FISERV INC (FISV) FY 2023 MD&A

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is provided as a supplement to our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes to help provide an understanding of our financial condition, the changes in our financial condition and our results of operations. This section generally discusses information and results pertaining to the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Information and discussion of results pertaining to the year ended December 31, 2021 not included herein can be found in Part II, “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2023. Our discussion is organized as follows:

•Overview. This section contains background information on our company and the products and services that we provide, acquisitions and dispositions, our enterprise priorities, and the trends affecting our industry in order to provide context for management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations.

•Critical accounting policies and estimates. This section contains a discussion of the accounting policies that we believe are important to our financial condition and results of operations and that require judgment and estimates on the part of management in their application. Our critical accounting policies are also summarized in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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•Results of operations. This section contains an analysis of our results of operations presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of income by comparing the results for the year ended December 31, 2023 to the results for the year ended December 31, 2022.

•Liquidity and capital resources. This section provides an analysis of our cash flows and a discussion of our outstanding debt and commitments at December 31, 2023.

Overview

Company Background

We are a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions. We serve clients around the globe, including merchants, banks, credit unions, other financial institutions and corporate clients. We provide account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale (“POS”) and business management platform. Our operations are comprised of the Merchant Acceptance (“Acceptance”) segment, the Financial Technology (“Fintech”) segment and the Payments and Network (“Payments”) segment.

The businesses in our Acceptance segment provide a wide range of commerce-enabling solutions and serve merchants of all sizes around the world. These solutions include merchant acquiring and digital commerce services; mobile payment services; security and fraud protection products; Clover, our cloud-based POS and integrated commerce operating system for small and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”) and independent software vendors (“ISVs”); and CaratSM, our integrated operating system for large businesses. We distribute the products and services in the Acceptance segment businesses through a variety of channels, including direct sales teams, strategic partnerships with agent sales forces, ISVs, financial institutions and other strategic partners in the form of joint venture alliances, revenue sharing alliances and referral agreements. Merchants, financial institutions and distribution partners in the Acceptance segment are frequently clients of our other segments.

The businesses in our Fintech segment provide financial institutions around the world with the technology solutions they need to run their operations, including products and services that enable financial institutions to process customer deposit and loan accounts and manage an institution’s general ledger and central information files. As a complement to the core account processing functionality, the Fintech segment businesses also provide digital banking, financial and risk management, professional services and consulting, check processing, and other products and services that support numerous types of financial transactions. Certain of the businesses in the Fintech segment provide products or services to corporate clients to facilitate the management of financial processes and transactions. Many of the products and services offered in the Fintech segment are integrated with products and services provided by our other segments.

The businesses in our Payments segment provide financial institutions and corporate and public sector clients with the products and services required to process digital payment transactions. This includes card transactions such as debit, credit and prepaid card processing and services; a range of network services; security and fraud protection products; and card production and print services. In addition, the Payments segment businesses offer non-card digital payment software and services, including bill payment, account-to-account transfers, person-to-person payments, electronic billing, and security and fraud protection products. Clients of the Payments segment businesses reflect a wide range of industries around the world, including merchants, distribution partners and financial institution customers in our other segments.

Corporate and Other supports the reportable segments described above, and consists of amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, unallocated corporate expenses and other activities that are not considered when we evaluate segment performance, such as gains or losses on sales of businesses, certain assets or investments; costs associated with acquisition and divestiture activity; certain services revenue associated with various dispositions; and our Output Solutions postage reimbursements.

We are effecting changes in our business designed to further enhance operational performance in the delivery of our integrated portfolio of products and solutions to our financial institution clients. As a result, we expect to realign our reportable segments to correspond with these organizational changes, which we expect to be completed effective for the quarter ending March 31, 2024. We continue to allocate resources and assess performance based on the current reportable segment structure.

Acquisitions and Dispositions

We frequently review our businesses to ensure we have the necessary assets to execute our strategy. We expect to acquire businesses when we identify: a compelling strategic need, such as a product, service or technology that helps meet client demand; an opportunity to change industry dynamics; a way to achieve business scale that enables competition and operational efficiency; or similar considerations. We expect to divest businesses that are not in line with our market, product or financial

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strategies. The results of operations for the following acquired and divested businesses are included in our consolidated results from the respective dates of acquisition and through the respective dates of disposition.

Acquisitions of Businesses

On October 9, 2023, we acquired Skytef Solucões em Captura de Transações Ltda (“Skytef”), a distributor for ISV partners and merchants of our Electronic Funds Transfer payments software. Skytef is included within the Acceptance segment and expands our distribution network and POS applications. On November 1, 2023, we acquired Sled S.A. (“Sled”), a provider of instant payment solutions. Sled is included within the Acceptance segment and expands our direct payment service capabilities. We acquired these businesses in Latin America for an aggregate purchase price, including hold-backs, of approximately $17 million.

