Document:

Exhibit

Exhibit 10.12.7
VANTIV, INC. 
2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN 
NOTICE OF PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARD
You (“Participant”) have been granted an award (“Award”) of restricted shares (“Performance Shares”) of Class A common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of Vantiv, Inc. (the “Company”) as set forth below. The Award is granted under the Company’s 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice of Performance Share Award (“Notice”) and the Performance Share Award Agreement (the “Award Agreement” or “Agreement”) attached to this Notice. Unless otherwise defined in this Notice or the Award Agreement, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same meanings in this Notice and the Award Agreement. This Notice and Agreement supersedes all prior agreements on the same subject matter between the Participant, on the one hand, and the Company or any of its Affiliates, on the other, and all such prior agreements shall be null and void.
	
		
	Participant Name:
	 

	Number of Performance Shares:
	 

	Date of Grant:
	 

	Performance Period:
	The three-year period commencing on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2018.

	Performance Goals:
	The Performance Goals are set forth in Exhibit 1 to the Award Agreement.

	Vesting Date:
	Subject to the limitations set forth in this Notice, the Plan and the Award Agreement, the Performance Shares will vest on the third anniversary of the Date of Grant.

Additional Terms/Acknowledgements: By accepting (whether in writing, electronically or otherwise) this Award, Participant acknowledges and agrees to the following:
Participant understands that Participant’s employment with the Company is for an unspecified duration, can be terminated at any time (i.e., is “at-will”), and that nothing in this Notice, the Award Agreement or the Plan changes the at-will nature of that relationship. Participant acknowledges that the Performance Shares are subject to forfeiture until they vest and that vesting is subject to (a) the achievement of the Performance Goals set forth in Exhibit 1 to the Award Agreement and (b) Participant’s continued employment through the third anniversary of the Date of Grant. Participant also understands that this Award is subject to the terms and conditions of the Award Agreement to which this Notice is attached and the Plan, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Participant has read the Award Agreement and the Plan, and agrees to be bound by the terms of such documents, including the restrictive covenants contained therein. By accepting this Award, Participant consents to the electronic delivery as set forth in the Award Agreement and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company. 

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VANTIV, INC.
2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARD AGREEMENT
Pursuant to the Notice of Performance Share Award (the “Notice”) and this Performance Share Award Agreement (“Agreement”), Vantiv, Inc. (the “Company”) has granted you (“you” or “Participant”) an award (the “Award”) of restricted shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (“Performance Shares”), under its 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Award is granted to you effective as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice. Capitalized terms not explicitly defined in this Agreement or in the Notice but defined in the Plan will have the same definitions as in the Plan. The details of your Award, in addition to those set forth in the Notice and the Plan, are as follows:
1.Grant of Performance Shares. Pursuant to Section 9 of the Plan, the Company hereby grants to the Participant an Award of the number of Performance Shares set forth in the Notice. The number of Performance Shares that the Participant actually earns and that will vest for the Performance Period will be determined by the level of achievement of the Performance Goals in accordance with Exhibit 1 attached hereto. 
2.    Performance Period. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Performance Period” shall be the period commencing on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2018.
3.    Performance Goals.
3.1    The number of Performance Shares earned by the Participant for the Performance Period will be determined at the end of the Performance Period based on the level of achievement of the Performance Goals in accordance with Exhibit 1. All determinations of whether Performance Goals have been achieved, the number of Performance Shares earned by the Participant, and all other matters related to this Agreement shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion.
3.2    Promptly following completion of the Performance Period, the Committee will review and certify in writing (a) whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved, and (b) the number of Performance Shares that the Participant shall earn, if any, subject to compliance with the requirements of Section 4.
4.    Vesting of Performance Shares. The Performance Shares are subject to forfeiture until they vest. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Performance Shares will vest and become nonforfeitable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date, subject to (a) the achievement of the Performance Goals set forth in Exhibit 1 attached hereto, and (b) the Participant’s Continuous Service Status from the Grant Date through the third anniversary of the Grant Date. The actual number of Performances Shares that are earned and vest under this Agreement shall be determined by the Committee based on the level of achievement of the Performance Goals set forth in Exhibit 1 and shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Performance Share.
5.    Effect of Termination of Employment on Performance Shares.
5.1    Except as provided in this Section 5 or Section 6 below, if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status terminates for any reason at any time before the Performance Shares have vested, the Performance Shares shall be automatically forfeited and cancelled upon such termination of Continuous Service Status and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any further obligations to the Participant under this Agreement.
5.2    Death or Disability. Notwithstanding Section 5.1, if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status terminates during the Performance Period as a result of the Participant’s death or Disability, the Participant will become fully vested on such date in a pro rata portion of 50% of the Performance Shares. Such pro rata portion shall be calculated by multiplying 50% of the Performance Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which equals the number of months that the Participant was employed during the Performance Period (including full credit for partial months) and the denominator of which equals the total number of months in the Performance Period. 
5.3    Involuntary Termination without Cause. Notwithstanding Section 5.1, if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status terminates during the final year of the Performance Period as a result of the Participant’s termination by the Company without Cause (as defined below), the Performance Shares will vest in accordance with Section 4 subject to (x) achievement of the Performance Goals as if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status had not terminated, (y) a pro rata reduction calculated by multiplying the number of Performance Shares that Participant would have earned had the Participant’s Continuous Service Status not terminated by a fraction, the numerator of which equals the number of months that the Participant was employed during the Performance Period (including full credit for partial months) and the denominator of which equals the total number of months in the Performance Period, and (z) compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 12. If the Participant is a participant 

