale.
Share Repurchases

In connection with the May 2013 secondary offering discussed above, the Company repurchased approximately 17.5 million shares of its Class A common stock for approximately $400 million. The repurchased shares were retired and accounted for as a reduction to equity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. In connection with the share repurchase, the Company incurred costs of approximately $0.6 million, which are also reflected as a reduction to equity in the accompanying consolidated statement of equity.
On October 22, 2013, the Company's board of directors approved a program to repurchase up to $137 million of the Company's Class A common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2013, approximately 3.5 million shares were repurchased under this program for approximately $103 million. During the year ended December 31, 2014, approximately 1.1 million shares were repurchased for approximately $34 million, which completed the repurchases under this authorization. The repurchased shares were immediately retired.

On February 12, 2014, the Company's board of directors approved a program to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of the Company's Class A common stock. Purchases under the repurchase program are allowedmay be made from time to time in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The manner, timing, and amount of any purchases isare determined by management based on an evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors. As of December 31, 2013, approximately 3.5 million shares have been repurchased under thisThe share repurchase program for approximately $103 million. The repurchased shares were immediately retired. Thehas no expiration date and the Company may discontinue purchases at any time that management determines additional purchases are not warranted. During the year ended December 31, 2014, approximately 828,000 shares were repurchased under this program for approximately $25 million. During the year ended December 31, 2015, approximately 4.4 million shares were repurchased for approximately $200 million. The repurchased shares were immediately retired. There is approximately $75 million of share repurchase authority remaining as of December 31, 2015.


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Preferred Stock
 
Under the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.00001 per share. As of December 31, 20132015, there was no preferred stock outstanding.

Dividend Restrictions

The Company does not intend to pay cash dividends on its Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Vantiv, Inc. is a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of its own. As a result, Vantiv, Inc.'s’s ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock, if any, is dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Vantiv Holding, which are subject to certain Fifth Third consent rights in the Amended and Restated Vantiv Holding Limited Liability Company Agreement.Holding. The amounts available to Vantiv, Inc. to pay cash dividends are also subject to the covenants and distribution restrictions in its subsidiaries'subsidiaries’ loan agreements. As a result of the restrictions on distributions from Vantiv Holding and its subsidiaries, essentially all of the Company's consolidated net assets are held at the subsidiary level and are restricted as of December 31, 2015.

13. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

Prior to the IPO, certain employees and directors of Vantiv Holding participatedThe company accounts for share-based compensation plans in the Phantom Equity Plan. As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in connectionaccordance with the IPO, outstanding awards under the Phantom Equity Plan were converted into unrestricted and restricted Class A common stock, issued under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan.


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Phantom Equity Plan
Effective June 30, 2009, Vantiv Holding established the Phantom Equity Plan for certain employees and directors. The aggregate number of units that were available to be issued under the Phantom Equity Plan was limited to approximately 15.3 million. Awards under the Phantom Equity Plan vested upon either the occurrence of certain events ("Time Awards") or the achievement of specified performance goals ("Performance Awards"). Time Awards fully vested on the earliest of the fifth anniversary of the grant date, subject to the participant’s continued service through the end of the seventh anniversary of the grant date, or the date of the consummation of a change of control. The Performance Awards contained certain vesting conditions that were triggered upon the earlier of the consummation of a change of control or an IPO. Vantiv Holding had the choice to settle both Time Awards and Performance Awards in either cash or equity units, except in the event of an IPO, which required settlement in equity shares.

ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, which requires compensation expense for the grant-date fair value of share-based payments to be recognized over the requisite service period. Further, the fair value of liability awards is required to be remeasured at the reporting date, with changes in fair value recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period. Based on the vesting criteria and continued service requirements, compensation expense related to Time Awards was recognized on a straight-line basis over seven years.
The table below presents the number and weighted-average grant-date fair value of non-vested Time Awards at the beginning and end of the year, as well as those granted, vested and forfeited during the year ended December 31, 2011.
 Year Ended
 December 31, 2011
 Number Fair Value
Non-vested, beginning of period7,669,121
 $3.74
Granted1,156,479
 3.68
Vested
 
Forfeited(94,324) 3.74
Non-vested, end of period8,731,276
 $3.97

The value of the Time Awards granted during the year ended December 31, 2011 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which incorporated the weighted-average assumptions below:
2011
Expected option life at grant (in years)7.0
Expected volatility35.0%
Expected dividend yield—%
Risk-free interest rate2.6%

The expected option life represented the requisite service period associated with Time Awards. Due to the lack of Company-specific historical data, the expected volatility was based on the average historical and implied volatility of the Company's peer group. The expected dividend yield reflected the assumption that dividends would not be paid by the Company to holders of Time Awards. The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury strip rate in effect at the time of grant or remeasurement.

The value of Performance Awards outstanding at December 31, 2011 was approximately $17.1 million. However, no compensation expense attributable to Performance Awards was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2011 as the achievement of related performance conditions was not deemed probable.

During 2012, prior to the IPO there were no new grants or vestings under the Phantom Equity Plan. Activity under the Phantom Equity Plan during 2012 prior to the IPO consisted only of forfeitures of 92,274 awards. There were no exercisable Time Awards or Performance Awards outstanding at December 31, 2011.


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2012 Equity Incentive Plan
 
The 2012 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted by the Company’s board of directors in March 2012. The 2012 Equity Incentive Plan provides for grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units, performance awards and other stock-based awards. The maximum number of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance pursuant to the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan is 35.5 million shares.

In connection withRestricted Stock Awards

The Company grants restricted stock awards to certain employees which vest based on the IPO, vested recipient's continued employment or service to the Company ("Time Awards").

The Company also grants restricted stock awards to certain employees subject to the achievement of certain financial performance measures ("Performance Awards"). These Performance Awards originally issued undertypically vest on the Phantom Equity Plan were converted intothird anniversary of the grant date. Participants have the right to earn 0% to 200% of the target number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, determined by the level of achievement of the financial performance measures during the performance period.

The weighted-average grant date fair value of the restricted stock awards is based on a formula as defined in the Phantom Equity Plan. Unvested Time Awards and Performance Awards were converted into restricted Class Aquoted fair market value of our common stock which was issued under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan.
In connection with the IPO and conversion of phantom units, the Company issued 1,381,135 shares of unrestricted Class A common stock related to vested Time Awards and 3,073,118 shares of restricted Class A common stock related to unvested Time Awards.  As the shares of restricted Class A common stock were issued in connection with the conversion of the Time Awards under the Phantom Equity Plan, compensation expense to be recognized associated with the shares of restricted Class A common stock is equal to the remaining compensation expense previously associated with the Time Awards.  This compensation expense will be recognized prospectively, beginning on the grant date. The total grant date of the IPO and continuing over the remaining vesting period determined in accordance with the original Phantom Equity Plan award agreements.
Upon the Company's IPO, 3,560,223 shares of restricted Class A common stock were issued in connection with the conversion of Performance Awards under the Phantom Equity Plan.  The fair value of restricted Class A common stock awards vested was based on the IPO price of $17.00 per share. Prior to the IPO, the occurrence of a qualifying event underlying the Performance Awards had not been considered probable, thus, no compensation expense related to the Performance Awards had been recognized. The conversion of Performance Awards into restricted Class A common stock was accounted for$18.0 million, $20.1 million and $22.4 million in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation, as an "improbable-to-probable" modification. As such, the Company began recognizing compensation expense associated with the converted Performance Awards on a straight-line basis over the three-year vesting period of the underlying restricted Class A common stock based on the fair value of restricted Class A common stock on the date the awards were granted.2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The following table presents the number and weighted-average grant date fair value of the restricted stock awards at for the year ended December 31, 2013:
2015:
 Time Awards Converted to Restricted Class A Common Stock Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Performance Awards Converted to Restricted Class A Common Stock Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 20121,994,949
 $4.04
 3,342,811
 $17.00
Conversion of Restricted Class A common stock to Class A common stock upon vesting(868,841) 4.04
 (1,110,395) 17.00
Forfeitures(176,019) 3.99
 (176,602) 17.00
Non-vested at December 31, 2013950,089
 $4.02
 2,055,814
 $17.00
 Restricted Class A Common Stock - Time Awards Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Restricted Class A Common Stock - Performance Awards Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2014240,087
 $4.01
 1,013,211
 $17.00
Granted153,327
 38.74
 347,934
 37.82
Vested(202,477) 4.07
 (1,013,211) 17.00
Forfeited(24,483) 8.82
 (15,094) 37.10
Non-vested at December 31, 2015166,454
 $35.22
 332,840
 $37.86

77

Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



Restricted Stock Units
 
Also in connection with the IPO, theThe Company issued 74,110 restricted stock units to members of the Company’s board of directors, which vest on the earlier of one year from the date of the grant or the next annual stockholder meeting and will be settled in shares of Class A common stock following the termination of the director’s service. Additionally, upon the IPO, the Company issued a total of 231,100 restricted stock units to 2,311 active employees of the Company, with each employee receiving 100 restricted stock units. Subject to recipients’ continued service, these units will cliff vest on the fourth anniversary of the IPO. Subsequent to the IPO, the Company has continued to issueissues restricted stock units to directors and certain employees, which typically vest on the first anniversary of the grant date (for directors) and in equal annual increments over three to four years beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant (for employees). The grant date fair value of the restricted stock units is based on the quoted fair market value of our common stock at the award date. The total grant date fair value of restricted stock units vested was $6.8 million, $3.7 million and $0.1 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.


