Western Union CO (WU)

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

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. This Annual Report on Form 10‑K contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain statements contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. See the discussion under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and under the heading “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

Overview

We are a leading provider of cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments, and digital financial services and conduct business in the following operating segments:

•
Consumer Money Transfer - Our Consumer Money Transfer segment facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from our retail agent and owned locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices. Our money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.

•
Consumer Services - Our Consumer Services segment includes our bill payment services, money order services, retail foreign exchange services, media network, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets.

On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business, and the final closing for this transaction occurred on July 1, 2023. Accordingly, we no longer report Business Solutions revenues and operating expenses after July 1, 2023. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 4, Divestitures and Goodwill for further information related to our Business Solutions divestiture.

Additional information regarding our segments is provided in the Segment Discussion below.

Results of Operations

The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. For discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, refer to Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024.

The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provides more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between our segments have been eliminated. The below information has been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) unless otherwise noted. All amounts provided in this section are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, the percentage changes and margins disclosed herein may not recalculate precisely using the rounded amounts provided.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues Overview

Revenues are primarily derived from consideration paid by customers to transfer money. These revenues vary by transaction based upon factors such as channel, send and receive locations, the send and receive funding method, the principal amount sent, and, when the money transfer involves different send and receive currencies, the difference between the exchange rate we set to the customer and a rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market. We also offer other consumer services, for which revenue is impacted by similar factors.

Due to the significance of the effect that foreign exchange fluctuations against the United States dollar can have on our reported revenues, constant currency results have been provided in the table below for consolidated revenues. Constant currency revenues translate revenues denominated in foreign currencies to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. Constant currency results are also net of the impact of Argentina inflation due to its economy being hyperinflationary. We have also disclosed the impact of the Business Solutions divestiture on our revenues in the table below. Constant currency measures and measures that exclude the impact of divestitures are non-GAAP financial measures and are provided so that revenue can be viewed without the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, net of the hyperinflationary Argentine economy, and divestitures of our businesses, which is consistent with how management evaluates our revenue results and trends. We believe that these measures provide management and investors with information about revenue results and trends that eliminates currency volatility and divestitures, thereby providing greater clarity regarding, and increasing the comparability of, our underlying results and trends. These disclosures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the percentage change in revenue on a GAAP basis for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year. Other companies may calculate and define similarly labeled items differently, which may limit the usefulness of this measure for comparative purposes.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue results for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

(a)
Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges and Argentina inflation, resulted in an increase to GAAP revenues of $11.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 when compared to the prior year. We calculate Argentina inflation as the revenue growth not attributable to either transaction growth or the change in price (revenue divided by principal).

(b)
Business Solutions revenues included in our results were $29.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2024 when compared to the prior year, GAAP and Adjusted revenues decreased due to a reduction in transactions originating from Iraq, which negatively impacted revenues by slightly more than 3%. We believe that we will continue to see a reduction in transactions originating in Iraq, compared to recent years, primarily driven by changes in monetary policy and related central bank actions.

Operating Expenses Overview

Redeployment program

On October 20, 2022, we announced an operating expense redeployment program, which aims to redeploy and reallocate investment and expenses in our cost base, accomplished through optimizations in vendor management, our real estate footprint, marketing, and people strategy. We believe these changes have allowed us to invest in strategic initiatives. We incurred $92.7 million of total expenses under this program, including severance, from inception through December 31, 2024.

The following table presents the location and amount of operating expenses associated with our redeployment program in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Cost of Services

Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represented approximately 60% of total cost of services for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, Cost of services decreased compared to the prior year primarily due to decreases in agent commissions, which generally vary with revenue, lower information technology expenses, and a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture, partially offset by increases in certain variable expenses, including bank fees and credit and non-credit losses, and higher employee compensation primarily associated with our expansion of Company-owned locations.

Selling, General, and Administrative

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 when compared to the prior year due to a decrease in advertising costs and decreases associated with the Business Solutions divestiture. These were partially offset by fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies.

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Total Other Expense, Net

Total other expense, net increased for the year ended December 31, 2024 when compared to the prior year as a result of the prior year gain on the final closing of the Business Solutions divestiture, which occurred on July 1, 2023, as well as increased interest expense in the current year due to higher average commercial paper balances outstanding.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were (51.0)% and 16.1% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The change in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year was primarily due to the recognition of deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance, associated with the reorganization of our international operations and a settlement of the IRS examination of our 2017 and 2018 federal income tax returns, which resulted in tax benefits of $255.2 million and $137.8 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of tax exposures. As of December 31, 2024, the total amount of tax contingency reserves was $17.9 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in the facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period, and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.

A significant proportion of our profits are foreign-derived. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, 112% and 105%, respectively, of our pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources. While the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to us, our overall effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in foreign tax laws.

Earnings Per Share

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, basic earnings per share were $2.75 and $1.69, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $2.74 and $1.68, respectively. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. Shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation were 11.6 million and 9.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The effect of these shares was anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method, as the assumed proceeds of the options and restricted stock per unit were above our average share price during the periods.

Earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year were impacted by the previously described factors impacting net income and a lower number of average shares outstanding.

Segment Discussion

We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our segments address a different combination of customer groups, distribution networks, and services offered. Our segments are Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business and the final closing for this transaction was on July 1, 2023. Accordingly, we no longer report Business Solutions revenues and operating expenses after July 1, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, Business Solutions revenues and operating income included in our Consolidated Statements of Income were $29.7 million and $3.7 million, respectively.

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred $41.4 million and $29.5 million, respectively, of costs associated with our operating expense redeployment program, as described above, primarily related to severance,

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expenses associated with streamlining our organizational and legal structure, and non-cash impairments of operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and property and equipment. We also recorded non-cash amortization and impairment of acquired intangible assets in connection with recent business acquisitions. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we incurred costs associated with operating our Russian entity and impairment costs related to our assets in Russia, as we have decided to pursue either liquidating or selling these assets. In estimating this impairment, we did not include the cash that we believe will be necessary to pay for future costs as we work to liquidate and exit the business. While certain of the above expenses are identifiable to our segments, the expenses are not included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) for purposes of performance assessment and resource allocation. These expenses are therefore excluded from our segment operating income results.

Beginning in 2024, we changed our segment reporting methodology to no longer allocate acquisition, separation, and integration costs to our segments. These costs were previously allocated entirely to Consumer Services while it was called Other, and the amounts included in the segment were immaterial for the year ended December 31, 2023. The expenses are no longer included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the CODM for purposes of performance assessment and resource allocation.

The business segment measurements provided to, and evaluated by, our CODM are computed in accordance with the following principles:

•
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

•
Corporate costs, including overhead expenses, are allocated to the segments primarily based on a percentage of the segments’ revenue compared to total revenue.

•
All items not included in operating income are excluded from the segments.

The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Consumer Money Transfer

The following table sets forth our Consumer Money Transfer segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Our Consumer Money Transfer service facilitates money transfers sent from our retail agent locations worldwide and money transfer transactions conducted and funded through websites and mobile applications marketed under our brands (“Branded Digital”). The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are primarily related to generating, managing, and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities. We include Branded Digital transactions in our regions. By means of common processes and systems, these regions, including Branded Digital transactions, create

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one interconnected global network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one Consumer Money Transfer business and one operating segment.

Transaction volume is the primary generator of revenue in our Consumer Money Transfer segment. A Consumer Money Transfer transaction constitutes the transfer of funds to a designated recipient utilizing one of our consumer money transfer services. The geographic split for transactions and revenue in the table that follows is determined based upon the region where the money transfer is initiated. Included in each region’s transaction and revenue percentages in the tables below are Branded Digital transactions for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. Where reported separately in the discussion below, Branded Digital consists of 100% of the transactions conducted and funded through that channel.

The table below sets forth revenue and transaction changes by geographic region compared to the prior year. Additionally, due to the significance of our Consumer Money Transfer segment to our overall results, we have also provided constant currency results for our Consumer Money Transfer segment revenues. Consumer Money Transfer segment adjusted revenue growth/(decline) is a non-GAAP financial measure, as further discussed in Revenues Overview above.

(a)
Adjusted revenue growth/(decline) assumes that revenues denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. LACA, total Consumer Money Transfer, and Branded Digital adjusted revenue growth excludes the effect of increases in local currency revenue due to inflation in Argentina, which is hyperinflationary. We calculate Argentina inflation as the revenue growth not attributable to either transaction growth or the change in price (revenue divided by principal).

(b)
As noted above, Branded Digital revenues are included in the regions.

The table below sets forth regional revenues as a percentage of our Consumer Money Transfer revenue for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Branded Digital, which is included in the regional percentages above, represented approximately 24% and 22% of our Consumer Money Transfer revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Our consumers transferred $102.9 billion and $101.7 billion in cross-border principal for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Consumer Money Transfer cross-border principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to a designated recipient in a country or territory that differs from the country or territory from which the transaction was initiated. Consumer Money Transfer cross-border principal is a metric used by management to monitor and better understand the growth in our underlying business relative to competitors, as well as changes in our market share of global remittances.

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Revenues

Consumer Money Transfer revenue decreased 5%, and transactions increased 4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges and Argentina inflation, negatively impacted revenue by 1% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, in our Consumer Money Transfer regions, NA revenue decreased and transactions increased compared to the prior year. Price reductions were partially offset by an increase in cross-border transactions sent from the United States. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our EU & CIS revenues were negatively impacted by price reductions and by one of our retail agents no longer offering cash-based services at its retail locations. Declines in revenue in the MEASA region were driven by a reduction in transactions originating from Iraq primarily driven by changes in monetary policy and related central bank actions, as discussed above.

We have historically implemented price reductions or price increases throughout many of our global corridors. We will likely continue to implement price changes from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Price reductions generally reduce margins and adversely affect financial results in the short term and may also adversely affect financial results in the long term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently. Price increases may adversely affect transaction volumes, as consumers may not use our services if we fail to price them appropriately.

Operating Income

Consumer Money Transfer operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased compared to the prior year due to a decrease in revenue, as discussed above, and fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies, partially offset by reduced agent commissions, a decrease in advertising costs, and lower information technology expenses.

Consumer Services

The following table sets forth Consumer Services segment results for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Revenues

For the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year, Consumer Services revenues increased primarily due to an increase in retail foreign exchange services, growth in new services we are continuing to introduce to our customers, including media network, and an increase in our money order business. Argentina inflation, net of the impact of fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, resulted in an increase to revenue growth of 13% for the year ended December 31, 2024 relative to the prior year.

Operating Income

Consumer Services operating income for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year was negatively impacted by increased expenses associated with our retail foreign exchange services and new services we are continuing to introduce to our customers, including media network, increased investment in information technology, and higher credit losses.

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Capital Resources and Liquidity

Our primary source of liquidity has been cash generated from our operating activities, primarily from net income and fluctuations in working capital. Our working capital is affected by the timing of payments for employee and agent incentives, interest payments on our outstanding borrowings, and timing of income tax payments, among other items. Many of our annual employee incentive compensation and agent incentive payments are made in the first quarter following the year they were incurred. The majority of our interest payments are due in the second and fourth quarters, which results in a decrease in the amount of cash provided by operating activities in those quarters and a corresponding increase to the first and third quarters. The annual payments resulting from the United States tax reform legislation enacted in 2017 (the “Tax Act”) include amounts related to the United States taxation of certain previously undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. The final payment of approximately $221 million is due in the second quarter of 2025.

Our future cash flows could be impacted by a variety of factors, some of which are out of our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, especially those impacting migrant populations, changes in income tax laws or the status of income tax audits, including the resolution of outstanding tax matters, and the settlement or resolution of legal contingencies.

Substantially all of our cash flows from operating activities have been generated from subsidiaries. Most of these cash flows are generated from our regulated subsidiaries. Our regulated subsidiaries may transfer all excess cash to the parent company for general corporate use, except for assets subject to legal or regulatory restrictions, including: (i) requirements to maintain cash and other qualifying investment balances, free of any liens or other encumbrances, related to the payment of certain of our money transfer and other payment obligations, (ii) other legal or regulatory restrictions, including statutory or formalized minimum net worth requirements, and (iii) restrictions on transferring assets outside of the countries where these assets are located.

We currently believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our business needs, including payments under our debt and other obligations, through our existing cash balances, our ability to generate cash flows through operations, and our $1.56 billion revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), which supports our commercial paper program. Our commercial paper program enables us to issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.56 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of any borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2024, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility and no outstanding borrowings on our commercial paper program.

To help ensure availability of our worldwide cash where needed, we utilize a variety of planning and financial strategies, including decisions related to the amounts, timing, and manner by which cash is repatriated or otherwise made available from our international subsidiaries. These decisions can influence our overall tax rate and impact our total liquidity. We regularly evaluate our United States cash requirements, taking tax consequences and other factors into consideration and also the potential uses of cash internationally to determine the appropriate level of dividend repatriations of our foreign source income.

Cash and Investment Securities

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had Cash and cash equivalents of $1,474.0 million and $1,268.6 million, respectively.

In many cases, we receive funds from money transfers and certain other payment services before we settle the payment of those transactions. These funds, referred to as Settlement assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, are not used to support our operations. However, we earn income from investing these funds. We maintain a portion of these settlement assets in highly liquid investments, classified as Cash and cash equivalents within Settlement assets, to fund settlement obligations.

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Investment securities, net, classified within Settlement assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,332.2 million and $1,458.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities. These investment securities are held in order to comply with state licensing requirements in the United States and are required to have credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 7, Settlement Assets and Obligations for more details regarding investment securities.

Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. We regularly monitor credit risk and attempt to mitigate our exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and diversifying our investment portfolio. Our investment securities are also actively managed with respect to concentration. As of December 31, 2024, all investments with a single issuer and each individual security represented less than 10% of our investment securities portfolio.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased to $406.3 million from $783.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year, cash provided by operating activities was negatively impacted by higher income taxes paid related to the Tax Act, as further discussed below, as well as payments related to United States federal tax liabilities arising from the examination of our tax returns for the 2017 and 2018 tax years, in addition to other changes in working capital balances.

Financing Resources

As of December 31, 2024, we had the following outstanding borrowings (in millions):

(a)
The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.

(b)
On January 10, 2025, we repaid these notes in full. See additional information in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 14, Borrowings.

(c)
In December 2024, we drew upon our Term Loan Facility. See additional information in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 14, Borrowings.

(d)
As of December 31, 2024, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.3%.

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Commercial Paper Program

Pursuant to our commercial paper program, we may issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.56 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. Our commercial paper borrowings may have maturities of up to 397 days from date of issuance. Interest rates for borrowings are based on market rates at the time of issuance. As of December 31, 2024, we had no commercial paper borrowings outstanding, and as of December 31, 2023, we had $364.9 million in commercial paper borrowings outstanding. Proceeds from our commercial paper borrowings were used for general corporate purposes and working capital needs, including the settlement of our money transfer obligations prior to collecting receivables from agents or others.

Revolving Credit Facility

Our Revolving Credit Facility provides for unsecured financing facilities and allows us to draw loans payable based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, or the Sterling Overnight Index Average. On November 30, 2024, we increased the aggregate revolving credit commitments to $1.56 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit subfacility and $300.0 million swing line sublimit, and extended the maturity date to November 30, 2029.

Interest due under the Revolving Credit Facility is payable according to the terms of that borrowing. Generally, interest under the Revolving Credit Facility is calculated using either (i) an adjusted term SOFR, or other applicable benchmark based on the currency of the borrowing, plus an interest rate margin determined on a sliding scale from 0.920% to 1.425% based on our credit rating (currently 1.140%) or (ii) a base rate plus a margin determined on a sliding scale from 0.000% to 0.425% based on our credit rating (currently 0.140%). A facility fee on the total amount of the facility is also payable quarterly, regardless of usage, and such facility fee is determined on a sliding scale from 0.080% to 0.200% based on our credit rating (currently 0.110%).

The purpose of our Revolving Credit Facility, which is diversified through a group of 18 participating institutions, is to provide general liquidity and to support our commercial paper program, which we believe enhances our short-term credit rating. The largest commitment from any single financial institution within the total committed balance of $1.56 billion is approximately 13%. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had no outstanding borrowings under the facility. If the amount available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility decreased, or if the Revolving Credit Facility were eliminated, the cost and availability of borrowing under the commercial paper program may be impacted.

