UNITED STATES


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


Washington, D.C. 20549




Form 10-K






(Mark One)




þANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934




For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.




oTRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934




For the transition period from ______ to ________






Commission File No. 000-30152




PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




Nevada

98-0190072(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)12500 San Pedro, Ste. 120, San Antonio, TX

78216(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)





Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (210) 249-4100




Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None.Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share.(Title of class)




Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  oYes  No  þ




Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  oYes  No  þ




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.  þYes  oNo




Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  oYes  oNo




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.  o




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 the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.




Large accelerated filer
o
Accelerated filer
oNon-accelerated filer
o
Smaller reporting company
þ(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)




Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  oYes  þNo




The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2010 the last business day of the registrant's second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1,956,504.74 based on the closing price reported on such date of the registrant's common stock.




As of April 15, 2011, the number of outstanding shares of the registrant's common stock was 141,367,809.






DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE






Not applicable.










PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.





FORM 10-K


For the Year Ended December 31, 2010





INDEX




PagePART IItem 1.
Business


1Item 1A.
Risk Factors.


6Item 2.
Properties.


11Item 3.
Legal Proceedings.


11PART IIItem 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.


13Item 6.
Selected Financial Data.


14Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.


14Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.


17Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.


18Item 9.
Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.


32Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures.


32Item 9B.
Other Information.


32PART IIIItem 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.


33Item 11.
Executive Compensation.


35Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.


38Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.


39Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services.


40PART IVItem 15.
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.


41





FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS





This Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal Securities Laws. Specifically, all statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K regarding our financial performance, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations and any other future events are forward-looking statements and based on our beliefs and assumptions. If used in this report, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate", "expect," "intend," and words or phrases of similar import are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current view with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but without limitation, those risks and uncertainties contained in the Risk Factors section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings made with the SEC. Although we believe that our expectations are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Based upon changing conditions, any one or more of these events described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected or intended may not occur. All prior and subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to our Company or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.





PART I








ITEM 1. BUSINESS.





General





We were founded in July 1998 and incorporated in the State of Nevada. Our primary operations consist of functioning as a processor of electronic payments for other companies. We provide integrated electronic payment processing services to merchants and businesses, including all types of Automated Clearinghouse processing and credit and debit card-based processing services. The Automated Clearinghouse Network is a nationwide electronic funds transfer system that is regulated by the Federal Reserve and provides for the clearing of electronic payments between participating financial institutions. Our Automated Clearinghouse processing services enable merchants or businesses to both disburse and collect funds electronically using e-checks to transfer funds instead of traditional paper checks. An e-check is an electronic debit to a bank checking account that is initiated at the point-of-sale, on the Internet, over the telephone or via a bill payment sent through the mail and is processed using the Automated Clearinghouse network. Our card-based processing services enable merchants to process both traditional card-present, or "swipe," transactions, as well as card-not-present transactions. A traditional card-present transaction occurs whenever a cardholder physically presents a credit or debit card to a merchant at the point-of-sale. A card-not-present transaction occurs whenever the customer does not physically present a payment card at the point-of-sale and may occur over the Internet, mail, fax or telephone. Our electronic payment processing may take place in a variety of forms and situations. For example, our capabilities allow merchants to convert a paper check to an e-check or receive card authorization at the point-of-sale, have their customer service representatives take e-check or card payments from their consumers by telephone, and enable their consumers to make e-check or card payments directly through the use of a web site or by calling an Interactive Voice Response telephone system. We also operate an online payment processing service for consumers under the domain name www.billx.com through which consumers can pay anyone.





We generate revenues by charging fees for the electronic processing of payment transactions and related services. We charge certain merchants for these processing services at a bundled rate based on a percentage of the dollar amount of each transaction and, in some instances, additional fees are charged for each transaction. We charge other merchant customers a flat fee per transaction, and may also charge miscellaneous fees to our customers, including fees for returns, monthly minimums, and other miscellaneous services. We charge consumers that use our billx.com online payment service a flat monthly fee that allows them to make a certain number of payments in a month. We also charge these consumers an additional fee for each payment that exceeds the allowed number of payments in a given month. We operate solely in the United States as a single operating segment.





Industry Background





In the U.S., the use of non-paper based forms of payment, such as credit and debit cards, has risen steadily over the past several years. According to a 2010 Federal Reserve Payments study, the estimated number of non-cash payments totaled $108.9 Billion in 2009, with a value of $72.3 Trillion. From 2006 to 2009, ACH, debit cards and prepaid cards grew at a compound annual growth rate of 9.3%, 14.8% and 21.5%, respectively, while credit card growth remained relatively flat (down 0.2%) and use of paper checks declined by 7.2%. Electronic payments (those made with cards and ACH) now collectively exceed three-quarters of all non-cash payments. Banking and financial institutions enable their account holders to use more check image deposit services which is also referred to as “remote deposit capture”. As a result, traditional paper trails are being replaced by speedier, more cost-effective and eco-friendly image exchanges.





The growth of electronic commerce has made the acceptance of card-based and other electronic forms of payment a necessity for businesses, both large and small, in order to remain competitive. We believe that the electronic payment processing industry will continue to benefit from the following trends:





Favorable Demographics





As consumers age, we expect that they will continue to use the payment technology to which they have grown accustomed. More consumers are beginning to use card-based and other electronic payment methods for purchases at an earlier age. As consumers who have witnessed the wide adoption of card products, technology innovations such as mobile phone payment applications, and the Internet comprise a greater percentage of the population and increasingly enter the work force, we expect that purchases using electronic payment methods will comprise an increasing percentage of total consumer spending. Because of the increasing adoption rate of the Internet, businesses have a growing opportunity to conduct commerce with their consumers and business partners over the Internet.   This is equally true as it relates to the smart-phone as an instrument of payment.




1




Increased Electronic Payment Acceptance by Small Businesses





Small businesses are a vital component of the U.S. economy and are expected to contribute to the increased use of electronic payment methods. The lower costs associated with electronic payment methods are making these services more affordable to a larger segment of the small business market. In addition, we believe these businesses are experiencing increased pressure to accept electronic payment methods in order to remain competitive and to meet consumer expectations. As a result, many of these small businesses are seeking to provide customers with the ability to pay for merchandise and services using electronic payment methods, including those in industries that have historically accepted cash and checks as the only forms of payment for their merchandise and services.





Growth in Online Transactions





Market researchers expect continued growth in card-not-present transactions due to the steady growth of the Internet and electronic commerce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, estimated retail e-commerce sales for 2009 were $134.4 Billion, an increase of 2% from $132.2 Billion in 2008. The prevalence of the Internet makes having an online presence a basic consideration for those operating a business today. To remain competitive, many companies are seeking to leverage the Internet to provide operational efficiencies, create new revenue opportunities and maximize the longevity and profitability of their customer relationships.





The growth of electronic commerce also has made the acceptance of card-based and other electronic forms of payment a necessity for today's business. Forrester Research expects that e-commerce sales in the U.S. will keep growing at a 10% compound annual growth rate through 2014, translating to online retail sales of $250 Billion, up from $155 Billion in 2009. Companies, both large and small, continue to leverage the Internet in order to remain competitive, improve operational efficiencies, create new revenue streams and maximize the longevity and profitability of their customer relationships.





Products and Services





Our service offerings are supported by our systems infrastructure that integrates certain proprietary components with processing systems outsourced to third-party providers to offer our customers a flexible and secure payment process. We utilize a secure sockets layer so that connections and information are secure from outside inspection. We also use 128-bit encryption for all electronic transactions that we process to make information unreadable as it passes over the Internet. Our systems infrastructure allows us to work with our customers to build a customized electronic payment service offering tailored to their specific needs. We have designed and implemented our integrated payment systems to function as gateways between our customers and our third-party processing providers. Our systems provide for interfaces with our customers through which payment data is captured electronically and transferred through the connections we have with our processing providers. Our systems also provide a data warehousing capability so that all of a customers’ payment data can be stored in one place to facilitate efficient data retrieval and analysis. We outsource our Automated Clearinghouse transaction processing and card-based transaction processing to third-party providers. Our card-based processing system is capable of connecting with all of the major card-based processors in the United States.





The components of our service offering include all forms of Automated Clearinghouse transaction processing, such as Re-presented Check, which is a consumer non-sufficient funds check that is re-presented for payment electronically rather than through the paper check collection system, and Accounts Receivable Check Conversion, which is a consumer paper check payment that is converted into an e-check. Our customers can initiate Automated Clearinghouse transactions directly using an online terminal accessible through a web site or we can initiate Automated Clearinghouse transactions on their behalf. Our service offering also includes merchant account services for the processing of card-based transactions through the VISA and MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB networks, including online terminal services accessed through a web site or retail services accessed via a physical terminal. We offer a proprietary web-based customer service application that combines both Automated Clearinghouse and card processing capabilities and allows companies to process one-time and recurring payments via e-checks or credit cards at the request of their consumers. In addition, we offer an Interactive Voice Response telephone system to companies that accept payments directly from consumers over the telephone using e-checks or credit cards.





In addition to these electronic payment services, we are a prepaid card program manager and prepaid card processor.  We develop and manage prepaid card programs on behalf of corporate clients that their customers have a need for a prepaid card that is branded with a card association logo.  We hold a bank sponsorship agreement with MetaBank, but we have received a notice of termination from the bank.  We are in the process of implementing with University National Bank as a replacement for MetaBank.  We also have the ability to issue Discover, American Express, Visa, and MasterCards.  We primarily create, manage and process prepaid card programs for corporate clients that wish to provide an incentive to their customer base or employees in a form of a rebate, commission, or other incentive.  We also issue general purpose reloadable cards (“GPR”) to consumers as an alternative to a traditional bank account.  Our offering is competitive due to our proprietary systems and the ability to bring corporate branded card programs in a shorter time frame than most of our competitors.  We also believe our five years of experience in processing and managing prepaid card programs is a competitive advantage over our competition due to the industry being relatively new.




2





Based on the changes in 2010 through Federal legislation related to prepaid gift cards, we have decided to no longer develop or offer this type of program.  This decision has no material effect on our consolidated financial statements or business model.  This is due to the very small amount of revenue contribution historically generated by these gift cards.  Furthermore, this does not affect in any way our ability to continue to issue prepaid cards for General Purpose or Corporate Incentive cards.  We can also do third party gift cards if requested.





We also operate a consumer web site focused on providing bill payment services under the domain name www.billx.com and manage all of the related back-end processing through our own proprietary processing engine. Consumers subscribe to the payment service and are allowed to make a certain number of payments each month for a flat monthly fee and are assessed a separate fee for any additional payments made over the limit. Our online payment processing service seeks to provide consumers with an efficient and secure interface for paying and managing bills via the Internet. We also sell this payment portal service as a private label solution to online financial services providers looking to provide online bill payment capabilities as part of their service offering to consumers. We also offer this service to other debit card issuers, as we are able to utilize the bill payment component of this service for payments made via debit cards, a patented process for which we own a perpetual license.





Relationships with Sponsors and Processors





We have agreements with several processors to provide to us, on a non-exclusive basis, transaction processing and transmittal, transaction authorization and data capture, and access to various reporting tools. In order to provide payment processing services for Automated Clearinghouse transactions, we must maintain a relationship with an Originating Depository Financial Institution (ODFI) in the Automated Clearinghouse Network because we are not a bank and therefore not eligible to be an Originating Depository Financial Institution. For the ODFI portion of our ACH business we use Fifth Third Bank.  Similarly, in order to provide payment processing services for Visa and MasterCard transactions, we must be sponsored by a financial institution that is a principal member of the Visa and MasterCard card associations. We have an agreement with TriSource Solutions, LLC and Global Payments, Inc. through which their member bank sponsors (Merrick Bank and HSBC) us for membership in the Visa and MasterCard, American Express and Discover card associations and settles card transactions for our merchants. This agreement may be terminated by the processor if we materially breach the agreement and we do not cure the breach within 30 days, or if we enter bankruptcy or file for bankruptcy.





Under our processing agreement with TriSource Solutions, we are financially liable for all fees, fines, chargebacks and losses related to our card processing merchant customers. Under our processing agreement with Global Payments, Inc., we are not financially liable for all fees, chargebacks and losses related to our card processing merchant customers, but we are liable for potential card association fines. If, due to insolvency or bankruptcy of our merchant customers, or for another reason, we are unable to collect from them amounts that have been refunded to the cardholders because the cardholders properly initiated a chargeback transaction to reverse the credit card charges, we must bear the credit risk for the full amount of the cardholder transaction. We utilize a number of systems and procedures to evaluate and manage merchant risk, such as obtaining approval of prospective merchants from our processor and sponsor bank, setting transaction limits and monitoring account activity. We may also require cash deposits and other types of collateral from certain merchants to mitigate any such risk. We maintain a reserve for losses resulting from card processing and related chargebacks. We estimate our potential loss for chargebacks by performing a historical analysis of our chargeback loss experience with similar merchants and considering other factors that could affect that experience in the future, such as the types of card transactions processed and nature of the merchant relationship with their consumers.