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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


The following table presents the number and weighted-average grant date fair value of the restricted stock units atfor the year ended December 31, 20132015:
Restricted Stock Units Weighted Average Grant Date Fair ValueRestricted Stock Units Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2012299,826
 $17.87
Non-vested at December 31, 2014980,495
 $26.41
Granted556,321
 24.83
435,594
 38.42
Vested(3,419) 20.51
(258,480) 26.41
Forfeited(50,584) 18.73
(169,602) 29.03
Non-vested at December 31, 2013802,144
 $22.63
Non-vested at December 31, 2015988,007
 $31.24

Stock Options 

During the year ended December 31, 2013, theThe Company granted 659,938grants stock options to certain key employees. The stock options vest in 25% annual increments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the participant's continued service through each such vesting date. All stock options are nonqualified stock options and expire on the tenth anniversary of the grant date.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, under the terms of the Mercury transaction agreement, the Company replaced unvested employee stock options held by certain employees of Mercury. The number of replacement stock options was based on a conversion factor into equivalent stock options of the Company on the acquisition date. The weighted average fair value of the replacement options was calculated on the acquisition date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The replacement stock options typically vest over four and a half years with 22.22% of the awards vesting after one year and the remainder in quarterly increments, subject to the participant's continued service through each such vesting date. Per the applicable option agreement, if a participant is terminated without cause within the prescribed acceleration period (which range from 12 to 24 months following the acquisition), then such replacement options shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable at the time of such termination to the extent not then vested and not previously cancelled. The replacement options are nonqualified stock options and expire on the tenth anniversary of the grant date. See Note 2 - Business Combinations for additional details.


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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


The following table summarizes stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 20132015:
 Stock Options Weighted Average Exercise Price Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Outstanding options at December 31, 20142,732,760
 $21.10
 8.40 $35,039
Granted707,738
 37.10
    
Exercised(777,204) 17.54
   $17,531
Expired
 
    
Forfeited(353,051) 24.11
    
Outstanding options at December 31, 20152,310,243
 $26.74
 8.01 $47,780
        
Options exercisable at December 31, 2015540,231
 $21.20
 7.28 $14,166
 Stock Options Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Outstanding options at December 31, 2012
 $
    
Granted659,938
 7.10
    
Exercised
 
    
Expired
 
    
Forfeited(10,325) 7.10
    
Outstanding options at December 31, 2013649,613
 $7.10
 9.16 $6,925

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the total grant date fair value of options vested was $13.9 million and $10.2 million, respectively. There were no stock options vested or exercisable at December 31,during 2013.

The weighted-average grant date fair value of $7.10 was estimated by the Company using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the assumptions below:
2013
Expected option life at grant (in years)6.25
Expected volatility30.60%
Expected dividend yield—%
Risk-free interest rate1.15%
    2014  
  2015 Vantiv Grant Mercury Replacement Options 2013
Number of options granted 707,738 710,297 1,750,519 659,938
Weighted average exercise price $37.10 $31.02 $10.18 - $29.79 $21.95
Expected option life at grant (in years) 6.25 6.25 3.00 - 6.00 6.25
Expected volatility 26.33% 25.00% 24.80% - 30.80% 30.60%
Expected dividend yield —% —% —% —%
Risk-free interest rate 1.67% 1.93% 0.93% - 1.96% 1.15%
Fair value $11.04 $9.07 $17.75 - $22.10 $7.10

The expected option life represents the period of time the stock options are expected to be outstanding and is based on the "simplified method" allowed under SEC guidance. The Company used the "simplified method" due to the lack of sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to otherwise estimate the expected life of the stock options. Since the Company's publicly traded stock history is relatively short, expected volatility is based on the Company's historical volatility and the historical volatility of a group of peer companies. The Company does not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Company used an expected dividend yield of zero. The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant.

Performance Share Units

During the first quarter of 2013, theThe Company issuedissues performance share units to certain employees 213,449 performance share units.  Subjectsubject to the achievement of certain financial performance measures, thesemeasures. These performance share units vest on the third anniversary of the grant date. Participants have the right to earn 0% to 200% of the target number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, determined by the level of achievement of the financial performance measures during the three year performance period. In 2015 the Company also issued performance share units to certain employees subject to the achievement of certain financial and non-financial performance measures through 2018.

Additionally, associated with an acquisition in 2013 the Company issued performance share units to certain employees subject to the achievement of certain financial and non-financial performance measures through 2016.

The weighted-average grant date fair value of the performance share units is based on the quoted fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, total grant date fair value of performance share units vested was $0.8 million and $1.9 million, respectively. There were no performance share units vested during 2013.


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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


common stock, determined by the level of achievement of financial performance measures during the performance period, which began on January 1, 2013 and extends through December 31, 2015.
During the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company issued 62,962 performance share units to certain employees which will vest 50% in 2015 and 50% in 2016, subject to the achievement of financial performance goals.

Also during the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company issued 157,419 performance share units that vest in 2014, subject to certain non-financial performance goals.

The weighted-average grant date fair value of the performance share units is based on the quoted fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. There were no performance share units outstanding at the beginning of the period, and no performance share units vested during the period.

The following table presents the number and weighted-average grant date fair value of the performance share units atfor the year ended December 31, 20132015:
Performance Share Units Weighted Average Grant Date Fair ValuePerformance Share Units Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2012
 $
Non-vested at December 31, 2014508,097
 $27.76
Granted433,830
 26.93
122,134
 39.16
Vested
 
(26,358) 31.60
Forfeited(3,340) 21.95
(131,355) 30.51
Non-vested at December 31, 2013430,490
 $26.97
Non-vested at December 31, 2015472,518
 $29.73

The share-based compensation expense related to the performance share units granted in 2013 ("2013 PSUs") was initially estimated based on target performance and was adjusted as appropriate throughout the performance period based on the shares expected to be earned at that time. The 2013 PSUs are included in the table above as non-vested at December 31, 2015 at target, or 100%. On February 1, 2016, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors certified the achievement of the performance goals for the 2013 PSUs, which had a performance period of January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015, at the maximum 200% of the target number of shares (173,714 shares incremental to those included in the table above for the 2013 PSUs).
 
For the years ended December 31, 2013, 20122015, 2014 and 2011,2013, total share-based compensation expense was $29.7$30.5 million, $33.4$42.2 million and $3.0$29.7 million, respectively. Related tax benefits recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of income totaled $8.8 million in 2015, $12.9 million in 2014 and $8.5 million in 2013, $9.9 million in 2012 and $0.8 million in 2011.2013. At December 31, 2013,2015, there was approximately $53.9$51.1 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense, not yet recognized. This expensewhich is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average period of approximately 1.9 years.2.6 years.

14. INCOME TAXES

In accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, income taxes are recognized for the amount of taxes payable for the current year and for the impact of deferred tax liabilities and assets, which represent future tax consequences of events that have been recognized differently in the financial statements than for tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are established using the enacted statutory tax rates and are adjusted for any changes in such rates in the period of change. Vantiv, Inc. is taxed as a C Corporation, which is subject to both federal and state taxation at a corporate level. Therefore, tax expense and deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect such status.