Term Loan Facility

On June 25, 2024, we entered into a delayed draw term loan credit agreement providing for an unsecured term loan facility in an aggregate amount of $800.0 million (the “Term Loan Facility”). On December 13, 2024, we drew upon the Term Loan Facility in the total amount of $800.0 million, and such borrowings mature on December 13, 2027. We have the option to increase the commitments under the Term Loan Facility by an amount such that the commitments do not exceed $1.0 billion in the aggregate (after giving effect to any such increases). Any such increases would be subject to obtaining additional commitments from existing or new lenders under the Term Loan Facility. We used the proceeds from the Term Loan Facility borrowings to repay our issued and outstanding 2.850% notes due January 2025, to reduce commercial paper balances, and for general corporate purposes.

Notes

For a discussion regarding the terms and maturities of our notes, please refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 14, Borrowings.

Credit Ratings and Debt Covenants

The credit ratings on our debt are an important consideration in our overall business, managing our financing costs, and facilitating access to additional capital on favorable terms. Factors that we believe are important in assessing our credit ratings include earnings, cash flow generation, leverage, available liquidity, and the overall business.

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Our Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan Facility contain interest rate margins which are determined based on certain of our credit ratings and the Revolving Credit Facility also contains a facility fee that is based on our credit ratings. In addition, the interest rates payable on our notes due in 2026 and 2031 can be impacted by our credit ratings. We are also subject to certain provisions in many of our notes and certain of our derivative contracts, which could require settlement or collateral posting in the event of a change in control combined with a downgrade below investment grade, as further described below. We do not have any other terms within our debt agreements that are tied to changes in our credit ratings.

The Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan Facility contain covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to sell or transfer assets or merge or consolidate with another company, grant certain types of security interests, incur certain types of liens, impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, incur certain subsidiary level indebtedness, or use proceeds in violation of anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws. Our notes are subject to similar covenants except that only the notes due in 2036 contain covenants limiting or restricting subsidiary indebtedness, and none of our notes are subject to a covenant that limits our ability to impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends. Both our Revolving Credit Facility and our Term Loan Facility require us to maintain a consolidated adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (“EBITDA”) interest coverage ratio of greater than 3:1 (ratio of consolidated adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income/(loss) plus the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation expense, (iv) amortization expense, (v) any other non-cash deductions, losses, or charges made in determining net income/(loss) for such period, and (vi) extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses or charges (including costs and expenses of litigation included in operating income), minus extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual gains provided that the amount added back to net income (or net loss) for such extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses, expenses or charges may not exceed 10% of adjusted EBITDA, in each case determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for such period, to interest expense) for each period comprising the four most recent consecutive fiscal quarters. Our consolidated interest coverage ratio was 9:1 for the year ended December 31, 2024.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with our debt covenants. A violation of our debt covenants could impair our ability to borrow, and outstanding amounts borrowed could become due, thereby restricting our ability to use our excess cash for other purposes.

Certain of our notes (including our notes due in 2026, 2031, and 2040) include a change of control triggering event provision, as defined in the terms of the notes. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. A change of control triggering event will occur when there is a change of control involving us, and, among other things, within a specified period in relation to the change of control, the notes are downgraded from an investment grade rating to below an investment grade rating by certain major credit rating agencies.

Cash Priorities

Liquidity

Our objective is to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings. We have existing cash balances, cash flows from operating activities, access to the commercial paper markets, and our Revolving Credit Facility available to support the needs of our business.

Our ability to grow the business, make investments in our business, make acquisitions, return capital to shareholders, including through dividends and share repurchases, and service our debt and tax obligations will depend on our ability to continue to generate excess operating cash through our operating subsidiaries and to continue to receive dividends from those operating subsidiaries, our ability to obtain adequate financing, and our ability to identify acquisitions that align with our long-term strategy. For additional information, please refer to Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

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Capital Expenditures

The total aggregate amount paid for purchased and developed software, contract costs, and purchases of property and equipment was $130.6 million and $147.8 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Capital expenditures during these periods included investments in our information technology infrastructure. Amounts paid for new and renewed agent contracts vary depending on the terms of existing contracts as well as the timing of new and renewed contract signings.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, 13.9 million and 24.3 million shares, respectively, were repurchased for $177.3 million and $300.0 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $12.75 and $12.35, respectively, under the share repurchase authorization approved by our Board of Directors which expired on December 31, 2024. On December 13, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized $1.0 billion of common stock repurchases with no expiration date.

Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.235 per common share in all four quarters of 2024 and 2023, representing $318.3 million and $346.1 million in total dividends, respectively. These amounts were paid to shareholders of record in the respective quarter the dividend was declared.

On February 4, 2025, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share payable on March 31, 2025.

Material Cash Requirements

Debt Service Requirements

Our 2025 and future debt service requirements will include payments on all outstanding indebtedness, including any borrowings under our commercial paper program. On January 10, 2025, we repaid our notes due in 2025 using proceeds from our Term Loan Facility borrowings.

As of December 31, 2024, the total projected interest payments on outstanding borrowings were $812.8 million, of which $114.2 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. We have estimated our future interest payments based on the assumption that no debt issuances or renewals will occur upon the maturity dates of our notes. However, we may refinance all or a portion of our borrowings in future periods, and we expect to continue to borrow under our commercial paper program for general corporate purposes and working capital needs. Estimated interest payments on floating-rate debt are calculated by utilizing the effective rate and forward rates as of December 31, 2024 for our current and future interest rates, respectively.

2017 United States Federal Tax Liability

The Tax Act imposed a tax on certain of our previously undistributed foreign earnings. This tax charge, combined with our other 2017 United States taxable income and tax attributes, resulted in a 2017 United States federal tax liability of approximately $800 million. We elected to pay this liability in periodic installments through 2025 and in the second quarter of 2024, we made an installment payment of $159 million towards this liability. Under the terms of the law, we are required to pay the final installment of approximately $221 million in the second quarter of 2025. These payments have affected and will continue to adversely affect our cash flows and liquidity and may adversely affect future share repurchases.

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Operating Leases

We lease real properties for use as administrative and sales offices, in addition to transportation, office, and other equipment. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 11, Leases for details on our leasing arrangements, including future maturities of our operating lease liabilities.

Purchase Obligations

A purchase obligation is an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable, legally binding, and specifies all significant terms. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $150 million of outstanding purchase obligations, of which approximately $100 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Many of our contracts contain clauses that allow us to terminate the contract with notice and with a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, we have not had any significant defaults on our contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of our contractual obligations.

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

Other Commercial Commitments

We had approximately $60 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2024 primarily held in connection with regulatory requirements, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. We expect to renew many of our letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition is based on our consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other related disclosures. Actual results may or may not differ from these estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Our critical accounting policies and estimates, described below, are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and our results of operations, and applying them requires our management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. We believe that the understanding of these key accounting policies and estimates is essential in achieving more insight into our operating results and financial condition.

Income Taxes

Income taxes, as reported in our consolidated financial statements, represent the net amount of income taxes we expect to pay to various taxing jurisdictions in connection with our operations. We provide for income taxes based on amounts that we believe we will ultimately owe after applying the required analyses and judgments.

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes requires significant judgment. We routinely receive, and may in the future receive, questions from taxing authorities on various tax-related assertions. In many of these instances, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, given the complexities in interpreting tax laws and applying our facts and circumstances to these laws in many jurisdictions throughout the world.

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of tax exposures. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the consolidated financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.

Our tax contingency reserves for our uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2024 were $17.9 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, in the event that the ultimate resolution of our uncertain tax positions differs from our estimates, we may be exposed to material increases in income tax expense, which could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, the timing of any related cash payments for these tax liabilities is inherently uncertain and is affected by variable factors outside our control.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. An impairment assessment of goodwill is conducted annually during our fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. This assessment of goodwill is performed more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. Reporting units are determined by the level at which management reviews segment operating results. That level may be the operating segment, or it may be one level below the operating segment.

Our impairment assessment typically begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The initial qualitative assessment includes

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comparing the overall financial performance of the reporting unit against the planned results. Additionally, each reporting unit’s fair value is assessed based on current and expected events and circumstances, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, and other relevant entity-specific events. Periodically, we perform a quantitative assessment, as described below, for each of our reporting units, regardless of the results of prior qualitative assessments.

If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then we estimate the fair value of the reporting unit using discounted cash flows and compare the estimated fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment is recognized for the difference. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion regarding our accounting policies for goodwill and any related impairments.

The determination of the reporting units and which reporting units to include in the qualitative assessment requires significant judgment. Also, all of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require judgment. Additionally, for the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we calculate the fair value of reporting units through discounted cash flow analyses which require us to make estimates and assumptions including, among other items, revenue growth rates, operating margins, and capital expenditures based on our budgets and business plans. Development of such estimates and assumptions and the resultant fair value takes into consideration expected regulatory, marketplace, and other economic factors as well as relevant discount rates and terminal values.

We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, a divestiture of a significant component of our business, or other triggering events. In addition, as our business or the way we manage our business changes, our reporting units may also change. If an event described above occurs and causes us to recognize a goodwill impairment charge, it would impact our reported earnings in the period such charge occurs.

The carrying value of goodwill as of December 31, 2024 was $2,059.6 million, which represented approximately 25% of our consolidated assets. As of December 31, 2024, goodwill of $1,983.3 million resides in our Consumer Money Transfer reporting unit, while the remaining $76.3 million resides in Consumer Services. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we did not record any goodwill impairments. For the Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services reporting units, the fair values of the businesses significantly exceed their carrying amounts.

Other Intangible Assets

We capitalize software, certain initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts, and acquired intangible assets. We evaluate such intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying amounts to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required.

The capitalization of software costs incurred during the application development stage, as well as costs incurred to acquire, install, and customize software for internal use, is subject to accounting policy criteria which requires management judgment to determine the stage of development, the amount of costs eligible to be capitalized, and the related period of benefit. For developed software, we capitalize the eligible costs (predominantly detailed design, development, and testing) incurred during the application development stage, and all other costs are expensed as incurred. Once the software is ready for its intended use, the capitalized costs are amortized over the software’s estimated useful life. The capitalization of initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts is subject to strict accounting policy criteria and requires management judgment as to the amount to capitalize and the related period of benefit. Our accounting policy is to limit the amount of capitalized costs for a given agent contract to the lesser of the estimated future cash flows from the contract or the termination fees we would receive in the event of early termination of the contract.

Disruptions to contractual relationships, significant actual or expected declines in cash flows or transaction volumes associated with contracts or software applications, or the discontinued use of a software application would cause us to evaluate the recoverability of the asset and could result in an impairment charge. Additionally, evaluating future cash flows

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associated with each asset requires us to make estimates and assumptions, including, among other things, revenue growth rates and operating margins based on our budgets and business plans.

The net carrying value of our other intangible assets as of December 31, 2024 was $315.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded immaterial impairments related to other intangible assets. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded impairments of approximately $9 million to other intangible assets primarily related to software no longer in use.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion.

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

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. This Annual Report on Form 10‑K contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain statements contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. See “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

We are a leading provider of cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments, and digital financial services and have operated in the following business segments:

•
Consumer Money Transfer - Our Consumer Money Transfer operating segment (previously Consumer-to-Consumer) facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from our retail agent locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices. Our money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.

•
Business Solutions - On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC (the "Buyer"), and the final closing for this transaction occurred on July 1, 2023. Accordingly, we will no longer report Business Solutions revenues and operating expenses after July 1, 2023. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements, Note 4, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill for further information regarding this transaction. Our Business Solutions operating segment facilitated payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The segment’s business related to exchanges of currency at spot rates, which enabled customers to make cross-currency payments, and in limited countries, we wrote foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments.

•
Consumer Services - Our Consumer Services segment (previously Other) includes our bill payment services which facilitate payments for consumers, businesses, and other organizations, as well as our money order services, retail foreign exchange services, prepaid cards, lending partnerships, and digital wallets. Certain of our corporate costs such as costs related to strategic initiatives, including costs for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, are also included in Consumer Services.

Additional information regarding our segments is provided in the Segment Discussion below.

Results of Operations

The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. For discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, refer to Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2023.

The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provides more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between our segments have been eliminated. The below information has been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) unless otherwise noted. All amounts provided in this section are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, except as

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otherwise noted. As a result, the percentage changes and margins disclosed herein may not recalculate precisely using the rounded amounts provided.

Our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 were impacted by fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $143.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 relative to the prior year.

On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business for cash consideration of $910.0 million. The sale was completed in three closings, with the entire cash consideration collected at the first closing and allocated to the closings on a relative fair value basis. The first closing occurred on March 1, 2022, excluded the operations in the European Union and the United Kingdom, and resulted in a gain of $151.4 million. The second closing, which occurred on December 31, 2022 and included the United Kingdom operations, resulted in a gain of $96.9 million. The final closing, which occurred on July 1, 2023 and included the European Union operations, resulted in a gain of $18.0 million. During the period between the first and final closings, we were required to pay the Buyer a measure of profit of the European Union and United Kingdom operations, while we owned them, adjusted for the occupancy charges for employees of the Buyer using our facilities, and other items, as contractually agreed, which was $2.7 million and $32.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and was included in Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The related income tax expense on this income was also passed to the Buyer.

Business Solutions revenues included in our Consolidated Statements of Income were $29.7 million and $196.9 million, and direct operating expenses, excluding corporate allocations, were $26.1 million and $140.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Costs related to the review and closing of this divestiture were $1.1 million and $5.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Beginning in March 2023, we experienced a significant increase in our business originating from Iraq which contributed 6% to our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 relative to the prior year. Over the past several months, we have been in regular discussions with policymakers in both the United States and Iraq about the elevated remittance volumes flowing through our network in Iraq. We believe this volume to have been the effect of policy changes by the Central Bank of Iraq. We have actively partnered with regulators to assess and evaluate increased funds flows from a regulatory, compliance, and risk perspective. We also evaluate and apply our own compliance and risk controls.

In March 2022, we suspended our operations in Russia and Belarus, which are included in our Consumer Money Transfer segment, due to the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Revenues associated with the Russia and Belarus operations, including transactions sent from, into, and within these countries for the year ended December 31, 2022 were approximately $28 million.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues Overview

Revenues are primarily derived from consideration paid by customers to transfer money. These revenues vary by transaction based upon factors such as channel, send and receive locations, the principal amount sent, and the difference between the exchange rate we set to the customer and a rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market, when the money transfer involves different send and receive currencies. We also offer several other services, including foreign exchange and payment services and other bill payment services, for which revenue is impacted by similar factors.

Due to the significance of the effect that foreign exchange fluctuations against the United States dollar can have on our reported revenues, constant currency results have been provided in the table below for consolidated revenues. Constant currency results assume foreign revenues are translated from foreign currencies to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. We have also disclosed the impact of our Business Solutions divestiture on our revenues in the table below. Constant currency measures and measures that exclude the impact of divestitures are non-GAAP financial measures and are provided so that revenue can be viewed without the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and divestitures of our businesses, which is consistent with how management evaluates our revenue results and trends. We believe that these measures provide management and investors with information about revenue results and trends that eliminates currency volatility and divestitures, thereby providing greater clarity regarding, and increasing the comparability of, our underlying results and trends. These disclosures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the percentage change in revenue on a GAAP basis for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year. Other companies may calculate and define similarly labeled items differently, which may limit the usefulness of this measure for comparative purposes.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

(a)
Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $143.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 when compared to foreign currency rates in the prior year.

(b)
Business Solutions revenues included in our results were $29.7 million and $196.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

In addition to the negative impacts from foreign currency and the divestiture of our Business Solutions business, as described above, for the year ended December 31, 2023 when compared to the prior year, GAAP and non-GAAP revenues benefited from an increase in Consumer Money Transfer revenues in Iraq, as discussed above, and an increase in local currency revenue per transaction in our Argentine operations due to inflation, partially offset by revenue declines in our Europe and CIS and North America regions, as well as the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus in March 2022.

Operating Expenses Overview

Operating expense redeployment program

On October 20, 2022, we announced an operating expense redeployment program which aims to redeploy approximately $150 million in expenses in our existing cost base through 2027, accomplished through optimizations in vendor management, our real estate footprint, marketing, and people strategy. We believe these changes will allow us to invest in strategic initiatives. The timing and pace of this redeployment may vary, and we believe that we will continue to refine aspects of the program as we progress. We have incurred and expect to incur incremental expenses associated with the implementation of this program. We incurred $10.6 million and $18.9 million of Cost of services and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, related to this program for the year ended December 31, 2023. We incurred $2.7 million and $19.1 million of Cost of services and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, related to this program for the year ended December 31, 2022, and we have incurred $51.3 million of total expenses under this program from inception through December 31, 2023.