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in the Company’s Executive Severance Policy, as the same may be amended from time to time, the provisions of this Section 5.3 shall also apply to a termination by the Participant for “Good Reason.” 
5.4    Retirement. Notwithstanding Section 5.1, if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status terminates during the Performance Period due to Participant’s Retirement (as defined below), the Performance Shares will vest in accordance with Section 4 subject to (x) achievement of the Performance Goals as if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status had not terminated, (y) a pro rata reduction calculated by multiplying the number of Performance Shares that Participant would have earned had the Participant’s Continuous Service Status not terminated by a fraction, the numerator of which equals the number of months that the Participant was employed during the Performance Period (including full credit for partial months) and the denominator of which equals the total number of months in the Performance Period, and (z) compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 12. 
5.5    Definition of “Retirement.” For purposes of this Agreement, “Retirement” means retirement from active employment with the Company or an Affiliate at or after (i) age 65 or (ii) age 55 having completed 5 years of Continuous Service Status as an Employee. Section 5.4 does not apply if Participant is terminated for Cause (as defined below) or gross misconduct. If Participant retires and does not meet the definition of Retirement, he or she will be considered to have resigned. Any disputes as to what constitutes “Retirement” shall be conclusively determined by the Committee or its delegate.
5.6    Definition of “Cause.” For purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in a written employment or severance agreement between the Participant and the Company or a severance plan of the Company covering the Participant (including a change in control severance agreement or plan), “Cause” shall mean any one or more of the following, (i) gross negligence or willful misconduct of a material nature in connection with the performance of the Participant’s duties, (ii) an indictment or conviction for (or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to) a felony, (iii) a non-de minimus intentional act of fraud, dishonesty or misappropriation (or attempted misappropriation) of the Company’s or any of its Affiliates’ funds or property; (iv) the Company or any of its Affiliates having been ordered or directed by any federal or state regulatory agency with jurisdiction to terminate or suspend the Participant’s employment and such order or directive has not been vacated or reversed upon appeal; or (v) a violation of Section 12 hereof or any similar covenant or agreement between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate; (vi) the Participant’s breach of any of material obligations in his or her employment agreement or offer letter; (vii) the Participant’s breach of his fiduciary duties as an officer or director of the Company or any of its Affiliates; or (viii) the Participant’s continued failure or refusal after written notice from the chief executive officer or his delegate (or the Board, in the case of the chief executive officer) to implement or follow the direction of the chief executive officer or his delegate (or the Board, as applicable). Any disputes as to what constitutes “Cause” shall be conclusively determined by the Committee or its delegate.
5.7    Release and Waiver of Claims. The special vesting provisions of this Section 5 are conditioned on and subject to Participant delivering a release and waiver of claims in form and substance satisfactory to the Company.
6.    Effect of a Change of Control. 
6.1    General Rule. Subject to Section 6.2, upon a Change of Control, the Performance Shares shall be immediately converted to time-based restricted stock in an amount that is the greater of (i) target award value or (ii) projected actual award value based on the level of projected achievement of the Performance Goals in accordance with Exhibit 1 as of the date of the Change of Control, in each case without pro-ration for the percentage of the Performance Period that has elapsed. The restricted stock cliff-vests on the last day of the Performance Period subject to Participant’s Continuous Service Status through such date; provided, however, that if, prior to the last day of the Performance Period, the Participant dies or becomes Disabled or is terminated without Cause (as defined above) or terminates for “Good Reason” (as defined under the terms of any employment agreement or severance policy to which or under which the Participant is a party or participant), the restricted stock shall vest in full as of the date of such termination.
6.2    Special Rule if Successor Assumes Performance Shares. Notwithstanding Section 6.1, if the Successor Corporation in a Change of Control agrees to honor or assume the Performance Shares on substantially equivalent contractual and financial terms, or agrees to grant a Substitute Award on substantially equivalent contractual and financial terms, the Performance Shares that would otherwise have vested in accordance with Section 6.1 above will instead be converted as of the date of the Change of Control to time-based restricted stock that cliff-vests on the last day of the Performance Period subject to Participant’s Continuous Service Status through such date; provided, however, that if, prior to the last day of the Performance Period, the Participant dies or becomes Disabled or is terminated without Cause (as defined above) or terminates for “Good Reason” (as defined under the terms of any employment agreement or severance policy to which or under which the Participant is a party or participant), the restricted stock shall vest in full as of the date of such termination. Any determination of whether assumed Performance Shares or Substitute Awards are on “substantially equivalent contractual and financial terms” will be conclusively determined by the Committee.   