The following is a summary of applicable income taxes (in thousands):
 Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
 2013 2012 2011 2015 2014 2013
Current income tax expense:            
U.S. income taxes $48,494
 $40,747
 $(1,462) $28,586
 $29,234
 $48,494
State and local income taxes 3,926
 5,754
 2,638
 4,311
 4,474
 3,926
Total current tax expense 52,420
 46,501
 1,176
 32,897
 33,708
 52,420
Deferred income tax expense:       
 
 
U.S. income taxes 30,264
 366
 30,997
 55,553
 36,070
 30,264
State and local income taxes 1,076
 (14) 136
 (273) (3,601) 1,076
Total deferred tax expense 31,340
 352
 31,133
 55,280
 32,469
 31,340
Applicable income tax expense $83,760
 $46,853
 $32,309
 $88,177
 $66,177
 $83,760
    

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


A reconciliation of the U.S. income tax rate and the Company's effective tax rate for all periods is provided below:
 Year Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
 2013 2012 2011 2015 2014 2013
Federal statutory tax rate 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 % 35.0 %
State taxes-net of federal benefit 2.7
 3.1
 4.1
 2.7
 2.6
 2.7
Change in state and local tax law 
 (0.2) (1.3)
Effect of changes in deferred tax rates (1.9) (3.1) 
Non-controlling interest (8.5) (8.4) (11.0) (5.9) (5.6) (8.5)
Other-net (0.5) 0.2
 0.3
 (0.3) (0.8) (0.5)
Effective tax rate 28.7 % 29.7 % 27.1 % 29.6 % 28.1 % 28.7 %

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are comprised of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):
 2013 2012 2015 2014
Deferred tax assets        
Net operating losses $24,001
 $30,764
 $25,569
 $29,296
Employee benefits 126
 40
 55
 46
Other assets 760
 217
 2,316
 813
Other accruals and reserves 2,922
 748
 79,925
 55,427
Partnership basis 363,514
 141,892
 728,532
 430,525
Deferred tax assets 391,323
 173,661
 836,397
 516,107
Deferred tax liabilities        
Property and equipment (5,925) (1,723) (9,840) (7,849)
Goodwill and intangible assets (52,606) (32,278) (109,988) (98,675)
Deferred tax liability (58,531) (34,001) (119,828) (106,524)
Deferred tax asset-net $332,792
 $139,660
 $716,569
 $409,583

As part of the acquisitionacquisitions of NPC Group, Inc. ("NPC") and Mercury, the Company acquired federal and state tax loss carryforwards. As of December 31, 2013,2015, the cumulative federal and state tax loss carryforwards were approximately $66.758.5 million and $5.4106.5 million, respectively. Federal tax loss carryforwards will expire between 2027 and 2030,2034, and state tax loss carryforwards will expire between 20152016 and 2030.2035.

The partnership basis included in the above table is the result of a difference between the tax basis and book basis of Vantiv, Inc.'s investment in Vantiv Holding. Vantiv Holding, a pass through entitypartnership for tax purposes, has an Internal Revenue Code election in place to adjust the tax basis of partnership property to fair market value related to the portion of the partnership interest transferred, including exchangesthrough an exchange of units of Vantiv Holding by its members. Included in partnership basis in the table above are deferred tax assets resulting from the increase in tax basis generated by the exchange of units of Vantiv Holding by Fifth Third and JPDN in connection with the IPO and subsequent secondary offerings. During the year ended December 31, 2012, in connection with these exchanges, the Company recorded liabilities under the TRAs of $166.8 million and deferred tax assets of $138.0 million, with a corresponding reduction to paid in capital for the difference. During the year ended December 31, 2013, in connection with the secondary offerings and related exchanges which took place in May and August 2013, the Company recorded liabilities under the TRAs of $329.4 million and deferred tax assets of $235.9 million, with a corresponding reduction to paid in capital for the difference. See Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements for further discussion of TRAs.deferred tax assets as a result of the secondary offerings and exchange of units of Vantiv Holding.

Deferred tax assets are reviewed to determine whether the available evidence allows the Company to recognize the tax benefits. To the extent that a tax asset wouldis not expected to be not be recognized,realized, the Company records a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets. The Company has recorded no valuation allowance during the years ended December 31, 20132015 or 2012.2014.

A provision for federal, state and local income taxes has been recorded on the statements of income for the amounts of such taxes the Company is obligated to pay or amounts refundable to the Company. At December 31, 20132015 and 2012,2014, the Company recorded an income tax receivable of approximately $4.5$53.2 million and $4.2$9.4 million,, respectively.

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes under ASC 740, Income Taxes. As of December 31, 20132015 and 2012,2014, the Company had no material uncertain tax positions. If a future liability does arise related to uncertainty in income taxes, the Company has elected an accounting policy to classify interest and penalties, if any, as income tax expense.

81

Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


Accordingly, a loss contingency is recognized when it is probablyprobable that a liability has been incurred as of the date of the financial statements and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Any amount recognized would be subject to estimate and management judgment with respect to the likely outcome of each uncertain tax position. The amount that is ultimately sustained for an individual uncertain tax position or for all uncertain tax positions in the aggregate could differ from the amount recognized.

15. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
 
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company uses the hierarchy prescribed in ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, based upon the available inputs to the valuation and the degree to which they are observable or not observable in the market. The three levels in the hierarchy are as follows:
 
Level 1 Inputs—Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that are accessible as of the measurement date.
 
Level 2 Inputs—Inputs other than quoted prices within Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly, including but not limited to quoted prices in markets that are not active, quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities and observable inputs other than quoted prices such as interest rates or yield curves.
 
Level 3 Inputs—Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk.
 
The following table summarizes assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014 (in thousands):
2013 20122015 2014
Fair Value Measurements UsingFair Value Measurements Using
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Assets:                      
Interest rate swaps$
 $4,545
 $
 $
 $
 $
$
 $
 $
 $
 $104
 $
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
Interest rate swaps$
 $3,728
 $
 $
 $
 $
$
 $19,228
 $
 $
 $7,488
 $
Mercury TRA
 
 191,207
 
 
 152,420
 
Interest Rate Swaps
 
The Company uses interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk. The fair value of interest rate swaps areis determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash receipts (or payments) and the discounted expected variable cash payments (or receipts). The variable cash payments (or receipts) are based on the expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observed market interest rate curves. In addition, to comply with the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements, credit valuation adjustments, which consider the impact of any credit enhancements to the contracts, are incorporated in the fair values to account for potential nonperformance risk. In adjusting the fair value of its interest rate swaps for the effect of nonperformance risk, the Company has considered any applicable credit enhancements such as collateral postings, thresholds, mutual puts, and guarantees.
 
Although the Company determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its interest rate swaps fell within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit valuation adjustments associated with its interest rate swaps utilized Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by itself and its counterparties. However, as of December 31, 2013,2015 and 2014, the Company assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its interest rate swaps and determined that the credit valuation adjustment was not significant to the overall valuation of its interest rate swaps. As a result, the Company classified its interest rate swap valuations in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. See Note 8 - Derivatives and Hedging Activities for further discussion of the Company’s interest rate swaps.


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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


Mercury TRA

The Mercury TRA is considered contingent consideration as it is part of the consideration payable to the former owners of Mercury. Such contingent consideration is measured at fair value and is based on significant inputs not observable in the market, which is classified in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The Mercury TRA is recorded at fair value based on estimates of discounted future cash flows associated with the estimated payments to the Mercury TRA Holders. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Mercury TRA are the discount rate, projections of taxable income and effective tax rates. Significant increases (decreases) in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. The liability recorded is re-measured at fair value at each reporting period with the change in fair value recognized in earnings as a non-operating expense. See Note 2 - Business Combinations and Note 7 - Tax Receivable Agreements for further discussion of the Mercury TRA including the roll forward of the fair value.

The following table summarizes carrying amounts and estimated fair values for financial assets and liabilities, excluding assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as of December 31, 20132015 and 20122014 (in thousands):
2013 20122015 2014
Carrying
Amount
 Fair Value Carrying
Amount
 Fair ValueCarrying
Amount
 Fair Value Carrying
Amount
 Fair Value
Assets: 
  
  
  
Cash and cash equivalents$171,427
 $171,427
 $67,058
 $67,058
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Note payable1,811,250
 1,815,459
 1,256,105
 1,262,945
$3,060,139
 $3,064,989
 $3,393,738
 $3,310,181
 
Due toWe consider that the short-term naturecarrying value of cash and cash equivalents, the carrying valuereceivables, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates fair value. Cash and cash equivalents are classified in Level 1value (level 1) given the short-term nature of the fair value hierarchy.these items. The fair value of the Company’s note payable was estimated based on rates currently available to the Company for bank loans with similar terms and maturities and is classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

16.  NET INCOME PER SHARE
 
Basic net income per share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. by the weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding during the period.