We also maintain a separate allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability or failure of our merchant customers to make required payments for fees charged by us. Amounts due from customers may be deemed uncollectible because of merchant disputes, fraud, insolvency or bankruptcy. We determine the allowance for doubtful accounts based on an account-by-account review, taking into consideration such factors as the age of the outstanding receivable, historical pattern of collections and financial condition of the customer. We closely monitor extensions of credit and if the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make contractual payments, additional allowances may be required.





Sales and Marketing





We market and sell our products and services through direct contact by our sales personnel, as well as through non-exclusive resellers that act as an external sales force, with minimal direct investment in sales infrastructure and management. Our direct sales effort is coordinated by a sales executive and supported by other employees who function in sales capacities. Our primary market focus is on companies generating high volumes of electronic payment transactions. We tailor our sales efforts to reach this market by pre-qualifying prospective sales leads through direct contact or market research. Our sales personnel typically initiate contact with prospective customers that we identify as meeting our target profile. We also plan to market and sell our prepaid card program directly to corporations and to consumers through the Internet.  We intend to continue to analyze our sales and marketing efforts in order to control costs, increase the effectiveness of our sales force, and broaden our reach through reseller initiatives and advantageous alliances.




3





Customers





Our primary customers are merchants and businesses that use our Automated Clearinghouse and/or card-based processing services in order to provide their consumers with the ability to pay for goods and services without having to use cash or a paper check. These merchant customers operate in a variety of retail industries and are under contract with us to exclusively use the services that we provide to them. Most of our merchant customers have signed long-term contracts, generally with three-year terms, that provide for volume-based transaction fees. Our merchant accounts increased to 599 customers at December 31, 2010 from 482 customers at December 31, 2009. However, our largest customer, Access General Insurance, ceased using our processing services on an exclusive basis during October 2009 and did not generate any significant revenues in 2010. In addition, our second largest customer, Protection One, did not renew its processing services agreement with us in January 2010.





Our top three customers that provided revenue during 2010 were:





Customer
Percentage of Total RevenueCompany A
9.4%Company B
3.9%Company C
2.4%




Our other customers are consumers geographically dispersed throughout the United States utilizing our billx.com Internet bill payment service on a recurring monthly basis to pay household bills. The service relationship between our billx.com customers and us is not contractual and the fee we charge for the service is not negotiable. We seek to retain customers by providing high service levels. Customers also have incentive to continue using the service once activated due to their investment of time in setting up the service with their personal banking and payment information. The monthly average number of billx.com customers using our online payment service increased to 2,269 in 2010 from 511 in 2009.





Competition





The payment processing industry is highly competitive. Many small and large companies compete with us in providing payment processing services and related services to a wide range of merchants. There are a number of large transaction processors, including First Data Merchant Services Corporation, National Processing Company, and Global Payments Inc. that serve a broad market spectrum from large to small merchants and provide banking, automatic teller machine, and other payment-related services and systems in addition to card-based payment processing. There are also a large number of smaller transaction processors that provide various services to small and medium-sized merchants. Many of our competitors have substantially greater capital resources than us and operate as subsidiaries of financial or bank holding companies, which may allow them on a consolidated basis to own and conduct depository and other banking activities that we do not have the regulatory authority to own or conduct. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our market include:





·
quality of service;


·
reliability of service;


·
ability to evaluate, undertake and manage risk;


·
speed in implementing payment processes;


·
price and other financial terms; and


·
multi-channel payment capability.





We believe that our specific focus on providing integrated payment processing solutions to merchants, in addition to our understanding of the needs and risks associated with providing payment processing services electronically, gives us a competitive advantage over other competitors, which have a narrower market perspective, and over competitors of a similar or smaller size that may lack our experience in the electronic payments industry. Furthermore, we believe we present a competitive distinction through the use of our internal technology to provide a single integrated payment storage or warehouse that consolidates, processes, tracks and reports all payments regardless of payment source or channel.





Our prepaid card offering is competitive due to our proprietary systems and the ability to bring corporate branded card programs in a shorter time frame than most of our competitors.  We also believe our five years of experience in processing and managing prepaid card programs is a competitive advantage over our competition due to the industry being relatively new.




4




Trademarks





We own federally registered trademarks on the marks Payment Data Systems, Inc. and design. We have also secured, among others, domain name registrations for billx.com, billxpress.com, billhelp.com, paymentdatasystems.com, paymentdata.org and paymentdata.com, gogreenmastercard.com, mipromesa.com, prepaidload.com, zbill.com, ficentive.com,. We rely on a combination of copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, and other intellectual property protection methods to protect our services and related products.





Patent





In April 2006, we were awarded Patent Number 7,021,530 from the U.S. Patent Office for the technology and method for managing and processing bill payment via a stored-value debit card, check card, signature debit card, PIN-based card or ATM card from a variety of access points. The debit card technology for which we received patent protection allows a cardholder to use their debit or ATM card to pay local, national, or international bills with the card from their electronic balance. Because it does not require linkage to a traditional checking or savings account, this new debit technology is unique in that it allows for use by “unbanked” consumers.





On January 11, 2008, we signed an agreement to sell selected patents and patent applications to PCT Software Data, LLC, including U.S. Patent Number 7,021,530. On January 17, 2008, we completed the sale of selected patents and patent applications to PCT Software Data, LLC for net proceeds of approximately $750,000. The patents and patent applications sold relate to bill payments made with debit and stored value cards. We retained a worldwide, non-exclusive license under the patents for use with all current and future customers.





Employees





As of December 31, 2010, we had 7 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees. We are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our relations with our employees are very good.


5


ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.





An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors and other information included in this Form 10-K. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected and you may lose some or all of your investment.





RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS





Our independent accountants have issued a going concern opinion and if we cannot obtain additional financing, we may have to curtail operations and may ultimately cease to exist.





Our independent accountants have issued a going concern opinion. Due to continuing operating losses, our current available cash and cash equivalents along with anticipated revenues are likely to be insufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the near future. Consequently, our ability to continue as a going concern is likely contingent on us receiving additional funds in the form of equity or debt financing. We currently plan to meet our capital requirements primarily through the issuance of equity securities or new borrowing arrangements. Accordingly, we are aggressively pursuing strategic alternatives. However, financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms or achieve positive cash flow, we may be forced to curtail operations or may ultimately cease to exist.





We have generated significant losses and expect to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future; therefore we may not become profitable.





We organized in 1998 and began operations as a public company in 1999 by offering electronic billing services to other companies. After the sale of our primary business in July 2003, we have concentrated on building our electronic payments services operations. We have not been profitable since inception and we may never become profitable. As of December 31, 2010, our accumulated deficit was $54,691,647.





If our security applications are not sufficient to address changing market conditions and customer concerns, we may incur significant losses and be unable to sell our services.





Our use of applications designed for premium data security and integrity to process electronic transactions may not be sufficient to address changing market conditions or the security and privacy concerns of existing and potential customers. If our security applications are breached and sensitive data is lost or stolen, we could incur significant costs to not only assess and repair any damage to our systems, but also to reimburse customers for losses that occur from the fraudulent use of the data. We may also be subject to fines and penalties from the credit card associations in the event of the loss of confidential card information. Adverse publicity raising concerns about the safety or privacy of electronic transactions, or widely reported breaches of our or another provider's security, have the potential to undermine consumer confidence in the technology and could have a materially adverse effect on our business.





If we do not adapt to rapid technological change, our business may fail.





Our success depends on our ability to develop new and enhanced services and related products that meet changing customer needs. The market for our services, however, is characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, emerging competition and frequent new and enhanced software, service and related product introductions. In addition, the software market is subject to rapid and substantial technological change. To remain successful, we must respond to new developments in hardware and semiconductor technology, operating systems, programming technology and computer capabilities. In many instances, new and enhanced services, products and technologies are in the emerging stages of development and marketing, and are subject to the risks inherent in the development and marketing of new software, services and products. We may not successfully identify new service opportunities, and develop and bring new and enhanced services and related products to market in a timely manner. Even if we do bring such services, products or technologies to market, they may not become commercially successful. Additionally, services, products or technologies developed by others may render our services and related products noncompetitive or obsolete. If we are unable, for technological or other reasons, to develop and introduce new services and products in a timely manner in response to changing market conditions or customer requirements, our business may fail.


6




We rely on our relationship with the Automated Clearinghouse Network and if the Federal Reserve rules were to change, our business could be adversely affected.





We have a contractual relationship with Fifth Third Bank, which is an Originating Depository Financial Institution in the Automated Clearinghouse Network. The Automated Clearinghouse Network is a nationwide batch-oriented electronic funds transfer system that provides for the interbank clearing of electronic payments for participating financial institutions. An Originating Depository Financial Institution is a participating financial institution that must abide by the provisions of the Automated Clearinghouse Operating Rules and Guidelines. Through our relationship with this third-party provider, we are able to process payment transactions on behalf of our customers and their consumers by submitting payment instructions in a prescribed Automated Clearinghouse format. We pay volume-based fees to the third-party provider for debit and credit transactions processed each month, and pay fees for other transactions such as returns and notices of change to bank accounts. These fees are part of our cost structure. If the Federal Reserve rules were to change to introduce restrictions or modify access to the Automated Clearinghouse, our business could be materially adversely affected.





If our third-party card processing providers or our bank sponsors fail to comply with the applicable requirements of Visa and MasterCard credit card associations, we may have to find a new third-party processing provider, which could increase our costs.





Merchant Services


Substantially all of the card-based transactions we process involve Visa or MasterCard. If our third-party processing provider, TriSource Solutions, LLC, or our bank sponsor, Merrick Bank, fail to comply with the applicable requirements of the Visa and MasterCard credit card associations, Visa or MasterCard could suspend or terminate their registration. Also, our contract with these third parties is subject to cancellation upon limited notice by either party. The cancellation of our contract, termination of their registration or any changes in the Visa or MasterCard rules that would impair their registration could require us to stop providing such payment processing services if we are unable to obtain another provider or sponsor at similar costs. Additionally, changing our bank sponsor could adversely affect our relationship with our merchants if the new sponsor provides inferior service or charges higher costs.




We are subject to extensive and complex federal and state regulation and new regulations and/or changes to existing regulations could adversely affect our business.





As an agent of, and third-party service provider to, our issuing banks, we are subject to indirect regulation and direct audit and examination by the Office of Thrift Supervision, or the OTS, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the FRB, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the FDIC.





On March 23, 2010, the FRB issued a final rule implementing Title IV of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009, or CARD Act, which imposes requirements relating to disclosures, fees and expiration dates that are generally applicable to gift certificates, store gift cards and general-use prepaid cards. We believe that our General Purpose Reloadable Prepaid Cards (“GPR”) cards, and the maintenance fees charged on our GPR cards, are exempt from the requirements under this rule, as they fall within an express exclusion for cards which are reloadable and not marketed or labeled as a gift card or gift certificate. However, this exclusion is not available if the issuer, the retailer selling the card to a consumer or the program manager promotes, even if occasionally, the use of the card as a gift card or gift certificate. As a result, we provide retailers with instructions and policies regarding the display and promotion of our GPR cards. It is possible, however, that despite our instructions and policies to the contrary, a retailer engaged in offering our GPR cards to consumers could take an action with respect to one or more of the cards that would cause each similar card to be viewed as being marketed or labeled as a gift card, such as by placing our GPR cards on a display which prominently features the availability of gift cards and does not separate or otherwise distinguish our GPR cards from the gift cards. In such event, it is possible that such GPR cards would lose their eligibility for such exclusion to the CARD Act and the rule's requirements, and therefore could be deemed to be in violation of the CARD Act and the rule, which could result in the imposition of fines, the suspension of our ability to offer our GPR cards, civil liability, criminal liability, and the inability of our issuing banks to apply certain fees to our GPR cards, each of which would likely have a material adverse impact on our revenues.





As the laws applicable to our business, and those of our distributors and issuing banks, change frequently, are often unclear and may differ or conflict between jurisdictions, ensuring compliance has become more difficult and costly. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us, our issuing banks or our distributors to comply with all applicable statutes and regulations could result in fines, penalties, regulatory enforcement actions, civil liability, criminal liability, and/or limitations on our ability to operate our business, each of which could significantly harm our reputation and have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.




7





Our card programs are subject to strict regulation under federal law regarding anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing. Failure to comply with such laws, or abuse of our card programs for purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, could have a material adverse impact on our business.





Provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Bank Secrecy Act and other federal law impose substantial regulation of financial institutions designed to prevent use of financial services for purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing. Increasing regulatory scrutiny of our industry with respect to money laundering and terrorist financing matters could result in more aggressive enforcement of such laws or more onerous regulation, which could have a material adverse impact on our business. In addition, abuse of our prepaid card programs for purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, notwithstanding our efforts to prevent such abuse through our regulatory compliance and risk management programs, could cause reputational or other harm that would have a material adverse impact on our business.





On June 21, 2010, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or FinCEN, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the applicability of the Bank Secrecy Act's anti-money laundering provisions to prepaid products and other matters related to the regulation of money services businesses. This rulemaking would create additional obligations for entities, including our distributors, engaged in the provision and sale of certain prepaid products, including our prepaid debit cards, such as the obligation for sellers of prepaid debit cards to obtain identification information from the purchaser at the point-of-sale. Compliance with these obligations may result in increased compliance costs for us, our issuing banks and our distributors, and may therefore have a negative impact on the profitability of our business. Additionally, the imposition of such obligations upon sellers of prepaid debit cards may cause some of our distributors to determine that they do not wish to continue offering our prepaid debit cards for sale or reload, which could also have a significant negative impact on our business. However, as the proposed rulemaking is subject to further comment and revision, it is difficult to determine with any certainty what obligations the final rulemaking might impose or what impact they might have on our business or that of our issuing banks or distributors.