On December 29, 2022, we acquired OrangeData S.A. (“Yacaré”), an Argentina-based payment service provider that enables customers to transact at merchant locations using QR codes. Yacaré is included within the Acceptance segment and enhances our instant payment transaction capabilities. On December 20, 2022, we acquired Merchant One, Inc. (“Merchant One”), an independent sales organization (“ISO”) focused on acquiring merchants in the restaurant, retail and e-commerce industries using an innovative mix of direct and digital marketing strategies. Merchant One is included within the Acceptance segment and enhances our merchant distribution and sales force channels. On September 1, 2022, we acquired NexTable, Inc. (“NexTable”), a provider of cloud-based reservation and table management solutions for restaurants. NexTable is included within the Acceptance segment and expands our end-to-end restaurant solutions. On June 1, 2022, we acquired The LR2 Group, LLC (“City POS”), an ISO that promotes payment processing services and facilitates the sale of POS equipment for merchants. City POS is included within the Acceptance segment and expands our merchant services business. On April 1, 2022, we acquired the remaining majority controlling ownership interest in Finxact, Inc. (“Finxact”), a developer of cloud-native banking solutions powering digital transformation throughout the financial services sector. Finxact is included within the Fintech segment and advances our digital banking strategy, expanding our account processing, digital and payments solutions. We acquired these businesses in 2022 for an aggregate purchase price of $994 million, net of $28 million of acquired cash, and including earn-out provisions estimated at a fair value of $6 million.

Dispositions of Businesses

On July 25, 2023, we sold our financial reconciliation business, which was reported within the Fintech segment, for cash proceeds of $235 million. We recognized a pre-tax gain of $172 million on the sale during the year ended December 31, 2023.

On October 17, 2022, we sold Fiserv Costa Rica, S.A. and our Systems Integration Services (“SIS”) operations, which provides information technology engineering services in the United States of America (“U.S.”) and India, to a single buyer. Fiserv Costa Rica, S.A. and SIS were reported primarily within the Fintech segment. On September 30, 2022, we sold our Korea operations, which were reported within the Acceptance segment. We sold these operations in 2022 for total consideration of $99 million and recognized an aggregate net pre-tax loss on the sales of $83 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized a pre-tax loss of $3 million associated with final working capital adjustments related to the disposition of Fiserv Costa Rica, S.A.

Other Transactions

On September 25, 2023, we acquired the remaining 49% ownership interest in European Merchant Services B.V., a Netherlands-based merchant acceptance business, for $56 million. We previously held a majority controlling financial interest in this subsidiary, which continues to be consolidated and reported within the Acceptance segment.

Effective March 2022, we mutually agreed with a minority partner to terminate one of our merchant alliance joint ventures. In conjunction with such termination, the joint venture minority partner elected to exercise its option to purchase certain additional merchant contracts of the joint venture for $175 million, resulting in the recognition of a pre-tax gain of $137 million during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Enterprise Priorities

We aspire to move money and information in a way that moves the world. Our purpose is to deliver superior value for our clients through leading technology, targeted innovation and excellence in everything we do. We are focused on driving growth and creating value by assembling a high-performing and diverse team, integrating our solutions, delivering operational excellence, allocating capital in a disciplined manner, including share repurchase and merger and acquisition activity, and delivering breakthrough innovation. Our long-term priorities are to meet our financial commitments; continue to build high-quality revenue; deepen client relationships with an emphasis on digital solutions and value-added services; deliver innovation

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and integration enabling differentiated value for our clients; and generate integration value, including cost and revenue synergies from acquisitions.

Industry Trends

The global payments landscape continues to evolve, with rapidly advancing technologies and a steady expansion of digital payments, e-commerce and real-time payments infrastructure. Because of this growth, competition also continues to intensify. Business and consumer expectations continue to rise, with a focus on speed, convenience, choice and security. To meet these expectations, payments companies are focused on modernizing their technology, expanding the use of data and enhancing the customer experience.

Merchants

The rapid growth in and globalization of mobile and e-commerce, driven by consumers’ desire for simpler, more efficient shopping experiences, has created an opportunity for merchants to reach consumers nearly anywhere, through any device, which often requires a merchant acquiring provider to enable and optimize the acceptance of payments. Merchants are demanding simpler, integrated and flexible systems to enable them to serve customers and help manage cash flow and everyday business operations. When combined with the ever-increasing ways a consumer can pay for goods and services, merchants have sought modern end-to-end solutions throughout their growth lifecycle to streamline the complexity. Furthermore, merchants can now search, discover, compare, purchase and even install a new system through direct, digital-only experiences. This direct, digital-only channel is a source of new merchant acquisition opportunities, especially with respect to smaller merchants.

Additionally, there are numerous software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solution providers in the industry, many of which have chosen to integrate merchant acquiring into their software as a way to generate revenue from existing client relationships. Such providers are independent software vendors, typically referred to as ISVs, and we believe there are thousands of these potential distribution partnership opportunities to cross-sell multiple value-added solutions available to us.

We believe that our merchant acquiring products and solutions create compelling value propositions for merchant clients of all sizes, from small and mid-sized businesses to medium-sized regional businesses to global enterprise merchants. The depth and breadth of our omnichannel solutions, and flexibility to serve clients across various channels and geographies, drives higher product attach rates with new and existing clients across all verticals. Furthermore, we believe that our strength in distribution, our progress growing software and services, and our value-based pricing as we continue to invest in our operating systems, gives us a solid foundation for growth.

Financial Institutions and Other Financial Technology Providers

Financial services providers regularly introduce and implement new payment, deposit, risk management, lending and investment products, and the distinctions among the products and services traditionally offered by different types of financial institutions and other financial technology providers continue to narrow as they seek to serve the same customers. At the same time, the evolving global regulatory and cybersecurity landscape has continued to create a challenging operating environment for financial institutions. These conditions are driving heightened interest in solutions that help financial institutions win and retain customers, generate revenue, comply with regulations and enhance operating efficiency. In addition, the focus on the customer experience, including through mobile and online engagement, by both financial institutions and their customers, as well as the growing volume and types of payment transactions in the marketplace, continues to elevate the data and transaction processing needs of financial institutions.