Diluted net income per share is calculated assuming that Vantiv Holding is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vantiv, Inc., therefore eliminating the impact of Fifth Third's non-controlling interest. Pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Class B units of Vantiv Holding ("Class B units"), which are held by Fifth Third and represent the non-controlling interest in Vantiv Holding, are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. Based on this conversion feature, diluted net income per share is calculated assuming the conversion of the Class B units on an "if-converted" basis. Due to the Company's structure as a C corporation and Vantiv Holding's structure as a pass-through entity for tax purposes, the numerator in the calculation of diluted net income per share is adjusted accordingly to reflect the Company's income tax expense assuming the conversion of the Fifth Third non-controlling interest into Class A common stock. The adjusted effective tax rate used in the calculation was 36.0%, 36.5% and 38.5% for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. As of December 31, 20132015, 2014 and 2012,2013, there were approximately 48.835.0 million, 43.0 million and 70.248.8 million Class B units outstanding, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2012, these Class B units were excluded in computing diluted net income per share because including them on an "if-converted" basis would have had an anti-dilutive effect.
 
In addition to the Class B units discussed above, potentially dilutive securities during the yearyears ended December 31, 20132015, 2014 and 2013 included restricted stock awards, the warrant held by Fifth Third which allows for the purchase of Class C units of Vantiv Holding (the "Fifth Third Warrant"), stock options and performance share units. ApproximatelyDuring the year ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, approximately 472,518, 508,097 and 430,490, respectively, performance share units have been excluded as the applicable performance metrics had not been met as of the reporting date.dates.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, potentially dilutive securities included restricted stock awards and the warrant held by Fifth Third which allows for the purchase of Class C units of Vantiv Holding, in addition to the Class B units discussed above.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, potentially dilutive securities consisted of phantom equity awards issued under the Phantom Equity Plan and the warrant held by Fifth Third. Phantom equity awards issued by and settled in units of Vantiv Holding had an anti-dilutive effect on the Company’s net income per share and were therefore excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share. The warrant held by Fifth Third was out of the money and was therefore also excluded from the calculation of diluted net income per share. Class B units of Vantiv Holding were not considered in the calculation of diluted net income per share during the year ended December 31, 2011 as the Exchange Agreement permitting the conversion of Class B units of Vantiv Holding to Class A common stock of the Company was not in place.
 
The shares of Class B common stock do not share in the earnings or losses of the Company and are therefore not participating securities. Accordingly, basic and diluted net income per share of Class B common stock has not been presented.
 
The weighted-average Class A common shares used in computing basic and diluted net income per share reflect the retrospective application of the stock split which occurred in connection with the IPO.

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share (in thousands, except share data): 
Year Ended
December 31,
  Year Ended
December 31,
  
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Basic: 
  
  
   
  
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc.$133,572
 $57,610
 $36,240
$147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572
Shares used in computing basic net income per share:   
       
Weighted-average Class A common shares138,836,314
 116,258,204
 89,515,617
145,044,577
 141,936,933
 138,836,314
Basic net income per share$0.96
 $0.50
 $0.40
$1.02
 $0.88
 $0.96
Diluted:   
       
Consolidated income before applicable income taxes$291,900
 $
 $
$297,406
 $235,167
 $291,900
Income tax expense excluding impact of non-controlling interest112,382
 
 
107,066
 85,836
 112,382
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc.179,518
 57,610
 36,240
$190,340
 $149,331
 $179,518
Shares used in computing diluted net income per share:   
  

    
Weighted-average Class A common shares138,836,314
 116,258,204
 89,515,617
145,044,577
 141,936,933
 138,836,314
Weighted-average Class B units of Vantiv Holding57,906,592
 
 
42,521,087
 45,472,332
 57,906,592
Warrant11,866,595
 10,121,483
 7,522,801
Restricted stock awards1,751,816
 1,553,857
 
696,273
 1,321,890
 1,751,816
Warrant7,522,801
 4,935,301
 
Stock options10,034
 
 
545,180
 318,175
 10,034
Performance share units260,730
 
 
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding206,027,557
 122,747,362
 89,515,617
200,934,442
 199,170,813
 206,027,557
Diluted net income per share$0.87
 $0.47
 $0.40
$0.95
 $0.75
 $0.87

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



17. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
 
The activity of the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to cash flow hedging and other activities was as follows for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 is presented below (in thousands):
   Total Other Comprehensive Income     Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)  
  AOCI Beginning Balance Pretax Activity Tax Effect  Net Activity Attributable to non-controlling interests Attributable to Vantiv, Inc. AOCI Ending Balance
Year ended December 31, 2015              
Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI $(5,288) $(18,836) $5,490
 $(13,346) $4,298
 $(9,048) $(14,336)
Net realized loss reclassified into earnings (a)
 1,732
 6,990
 (2,065) 4,925
 (1,525) 3,400
 5,132
Other (212) 212
 
 212
 
 212
 
Net change $(3,768) $(11,634) $3,425
 $(8,209) $2,773
 $(5,436) $(9,204)
              
Year ended December 31, 2014              
Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI $(5) $(11,240) $3,114
 $(8,126) $2,843
 $(5,283) $(5,288)
Net realized loss reclassified into earnings (a)
 269
 3,040
 (874) 2,166
 (703) 1,463
 1,732
Other 
 (212) 
 (212) 
 (212) (212)
Net change $264
 $(8,412) $2,240
 $(6,172) $2,140
 $(4,032) $(3,768)
  AOCI Beginning Balance Pretax Activity Tax Effect  Net Activity Attributable to non-controlling interests Attributable to Vantiv, Inc. AOCI Ending Balance              
Year ended December 31, 2013                            
Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI $
 $244
 $3
 $247
 $(252) $(5) $(5) $
 $244
 $3
 $247
 $(252) $(5) $(5)
Net realized loss reclassified into earnings (a) 
 573
 (157) 416
 (147) 269
 269
 
 573
 (157) 416
 (147) 269
 269
Net change $
 $817
 $(154) $663
 $(399) $264
 $264
 $
 $817
 $(154) $663
 $(399) $264
 $264
              
Year ended December 31, 2012              
Net realized loss reclassified into earnings (a) $(9,514) $29,424
 $(5,495) $23,929
 $(14,415) $9,514
 $
Net change $(9,514) $29,424
 $(5,495) $23,929
 $(14,415) $9,514
 $
              
Year ended December 31, 2011              
Net change in fair value recorded in accumulated OCI $
 $(36,643) $6,842
 $(29,801) $17,952
 $(11,849) $(11,849)
Net realized loss reclassified into earnings (a) 
 7,219
 (1,347) 5,872
 (3,537) 2,335
 2,335
Net change $
 $(29,424) $5,495
 $(23,929) $14,415
 $(9,514) $(9,514)
 

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)




(a)    The reclassification adjustment on cash flow hedge derivatives affected the following lines in the accompanying consolidated statements of income:    
 OCI Component    Affected line in the accompanying consolidated statements of income
Pretax activity(1)activity(1)
 Interest expense-net/non-operating expensesexpense-net
Tax effect Income tax expense
OCI Attributableattributable to non-controlling interests Net income attributable to non-controlling interests
            
(1) During the year  The years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, reflects amountreflect amounts of losslosses reclassified from AOCI into earnings, representing the effective portion of the hedging relationships, and isare recorded in interest expense-net. During the year ended December 31, 2012, reflects net loss due to missed forecasted transaction and is recorded as a component of non-operating expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2011, reflects ineffectiveness and is recorded as a component of interest expense-net.

18. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

In connection with the Company's separation from Fifth Third on June 30, 2009, the Company entered into various agreements which provide for services provided to or received from Fifth Third. Subsequent to the separation from Fifth Third, the Company continues to enter into various business agreements with Fifth Third. Transactions under these agreements are discussed below and throughout these notes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Fifth Third currently holds 48,822,82635,042,826 shares of Class B common stock representing 18.5%18.4% of the voting interests in Vantiv, Inc. and 48,822,82635,042,826 Class B units of Vantiv Holding representing a 25.62%18.4% ownership interest in Vantiv Holding. In addition, in connection with the separation from Fifth Third, Fifth Third received a warrant that allows for the purchase of up to 20.4 million Class C Non-Voting Units of Vantiv Holding. As discussed in Note 9 - Controlling and Non-Controlling Interests, as a result of the Warrant Cancellation Agreement and the Fifth Third net exercise of a portion of the remaining warrant, at December 31, 2015, Fifth Third holds the rights to purchase 7,791,956 Class C Units of Vantiv Holding under the warrant.

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



Debt Agreements

As discussed in Note 6 - Long-Term Debt, the Company had certain debt arrangements outstanding and available from Fifth Third. For the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 2011,2013, interest expense associated with these arrangements was $4.4 million, $7.35.4 million, $10.2 million, and $18.47.3 million, respectively, and commitment fees were $0.2 million, $0.30.2 million, $0.4 million, and $0.3 million, respectively.