Unauthorized disclosure of cardholder data, whether through breach of our computer systems or otherwise, could expose us to liability and protracted and costly litigation.





We collect and store personal identifiable information about our cardholders, including names, addresses, social security numbers, driver's license numbers and account numbers, and maintain a database of cardholder data relating to specific transactions, including account numbers, in order to process transactions and prevent fraud. As a result, we are required to comply with the privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, various other federal and state privacy statutes and regulations, and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, each of which is subject to change at any time. Compliance with these requirements is often difficult and costly, and our failure, or our distributors' failure, to comply may result in significant fines or civil penalties, regulatory enforcement action, liability to our issuing banks and termination of our agreements with one or more of our issuing banks, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and/or operations. In addition, a significant breach could result in our being prohibited from processing transactions for any of the relevant card associations or network organizations, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or regional debit networks, which would also have a significant material adverse impact on our financial position and/or operations.





Furthermore, if our computer systems are breached by unauthorized users, we may be subject to liability, including claims for unauthorized purchases with misappropriated bank card information, impersonation or similar fraud claims. We could also be subject to liability for claims relating to misuse of personal information, such as unauthorized marketing purposes, or failure to comply with laws governing notification of such breaches. These claims also could result in protracted and costly litigation. In addition, we could be subject to penalties or sanctions from the relevant card associations or network organizations.





We depend on Michael R. Long and Louis A. Hoch and if these officers ceased to be active in our management, our business may not be successful.





Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our key management, marketing, service and related product development and operational personnel, including our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Michael R. Long and our President and Chief Operating Officer, Louis A. Hoch. We signed employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch in February 2007 which prohibits them from competing with us for a period of two years upon termination of their employment. Our business may not be successful if, for any reason, either of these officers ceased to be active in our management.





If our software fails, and we need to repair or replace it, or we become subject to warranty claims, our costs could increase.





Our software products could contain errors or "bugs" that could adversely affect the performance of services or damage a user's data. We attempt to limit our potential liability for warranty claims through technical audits and limitation-of-liability provisions in our customer agreements. However, these measures may not be effective in limiting our exposure to warranty claims. We have not experienced a significant increase in software errors or warranty claims. Despite the existence of various security precautions, our computer infrastructure may also be vulnerable to viruses or similar disruptive problems caused by our customers or third parties gaining access to our processing system. If our software fails, and we need to replace or repair it, or we become subject to warranty claims, our costs could significantly increase.




8





Our business strategy includes identifying businesses and assets to acquire, and if we cannot integrate acquisitions into our company successfully, we may not become profitable.





Our success partially depends upon our ability to identify and acquire undervalued businesses and merchant portfolios within our industry. Although we believe that there are companies and portfolios available for potential acquisition that might offer attractive business opportunities, we may not be able to make any acquisitions, and if we do make acquisitions, they may not be profitable. As a result, our business may not grow and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.





If we do not manage our growth, we may not achieve or sustain profitability.





We may experience a period of rapid growth that could place a significant strain on our resources. In order to manage our growth successfully, we will have to continue to improve our operational, management and financial systems and expand our work force. A significant increase in our customer base may necessitate the hiring of a significant number of additional personnel, qualified candidates for which, at the time needed, may be in short supply. In addition, the expansion and adaptation of our computer and administrative infrastructure will require substantial operational, management and financial resources. Although we believe that our current infrastructure is adequate to meet the needs of our customers in the foreseeable future, we may not be able to expand and adapt our infrastructure to meet additional demand on a timely basis, at a commercially reasonable cost, or at all. If our management is unable to manage growth effectively, hire needed personnel, expand and adapt our computer infrastructure and improve our operational, management, and financial systems and controls, we may not attain or sustain profitability.





If we do not manage our credit risks related to our merchant accounts, we may incur significant losses.





We rely on the Federal Reserve's Automated Clearinghouse system for electronic fund transfers and the Visa and MasterCard associations for settlement of payments by credit or debit card on behalf of our merchant customers. In our use of these established payment clearance systems, we generally bear the credit risks arising from returned transactions caused by insufficient funds, stop payment orders, closed accounts, frozen accounts, unauthorized use, disputes, customer charge backs, theft or fraud. Consequently, we assume the credit risk of merchant disputes, fraud, insolvency or bankruptcy in the event we attempt to recover funds related to such transactions from our customers. We have not experienced a significant increase in the rate of returned transactions or incurred any losses with respect to such transactions. We utilize a number of systems and procedures to manage and limit credit risks, but if these actions are not successful in managing such risks, we may incur significant losses.





Current economic conditions could have a materially adverse effect on our business.





Our operations and performance depend to some degree on economic conditions and their impact on levels of consumer spending, which have recently deteriorated significantly in many countries and regions, including the regions in which we operate, and may remain depressed for the foreseeable future. For example, some of the factors that could influence the levels of consumer spending include continuing increases in fuel and other energy costs, conditions in the residential real estate and mortgage markets, labor and healthcare costs, access to credit, consumer confidence and other macroeconomic factors affecting consumer spending behavior. These and other economic factors could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and operating results.





RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY





The electronic commerce market is relatively new and if it does not grow, we may not be able to sell sufficient services to make our business viable.





The electronic commerce market is a relatively new and growing service industry. If the electronic commerce market fails to grow or grows slower than anticipated, or if we, despite an investment of significant resources, are unable to adapt to meet changing customer requirements or technological changes in this emerging market, or if our services and related products do not maintain a proportionate degree of acceptance in this growing market, our business may not grow and could even fail. Additionally, the security and privacy concerns of existing and potential customers may inhibit the growth of the electronic commerce market in general, and our customer base and revenues, in particular. Similar to the emergence of the credit card and automatic teller machine industries, we and other organizations serving the electronic commerce market must educate users that electronic transactions use encryption technology and other electronic security measures that make electronic transactions more secure than paper-based transactions.




9





Changes in regulation of electronic commerce and related financial services industries could increase our costs and limit our business opportunities.





We believe that we are not required to be licensed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, or other federal or state agencies that regulate or monitor banks or other types of providers of electronic commerce services. It is possible that a federal or state agency will attempt to regulate providers of electronic commerce services, which could impede our ability to do business in the regulator's jurisdiction. Our business has also been affected by anti-terrorism legislation, such as the USA PATRIOT Act. Banking related provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act have been implemented as additions to the banking rules regarding monetary instrument sales record keeping requirements and tracking of cash movements. In our capacity as an agent for Meta Payments Systems, a division of MetaBank, a federally chartered savings bank that is the issuing bank for our debit card programs, we are required to comply with these rules. We are also required to implement a Customer Identification Program and establish an Anti-Money Laundering program and to report any suspected money laundering to the appropriate agencies. Our compliance with such regulations increases our responsibilities and costs associated with the administration of our debit card programs. We are also subject to various laws and regulations relating to commercial transactions, such as the Uniform Commercial Code, and may be subject to the electronic funds transfer rules embodied in Regulation E, promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board. Given the expansion of the electronic commerce market, the Federal Reserve Board might revise Regulation E or adopt new rules for electronic funds transfer affecting users other than consumers. Because of growth in the electronic commerce market, Congress has held hearings on whether to regulate providers of services and transactions in the electronic commerce market. It is possible that Congress or individual states could enact laws regulating the electronic commerce market. If enacted, such laws, rules and regulations could be imposed on our business and industry and could increase our costs or limit our business opportunities.





If we cannot compete successfully in our industry, we could lose market share and our costs could increase.





Portions of the electronic commerce market are becoming increasingly competitive. We expect to face growing competition in all areas of the electronic payment processing market. New companies could emerge and compete for merchants of all sizes. We expect competition to increase from both established and emerging companies and that such increased competition could lower our market share and increase our costs. Moreover, our current and potential competitors, many of whom have greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than us, may respond more quickly than us to new or emerging technologies or could expand to compete directly against us in any or all of our target markets. Accordingly, it is possible that current or potential competitors could rapidly acquire market share. We may not be able to compete against current or future competitors successfully. Additionally, competitive pressures may increase our costs, which could lower our earnings, if any.





RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK





Our stock price is volatile and you may not be able to sell your shares at a price higher than what you paid.





The market for our common stock is highly volatile. In 2010, our closing stock price fluctuated between $0.02 and $0.06. The trading price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to, among other things, quarterly variations in operating and financial results, announcements of technological innovations or new products by our competitors or us, changes in prices of our products and services or our competitors' products and services, changes in product mix, or changes in our revenue and revenue growth rates.





Existing stockholders may experience significant dilution from the sale of securities pursuant to our Investment Agreement with Dutchess.





Should we exercise the Investment Agreement with Dutchess, the sale of shares pursuant to that Agreement may have a dilutive impact on our stockholders. As a result, our net income per share could decrease in future periods and the market price of our common stock could decline. In addition, the lower our stock price is at the time we exercise our put option, the more shares we will have to issue to Dutchess to draw down on the full equity line with Dutchess. If our stock price decreases, then our existing stockholders would experience greater dilution.





Dutchess will pay less than the then-prevailing market price of our common stock, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline.





Our common stock to be issued under our Investment Agreement with Dutchess will be purchased at a 5% discount to the lowest closing best bid price during the five days immediately following our notice to Dutchess of our election to exercise our put right. Dutchess has a financial incentive to sell our common stock immediately upon receiving the shares to realize the profit between the discounted price and the market price. If Dutchess sells our shares, the price of our stock could decrease. If our stock price decreases, Dutchess may have a further incentive to sell the shares of our common stock that it holds. The discounted sales under our Investment Agreement with Dutchess could cause the price of our common stock to decline.




10





“Penny stock” rules may make buying or selling our securities difficult which may make our stock less liquid and make it harder for investors to buy and sell our shares.





Trading in our securities is subject to the SEC's "penny stock" rules and it is anticipated that trading in our securities will continue to be subject to the penny stock rules for the foreseeable future. The SEC has adopted regulations that generally define a penny stock to be any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. These rules require that any broker-dealer who recommends our securities to persons other than prior customers and accredited investors must, prior to the sale, make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser's written agreement to execute the transaction. Unless an exception is available, the regulations require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the risks associated with trading in the penny stock market. In addition, broker-dealers must disclose commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities they offer. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by these requirements may discourage broker-dealers from recommending transactions in our securities, which could severely limit the liquidity of our securities and consequently adversely affect the market price for our securities.





We have adopted certain measures that may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of our company.





Our Board of Directors is classified into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. Such classification of the Board of Directors expands the time required to change the composition of a majority of directors and may tend to discourage a proxy contest or other takeover bid for our company. We have also instituted a stockholders rights plan that serves to help prevent a hostile takeover of our company.





ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.





Our headquarters and operations are housed in approximately 4,500 square feet of leased office space in San Antonio, Texas.


Rental expense under the operating lease was approximately $84,000 and $81,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. On October 7, 2009, we executed a second amendment to this lease agreement. The amendment extended the lease agreement for a period of three years and requires future minimum lease payments of $146,000 through its expiration in October 2012.





ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.





As previously disclosed, in 2002 the Company recognized a loss on margin loans it guaranteed for Michael R. Long, then Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer; and Louis A. Hoch, then President and Chief Operating Officer, in the amount of $535,302 and $449,371, respectively. In February 2007, we signed employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch that require each to repay his respective obligation to us in four equal annual payments of cash or stock or any combination thereof. In December 2007, we accepted common stock and stock options valued at $133,826 and $112,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in satisfaction of their annual payments for 2007 as provided for under their employment agreements.





In December 2008, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the second annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we had deferred payment of their salary increases for 2008 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2008, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary of $110,000 and $100,000, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the second installment due by December 31, 2008. On March 30, 2009, we accepted 680,715 shares of our common stock valued at $23,825 and 352,658 shares of our common stock valued at $12,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in partial satisfaction of their annual payment for 2008 as provided for under their employment agreements. The partial payments of $23,825 and $12,343 made to us by Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, equaled the difference between the amount each owed to us for the second installment and the amount that we owed to each for deferred salary. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was valued at $0.035 per share, which was the closing price of the common stock on March 30, 2009.





In December 2009, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the third annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we had partially deferred payment of their salary for 2009 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2009, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary for 2009 of $162,385 and $141,808, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the third installment due by December 31, 2009.





In December 2010, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the fourth annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we continued to be unable to pay deferred salaries that were called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2010, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary $147,368 and $126,915, respectively, related to their 2009 deferred salary balance and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the fourth installment due by December 31, 2010.