Financial institutions must now be able to serve their customers with tailored solutions, delivered how and when those customers want. This requires financial institutions to not only process their transactions, but to integrate their products and services to give customers easy access to such integrated solutions, when they need it. Financial institutions are striving for this single, integrated view of a customer’s activity. We believe that the integration of our products and services creates a compelling value proposition for our clients by providing, among other things, new sources of revenue and opportunities to reduce their costs. We have invested in integrating our platforms and value-added solutions to make it easy for a client to buy across our full product suite.

We expect that financial institutions and other financial technology providers will continue to invest significant capital to process transactions, manage information, maintain regulatory compliance and offer innovative new services to their customers in this rapidly evolving and competitive environmental shift from traditional to digital banking. We believe that economies of scale in developing and maintaining the infrastructure, technology, products, services and networks necessary to be competitive in such an environment are essential to justify these investments, and we anticipate that demand for products that facilitate customer interaction with financial institutions, including a unified, seamless customer experience across mobile and online channels, will continue to increase, which we expect to create revenue opportunities for us.

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Our focus on long-term client relationships and recurring, transaction-oriented products and services has reduced the impact that consolidation in the financial services industry has had on us. Rather than reducing the overall market, these consolidations transfer accounts among financial institutions. If a client loss occurs due to merger or acquisition, we typically receive a contract termination fee based on the size of the client and how early in the contract term the contract is terminated. We believe that our sizable and diverse client base, combined with our position as a leading provider of non-discretionary, recurring revenue-based products and services, gives us a solid foundation for growth.

Recent Market Conditions

Global macroeconomic conditions, including rising interest rates, inflation, bank failures, disruptions in the global supply chain, changes in consumer spending, the effects of international hostilities and regulations restricting trade or impacting our ability to offer products or services, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. While bank failures in early 2023 created uncertainty in the global financial markets, they did not have a material impact on our operating results. However, future bank failures could impact our receivable collections and cash flows or affect our ability to find merchant alliance partners. In addition, in recent years, we have observed increased shortages and delays in the global supply chain for components and inputs necessary to our businesses, such as point-of-sale devices, semiconductors, paper and plastic, and may experience difficulty procuring those components and inputs in the future on a timely basis or at historical prices. Personal consumption and consumer savings growth in the U.S. are expected to be lower in 2024, which may also negatively impact our business and financial results. We actively monitor and manage our business in response to these unpredictable geopolitical and market conditions, as they may adversely impact our operations and financial results.

In addition, our operating results in certain foreign countries in which we operate may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates for currencies other than the U.S. dollar, including the Euro, British Pound Sterling and Argentine Peso. The strengthening of the U.S. dollar against certain foreign currencies in countries in which we operate would negatively impact our revenue and earnings. We also have exposure to risks related to currency devaluation in certain countries, which may negatively impact our international operating results if there is a prolonged devaluation of local currencies relative to the U.S. dollar or if the economic conditions in these countries decline. While the majority of our revenue is earned domestically, we actively monitor the foreign exchange rate environment in an effort to manage these risks.

The operations of our Argentina subsidiary are experiencing higher interest rates and higher inflation as compared to historical averages. We expect the anticipated benefits in 2024 of higher transitory revenue from above-average interest and inflation may be offset in whole or in part by foreign currency exchange losses related to a significant devaluation of the Argentine Peso.

For discussion of risks related to potential impacts of supply chain, geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges on our business, results of operations and financial condition, see “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors.” For management’s assessment of market risks, including interest rate and foreign currency risks, see “Part II. Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., which require management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates that we use to prepare our consolidated financial statements, including for recently adopted accounting pronouncements, and base our estimates on historical experience and assumptions that we believe are reasonable in light of current circumstances. Actual amounts and results could differ materially from these estimates.

Acquisitions

From time to time, we make strategic acquisitions that may have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial position. We allocate the purchase price of acquired businesses to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction at their estimated fair values. The estimates used to determine the fair value of long-lived assets, such as intangible assets, can be complex and require significant judgments. We use information available to us to make fair value determinations and engage independent valuation specialists, when necessary, to assist in the fair value determination of significant acquired long-lived assets. The determination of fair value requires estimates about discount rates, growth and retention rates, royalty rates, expected future cash flows and other future events that are judgmental in nature. While we use our best estimates and assumptions as a part of the purchase price allocation process, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to our consolidated statements of income. We are also required to estimate the useful lives of

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intangible assets to determine the amount of acquisition-related intangible asset amortization expense to record in future periods. We periodically review the estimated useful lives assigned to our intangible assets to determine whether such estimated useful lives continue to be appropriate. Additional information regarding our acquisitions is included in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We review the carrying value of goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Goodwill is tested for impairment at a reporting unit level, which is one level below our reportable segments. When reviewing goodwill for impairment, we consider the prior test’s amount of excess fair value over the carrying value of each reporting unit, the period of time since a reporting unit’s last quantitative test, the extent a reorganization or disposition changes the composition of one or more of our reporting units, and other factors to determine whether or not to first perform a qualitative test. When performing a qualitative test, we assess numerous factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units are less than their respective carrying values. Examples of qualitative factors that we assess include our share price, our financial performance, market and competitive factors in our industry and other events specific to our reporting units. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we perform a quantitative impairment test.

The quantitative impairment test compares the estimated fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value, and recognizes an impairment loss for the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value, without exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. We determine the fair value of a reporting unit using both a discounted cash flow analysis and a market approach. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit involves judgment and the use of significant estimates and assumptions, which include assumptions regarding the revenue growth rates and operating margins used to calculate estimated future cash flows, risk-adjusted discount rates and future economic and market conditions.