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7.    Transferability. Subject to any exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, the Performance Shares or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and upon any such transfer by will or the laws of descent and distribution, the transferee shall hold such Performance Shares subject to all of the terms and conditions that were applicable to the Participant immediately prior to such transfer. 
8.    Stockholder Rights; Dividends. 
8.1    The Participant shall have the right to vote the Performance Shares. 
8.2    The Participant shall not have the right to receive any cash dividends declared or awarded with respect to the Company’s Shares.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, as of any date that the Company pays an ordinary cash dividend on its Shares, the Company will increase the number of Performance Shares hereunder by the number of shares that represent an amount equal to the per share cash dividend paid by the Company on its Shares multiplied by the number of Performance Shares held by the Participant as of the related dividend payment record date. Any such additional Performance Shares shall be subject to the same vesting, forfeiture, payment, termination and other terms, conditions and restrictions as the original Performance Shares to which they relate. No additional Performance Shares shall be granted with respect to any Performance Shares which, as of the record date, have either vested or been forfeited.
9.    No Right to Continued Service. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall affect in any manner whatsoever the right or power of the Company, or a subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, to terminate Participant’s service, for any reason, with or without cause. 
10.    Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding Shares or the capital structure of the Company, if required, the Performance Shares shall be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 5 of the Plan.
11.    Tax Liability and Withholding.
11.1    The Participant shall be required to pay to the Company, and the Company shall have the right to deduct from any compensation paid to the Participant pursuant to the Plan, the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the Performance Shares and to take all such other action as the Committee deems necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. In this regard, upon vesting the Participant agrees to surrender to the Company a portion of the Performance Shares to satisfy tax withholding obligations; provided, however, that no Shares shall be surrendered with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law. The Committee may permit Participant to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation by any of the following additional means, or by a combination of such means: 
(a)    tendering a cash payment; 
(b)    “sell to cover;” 
(c)    delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered Shares; or
(d)    any other arrangement approved by the Committee. 
One or more of these methods may not be available to the Participant (or may be unavailable during a specified period) should the Company determine that its availability will or could violate the terms of any relevant law or regulation.
11.2    Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representation or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant or vesting of the Performance Shares or the subsequent sale of any shares, and (b) does not commit to structure the Performance Shares to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items. In the event the Company’s obligation to withhold arises prior to the vesting of the Performance Shares or it is determined after the vesting of the Performance Shares that the amount of the Company’s withholding obligation was greater than the amount withheld by the Company, Participant agrees to hold the Company harmless from any failure by the Company to withhold the proper amount. 

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12.    Restrictive Covenants.
A.    Participant’s Covenants.
1.    Non-Competition. During the Restricted Period (as defined below), Participant shall not compete in any manner, either directly or indirectly, whether for compensation or otherwise, with the Business of the Company, as further described below. The parties agree that the following activities (without limitation) will be deemed to be competing:
(a)    directly or indirectly producing, developing, marketing, providing, handling, recommending, analyzing or accepting orders for products or services competitive with the Business of the Company, or assisting others to produce, develop, market, or provide such services or products; or
(b)    accepting employment from or having any other relationship (including, without limitation, through owning, managing, operating, controlling or consulting) with any person or entity that directly or indirectly produces, develops or markets a product, process, or service which is competitive with those products, processes, or services constituting the Business of the Company, whether existing or planned for the future, provided, however, that it shall not be a violation of this Agreement for Participant to have beneficial ownership of less than 1% of the outstanding amount of any class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or quoted on an inter-dealer quotation system; or
(c)    taking any other action that is likely or intended to result directly or indirectly in prospective or actual customers of the Company purchasing products, processes, or services which are competitive with those products, processes, or services constituting the Business from a competitor of the Company; or
(d)    accepting any job or engagement in which Participant may be in a position to use or disclose Confidential Information regarding the Business of which Participant acquired knowledge or to which Participant had access while employed by the Company.
The parties expressly agree that the foregoing list of activities is illustrative and non-exhaustive, and shall not limit Company’s right to protection from other activities that are competitive with the Business of the Company.  In recognition of the national scope of the Company’s Business, in that it provides products and services to customers throughout the United States of America, Participant agrees that the foregoing restriction(s) shall be applicable throughout the United States of America.  Participant agrees that such geographic restriction is reasonable.  
2.    Non-Solicitation. During the Restricted Period, Participant agrees that Participant will not, either on Participant’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, directly or indirectly, (a) solicit any person or entity that is a customer of the Business or the Company, or has been a customer of the Company during the prior eighteen (18) months, to purchase any products or services the Business or the Company provided or provides to the customer, (b) interfere with any of the Business’s or the Company’s business relationships, or (c) directly or indirectly solicit, divert, entice or take away any potential customer identified, selected or targeted by the Business or the Company with whom Participant had contact, involvement or responsibility during Participant’s employment with the Company and/or its Affiliates, or attempt to do so for the sale of any product or service that competes with a product or service offered by the Business or the Company.
3.    No-Hire. During the Restricted Period, Participant agrees that Participant will not, either on Participant’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person or entity, directly or indirectly, hire, solicit or encourage to leave the employ of the Company or any of its Affiliates any person who is then an employee of the Company or its Affiliates or was such an employee within twelve (12) months of the date of such hiring, soliciting, or encouragement to leave.
4.    Confidentiality. The Participant will not at any time (whether during or after the Participant’s employment with the Company) disclose, divulge, transfer or provide access to, or use for the benefit of, any third party outside the Company (other than as necessary to perform the Participant’s employment duties) any Confidential Information without prior authorization of the Company. Upon termination of the Participant’s employment for any reason, the Participant shall return to the Company any and all Confidential Information and other property of the Company or its Affiliates in the Participant’s possession or control.
5.    Non-Disparagement. Participant agrees not to take any action or to make any statement, written or oral, that disparages or criticizes the business or management of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or any of their respective directors, officers, agents, employees, products or services.