11





Commerce Planet, Inc.:


On November 12, 2008, we commenced legal action against our former customers Commerce Planet, Inc. and Consumer Loyalty Group, Inc., in the 285thJudicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. We alleged that they breached the terms of our services agreement with them and sought to recover economic damages and attorneys' fees. On January 22, 2009, the Court entered a Default Judgment awarding us actual damages in the amount of $140,472 and attorney’s fees in the amount of $4,000. We were also awarded all costs of Court and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as provided by law. On or about January 1, 2009, Commerce Planet entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Morlex, Inc. Pursuant to this agreement, Commerce Planet’s liabilities were assigned to and/or assumed by Morlex, including the debt owed to us. On May 27, 2009, we commenced legal action against Morlex, Inc., in the 285thJudicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. On September 2, 2009, the Court entered a Default Judgment awarding us actual damages in the amount of $140,472 and attorney’s fees in the amount of $7,500. We were also awarded all costs of Court and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as provided by law.





On March 2, 2010, we entered into a settlement agreement with Commerce Planet, Inc. Under the terms of the settlement, Commerce Planet agreed to pay us $75,000 and issue 5,000,000 shares of free trading Commerce Planet common stock to us on or before April 2, 2010. Additionally, both parties released all claims against each other. On March 2, 2010, we received payment of $75,000 from Commerce Planet in accordance with the terms of the settlement. On July 1, 2010, the Company was issued 5,000,000 shares of Commerce Planet common stock eligible for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the terms of the settlement agreement with Commerce Planet, Inc. The common stock was valued at $100,000, or $0.02 per share, based on the closing price of the stock on June 30, 2010. During 2010, the Company sold 14,225 shares of the Commerce Planet common stock on the open market for $0.02 per share. The 4,985,775 shares of Commerce Planet common stock are classified as non-current marketable securities on the Company’s balance sheet at December 31, 2010.





ITEM 4. (REMOVED AND RESERVED).


12
  PART II




ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.





Market Information





Our common stock trades under the ticker symbol PYDS on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board.





The following table sets forth for the quarterly periods indicated the range of high and low closing prices of our common stock as reported on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board:





High


Low2010First Quarter

$
0.032


$
0.020Second Quarter

$
0.059


$
0.020Third Quarter

$
0.055


$
0.035Fourth Quarter

$
0.050


$
0.0202009First Quarter

$
0.040


$
0.020Second Quarter

$
0.035


$
0.015Third Quarter

$
0.050


$
0.05Fourth Quarter

$
0.035


$
0.015





Holders





As of April 15, 2011, 141,367,809 shares of our common stock are issued and outstanding. As of April 15, 2011, there were approximately 3,000 stockholders of record of our common stock.





Dividends





We have never declared or paid cash or stock dividends and have no plans to pay any such dividends in the foreseeable future; instead, we intend to reinvest our earnings, if any.





Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans




The following table provides information as of December 31, 2010 with respect to compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which equity securities of the registrant are authorized for issuance:






Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options


Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options


Number of securitiesNumber

remaining available for

future issuance under

compensation planEmployee Comprehensive StockPlan approved by stockholders


2,850,000


$
0.13



13,808,668Non-Employee DirectorPlan approved by stockholders


664,668


$
0.21



715,332




13




Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities




During the Quarter ended December 31, 2010, we did not sell any unregistered securities.





Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers




On December 10, 2010, we purchased 100 shares of our common stock for $3 from a shareholder.





ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.





Not applicable.





ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.





The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto, and other financial information included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. This report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results in future periods may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.





Overview





We provide integrated electronic payment processing services to merchants and businesses, including credit and debit card-based processing services and transaction processing via the Automated Clearinghouse Network. We also operate an online payment processing service for consumers under the domain name www.billx.com through which consumers can pay anyone. Since inception, we have incurred operating losses each quarter, and as of December 31, 2010, we have an accumulated deficit of approximately $54.7 million. Our prospects to continue as a going concern must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in their early stages of growth, particularly companies in rapidly evolving markets such as electronic commerce. To address these risks we must, among other things, grow and maintain our customer base, implement a successful marketing strategy, continue to maintain and upgrade our technology and transaction-processing systems, provide superior customer service, respond to competitive developments, attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, and respond to unforeseen industry developments and other factors. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in addressing such risks, and the failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. We believe that our success will depend in large part on our ability to (a) manage our operating expenses, (b) add quality customers to our client base, (c) meet evolving customer requirements and (d) adapt to technological changes in an emerging market. Accordingly, we intend to focus on customer acquisition activities and outsource some of our processing services to third parties to allow us to maintain an efficient operating infrastructure and expand our operations without significantly increasing our fixed operating expenses.





Critical Accounting Policies





General





Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the reported amounts of revenues and expenses, bad debt, investments, intangible assets, income taxes, and contingencies and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We consider the following accounting policies to be critical because the nature of the estimates or assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change or because the impact of the estimates and assumptions on financial condition or operating performance is material.


14




Revenue Recognition





Revenue consists primarily of fees generated through the electronic processing of payment transactions and related services, and are recognized as revenue in the period the transactions are processed or when the related services are performed. Merchants may be charged for these processing services at a bundled rate based on a percentage of the dollar amount of each transaction and, in some instances, additional fees are charged for each transaction. Certain merchant customers are charged a flat fee per transaction, while others may also be charged miscellaneous fees, including fees for chargebacks or returns, monthly minimums, and other miscellaneous services. Revenues derived from electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions that are authorized and captured through third-party networks are reported gross of amounts paid to sponsor banks as well as interchange and assessments paid to credit card associations (MasterCard and Visa). Revenue also includes any up-front fees for the work involved in implementing the basic functionality required to provide electronic payment processing services to a customer. Revenue from such implementation fees is recognized over the term of the related service contract. Sales taxes billed are reported directly as a liability to the taxing authority, and are not included in revenue.





Reserve for Losses on Card Processing





If, due to insolvency or bankruptcy of the merchant, or for another reason, we are not able to collect amounts from our card processing merchant customers that have been properly "charged back" by the cardholders, we must bear the credit risk for the full amount of the cardholder transaction. We may require cash deposits and other types of collateral from certain merchants to minimize any such risk. In addition, we utilize a number of systems and procedures to manage merchant risk. Card merchant processing loss reserves are primarily determined by performing a historical analysis of our chargeback loss experience and considering other factors that could affect that experience in the future, such as the types of card transactions processed and nature of the merchant relationship with their consumers. This reserve amount is subject to risk that actual losses may be greater than our estimates. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, our card merchant processing loss reserve was $205,400. We have not incurred any significant chargeback losses to date. Our estimate for chargeback losses is likely to increase in the future as our volume of card-based transactions processed increases.





Bad Debts





We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability or failure of our customers to make required payments. We determine the allowance for doubtful accounts based on an account-by-account review, taking into consideration such factors as the age of the outstanding balance, historical pattern of collections and financial condition of the customer. Past losses incurred by us due to bad debts have been within our expectations. In 2010 and 2009, we recorded $17,989 and $18,435 of bad debt expense, respectively. We recorded bad debt write-offs of $8,906 and $6,734 to our allowance for doubtful accounts in 2010 and 2009, respectively, against our allowance for doubtful accounts. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the balance of the allowance for doubtful accounts was approximately $52,000 and $42,000, respectively. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make contractual payments, additional allowances may be required. Our estimate for bad debt losses is likely to increase in the future as our volume of transactions processed increases.





Marketable Securities





We classify our marketable security investment portfolio as either held to maturity, available-for-sale, or trading. At December 31, 2010, all our marketable securities were trading. Securities classified as trading are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in the consolidated statement of operations. Classification as current or non-current is based primarily on whether there is an active public market for such security.  Gains or losses from the sale or redemption of the marketable securities are determined using the specific identification method.





Valuation of Long-Lived and Intangible Assets





We assess the impairment of long-lived and intangible assets at least annually, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors considered important, which could trigger an impairment review, include the following: significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future cash flows; significant changes in the manner of use of the assets or the strategy of the overall business; and significant negative industry trends. When management determines that the carrying value of long-lived and intangible assets may not be recoverable, impairment is measured as the excess of the assets’ carrying value over the estimated fair value. No impairment losses were recorded in 2010 or 2009.




15





Income Taxes





Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded based on the difference between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amount for financial reporting purposes, as measured by the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are computed with the presumption that they will be realizable in future periods when taxable income is generated. Predicting the ability to realize these assets in future periods requires a great deal of judgment by management. It is our judgment that we cannot predict with reasonable certainty that the deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2010 will be realized in future periods. Accordingly, a valuation allowance has been provided to reduce the net deferred tax assets to $0. At December 31, 2010, we had available net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $42.3 million, which will expire beginning in the year 2020.





The company recognizes income tax benefits only when it meets the “more likely than not” recognition threshold.  We have not recorded any unrecognized income tax benefits at December 31, 2010.





Results of Operations





Our revenues are principally derived from providing integrated electronic payment services to merchants and businesses, including credit and debit card-based processing services and transaction processing via the Automated Clearinghouse Network and the program management and processing of prepaid debit cards. We also operate an online payment processing service for consumers under the domain name www.billx.com and sell this service as a private-label application to resellers. Total revenues for 2010 decreased 19% to $2,618,864 from $3,218,674 for 2009.  The decrease is primarily related to the loss of Access General as a customer, which accounted for $884,497 in revenues earned in 2009.  Our merchant accounts increased to 599 customers at December 31, 2010 from 482 customers at December 31, 2009. However, our largest customer, Access General Insurance, ceased using our processing services on an exclusive basis during October 2009 in what we alleged was a violation of its service agreements with us. We commenced legal action in November 2009 against Access General for the breach of its agreements with us and entered into a settlement agreement with Access General in December 2009. Consequently, Access General did not generate any significant revenues for us in 2010. Services provided to Access General accounted for approximately 28% of our total revenues for 2009. Also, our second largest customer, Protection One, did not renew its processing services agreement with us in January 2010 and did not generate any significant revenues for us in 2010. Services provided to Protection One accounted for approximately 15% of our total revenues for 2009. In addition, the monthly average number of consumers using our billx.com online payment service increased to 2,269 in 2010 from 511 in 2009. We expect this trend for our online payment service to continue as we have introduced and established enhanced value by offering the service to other prepaid card issuing companies in the prepaid card industry.





Cost of services includes the cost of personnel dedicated to the creation and maintenance of connections to third-party payment processors and fees paid to such third-party providers for electronic payment processing services. Through our contractual relationships with our payment processors and sponsoring banks, we are able to process Automated Clearinghouse and debit or credit card transactions on behalf of our customers and their consumers. We pay volume-based fees for debit and credit transactions initiated through these processors, and pay fees for other transactions such as returns, notices of change to bank accounts and file transmission. Cost of services was $2,019,602 and $2,429,629 for 2010 and 2009, respectively. The decrease from the prior year was due primarily to the decrease in fees related to processing of card-based transaction volume.





Stock-based compensation expenses decreased to $534,600 for 2010 from $536,200 for 2009.





Other selling, general and administrative expenses decreased 44% to $650,879 for 2010, from $1,157,998 for 2009. The decrease from the prior year was principally due to lower salary expenses.





Depreciation and amortization was $23,514 and $36,517 for 2010 and 2009, respectively. The decrease from the prior year was due to lower depreciation expense related to certain assets that became fully depreciated during 2009 or 2010. We did not capitalize any expenditures during 2009 and capitalized $993 in 2010.





Net other income was $160,000 and $150,000 in 2010 and 2009, respectively and is primarily attributable to settlements received related to legal actions.





Income taxes of $14,437 and $11,856 in 2010 and 2009, respectively, represent the amounts incurred under the Texas margin tax.





Net loss decreased 42% to $464,168 in 2010 from $803,526 in 2009, as a result of the items discussed above.




16




Liquidity and Capital Resources





At December 31, 2010, we had $978,699 of cash and cash equivalents, compared to $565,597 of cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2009. We have incurred substantial losses since inception and have a deficit in net working capital. We believe that our current available cash and cash equivalents along with anticipated revenues may be insufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the foreseeable future. Consequently, our ability to continue as a going concern may be contingent on us receiving additional funds in the form of equity or debt financing. We are currently aggressively pursuing strategic financing alternatives.





On June 11, 2007, we entered into an agreement for an equity line of credit with Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP. Under the terms of the agreement, we may elect to receive as much as $10 million from common stock purchases by Dutchess through August 23, 2012. Through December 31, 2009, we sold 1,535,263 shares of our common stock pursuant to the equity line of credit and received total proceeds, net of issuance costs, of $75,064.  From January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010, we did not sell any shares under the agreement.





On November 1, 2009, we granted to both Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch 7,200,000 shares of restricted common stock as an annual bonus of $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. The number of shares granted to each officer was based on the closing price of the common stock on October 15, 2009, which was $0.03 per share.  On November 4, 2010, Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer, were each granted 5,400,000 shares of restricted common stock by the Company as an annual bonus valued at $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. The number of shares granted to each officer was based on the closing price of the common stock on October 15, 2010, which was $0.04 per share.  We elected to make the bonus payments totally in common stock in order to conserve our cash and to further incent our executive officers to increase shareholder value by raising their ownership stake.





The satisfactory completion of additional sales of common stock to private investors or under our equity line of credit, borrowing funds, or growth of cash flow from operations is essential to provide sufficient cash flows to meet our current operating requirements. The sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities would result in additional dilution to our stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants which could restrict our operations or finances. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we cannot raise funds on acceptable terms or achieve positive cash flow, we may not be able to continue to exist, conduct operations, grow market share, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated requirements, any of which would negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.