Our most recent annual impairment assessment of our reporting units in the fourth quarter of 2023 determined that our goodwill of $37.2 billion was not impaired as the estimated fair values of the respective reporting units exceeded the carrying values. However, for three of our reporting units, with aggregate goodwill of $10.8 billion, the excess of the respective reporting unit’s fair value over carrying value ranged from 16 to 36 percent. If future operating performance is below our expectations or there are material changes to forecasted revenue growth rates or operating margins, risk-adjusted discount rates, foreign currency exchange rates, effective income tax rates, or some combination thereof, a decline in the fair value of the reporting units could result in, and we may be required to record, a goodwill impairment charge. Additionally, a significant change in a merchant alliance business relationship or operating performance could result in a material goodwill impairment charge. It is also reasonably possible that future developments related to the interest rate environment, a shift in strategic initiatives, or significant changes in the composition of certain of our reporting units could have a future material impact on one or more of the estimates and assumptions used to evaluate goodwill impairment. We have no accumulated goodwill impairment through December 31, 2023. Additional information regarding our goodwill is included in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

We review intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. We review capitalized software development costs for impairment at each reporting date. Recoverability of intangible assets is assessed by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to either the undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or the net realizable value of the asset, depending on the type of asset. Determining future cash flows and net realizable values involves judgment and the use of significant estimates and assumptions regarding future economic and market conditions. Measurement of any impairment loss is based on estimated fair value. Additional information regarding our intangible assets is included in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements. Given the significance of our goodwill and intangible asset balances, an adverse change in fair value could result in an impairment charge, which could be material to our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is measured based on consideration specified in a contract with a customer, and excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties. As a practical expedient, we do not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component if, at contract inception, the period between customer payment and the transfer of goods or services is expected to be one year or less. Contracts with customers are evaluated on a contract-by-contract basis as contracts may include multiple types of goods and services as described below.

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Processing and Services

Processing and services revenue is generated from account- and transaction-based fees for data processing, merchant transaction processing and acquiring, electronic billing and payment services, electronic funds transfer and debit/credit processing services; consulting and professional services; and software maintenance for ongoing client support.

We recognize processing and services revenue in the period in which the specific service is performed unless they are not deemed distinct from other goods or services, which revenue would then be recognized as control is transferred of the combined goods and services. Our arrangements for processing and services typically consist of an obligation to provide specific services to our customers on a when- and if-needed basis (a stand-ready obligation) and revenue is recognized from the satisfaction of the performance obligations in the amount billable to the customer. These services are typically provided under a fixed or declining (tier-based) price per unit based on volume of service; however, pricing for services may also be based on minimum monthly usage fees. Fees for our processing and services arrangements are typically billed and paid on a monthly basis.

Product

Product revenue is generated from print and card production sales, as well as software license and hardware (primarily POS devices) sales. For software license agreements that are distinct, we recognize software license revenue upon delivery, assuming a contract is deemed to exist. Revenue for arrangements with customers that include significant customization, modification or production of software such that the software is not distinct is typically recognized over time based upon efforts expended, such as labor hours, to measure progress towards completion. For arrangements involving hosted licensed software for the customer, a software element is considered present to the extent the customer has the contractual right to take possession of the software at any time during the hosting period without significant penalty and it is feasible for the customer to either operate the software on their own hardware or contract with another vendor to host the software. We sell or lease hardware (POS devices) and other peripherals as part of our contracts with customers. Hardware typically consists of terminals or Clover devices. We do not manufacture hardware, rather we purchase hardware from third-party vendors and hold such hardware in inventory until purchased by a customer. We account for the sale of hardware as a separate performance obligation and recognize the revenue at the standalone selling price when the customer obtains control of the hardware.

Significant Judgments

We use the following methods, inputs and assumptions in determining amounts of revenue to recognize. For multi-element arrangements, we account for individual goods or services as a separate performance obligation if they are distinct, if the good or service is separately identifiable from other items in the arrangement, and if a customer can benefit from the good or service on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer. If these criteria are not met, the promised goods or services are accounted for as a combined performance obligation. Determining whether goods or services are distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately may require significant judgment.

Technology or service components from third parties are frequently embedded in or combined with our applications or service offerings. Whether we recognize revenue based on the gross amount billed to a customer or the net amount retained involves judgment that depends on the relevant facts and circumstances, including the level of contractual responsibilities and obligations for delivering solutions to end customers, to determine whether we obtain control of goods and services prior to their transfer to a customer.

The transaction price is determined based on the consideration to which we will be entitled in exchange for transferring products or services to the customer. We include any fixed charges within our contracts as part of the total transaction price. To the extent that variable consideration is not constrained, we include an estimate of the variable amount, as appropriate, within the total transaction price and update our assumptions over the duration of the contract. We may constrain the estimated transaction price in the event of a high degree of uncertainty as to the final consideration amount owed because of an extended length of time over which the fees may be adjusted. The transaction price (including any discounts or rebates) is allocated between distinct goods and services in a multi-element arrangement based on their relative standalone selling prices. For items that are not sold separately, we estimate the standalone selling prices using available information such as market conditions and internally approved pricing guidelines. Judgment may be required to determine standalone selling prices for each performance obligation and whether it depicts the amount we expect to receive in exchange for the related good or service.