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B.    Certain Definitions. For purposes of Section 12.A, the following definitions apply.
1.    “Business” means the type of business conducted by the Company or its Affiliates currently or at any time in the past five years, or in the future, including but not limited to: (i) merchant processing services (including payment authorization, clearing and settlement for credit, debit, check authorization and truncation), (ii) gift, private label, stored value and prepaid card processing, (iii) electronic funds transfer services to business customers (including debit and ATM card processing and driving services, PIN and signature debit transaction authorization settlement and exception processing, (iv) payment and ATM network switching services (including the Jeanie network), (v) credit and debit card production, activation, replacement and related management services (including on an outsourced basis), (vi) payments-related reselling services, (vii) other value added services (including fraud detection, prevention and management services) relating to the foregoing, (viii) promotional messaging service relating to the foregoing, (ix) debit portfolio management services related to the foregoing,  (x) data processing services related to the foregoing, and (xi) the development, marketing, or sale of technology or applications related to point-of-sale payments or the embedding of payment processing technology or capabilities in business applications.
2.    “Confidential Information” shall mean information or material of the Company which is not generally available to or used by others, or the utility or value of which is not generally known or recognized as standard practice, whether or not the underlying details are in the public domain, including: (A) information or material relating to the Company and its business as conducted or anticipated to be conducted; business plans; operations; past, current or anticipated services, products or software; customers or prospective customers; relations with business partners or prospective business partners; or research, engineering, development, manufacturing, purchasing, accounting, or marketing activities; (B) information or material relating to the Company’s inventions, improvements, discoveries, “know-how,” technological developments, or unpublished writings or other works of authorship, or to the materials, apparatus, processes, formulae, plans or methods used in the development, manufacture or marketing of the Company’s services, products or software; (C) information on or material relating to the Company which when received is marked as “proprietary,” “private,” or “confidential”; (D) trade secrets of the Company; (E) software of the Company in various stages of development, software designs, web-based solutions, specifications, programming aids, programming languages, interfaces, visual displays, technical documentation, user manuals, data files and databases of the Company; and (F) any similar information of the type described above which the Company obtained from another party and which the Company treats as or designates as being proprietary, private or confidential, whether or not owned or developed by the Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Confidential Information” does not include any information which is properly published or in the public domain; provided, however, that information which is published by or with the aid of Participant outside the scope of employment or contrary to the requirements of this Agreement will not be considered to have been properly published, and therefore will not be in the public domain for purposes of this Agreement.
3.    “Restricted Period” means the period of Participant’s employment by the Company or one of its Affiliates and twelve (12) months following termination of such employment for any reason (eighteen months in the case of the Company’s chief executive officer).
C.Representations, Warranties and Acknowledgements. Participant acknowledges that Participant’s services are of a special, unique and extraordinary character, and Participant’s position with the Business and the Company places Participant in a position of confidence and trust with the customers, suppliers, vendors, employees and agents of the Company.
1.    Participant also acknowledges that businesses that are competitive with the Company include, but are not limited to, any businesses which are engaged in the Business or any other lines of business that the Company may engage in the future.  Participant further acknowledges that the nature of the Business and the other businesses of the Company are national in scope.
2.    Participant represents and warrants to the Company that Participant is not a party to any agreement, commitment, arrangement or understanding (whether oral or written) that in any way conflicts with or limits Participant’s ability to commence or continue to render services to the Company or that would otherwise limit Participant’s ability to perform all responsibilities in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of Participant’s employment.
D.    Remedies. If Participant breaches any provision of Section 12.A hereof, all Performance Shares, whether vested or unvested, shall be immediately forfeited and cancelled or the Participant shall deliver to the Company the pre-tax income derived from any prior disposition of vested Performance Shares. Participant hereby further consents and agrees that in the event of breach or threatened breach by Participant of any provision of Section A hereof, the Company shall be entitled to (a) temporary and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and without the posting any bond or other security, (b) damages and an equitable accounting of all earnings, profits and other benefits arising from such violation, (c) recovery of all attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the Company in obtaining such relief, (d) cessation and repayment of any severance benefits paid to Participant pursuant to any agreement with the Company, including any employment agreement, severance benefit agreement, plan or program of the Company, and (e) any other legal and equitable relief to which it may be entitled, including any and all monetary damages which 