Cost of Services

Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represented approximately 60% of total cost of services for the year ended December 31, 2023. Cost of services increased for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year primarily due to increased agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, as well as increased investment in information technology, and increased other variable expenses, including bank fees and credit and non-credit losses, partially offset by a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture.

Selling, General, and Administrative

Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year due to the Business Solutions divestiture, a reduction in general and administrative expenses in our shared services functions, including as a result of our operating expense redeployment program, exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russia and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture that were incurred in the prior year, as discussed above, fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies, and a reduction in advertising expenses. The decrease was partially offset by increases in employee incentive compensation.

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Total Other Income/(Expense), Net

Total other income/(expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year was impacted by the gain on the first, second, and final closings of the Business Solutions divestiture, which occurred on March 1, 2022, December 31, 2022 and July 1, 2023, respectively, as described further above, and by the expense associated with payment obligations to the Buyer of the Business Solutions business for a measure of the profits, as contractually agreed, from the European Union and United Kingdom operations, while owned by us.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were 16.1% and 9.7% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year was primarily due to the reversal of uncertain tax positions in the prior year, including from statute of limitations expirations and the completion of the examination of our federal income tax returns for 2017 and 2018, partially offset by the effects of the sale of our Business Solutions business.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. As of December 31, 2023, the total amount of tax contingency reserves was $244.8 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in the facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period, and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.

A significant proportion of our profits are foreign-derived. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, 105% and 95%, respectively, of our pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources. While the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to us, our overall effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in foreign tax laws.

Earnings Per Share

During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, basic earnings per share were $1.69 and $2.35, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $1.68 and $2.34, respectively. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. Shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation were 9.7 million and 8.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The effect of these shares was anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method, as the assumed proceeds of the options and restricted stock per unit were above our average share price during the periods.

Earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year were impacted by the previously described factors impacting net income, partially offset by a lower number of average shares outstanding. The lower number of shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year is due to stock repurchases exceeding stock issuances under our stock compensation programs.

Segment Discussion

We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our segments addressed a different combination of customer groups, distribution networks, and services offered. Our segments were Consumer Money Transfer, Business Solutions, and Consumer Services. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business, as discussed above. The operations of the Business Solutions business sold in the final closing were included in Revenues and Operating income after the second closing and have completely transitioned to the Buyer as of the final closing. However, between the first and final closings, we were required

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to pay the Buyer a measure of the profits from these operations, while we owned them, adjusted for other charges, and this expense was recognized in Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we incurred $29.5 million and $21.8 million, respectively, of costs associated with our operating expense redeployment program, as described above, primarily related to severance, expenses associated with streamlining our organizational and legal structure and non-cash impairments of operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and property and equipment. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred $10.0 million and $7.7 million of exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russia and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture, respectively. These exit costs were primarily related to severance and non-cash impairments of property and equipment, an operating lease ROU asset, and other intangible assets. While certain of the above expenses are identifiable to our segments, the expenses are not included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) for purposes of performance assessment and resource allocation. These expenses are therefore excluded from our segment operating income results.

The business segment measurements provided to, and evaluated by, our CODM are computed in accordance with the following principles:

•
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

•
Corporate costs, including overhead expenses, are allocated to the segments primarily based on a percentage of the segments’ revenue compared to total revenue.

•
All items not included in operating income are excluded from the segments.

The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Consumer Money Transfer

The following table sets forth our Consumer Money Transfer segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Our Consumer Money Transfer service facilitates money transfers sent from our retail agent locations worldwide and our Branded Digital services. The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are primarily related to generating, managing, and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities. We include Branded Digital transactions in our regions. By means of common processes and systems, these regions, including Branded Digital transactions, create one interconnected global network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one Consumer Money Transfer business and one operating segment.

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Transaction volume is the primary generator of revenue in our Consumer Money Transfer segment. A Consumer Money Transfer transaction constitutes the transfer of funds to a designated recipient utilizing one of our consumer money transfer services. The geographic split for transactions and revenue in the table that follows is determined based upon the region where the money transfer is initiated. Included in each region’s transaction and revenue percentages in the tables below are Branded Digital transactions for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Where reported separately in the discussion below, Branded Digital consists of 100% of the transactions conducted and funded through that channel.

The table below sets forth revenue and transaction changes by geographic region compared to the prior year. Additionally, due to the significance of our Consumer Money Transfer segment to our overall results, we have also provided constant currency results for our Consumer Money Transfer segment revenues. Consumer Money Transfer segment constant currency revenue growth/(decline) is a non-GAAP financial measure, as further discussed in Revenues Overview above.

(a)
Constant currency revenue growth/(decline) assumes that revenues denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year.

(b)
As noted above, Branded Digital revenues are included in the regions.

The table below sets forth regional revenues as a percentage of our Consumer Money Transfer revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Branded Digital, which is included in the regional percentages above, represented approximately 22% of our Consumer Money Transfer revenues for both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Our consumers transferred $101.7 billion and $93.6 billion in cross-border principal for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in cross-border principal transferred during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to principal growth due to a change in monetary policy in Iraq, as discussed above, and growth in our NA and LACA regions. Consumer Money Transfer cross-border principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to a designated recipient in a country or territory that differs from the country or territory from which the transaction was initiated. Consumer Money Transfer cross-border principal is a metric used by management to monitor and better understand the growth in our underlying business relative to competitors, as well as changes in our market share of global remittances.

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Revenues

Consumer Money Transfer revenue remained flat and transactions increased 2% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, negatively impacted revenue by 1% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, in our Consumer Money Transfer regions, NA revenue decreased and transactions increased compared to the prior year primarily due to promotional pricing related to our new Branded Digital go-to-market strategy and other price reductions. Growth in cross-border transactions sent from the United States was partially offset by declines in transactions sent within the United States. The EU & CIS revenues were negatively impacted by price reductions, the loss of a significant retail agent in the fourth quarter of 2022, and our suspension of operations in Russia and Belarus. Revenue growth in the MEASA region was driven by a change in monetary policy in Iraq, as discussed above, and revenue growth in the LACA region benefited from an increase in local currency revenue per transaction in Argentina, and strength in Ecuador and Venezuela.

We have historically implemented price reductions or price increases throughout many of our global corridors. We will likely continue to implement price changes from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Price reductions generally reduce margins and adversely affect financial results in the short term and may also adversely affect financial results in the long term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently. Price increases may adversely affect transaction volumes, as consumers may not use our services if we fail to price them appropriately. We believe revenues could continue to be adversely impacted by price reductions we have implemented in connection with our go-to-market strategy.

Operating Income

Consumer Money Transfer operating income decreased 2% during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year primarily due to increases in agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, employee incentive compensation, variable expenses, including bank fees and credit and non-credit losses, and investment in information technology, partially offset by a reduction in general and administrative expenses in our shared services functions, including as a result of our operating expense redeployment program, fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies, an increase in revenues, and a reduction in advertising expenses.

Business Solutions

The following table sets forth our Business Solutions segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues

Business Solutions revenue decreased 85% for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year, primarily due to the first, second, and final closings of the sale of our Business Solutions business, which occurred on March 1, 2022, December 31, 2022, and July 1, 2023, respectively, as described further above.

Operating Income

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Business Solutions operating income and operating income margin was impacted by the first, second, and final closings of the sale of our Business Solutions business, as described further above.

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Effective January 1, 2022, we stopped allocating corporate costs to our Business Solutions segment, given our agreement to sell this business.

Consumer Services

The following table sets forth Consumer Services segment results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Revenues

For the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year, Consumer Services revenues increased primarily due to increased investment revenues associated with our money order and other investment securities, as well as an increase in local currency revenue per transaction in our cash-based bill payments services offered at retail locations in Argentina, due to inflation, partially offset by the strengthening of the United States dollar against the Argentine peso.

Operating Income

Consumer Services operating income for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year was negatively impacted by increased investment in information technology, a reduction in the reimbursement of expenses associated with transition services provided after the first and second closings of the sale of our Business Solutions business, and an increase in consulting expenses associated with new services, partially offset by the increase in revenue described above.

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Capital Resources and Liquidity

Our primary source of liquidity has been cash generated from our operating activities, primarily from net income and fluctuations in working capital. Our working capital is affected by the timing of payments for employee and agent incentives, interest payments on our outstanding borrowings, and timing of income tax payments, among other items. Many of our annual employee incentive compensation and agent incentive payments are made in the first quarter following the year they were incurred. The majority of our interest payments are due in the second and fourth quarters, which results in a decrease in the amount of cash provided by operating activities in those quarters and a corresponding increase to the first and third quarters. The annual payments resulting from the United States tax reform legislation enacted in 2017 (the “Tax Act”) include amounts related to the United States taxation of certain previously undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. These payments are due in the second quarter of each year through 2025.

Our future cash flows could be impacted by a variety of factors, some of which are out of our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, especially those impacting migrant populations, changes in income tax laws or the status of income tax audits, including the resolution of outstanding tax matters, and the settlement or resolution of legal contingencies.

Substantially all of our cash flows from operating activities have been generated from subsidiaries. Most of these cash flows are generated from our regulated subsidiaries. Our regulated subsidiaries may transfer all excess cash to the parent company for general corporate use, except for assets subject to legal or regulatory restrictions, including: (i) requirements to maintain cash and other qualifying investment balances, free of any liens or other encumbrances, related to the payment of certain of our money transfer and other payment obligations, (ii) other legal or regulatory restrictions, including statutory or formalized minimum net worth requirements, and (iii) restrictions on transferring assets outside of the countries where these assets are located.

We currently believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our business needs, including payments under our debt and other obligations, through our existing cash balances, our ability to generate cash flows through operations, and our $1.25 billion revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), which expires in November 2028 and supports our commercial paper program. Our commercial paper program enables us to issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.25 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of any borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility and $364.9 million of outstanding borrowings on the commercial paper program.

To help ensure availability of our worldwide cash where needed, we utilize a variety of planning and financial strategies, including decisions related to the amounts, timing, and manner by which cash is repatriated or otherwise made available from our international subsidiaries. These decisions can influence our overall tax rate and impact our total liquidity. We regularly evaluate our United States cash requirements, taking tax consequences and other factors into consideration and also the potential uses of cash internationally to determine the appropriate level of dividend repatriations of our foreign source income.

Cash and Investment Securities

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had Cash and cash equivalents of $1,268.6 million and $1,291.1 million, including $5.2 million related to Business Solutions as of December 31, 2022. In many cases, we receive funds from money transfers and certain other payment services before we settle the payment of those transactions. These funds, referred to as Settlement assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, are not used to support our operations. However, we earn income from investing these funds. We maintain a portion of these settlement assets in highly liquid investments, classified as Cash and cash equivalents within Settlement assets, to fund settlement obligations.

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Investment securities, classified within Settlement assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,458.1 million and $1,333.4 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities. These investment securities are held in order to comply with state licensing requirements in the United States and are required to have credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 7, Settlement Assets and Obligations for more details regarding investment securities.

Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. We regularly monitor credit risk and attempt to mitigate our exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and diversifying our investment portfolio. Our investment securities are also actively managed with respect to concentration. As of December 31, 2023, all investments with a single issuer and each individual security represented less than 10% of our investment securities portfolio.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased to $783.1 million from $581.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Cash provided by operating activities was impacted by changes to our consolidated net income, excluding the gain on sale of the Business Solutions business, in addition to fluctuations in our working capital balances, among other factors. In addition, cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was negatively impacted by higher income taxes paid, including those related to the gain on the sale of the Business Solutions business.

Financing Resources

As of December 31, 2023, we had the following outstanding borrowings (in millions):

(a)
The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.

(b)
As of December 31, 2023, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 4.0%.

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Commercial Paper Program

Pursuant to our commercial paper program, we may issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.25 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. Our commercial paper borrowings may have maturities of up to 397 days from date of issuance. Interest rates for borrowings are based on market rates at the time of issuance. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $364.9 million and $180.0 million in commercial paper borrowings outstanding, respectively. Our commercial paper borrowings as of December 31, 2023 had a weighted-average annual interest rate of approximately 5.6% and a weighted-average term of approximately 3 days. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the average commercial paper balance outstanding was $276.7 million and $192.9 million, respectively, and the maximum balance outstanding was $885.0 million and $725.0 million, respectively. Proceeds from our commercial paper borrowings were used for the repayment of our notes due in June 2023, general corporate purposes, and working capital needs, including the settlement of our money transfer obligations prior to collecting receivables from agents or others.

Revolving Credit Facility

On December 18, 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for unsecured financing facilities in an aggregate amount of $1.5 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit sub-facility, with a final maturity date of January 8, 2025. On October 31, 2022, we amended the facility to transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and allow us to draw loans payable based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, or the Sterling Overnight Index Average. On November 30, 2023, we amended the facility by entering into a second amended and restated credit agreement (the “New Credit Agreement”) providing for unsecured financing facilities in an aggregate amount of $1.25 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit subfacility and $300.0 million swing line sublimit, with a final maturity date of November 30, 2028, subject to extension in certain circumstances.

Interest due under the New Credit Agreement is payable according to the terms of that borrowing. Generally, interest under the New Credit Agreement is calculated using either (i) an adjusted term SOFR, or other applicable benchmark based on the currency of the borrowing, plus an interest rate margin determined on a sliding scale from 0.920% to 1.425% based on our credit rating (currently 1.140%) or (ii) a base rate plus a margin determined on a sliding scale from 0.000% to 0.425%) based on our credit rating (currently 0.140%). A facility fee on the total amount of the facility is also payable quarterly, regardless of usage, and such facility fee is determined on a sliding scale from 0.080% to 0.200% based on our credit rating (currently 0.110%).

The purpose of our Revolving Credit Facility, which is diversified through a group of 16 participating institutions, is to provide general liquidity and to support our commercial paper program, which we believe enhances our short-term credit rating. The largest commitment from any single financial institution within the total committed balance of $1.25 billion is approximately 14%. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings under the facility. If the amount available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility decreased, or if the Revolving Credit Facility were eliminated, the cost and availability of borrowing under the commercial paper program may be impacted.

Term Loan Facility

On December 18, 2018, we entered into an amended and restated term loan facility providing for up to $950.0 million in borrowings and extending the final maturity of the facility to January 2024 (the “Term Loan Facility”). In the first quarter of 2021, we repaid $650.0 million of the Term Loan Facility. On January 4, 2022, we repaid all remaining borrowings owed under the Term Loan Facility for total consideration of $300.0 million, using proceeds from our commercial paper and cash, including cash generated from operations. We are no longer able to borrow money under this facility.

Notes

For a discussion regarding the terms and maturities of our notes, please refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 15, Borrowings.

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Credit Ratings and Debt Covenants

The credit ratings on our debt are an important consideration in our overall business, managing our financing costs, and facilitating access to additional capital on favorable terms. Factors that we believe are important in assessing our credit ratings include earnings, cash flow generation, leverage, available liquidity, and the overall business.

Our Revolving Credit Facility contains interest rate margins which are determined based on certain of our credit ratings and also contains a facility fee that is based on our credit ratings. In addition, the interest rates payable on our notes due in 2025, 2026, and 2031 can be impacted by our credit ratings. We are also subject to certain provisions in many of our notes and certain of our derivative contracts, which could require settlement or collateral posting in the event of a change in control combined with a downgrade below investment grade, as further described below. We do not have any other terms within our debt agreements that are tied to changes in our credit ratings.

The Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to sell or transfer assets or merge or consolidate with another company, grant certain types of security interests, incur certain types of liens, impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, incur certain subsidiary level indebtedness, or use proceeds in violation of anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws. Our notes are subject to similar covenants except that only the notes due in 2036 contain covenants limiting or restricting subsidiary indebtedness, and none of our notes are subject to a covenant that limits our ability to impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends. Our Revolving Credit Facility requires us to maintain a consolidated adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (“EBITDA”) interest coverage ratio of greater than 3:1 (ratio of consolidated adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income/(loss) plus the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation expense, (iv) amortization expense, (v) any other non-cash deductions, losses or charges made in determining net income/(loss) for such period, and (vi) extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses or charges (including costs and expenses of litigation included in operating income), minus extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains provided that the amount added back to net income (or net loss) for such extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual losses, expenses or charges may not exceed 10% of adjusted EBITDA, in each case determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for such period, to interest expense) for each period comprising the four most recent consecutive fiscal quarters. Our consolidated interest coverage ratio was 10:1 for the year ended December 31, 2023.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with our debt covenants. A violation of our debt covenants could impair our ability to borrow, and outstanding amounts borrowed could become due, thereby restricting our ability to use our excess cash for other purposes.