Contract modifications occur when we and our customers agree to modify existing customer contracts to change the scope or price (or both) of the contract, or when a customer terminates some, or all, of the existing services provided by us. When a contract modification occurs, it requires us to exercise judgment to determine if the modification should be accounted for as (i) a separate contract, (ii) the termination of the original contract and creation of a new contract, or (iii) a cumulative catch up adjustment to the original contract. Further, contract modifications require the identification and evaluation of the performance obligations of the modified contract, including the allocation of revenue to the remaining performance obligations and the

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period of recognition for each identified performance obligation. Additional information regarding our revenue recognition policies is included in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

The determination of our provision for income taxes requires management’s judgment in the use of estimates and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws, including certain complexities attributed to our global footprint. Judgment is also required in assessing the timing and amounts of deductible and taxable items. We establish a liability for known tax exposures relating to deductions, transactions and other matters involving some uncertainty as to the proper tax treatment of the item. In establishing a liability for known tax exposures, assumptions are made in determining whether, and the extent to which, a tax position will be sustained. A tax benefit with respect to a tax position is recognized only when it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority, based on its technical merits, considering the facts and circumstances available as of the reporting date. The amount of tax benefit recognized reflects the largest benefit that we believe is more likely than not to be realized on settlement with the relevant taxing authority. As additional information becomes available, we evaluate our tax positions and appropriately adjust our liability for known tax exposures.

We maintain net operating loss carryforwards in various taxing jurisdictions, resulting in the establishment of deferred tax assets. We establish a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets when, based upon the weight of all available evidence, we believe it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In making this determination, we have considered the relative impact of all of the available positive and negative evidence regarding future sources of taxable income and available tax planning strategies. However, there could be a material impact to our effective income tax rate if there is a significant change in our judgment. To the extent our judgment changes, the valuation allowances are then adjusted as appropriate, generally through the provision for income taxes, in the period in which the change in facts and circumstances occurs. Additional information regarding our income taxes is included in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements.

Results of Operations

Components of Revenue and Expenses

The following summary describes the components of revenue and expenses as presented in our consolidated statements of income.

Processing and Services

Processing and services revenue, which represented 82% of our total revenue in 2023, is primarily generated from account- and transaction-based fees under multi-year contracts. Processing and services revenue is most reflective of our business performance as a significant amount of our total operating profit is generated by these services. Cost of processing and services consists of costs directly associated with providing services to clients and includes the following: personnel; equipment and data communication; infrastructure costs, including costs to maintain software applications; client support; certain depreciation and amortization; and other operating expenses.

Product

Product revenue, which represented 18% of our total revenue in 2023, is derived from print and card production sales, as well as software license and hardware (primarily POS devices) sales. Cost of product consists of costs directly associated with the products sold and includes the following: costs of materials and postage; software development; hardware costs (primarily POS devices); personnel; infrastructure costs; certain depreciation and amortization; and other costs directly associated with product revenue.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses primarily consist of: salaries, wages, commissions and related expenses paid to sales personnel, administrative employees and management; third-party commissions; advertising and promotional costs; certain depreciation and amortization; and other selling and administrative expenses.

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Financial Results

The following table presents certain amounts included in our consolidated statements of income, the relative percentage that those amounts represent to revenue and the change in those amounts from year to year. This information should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The financial results presented below have been affected by acquisitions, dispositions, and foreign currency fluctuations.

(1)Percentage of revenue is calculated as the relevant revenue, expense, or income amount divided by total revenue, except for cost of processing and services and cost of product amounts, which are divided by the related component of revenue.

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(1)Represents the basis point growth in operating margin.

Operating margin percentages are calculated using actual, unrounded amounts.

Total Revenue

Total revenue increased $1,356 million, or 8%, in 2023 compared to 2022. The revenue increase was primarily driven by higher global processing revenue, partially offset by a 3% decrease due to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in 2023.

Revenue in our Acceptance segment increased $840 million, or 12%, in 2023 compared to 2022. The revenue increase was driven by higher merchant acquiring payment volume, primarily from our international operations, as well as higher global merchant acquiring transaction volume. The revenue increase also included contributions from our Clover and Carat operating systems and the expansion of our merchant relationships through value-added services. Acceptance segment revenue growth was partially offset by an 8% decrease due to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in 2023.

Revenue in our Fintech segment was relatively flat in 2023 compared to 2022. An increase in Fintech segment processing revenue was primarily offset by a $54 million decrease in license and termination fee revenue in 2023.

Revenue in our Payments segment increased $434 million, or 7%, in 2023 compared to 2022. In 2023, our debit and credit processing businesses each contributed 2% to Payments segment revenue growth, primarily driven by an increase in debit transactions and active accounts, respectively. Our Zelle® and Output Solutions businesses each contributed 1% to Payments segment revenue growth in 2023, driven by an increase in transactions and favorable product mix, respectively.

Revenue at Corporate and Other increased $81 million, or 8%, in 2023 compared to 2022, primarily due to increased postage revenue from postage rate increases during 2023.

Total Expenses

Total expenses increased $82 million, or 1%, in 2023 compared to 2022. Total expenses as a percentage of total revenue decreased 520 basis points to 73.7% in 2023 compared to 2022. Total expenses as a percentage of total revenue were favorably impacted in 2023 by a reduction in amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and severance costs of approximately 100 basis points and 70 basis points, respectively. Total expenses as a percentage of total revenue were also favorably impacted by a $172 million pre-tax gain on the sale of our financial reconciliation business in 2023. The remaining decrease in total expenses as a percentage of total revenue was due to operating leverage across our various businesses.