Master Lease Agreement/Master Sublease Agreement

On July 1, 2009, the Company entered into a five-year Master Lease Agreement and a five-year Master Sublease Agreement with Fifth Third and certain of its affiliates, that remains in effect in accordance with its terms, for the lease or sublease of a number of office and/or data center locations. Related party rent expense was approximately $3.8 million, $3.6 million, $3.73.8 million and $6.83.6 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 2011. Beginning in February of 2012, this amount was substantially reduced as a result of our exercise of termination rights and the purchase and relocation to our new corporate headquarters.2013.

Referral Agreement

On June 30, 2009, the Company entered into an exclusive referral arrangement with Fifth Third. Commercial and retail merchant clients of Fifth Third and its subsidiary depository institutions that request merchant (credit or debit card) acceptance services are referred exclusively to us. In return for these referrals and the resulting merchant relationships, we make ongoing incentive payments to Fifth Third. The agreement also provides for our referral of prospective banking clients to Fifth Third, in return for certain incentive payments. This agreement terminates in June 2019. Costs associated with this agreement totaled $0.3 million, $0.4 million, $0.50.3 million and $0.20.4 million for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 2011,2013, respectively.

Clearing, Settlement and Sponsorship Agreement and Treasury Management Agreement

As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Fifth Third is a member of the Visa, MasterCard and other payment network associations. Fifth Third is the Company's primary sponsor into the respective card associations. Fifth Third also provides access to certain cash and treasury management services to the Company. For the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 2011,2013, the Company paid Fifth Third approximately $2.3 million, $2.2 million, $1.42.8 million and $1.22.2 million, respectively, for these services. As discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, the Company holds certain cash and cash equivalents on deposit at Fifth Third. At

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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


December 31, 20132015 and 2012,2014, approximately $146.3$149.7 million and $21.3362.8 million, respectively, was held on deposit at Fifth Third. Interest income on such amounts during the years ended December 31, 2013, 20122014 and 20112013 was approximately$1.7 million and $1.4 million, $0.9 million, and $0.7 million, respectively. The interest income on such amounts during 2015 was immaterial.

Transition Services Agreement

In conjunction with the Company's separation from Fifth Third, the Company entered into a transition services agreement ("TSA") with Fifth Third. Under the TSA, Fifth Third provided services that were required to support the Company as a stand-alone entity during the period following the separation from Fifth Third. These services involved IT services, back-office support, employee related services, product development, risk management, legal, accounting and general business resources. The TSA terminated on October 31, 2011. Subsequent to such date, the Company continues to receive certain non-material services from Fifth Third. The total for services provided by Fifth Third for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 20122014 and 20112013 were $0.4 million, $0.5 million and $0.5 million, $1.1 million and $23.2 million, respectively.

Management Agreement

In connection with the Company's separation from Fifth Third, the Company entered into a management agreement with Advent for management services including consulting and business development services related to sales and marketing activities, acquisition strategies, financial and treasury requirements and strategic planning. The Company was required to pay Advent $0.5 million the first year and $1.0 million annually thereafter. The fee is payable in full the beginning of each year and is not subject to proration if the contract is terminated prior to years end. The Company paid Advent $1.0 million during the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011. Pursuant to its terms, the agreement was terminated in connection with the IPO.

19. SEGMENT INFORMATION
     
Segment operating results are presented below (in thousands). The results reflect revenues and expenses directly related to each segment. The Company does not evaluate performance or allocate resources based on segment asset data, and therefore such information is not presented.
 
Segment profit reflects total revenue less network fees and other costs and sales and marketing costs of the segment. The Company’s CODM evaluates this metric in analyzing the results of operations for each segment. 
 Year Ended December 31, 2013
 Merchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 General
Corporate/Other
 Total
Total revenue$1,639,157
 $468,920
 $
 $2,108,077
Network fees and other costs801,463
 133,978
 
 935,441
Sales and marketing286,200
 25,844
 
 312,044
Segment profit$551,494
 $309,098
 $
 $860,592
 Year Ended December 31, 2012
 Merchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 General
Corporate/Other
 Total
Total revenue$1,409,158
 $454,081
 $
 $1,863,239
Network fees and other costs709,341
 131,256
 
 840,597
Sales and marketing255,887
 24,757
 
 280,644
Segment profit$443,930
 $298,068
 $
 $741,998

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


Year Ended December 31, 2011Year Ended December 31, 2015
Merchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 General
Corporate/Other
 TotalMerchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 Total
Total revenue$1,185,253
 $437,168
 $
 $1,622,421
$2,656,906
 $503,032
 $3,159,938
Network fees and other costs620,852
 135,883
 
 756,735
1,321,312
 156,890
 1,478,202
Sales and marketing211,062
 24,046
 1,809
 236,917
478,736
 25,213
 503,949
Segment profit$353,339
 $277,239
 $(1,809) $628,769
$856,858
 $320,929
 $1,177,787
 Year Ended December 31, 2014
 Merchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 Total
Total revenue$2,100,367
 $476,836
 $2,577,203
Network fees and other costs1,033,801
 140,864
 1,174,665
Sales and marketing367,998
 28,355
 396,353
Segment profit$698,568
 $307,617
 $1,006,185
 Year Ended December 31, 2013
 Merchant
Services
 Financial
Institution
Services
 Total
Total revenue$1,639,157
 $468,920
 $2,108,077
Network fees and other costs801,463
 133,978
 935,441
Sales and marketing286,200
 25,844
 312,044
Segment profit$551,494
 $309,098
 $860,592

 A reconciliation of total segment profit to the Company’s income before applicable income taxes is as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
2013 2012 20112015 2014 2013
Total segment profit$860,592
 $741,998
 $628,769
$1,177,787
 $1,006,185
 $860,592
Less: Other operating costs(200,630) (158,374) (143,420)(284,066) (242,439) (200,630)
Less: General and administrative(121,707) (118,231) (86,870)(182,369) (173,986) (121,707)
Less: Depreciation and amortization(185,453) (160,538) (155,326)(276,942) (275,069) (185,453)
Less: Interest expense—net(40,902) (54,572) (111,535)(105,736) (79,701) (40,902)
Less: Non-operating expenses(20,000) (92,672) (14,499)
Less: Non-operating income (expense)(31,268) 177
 (20,000)
Income before applicable income taxes$291,900
 $157,611
 $117,119
$297,406
 $235,167
 $291,900


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Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)


20. QUARTERLY CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

The following table sets forth our unaudited results of operations on a quarterly basis for the years ended December 31, 20132015 and 2012.2014.

Three Months Ended         
Dec 31,
2013
 Sep 30,
2013
 Jun 30,
2013
 Mar 31,
2013
 Dec 31,
2012
 Sep 30,
2012
 Jun 30,
2012
 Mar 31,
2012
Dec 31,
2015
 Sep 30,
2015
 Jun 30,
2015
 Mar 31,
2015
 Dec 31,
2014
 Sep 30,
2014
 Jun 30,
2014
 Mar 31,
2014
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Revenue$558,355
 $532,347
 $519,409
 $497,966
 $494,092
 $466,736
 $469,622
 $432,789
$852,334
 $815,998
 $785,995
 $705,611
 $733,785
 $697,109
 $608,731
 $537,578
Network fees and other costs249,733
 238,141
 222,502
 225,065
 222,906
 208,239
 209,244
 200,208
399,159
 385,548
 362,349
 331,146
 331,635
 316,592
 277,392
 249,046
Net revenue308,622
 294,206
 296,907
 272,901
 271,186
 258,497
 260,378
 232,581
453,175
 430,450
 423,646
 374,465
 402,150
 380,517
 331,339
 288,532
Sales and marketing80,081
 79,551
 76,436
 75,976
 68,042
 69,313
 70,532
 72,757
132,488
 132,481
 122,925
 116,055
 116,169
 111,233
 90,507
 78,444
Other operating costs52,462
 48,340
 49,268
 50,560
 38,572
 40,376
 40,417
 39,009
72,213
 66,563
 76,551
 68,739
 64,657
 60,659
 56,754
 60,369
General and administrative33,257
 27,489
 29,862
 31,099
 31,844
 28,600
 29,190
 28,597
45,974
 41,492
 47,060
 47,843
 47,406
 45,422
 48,552
 32,606
Depreciation and amortization49,025
 48,604
 44,528
 43,296
 41,357
 40,618
 39,667
 38,895
70,843
 70,638
 67,659
 67,802
 70,893
 65,289
 89,041
 49,846
Income from operations$93,797
 $90,222
 $96,813
 $71,970
 $91,371
 $79,590
 $80,572
 $53,323
$131,657
 $119,276
 $109,451
 $74,026
 $103,025
 $97,914
 $46,485
 $67,267
Net income$70,392
 $59,148
 $52,693
 $26,996
 $81,741
 $42,845
 $3,313
 $41,091
Net income (loss) attributable to Vantiv, Inc.$42,834
 $35,711
 $28,908
 $26,119
 $28,754
 $24,264
 $22,956
 $(18,364)$50,929
 $41,492
 $36,536
 $18,989
 $68,579
 $29,986
 $(1,409) $28,136
Net income (loss) per share attributable to Vantiv, Inc. Class A common stock:                              
Basic$0.30
 $0.26
 $0.21
 $0.19
 $0.23
 $0.20
 $0.19
 $(0.20)$0.35
 $0.29
 $0.25
 $0.13
 $0.48
 $0.21
 $(0.01) $0.20
Diluted$0.26
 $0.24
 $0.20
 $0.18
 $0.22
 $0.19
 $0.18
 $(0.38)$0.31
 $0.27
 $0.24
 $0.13
 $0.35
 $0.20
 $(0.01) $0.18