Net cash provided by operating activities was $446,314 for 2010 and $462,169 for 2009. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2010 and 2009 was primarily attributable to the increase in customer deposits payable, which consists of cash held in transit that we collected on behalf of our merchants via the ACH system. We plan to focus on expending our resources prudently given our current state of liquidity.





Net cash used in investing activities for 2010 was $33,212, primarily related to deposits with a payment processing partner to cover potential losses.  There were no cash flows related to investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2009.





There were no cash flows generated by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2010 and 2009.





Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements





We currently have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.





ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.





Not applicable.


17





ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.




INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS




Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


19Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2010 and 2009


20Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years endedDecember 31, 2010 and 2009


21Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years endedDecember 31, 2010 and 2009


22Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years endedDecember 31, 2010 and 2009


23Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


24




18




REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM








The Board of Directors and Stockholders


Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries


San Antonio, Texas





We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “the Company”) as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders' equity (deficit) and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements 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. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purposes of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. 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, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company at December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.





The accompanying financial statements of Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Subsidiaries have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1, the Company has incurred substantial losses since inception, which has led to a deficit in working capital. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements of Payment Data Systems, Inc. and Subsidiariesdo not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.








/s/ Akin, Doherty, Klein & Feuge, P.C.





Akin, Doherty, Klein & Feuge, P.C.


San Antonio, Texas


April 15, 2011





19





PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS





December 31,


December 31,2010


2009ASSETSCash and cash equivalents

$
978,699


$
565,597Accounts receivable, net


137,957



92,545Prepaid expenses and other


22,130



16,269Total current assets


1,138,786



674,411Property and equipment, net


3,076



25,597Other assets:Related party receivable


703,060



456,168Marketable securities


99,716



-Other assets


39,193



6,693Total other assets


841,969



462,861Total Assets

$
1,983,831


$
1,162,869LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)Current Liabilities:Accounts payable

$
70,725


$
99,738Accrued expenses


1,040,721



1,480,929Customer deposits payable


983,713



449,372Deferred revenue


22,981



17,336Total current liabilities


2,118,140



2,047,375Stockholders' Equity (Deficit):Common stock, $0.001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized; 141,073,691 and115,773, 691 issued and 136,078,447 and 110,778,547 outstanding


141,074



115,774Additional paid-in capital


56,285,070



55,444,770Treasury stock, at cost; 4,995,244 and 4,995,144 shares


(238,158
)


(238,155
)Deferred compensation


(1,630,648
)


(1,979,416
)Accumulated deficit


(54,691,647
)


(54,227,479
)Total stockholders' equity (deficit)


(134,309
)


(884,506
)Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)

$
1,983,831


$
1,162,869
  See notes to consolidated financial statements.
  20


PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS





Year ended


Year endedDecember 31,


December 31,2010


2009Revenues

$
2,618,864


$
3,218,674Operating expenses:Cost of services


2,019,602



2,429,629Selling, general and administrative:Stock-based compensation


534,600



536,200Other expenses


650,879



1,157,998Depreciation


23,514



36,517Total operating expenses


3,228,595



4,160,344Operating loss


(609,731
)


(941,670
)Other income:Other income


160,000



150,000Total other income


160,000



150,000Loss before income taxes


(449,731
)


(791,670
)Income taxes


14,437



11,856Net Loss

$
(464,168
)

$
(803,526
)Earnings (Loss) Per ShareBasic and diluted net loss per common share:

$
(0.00
)

$
(0.01
)Weighted average common sharesoutstanding - basic and diluted


121,508,634



111,545,417
  See notes to consolidated financial statements.
  21


PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)





Additional











TotalCommon Stock


Paid - In


Treasury


Deferred


Accumulated


Stockholders'Shares


Amount


Capital


Stock


Compensation


Deficit


Equity (Deficit)Balance at December 31, 2008


115,773,691


$
115,774


$
55,444,770


$
(176,252
)

$
(2,328,184
)

$
(53,423,953
)

$
(367,845
)Receipt of treasury stock


-



-



-



(61,903
)


-



-



(61,903
)Deferred compensation


-



-



-



-



348,768



-



348,768Net loss for the year


-



-



-



-



-



(803,526
)


(803,526
)Balance at December 31, 2009


115,773,691


$
115,774


$
55,444,770


$
(238,155
)

$
(1,979,416
)

$
(54,227,479
)

$
(884,506
)Purchase of treasury stock


-



-



-



(3
)


-



-



(3
)Issuance of stock


25,300,000



25,300



840,300



-



-



-



865,600Deferred compensation


-



-



-



-



348,768



-



348,768Net loss for the year


-



-



-



-



-



(464,168
)


(464,168
)Balance at December 31, 2010


141,073,691


$
141,074


$
56,285,070


$
(238,158
)

$
(1,630,648
)

$
(54,691,647
)

$
(134,309
)
  See notes to consolidated financial statements.
  22


PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS





Year Ended


Year EndedDecember 31, 2010


December 31, 2009Operating ActivitiesNet loss

$
(464,168
)

$
(803,526
)Adjustments to reconcile net lossto net cash provided by operating activities:Depreciation


23,514



36,517Deferred compensation


348,768



348,768Bad debt


17,989



18,435Marketable securities received in litigation settlement


(100,000
)


-Non-cash issuance of common stock


432,000



-Changes in current assets and current liabilities:Accounts receivable


(63,401
)


47,756Prepaid expenses and other


(5,861
)


14,583Related party receivable


(246,892
)


(246,168
)Accounts payable and accrued expenses


(35,621
)


700,433Customer deposits payable


534,341



399,572Deferred revenue


5,645



(54,201
)Net cash provided by operating activities


446,314



462,169Investing ActivitiesPurchase of treasury stock


(3
)


-Other assets


(32,500
)


-Proceeds from sales of investments


284



-Purchases of property and equipment


(993
)


-Net cash used by investing activities


(33,212
)


-Change in cash and cash equivalents


413,102



462,169Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year


565,597



103,428Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year

$
978,699


$
565,597Supplemental DisclosuresCash paid for interest

$
-


$
-Cash paid for income taxes

$
13,227


$
13,790
  See notes to consolidated financial statements.
  23


PAYMENT DATA SYSTEMS, INC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


DECEMBER 31, 2010 AND 2009




Note 1. Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies





Going Concern: Payment Data Systems, Inc. along with its subsidiaries, FiCentive, Inc., a Nevada corporation, Zbill, Inc., a Nevada corporation and billserv.com-Canada, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (collectively, the “Company”) has incurred substantial losses since inception, which has led to a continuing deficit in working capital. The Company believes its current available cash along with anticipated revenues may be insufficient to meet its anticipated cash needs for the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is likely contingent on the Company receiving additional funds in the form of equity or debt financing. Accordingly, the Company is pursuing strategic financing alternatives in addition to its equity line of credit (see Note 4). The sale of equity or convertible debt securities would result in additional dilution to the Company's stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve covenants which could restrict operations or finances. There can be no assurance that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to the Company, if at all. If the Company cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, or achieve positive cash flow, it may not be able to continue to exist, conduct operations, grow market share, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated requirements, any of which would negatively impact its business, operating results and financial condition.





Description of Business: The Company provides integrated electronic payment services, including credit and debit card-based processing services and transaction processing via the automated clearinghouse (“ACH”) network to billers and retailers. In addition, the Company operates an Internet electronic payment processing service for consumers under the domain name www.billx.com.





Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.





The accompanying financial statements have been presented assuming the Company will continue as a going concern.





Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts 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 period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.





Revenue Recognition:Revenue consists primarily of fees generated through the electronic processing of payment transactions and related services, and are recognized as revenue in the period the transactions are processed or when the related services are performed. Merchants may be charged for these processing services at a bundled rate based on a percentage of the dollar amount of each transaction and, in some instances, additional fees are charged for each transaction. Certain merchant customers are charged a flat fee per transaction, while others may also be charged miscellaneous fees, including fees for chargebacks or returns, monthly minimums, and other miscellaneous services. Revenues derived from electronic processing of credit and debit card transactions that are authorized and captured through third-party networks are reported gross of amounts paid to sponsor banks as well as interchange and assessments paid to credit card associations (MasterCard and Visa). Revenue also includes any up-front fees for the work involved in implementing the basic functionality required to provide electronic payment processing services to a customer. Revenue from such implementation fees is recognized over the term of the related service contract. Sales taxes billed are reported directly as a liability to the taxing authority, and are not included in revenue.





Cash and Cash Equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.





Accounts Receivable:Accounts receivables are reported at outstanding principal net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $52,000 and $42,000 at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The allowance is generally determined based on historical trends and an account-by-account review. Accounts are charged off when collection efforts have failed and the account is deemed uncollectible. The Company normally does not charge interest on accounts receivable.





Marketable Securities: The Company classifies its marketable security investment portfolio as either held to maturity, available-for-sale, or trading. At December 31, 2010, all of the Company’s marketable securities were trading. Securities classified as trading are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses included in the consolidated statement of operations. Classification as current or non-current is based primarily on whether there is an active public market for such security. Gains or losses from the sale or redemption of the marketable securities are determined using the specific identification method.





24





Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed on a straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, ranging from three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the estimated useful lives or remaining lease period. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.





Concentration of Credit Risk:Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, and accounts receivable. The Company is exposed to credit risk on its cash and cash equivalents in the event of default by the financial institutions to the extent of balances in excess of amounts that are insured by the FDIC ($250,000). Trade receivables potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk. The Company’s customer base operates in a variety of industries and is geographically dispersed, however, the relatively small number of customers increases the risk. The Company closely monitors extensions of credit and credit losses have been provided for in the consolidated financial statements and have been within management's expectations. In 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded $17,989 and $18,435 of bad debt expense. The Company recorded bad debt write-offs of $8,906 and $6,734 to its allowance for doubtful accounts in 2010 and 2009, respectively.  For the year ended December 31, 2010, 15.7% of total revenues were from sales to three customers.  For the year ended December 31, 2009, 49% of total revenues were from sales to three customers.





Fair Value of Financial Instruments:Cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and short-term borrowings are reflected in the accompanying consolidated financial statements at cost, which approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.





Impairment of Long-Lived Assets: The Company periodically reviews, on at least an annual basis, the carrying value of its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. To the extent fair value of a long-lived asset, determined based upon the estimated future cash inflows attributable to the asset, less estimated future cash outflows, is less than the carrying amount, an impairment loss is recognized.





Reserve for Losses on Merchant Accounts:Disputes between a cardholder and a merchant periodically arise as a result of, among other things, cardholder dissatisfaction with merchandise quality or merchant services. Such disputes may not be resolved in the merchant’s favor. In these cases, the transaction is “charged back” to the merchant and the purchase price is refunded to the customer through the merchant’s acquiring bank, and charged to the merchant. If the merchant has inadequate funds, the Company must bear the credit risk for the full amount of the transaction. The Company evaluates its risk for such transactions and estimates its potential loss for chargebacks based primarily on historical experience and other relevant factors.





Advertising Costs:Advertising is expensed as incurred. The Company incurred approximately $1,000 in advertising costs in both 2010 and 2009.





Income Taxes:Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company is subject to the Texas margin tax.





The company recognizes income tax benefits only when it meets the “more likely than not” threshold.





Stock-Based Compensation: The Company recognizes as compensation expense all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors, including grants of stock options and warrants, based on estimated fair values. Fair value is generally determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.





Net Loss Per Share: Basic and diluted losses per common share are calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Common stock equivalents, which consist of stock options and warrants and the convertible debt, were excluded from the computation of the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for purposes of calculating diluted loss per common share because their effect was antidilutive. See Notes 11 and 12 for disclosure of securities that could potentially dilute basic EPS in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because to do so would have been antidilutive for the periods presented.




Reclassification:Certain reclassifications, all insignificant in amount, have been made to the prior year’s financial statements in order to conform to the current presentation.




25





Note 2. Stock-Based Compensation





On November 1, 2009, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch were each granted 7,200,000 shares of restricted common stock by the Company as an annual bonus of $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. The number of shares granted to each officer was based on the closing price of the common stock on October 15, 2009, which was $0.03 per share.





On November 4, 2010, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch were each granted 5,400,000 shares of restricted common stock by the Company as an annual bonus valued at $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. The number of shares granted to each officer was based on the closing price of the common stock on October 15, 2010, which was $0.04 per share.





Compensation cost related to non-vested common stock awards will be recognized in future years as follows:




Year ending December 31,2011


349,0002012


238,0002013


238,0002014


238,0002015


238,0002016


202,0002017


127,648Total deferred compensation

$
1,630,648




Note 3. Acquisition of Treasury Stock





On March 30, 2009, the Company accepted 680,715 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $23,825 from Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and 352,658 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $12,343 from Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer, in partial satisfaction of their annual payment due to the Company for 2008 as provided for under their respective employment agreements (see Note 9).





On September 15, 2009, the Company accepted 735,295 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $25,735 pursuant to a settlement agreement with Tara Patrick (see Note 13).





On December 10, 2010, the Company purchased 100 shares of the Company’s common stock for $3 from a shareholder.





