Deluxe Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results; Declares Regular Dividend; Provides 2022 Outlook

• Full year revenue increased 12.9%, up 2.0%, excluding First American, delivering the first full year of reported sales-driven growth in nearly a decade
• Consolidated fourth quarter revenue increased 25.5%, up 6.8%, excluding contribution from First American
• All four segments delivered year-over-year sales-driven revenue growth in the fourth quarter
• Fourth quarter net income was up 10.4% from the third quarter of 2021 and adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.5%, up 120 basis points sequentially from the third quarter of 2021
• Declared regular quarterly dividend

Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Payments and Business Technology™ company, today reported operating results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2021.

“Deluxe reported the first full year of sales-driven growth in nearly a decade,” said Barry McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe. “In the fourth quarter, all four segments grew, driving transformation just as we promised in 2020. The First American acquisition accelerated this transformation and continues to exceed expectations, delivering 13% top line growth over the prior year quarter, benefiting from our One Deluxe sales model. These results demonstrate our strategy is working and we remain confident in our ability to execute, across all our segments, as we enter 2022."

“Our fourth quarter results demonstrated strong execution of our strategy, as our revenue growth exceeded expectations, and we effectively managed COVID-related and inflationary impacts,” said Scott Bomar, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Deluxe. “Looking ahead, we expect to continue our revenue momentum into 2022 and will continue to drive the One Deluxe approach across the business."

Full Year 2021 Financial and Segment Highlights

(in millions, except per share amounts)

• Revenue was $231.4 million higher than the previous year. Excluding the First American acquisition, which closed on June 1, 2021, revenue increased $36.4 million, or 2.0% year-over-year.
• The Payments segment delivered revenue growth of 69.1% over the previous year to $510.4 million. Excluding First American, Payments grew 4.5%.
• Net income attributable to Deluxe of $62.6 million includes $29.5 million of acquisition amortization from the First American acquisition, as well as $18.9 million of transaction costs and increased interest expense associated with the transaction.
• Net income also includes tax expense of $4.6 million in the fourth quarter, or $0.11 per diluted share, resulting from the repatriation of $85.3 million of cash from our Canadian subsidiaries.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.2%, down 20 basis points from the prior year.
• Cash flow from operations for 2021 was $210.8 million and capital expenditures were $109.1 million. Free cash flow, defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, was $101.7 million, a decrease of $53.3 million compared to 2020, largely attributable to increased capital investments and acquisition transaction costs this year.
• Total debt outstanding decreased from $1,776.2 million as of September 30, 2021 to $1,683.0 million as of December 31, 2021. Net debt was $1,641.8 million and liquidity was $403.8 million as of December 31, 2021.
• Since closing the First American transaction, Deluxe has made net debt reduction payments totaling $152.9 million.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial and Segment Highlights

(in millions, except per share amounts)

• Revenue for the fourth quarter was $116.1 million higher than the previous year. Excluding the First American acquisition, which closed on June 1, 2021, revenue increased $31.0 million, or 6.8% year-over-year.
• The Payments segment delivered revenue growth of 114.5% over the previous year to $167.3 million. Excluding First American, Payments grew 5.4%.
• Net income of $13.8 million includes $13.7 million of acquisition amortization from the First American acquisition, as well as increased interest expense associated with the transaction.
• Net income also includes tax expense of $4.6 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, resulting from the repatriation of $85.3 million of cash from our Canadian subsidiaries.
• Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.5%, down 40 basis points from the prior year.
• Cash flow from operations for the fourth quarter was $61.6 million and capital expenditures were $28.1 million. Free cash flow was $33.5 million, a sequential increase of $2.6 million from the third quarter of 2021, and an increase of $2.7 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, despite an $8.2 million increase in capital investments.

2022 Outlook

The company expects the following for full year 2022:

• Revenue growth of 8% to 10%, which includes a full year impact from First American
• Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 20%
• Capital expenditures of approximately $105 million

The guidance outlined above is subject to, among other things, the macroeconomic unknowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Omicron variant, as well as anticipated continued supply chain constraints, labor supply issues and inflation.

Capital Allocation and Dividend

The Board of Directors recently approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share. The dividend will be payable on March 7, 2022 to shareholders of record as of market closing on February 22, 2022.

Earnings Call Information

Deluxe management will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. CT) to review the financial results. Listeners can access the call by dialing 1-888-210-4748 (access code 7092711). The webcast and presentation will also be available on the investor relations website at www.investors.deluxe.com. Alternatively, an audio replay of the call will be available after 11:30 a.m. ET and through midnight on February 10, 2022 by dialing 1-800-770-2030 (access code 7092711).