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the Company may incur as a result of said breach or threatened breach. The Company may pursue any remedy available, including declaratory relief, concurrently or consecutively in any order, and the pursuit of one such remedy at any time will not be deemed an election of remedies or waiver of the right to pursue any other remedy.
E.    Early Resolution Conference.    The provisions of this Section 12 are understood to be clear and enforceable as written and are entered into by Participant and the Company on that basis. However, should Participant later believe any provision in this Section 12 to be unclear, unenforceable, or inapplicable to activity that Participant intends to engage in, Participant will first notify the Company in writing and meet with a Company representative and a neutral mediator (if the Company elects to retain one at its expense) to discuss resolution of any disputes between the parties. Participant will provide this notification at least fourteen (14) days before Participant engages in any activity on behalf of a competing business or engages in other activity that could foreseeably fall within a questioned restriction. Any professional activity related to the electronic payments industry in any way shall fall within the scope of this obligation. The failure to comply with this requirement shall waive Participant's right to challenge the reasonable scope, clarity, applicability, or enforceability of this Section 12 and its restrictions at a later time. All rights of Participant and the Company will be preserved if the early resolution conference requirement is complied with even if no agreement is reached in the conference. 
F.    Governing Law. Notwithstanding Section 13 or any other provision in this Agreement or the Plan to the contrary, because the Company is headquartered in the State of Ohio, the provisions of this Section 12 of the Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio without regard to the choice of law rules of any state, including any state in which Participant works.
G.    Miscellaneous.
1.    If any provision or clause of this Section 12, or portion thereof, shall be held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable in such jurisdiction, the remainder of such provisions shall not thereby be affected and shall be given full effect, without regard to the invalid portion. It is the intention of the parties that, if any court construes any provision or clause of this Section 12, or any portion thereof, to be illegal, void or unenforceable because of the duration of such provision or the area or matter covered thereby, such court shall reduce the duration, area, or matter of such provision and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced. 
2.    This Section 12 may not be changed or terminated orally and can only be changed by an agreement in writing signed by the Company and the Participant.  
13.    Governing Law; Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law. Except as provided in Section 13, this Agreement and all acts and transactions pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be instituted in federal or state court in Hamilton County, Ohio, and each party hereto waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding and each party hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any suit, action or proceeding.
14.    Interpretation; Amendment; Enforcement of Rights. Any conflict between this Agreement and the Plan will be resolved in favor of the Plan. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement or the Plan shall be submitted by the Participant or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Participant and the Company. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the parties to this Agreement; provided, however, that the Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Performance Shares, prospectively or retroactively; provided further, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Participant’s material rights under this Agreement without the Participant’s consent. No course of dealing or any delay on the part of the Company or the Participant in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any such rights.  No waiver of any default or breach of this Agreement shall be deemed a continuing waiver of any other breach or default.  No course of dealing or any delay on the part of the Company in exercising similar rights with regard to other participants shall operate as a waiver of any rights hereunder.
15.    Complete Agreement.  The Participant and the Company acknowledge and agree that this Agreement represents their full and complete agreement on the subject matter thereof, and that this Agreement supersedes any and all prior contracts or agreements on that subject matter between the Participant, on the one hand, and the Company or any of its Affiliates, on the other, and that all such prior contracts or agreements are null and void.  Any amendments or modifications of this Agreement must be in writing and executed by both the Participant and the Company.

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16.    Performance Shares Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s stockholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.
17.    Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Participant and the Participant’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Performance Shares may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.
18.    Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.
19.    Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Performance Shares in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Performance Shares or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Participant’s employment with the Company.
20.    Section 162(m). To the extent that payments under this Agreement are intended to constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, this Award shall be construed and administered in a manner consistent with such intent.
21.    Section 409A. This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code or an exemption thereunder and shall be construed and interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements for avoiding additional taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. In addition and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, we reserve the right to revise this Agreement as we deem necessary or advisable, in our sole discretion and without your consent, to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with this award of Performance Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no representations that the payments and benefits provided under this Agreement comply with Section 409A of the Code and in no event shall the Company be liable for all or any portion of any taxes, penalties, interest or other expenses that may be incurred by the Participant on account of non-compliance with Section 409A of the Code. For purposes of this Agreement, “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code, and any proposed, temporary or final Treasury Regulations and Internal Revenue Service guidance thereunder, as each may be amended from time to time.
22.    No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Participant’s Performance Shares is not part of his or her normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.
23.    Acknowledgement. The Company and the Participant acknowledge and agree that the Award is granted under and governed by the Plan and the provisions of the Notice and this Agreement. The Participant: (i) acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and the Plan prospectus, (ii) represents that the Participant has carefully read and is familiar with their provisions, and (iii) hereby accepts the Award subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and those set forth in the Plan and the Notice.
24.    Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. By accepting this Award, the Participant consents to the electronic delivery of the Notice, this Agreement, the Plan, account statements, Plan prospectuses, and any other documents, communications or information related to or that the Company may be required to deliver in connection with the Plan, the Award or the Shares. Electronic delivery of a document may be via e-mail, by reference to a location on the Company’s intranet site or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, or such other delivery determined at the Company’s discretion. Participant also consents and agrees to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system maintained by the Company or a third party involved in administering the Plan. This Agreement will be deemed to be signed by Participant upon the electronic grant acceptance by Participant of the Notice of Performance Share Award to which it is attached.