Note 4. Equity Line of Credit





On June 11, 2007, the Company entered into an agreement for an equity line of credit with Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP (“Dutchess”). Under the terms of the agreement, at its election the Company may receive as much as $10 million in common stock purchases by Dutchess over a period of five years. The Company agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and have declared effective before any funds may be received under the agreement, a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of the Company’s common stock to be issued to Dutchess. The Company filed a registration statement on Form SB-2 with the SEC on August 23, 2007 to register the resale of these shares. On September 10, 2007, the SEC declared the registration statement effective. The Company did not sell any shares of its common stock pursuant to the equity line of credit during 2010 or 2009.




Note 5. Fair Value Measurements





ASC Topic 820 established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements).





The three levels of the fair value hierarchy defined by the standard are as follows:


·
Level 1: Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;


·
Level 2: Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities that are observable for the asset or liability; or


·
Level 3: Unobservable pricing inputs that are generally less observable from objective sources, such as discounted cash flow models or valuations.





Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The following table sets forth by level within the fair value hierarchy the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that are accounted for at fair value.





26





December 31, 2010Recurring Fair Value Measures Assets:

Level 1


Level 2


Level 3


TotalMarketable securities

$
99,716



-



-


$
99,716Liabilities:None


-



-



-



-December 31, 2009Recurring Fair Value Measures Assets:

Level 1


Level 2


Level 3


TotalMarketable securities

$
-



-



-


$
-Liabilities:None


-



-



-



-





The Company’s financial instruments relate to its trading marketable securities, which are valued using quoted market prices.


Adjustments to fair value are recorded in the consolidated statement of operations.





Note 6. Property and Equipment




The following is a summary of property and equipment at December 31:


2010


2009Furniture and fixtures

$
175,856


$
175,856Equipment


501,577



501,577Software


326,315



325,322Leasehold improvements


15,992



15,992Total property and equipment


1,019,740



1,018,747Less: accumulated depreciation


(1,016,664
)


(993,150
)Net property and equipment

$
3,076


$
25,597





Note 7. Accrued Expenses





Accrued expenses consist of the following balances at December 31:





2010


2009Accrued salaries

$
686,982


$
1,195,683Reserve for merchant losses


205,400



205,400Accrued commissions


55,891



39,362Accrued taxes


38,117



36,724Other accrued expenses


54,331



3,760Total accrued expenses

$
1,040,721


$
1,480,929




Note 8. Operating Leases





The Company has a lease for approximately 4,500 square feet that houses its headquarters and operations. Rental expense under the operating lease was approximately $84,000 and $81,000 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. On October 7, 2009, the Company executed a second amendment to this lease agreement. The amendment extended the lease agreement for a period of three years and requires future minimum lease payments of $83,000 in 2011 and $63,000 in 2012 through its expiration in October 2012.




27





Note 9. Related Party Transactions and Guarantees





As previously disclosed, in 2002 the Company recognized a loss on margin loans it guaranteed for Michael R. Long, then Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer; and Louis A. Hoch, then President and Chief Operating Officer, in the amount of $535,302 and $449,371, respectively. In February 2007, the Company signed employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch that require each to repay his respective obligation to us in four equal annual payments of cash or stock or any combination thereof. In December 2007, the Company accepted common stock and stock options valued at $133,826 and $112,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in satisfaction of their annual payments for 2007 as provided for under their employment agreements.





In December 2008, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay the Company the second annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because the Company had deferred payment of their salary increases for 2008 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2008, the Company owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary of $110,000 and $100,000, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed the Company $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the second installment due by December 31, 2008. The total amount owed to the Company for the second installment was $246,168 and is classified as Related Party Receivable on the Company’s balance sheet at December 31, 2008. On March 30, 2009, the Company accepted 680,715 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $23,825 and 352,658 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $12,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in partial satisfaction of their annual payment due to the Company for 2008 as provided for under their employment agreements. The partial payments of $23,825 and $12,343 made to the Company by Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, equaled the difference between the amount each owed to the Company for the second installment and the amount the Company owed to each for deferred salary. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was valued at $0.035 per share, which was the closing price of the common stock on March 30, 2009. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was recorded as treasury stock with a total cost of $36,168.





In December 2009, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the third annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because the Company had partially deferred payment of their salary for 2009 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2009, the Company owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary for 2009 of $162,385 and $141,808, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed the Company $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the third installment due by December 31, 2009.





On November 12, 2009, the Company executed amendments to its employment agreements with Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of their respective amended employment agreements, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce their annual base salaries for 2009 to $190,000 and $175,000, respectively, from $375,000 and $350,000, respectively.





On April 12, 2010, the Company executed amendments to its employment agreements with Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of their respective amended employment agreements, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce their annual base salaries for 2010 to $24,000 each from $375,000 and $350,000, respectively, and change the annual bonus limit from 100% of current salary to 100% of the highest salary received in any year of the agreement.





In December 2010, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the fourth and final annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we continued to be unable to pay deferred salaries that were called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2010, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary of $147,368 and $126,915, respectively, related to their 2009 deferred salary balance, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the fourth installment due by December 31, 2010.





The total amount owed to the Company for the unpaid installments is classified as Related Party Receivable on the Company’s balance sheet and was $703,060 and $456,168 at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.  The Company owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch a total of $469,252 and $514,193 in deferred salaries at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The amount is included in accrued expenses on the Company’s balance sheet.





During the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company paid Herb Authier a total of $30,000 and $29,077 in cash, respectively, for consulting services related to network engineering and administration that he provided to the Company. Mr. Authier is the father-in-law of Louis Hoch, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer.




28





Note 10. Income Taxes





Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows at December 31:





2010


2009Gross deferred tax assets:Warrant expense

$
3,228,000


$
3,228,000Loss on related party guarantees


435,000



435,000Net operating loss carryforwards


14,388,000



14,235,000Depreciation and other items


91,000



85,000Total deferred tax assets


18,142,000



17,983,000Gross deferred tax liabilities:Other items


(14,000
)


(13,000
)Total deferred tax liabilities


(14,000
)


(13,000
)Net deferred tax asset


18,128,000



17,970,000Less: valuation allowance


(18,128,000
)


(17,970,000
)Net deferred tax asset recorded

$
-


$
-





The Company’s federal income tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2007 through December 31, 2010 remain subject to examination by authorities. If applicable, the Company would recognize interest expense and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in interest expense. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had not accrued any interest or penalties related to uncertain tax provisions.





The Company has net operating loss carryforwards for tax purposes of approximately $42.3 million that begin to expire in the year 2020. In October 1999, the Company issued common stock pursuant to a private placement offering. As a result, an ownership change occurred under Section 382 that limits the utilization of pre-change net operating loss carryforwards. Approximately $3.5 million of the total net operating loss is subject to the Section 382 limitations.





The reconciliation of federal income tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory tax rates to total income tax expense is as follows for the year ended December 31:





2010


2009Tax (benefit) at statutory rate -- 34%

$
(158,000
)

$
(273,000
)Change in valuation allowance


158,000



273,000Permanent and other differences


-



-Income tax expense

$
-


$
-





Note 11. Stock Option and Incentive Plans





Stock Option Plans: The Board of Directors and stockholders approved the 1999 Employee Comprehensive Stock Plan ("Employee Plan") to provide qualified incentive stock options (“ISOs”) and non-qualified stock options (“NQSOs”) as well as restricted stock grants to key employees. Under the terms of the Employee Plan, the exercise price of ISOs must be equal to 100% of the fair market value on the date of grant (or 110% of fair market value in the case of an ISO granted to a 10% stockholder/grantee). There is no price requirement for NQSOs, other than that the option price must exceed the par value of the common stock. The Company has reserved 30,000,000 shares of its common stock for issuance pursuant to the Employee Plan.





The 1999 Non-Employee Director Plan ("Director Plan") was approved by the Board of Directors and stockholders in 1999. Under the Director Plan, non-employee directors may be granted options to purchase shares of common stock at 100% of fair market value on the date of grant. The Company has reserved 1,500,000 shares of its common stock for issuance pursuant to the Director Plan.




29





Option activity under the Employee Plan and Director Plan is as follows:





Number of Shares


Weighted Average Exercise PriceOutstanding, December 31, 2008


3,822,836


$
0.46Granted


-



-Canceled


(203,333
)

$
3.75Exercised


-



-Outstanding, December 31, 2009


3,619,503


$
0.27Granted


-



-Canceled


(104,835
)

$
4.55Exercised


-



-Outstanding, December 31, 2010


3,514,668


$
0.15





There was an aggregate of 14,524,000 options to purchase the Company’s common stock available for future grants under the Employee and Director Plans at December 31, 2010. There were no stock options granted during 2010 or 2009.





Summarized information about stock options outstanding is as follows at December 31, 2010:




Options Outstanding


Options ExercisableRange of Exercise Prices


Options Outstanding

Weighted Average
Remaining Contractual Life

Weighted Average Exercise Price


Number of Options


Weighted Average Exercise Price$
0.08 - $0.14



3,230,000

3.9 years

$
0.11



3,230,000


$
0.11$
0.18 - $0.26



164,500

2.0 years

$
0.18



164,500


$
0.18$
0.86 - $0.88



87,668

0.8 years

$
0.87



87,668


$
0.87$
1.88 - $2.07



32,500

0.4 years

$
2.05



32,500


$
2.053,514,668

3.7 years

$
0.15



3,514,668


$
0.15




Employee Stock Purchase Plan: The Company established the 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") under the requirements of Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") to allow eligible employees to purchase the Company’s common stock at regular intervals. Participating employees may purchase common stock through voluntary payroll deductions at the end of each participation period at a purchase price equal to 85% of the lower of the fair market value of the common stock at the beginning or the end of the participation period. Common stock reserved for future employee purchases under the plan aggregated 755,828 shares at December 31, 2010. There were no shares issued under the ESPP in 2010 or 2009.





401(k) Plan:The Company has a defined contribution plan (the "401(k) Plan") pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Code. All eligible full and part-time employees of the Company who meet certain age requirements may participate in the 401(k) Plan. Participants may contribute between 1% and 15% of their pre-tax compensation, but not in excess of the maximum allowable under the Code. The 401(k) Plan allows for discretionary and matching contributions by the Company. The Company did not make any contributions in 2010 or 2009.





Note 12. Stock Warrants





During 2010, warrants to purchase 2,179,121 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $11.38 expired.  At December 31, 2010, there were no outstanding warrants.





30




Note 13. Legal Proceeding





Commerce Planet, Inc.:


On November 12, 2008, the Company commenced legal action against its former customers Commerce Planet, Inc. and Consumer Loyalty Group, Inc., in the 285thJudicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. The Company alleged that they breached the terms of its services agreement with it and sought to recover economic damages and attorneys' fees. On January 22, 2009, the Court entered a Default Judgment awarding the Company actual damages in the amount of $140,472 and attorney’s fees in the amount of $4,000. The Company was also awarded all costs of Court and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as provided by law. On or about January 1, 2009, Commerce Planet entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Morlex, Inc. Pursuant to this agreement, Commerce Planet’s liabilities were assigned to and/or assumed by Morlex, including the debt owed to the Company. On May 27, 2009, the Company commenced legal action against Morlex, Inc., in the 285thJudicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. On September 2, 2009, the Court entered a Default Judgment awarding the Company actual damages in the amount of $140,472 and attorney’s fees in the amount of $7,500. The Company was also awarded all costs of Court and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as provided by law.





On March 2, 2010, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Commerce Planet, Inc. Under the terms of the settlement, Commerce Planet agreed to pay the Company $75,000 and issue 5,000,000 shares of Commerce Planet common stock to the Company on or before April 2, 2010. Additionally, both parties released all claims against each other. On March 2, 2010, the Company received payment of $75,000 from Commerce Planet in accordance with the terms of the settlement.





On July 1, 2010, the Company was issued 5,000,000 shares of Commerce Planet common stock eligible for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the terms of the settlement agreement with Commerce Planet, Inc. The common stock was valued at $100,000, or $0.02 per share, based on the closing price of the stock on June 30, 2010. During 2010, the Company sold 14,225 shares of the Commerce Planet common stock on the open market for $0.02 per share. The 4,985,775 shares of Commerce Planet common stock is classified as non-current marketable securities on the Company’s balance sheet at December 31, 2010.




31




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 evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2010 are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our disclosure controls and procedures include components of our internal control over financial reporting. Management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is expressed at the level of reasonable assurance that the control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that the control system's objectives will be met.





Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting





Our management evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2010 are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our disclosure controls and procedures include components of our internal control over financial reporting. Management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is expressed at the level of reasonable assurance that the control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that the control system's objectives will be met.





Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting





There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2010 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.





ITEM 9B.   OTHER INFORMATION.





None.




32





PART III





ITEM 10.   DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.





The following persons are executive officers and/or directors of our Company:





Michael R. Long, age 66 - Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Board





Mr. Long has been our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board since July 1998. In addition, Mr. Long has been our Chief Financial Officer since September 2003. Mr. Long has more than thirty years of senior executive management and systems development experience in six publicly traded companies, as well as experience operating a systems consulting business. Before assuming the top position with our Company, Mr. Long was Vice President of Information Technology at Billing Concepts, Inc., the largest third party billing clearinghouse for the telecommunications industry. Mr. Long's career experience also includes financial services industry business development for Anderson Consulting and several executive positions in publicly traded telecommunications and financial services companies.