Our results of operations are subject to seasonal fluctuations in our revenue as a result of consumer spending patterns. Historically our revenues have been the strongest in the fourth quarter and weakest in our first quarter.


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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)



21. SUBSEQUENT EVENT
In October 2013, the Company’s board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to $137 million of the Company’s Class A common stock. On February 12, 2014, the board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of the Company's Class A common stock. Purchases under the program may be made from time to time in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of any purchases will be determined by management based on an evaluation of market conditions, stock price and other factors. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number or amount of shares, there is no guarantee as to the exact number or amount of shares that may be repurchased, if any, and the Company may discontinue purchases at any time that it determines additional purchases are not warranted. As of the date of this filing, no share repurchases have been transacted under the February 2014 authorization.

* * * * *

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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
 
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officerChief Executive Officer and chief financial officer,Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 20132015. The term "disclosure controls and procedures," as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 20132015, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
 
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2013 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control system is 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. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also controls deemed effective now may become inadequate in the future because of changes in conditions, or because compliance with the policies or procedures has deteriorated or been circumvented.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013.2015. In making this assessment, management used the criteria established in the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (1992)(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the "COSO criteria"). Based on management’s assessment and the COSO criteria, management believes that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2013.2015.

Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K and, as part of the audit, has issued a report, included herein, on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013.2015.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.


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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Vantiv, Inc.
Symmes Township, Ohio

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Vantiv, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2013,2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992)(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management'sManagement’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company's board of directors, management, and other personnel 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. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013,2015, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992)(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule as of and for the year ended December 31, 20132015 of the Company and our report dated February 14, 201410, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.statements and financial statement schedule.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Cincinnati, Ohio
February 14, 201410, 2016


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Item 9B. Other Information
In October 2013, the Company’s board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to $137 million of the Company’s Class A common stock. On February 12, 2014, the board of directors authorized a program to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of the Company's Class A common stock. Purchases under the program may be made from time to time in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of any purchases will be determined by management based on an evaluation of market conditions, stock price and other factors. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number or amount of shares, there is no guarantee as to the exact number or amount of shares that may be repurchased, if any, and the Company may discontinue purchases at any time that it determines additional purchases are not warranted. As of the date of this filing, no share repurchases have been transacted under the February 2014 authorization.None

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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to Vantiv's Proxy Statement for its 20142016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.2015.
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website (http://investors.vantiv.com) under "Corporate Governance." We will also provide a copy of these documents to any person, without charge, upon request, by writing to us at Vantiv, Inc., Investor Relations Department, 8500 GovernorsGovernor's Hill Drive, Symmes Township, Ohio 45249. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding an amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by posting such information on our website at the address and the location specified above.

Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. Securities Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Except as included below regarding equity compensation plan information, the information required by this item will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 20132015 regarding the Company's equity compensation plans. The only plan pursuant to which the Company has made and may currently make additional equity grants is the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan.
 [a] [b] [c]  [a] [b] [c] 
 Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (1) Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column [a])  
Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (1)
 Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column [a]) 
  
Plan category  
Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders 1,933,641 $21.95 27,095,256(2) 3,125,824 $30.47 25,808,526
(2) 
Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders        
Total 1,933,641 $21.95 27,095,256(2) 3,125,824 $30.47 25,808,526
(2)(3) 
 
(1)
Column [a] includes the following outstanding equity-based awards, all of which were granted under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan:awards:
853,5381,603,495 stock options;
1,049,811 restricted stock units.units; and
649,613 stock options.
430,490472,518 performance share units.
(2)
The 2012 Equity Incentive Plan had 35.5 million shares initially authorized for issuance. In addition to these 35.5 million shares, the following shares will become available for grant under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, and, to the extent such shares became available as of December 31, 2013,2015, they are included in the table above as available for grant: (i) shares covered by outstanding awards under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan that are forfeited or otherwise terminated or settled in cash or other property rather than settled through the issuance of shares; and (ii) shares that are used to pay the exercise price of stock options and shares used to pay withholding taxes on equity awards generally.
(3)
Additionally, at the time of the acquisition of Mercury Payment Systems, LLC, the Company registered and issued 1.8 million shares under the Mercury Payment Systems, LLC 2010 Unit Incentive Plan, as Restated and Assumed by

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Vantiv, Inc. The awards issued were stock options, which have been excluded in the table above. As of December 31, 2015 there were 706,748 outstanding options remaining with a weighted-average exercise price of $16.85.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by this item will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
 
(a)(1) Consolidated Financial Statements
Our consolidated financial statements are set forth in "Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this report.

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant
All other financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not material or the required information is presented in the financial statements or the notes thereto.

(a)(3) Exhibits
See the Exhibit Index immediately following the signature page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.



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SCHEDULE I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant

Vantiv, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (PARENT COMPANY ONLY)
(In thousands)

  Year Ended
December 31,
  2015 2014 2013
General and administrative $745
 $181
 $
Income (loss) from operations (745) (181) 
Non-operating income (expense), net (359) 40,399
 
Income before income taxes and equity in net income of subsidiaries (1,104) 40,218
 
Income tax expense 54,007
 47,943
 58,520
Loss before equity in net income of subsidiaries (55,111) (7,725) (58,520)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries 203,057
 133,017
 192,092
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Parent Company only).

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SCHEDULE I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant

Vantiv, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (PARENT COMPANY ONLY)
(In thousands)

  Year Ended
December 31,
  2015 2014 2013
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (5,436) (4,032) 264
Comprehensive income attributable to Vantiv, Inc. $142,510
 $121,260
 $133,836

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Parent Company only).



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SCHEDULE I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant

Vantiv, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (PARENT COMPANY ONLY)
(In thousands)
 December 31,
2015
 December 31,
2014
Assets 
  
Current assets: 
  
Tax refund receivable$51,998
 $9,714
Receivable from subsidiaries
 27,016
Total current assets51,998
 36,730
Investment in subsidiaries1,008,907
 1,056,716
Deferred taxes731,258
 429,629
Total assets$1,792,163
 $1,523,075
Liabilities and equity 
  
Current liabilities: 
  
Accounts payable and accrued expenses$795
 $
Payable to subsidiaries5,519
 
Current portion of tax receivable agreement obligations to related parties31,232
 22,789
Total current liabilities37,546
 22,789
Long-term liabilities: 
  
Tax receivable agreement obligations to related parties801,829
 597,273
Total long-term liabilities801,829
 597,273
Total liabilities839,375
 620,062
Equity: 
  
Total Vantiv, Inc. equity952,788
 903,013
Total liabilities and equity$1,792,163
 $1,523,075

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Parent Company only).