Certain of our notes (including our notes due in 2025, 2026, 2031, and 2040) include a change of control triggering event provision, as defined in the terms of the notes. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. A change of control triggering event will occur when there is a change of control involving us and, among other things, within a specified period in relation to the change of control, the notes are downgraded from an investment grade rating to below an investment grade rating by certain major credit rating agencies.

Cash Priorities

Liquidity

Our objective is to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings. We have existing cash balances, cash flows from operating activities, access to the commercial paper markets, and our Revolving Credit Facility available to support the needs of our business.

Our ability to grow the business, make investments in our business, make acquisitions, return capital to shareholders, including through dividends and share repurchases, and service our debt and tax obligations will depend on our ability to continue to generate excess operating cash through our operating subsidiaries and to continue to receive dividends from those operating subsidiaries, our ability to obtain adequate financing, and our ability to identify acquisitions that align with our long-term strategy. For additional information, please refer to Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

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Capital Expenditures

The total aggregate amount paid for purchased and developed software, contract costs, and purchases of property and equipment was $147.8 million and $208.2 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Amounts paid for new and renewed agent contracts vary depending on the terms of existing contracts as well as the timing of new and renewed contract signings. Other capital expenditures during these periods included investments in our information technology infrastructure.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

On February 10, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized $1.0 billion of common stock repurchases through December 31, 2024. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, 24.3 million and 22.3 million shares, respectively, were repurchased for $300.0 million and $351.8 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $12.35 and $15.81, respectively, under this share repurchase authorization. As of December 31, 2023, $348.2 million remained available under this share repurchase authorization.

Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.235 per common share in all four quarters of 2023 and 2022, representing $346.1 million and $361.6 million in total dividends, respectively. These amounts were paid to shareholders of record in the respective quarter the dividend was declared.

On February 6, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share payable on March 29, 2024.

Material Cash Requirements

Debt Service Requirements

Our 2024 and future debt service requirements will include payments on all outstanding indebtedness, including any borrowings under our commercial paper program. Our next scheduled principal payment on our outstanding notes is in 2025.

As of December 31, 2023, the total projected interest payments on outstanding borrowings were $762.3 million, of which $77.1 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. We have estimated our future interest payments based on the assumption that no debt issuances or renewals will occur upon the maturity dates of our notes. However, we may refinance all or a portion of our borrowings in future periods, and we expect to continue to borrow under our commercial paper program for general corporate purposes and working capital needs.

2017 United States Federal Tax Liability

The Tax Act imposed a tax on certain of our previously undistributed foreign earnings. This tax charge, combined with our other 2017 United States taxable income and tax attributes, resulted in a 2017 United States federal tax liability of approximately $800 million, of which approximately $358 million remained as of December 31, 2023. We elected to pay this liability in periodic installments through 2025. Under the terms of the law, we owe 20% and 25% of the original liability in 2024 and 2025, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we made installment payments of $119.5 million and $63.7 million, respectively. These payments have affected and will continue to adversely affect our cash flows and liquidity and may adversely affect future share repurchases.

Operating Leases

We lease real properties for use as administrative and sales offices, in addition to transportation, office, and other equipment. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 12, Leases for details on our leasing arrangements, including future maturities of our operating lease liabilities.

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Purchase Obligations

A purchase obligation is an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable, legally binding, and specifies all significant terms. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $210 million of outstanding purchase obligations, of which approximately $130 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Many of our contracts contain clauses that allow us to terminate the contract with notice and with a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, we have not had any significant defaults on our contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of our contractual obligations.

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

Other Commercial Commitments

We had approximately $150 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2023 primarily held in connection with regulatory requirements, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. We expect to renew many of our letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition is based on our consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other related disclosures. Actual results may or may not differ from these estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Our critical accounting policies and estimates, described below, are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and our results of operations, and applying them requires our management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. We believe that the understanding of these key accounting policies and estimates is essential in achieving more insight into our operating results and financial condition.

Income Taxes

Income taxes, as reported in our consolidated financial statements, represent the net amount of income taxes we expect to pay to various taxing jurisdictions in connection with our operations. We provide for income taxes based on amounts that we believe we will ultimately owe after applying the required analyses and judgments.

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes requires significant judgment. We routinely receive, and may in the future receive, questions from taxing authorities on various tax-related assertions. In many of these instances, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, given the complexities in interpreting tax laws and applying our facts and circumstances to these laws in many jurisdictions throughout the world.

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the consolidated financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.

Our tax contingency reserves for our uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2023 were $244.8 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, in the event that the ultimate resolution of our uncertain tax positions differs from our estimates, we may be exposed to material increases in income tax expense, which could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, the timing of any related cash payments for these tax liabilities is inherently uncertain and is affected by variable factors outside our control.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. An impairment assessment of goodwill is conducted annually during our fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. This assessment of goodwill is performed more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. Reporting units are determined by the level at which management reviews segment operating results. In some cases, that level is the operating segment, and in others, it is one level below the operating segment.

Our impairment assessment typically begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The initial qualitative assessment includes

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comparing the overall financial performance of the reporting unit against the planned results. Additionally, each reporting unit’s fair value is assessed based on current and expected events and circumstances, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, and other relevant entity-specific events. Periodically, we perform a quantitative assessment, as described below, for each of our reporting units, regardless of the results of prior qualitative assessments.

If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then we estimate the fair value of the reporting unit using discounted cash flows and compare the estimated fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment is recognized for the difference. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion regarding our accounting policies for goodwill and any related impairments.

The determination of the reporting units and which reporting units to include in the qualitative assessment requires significant judgment. Also, all of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require judgment. Additionally, for the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we calculate the fair value of reporting units through discounted cash flow analyses which require us to make estimates and assumptions including, among other items, revenue growth rates, operating margins, and capital expenditures based on our budgets and business plans. Development of such estimates and assumptions and the resultant fair value takes into consideration expected regulatory, marketplace, and other economic factors as well as relevant discount rates and terminal values.

We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, a divestiture of a significant component of our business, or other triggering events. In addition, as our business or the way we manage our business changes, our reporting units may also change. If an event described above occurs and causes us to recognize a goodwill impairment charge, it would impact our reported earnings in the period such charge occurs.

The carrying value of goodwill as of December 31, 2023 was $2,034.6 million, which represented approximately 25% of our consolidated assets. As of December 31, 2023, goodwill of $1,980.7 million resides in our Consumer Money Transfer reporting unit, while the remaining $53.9 million resides in Consumer Services. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we did not record any goodwill impairments. For the reporting units that comprise Consumer Money Transfer and Consumer Services, the fair values of the businesses significantly exceed their carrying amounts.

Other Intangible Assets

We capitalize acquired intangible assets as well as certain initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts and software. We evaluate such intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying amounts to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required.

The capitalization of software costs incurred during the application development stage, as well as costs incurred to acquire, install, and customize software for internal use, is subject to accounting policy criteria which requires management judgment to determine the stage of development, the amount of costs eligible to be capitalized, and the related period of benefit. For developed software, we capitalize the eligible costs (predominantly detailed design, development, and testing) incurred during the application development stage, and all other costs are expensed as incurred. Once the software is ready for its intended use, the capitalized costs are amortized over the software’s estimated useful life. The capitalization of initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts is subject to strict accounting policy criteria and requires management judgment as to the amount to capitalize and the related period of benefit. Our accounting policy is to limit the amount of capitalized costs for a given agent contract to the lesser of the estimated future cash flows from the contract or the termination fees we would receive in the event of early termination of the contract.

Disruptions to contractual relationships, significant actual or expected declines in cash flows or transaction volumes associated with contracts or software applications, or the discontinued use of a software application would cause us to evaluate the recoverability of the asset and could result in an impairment charge. Additionally, evaluating future cash flows

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associated with each asset requires us to make estimates and assumptions, including, among other things, revenue growth rates and operating margins based on our budgets and business plans.

The net carrying value of our other intangible assets as of December 31, 2023 was $380.2 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded impairments of approximately $9 million to other intangible assets primarily related to software no longer in use. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded immaterial impairments related to other intangible assets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion.

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

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. This Annual Report on Form 10‑K contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain statements contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. See “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

We are a leading provider of money movement and payment services, operating in two business segments:

•
Consumer-to-Consumer - Our Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers, which are primarily sent from our retail agent locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices. Our money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.

•
Business Solutions - Our Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The majority of the segment’s business relates to exchanges of currency at spot rates, which enable customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, in limited countries, we write foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, and this business is expected to be fully divested in the second quarter of 2023 as discussed below.

All businesses and other services that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as Other, which primarily includes our bill payment services which facilitate payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations and our money order services. Certain of our corporate costs such as costs related to strategic initiatives, including costs for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, are also included in Other. Additional information on our segments is provided in the Segment Discussion below.

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Results of Operations

The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. For discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, refer to Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022.

The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provide more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between our segments have been eliminated. The below information has been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) unless otherwise noted. All amounts provided in this section are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, the percentage changes and margins disclosed herein may not recalculate precisely using the rounded amounts provided.

Our revenues and operating income for the year ended December 31, 2022 were impacted by fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $185.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 relative to the prior year. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies negatively impacted operating income by $5.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 relative to the prior year.

On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC (collectively, the "Buyer") for cash consideration of $910.0 million. The sale is expected to be completed in three closings, with the entire cash consideration collected at the first closing and allocated to the closings on a relative fair value basis. The first closing occurred on March 1, 2022, excluded the operations in the European Union and the United Kingdom, and resulted in a gain of $151.4 million. The second closing, which occurred on December 31, 2022 and included the United Kingdom operations, resulted in a gain of $96.9 million. The third closing, which is currently expected to occur in the second quarter of 2023 pending required regulatory approvals, includes the European Union operations. During the periods between the first and third closings, we are required to pay the Buyer a measure of profit of the European Union and United Kingdom operations, while we owned them, adjusted for the provision for income taxes, occupancy charges for employees of the Buyer using our facilities, and other items.

Business Solutions revenues included in our Consolidated Statements of Income were $196.9 million and $421.8 million, and direct operating expenses, excluding corporate allocations, were $140.3 million and $317.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Costs related to the review and closing of this divestiture were $5.2 million and $14.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

In March 2022, we suspended our operations in Russia and Belarus, which are included in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment, due to the Russia/Ukraine conflict (the "Conflict"). Revenues associated with the Russia and Belarus operations, including transactions sent from, into, and within these countries for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were approximately $28 million and $145 million, respectively. The Conflict has had and is expected to continue to have broader implications to our overall business, including reduced transaction activity in Ukraine. We expect that our results of operations will continue to be negatively impacted by this Conflict into 2023.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues Overview

Revenues are primarily derived from consideration paid by customers to transfer money. These revenues vary by transaction based upon factors such as channel, send and receive locations, the principal amount sent, whether the money transfer involves different send and receive currencies, and the difference between the exchange rate we set to the customer and a rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market, as applicable. We also offer several other services, including foreign exchange and payment services and other bill payment services, for which revenue is impacted by similar factors.

Due to the significance of the effect that foreign exchange fluctuations against the United States dollar can have on our reported revenues, constant currency results have been provided in the table below for consolidated revenues. Constant currency results assume foreign revenues are translated from foreign currencies to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. We have also disclosed the impact of our Business Solutions divestiture on our revenues in the table below. Constant currency measures and measures that exclude the impact of divestitures are non-GAAP financial measures and are provided so that revenue can be viewed without the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and divestitures of our businesses, which is consistent with how management evaluates our revenue results and trends. We believe that these measures provide management and investors with information about revenue results and trends that eliminates currency volatility and divestitures, thereby providing greater clarity regarding, and increasing the comparability of, our underlying results and trends. These disclosures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the percentage change in revenue on a GAAP basis for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year. Other companies may calculate and define similarly labeled items differently, which may limit the usefulness of this measure for comparative purposes.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

(a)
Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in a decrease to revenues of $185.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to foreign currency rates in the prior year.

(b)
Business Solutions revenues included in our results were $196.9 million and $421.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

In addition to the decline in revenues associated with fluctuations in exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies as well as our Business Solutions divestiture, GAAP and non-GAAP revenues decreased due to a transaction decline in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment, including as a result of the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus for the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to the prior year.

Operating Expenses Overview

Operating expense redeployment program

On October 20, 2022, we announced an operating expense redeployment program which aims to redeploy approximately $150 million in expenses in our cost base over the next 5 years, accomplished through optimizations in vendor management, our real estate footprint, marketing, and people costs. We believe these changes will allow us to invest in strategic initiatives. The timing and pace of this redeployment may vary, and we believe that we will continue to refine aspects of the program into 2023. We incurred $2.7 million and $19.1 million of Cost of services and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, related to this program for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Cost of Services

Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represented approximately 60% of total cost of services for the year ended December 31, 2022. Cost of services decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to a decrease in Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, and a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed above, partially offset by increased investments in information technology.

Selling, General, and Administrative

Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year due to a decrease associated with the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed above, and a decrease in employee-related expenses. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in marketing costs, severance and other costs associated with the operating expense redeployment initiatives, as discussed above, and exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russian and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture, as discussed below.

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Total Other Income/(Expense), Net

Total other income/(expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year benefited from the gain on the first two closings of the Business Solutions divestiture, pension settlement charges incurred in the prior period and a reduction in net periodic pension costs due to the termination of our U.S. defined benefit pension plan (the "Plan") in the fourth quarter of 2021, and debt extinguishment costs incurred in the prior period. This was partially offset by a prior year gain of $47.9 million recorded from the sale of a substantial majority of shares we held as a noncontrolling investor in a private company and by the expense associated with payment obligations to the Buyer of the Business Solutions business for a measure of the profits, as contractually agreed, from the European Union and United Kingdom operations subsequent to the first closing.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were 9.7% and 13.9% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year was primarily due to the reversal of uncertain tax positions, including from statute of limitations expirations and the completion of the examination of our federal income tax returns for 2017 and 2018, as further discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 11, Income Taxes, as well as tax expense incurred in the prior period related to changes in our permanent reinvestment assertions, partially offset by the sale of the Business Solutions business and our decision to suspend operations in Russia and Belarus.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. As of December 31, 2022, the total amount of tax contingency reserves was $237.2 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period, and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.

A significant proportion of our profits are foreign-derived. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 95% and 106%, respectively, of our pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources. While the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to us, our overall effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in foreign tax laws.

Earnings Per Share

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, basic earnings per share were $2.35 and $1.98, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $2.34 and $1.97, respectively. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, there were 8.0 million and 2.3 million, respectively, of shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation under the treasury stock method, primarily due to outstanding options to purchase shares of Western Union stock and restricted stock units, as the assumed proceeds of the options and restricted stock per unit were above our weighted-average share price during the periods and their effect was anti-dilutive.

Earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year were impacted by the previously described factors impacting net income and a lower number of shares outstanding. The lower number of shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year is due to stock repurchases exceeding stock issuances under our stock compensation programs.

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Segment Discussion

We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our segments addresses a different combination of consumer groups, distribution networks, and services offered. Our segments are Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business, as discussed above. The operations of the Business Solutions business to be sold in the third closing will continue to be included in Revenues and Operating income after the second closing. However, between the first and third closings, we are required to pay the Buyer a measure of the profits from these operations, while we owned them, adjusted for other charges, and this expense is recognized in Other income/(expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred $10.0 million and $7.7 million of exit costs associated with the suspension of our Russia and Belarus operations and the Business Solutions divestiture, respectively. These exit costs are primarily related to severance and non-cash impairments of property and equipment, an operating lease right-of-use asset, and other intangible assets. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we also incurred $21.8 million of costs associated with our operating expense redeployment program, as described above, primarily related to severance and non-cash impairments of an operating lease right-of-use asset and property and equipment. While certain of the above expenses are identifiable to our segments, the expenses are not included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) for purposes of performance assessment and resource allocation. These expenses are therefore excluded from our segment operating income results.