Louis A. Hoch, age 45 - President, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board





Mr. Hoch has been our President, Chief Operating Officer, and Director since July 1998 and also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board. Mr. Hoch has more than fifteen years of management experience in large systems development; earning him national recognition as an expert in call centers, voice-systems and computer telephony integration. Mr. Hoch has held various key management positions with U.S. Long Distance, Billing Concepts, Inc. and Anderson Consulting. Mr. Hoch holds a BBA in Computer Information Systems and an MBA in International Business Management, both from Our Lady of the Lake University Business School.





Ken Keller, age 45 - Vice President, Chief Technology Officer





Mr. Keller joined Payment Data Systems in June 2003 and has been our Vice President, Chief Technology Officer since January 2008. Mr. Keller has over eighteen years of experience in the development and delivery of specialized high volume transaction-based systems. Prior to joining our Company in 2003, he served in a variety of key leadership and executive technical roles at Billserv, Inc. Prior to Billserv, Inc., Mr. Keller was employed in the telecommunications industry with companies such as US Long Distance, LCI International, Qwest Communications and Broadwing, specializing in enterprise wide database development and implementation. Mr. Keller earned a BBA in Information Technology from the University of Texas - San Antonio.





Larry Morrison, age 51 - Vice President, Business Development





Mr. Morrison has been our Vice President, Business Development since July 2003. Mr. Morrison has over twenty-five years of experience in all aspects of sales and sales management. Before joining our Company to oversee all sales and marketing functions, Mr. Morrison served as a major accounts executive for a tier one telecommunications provider and vice president of sales and operations for a major two-way communications firm. His background also includes management and implementation of large government communication systems installations both domestic and abroad.





Peter G. Kirby, Ph.D. SPHR CM, age 71 - Director





Dr. Kirby has been our Director since June 2001. Dr. Kirby distinguished himself in professional and community activities in a career that spanned over thirty-five years. He is an accomplished public speaker and has provided consulting services to Fortune 100 firms. Dr. Kirby has published numerous works in the fields of management, decision-making and human resources. He has been a director on many university advisory councils and boards and has served on many charitable committees and foundations. Dr. Kirby retired in 2006 as a tenured professor of Management at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, where he taught for seventeen years. Dr. Kirby served as Chair of the QFN Economic Development Corporation, a Canadian corporation, from April 2007 to May 2008.





SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE





Under U.S. securities laws, directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common stock must report their initial ownership of the common stock, and any changes in that ownership, to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The SEC has designated specific due dates for these reports. Directors, officers and greater-than-10% beneficial owners are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To our knowledge, based solely on a review of copies of such reports furnished to us, we believe all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our directors, officers and greater-than-10% beneficial owners were complied with during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.




33





CODE OF ETHICS





We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions. Our code of ethics is filed as Exhibit 14.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. We will provide a copy of our code of ethics to any person without charge, upon request. Requests should be addressed to: Payment Data Systems, Inc., Attn: Investor Relations Department, 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas 78216.





PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATING DIRECTORS





We have not made any material changes to the procedures by which security holders may recommend nominees to our Board of Directors.





We consider recommendations for Director candidates from our Directors, officers, employees, stockholders, customers and vendors. Stockholders wishing to nominate individuals to serve as directors may submit such nominations, along with a nominee's qualifications, to our Board of Directors at Payment Data Systems, Inc., 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas, 78216, and the Board of Directors will consider such nominee. The Board of Directors selects the Director candidates slated for election. We do not have a Nominating Committee in light of resource allocations made by the Board of Directors in its business judgment.





AUDIT COMMITTEE





The Audit Committee, established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is currently comprised of our only independent director, Dr. Peter Kirby, and it operates under a written charter adopted by our Board of Directors. Dr. Kirby meets the independence standards for independent directors under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market published in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. The composition of the Audit Committee, the attributes of its members and the responsibilities of the Committee, as reflected in its charter, are intended to be in accordance with applicable requirements for corporate audit committees. The Committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its charter on an annual basis.





As set forth in more detail in its charter, the Audit Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board of Directors in its general oversight of our financial reporting, internal control and audit functions. Management is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our financial statements, accounting and financial reporting principles and internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations. Akin, Doherty, Klein & Feuge, P.C., our independent auditing firm, is responsible for performing an independent audit of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.





The Audit Committee members are generally not professional accountants or auditors, and their functions are not intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management and the independent auditor, nor can the Audit Committee certify that the independent auditor is “independent” under applicable rules. The Audit Committee serves a board-level oversight role, in which it provides advice, counsel and direction to management and the auditors on the basis of the information it receives, discussions with management and the auditors and the experience of the Audit Committee’s members in business, financial and accounting matters.





Among other matters, the Audit Committee monitors the activities and performance of our internal and external auditors, including the audit scope, external audit fees, auditor independence matters and the extent to which the independent auditor may be retained to perform non-audit services. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors have ultimate authority and responsibility to select, evaluate and, when appropriate, replace our independent auditor. The Audit Committee also reviews the results of the internal and external audit work with regard to the adequacy and appropriateness of our financial, accounting and internal controls. Management and independent auditor presentations to and discussions with the Audit Committee also cover various topics and events that may have significant financial impact or are the subject of discussions between management and the independent auditor. In addition, the Audit Committee generally oversees our internal compliance programs.





In overseeing the preparation of our financial statements, the Audit Committee has had access to our management to review and discuss all financial statements prior to their issuance and to discuss significant accounting issues. Management advised the Audit Committee that all financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee has met with our independent auditors with regard to our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010. For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Audit Committee did receive the independent auditor’s letter and written disclosures required by the Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (Independence Discussions with Audit Committees).





The Audit Committee met four times in relation to the year ended December 31, 2010. We do not have an audit committee financial expert serving on our Audit Committee because we have been unable to replace the independent director serving as the audit committee financial expert after his resignation during 2003. We are still seeking an independent director to serve as the audit committee financial expert.




34





ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.





SUMMARY COMPENSATION





The following table shows the compensation earned during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009 by (i) our Principal Executive Officer, or PEO; and (ii) our two most highly compensated executive officers, other than our PEO.  We refer to the individuals included below as our “named executive officers.”





Summary Compensation Table for the Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2010 and 2009




Name and Principal Position

(a)

Year

Ended

Dec.

31,

(b)

Salary

($)(5)

(c)

Bonus

($)(1)

(d)

Stock Awards

($)(2)

(e)

Option Awards

($)(3)

(f)


Nonequity Incentive Plan Compensation

($)

(g)

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings

($)

(h)

All Other Compensation

($)(4)

(i)


Total

($)

(j)Michael R. LongChairman, Chief

2010


24,000


216,000


131,592


-



-


-


12,117



383,709Executive Officer

2009


190,000


216,000


131,592


-



-


-


12,117



549,709and Chief Financial OfficerLouis A. HochVice Chairman,

2010


24,000


216,000


151,776


-



-


-


2,520



394,296President and

2009


175,000


216,000


151,776


-



-


-


2,520



545,296Chief Operating OfficerKen KellerVice President,

2010


104,200


-


16,356


-



-


-


1,052



121,608Chief Technology

2009


104,200


-


16,356


-



-


-


1,052



121,608Officer





(1)
On November 4, 2010, Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer, were each granted 5,400,000 shares of restricted common stock by the Company as an annual bonus valued at $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. On November 1, 2009, we granted Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch 7,200,000 shares of common stock each as an annual bonus valued at $216,000 pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements.


(2)
Amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes. On February 27, 2007, we executed employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch and subsequently issued 500,000 shares of common stock to each under the terms of their respective employment agreements. We also issued 2,500,000 shares of common stock to each as a long-term incentive under the terms of their respective employment agreements. The incentive stock is restricted and vests annually over five years in increments of 500,000 shares beginning on February 28, 2009.


(3)
There were no stock options granted to any of our named executive officers during fiscal year 2010 or 2009.


(4)
Reflects premiums paid for term life insurance coverage.


(5)
On November 12, 2009, we executed amendments to our employment agreements with Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of their respective amended employment agreements, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce their annual base salaries for 2009 to $190,000 and $175,000, respectively, from $375,000 and $350,000, respectively.  On April 12, 2010, we executed another amendment to our employment agreements with Michael Long, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Louis Hoch, President and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of the amended employment agreement, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce their annual base salaries for 2010 to $24,000 and $24,000, respectively, from $190,000 and $175,000, respectively, and change the annual bonus limit from 100% of current salary to 100% of the highest salary received in any year of the agreement.


35





Narrative to Summary Compensation Table





Named Executive Officer Employment Agreements





We entered into an employment agreement with Michael R. Long effective February 27, 2007. Under the agreement, Mr. Long serves as our Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The agreement provides for base annual salaries of $190,000 for 2007, $300,000 for 2008 and $375,000 for 2009, 2010 and 2011. In addition, Mr. Long will receive an annual bonus of $216,000 during the term of the agreement to be paid in cash or stock at our sole discretion. Upon execution of the agreement, Mr. Long received cash of $15,000, 500,000 shares of common stock from our Employee Stock Plan, and 2,500,000 shares of restricted common stock that vest annually in increments of 500,000 shares beginning on February 28, 2009. On November 12, 2009, we executed an amendment to our employment agreement with Mr. Long. Under the terms of the amended employment agreement, Mr. Long agreed to reduce his annual base salary for 2009 to $190,000 from $375,000. On April 12, 2010, we executed another amendment to our employment agreement with Mr. Long. Under the terms of the amended employment agreement, Mr. Long agreed to reduce his annual base salary for 2010 to $24,000 from $375,000 and change the annual bonus limit from 100% of current salary to 100% of the highest salary received in any year of the agreement.





We entered into an employment agreement with Louis A. Hoch effective February 27, 2007. Under the agreement, Mr. Hoch serves as our Vice Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Operating Officer. The agreement provides for base annual salaries of $175,000 for 2007, $275,000 for 2008 and $350,000 for 2009, 2010 and 2011. In addition, Mr. Hoch will receive an annual bonus of $216,000 during the term of the Agreement to be paid in cash or stock at our sole discretion. Upon execution of the agreement, Mr. Hoch received cash of $15,000, 500,000 shares of common stock from our Employee Stock Plan, and 2,500,000 shares of restricted common stock that vest annually in increments of 500,000 shares beginning on February 28, 2009. On November 12, 2009, we executed an amendment to our employment agreement with Mr. Hoch. Under the terms of the amended employment agreement, Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce his annual base salary for 2009 to $175,000 from $350,000. On April 12, 2010, we executed another amendment to our employment agreement with Mr. Hoch. Under the terms of the amended employment agreement, Mr. Hoch agreed to reduce his annual base salary for 2010 to $24,000 from $350,000 and change the annual bonus limit from 100% of current salary to 100% of the highest salary received in any year of the agreement.





We do not have an employment agreement with Mr. Keller.





OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END





The following table shows grants of unexercised stock options and unvested stock by grant date outstanding on December 31, 2010, the last day of our fiscal year, to each of the named executive officers included in the Summary Compensation Table.





Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2010





Option awards (1)


Stock awards (1)Name

(a)

Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) exercisable

(b)


Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) unexercisable

(c)


Option exercise price

($)

(e)


Option expiration date

(f)


Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested

(#)(2)

(g)


Market value of shares or units of stock that have not vested

($)(3)

(h)Michael R. Long12/30/2003


400,000



-



0.14



12/30/2013



-



-12/29/2005


381,833



-



0.082



12/29/2015



1,355,972



29,83112/27/2006


-



-



-



-



2,500,611



55,0132/27/2007


-



-



-



-



2,500,000



55,0001/09/2008


-



-



-



-



7,750,000



170,500Louis A. Hoch12/30/2003


425,000



-



0.14



12/30/2013



-



-12/29/2005


586,147



-



0.082



12/29/2015



2,081,536



45,79412/27/2006


-



-



-



-



4,083,333



89,8332/27/2007


-



-



-



-



2,500,000



55,0001/09/2008


-



-



-



-



7,750,000



170,500Ken Keller6/10/2003


85,000



-



0.085



6/10/2013



-



-12/30/2003


90,000



-



0.14



12/30/2013



-



-12/29/2005


102,492



-



0.082



12/29/2015



363,971



8,00712/27/2006


-



-



-



-



538,333



11,8431/09/2008


-



-



-



-



1,550,000



34,100


(1)
We do not have any equity incentive plan awards.


(2)
Unvested common stock granted on December  29, 2005 vests on December 29, 2015, unvested common stock granted on December 27, 2006 vests on December 27, 2016 and unvested common stock granted on January 9, 2008 vests on January 9, 2018. Unvested common stock granted on February 27, 2007 vests annually over five years in increments of 500,000 shares beginning on February 28, 2009.   Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch each chose to defer vesting of the increment of 500,000 shares that was granted to each of them on February 27, 2007 and was scheduled to vest on February 28, 2009 and 2010.


(3)
Calculated using the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board, or OTCBB, closing price of $0.022 per share of our common stock on December 31, 2010.