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SCHEDULE I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant

Vantiv, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (PARENT COMPANY ONLY)
(In thousands)

 Year Ended
December 31,
 2015 2014 2013
Operating Activities:     
Net income attributable to Vantiv, Inc.$147,946
 $125,292
 $133,572
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:     
Equity in net income of subsidiaries(203,057) (133,017) (192,092)
Deferred taxes24,662
 27,395
 13,658
Tax receivable agreements non-cash items(769) (40,399) 
Distributions from subsidiaries68,892
 58,551
 126,895
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation(16,707) (13,420) (5,464)
Change in operating assets and liabilities, net28,834
 (9,151) 10,497
Net cash provided by operating activities49,801
 15,251
 87,066
Investing Activities:     
Proceeds from sale of Class A units in Vantiv Holding216,933
 77,165
 518,449
Purchase of Class A units in Vantiv Holding(13,630) (4,492) 
Net cash provided by investing activities203,303
 72,673
 518,449
Financing Activities:     
Advances from subsidiaries, net5,519
 (20,032) 20,032
Proceeds from exercise of Class A common stock options13,630
 4,492
 
Repurchase of Class A common stock(200,406) (59,364) (503,225)
Repurchase of Class A common stock (to satisfy tax withholding obligations)(16,527) (17,801) (15,224)
Settlement of certain tax receivable agreements(49,222) 
 (112,562)
Payments under tax receivable agreements(22,805) (8,639) 
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation16,707
 13,420
 5,464
Net cash used in financing activities(253,104) (87,924) (605,515)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents—Beginning of period
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents—End of period$
 $
 $
      
Cash Payments:     
Taxes$2,323
 $28,583
 $31,874
Non-cash Items:     
Issuance of tax receivable agreements$376,597
 $109,400
 $329,400

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Parent Company only).

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SCHEDULE I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant

Vantiv, Inc.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (PARENT COMPANY ONLY)

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

For Vantiv, Inc.'s presentation (Parent Company only), the investment in subsidiaries is accounted for using the equity method. The condensed parent company financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes of Vantiv, Inc. appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Vantiv, Inc., is a holding company that does not conduct any business operations of its own and therefore its assets consist primarily of investments in subsidiaries. Vantiv Inc.'s cash inflows are primarily from cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from Vantiv Holding. Vantiv, Inc. may not be able to access cash generated by its subsidiaries in order to fulfill cash commitments or to pay cash dividends on its common stock. The amounts available to Vantiv, Inc. to fulfill cash commitments or to pay cash dividends are also subject to the covenants and distribution restrictions in its subsidiaries’ loan agreements. For a discussion on the tax receivable agreements, see Note 7- Tax Receivable Agreements in the consolidated financial statements and notes of Vantiv, Inc. appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.
  VANTIV, INC.
    
Dated:February 14, 201410, 2016By:/s/ CHARLES D. DRUCKER
   Name: Charles D. Drucker
   Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated:February 10, 2016By:/s/ CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON
Name: Christopher Thompson
Title: SVP, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer










































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POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Charles D. Drucker, Mark L. Heimbouch and Nelson F. Greene, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution and full power to act without the other, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that all said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Signature Title Date
     
/s/ CHARLES D. DRUCKER Chief Executive Officer, President and Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Charles D. Drucker (Principal Executive Officer)  
     
/s/ MARK L. HEIMBOUCH Sr. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating & Financial Officer and Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Mark L. Heimbouch (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)  
     
/s/ JEFFREY STIEFLER Chairman February 14, 201410, 2016
Jeffrey Stiefler    
     
/s/ LEE ADREAN Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Lee Adrean    
     
/s/ GREG CARMICHAELTAYFUN TUZUN Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Greg CarmichaelTayfun Tuzun    
     
/s/ GARY L. LAUER Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Gary L. Lauer    
     
/s/ JOHN MALDONADOKEVIN COSTELLO Director February 14, 201410, 2016
John MaldonadoKevin Costello    
     
/s/ DAVID MUSSAFERKARNSTEDT Director February 14, 201410, 2016
David MussaferKarnstedt    
     
/s/ CHRISTOPHER PIKELARS ANDERSON Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Christopher PikeLars Anderson    
     
/s/ DANIEL POSTONLISA HOOK Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Daniel PostonLisa Hook    
     
/s/ THOMAS RYANBOON SIM Director February 14, 201410, 2016
Thomas Ryan
Boon Sim    


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EXHIBIT INDEX
 
Exhibit   Incorporated by Reference   Incorporated by Reference
Number Exhibit Description Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date Exhibit Description Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date
2.1 Master Investment Agreement among Fifth Third Bank, Fifth Third Financial Corporation, Advent-Kong Blocker Corp., Vantiv Holding, LLC (f/k/a FTPS Holding, LLC) and Vantiv, LLC (f/k/a Fifth Third Processing Solutions, LLC) dated March 27, 2009 and as amended June 30, 2009. S-1/A 333-177875 2.1 November 10, 2011 Master Investment Agreement among Fifth Third Bank, Fifth Third Financial Corporation, Advent-Kong Blocker Corp., Vantiv Holding, LLC (f/k/a FTPS Holding, LLC) and Vantiv, LLC (f/k/a Fifth Third Processing Solutions, LLC) dated March 27, 2009 and as amended June 30, 2009. S-1/A 333-177875 2.1 November 10, 2011
2.2 Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among NPC Group, Inc., FTPS-BG Acquisition Corp., Vantiv, LLC (f/k/a Fifth Third Processing Solutions, LLC), and National Processing Holdings, LLC dated September 15, 2010. S-1/A 333-177875 2.2 November 10, 2011 Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among NPC Group, Inc., FTPS-BG Acquisition Corp., Vantiv, LLC (f/k/a Fifth Third Processing Solutions, LLC), and National Processing Holdings, LLC dated September 15, 2010. S-1/A 333-177875 2.2 November 10, 2011
2.3 Recapitalization Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Vantiv Holding, LLC, Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC, JPDN Enterprises, LLC and the Vantiv, Inc. stockholders party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 2.1 May 8, 2012 Recapitalization Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Vantiv Holding, LLC, Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC, JPDN Enterprises, LLC and the Vantiv, Inc. stockholders party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 2.1 May 8, 2012
2.4 Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2012, by and among National Processing Company, Vantiv, LLC, Litle & Co. LLC, Litle Holdings LLC, the members named therein and Thomas J. Litle IV, as members' representative. S-1 333-185222 2.4 November 30, 2012 Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 26, 2012, by and among National Processing Company, Vantiv, LLC, Litle & Co. LLC, Litle Holdings LLC, the members named therein and Thomas J. Litle IV, as members' representative. S-1 333-185222 2.4 November 30, 2012
2.5 Transaction Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2014, by and among Vantiv, Inc., National Processing Company, Mars Merger Sub, LLC, Vantiv, LLC, SLP III Quicksilver Feeder I, L.P., Mercury Payment Systems, LLC and Silver Lake Partners III DE, L.P. 8-K 001-35462 2.1 May 16, 2014
3.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 3.1 May 8, 2012 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 3.1 May 8, 2012
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 3.2 May 8, 2012 Amended and Restated Bylaws of Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 3.2 October 30, 2014
4.1 Form of Class A Common Stock Certificate. S-1/A 333-177875 4.1 March 14, 2012 Form of Class A Common Stock Certificate. S-1/A 333-177875 4.1 March 14, 2012
10.1 Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Vantiv Holding, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 May 8, 2012 Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Vantiv Holding, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 May 8, 2012
10.2 Advancement Agreement by and among Vantiv Holding, LLC and Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 May 8, 2012 Advancement Agreement by and among Vantiv Holding, LLC and Vantiv, Inc. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 May 8, 2012
10.3 Exchange Agreement among Vantiv, Inc., Vantiv Holding, LLC, Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC and such other holders of Class B Units and Class C Non-Voting Units from time to time party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.3 May 8, 2012 Exchange Agreement among Vantiv, Inc., Vantiv Holding, LLC, Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC and such other holders of Class B Units and Class C Non-Voting Units from time to time party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.3 May 8, 2012
10.4 Registration Rights Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc. and the stockholders party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.4 May 8, 2012 Registration Rights Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc. and the stockholders party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.4 May 8, 2012
10.5 Warrant issued by Vantiv Holding, LLC (f/k/a FTPS Holding, LLC) to Fifth Third Bank. 10-Q 001-35462 10.5 May 8, 2012 Warrant issued by Vantiv Holding, LLC (f/k/a FTPS Holding, LLC) to Fifth Third Bank. 10-Q 001-35462 10.5 May 8, 2012
10.6 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Fifth Third Bank and FTPS Partners, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.6 May 8, 2012 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Fifth Third Bank and FTPS Partners, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.6 May 8, 2012
10.7 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., the Advent Stockholders and Advent International Corporation. 10-Q 001-35462 10.7 May 8, 2012 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., the Advent Stockholders and Advent International Corporation. 10-Q 001-35462 10.7 May 8, 2012
10.7.1 Tax Receivable Termination Agreement, dated October 23, 2013, by and among Vantiv, Inc., the Advent Stockholders and Advent International Corporation. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 October 24, 2013 Tax Receivable Termination Agreement, dated October 23, 2013, by and among Vantiv, Inc., the Advent Stockholders and Advent International Corporation. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 October 24, 2013
10.8 Tax Receivable Agreement by and between Vantiv, Inc. and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.8 May 8, 2012 Tax Receivable Agreement by and between Vantiv, Inc. and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.8 May 8, 2012
10.8.1 Tax Receivable Termination Agreement, dated October 23, 2013, by and between Vantiv, Inc. and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 October 24, 2013 Tax Receivable Termination Agreement, dated October 23, 2013, by and between Vantiv, Inc. and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 October 24, 2013
10.9 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC, the Advent Stockholders, Advent International Corporation and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.9 May 8, 2012 Tax Receivable Agreement by and among Vantiv, Inc., Fifth Third Bank, FTPS Partners, LLC, the Advent Stockholders, Advent International Corporation and JPDN Enterprises, LLC. 10-Q 001-35462 10.9 May 8, 2012
10.10 Loan Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2013, among Vantiv, LLC, the Lenders party thereto from time to time, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, and the other agents party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 May 20, 2013 Amendment and Restatement Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2014, among Vantiv, LLC, Vantiv Holding, LLC, the other Loan Parties, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto. 8-K 001-35462 10.1 June 19, 2014
10.11+ Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 November 1, 2012
10.11.1+ Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan for Holders of Phantom Units under the Vantiv Holding, LLC Management Phantom Equity Plan. S-1/A 333-177875 10.24 March 5, 2012
10.11.2+ Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan for the Chief Executive Officer. S-1/A 333-177875 10.38 March 14, 2012
10.11.3+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Non-Employee Directors Under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. S-1/A 333-177875 10.39 March 14, 2012
10.11 Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2014, by and among Vantiv, LLC, various lenders from time to time party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent, and the other agents party thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 July 31, 2014
10.12+ Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan for Holders of Phantom Units under the Vantiv Holding, LLC Management Phantom Equity Plan. S-1/A 333-177875 10.24 March 5, 2012