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25.    Repayment Obligation. In the event that (i) the Company issues a restatement of financial results to correct a material error and (ii) the Committee determines, in good faith, that Participant’s fraud or willful misconduct was a significant contributing factor to the need to issue such restatement and (iii) some or all of the Performance Shares that were granted and/or earned during the three year period prior to such restatement would not have been granted and/or earned, as applicable, based upon the restated financial results, the Participant shall immediately return to the Company the Performance Shares, whether vested or unvested, or the pre-tax income derived from any prior disposition of vested  of the Performance Shares, that would not have been granted and/or earned based upon the restated financial results (the “Repayment Obligation”). This Repayment Obligation shall be in addition to any compensation recovery policy that may be adopted by the Company or by the Committee pursuant to the Plan, or is otherwise required by applicable law or the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
26.     Confidentiality. By accepting this Award, Participant agrees to keep confidential the existence of, and any information concerning, a dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to or concerning the Plan or this Agreement, except that Participant may disclose information concerning such dispute, controversy or claim to the court that is considering such dispute, controversy or claim and to his or her legal counsel (provided that such counsel agrees not to disclose any such information other than as necessary to the prosecution or defense of the dispute, controversy or claim).

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EXHIBIT 1 
2016 PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARDS
Performance Period
The Performance Period is the three-year period beginning January 1, 2016 and ending December 31, 2018.
Performance Goals
The number of Performance Shares earned shall be determined by reference to the Company’s cumulative compound annual growth rate over the Performance Period in: 1) net revenue, which will determine the vesting of 30% of the Performance Shares; and 2) pro forma adjusted net income per share, which will determine the vesting of 70% of the Performance Shares.
Determining Performance Shares Earned 
Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or the Agreement, the number of Performance Shares earned with respect to the Performance Period shall be determined as follows:
	
				
	Net Revenue (30%)
	Proforma Adjusted Net Income Per Share(1) (70%)

	Cumulative Compound Annual Growth Rate
	Shares Earned as a Percent of Target Award(2)
	Cumulative Compound Annual Growth Rate
	Shares Earned as a Percent of Target Award(2)

	% and above
	200% (maximum)
	% and above
	200% (maximum)

	%
	100% (target)
	%
	100% (target)

	%
	50% (threshold)
	%
	50% (threshold)

	Below %
	0%
	Below %
	0%

(1) Excluding dilutive effects of warrant held by Fifth Third Bank.
(2) For performance between the established levels, the number of Performance Shares earned will be based on linear interpolation between such levels.
Award Range
Depending on the Company's performance against the Performance Goals, the Participant may earn between 0% and 200% of the target award (which represents 25% of the maximum number shown in the Notice for threshold performance, 50% for target performance, and 100% for maximum performance).  
Determining Maximum Award
The target number of performance shares is determined on the date of grant by dividing the dollar amount of the target award by the closing price of the Company's Class A common stock on the date of grant. The maximum number represents 200% of the target number.  

10Exhibit

Exhibit 10.17
May 12, 2014

Matt Taylor

               Re:    Offer Letter 

Dear Matt:

As you know, an affiliate of Vantiv, LLC (“Vantiv”) intends to acquire Mercury Payment Systems, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”) (such acquisition, the “Transaction”) pursuant to the Transaction Agreement by and among Vantiv, the Company and certain other parties named therein, dated as of May 12, 2014 (the “Transaction Agreement”).  On behalf of Vantiv (and following the consummation of the Transaction, the Company), it is my pleasure to provide you with this letter (this “Letter”) setting forth the terms of your continued employment with the Company following the closing of the Transaction (the “Closing”).  This Letter shall become effective on the date that the Closing occurs (the “Effective Date”).  The effectiveness of this Letter is contingent upon the occurrence of the Closing and if the Closing does not occur for any reason, then this Letter shall be null and void and of no force or effect.  

Title, Duties and Responsibilities, Initial Reporting Relationship

Your title will be President of ISV and you will have duties and responsibilities that are consistent with your title, as assigned to you from time to time by your direct supervisor in his or her reasonable discretion.  You will initially report directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vantiv.

Salary

Your annualized salary will be $317,000 (“Base Salary”) payable in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices.

