Certegy
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Payment services, credit card services, check verification |
| Predecessor | Equifax payment services unit |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Fate | Merged with Fidelity Information Services in 2006; divested to Variant Equity Advisors in 2018 |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida (post-merger) , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Credit card services, check verification, cash access solutions (via Certegy Gaming) |
| Parent | Fidelity National Financial (2006–2018) |
Certegy was a publicly traded company formed in 2001 as a result of Equifax divesting its payment services unit. The company operated primarily in two sectors: credit card services and check verification. In September 2005, Certegy announced plans to merge with Fidelity Information Services, a division of Fidelity National Financial, with the merger finalizing in 2006. Although Certegy remained the legal entity post-merger, it adopted the name Fidelity National Information Services and changed its NYSE ticker from CEY to FIS. The executive headquarters relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, while production and operational functions continued in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In 2004, Certegy expanded by acquiring Game Financial, a provider specializing in cash access solutions within U.S. casinos, including ownership of the GameCash brand. The newly created Certegy Gaming division was later sold in 2007 to Global Cash Access for $25 million.
After merging with Fidelity Information Services, Certegy’s merchant check guarantee business was rebranded under the FIS name.
In September 2018, FIS divested Certegy by selling it to Variant Equity Advisors.
Consumer information breach
On July 3, 2007, Certegy revealed that an internal employee had unlawfully taken nearly three million consumer records and sold them to marketing firms. Initially, the compromised data was reported to include names, addresses, phone numbers, and partial account information; however, further investigation disclosed that complete Social Security numbers, dates of birth, checking account details, and driver’s license data were also exposed.
To recover the stolen data and prevent additional misuse, Certegy initiated a civil lawsuit against the former employee and affiliated marketing companies. The complaint outlined how the information passed through various brokers such as JAM Marketing and others operating across multiple states.
By late July 2007, the estimated number of affected consumer records increased significantly to about 8.5 million—nearly three times the original figure.
In November 2007, the employee involved pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and fraud; subsequently, in July 2008 he received a prison sentence of 57 months along with an order to pay $3.2 million in restitution.
A class-action settlement announced in May 2008 provided victims with compensation up to $20,000 for identity theft-related losses and reimbursement for expenses including reissuing checks and credit monitoring services.