Cost of processing and services as a percentage of processing and services revenue decreased to 34.1% in 2023 compared to 39.9% in 2022. Cost of processing and services as a percentage of processing and services revenue was favorably impacted in 2023 by strong operating leverage accompanying scalable revenue growth and expense management initiatives.

Cost of product as a percentage of product revenue decreased slightly to 67.5% in 2023 compared to 67.8% in 2022. The cost of product as a percentage of product revenue in 2023 was impacted by revenue mix between license fee and hardware revenue.

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Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue increased slightly to 34.4% in 2023 compared to 34.2% in 2022. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue in 2023 included an increase in personnel costs and payments to our distribution partners, offset by a reduction in amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets of approximately 90 basis points.

The net gain on sale of businesses and other assets in 2023 primarily included a $172 million pre-tax gain from the sale of our financial reconciliation business. The net gain on sale of businesses and other assets in 2022 of $54 million included a $137 million pre-tax gain from the sale of certain merchant contracts in conjunction with the mutual termination of one of our merchant alliance joint ventures and a $44 million pre-tax gain from the sale of Fiserv Costa Rica, S.A. and our SIS operations. The gains in 2022 were partially offset by a $127 million pre-tax loss from the sale of our Korea operations.

Operating Income and Operating Margin

Total operating income increased $1,274 million, or 34%, in 2023 compared to 2022. Total operating margin increased 520 basis points to 26.3% in 2023 compared to 2022. Total operating income and total operating margin benefited from scalable revenue growth, along with a reduction in amortization of acquisition related intangible assets and severance costs. Total operating margin in 2023 was also favorably impacted by a $172 million pre-tax gain from the sale of our financial reconciliation business.

Operating income in our Acceptance segment increased $535 million, or 23%, in 2023 compared to 2022. Operating margin increased 330 basis points to 35.1% in 2023 compared to 2022. Operating income and operating margin growth in our Acceptance segment was primarily due to operating leverage.

Operating income and operating margin in our Fintech segment was relatively flat in 2023 compared to 2022. Operating income and operating margin growth in our Fintech segment from operating leverage and expense management initiatives was primarily offset by a $54 million decrease in high margin license and termination fee revenue.

Operating income in our Payments segment increased $366 million, or 13%, in 2023 compared to 2022. Operating margin increased 250 basis points to 47.6% in 2023 compared to 2022. Payments segment operating income and margin growth in 2023 was primarily due to scalable revenue growth from our debit and credit processing businesses, as well as expense management initiatives in 2023.

The operating loss in Corporate and Other decreased $371 million in 2023 compared to 2022. The operating loss in 2023 was favorably impacted by a reduction of $191 million and $135 million in amortization of acquisition related intangible assets and severance costs, respectively. The operating loss in 2023 included a $172 million pre-tax gain on the sale of our financial reconciliation business and in 2022 a $54 million net pre-tax gain, attributed to the sale of businesses and other assets, as described above.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net increased $243 million, or 33%, in 2023 compared to 2022 due to our public offering and issuance of $1.8 billion, 800 million Euros and $2.0 billion of higher fixed-rate senior notes in March 2023, May 2023 and August 2023, respectively, as well as increased variable rate borrowings associated with our settlement advance cash program in Latin America.

Other Expense, Net

Other expense, net increased $46 million in 2023 compared to 2022. Other expense, net includes foreign currency transaction gains and losses, gains or losses from a change in fair value of investments in certain equity securities, and amounts related to debt guarantee arrangements of certain joint ventures. Net foreign currency transaction losses increased $114 million in 2023, including devaluation losses from the remeasurement of our Argentina subsidiary’s monetary assets and liabilities in Argentina’s highly inflationary economy. Other expense, net in 2022 included net pre-tax expense of $48 million associated with joint venture debt guarantees.

Income Tax Provision

Income tax provision as a percentage of income before income taxes and (loss) income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates was 19.3% and 18.9% in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The effective income tax rate for both 2023 and 2022 included discrete tax benefits from subsidiary restructurings and equity compensation related tax benefits. The effective income tax rate for 2023 also included tax benefits from the purchase of transferable federal tax credits.

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(Loss) Income from Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates

Our share of net (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates accounted for using the equity method is reported as (loss) income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates, and the related tax benefit (expense) is reported within the income tax provision in the consolidated statements of income. (Loss) income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates, including acquired intangible asset amortization from valuations in purchase accounting, was $(15) million and $220 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Income from investments in unconsolidated affiliates in 2022 included pre-tax net gains totaling $209 million, primarily related to the acquisition-date fair value remeasurement of our previously held equity interest in Finxact of $110 million, as well as $80 million resulting from the dilution of our ownership interest in conjunction with the Sagent M&C, LLC transaction with a third party.

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests relates to the minority partners’ share of the net income in our consolidated subsidiaries. Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, including acquired intangible asset amortization from valuations in purchase accounting, was $61 million and $52 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Net Income Per Share - Diluted

Net income attributable to Fiserv, Inc. per share-diluted was $4.98 and $3.91 in 2023 and 2022, respectively. In addition to the favorable impacts to net income attributable to Fiserv, Inc. described above, we repurchased 40.0 million shares of our common stock, reducing diluted weighted average outstanding shares by 5% for the full year.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

General

Our primary liquidity needs in the ordinary course of business are to: (i) fund normal operating expenses; (ii) meet the interest and principal requirements of our outstanding indebtedness, including finance leases; and (iii) fund capital expenditures and operating lease payments. We believe these needs will be satisfied in both the short and long term using cash flow generated by our operations, along with our cash and cash equivalents of $1.2 billion, proceeds from the issuance of U.S. dollar and Euro commercial paper, and available capacity under our revolving credit facility of $2.2 billion (net of outstanding revolver borrowings and $3.8 billion of capacity designated for outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper programs, senior notes due in 2024 and letters of credit) at December 31, 2023.