About Deluxe Corporation

Deluxe, a Trusted Payments and Business Technology™ company, champions business so communities thrive. Our solutions help businesses pay and get paid, accelerate growth and operate more efficiently. For more than 100 years, Deluxe customers have relied on our solutions and platforms at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful scale supports millions of small businesses, thousands of vital financial institutions and hundreds of the world’s largest consumer brands, while processing approximately $3 trillion in annual payment volume. Our reach, scale and distribution channels position Deluxe to be our customers’ most trusted business partner. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp, www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe, or www.twitter.com/deluxe.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this release concerning Deluxe, the company’s or management’s intentions, expectations, outlook or predictions about future results or events are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements reflect management’s current intentions or beliefs and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to vary from stated expectations, which variations could be material and adverse. Factors that could produce such a variation include, but are not limited to, the following: potential continuing negative impacts from pandemic health issues, such as the coronavirus / COVID-19, along with the impact of government restrictions or similar directives on our future results of operations, our future financial condition and our ability to continue business activities in affected regions; the impact that further deterioration or prolonged softness in the economy may have on demand for the company’s products and services; the company’s ability to execute its transformational strategy and to realize the intended benefits; the inherent unreliability of earnings, revenue and cash flow predictions due to numerous factors, many of which are beyond the company’s control; declining demand for the company’s checks, check-related products and services and business forms; risks that the company’s strategies intended to drive sustained revenue and earnings growth, despite the continuing decline in checks and forms, are delayed or unsuccessful; intense competition; continued consolidation of financial institutions and/or additional bank failures, thereby reducing the number of potential customers and referral sources and increasing downward pressure on the company’s revenue and gross profit; risks related to the company’s acquisition of First American Payment Systems, including integration-related risks; risks that future acquisitions will not be consummated; risks that any such acquisitions do not produce the anticipated results or synergies; risks that the company’s cost reduction initiatives will be delayed or unsuccessful; risks related to any divestitures contemplated or undertaken by the company; performance shortfalls by one or more of the company’s major suppliers, licensors or service providers; unanticipated delays, costs and expenses in the development and marketing of products and services, including web services and financial technology and treasury management solutions; the failure of such products and services to deliver the expected revenues and other financial targets; risks related to security breaches, computer malware or other cyber-attacks; risks of interruptions to the company’s website operations or information technology systems; risks of unfavorable outcomes and the costs to defend litigation and other disputes; and the impact of governmental laws, regulations or investigations. The company’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the time made, and management assumes no obligation to publicly update any such statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from the company’s current expectations are contained in the company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as updated in the company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, and other filings made with the SEC. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances.

The segment information reported here was calculated utilizing the methodology outlined in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

DELUXE CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

(in millions)

(Unaudited)

Note that the company has not reconciled the adjusted EBITDA outlook for 2022 to the directly comparable GAAP financial measure because the company does not provide outlook guidance for net income or the reconciling items between net income and adjusted EBITDA. Because of the substantial uncertainty and variability surrounding certain of these forward-looking reconciling items, including asset impairment charges; restructuring, integration and other costs; and certain legal-related expenses, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure outlook guidance to the corresponding GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable effort. The probable significance of certain of these reconciling items is high and, based on historical experience, could be material.

EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA

Management discloses EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA because it believes they are useful in evaluating the company's operating performance, as the calculations eliminate the effect of interest expense, income taxes, the accounting effects of capital investments (i.e., depreciation and amortization) and in the case of adjusted EBITDA, certain items, as presented below, that may not be indicative of current period operating performance. In addition, management utilizes adjusted EBITDA to assess the operating results and performance of the business, to perform analytical comparisons and to identify strategies to improve performance. Management also believes that an increasing EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA depict an increase in the value of the company. Management does not consider EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA to be measures of cash flow, as they do not consider certain cash requirements, such as interest, income taxes, debt service payments or capital investments. Management does not consider EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA to be substitutes for operating income or net income. Instead, management believes that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are useful performance measures that should be considered in addition to GAAP performance measures.

DELUXE CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (continued)

(in millions, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

ADJUSTED DILUTED EPS

By excluding the impact of non-cash items or items that may not be indicative of current period operating performance, management believes that adjusted diluted EPS provides useful comparable information to assist in analyzing the company's current and future operating performance. As such, adjusted diluted EPS is one of the key financial performance metrics used to assess the operating results and performance of the business and to identify strategies to improve performance. It is reasonable to expect that one or more of the excluded items will occur in future periods, but the amounts recognized may vary significantly. Management does not consider adjusted diluted EPS to be a substitute for GAAP performance measures, but believes that it is a useful performance measure that should be considered in addition to GAAP performance measures.

DELUXE CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (continued)

(in millions)

(Unaudited)

REVENUE EXCLUDING FIRST AMERICAN

Because of the magnitude of the First American acquisition, management views the measure of revenue growth, excluding the First American acquisition, as an important indicator when assessing and evaluating the performance of the business and when identifying strategies to improve performance. This measure of revenue growth may be expressed as a dollar amount or as a percentage rate. By excluding the First American revenue, management is able to evaluate internally-generated revenue, measured by comparable sales of products and services year-over-year. This measure will be utilized by management until the acquisition has been under the company's ownership for at least four full fiscal quarters at the beginning of a reporting period.

DELUXE CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (continued)

(in millions)

(Unaudited)

NET DEBT

Management believes that net debt is an important measure to monitor leverage and to evaluate the balance sheet. In calculating net debt, cash and cash equivalents are subtracted from total debt because they could be used to reduce the company’s debt obligations. A limitation associated with using net debt is that it subtracts cash and cash equivalents, and therefore, may imply that management intends to use cash and cash equivalents to reduce outstanding debt. In addition, net debt suggests that our debt obligations are less than the most comparable GAAP measure indicates.

FREE CASH FLOW

Management defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of capital assets. Management believes that free cash flow is an important indicator of cash available for debt service and for shareholders, after making capital investments to maintain or expand the company’s asset base. Free cash flow is limited and not all of the company’s free cash flow is available for discretionary spending, as the company may have mandatory debt payments and other cash requirements that must be deducted from its cash available for future use. Free cash flow is not a substitute for GAAP liquidity measures. Instead, management believes that this measurement provides an additional metric to compare cash generated by operations on a consistent basis and to provide insight into the cash flow available to fund items such as dividends, mandatory and discretionary debt reduction, acquisitions or other strategic investments, and share repurchases.

DELUXE CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (continued)

(in millions)

(Unaudited)

LIQUIDITY

Management defines liquidity as cash and cash equivalents plus the amount available for borrowing under our revolving credit facility. Management considers liquidity to be an important metric for demonstrating the amount of cash that is available or that could be readily available to the company on short notice. This financial measure is not a substitute for GAAP liquidity measures. Instead, management believes that this measurement enhances investors’ understanding of the funds that are currently available to the company.

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