The business segment measurements provided to, and evaluated by, our CODM are computed in accordance with the following principles:

•
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

•
Corporate costs, including overhead expenses, are allocated to the segments primarily based on a percentage of the segments’ revenue compared to total revenue.

•
All items not included in operating income are excluded from the segments.

The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Consumer-to-Consumer Segment

The following table sets forth our Consumer-to-Consumer segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

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Our Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer service facilitates money transfers sent from our retail agent locations worldwide and our Branded Digital services. The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are primarily related to generating, managing, and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities. We include Branded Digital transactions in our regions. By means of common processes and systems, these regions, including Branded Digital, create one interconnected global network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer business and one operating segment.

Transaction volume is the primary generator of revenue in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment. A Consumer-to-Consumer transaction constitutes the transfer of funds to a designated recipient utilizing one of our consumer money transfer services. The geographic split for transactions and revenue in the table that follows is determined based upon the region where the money transfer is initiated. Included in each region’s transaction and revenue percentages in the tables below are Branded Digital transactions for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Where reported separately in the discussion below, Branded Digital consists of 100% of the transactions conducted and funded through that channel.

The table below sets forth revenue and transaction changes by geographic region compared to the prior year. Additionally, due to the significance of our Consumer-to-Consumer segment to our overall results, we have also provided constant currency results for our Consumer-to-Consumer segment revenues. Consumer-to-Consumer segment constant currency revenue growth/(decline) is a non-GAAP financial measure, as further discussed in Revenues Overview above.

(a)
Constant currency revenue growth/(decline) assumes that revenues denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year.

(b)
As noted above, Branded Digital revenues are included in the regions.

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The table below sets forth regional revenues as a percentage of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Branded Digital, which is included in the regional percentages above, represented approximately 22% and 20% of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Our consumers transferred $93.6 billion and $104.1 billion in Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease in cross-border principal transferred during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to a decline in Consumer-to-Consumer transactions, including as a result of the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus, as discussed above, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies. Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to a designated recipient in a country or territory that differs from the country or territory from which the transaction was initiated. Consumer-to-Consumer cross-border principal is a metric used by management to monitor and better understand the growth in our underlying business relative to competitors, as well as changes in our market share of global remittances.

Revenues

Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer revenue decreased 9% and transactions decreased 10% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year, due in part to the suspension of our operations in Russia and Belarus, which negatively impacted Consumer-to-Consumer revenues and transactions by 2% and 6%, respectively. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, negatively impacted revenue by 3% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year. Constant currency revenue decreased 6% for the year ended December 31, 2022.

In our Consumer-to-Consumer regions, the decrease in NA revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year was primarily due to decreases in transactions sent from and within the United States. The EU & CIS region experienced transaction volume and revenue declines in Russia and Belarus, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom and was also impacted by promotional pricing. As noted above, our EU & CIS revenues were negatively impacted by our suspension of operations in Russia and Belarus in the year ended December 31, 2022 and will continue to be negatively impacted into 2023.

We have historically implemented price reductions or price increases throughout many of our global corridors. We will likely continue to implement price changes from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Price reductions generally reduce margins and adversely affect financial results in the short term and may also adversely affect financial results in the long term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently. Price increases may adversely affect transaction volumes, as consumers may not use our services if we fail to price them appropriately. We believe that revenues could be adversely impacted in connection with promotional pricing we recently implemented for Branded Digital transactions, including those sent from the United States.

Operating Income

Consumer-to-Consumer operating income decreased 22% during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to the decrease in revenues, as discussed above, and increases in marketing costs and investments in information technology, partially offset by decreases in agent commissions, which generally vary with revenues, and decreased employee-related expenses.

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Business Solutions

The following table sets forth our Business Solutions segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Revenues

Business Solutions revenue decreased 53% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year, primarily due to the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, which occurred on March 1, 2022, as described further above. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies negatively impacted revenue by 4% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year.

Operating Income

For the year ended December 31, 2022, Business Solutions operating income and operating income margin was impacted by the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, partially offset by a reduction in depreciation and amortization expenses, including as a result of classifying our Business Solutions business as held for sale in August 2021.

Effective January 1, 2022, we stopped allocating corporate costs to our Business Solutions segment, given our agreement to sell this business.

Other

Other primarily consists of our cash-based bill payment businesses in Argentina and the United States, in addition to our money order services.

The following table sets forth Other results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues

Other revenues increased 12% for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to transaction growth in our cash-based bill payments services offered at retail locations in Argentina, as well as growth in our business-to-consumer payments, partially offset by the strengthening of the United States dollar against the Argentine peso.

Operating Income

Other operating income increased for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the prior year primarily due to increased revenues, the reimbursement of expenses associated with transition services provided after the first closing of the sale of our Business Solutions business, and decreased costs associated with strategic initiatives, including for the review of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

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Capital Resources and Liquidity

Our primary source of liquidity has been cash generated from our operating activities, primarily from net income and fluctuations in working capital. Our working capital is affected by the timing of payments for employee and agent incentives, interest payments on our outstanding borrowings, and timing of income tax payments, among other items. Many of our annual employee incentive compensation and agent incentive payments are made in the first quarter following the year they were incurred. The majority of our interest payments are due in the second and fourth quarters, which results in a decrease in the amount of cash provided by operating activities in those quarters and a corresponding increase to the first and third quarters. The annual payments resulting from the United States tax reform legislation enacted in 2017 (the “Tax Act”) include amounts related to the United States taxation of certain previously undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. These payments are due in the second quarter of each year through 2025.

Our future cash flows could be impacted by a variety of factors, some of which are out of our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, especially those impacting migrant populations, changes in income tax laws or the status of income tax audits, including the resolution of outstanding tax matters, and the settlement or resolution of legal contingencies.

Substantially all of our cash flows from operating activities have been generated from subsidiaries. Most of these cash flows are generated from our regulated subsidiaries. Our regulated subsidiaries may transfer all excess cash to the parent company for general corporate use, except for assets subject to legal or regulatory restrictions, including: (i) requirements to maintain cash and other qualifying investment balances, free of any liens or other encumbrances, related to the payment of certain of our money transfer and other payment obligations, (ii) other legal or regulatory restrictions, including statutory or formalized minimum net worth requirements, and (iii) restrictions on transferring assets outside of the countries where these assets are located.

We currently believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our business needs, including payments under our debt and other obligations, through our existing cash balances, our ability to generate cash flows through operations, and our $1.5 billion revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), which expires in January 2025 and supports our commercial paper program. Our commercial paper program enables us to issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of any borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility and $180.0 million of outstanding borrowings on the commercial paper program.

To help ensure availability of our worldwide cash where needed, we utilize a variety of planning and financial strategies, including decisions related to the amounts, timing, and manner by which cash is repatriated or otherwise made available from our international subsidiaries. These decisions can influence our overall tax rate and impact our total liquidity. We regularly evaluate our United States cash requirements, taking tax consequences and other factors into consideration and also the potential uses of cash internationally to determine the appropriate level of dividend repatriations of our foreign source income.

Cash and Investment Securities

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had Cash and cash equivalents of $1,291.1 million and $1,246.0 million, which includes $5.2 million and $37.7 million related to Business Solutions, respectively. As described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 5, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill, we collected the entire cash consideration related to the sale of our Business Solutions business, subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. We invested a portion of these proceeds temporarily in reverse repurchase agreements, as discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 9, Fair Value Measurements.

In many cases, we receive funds from money transfers and certain other payment services before we settle the payment of those transactions. These funds, referred to as Settlement assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, are not used to support our operations. However, we earn income from investing these funds. We maintain a portion of these settlement assets in highly liquid investments, classified as Cash and cash equivalents within Settlement assets, to fund settlement obligations.

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Investment securities, classified within Settlement assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,333.4 million and $1,398.9 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities. These investment securities are held in order to comply with state licensing requirements in the United States and are required to have credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 8, Settlement Assets and Obligations for more details regarding investment securities.

Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. We regularly monitor credit risk and attempt to mitigate our exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and diversifying our investment portfolio. Our investment securities are also actively managed with respect to concentration. As of December 31, 2022, all investments with a single issuer and each individual security represented less than 10% of our investment securities portfolio.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased to $581.6 million from $1,045.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Excluding the gain on the sale of the Business Solutions business, as the pre-tax proceeds from this divestiture are reflected in Cash provided by investing activities, net income would have decreased for the year ended December 31, 2022, which resulted in a decrease to cash provided by operating activities. In addition, Cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was negatively impacted by higher income taxes paid, including those related to the gain on the sale of the Business Solutions business. Cash provided by operating activities is also impacted by fluctuations in our working capital balances, among other factors.

Financing Resources

As of December 31, 2022, we had the following outstanding borrowings (in millions):

(a)
The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.

(b)
As of December 31, 2022, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 3.9%.

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Commercial Paper Program

Pursuant to our commercial paper program, we may issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. Our commercial paper borrowings may have maturities of up to 397 days from date of issuance. Interest rates for borrowings are based on market rates at the time of issuance. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $180.0 million and $275.0 million in commercial paper borrowings outstanding, respectively. Our commercial paper borrowings as of December 31, 2022 had a weighted-average annual interest rate of approximately 4.6% and a weighted-average term of approximately 3 days. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the average commercial paper balance outstanding was $192.9 million and $140.0 million, respectively, and the maximum balance outstanding was $725.0 million and $575.0 million, respectively. Proceeds from our commercial paper borrowings were used for general corporate purposes and working capital needs.

Revolving Credit Facility

On December 18, 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for unsecured financing facilities in an aggregate amount of $1.5 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit sub-facility, with a final maturity date of January 8, 2025. On October 31, 2022, we amended our Revolving Credit Facility to transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate and allow us to draw loans payable based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, or the Sterling Overnight Index Average.

Interest due under the Revolving Credit Facility is fixed for the term of each borrowing and is payable according to the terms of that borrowing. Generally, interest is calculated using a selected term benchmark rate plus an interest rate margin of 110 basis points. A facility fee is also payable quarterly at an annual rate of 15 basis points on the total facility, regardless of usage. Both the interest rate margin and facility fee percentage are based on certain of our credit ratings.

The purpose of our Revolving Credit Facility, which is diversified through a group of 19 participating institutions, is to provide general liquidity and to support our commercial paper program, which we believe enhances our short-term credit rating. The largest commitment from any single financial institution within the total committed balance of $1.5 billion is approximately 11%. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. If the amount available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility decreased, or if the Revolving Credit Facility were eliminated, the cost and availability of borrowing under the commercial paper program may be impacted.

Term Loan Facility

On December 18, 2018, we entered into an amended and restated term loan facility providing for up to $950.0 million in borrowings and extending the final maturity of the facility to January 2024 (the "Term Loan Facility"). In the first quarter of 2021, we repaid $650.0 million of the Term Loan Facility. On January 4, 2022, we repaid all remaining borrowings owed under the Term Loan Facility for total consideration of $300.0 million, using proceeds from our commercial paper and cash, including cash generated from operations. We are no longer able to borrow money under this facility.

Notes

For a discussion regarding the terms and maturities of our notes, please refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 16, Borrowings.

Credit Ratings and Debt Covenants

The credit ratings on our debt are an important consideration in our overall business, managing our financing costs, and facilitating access to additional capital on favorable terms. Factors that we believe are important in assessing our credit ratings include earnings, cash flow generation, leverage, available liquidity, and the overall business.

Our Revolving Credit Facility contains interest rate margins which are determined based on certain of our credit ratings and also contains a facility fee that is based on our credit ratings. In addition, the interest rates payable on our notes due in 2023, 2025, 2026, and 2031 can be impacted by our credit ratings. We are also subject to certain provisions in many

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of our notes and certain of our derivative contracts, which could require settlement or collateral posting in the event of a change in control combined with a downgrade below investment grade, as further described below. We do not have any other terms within our debt agreements that are tied to changes in our credit ratings.

The Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to sell or transfer assets or merge or consolidate with another company, grant certain types of security interests, incur certain types of liens, impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, incur certain subsidiary level indebtedness, or use proceeds in violation of anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws. Our notes are subject to similar covenants except that only the notes due in 2036 contain covenants limiting or restricting subsidiary indebtedness, and none of our notes are subject to a covenant that limits our ability to impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends. Our Revolving Credit Facility requires us to maintain a consolidated adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA") interest coverage ratio of greater than 3:1 (ratio of consolidated adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income/(loss) plus the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation expense, (iv) amortization expense, (v) any other non-cash deductions, losses or charges made in determining net income/(loss) for such period, and (vi) extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses or charges (including costs and expenses of litigation included in operating income), minus extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains provided that the amount added back to net income (or net loss) for such extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual losses, expenses or charges may not exceed 10% of adjusted EBITDA, in each case determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for such period, to interest expense) for each period comprising the four most recent consecutive fiscal quarters. Our consolidated interest coverage ratio was 11:1 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with our debt covenants. A violation of our debt covenants could impair our ability to borrow, and outstanding amounts borrowed could become due, thereby restricting our ability to use our excess cash for other purposes.

Certain of our notes (including our notes due in 2023, 2025, 2026, 2031, and 2040) include a change of control triggering event provision, as defined in the terms of the notes. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. A change of control triggering event will occur when there is a change of control involving us and, among other things, within a specified period in relation to the change of control, the notes are downgraded from an investment grade rating to below an investment grade rating by certain major credit rating agencies.

Cash Priorities

Liquidity

Our objective is to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings. We have existing cash balances, cash flows from operating activities, access to the commercial paper markets, and our Revolving Credit Facility available to support the needs of our business.

Our ability to grow the business, make investments in our business, make acquisitions, return capital to shareholders, including through dividends and share repurchases, and service our debt and tax obligations will depend on our ability to continue to generate excess operating cash through our operating subsidiaries and to continue to receive dividends from those operating subsidiaries, our ability to obtain adequate financing, and our ability to identify acquisitions that align with our long-term strategy. For additional information, please refer to Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

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Capital Expenditures

The total aggregate amount paid for contract costs, purchases of property and equipment, and purchased and developed software was $208.2 million and $214.6 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Amounts paid for new and renewed agent contracts vary depending on the terms of existing contracts as well as the timing of new and renewed contract signings. Other capital expenditures during these periods included investments in our information technology infrastructure.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 22.3 million and 19.5 million shares, respectively, have been repurchased for $351.8 million and $400.0 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $15.81 and $20.56, respectively, under the share repurchase authorizations approved by our Board of Directors, including one which expired on December 31, 2021. On February 10, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized $1.0 billion of common stock repurchases through December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2022, $648.2 million remained available under this share repurchase program.

Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.235 per common share in all four quarters of 2022 and 2021, representing $361.6 million and $380.5 million in total dividends, respectively. These amounts were paid to shareholders of record in the respective quarter the dividend was declared.

On February 7, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share payable on March 31, 2023.

Material Cash Requirements

Debt Service Requirements

Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $300.0 million will mature in June 2023. We may repay this maturity through proceeds from commercial paper issuance and cash, including cash generated from operations, or we may refinance this maturity through the issuance of term debt.

As of December 31, 2022, the total projected interest payments on outstanding borrowings were $845.7 million, of which $83.5 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. We have estimated our future interest payments based on the assumption that no debt issuances or renewals will occur upon the maturity dates of our notes. However, we may refinance all or a portion of our borrowings in future periods.

2017 United States Federal Tax Liability

The Tax Act imposed a tax on certain of our previously undistributed foreign earnings. This tax charge, combined with our other 2017 United States taxable income and tax attributes, resulted in a 2017 United States federal tax liability of approximately $800 million, of which approximately $478 million remained as of December 31, 2022. We elected to pay this liability in periodic installments through 2025. Under the terms of the law, we owe 15% of the original liability in 2023, with 20% and 25% of the tax owed in 2024 and 2025, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we made installment payments of $63.7 million and $63.4 million, respectively. These payments have affected and will continue to adversely affect our cash flows and liquidity and may adversely affect future share repurchases.

Operating Leases

We lease real properties for use as administrative and sales offices, in addition to transportation, office, and other equipment. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, Leases for details on our leasing arrangements, including future maturities of our operating lease liabilities.

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Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts

We use derivatives to minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which fluctuate based on market conditions. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 15, Derivatives. The substantial majority of these derivative contracts relate to our Business Solutions segment, which facilitates cross-currency payments by writing derivatives to customers, and a majority of these derivative contracts have a duration at inception of less than one year.