The following table summarizes our net cash provided by operating activities, or operating cash flow, and capital expenditures:

Our operating cash flow was $5.2 billion in 2023, an increase of 12% compared with $4.6 billion in 2022. This increase was attributable to improved profitability and corresponding cash flows, partially offset by higher working capital use.

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We maintain investments in various affiliates that are accounted for as equity method investments. Total distributions from unconsolidated affiliates, including those classified as cash flows from investing activities, were $191 million and $211 million during 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Our current policy is to use our operating cash flow primarily to fund capital expenditures, share repurchases, acquisitions and to repay debt rather than to pay dividends. Our capital expenditures were approximately 7% and 8% of our total revenue in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Cash Requirements

The following table details our future cash requirements under certain contractual obligations at December 31, 2023:

(1)Interest, finance lease, operating lease and purchase obligations are reported on a pre-tax basis.

(2)The calculations assume that only mandatory debt repayments are made, no additional refinancing or lending occurs, except for our 2.750% senior notes due in July 2024, and U.S. dollar and Euro commercial paper notes programs as we have the intent to refinance this debt on a long-term basis through the issuance of new commercial paper notes upon maturity, and we have the ability to do so under our revolving credit facility maturing in June 2027. The variable rate on the revolving credit facility is priced at the rate in effect at December 31, 2023.

(3)Represents enforceable and legally binding agreements to purchase goods or services based on signed contracts as of December 31, 2023.

Share Repurchases

On August 8, 2023, we repurchased 4.1 million shares of our common stock for $121.98 per share in a privately negotiated transaction with ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P. for an aggregate purchase price of $500 million. Including this transaction, we repurchased $4.7 billion and $2.5 billion of our common stock in 2023 and 2022, respectively. On February 22, 2023, our board of directors approved a repurchase authorization for an additional 75.0 million shares. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 52.0 million shares remaining under our then existing repurchase authorization. Shares repurchased are generally held for issuance in connection with our equity plans.

Acquisitions and Dispositions

Acquisitions of Businesses

We acquired Skytef in October 2023 and Sled in November 2023 for an aggregate purchase price, including hold-backs, of approximately $17 million. We acquired Yacaré and Merchant One in December 2022, NexTable in September 2022 and City POS in June 2022. Additionally, we acquired the remaining majority controlling ownership interest in Finxact in April 2022. We acquired these businesses in 2022 for an aggregate purchase price of $994 million, net of $28 million of acquired cash, and including earn-out provisions estimated at a fair value of $6 million.

We funded these acquisitions by utilizing a combination of available cash and proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper. The results of operations for these acquired businesses are included in our consolidated results from the respective dates of acquisition.

Dispositions of Businesses

We sold our financial reconciliation business in July 2023 for cash proceeds of $235 million. Net proceeds from the sale were primarily used to pay down indebtedness and repurchase shares of our common stock.

We sold Fiserv Costa Rica, S.A. and our SIS operations in October 2022 and our Korea operations in September 2022 for aggregate net cash proceeds of $77 million, along with a minority noncontrolling equity interest in the buyer of the Korea

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operations. The net proceeds from these dispositions were primarily used to pay down indebtedness and repurchase shares of our common stock.

Other Transactions

In September 2023, we acquired the remaining 49% ownership interest in European Merchant Services B.V., in which we previously held a majority controlling financial interest in this consolidated subsidiary, for $56 million. We funded this transaction by utilizing a combination of available cash and proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper.

Effective March 2022, we mutually agreed to terminate a merchant alliance joint venture with a minority partner. In conjunction with such termination, the joint venture minority partner elected to exercise its option to purchase certain additional merchant contracts of the joint venture for cash proceeds of $175 million. The net proceeds from this transaction were primarily used to pay down indebtedness and repurchase shares of our common stock.

Indebtedness

Our debt consisted of the following at:

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In August 2023, we completed the public offering and issuance of $2.0 billion of senior notes, comprised of $700 million aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior notes due in August 2028 and $1.3 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.625% senior notes due in August 2033. In May 2023, we completed the public offering and issuance of 800 million Euros aggregate principal amount of 4.500% senior notes due in May 2031. In March 2023, we completed the public offering and issuance of $1.8 billion of senior notes, comprised of $900 million aggregate principal amount of 5.450% senior notes due in March 2028 and $900 million aggregate principal amount of 5.600% senior notes due in March 2033. We used the net proceeds from these senior notes offerings for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of U.S. dollar commercial paper notes, share repurchases, the repayment of the 0.375% Euro-denominated senior notes in July 2023 and the repayment of the 3.800% senior notes in October 2023.

At December 31, 2023, our debt consisted primarily of $20.0 billion of fixed-rate senior notes and $1.7 billion of outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper programs. Interest on our U.S. dollar-denominated senior notes is paid semi-annually, while interest on our Euro and British Pound-denominated senior notes is paid annually. Interest on our revolving credit facility and commercial paper notes is generally paid weekly, or more frequently on occasion, and interest on our term loan was paid monthly.

