McLean, Va., Oct. 5, 2009 -– Sage North America today announced that its Sage Payment Solutions division has been added to the Preferred Partner Program of NAFCU Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). Preferred Partners undergo extensive evaluation, and are approved by the NAFCU Services Advisory Committee and Board of Directors, made up of NAFCU member credit union CEOs and senior executives. Sage is recognized by industry analyst firm IDC as the leading provider of financial and ERP software and services for businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees*. The company serves 2.9 million small and mid-sized businesses in North America and 5.8 million worldwide.



“Sage Payment Solutions has developed a reputation for providing an exceptional customer experience,” said Dave Horn, vice president of business development and marketing for Sage Payment Solutions. “Our full-service offering, along with our passionate commitment to the customer, will be a tremendous benefit to credit unions and their small and midsize business customers looking for merchant services.”



Sage Payment Solutions will provide NAFCU members with competitive pricing for its merchant services, as well as a range of offerings to help their small and mid-sized business customers improve efficiency. As a provider of market-leading business software solutions – such as ACT! by Sage, Peachtree by Sage, and Sage MAS 90 ERP – Sage, through Sage Payment Solutions, will offer free incremental marketing opportunities to help credit unions attract and support small and mid-sized business customers.



“Beyond traditional lending activities, offering a range of services is an excellent way for credit unions to build new relationships and deepen existing ones,” said David Frankil, president of NAFCU Services. “Merchant card processing is a great way to reach out to businesses, and that’s why we’re glad to add a global company like Sage Payment Solutions as a NAFCU Services Preferred Partner.”



For more than 20 years, Sage Payment Solutions has been making it easy for businesses to accept electronic payments. Processing services are currently being provided to more than 140,000 businesses, who are delivering improved customer experiences by accepting multiple forms of payment, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, gift cards, and automatic recurring payments. With Sage Payment Solutions, businesses can also expand the way they accept payments, from card present and mail order/telephone order (MO/TO), to Internet and payments integrated with Sage and other third party software.



Sage Payment Solutions is one of 28 Preferred Partner programs offered by NAFCU Services Corporation to the credit union community. For more information about NAFCU Services Corporation, please visit www.nafcu.org/nafcuservices .



About Sage North America



Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs more than 4,100 people and supports nearly 2.9 million small and medium-size business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 14,500 people and supports 5.8 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.sagenorthamerica.com .



Source: Company press release.