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10.11.4+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Carlos Lima under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-K 001-35462 10.15 February 20, 2013
10.11.5+ Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Option Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 May 6, 2013
10.11.6+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 May 6, 2013
10.11.7+ Form of Performance Share Award Notice and Performance Share Unit Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.3 May 6, 2013
10.12+ Vantiv, LLC Executive Severance Plan. S-1/A 333-177875 10.25 March 14, 2012
10.12.1+ Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan for the Chief Executive Officer. S-1/A 333-177875 10.38 March 14, 2012
10.12.2+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Non-Employee Directors Under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. S-1/A 333-177875 10.39 March 14, 2012
10.12.3+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Carlos Lima under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-K 001-35462 10.15 February 20, 2013
10.12.4+ Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Option Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 May 6, 2013
10.12.5+ Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.2 May 6, 2013
10.12.6+ Form of Performance Share Unit Award Notice and Performance Share Unit Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 10-Q 001-35462 10.3 May 6, 2013
10.12.7+ Revised Form of Performance Share Award Notice and Performance Share Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. 
10.13+ Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated March 15, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Charles D. Drucker. S-1/A 333-177875 10.26 March 16, 2012 Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated as of March 15, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Charles D. Drucker. S-1/A 333-177875 10.26 March 16, 2012
10.14+ Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated February 27, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Mark L. Heimbouch. S-1/A 333-177875 10.27 March 14, 2012 Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated as of February 27, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Mark L. Heimbouch. S-1/A 333-177875 10.27 March 14, 2012
10.15+ Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated February 27, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Donald Boeding. S-1/A 333-177875 10.34 March 14, 2012 Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated as of February 27, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Royal Cole. S-1/A 333-177875 10.35 March 14, 2012
10.16+ Amended and Restated Offer Letter, dated February 27, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Royal Cole. S-1/A 333-177875 10.35 March 14, 2012 Offer Letter, dated as of August 9, 2013, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Daniela Mielke 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 April 30, 2015
10.17+ Offer Letter, dated May 30, 2012, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Carlos Lima. 10-K 001-35462 10.30 February 20, 2013 Offer Letter, dated as of May 12, 2014, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Matt Taylor 
10.17.1+ Offer Letter, dated as of November 14, 2014, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Kimberly Martin 
10.18+ Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreement made as of June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Charles D. Drucker. S-1/A 333-177875 10.28 March 5, 2012 Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreement made as of June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Charles D. Drucker. S-1/A 333-177875 10.28 March 5, 2012
10.19+ Form of Vantiv, LLC Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreement for executive officers. S-1/A 333-177875 10.29 March 5, 2012 Form of Vantiv, LLC Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreement for executive officers. S-1/A 333-177875 10.29 March 5, 2012
10.20+ Form of Indemnification Agreement. S-1/A 333-177875 10.37 March 16, 2012 Form of Indemnification Agreement. S-1/A 333-177875 10.37 March 16, 2012
10.21† Referral Agreement, dated June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bancorp. S-1/A 333-177875 10.11 March 14, 2012 Referral Agreement, dated June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bancorp. S-1/A 333-177875 10.11 March 14, 2012
10.22† Master Services Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2009, by and between Fifth Third Bancorp and Vantiv, LLC. S-1/A 333-177875 10.12 March 14, 2012 Master Services Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2009, by and between Fifth Third Bancorp and Vantiv, LLC. S-1/A 333-177875 10.12 March 14, 2012
10.22.1† Amendment No. 1 to the Master Services Agreement between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bancorp. S-1/A 333-177875 10.13 March 14, 2012 Amendment No. 1 to the Master Services Agreement between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bancorp. S-1/A 333-177875 10.13 March 14, 2012
10.23† Clearing, Settlement and Sponsorship Services Agreement, dated June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bank. S-1/A 333-177875 10.14 March 14, 2012 Clearing, Settlement and Sponsorship Services Agreement, dated June 30, 2009, by and between Vantiv, LLC and Fifth Third Bank. S-1/A 333-177875 10.14 March 14, 2012
10.24 Stock Repurchase Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2013 8-K 001-35462 10.1 May 9, 2013 Stock Repurchase Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2013 8-K 001-35462 10.1 May 9, 2013
11.1 Statement re computation of per share earnings (incorporated by reference to Notes to the Financial Statements included in Part II of this Report). 
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant. 
23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. 
24.1 Power of Attorney (included on signature page). 
31.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 
31.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 
32 Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 
101 Interactive Data Files. 
10.25 Tax Receivable Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2014, by and among NPC Group, Inc.; Silver Lake Partners III DE, LP; SLP III Quicksilver Feeder I, LP; Silver Lake Technology Investors III, L.P.; MPS 1, Inc.; Mercury Payment Systems II, LLC; Vantiv, LLC; and certain other parties listed on Schedule B thereto. 8-K 001-35462 10.3 June 19, 2014
10.26+ Mercury Payment Systems, LLC 2010 Unit Incentive Plan, as Restated and Assumed by Vantiv, Inc. S-8 333-196911 4.3 June 19, 2014
10.27+ Form of Restricted Share Grant Notice and Restricted Share Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan 10-Q 001-35462 10.3 April 30, 2015
10.28+ Form of Performance Share Grant Notice and Performance Share Agreement under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan 10-Q 001-35462 10.4 April 30, 2015
10.29 Repurchase Addendum to Tax Receivable Agreement, dated as of July 24, 2015 by and among NPC Group, Inc.; Silver Lake Partners III DE, L.P.; SLP III Quicksilver Feeder I, L.P.; Silver Lake Technology Associates III, L.P.; Silver Lake Technology Investors III, L.P.; Durango FI, LLC (f/k/a MPS 1, Inc.); Mercury Payment Systems II, LLC; Vantiv, LLC; and certain other parties listed on Schedule A thereto. 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 July 29, 2015
10.30 Tax Receivable Purchase Addendum, dated as of October 23, 2015, by and between Vantiv, Inc. and Fifth Third Bank 10-Q 001-35462 10.1 October 28, 2015
10.31 Warrant Cancellation Agreement, dated as of December 2, 2015, by and between Vantiv Holding, LLC and Fifth Third Bank 8-K 001-35462 10.1 December 2, 2015

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Table of Contents



10.32+Employee Stock Purchase Plan, amended as of October 27, 2015
10.33+Amended and Restated Executive Severance Plan, dated as of November 8, 2015
10.34+Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, dated as of November 8, 2015
11.1Statement re computation of per share earnings (incorporated by reference to Notes to the Financial Statements included in Part II of this Report).
21.1Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
23.1Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
24.1Power of Attorney (included on signature page).
31.1Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101Interactive Data Files.
 
Confidential treatment granted as to certain portions by the SEC.    
+Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan.

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