At December 31, 2023, the 2.750% senior notes due in July 2024 were classified in the consolidated balance sheet as long-term, as we have the intent to refinance this debt on a long-term basis and the ability to do so under our revolving credit facility. Outstanding borrowings under the commercial paper programs are also classified in the consolidated balance sheet as long-term, as we have the intent to refinance this commercial paper on a long-term basis through the continued issuance of new commercial paper upon maturity, and also have the ability to refinance such commercial paper under our revolving credit facility.

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Variable Rate Debt

Our variable rate debt consisted of the following at December 31, 2023:

We maintain certain short-term lines of credit and other borrowing arrangements with foreign banks and alliance partners primarily to fund settlement activity associated with operations in Latin America. We entered into an annually renewable term loan facility, which was fully funded in April 2023, to fund settlement advance cash payments in Brazil. This term loan has a notional value of 514 million Brazilian real ($106 million U.S. dollar equivalent) at December 31, 2023 that matures in April 2024 and bears interest at a variable Certificado de Depósito Interbancário (CDI) Rate, plus a specified margin of 1.70% per annum.

The following table provides a summary of the outstanding borrowings and weighted average interest rates of our foreign lines of credit and other borrowing arrangements by country at December 31, 2023:

We maintain unsecured U.S. dollar and Euro commercial paper programs with various maturities generally ranging from one day to four months. Outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper programs bear interest based on the prevailing rates at the time of issuance.

We also maintain a senior unsecured multicurrency revolving credit facility, which matures in June 2027 and provides for a maximum aggregate principal amount of availability of $6.0 billion. Borrowings under the credit facility bear interest at a variable rate based on a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) or a base rate in the case of U.S. dollar borrowings, in each case, plus a specified margin based on our long-term debt rating in effect from time to time. We are required to pay a facility fee based on the aggregate commitments in effect under the credit agreement from time to time.

In June 2023, we repaid all remaining outstanding borrowings on our existing term loan facility utilizing proceeds from the issuance of U.S. dollar commercial paper notes and operating cash on hand, thereby terminating such facility. Borrowings under the term loan facility accrued interest at a variable rate based on one-month LIBOR or on a base rate, plus, in each case, a specified margin based on our long-term debt rating in effect from time to time.

Debt Covenants and Compliance

The indentures governing our senior notes contain covenants that, among other matters, limit (i) our ability to consolidate or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, another person, (ii) our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to create or assume liens, and (iii) our and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in sale and leaseback transactions. We may, at our option, redeem the senior notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the applicable redemption price.

The revolving credit facility contains various restrictions and covenants that require us to, among other things, limit our consolidated indebtedness as of the end of each fiscal quarter to no more than 3.75 times our consolidated net income before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, non-cash charges and expenses and certain other adjustments during the period of four fiscal quarters then ended, subject to certain exceptions.

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all financial debt covenants. Our ability to meet future debt covenant requirements will depend on our continued ability to generate earnings and cash flows. We expect to remain in compliance with all terms and conditions associated with our outstanding debt, including financial debt covenants.

Debt Guarantees

We maintain noncontrolling ownership interests in Sagent M&C, LLC and defi SOLUTIONS Group, LLC (collectively, the “Lending Joint Ventures”). The Lending Joint Ventures maintain, as amended in April 2022, variable-rate term loan facilities with aggregate outstanding borrowings of $437 million in senior unsecured debt at December 31, 2023 and variable-rate revolving credit facilities with an aggregate borrowing capacity of $83 million with a syndicate of banks, which mature in April 2027. There were $24 million of outstanding borrowings on the revolving credit facilities at December 31, 2023. We have guaranteed the debt of the Lending Joint Ventures and do not anticipate that the Lending Joint Ventures will fail to fulfill their debt obligations. We maintained a liability of $31 million at December 31, 2023 for the estimated fair value of our non-contingent obligations to stand ready to perform over the term of the guarantee arrangements. Such guarantees will be amortized in future periods over the contractual term of the debt. In addition, we maintained a contingent liability of $23 million at December 31, 2023, representing the current expected credit losses to which we are exposed. This contingent liability is estimated based on certain financial metrics of the Lending Joint Ventures and historical industry data, which is used to develop assumptions of the likelihood the guaranteed parties will default and the level of credit losses in the event a default occurs. We have not made any payments under the guarantees, nor have we been called upon to do so.

Other

Access to capital markets impacts our cost of capital and our ability to refinance maturing debt and fund future acquisitions. Our ability to access capital on favorable terms depends on a number of factors, including general market conditions, interest rates, credit ratings on our debt securities, perception of our potential future earnings and the market price of our common stock. As of December 31, 2023, we had a corporate credit rating of Baa2 with a stable outlook from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and BBB with a stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) on our senior unsecured debt securities. As of December 31, 2023, we had a commercial paper credit rating of P-2 from Moody’s and A-2 from S&P.

The interest rates payable on certain of our senior notes and commercial paper notes programs are subject to adjustment from time to time if Moody’s or S&P changes the debt rating applicable to the notes. If the ratings from Moody’s or S&P decrease below investment grade, the per annum interest rates on certain senior notes are subject to increase by up to two percent. In no event will the total increase in the per annum interest rates exceed two percent above the original interest rates, nor will the per annum interest rate be reduced below the original interest rate applicable to the senior notes.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Investments, exclusive of settlement assets, with original maturities of 90 days or less that are readily convertible to cash are considered to be cash equivalents as reflected within our consolidated balance sheets.

The table below details our cash and cash equivalents held at:

(1)Represents cash held by our joint ventures that is not available to fund operations outside of those entities unless the board of directors of the relevant entity declares a dividend, as well as cash held by other entities that are subject to foreign exchange controls in certain countries or regulatory capital requirements.

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