Purchase Obligations

A purchase obligation is an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable, legally binding, and specifies all significant terms. As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $240 million of outstanding purchase obligations, of which approximately $140 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Many of our contracts contain clauses that allow us to terminate the contract with notice and with a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, we have not had any significant defaults on our contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of our contractual obligations.

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

Pension Plan

On July 22, 2021, our Board of Directors approved a plan to terminate and settle our frozen defined benefit pension plan (the "Plan"). Upon settlement in the fourth quarter of 2021, we transferred Plan assets to an insurance company that will provide for and pay the remaining benefits to participants. We incurred approximately $109.8 million of charges associated with this settlement in the prior year. The pre-tax balance in Accumulated other comprehensive loss associated with the Plan, along with costs related to the settlement, were recorded as a component of Total other income/(expense), net, with the related income tax effects recorded in Provision for income taxes, in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Other Commercial Commitments

We had approximately $390 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2022 primarily held in connection with regulatory requirements, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. We expect to renew many of our letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition is based on our consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other related disclosures. Actual results may or may not differ from these estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Our critical accounting policies and estimates, described below, are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and our results of operations, and applying them requires our management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. We believe that the understanding of these key accounting policies and estimates is essential in achieving more insight into our operating results and financial condition.

Income Taxes

Income taxes, as reported in our consolidated financial statements, represent the net amount of income taxes we expect to pay to various taxing jurisdictions in connection with our operations. We provide for income taxes based on amounts that we believe we will ultimately owe after applying the required analyses and judgments.

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes requires significant judgment. We routinely receive, and may in the future receive, questions from taxing authorities on various tax-related assertions. In many of these instances, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, given the complexities in interpreting tax laws and applying our facts and circumstances to these laws in many jurisdictions throughout the world.

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the consolidated financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.

Our tax contingency reserves for our uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2022 were $237.2 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, in the event that the ultimate resolution of our uncertain tax positions differs from our estimates, we may be exposed to material increases in income tax expense, which could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, the timing of any related cash payments for these tax liabilities is inherently uncertain and is affected by variable factors outside our control.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We have used derivatives to: (i) minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and, periodically, interest rates and (ii) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers. We recognize all derivatives in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value. Certain of our derivative arrangements are designated as cash flow hedges at the time of inception while those that do not qualify for cash flow hedge accounting are not designated as accounting hedges.

Cash flow hedges consist of foreign currency hedging of forecasted revenues, as well as hedges of the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. Derivative fair value changes that are captured in Accumulated other comprehensive loss

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("AOCL") are reclassified to earnings in the same period the hedged item affects earnings when the instrument is effective in offsetting the change in cash flows attributable to the risk being hedged.

The accounting guidance related to derivative accounting is complex and contains strict documentation requirements. The details of each designated hedging relationship must be formally documented at the inception of the arrangement, including the risk management objective, hedging strategy, hedged item, specific risks being hedged, the derivative instrument, and how effectiveness is being assessed. The derivative must be highly effective in offsetting the changes in cash flows of the hedged item, and effectiveness is evaluated quarterly on a retrospective and prospective basis. If the hedge is no longer deemed effective, we discontinue applying hedge accounting to that relationship on a prospective basis.

We have foreign currency and interest rate accounting hedges that are designated as cash flow hedges. If these hedges no longer qualify under hedge accounting, the change in the fair value of these derivatives would be reflected into earnings, which could have a significant impact on our reported results. As of December 31, 2022, the cumulative pre-tax unrealized gain currently classified within AOCL that would be reflected in earnings if these hedges were disqualified from hedge accounting was $26.0 million.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. An impairment assessment of goodwill is conducted annually during our fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. This assessment of goodwill is performed more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. Reporting units are determined by the level at which management reviews segment operating results. In some cases, that level is the operating segment, and in others, it is one level below the operating segment.

Our impairment assessment typically begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The initial qualitative assessment includes comparing the overall financial performance of the reporting unit against the planned results. Additionally, each reporting unit’s fair value is assessed under certain events and circumstances, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, and other relevant entity-specific events. Periodically, we perform a quantitative assessment, as described below, for each of our reporting units, regardless of the results of prior qualitative assessments.

If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then we estimate the fair value of the reporting unit using discounted cash flows and compare the estimated fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment is recognized for the difference. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion regarding our accounting policies for goodwill and any related impairments.

The determination of the reporting units and which reporting units to include in the qualitative assessment requires significant judgment. Also, all of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require judgment. Additionally, for the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we calculate the fair value of reporting units through discounted cash flow analyses which require us to make estimates and assumptions including, among other items, revenue growth rates, operating margins, and capital expenditures based on our budgets and business plans. Development of such estimates and assumptions and the resultant fair value takes into consideration expected regulatory, marketplace, and other economic factors as well as relevant discount rates and terminal values.

We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, a divestiture of a significant component of our business, or other triggering events. In addition, as our business or the way we manage our business changes, our reporting units may also change. If an event described above occurs and causes us to recognize a goodwill impairment charge, it would impact our reported earnings in the period such charge occurs.

The carrying value of goodwill as of December 31, 2022 was $2,096.0 million, which represented approximately 25% of our consolidated assets. As of December 31, 2022, goodwill of $1,980.7 million and $61.4 million resides in our Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions reporting units, respectively, while the remaining $53.9 million resides in

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Other. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not record any goodwill impairments. For the reporting units that comprise Consumer-to-Consumer and Other, the fair values of the businesses significantly exceed their carrying amounts. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, and this business is expected to be fully divested in the second quarter of 2023, as described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 5, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill. As of December 31, 2022, the goodwill related to the Business Solutions reporting unit is included in Assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Other Intangible Assets

We capitalize acquired intangible assets as well as certain initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts and software. We evaluate such intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying amounts to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required.

The capitalization of initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts is subject to strict accounting policy criteria and requires management judgment as to the amount to capitalize and the related period of benefit. Our accounting policy is to limit the amount of capitalized costs for a given agent contract to the lesser of the estimated future cash flows from the contract or the termination fees we would receive in the event of early termination of the contract. Additionally, the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with each asset requires us to make estimates and assumptions, including, among other things, revenue growth rates and operating margins based on our budgets and business plans.

Disruptions to contractual relationships, significant declines in cash flows or transaction volumes associated with contracts, or other issues significantly impacting the future cash flows associated with the contract would cause us to evaluate the recoverability of the asset and could result in an impairment charge. The net carrying value of our other intangible assets as of December 31, 2022 was $459.3 million and includes $1.4 million of other intangibles related to the Business Solutions business, which is classified as held for sale. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded immaterial impairments related to other intangible assets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for further discussion.

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

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. This Annual Report on Form 10‑K contains certain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain statements contained in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. See “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Overview

We are a leading provider of money movement and payment services, operating in two business segments:

•
Consumer-to-Consumer - Our Consumer-to-Consumer operating segment facilitates money transfers, which are sent from our retail agent locations worldwide or through websites and mobile devices, including our fast-growing money transfer transactions conducted and funded through websites and mobile applications marketed under our brands (“westernunion.com”) and transactions initiated on the internet and mobile applications hosted by our third-party white label or co-branded digital partners (together with westernunion.com, “Digital Money Transfer”). Our money transfer service is provided through one interconnected global network. This service is available for international cross-border transfers and, in certain countries, intra-country transfers.

•
Business Solutions - Our Business Solutions operating segment facilitates payment and foreign exchange solutions, primarily cross-border, cross-currency transactions, for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals. The significant majority of our Business Solutions business relates to exchanges of currency at spot rates, which enable customers to make cross-currency payments. In addition, in certain countries, we write foreign currency forward and option contracts for customers to facilitate future payments. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, as further discussed below.

All businesses and other services that have not been classified in the above segments are reported as Other, which primarily includes our bill payment services which facilitate payments from consumers to businesses and other organizations and our money order services. Our other services, in addition to certain corporate costs such as costs related to strategic initiatives, including costs for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, are also included in Other. Additional information on our segments is provided in the Segment Discussion below.

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Results of Operations

The following discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results refers to the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. For discussion of our consolidated results of operations and segment results for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, refer to Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on February 19, 2021.

The results of operations should be read in conjunction with the discussion of our segment results of operations, which provide more detailed discussions concerning certain components of the Consolidated Statements of Income. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between our segments have been eliminated. The below information has been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) unless otherwise noted. All amounts provided in this section are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million, except as otherwise noted. As a result, the percentage changes and margins disclosed herein may not recalculate precisely using the rounded amounts provided.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak associated with a novel coronavirus a pandemic (“COVID-19”), and many governments implemented policies intended to stop or slow the further spread of the disease. These policies have resulted in lower consumer and commercial activity across many markets in which we operate and the closure of Western Union locations and agent locations in certain areas. As a result, customers have experienced and may continue to experience reduced access to, or desire or ability to use, retail agent locations. However, since March 2020, we have also experienced significant revenue growth from westernunion.com and other digital transactions, as further described below. While the duration and severity of this pandemic and related impacts have varied across time and locations and remain uncertain, our results of operations in future periods may also be negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Our revenues and operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 were impacted by fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in an increase to revenues of $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 relative to the prior year. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies positively impacted operating income by $30.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 relative to the prior year.

On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC (collectively, the "Buyer") for cash consideration of $910 million, subject to regulatory and working capital adjustments. The divestiture is expected to result in a gain on the sale and is subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. The sale is expected to be completed in two primary closings, with the entirety of the cash consideration due at the first closing. The expected gain on the sale will be recognized at each closing, based on the book values and fair values of the operations sold at each closing. The first closing is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2022 and to primarily exclude the operations in the European Union and the United Kingdom. The second closing is currently expected by late 2022, pending required regulatory approvals. During the period between the closings, we will pay to the Buyer a measure of profit of the European Union and United Kingdom operations, adjusted for the provision for income taxes, occupancy charges for employees of the Buyer using our facilities, and other items. Business Solutions revenues were $421.8 million and $356.1 million, and direct operating expenses were $317.7 million and $319.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues Overview

Revenues are primarily derived from consideration paid by customers to transfer money. These revenues vary by transaction based upon factors such as channel, send and receive locations, the principal amount sent, whether the money transfer involves different send and receive currencies, the difference between the exchange rate we set to the customer and the rate available in the wholesale foreign exchange market, and speed of service, as applicable. We also offer several other services, including foreign exchange and payment services and other bill payment services, for which revenue is impacted by similar factors.

Due to the significance of the effect that foreign exchange fluctuations against the United States dollar can have on our reported revenues and the significance of our Consumer-to-Consumer segment to our overall results, constant currency results have been provided in the table below for consolidated revenues and for our Consumer-to-Consumer segment revenues. Constant currency results assume foreign revenues are translated from foreign currencies to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year. Constant currency measures are non-GAAP financial measures and are provided so that revenue can be viewed without the effect of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which is consistent with how management evaluates our revenue results and trends. We believe that these measures provide management and investors with information about revenue results and trends that eliminates currency volatility, thereby providing greater clarity regarding, and increasing the comparability of, our underlying results and trends. These disclosures are provided in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the percentage change in revenue on a GAAP basis for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year. Other companies may calculate and define similarly labeled items differently, which may limit the usefulness of this measure for comparative purposes.

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The following table sets forth our consolidated revenue results for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

(a)
Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, resulted in an increase to revenues of $18.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 when compared to foreign currency rates in the prior year.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, GAAP revenues increased when compared to the prior year, primarily due to continued recovery from the negative impacts of COVID-19 on our prior year results as previously discussed above. For the year ended December 31, 2021, transactions and revenues from our Digital Money Transfer services, including from white label partnerships, continued to grow. We believe that our growth in Digital Money Transfer transactions for the year ended December 31, 2021 was due, in part, to shifts in consumer behavior to send money through digital channels, including as a result of COVID-19. However, this growth rate decelerated throughout the year as a result of the strong growth in Digital Money Transfer transactions we experienced in the prior year. Revenues were also positively impacted by growth in our Business Solutions segment. Fluctuations between the United States dollar and other currencies positively impacted GAAP revenues by 1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 when compared to the prior year.

Operating Expenses Overview

Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

The financial services industry, including money services businesses, continues to be subject to increasingly strict legal and regulatory requirements, and we continue to focus on and regularly review our compliance programs. In connection with these reviews, and in light of growing and rapidly evolving regulatory complexity and heightened attention of, and increased dialogue with, governmental and regulatory authorities related to our compliance activities, we have made, and continue to make, enhancements to our processes and systems designed to detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud and other illicit activity, and enhancements designed to improve consumer protection. Some of these changes have had, and we believe will continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Restructuring-Related Expenses

On August 1, 2019, our Board of Directors approved a plan to change our operating model and improve our business processes and cost structure by reorganizing our senior management, including those managers reporting to our chief executive officer, reducing our headcount, and consolidating various facilities. We incurred approximately $150 million of total expenses through December 31, 2020, with approximately $110 million related to severance and employee-related benefits and approximately $40 million related to costs associated with the relocation of various operations to other Company facilities, facility closures, lease terminations, consulting, and other expenses. As of December 31, 2020, all expenses associated with this plan have been incurred. In 2020, the plan generated expense savings of more than $50 million. For 2021, the plan generated expense savings of approximately $100 million.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred $36.8 million related to this plan. Of this amount, $4.5 million and $32.3 million are included within Cost of services and Selling, general, and administrative, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 4, Restructuring-Related Expenses for further discussion.

These expenses are specific to this initiative; however, the types of expenses related to this initiative are similar to expenses that we have previously incurred and can reasonably be expected to incur in the future.

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Cost of Services

Cost of services primarily consists of agent commissions, which represented approximately 60% of total cost of services for the year ended December 31, 2021. Cost of services increased for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily due to increases in information technology costs, bank fees associated with digital transactions, and agent commissions in our Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer business, partially offset by a reduction in credit losses.

Selling, General, and Administrative

Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year due to increases in employee-related expenses, including incentive compensation and as a result of reduced hiring that we implemented in response to COVID-19 in the prior year, and costs related to strategic initiatives, including for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, partially offset by a reduction in restructuring-related expenses and fluctuations between the United States dollar and foreign currencies.

Total Other Expense, Net

Total other expense, net during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year was impacted by $109.8 million in pension settlement charges, as further described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 12, Employee Benefit Plans, and costs associated with the April 2021 repayment of our 3.6% unsecured notes due in 2022. These impacts were partially offset by a $47.9 million gain recorded from the sale of a substantial majority of the shares we held as a noncontrolling investor in a private company for cash proceeds of $50.9 million and a reduction in interest expense driven by lower average debt balances outstanding and a lower weighted-average interest rate on our outstanding debt.

Income Taxes

Our effective tax rates on pre-tax income were 13.9% and 12.9% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year was primarily due to deferred taxes from changes in certain of our permanent reinvestment assertions relating to our decision to classify our Business Solutions business as held for sale in the current period, partially offset by discrete tax benefits associated with the pension termination and other items.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. As of December 31, 2021, the total amount of tax contingency reserves was $318.6 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes in facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue during the period, and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period. Such resolution could materially increase or decrease income tax expense in our consolidated financial statements in future periods and could impact our operating cash flows.

A significant proportion of our profits are foreign-derived. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, 106% and 100%, respectively, of our pre-tax income was derived from foreign sources. While the income tax imposed by any one foreign country is not material to us, our overall effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in foreign tax laws.

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Earnings Per Share

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, basic earnings per share were $1.98 and $1.81, respectively, and diluted earnings per share were $1.97 and $1.79, respectively. Outstanding options to purchase Western Union stock and unvested shares of restricted stock are excluded from basic shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if outstanding stock options at the presented dates are exercised and shares of restricted stock have vested. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were 2.3 million and 1.6 million, respectively, of shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation under the treasury stock method, primarily due to outstanding restricted stock units and options to purchase shares of Western Union stock, as the assumed proceeds of the restricted stock and options per unit were above our weighted-average share price during the periods and their effect was anti-dilutive.

Earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year was positively impacted by the previously described factors impacting net income and a lower number of shares outstanding. The lower number of shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year is due to stock repurchases exceeding stock issuances related to our stock compensation programs.

Segment Discussion

We manage our business around the consumers and businesses we serve and the types of services we offer. Each of our segments addresses a different combination of consumer groups, distribution networks, and services offered. Our segments are Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC, as further described above.

The business segment measurements provided to, and evaluated by, our Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) are computed in accordance with the following principles:

•
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies.