Annual Bonus Opportunity 

You will participate in Vantiv’s annual incentive program (or, for calendar year 2014, the Company’s annual incentive program, as determined by Vantiv in its discretion) with a target bonus opportunity of not less than $200,000.  The actual bonus payout, if any, may be less than or greater than your target bonus opportunity depending on the level at which the applicable performance objectives are achieved.  

Equity Awards

Commencing on January 1, 2015, you will be eligible to receive awards under the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (or any successor thereto) (the “Plan”) as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Vantiv, Inc. in its discretion, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan as in effect from time to time.

Company Options

Any options to acquire equity interests in the Company that were granted to you prior to the Effective Date (“Company Options”) shall be treated in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Agreement; provided, that, notwithstanding the terms of the award agreement(s) governing your Company Options that are Assumed Company Options (as defined in the Transaction Agreement), if your employment is terminated by the Company without cause (as defined in the applicable award agreement ) or you resign solely by reason of the occurrence of an event specified in clause (iii) or clause (iv) of the definition of Good Reason (as defined below), subject to the notice and cure provision set forth in the Good Reason definition, in either case within twenty-four (24) months following the Effective Date, then such Assumed Company Options shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable at the time of such termination to the extent not then vested and not previously canceled.  

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Benefits

You will continue to be eligible to participate in the benefit plans of the Company, as in effect from time to time, until such time that Vantiv transitions employees of the Company to Vantiv’s benefit plans, after which you will be eligible to participate in Vantiv’s benefit plans, as in effect from time to time.  You will become eligible to participate in the Vantiv 401(k) Plan as soon as reasonably practical following the acquisition.  Additional information on the Vantiv 401(k) Plan is explained in our benefits summary.  The Vantiv 401(k) Plan and benefit plans and the Company benefit plans are all governed and controlled by the formal plan documents and are subject to amendment consistent with the terms of the plan documents.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

You will continue to accrue PTO under the Company PTO policy, as in effect from time to time, until such time that we transition employees of the Company to the Vantiv PTO policy, after which you will accrue PTO under the Vantiv PTO policy, as in effect from time to time.

Severance

You shall be a participant in Vantiv’s Executive Severance Plan or any successor thereto (the “Severance Plan”) as in effect from time to time, at the level of an Executive Officer Participant (within the meaning of the Severance Plan); provided, that for purposes of your participation in the Severance Plan, the following definitions of “Cause” and “Good Reason” shall apply instead of the definitions set forth in the Severance Plan.   

		
	•
	“Cause” means any of the following: (i) your commission of gross misconduct in connection with the performance of any of your duties; (ii) your engagement in, or attempt to engage in, acts or omissions constituting fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, intentional wrongdoing or dishonesty (but excluding expense reimbursement disputes as to which you had a reasonable good faith belief that your conduct was in compliance with the policies of Vantiv and its subsidiaries, including the Company, that are applicable to you); (iii) your willful failure to implement reasonable directives of direct supervisor after written notice of such failure is delivered to you, which failure is not corrected within ten (10) days following delivery of such written notice; (iv) your material breach of the policies or procedures of Vantiv and its subsidiaries, including the Company, governing business ethics applicable to executives similarly situated to you (as may be amended from time to time); (v) your conviction of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony; or (vi) your material breach in the performance of your obligations under this Letter, which breach is not corrected within ten (10) days following delivery to you of written notice describing such breach.

		
	•
	“Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following events without your written consent:  (i) the assignment to you of duties materially inconsistent with your title as set forth in this Letter; provided, that Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to this clause (i) if, after a change of control of Vantiv as defined in the Vantiv, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan or any successor plan (a “Change of Control”), you are performing substantially the same duties as before the Change of Control but Vantiv (or its successors) is part of a larger organization, or you are performing such duties for a business unit of a parent entity that is a larger organization than Vantiv was before such Change of Control; (ii) a material breach by Vantiv in performing any of its obligations under this Letter; (iii) a requirement that you permanently relocate your principal place of employment to a geographic area more than fifty (50) miles from your principal place of employment as of the Effective Date; (iv) a material diminution of your Base Salary or target bonus opportunity as set forth in this Letter, other than as part of an across-the-board reduction that results in a proportional reduction to you substantially equivalent to that of other senior executives that are designated at the same level of participation as you are under the Severance Plan; or (v) any requirement imposed by Vantiv that you take any action or omit to take any action, which if taken or omitted to be taken would require you to resign in order to comply with applicable law.  Notwithstanding the forgoing, in no event shall Good Reason be deemed to exist unless within sixty (60) days following the occurrence of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (v), you shall have delivered a written notice to Vantiv indicating your intention to terminate your employment for Good Reason, which written notice specifies in reasonable detail the circumstances claimed to give rise to your right to terminate employment for Good Reason, and Vantiv shall not have cured such circumstances within thirty (30) days following Vantiv’s receipt of such written notice (in which event such termination shall be effective upon the expiration of such thirty (30) day period).  For the avoidance of doubt, any change to your title, position, duties, authority or reporting from those in effect prior to the Effective Date, and any change to 

2

your initial reporting relationship as set forth in this Letter, shall not constitute, or serve as the basis to claim, Good Reason.

