The two companies have completed the integration of Austin Logistics' NSFGuard payment risk solution with First Data's Payment Defender risk decisioning platform.

This new payment risk application enables First Data clients — leading credit card issuers, banks and others — to quickly identify high-risk and fraudulent payments for faster, more precise float/no float decisioning. First Data is hosting the solution, which means that customers get the highest level of risk management without having to deploy the solution in-house.

NSFGuard is a first-of-its kind predictive analytic software solution that uses customer and disparate data sources to score and evaluate a payment for a non-sufficient funds hold. With the ability to identify high-risk and out-of-pattern transactions and then assign a hold/no hold decision, NSFGuard is able to optimize that decision against business strategies and account treatment options. With current payment trends indicating a marked rise in delinquent and or fraudulent payments, the issue of how much line or balance to give a customer who’s paid by check or other payment vehicle becomes a delicate balance of customer satisfaction and risk assessment. With this combined offering, First Data customers can make precise float decisions with confidence, rapidly restricting the available credit on high risk accounts while freeing up credit and balance for deserving customers.

"First Data believes that the integration of products into our processing system provides our clients with the highest levels of efficiency and flexibility," said Sara Bonn, chief product and innovation officer, First Data. "We pride ourselves in collaborating with best-class partners to provide our clients with the resources they need to build stronger, more valuable customer relationships. Austin Logistics has a track record of being the leader in developing key predictive analytic software advances that have proven and measurable results time and again for our customers."

"This announcement underscores our long-standing strategy of partnering with industry leaders to bring the most advanced, inventive solutions to market," said Tom Miller, Senior Vice President, Austin Logistics. "NSF Solution is proof of that. Integrating our two complementary solutions means customers now have the industry’s most complete, most accurate risk management solution."