•
Corporate costs, including stock-based compensation and other overhead, are allocated to the segments primarily based on a percentage of the segments’ revenue compared to total revenue.

•
As described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 4, Restructuring-Related Expenses, on August 1, 2019, our Board of Directors approved an overall plan to change our operating model and improve our business processes and cost structure by reducing our headcount and consolidating various facilities. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred $36.8 million related to this plan. While certain of these expenses may be identifiable to our segments, primarily our Consumer-to-Consumer segment, the expenses are not included in the measurement of segment operating income provided to the CODM for purposes of assessing segment performance and decision making with respect to resource allocation.

•
All items not included in operating income are excluded from the segments.

The following table sets forth the components of segment revenues as a percentage of the consolidated totals for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

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Consumer-to-Consumer Segment

The following table sets forth our Consumer-to-Consumer segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Our Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer service facilitates money transfers sent from our retail agent locations worldwide and our Digital Money Transfer services. The segment includes five geographic regions whose functions are primarily related to generating, managing, and maintaining agent relationships and localized marketing activities. We include Digital Money Transfer transactions in our regions, including transactions from our arrangements with financial institutions and other third parties to enable such entities to offer money transfer services to their own customers under their brands. By means of common processes and systems, these regions, including Digital Money Transfer transactions, create one interconnected global network for consumer transactions, thereby constituting one Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer business and one operating segment.

Transaction volume is the primary generator of revenue in our Consumer-to-Consumer segment. A Consumer-to-Consumer transaction constitutes the transfer of funds to a designated recipient utilizing one of our consumer money transfer services. The geographic split for transactions and revenue in the table that follows, including Digital Money Transfer transactions, is determined based upon the region where the money transfer is initiated. Included in each region’s transaction and revenue percentages in the tables below are Digital Money Transfer transactions for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Where reported separately in the discussion below, Digital Money Transfer, and its subset westernunion.com, consist of 100% of the transactions conducted and funded through those respective channels.

The table below sets forth revenue and transaction changes by geographic region compared to the prior year. Consumer-to-Consumer segment constant currency revenue growth/(decline) is a non-GAAP financial measure, as further discussed in Revenues Overview above.

(a)
Constant currency revenue growth assumes that revenues denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the United States dollar, net of the effect of foreign currency hedges, at rates consistent with those in the prior year.

(b)
Digital Money Transfer revenues have been included in the regions above. As noted above, westernunion.com is a subset of Digital Money Transfer and is included in the regions and Digital Money Transfer revenues.

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The table below sets forth regional revenues as a percentage of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Digital Money Transfer, which is included in the regional percentages above, represented approximately 24% and 20% of our Consumer-to-Consumer revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Our consumers transferred $109.0 billion and $96.1 billion in Consumer-to-Consumer principal for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, of which $104.1 billion and $90.6 billion, respectively, related to cross-border principal. The increase in principal and cross-border principal transferred during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to growth in Digital Money Transfer. Consumer-to-Consumer principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to the designated recipient. Cross-border principal is the amount of consumer funds transferred to a designated recipient in a country or territory that differs from the country or territory from which the transaction was initiated. Consumer-to-Consumer principal and cross-border principal are metrics used by management to monitor and better understand the growth in our underlying business relative to competitors, as well as changes in our market share of global remittances.

Revenues

Consumer-to-Consumer money transfer revenue increased 4% and transactions increased 5% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year, including as a result of the impacts from the worldwide actions related to COVID-19. Revenues increased primarily due to continued recovery from the negative impacts of COVID-19 on our prior year results as previously discussed above. For the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year, transactions and revenues from our Digital Money Transfer services, including from white label partnerships, continued to grow. We believe that our growth in Digital Money Transfer transactions was due, in part, to shifts in consumer behavior to send money through digital channels, including as a result of COVID-19. However, this growth rate decelerated throughout the year as a result of the strong growth in Digital Money Transfer transactions we experienced in the prior year. The spread between transaction volumes and revenue was primarily attributable to growth in our digital white label partnerships, which have a lower revenue per transaction than Western Union branded transactions. Fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, net of the impact of foreign currency hedges, positively impacted revenue by 1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year. Constant currency revenue increased 3% for the year ended December 31, 2021.

In our Consumer-to-Consumer regions, the increase in NA revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year was primarily due to cross-border transaction growth, partially offset by declines in transactions sent and received within the United States and in transactions sent from the United States to Cuba, as these money transfer services have been suspended since the fourth quarter of 2020. The EU & CIS region experienced strong revenue growth in Russia, and transaction volumes for both the EU & CIS and MEASA regions continued to benefit from growth in Digital Money Transfer, including white label partnerships. The revenue growth in the LACA region was primarily due to an increase in principal transferred during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the prior year. Price increases in APAC were offset by transaction declines for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the prior year. Digital Money Transfer revenue, including westernunion.com, increased compared to the prior year due to an increase in digital transaction volumes, partially offset by price reductions.

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We have historically implemented price reductions or price increases throughout many of our global corridors. We will likely continue to implement price changes from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Price reductions generally reduce margins and adversely affect financial results in the short term and may also adversely affect financial results in the long term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently. Price increases may adversely affect transaction volumes, as consumers may not use our services if we fail to price them appropriately.

Operating Income

Consumer-to-Consumer operating income increased 6% during the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily due to the increase in revenues, as discussed above, a reduction in credit losses, and fluctuations in the United States dollar compared to foreign currencies, partially offset by increases in information technology costs and employee-related expenses, including incentive compensation and as a result of reduced hiring that we implemented in response to COVID-19 in the prior year period, and increases in agent commissions and bank fees, which generally vary with revenues.

Business Solutions

The following table sets forth our Business Solutions segment results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

(a)
Calculation not meaningful.

Revenues

Business Solutions revenue increased 18% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in payment services activity in Europe and North America and increased hedging activity. We believe this increase was due, in part, to the continued recovery from the downturn in economic activity and trade caused by the negative impacts of COVID-19 on our prior year results. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the United States dollar and foreign currencies positively impacted revenue by 4% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year.

Operating Income

For the year ended December 31, 2021, Business Solutions operating income and operating income margin increased when compared to the prior year due to the increase in revenues, as discussed above, a reduction in depreciation and amortization expenses, including as a result of classifying our Business Solutions business as held for sale in August 2021, and costs incurred in the prior year associated with the termination of a property lease in the United States, partially offset by an increase in employee-related expenses, including as a result of reduced hiring that we implemented in response to COVID-19 in the prior year.

Other

Other primarily consists of our cash-based bill payment businesses in Argentina and the United States, in addition to our money order services.

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The following table sets forth Other results for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Revenues

Other revenue decreased 1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year due to the strengthening of the United States dollar against the Argentine peso, partially offset by an increase in local currency revenue per transaction, primarily due to inflation, and an increase in transaction volumes in our cash-based bill payment services offered at retail locations.

Operating Income

Other operating income decreased for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily due to an increase in costs associated with strategic initiatives, including for the review and closing of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

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Capital Resources and Liquidity

Our primary source of liquidity has been cash generated from our operating activities, primarily from net income and fluctuations in working capital. Our working capital is affected by the timing of payments for employee and agent incentives, interest payments on our outstanding borrowings, and timing of income tax payments, among other items. Many of our annual employee incentive compensation and agent incentive payments are made in the first quarter following the year they were incurred. The majority of our interest payments are due in the second and fourth quarters, which results in a decrease in the amount of cash provided by operating activities in those quarters and a corresponding increase to the first and third quarters. The annual payments resulting from the United States tax reform legislation enacted in 2017 (the “Tax Act”) include amounts related to the United States taxation of certain previously undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries. These payments are typically due in the second quarter of each year through 2025.

Our future cash flows could be impacted by a variety of factors, some of which are out of our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, especially those impacting migrant populations and including as a result of COVID-19 related impacts, changes in income tax laws or the status of income tax audits, including the resolution of outstanding tax matters, and the settlement or resolution of legal contingencies.

Substantially all of our cash flows from operating activities have been generated from subsidiaries. Most of these cash flows are generated from our regulated subsidiaries. Our regulated subsidiaries may transfer all excess cash to the parent company for general corporate use, except for assets subject to legal or regulatory restrictions, including: (i) requirements to maintain cash and other qualifying investment balances, free of any liens or other encumbrances, related to the payment of certain of our money transfer and other payment obligations, (ii) other legal or regulatory restrictions, including statutory or formalized minimum net worth requirements, and (iii) restrictions on transferring assets outside of the countries where these assets are located. See also Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 1, Business and Basis of Presentation.

We currently believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our business needs, including payments under our debt and other obligations, through our existing cash balances, our ability to generate cash flows through operations, and our $1.5 billion revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”), which expires in January 2025 and supports our commercial paper program. Our commercial paper program enables us to issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of any borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility and $275.0 million of outstanding borrowings on the commercial paper program.

To help ensure availability of our worldwide cash where needed, we utilize a variety of planning and financial strategies, including decisions related to the amounts, timing, and manner by which cash is made available from our international subsidiaries. These decisions can influence our overall tax rate and impact our total liquidity. We regularly evaluate our United States cash requirements, taking tax consequences and other factors into consideration and also the potential uses of cash internationally to determine the appropriate level of dividend repatriations of our foreign source income.

Cash and Investment Securities

As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had Cash and cash equivalents of $1,246.0 million, which includes $37.7 million related to Business Solutions, and $1,428.2 million, respectively. As described in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 5, Divestitures, Investment Activities, and Goodwill, we have agreed to sell our Business Solutions business. We expect that our use of the net proceeds on the sale, after taxes on the gain from the transaction, will be consistent with our objective to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings, as further described below. In many cases, we receive funds from money transfers and certain other payment services before we settle the payment of those transactions. These funds, referred to as Settlement assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, are not used to support our operations. However, we earn income from investing these funds. We maintain a portion of these settlement assets in highly liquid investments, classified as Cash and cash equivalents within Settlement assets, to fund settlement obligations.

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Investment securities, classified within Settlement assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, were $1,398.9 million and $1,990.6 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and consist primarily of highly-rated state and municipal debt securities, including fixed-rate term notes and variable-rate demand notes. The substantial majority of our investment securities are held in order to comply with state licensing requirements in the United States and are required to have credit ratings of “A-” or better from a major credit rating agency.

Investment securities are exposed to market risk due to changes in interest rates and credit risk. We regularly monitor credit risk and attempt to mitigate our exposure by investing in highly-rated securities and diversifying our investment portfolio. Our investment securities are also actively managed with respect to concentration. As of December 31, 2021, all investments with a single issuer and each individual security represented less than 10% of our investment securities portfolio.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, cash provided by operating activities was $1,045.3 million and $877.5 million, respectively. Cash provided by operating activities can be impacted by changes to our consolidated net income, in addition to fluctuations in our working capital balances, among other factors.

Financing Resources

As of December 31, 2021, we had the following outstanding borrowings (in millions):

(a)
The difference between the stated interest rate and the effective interest rate is not significant.

(b)
As of December 31, 2021, our weighted-average effective rate on total borrowings was approximately 3.3%.

Commercial Paper Program

Pursuant to our commercial paper program, we may issue unsecured commercial paper notes in an amount not to exceed $1.5 billion outstanding at any time, reduced to the extent of borrowings outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility. Our commercial paper borrowings may have maturities of up to 397 days from date of issuance. Interest rates for borrowings are based on market rates at the time of issuance. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had $275.0 million and $80.0 million in commercial paper borrowings outstanding, respectively. Our commercial paper borrowings as of December 31, 2021 had a weighted-average annual interest rate of approximately 0.2% and a weighted-average term of approximately 5 days. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the average commercial paper balance outstanding was $140.0 million and $181.6 million, respectively, and the maximum balance outstanding was $575.0 million and $690.0 million, respectively. Proceeds from our commercial paper borrowings were used for general corporate purposes and working capital needs.

Revolving Credit Facility

On December 18, 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for unsecured financing facilities in an aggregate amount of $1.5 billion, including a $250.0 million letter of credit sub-facility. On December 18, 2019, we extended the final maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility to January 8, 2025.

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Interest due under the Revolving Credit Facility is fixed for the term of each borrowing and is payable according to the terms of that borrowing. Generally, interest is calculated using a selected LIBOR rate plus an interest rate margin of 110 basis points. A facility fee is also payable quarterly at an annual rate of 15 basis points on the total facility, regardless of usage. Both the interest rate margin and facility fee percentage are based on certain of our credit ratings.

The purpose of our Revolving Credit Facility, which is diversified through a group of 19 participating institutions, is to provide general liquidity and to support our commercial paper program, which we believe enhances our short-term credit rating. The largest commitment from any single financial institution within the total committed balance of $1.5 billion is approximately 11%. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had no outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. If the amount available to borrow under the Revolving Credit Facility decreased, or if the Revolving Credit Facility were eliminated, the cost and availability of borrowing under the commercial paper program may be impacted.

Term Loan Facility

On December 18, 2018, we extended the Term Loan Facility providing for an unsecured delayed draw term loan facility in an aggregate amount of $950.0 million. In October 2016, we borrowed $575.0 million under our prior term loan facility. In December 2018, we borrowed the remaining amount available under the Term Loan Facility. In the first quarter of 2021, proceeds from the 2026 Notes and the 2031 Notes (as defined below), and cash, including cash generated from operations, were used to repay $650.0 million of the Term Loan Facility. On January 4, 2022, we repaid all remaining borrowings owed under the Term Loan Facility for total consideration of $300.0 million, using proceeds from our commercial paper and cash, including cash generated from operations. We are no longer able to borrow money under this facility.

Notes

On March 9, 2021, we issued $600.0 million and $300.0 million of aggregate principal amount of 1.350% and 2.750% unsecured notes due March 15, 2026 (“2026 Notes”) and March 15, 2031 (“2031 Notes”), respectively. We used the net proceeds from the sale of our 2026 Notes and 2031 Notes to pay down our 2022 Notes (as defined below) and a portion of our Term Loan Facility. Interest with respect to these notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on September 15, 2021. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the 2026 Notes and 2031 Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. We may redeem the 2026 Notes and the 2031 Notes, in whole or in part, at any time prior to February 15, 2026 and December 15, 2030, respectively, at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 15 and 25 basis points, respectively. We may redeem the 2026 Notes and the 2031 Notes at any time after February 15, 2026 and December 15, 2030, respectively, at a price equal to par, plus accrued interest.

On November 25, 2019, we issued $500.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due January 10, 2025 (“2025 Notes”). We used the net proceeds from the sale of the 2025 Notes to redeem our 2020 Notes, as defined below, and for general corporate purposes. Interest with respect to the 2025 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 10 and July 10 of each year, beginning on July 10, 2020, based on the per annum rate of 2.850%. The interest rate payable on the 2025 Notes will be increased if the debt rating assigned to these notes is downgraded by an applicable credit rating agency, beginning at a downgrade below investment grade. However, in no event will the interest rate on the 2025 Notes exceed 4.850% per annum. The interest rate payable on the 2025 Notes may also be adjusted downward for debt rating upgrades subsequent to any debt rating downgrades but may not be adjusted below 2.850% per annum. We may redeem the 2025 Notes, in whole or in part, at any time prior to December 10, 2024 at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 20 basis points. We may redeem the 2025 Notes at any time after December 10, 2024 at a price equal to par, plus accrued interest.

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On June 11, 2018, we issued $300.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due June 9, 2023 (“2023 Notes”). Interest with respect to the 2023 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 9 and December 9 of each year, beginning on December 9, 2018, based on the per annum rate of 4.250%. The interest rate payable on the 2023 Notes will be increased if the debt rating assigned to these notes is downgraded by an applicable credit rating agency, beginning at a downgrade below investment grade. However, in no event will the interest rate on the 2023 Notes exceed 6.250% per annum. The interest rate payable on the 2023 Notes may also be adjusted downward for debt rating upgrades subsequent to any debt rating downgrades but may not be adjusted below 4.250% per annum. We may redeem the 2023 Notes, in whole or in part, at any time prior to May 9, 2023 at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 25 basis points. We may redeem the 2023 Notes at any time after May 9, 2023 at a price equal to par, plus accrued interest.

On August 22, 2017, we issued $250.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured floating rate notes due May 22, 2019 (“Floating Rate Notes”). The Floating Rate Notes were repaid in May 2019 using proceeds from the Speedpay divestiture, commercial paper, and cash, including cash generated from operations.