36




Narrative to Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table





Retirement Benefits





We do not have any qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans. We do have a tax-qualified defined contribution plan pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of our eligible full and part-time employees who meet certain age requirements may participate in this 401(k) plan. Participants may contribute between 1% and 15% of their pre-tax compensation. The 401(k) plan allows for us to make discretionary and matching contributions. We made no such contributions during 2010 or 2009.





Non-qualified Deferred Compensation





We do not have any non-qualified defined contribution plans or other deferred compensation plans.





Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control





Our employment agreements with Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch each provide that upon termination of his employment with us due to death or disability, involuntary termination without cause, termination for good reason or default by us, termination due to non-renewal of the agreement, or change of control, he is entitled to deferred compensation. This deferred compensation shall be the amount which is calculated as the greater of the base salary payments that each would have received had his employment continued for the remaining term of the agreement (including yearly increases calculated at the maximum increase for the prior two years), or an amount equal to 2.95 times the higher annual compensation earned by him in the past two years. In addition to this compensation, each shall be entitled to all of the benefits otherwise provided in his agreement during that period of time which is the greater of the remaining term of the agreement, or one year, and an amount equal to the pro rata portion of his bonus compensation for the year in which his employment is terminated. In addition, all stock options and restricted stock granted to each executive become fully vested upon his termination for any of these reasons. Also, in consideration of the executive’s obligations for a period of two years after the termination of his employment under a non-competition clause in the employment agreement, he shall be paid an amount equal to 2 times the base salary paid to him in the year prior to the expiration of the agreement.




DIRECTOR COMPENSATION




The following table sets forth a summary of the compensation earned by our independent director in fiscal 2010.





Director Compensation Table for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2010




Name

(a)

Fees earned or paid in cash

($)

(b)


Stock

awards

($)(1)

(c)


Option

awards

($)(2)

(d)


Non-equity incentive plan compensation

($)

(e)


Non-qualified deferred compensation earnings

($)

(f)


All other compensation

($)

(g)


Total

($)

(h)Peter G. Kirby


-



6,348



-



-



-



-



6,348




(1)
Amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes. At December 31, 2010, Dr. Kirby had outstanding 500,000 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $27,500 granted on January 9, 2008 that vest on January 9, 2018, 400,000 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $36,000 granted on December 27, 2006 that vest on December 27, 2016 and 300,000 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $60,000 granted on March 28, 2005 that vested one-third on each of March 28, 2006, March 28, 2007 and March 28, 2008.


(2)
At December 31, 2010, Dr. Kirby had outstanding options to purchase 618,000 shares of our common stock.





Narrative to Director Compensation Table





We do not have an agreement with our independent director, Dr. Peter G. Kirby, to compensate him for his service on our Board of Directors. Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch receive no compensation for serving on our Board of Directors due to their status as officers of our Company. On January 9, 2008, we granted Dr. Kirby 500,000 shares of common stock that vest on January 9, 2018.




37




ITEM 12.   SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.





SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT





The following table sets forth, to our knowledge, certain information concerning the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of April 15, 2011 by each stockholder known by us to be (i) the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, (ii) each current director, (iii) each of the named executive officers included in the Summary Compensation Table, and (iv) all of our directors and current executive officers as a group:





Name and address of beneficial owner

Amount and Nature of

Beneficial Ownership

Percent of Class (1)5% StockholderRobert Evans, P.O. Box 56, Williamsville, IL 62693


13,020,000
(7)


9.2
%Named Executive Officers and DirectorsLouis A. Hoch


37,741,893
(2)


26.5
%Michael R. Long


34,510,461
(3)


24.3
%Ken Keller


3,409,982
(4)


2.4
%Peter G. Kirby


1,818,500
(5)


1.3
%All executive officers and directors as a group (5 people)


79,668,326
(6)


55.2
%





(1)
Based on a total of 141,367,809 shares of common stock issued and outstanding on April 15, 2011.





(2)
Includes 1,011,147 shares that Mr. Hoch has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options.





(3)
Includes 781,833 shares that Mr. Long has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options.





(4)
Includes 277,492 shares that Mr. Keller has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options.





(5)
Includes 618,000 shares that Dr. Kirby has the right to acquire upon the exercise of stock options.





(6)
The address of all individual directors and executive officers is c/o Payment Data Systems, Inc., 12500 San Pedro, Suite 120, San Antonio, Texas 78216.





(7)
Amount recorded was from Robert Evans’ Form 4 December 20, 2010.





38





ITEM 13.   CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.





TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS





In December 2002, we recognized losses of $535,302 and $449,371 under loan guarantees we made to collateralize margin loans for Michael R. Long, then Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, and Louis A. Hoch, then President and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, for which they were obliged to repay us. In February 2007, we entered into employment agreements with Mr. Long, our Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Hoch, our President and Chief Operating Officer, that require each executive officer to repay his respective obligation to us in four equal annual payments of cash or stock or any combination thereof. On December 29, 2007, we accepted common stock and stock options valued at $133,826 and $112,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in satisfaction of their annual payments for 2007 as provided for under their employment agreements. Mr. Long’s payment consisted of 1,285,714 shares of our common stock valued at $96,429 and options to purchase a total of 898,334 shares of our common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.18 to $2.81 per share. These options were valued at $37,397. Mr. Hoch’s payment consisted of 1,061,041 shares of our common stock valued at $79,623 and options to purchase a total of 765,000 shares of our common stock at exercise prices ranging from $0.18 to $2.81 per share. These options were valued at $32,720. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was valued at $0.075 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on December 19, 2007. We recorded the common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch as treasury stock with a total cost of $176,052. We determined the fair value of each stock option accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. We canceled the options accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch on December 29, 2007 and recorded a total direct charge to equity of $70,117. In December 2008, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the second annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we had deferred payment of their salary increases for 2008 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2008, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary of $110,000 and $100,000, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the second installment due by December 31, 2008. The total amount owed to us for the second installment was $246,168 and is classified as Related Party Receivable on our balance sheet at December 31, 2008. On March 30, 2009, we accepted 680,715 shares of our common stock valued at $23,825 and 352,658 shares of our common stock valued at $12,343 from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch, respectively, in satisfaction of a portion of their annual payments for 2008 as provided for under their employment agreements. The common stock accepted from Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch was valued at $0.035 per share, which was the closing price of the common stock on March 30, 2009.





In December 2009, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the third annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because the Company had partially deferred payment of their salary for 2009 called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2009, the Company owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary of $162,385 and $141,808, respectively, and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed the Company $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the third installment due by December 31, 2009.





In December 2010, Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch did not pay us the fourth annual installment pursuant to their respective employment agreements. They each withheld payment of the installment due because we continued to be unable to pay deferred salaries that were called for under their respective employment agreements. At December 31, 2010, we owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch deferred salary $147,368 and $126,915, respectively, related to their 2009 deferred salary balance and Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch owed us $133,825 and $112,343, respectively, for the fourth installment due by December 31, 2010.





The total amount owed to the company for the unpaid installments was $703,060 and is classified as Related Party Receivables on the Company’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2010. The company owed Mr. Long and Mr. Hoch a total of $469,252 in deferred salaries at December 31, 2010 and is included in accrued expenses on the Company’s balance sheet.





During the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company paid Herb Authier a total of $30,000 and $29,077 in cash, respectively, for consulting services related to network engineering and administration that he provided to the Company. Mr. Authier is the father-in-law of Louis Hoch, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer.





DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE





During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, Michael R. Long, Louis A. Hoch and Peter G. Kirby served on our Board of Directors. Dr. Kirby was our sole independent board member as determined pursuant to the independence standards set forth in the Marketplace Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. We are currently traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board, which does not require that a majority of the board be independent.




39





ITEM 14.   PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.





Fees Paid to the Independent Accountants





The aggregate fees billed to us for professional accounting services, including the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements by our principal accountant for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009 included in our Form 10-K, are set forth in the table below.




2010


2009Audit fees

$
37,500


$
48,600Tax fees


2,500



3,500Total fees

$
40,000


$
52,100




For purposes of the preceding table, the professional fees are classified as follows:





•    Audit Fees—These are fees for professional services billed for the audit of the consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-K filings, the review of consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-Q filings, comfort letters, consents and assistance with and review of documents filed with the SEC. The fees in the 2010 column include amounts billed to us through April 15, 2011 for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the fees in the 2009 column include amounts billed to us through April 14, 2010 for the years ended December 31, 2009.





•    Tax Fees—These are fees for professional services rendered by our independent accountant for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice. Tax compliance involves preparation of original and amended tax returns. Tax planning and tax advice encompass a diverse range of subjects, including assistance with tax audits and appeals, tax advice related to dispositions, and requests for rulings or technical advice from taxing authorities.




Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures





We may not engage our independent accountant to render any audit or non-audit service unless our Audit Committee approves the service in advance. All of the services performed by our independent accountant described above were approved in advance by our Audit Committee.




40





PART IV





ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.




(a)(1) Consolidated Financial Statements.




The following documents are filed in Part II, Item 8 of this annual report on Form 10-K:




Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm




Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2010 and 2009




Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009




Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009




Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009




Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements




(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules.




All financial statement schedules have been omitted as they are not required, not applicable, or the required information is otherwise included.




(a)(3) Exhibits.




Exhibit


Number     Description





3.1
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (included as exhibit 3.1 to the Form 10-KSB filed March 31, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).





3.2
Amended and Restated By-laws (included as exhibit 3.2 to the Form 10-KSB filed March 31, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).





4.1
Amended and Restated 1999 Employee Comprehensive Stock Plan (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed January 3, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).





4.2
Amended and Restated 1999 Non-Employee Director Plan (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed January 3, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).





4.3
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (included as exhibit 4.3 to the Form S-8 filed February 23, 2000, and incorporated herein by reference).





4.4
Registration Rights Agreement between the Company and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP, dated June 6, 2004 (included as exhibit 10.9 to the Form SB-2 filed June 18, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





4.5
Rights Agreement between the Company and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, dated February 28, 2007 (included as exhibit 4.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 5, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.1
Lease Agreement between the Company and Frost National Bank, Trustee for a Designated Trust, dated August 22, 2003 (included as exhibit 10.3 to the Form 10-Q filed November 14, 2003, and incorporated herein by reference).




41




10.2
Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated February 27, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 2, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.3
Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated February 27, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed March 2, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.4
Investment Agreement between the Company and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP, dated June 4, 2004 (included as exhibit 10.8 to the Form SB-2 filed June 18, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.5
Placement Agent Agreement between the Company, Charleston Capital Corporation, and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP, dated June 4, 2004 (included as exhibit 10.10 to the Form SB-2 filed June 18, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.6
Affiliate Office Agreement between the Company and Network 1 Financial, Inc. (included as exhibit 10.11 to the Form SB-2 filed April 28, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.7
Warrant Agreement between the Company and Kubra Data Transfer LTD, dated as of September 30, 2004 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed October 6, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.8
Promissory Note between the Company and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, II, LP, dated August 21, 2006 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed August 25, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.9
Stock Purchase Agreement between the Company and Robert D. Evans, dated January 18, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed January 23, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.10
Stock Purchase Agreement between the Company and Robert D. Evans, dated March 1, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed March 5, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.11
Amended Investment Agreement between the Company and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, Ltd., dated August 21, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.16 to the Form 8-K filed August 23, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.12
Amended Registration Rights Agreement between the Company and Dutchess Private Equities Fund, Ltd., dated August 21, 2007 (included as exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed August 23, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.13
Trademark and Domain Name Purchase Agreement between the Company and Alivio Holdings, LLC, dated November 14, 2005 (included as exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed November 17, 2005, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.14
First Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated November 12, 2009 (included as exhibit 10.15 to the Form 10-Q filed November 16, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.15
First Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated November 12, 2009 (included as exhibit 10.16 to the Form 10-Q filed November 16, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.16
Second Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael R. Long, dated April 12, 2010 (included as Exhibit 10.16 to the Form 10-K filed April 14, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).





10.17
Second Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Company and Louis A. Hoch, dated April 12, 2010 (included as Exhibit 10.17 to the Form 10-K filed April 14, 2010, and incorporated herein by reference).





14.1
Code of Ethics (included as exhibit 14.1 to the Form 10-K filed March 30, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





16.1
Letter from Ernst and Young LLP to the Securities and Exchange Commission dated February 10, 2004 (included as exhibit 16.1 to the Form 8-K filed February 11, 2004, and incorporated herein by reference).





21.1
Subsidiaries of the Company (included as exhibit 21.1 to the Form 10-K filed March 31, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference).





23.1
Consent of Akin Doherty Klein & Feuge, P.C., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith).





31.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer/Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).





32.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer/Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).





42


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.




Payment Data Systems, Inc.Date: April 15, 2011
By:
/s/MichaelR. LongMichael R. LongChairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, andChief Financial Officer




Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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.




Date: April 15, 2011
By:
/s/ MichaelR. LongMichael R. LongChairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, andChief Financial Officer (principal executive officer and

principal financial and accounting officer)


Date: April 15, 2011
By:
/s/ LouisA. HochLouis A. HochPresident, Chief Operating Officer, and Director


Date: April 15, 2011
By:
/s/PeterG. KirbyPeter G. KirbyDirector