If your employment is terminated without Cause or you resign for Good Reason during the first 12 months following the Effective Date (a “Qualifying Termination”), then, in addition to the severance payments that you are entitled to receive pursuant to the Severance Plan, you will be entitled to receive (i) a pro-rata portion of your Base Salary, with the pro-ration to be based on a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between the date of your Qualifying Termination and the first anniversary of the Effective Date and the denominator of which is 365, and (ii) a payment in respect of annual bonus determined as follows: (A) if the date of your Qualifying Termination occurs on or prior to December 31, 2014your actual bonus for 2014 (not pro-rated) under the annual incentive plan determined in the manner described in the Severance Plan (the “2014 Bonus Payment”), and (B) if the date of your Qualifying Termination occurs on or after January 1, 2015, the 2014 Bonus Payment, plus a pro-rated portion of your actual bonus for 2015 under the annual incentive plan determined in the manner described in the Severance Plan, with the pro-ration to be based on a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days between January 1, 2015 and the first anniversary of the Effective Date and the denominator of which is 365, which amounts shall be payable in the same manner as, and subject to the same conditions applicable to, the severance payments that you are entitled to receive pursuant to the Severance Plan.

Restrictive Covenants
The restrictive covenants (including without limitation any non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality covenants) set forth in the award agreement(s) governing your Company Options, and any related enforcement provisions, shall continue in full force and effect and are deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Letter as if set forth at length herein.  
Section 409A  
Six Month Delay.  For purposes of this Letter, all references to “termination of employment” shall be deemed to refer to a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).  If and to the extent any portion of any payment, compensation or other benefit provided to you under this Letter by reason of your termination of employment is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A for which no exemption is available and you are a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, as determined by Vantiv in accordance with its procedures, by which determination you hereby agree that you are bound, such portion of the payment, compensation or other benefit will be paid within ten (10) days following the earlier of (i) the day that is six (6) months plus one (1) day after the date of the termination of employment or (ii) the date of your death (as applicable, the “New Payment Date”).  The aggregate of any payments that otherwise would have been paid to you during the period between the date of separation from service and the New Payment Date will be paid to you in a lump sum in the first payroll period beginning after such New Payment Date, and any remaining payments will be paid on their original schedule.

General Purposes.  For purposes of this Letter, each amount to be paid or benefit to be provided will be construed as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A, and any payments that are due within the “short term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A or are paid in a manner covered by Treas. Reg. Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) will not be treated as deferred compensation unless applicable law requires otherwise.  Neither the Vantiv Group nor you will have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  The payments and benefits provided pursuant to this Letter are intended to comply with, or be exempt from, the provisions of Section 409A and the terms of this Letter will be administered and construed in accordance with such intention.  In any event, the Vantiv Group makes no representation or warranty and will have no liability to you or any other person if any penalties are imposed under Section 409A with respect to the payments and benefits provided pursuant to this Letter.

At-Will Employment

Your employment with the Vantiv Group is on an at-will basis and no part of this Letter should be construed as a contract or guarantee of continued employment for any period of time. Either the Vantiv Group or you may terminate your employment at any time, for any reason or no reason, and with or without notice. No statement in this Letter or otherwise should be considered to change the status of your employment from at-will employment, unless it is made in writing and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Vantiv (or his designee).

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Governing Law

This Letter and any and all controversies, claims or disputes arising out of, relating to, or resulting from your employment with the Vantiv Group or the termination of your employment with the Vantiv Group shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to its principles of conflicts of law.

Legal Fees

Prior to the date on which the Closing occurs, the Company shall be permitted to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees, in an amount not to exceed $15,000, incurred in connection with negotiating and documenting this Letter; provided, that you deliver to the Company evidence of the actual amount of such fees sufficient to enable the Company to make such payment prior to the date on which the Closing occurs.
Acknowledgement

This Letter supersedes and replaces any other employment agreement, severance agreement, offer letter or other understanding (whether written or oral) that you have with the Company or its affiliates regarding the terms of your employment, including compensation, benefits and severance, including without limitation, the proposed Employment Agreement between you and the Company.  This Letter also supersedes and replaces any rights that you may have under the executive severance arrangement adopted by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Managers of the Company on August 26, 2013, and you hereby waive and relinquish all such rights.

Employment Policies

You agree and acknowledge that, in addition to the terms set forth in this Letter, your employment shall be governed by the terms of the applicable employment policies maintained by the Vantiv Group, including the Vantiv Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as in effect from time to time.

[Signature page follows.]

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Acceptance

To indicate your acceptance of this offer, please sign and return this letter.

Sincerely,

/s/  Charles Drucker                          
Charles Drucker
President and Chief Executive Officer
Vantiv, LLC

/s/ Matt Taylor                                                 
Matt Taylor

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