On March 15, 2017, we issued $400.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due March 15, 2022. On August 22, 2017, we issued an additional $100.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due March 15, 2022, for an aggregate principal total of $500.0 million of 3.600% unsecured notes (“2022 Notes”). The 2022 Notes were repaid in April 2021 using proceeds from the 2026 Notes and the 2031 Notes.

On November 22, 2013, we issued $250.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due May 22, 2019 (“2019 Notes”). The 2019 Notes were repaid in May 2019 using proceeds from the Speedpay divestiture, commercial paper, and cash, including cash generated from operations.

On June 21, 2010, we issued $250.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due June 21, 2040 (“2040 Notes”). Interest with respect to the 2040 Notes is payable semi-annually on June 21 and December 21 each year based on the fixed per annum rate of 6.200%. We may redeem the 2040 Notes at any time prior to maturity at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 30 basis points.

On March 30, 2010, we exchanged $303.7 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due November 17, 2011 for unsecured notes due April 1, 2020 (“2020 Notes”). Interest with respect to the 2020 Notes was payable semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 each year based on the fixed per annum rate of 5.253%. In connection with the exchange, note holders were given a 7% premium ($21.2 million), which approximated market value at the exchange date, as additional principal. As this transaction was accounted for as a debt modification, this premium was not charged to expense. Rather, the premium, along with the offsetting hedge accounting adjustments, was accreted into Interest expense over the life of the notes. On November 18, 2019, we announced a cash tender offer on our outstanding 2020 Notes. On November 25, 2019, we purchased the principal amount of $56.1 million, plus accrued interest, pursuant to the tender offer. On December 27, 2019, we redeemed the remaining principal amount of $268.8 million, plus accrued interest. The total premium paid to redeem the 2020 Notes was $3.1 million.

On November 17, 2006, we issued $500.0 million of aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes due November 17, 2036 (“2036 Notes”). Interest with respect to the 2036 Notes is payable semi-annually on May 17 and November 17 each year based on the fixed per annum rate of 6.200%. We may redeem the 2036 Notes at any time prior to maturity at the greater of par or a price based on the applicable treasury rate plus 25 basis points.

Credit Ratings and Debt Covenants

The credit ratings on our debt are an important consideration in our overall business, managing our financing costs, and facilitating access to additional capital on favorable terms. Factors that we believe are important in assessing our credit ratings include earnings, cash flow generation, leverage, available liquidity, and the overall business.

Our Revolving Credit Facility contains interest rate margins which are determined based on certain of our credit ratings and also contains a facility fee that is based on our credit ratings. In addition, the interest rates payable on our 2023 Notes, 2025 Notes, 2026 Notes, and 2031 Notes can be impacted by our credit ratings. We are also subject to certain provisions in many of our notes and certain of our derivative contracts, which could require settlement or collateral posting in the event of a change in control combined with a downgrade below investment grade, as further described below. We do not have any other terms within our debt agreements that are tied to changes in our credit ratings.

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The Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants, subject to certain exceptions, that, among other things, limit or restrict our ability to sell or transfer assets or merge or consolidate with another company, grant certain types of security interests, incur certain types of liens, impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, incur certain subsidiary level indebtedness, or use proceeds in violation of anti-corruption or anti-money laundering laws. Our notes are subject to similar covenants except that only the 2036 Notes contain covenants limiting or restricting subsidiary indebtedness, and none of our notes are subject to a covenant that limits our ability to impose restrictions on subsidiary dividends. Our Revolving Credit Facility requires us to maintain a consolidated adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA") interest coverage ratio of greater than 3:1 (ratio of consolidated adjusted EBITDA, defined as net income/(loss) plus the sum of (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) depreciation expense, (iv) amortization expense, (v) any other non-cash deductions, losses or charges made in determining net income/(loss) for such period, and (vi) extraordinary, non-recurring, or unusual losses or charges (including costs and expenses of litigation included in operating income), minus extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual gains provided that the amount added back to net income (or net loss) for such extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual losses, expenses or charges may not exceed 10% of adjusted EBITDA, in each case determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for such period, to interest expense) for each period comprising the four most recent consecutive fiscal quarters. Our consolidated interest coverage ratio was 13:1 for the year ended December 31, 2021.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with our debt covenants. A violation of our debt covenants could impair our ability to borrow and outstanding amounts borrowed could become due, thereby restricting our ability to use our excess cash for other purposes.

Certain of our notes (including the 2023 Notes, 2025 Notes, 2026 Notes, 2031 Notes, and 2040 Notes) include a change of control triggering event provision, as defined in the terms of the notes. If a change of control triggering event occurs, holders of the notes may require us to repurchase some or all of their notes at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of their notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest. A change of control triggering event will occur when there is a change of control involving us and, among other things, within a specified period in relation to the change of control, the notes are downgraded from an investment grade rating to below an investment grade rating by certain major credit rating agencies.

Cash Priorities

Liquidity

Our objective is to maintain strong liquidity and a capital structure consistent with investment-grade credit ratings. We have existing cash balances, cash flows from operating activities, access to the commercial paper markets, and our Revolving Credit Facility available to support the needs of our business.

Our ability to grow the business, make investments in our business, make acquisitions, return capital to shareholders, including through dividends and share repurchases, and service our debt and tax obligations will depend on our ability to continue to generate excess operating cash through our operating subsidiaries and to continue to receive dividends from those operating subsidiaries, our ability to obtain adequate financing, and our ability to identify acquisitions that align with our long-term strategy. For additional information, please refer to Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Investment in Saudi Digital Payments Company

We entered into an agreement in November 2020, which was subsequently amended, to acquire an ownership interest in stc Bank (formerly Saudi Digital Payments Company), a subsidiary of Saudi Telecom Company and one of our Consumer-to-Consumer digital white label partners. Under the terms of the amended agreement, we agreed to invest $200.0 million for a 15% ownership in stc Bank, and this transaction closed in October 2021.

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Capital Expenditures

The total aggregate amount paid for contract costs, purchases of property and equipment, and purchased and developed software was $214.6 million and $156.8 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amounts paid for new and renewed agent contracts vary depending on the terms of existing contracts as well as the timing of new and renewed contract signings. Other capital expenditures during these periods included investments in our information technology infrastructure and purchased and developed software.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, 19.5 million and 8.5 million shares, respectively, have been repurchased for $400.0 million and $217.4 million, respectively, excluding commissions, at an average cost of $20.56 and $25.45, respectively, under the share repurchase authorization approved by our Board of Directors which expired on December 31, 2021. On February 10, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized $1.0 billion of common stock repurchases through December 31, 2024.

Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.235 per common share in all four quarters of 2021, representing $380.5 million in total dividends. Our Board of Directors declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.225 per common share in all four quarters of 2020, representing $369.9 million in total dividends. These amounts were paid to shareholders of record in the respective quarter the dividend was declared.

On February 10, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.235 per common share payable on March 31, 2022.

Material Cash Requirements

Debt Service Requirements

Our 2022 and future debt service requirements will include payments on all outstanding indebtedness, including any borrowings under our commercial paper program. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 16, Borrowings for details on our outstanding borrowings, including future principal payments on our notes, and commercial paper. As of December 31, 2021, the total projected interest payments on our borrowings were $935.6 million, of which $89.9 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. We have estimated our future interest payments based on the assumption that no debt issuances or renewals will occur upon the maturity dates of our notes. However, we may refinance all or a portion of our borrowings in future periods. Estimated interest payments on floating-rate debt are calculated by utilizing the effective rate and forward rates as of December 31, 2021 for our current and future interest rates, respectively.

2017 United States Federal Tax Liability

The Tax Act imposed a tax on certain of our previously undistributed foreign earnings. This tax charge, combined with our other 2017 United States taxable income and tax attributes, resulted in a 2017 United States federal tax liability of approximately $800 million, of which approximately $541 million remained as of December 31, 2021. We have elected to pay this liability in periodic installments through 2025. Under the terms of the law, we owe 8% of the original liability in 2022, with 15%, 20%, and 25% of the tax owed in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we made installment payments of $63.4 million and $64.0 million, respectively. These payments have affected and will continue to adversely affect our cash flows and liquidity and may adversely affect future share repurchases.

Operating Leases

We lease real properties for use as administrative and sales offices, in addition to transportation, office, and other equipment. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, Leases for details on our leasing arrangements, including future maturities of our operating lease liabilities.

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Foreign Currency Derivative Contracts

We use derivatives to minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which fluctuate based on market conditions. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 15, Derivatives. The substantial majority of these derivative contracts relate to our Business Solutions segment, which facilitates cross-currency payments by writing derivatives to customers, and a majority of these derivative contracts have a duration at inception of less than one year.

Purchase Obligations

A purchase obligation is an agreement to purchase goods or services that is enforceable, legally binding, and specifies all significant terms. As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $310 million of outstanding purchase obligations, of which approximately $160 million is expected to be paid in the next 12 months. Many of our contracts contain clauses that allow us to terminate the contract with notice and with a termination penalty. Termination penalties are generally an amount less than the original obligation. Obligations under certain contracts are usage-based and are, therefore, estimated in the above amounts. Historically, we have not had any significant defaults on our contractual obligations or incurred significant penalties for termination of our contractual obligations.

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

Pension Plan

We had a frozen defined benefit pension plan (the “Plan”), for which the funded status was measured as the difference between the fair value of the plan assets and the projected benefit obligation. We were not required to and did not make material contributions to the Plan in either 2021 or 2020.

On July 22, 2021, our Board of Directors approved a plan to terminate and settle the Plan. Upon settlement in the fourth quarter of 2021, we transferred Plan assets to an insurance company that will provide for and pay the remaining benefits to participants. We incurred approximately $109.8 million of charges associated with this settlement. The pre-tax balance in Accumulated other comprehensive loss associated with the Plan, along with costs related to the settlement, were recorded as a component of Total other income/(expense), net, with the related income tax effects recorded in Provision for income taxes, in the Consolidated Statements of Income. As of December 31, 2021, we had $18.4 million of restricted cash and $11.9 million of investments remaining from the settlement, which are included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. These assets will be used to fund contributions to our defined contribution plan in future periods.

Other Commercial Commitments

We had approximately $450 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2021 primarily held in connection with safeguarding consumer funds, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. We expect to renew many of our letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration, while certain letters of credit will be terminated, released, or transferred as a result of the sale of our Business Solutions business.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition is based on our consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and other related disclosures. Actual results may or may not differ from these estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Our critical accounting policies and estimates, described below, are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and our results of operations, and applying them requires our management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. We believe that the understanding of these key accounting policies and estimates is essential in achieving more insight into our operating results and financial condition.

Income Taxes

Income taxes, as reported in our consolidated financial statements, represent the net amount of income taxes we expect to pay to various taxing jurisdictions in connection with our operations. We provide for income taxes based on amounts that we believe we will ultimately owe after applying the required analyses and judgments.

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes requires significant judgment. We routinely receive, and may in the future receive, questions from taxing authorities on various tax-related assertions. In many of these instances, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, given the complexities in interpreting tax laws and applying our facts and circumstances to these laws in many jurisdictions throughout the world.

Income Tax Contingencies

We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits of the position, that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of any related appeals or litigation. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured as the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution.

We have established contingency reserves for a variety of material, known tax exposures. Our tax reserves reflect our judgment as to the resolution of the issues involved if subject to judicial review or other settlement. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, there can be no assurance that, in all instances, an issue raised by a tax authority will be resolved at a financial cost that does not exceed our related reserve. With respect to these reserves, our income tax expense would include: (i) any changes in tax reserves arising from material changes during the period in the facts and circumstances (i.e., new information) surrounding a tax issue and (ii) any difference from our tax position as recorded in the consolidated financial statements and the final resolution of a tax issue during the period.

Our tax contingency reserves for our uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2021 were $318.6 million, including accrued interest and penalties, net of related items. While we believe that our reserves are adequate to cover reasonably expected tax risks, in the event that the ultimate resolution of our uncertain tax positions differs from our estimates, we may be exposed to material increases in income tax expense, which could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Furthermore, the timing of related cash payments for these tax liabilities is inherently uncertain and is affected by variable factors outside our control.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We have used derivatives to: (i) minimize our exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and, periodically, interest rates and (ii) facilitate cross-currency Business Solutions payments by writing derivatives to customers. We recognize all derivatives in Other assets and Other liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value. Certain of our derivative arrangements are designated as either cash flow hedges or fair value hedges at the time of inception, and others are not designated as accounting hedges.

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•
Cash flow hedges - Cash flow hedges consist of foreign currency hedging of forecasted revenues, as well as hedges of the forecasted issuance of fixed-rate debt. Derivative fair value changes that are captured in Accumulated other comprehensive loss ("AOCL") are reclassified to earnings in the same period the hedged item affects earnings when the instrument is effective in offsetting the change in cash flows attributable to the risk being hedged.

•
Fair value hedges - Fair value hedges consist of hedges of fixed-rate debt, through interest rate swaps. Changes in the fair value of these hedges, along with offsetting changes in the fair value of the related debt instrument attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate, are recorded in Interest expense.

The accounting guidance related to derivative accounting is complex and contains strict documentation requirements. The details of each designated hedging relationship must be formally documented at the inception of the arrangement, including the risk management objective, hedging strategy, hedged item, specific risks being hedged, the derivative instrument, and how effectiveness is being assessed. The derivative must be highly effective in offsetting the changes in cash flows or fair value of the hedged item, and effectiveness is evaluated quarterly on a retrospective and prospective basis. If the hedge is no longer deemed effective, we discontinue applying hedge accounting to that relationship on a prospective basis.

We have foreign currency and interest rate derivative instruments that qualify for hedge accounting and are designated as cash flow hedges. If these hedges no longer qualify under hedge accounting, the change in the fair value of these derivatives would be reflected into earnings, which could have a significant impact on our reported results. As of December 31, 2021, the cumulative pre-tax unrealized gain currently classified within AOCL that would be reflected in earnings if these hedges were disqualified from hedge accounting was $24.3 million.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of tangible and other intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed, arising from business combinations. An impairment assessment of goodwill is conducted annually during our fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. This assessment of goodwill is performed more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. Reporting units are determined by the level at which management reviews segment operating results. In some cases, that level is the operating segment, and in others, it is one level below the operating segment.

Our impairment assessment typically begins with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. The initial qualitative assessment includes comparing the overall financial performance of the reporting unit against the planned results. Additionally, each reporting unit’s fair value is assessed under certain events and circumstances, including macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, and other relevant entity-specific events. Periodically, we perform a quantitative assessment, as described below, for each of our reporting units, regardless of the results of prior qualitative assessments.

If we determine in the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then we estimate the fair value of the reporting unit using discounted cash flows and compare the estimated fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then an impairment is recognized for the difference. Refer to Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, for further discussion regarding our accounting policies for goodwill and any related impairments.

The determination of the reporting units and which reporting units to include in the qualitative assessment requires significant judgment. Also, all of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require judgment. Additionally, for the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we calculate the fair value of reporting units through discounted cash flow analyses which require us to make estimates and assumptions including, among other items, revenue growth rates, operating margins, and capital expenditures based on our budgets and business plans. Development of such estimates and assumptions and the resultant fair value takes into consideration expected regulatory, marketplace, and other economic factors as well as relevant discount rates and terminal values.

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We could be required to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill if we experience disruptions to the business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, a divestiture of a significant component of our business, or other triggering events. In addition, as our business or the way we manage our business changes, our reporting units may also change. If an event described above occurs and causes us to recognize a goodwill impairment charge, it would impact our reported earnings in the period such charge occurs.

The carrying value of goodwill as of December 31, 2021 was $2,566.6 million, which represented approximately 29% of our consolidated assets. As of December 31, 2021, goodwill of $1,980.7 million and $532.0 million resides in our Consumer-to-Consumer and Business Solutions reporting units, respectively, while the remaining $53.9 million resides in Other. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we did not record any goodwill impairments. For the reporting units that comprise Consumer-to-Consumer and Other, the fair values of the businesses significantly exceed their carrying amounts. On August 4, 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell our Business Solutions business to Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group LLC for $910 million in cash, and we expect to recognize a gain upon completion of the sale in 2022. As of December 31, 2021, the goodwill related to the Business Solutions reporting unit is included in Assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Other Intangible Assets

We capitalize acquired intangible assets as well as certain initial payments for new and renewed agent contracts and software. We evaluate such intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. In such reviews, estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with these assets or operations are compared with their carrying amounts to determine if a write-down to fair value (normally measured by the present value technique) is required.