TSYS(R) NEWS RELEASE

TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES, INC.(R)

Immediate Release  

Contacts: Danita Gibson-Lloyd                     Kimberly Knight
          Corporate Communications Mgr.           Corporate Communications Spec.
          (706) 649-5578                          (706) 644-1218
          dgibsonlloyd@totalsystem.com            kknight@totalsystem.com

            TSYS Announces Negotiations with Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Columbus,  Ga.,  March 9,  1998 --  Total  System  Services, Inc.(R)(TSYS)(NYSE:
"TSS") today  announced that it is engaged in negotiations  with Sears,  Roebuck
and Co.  (Sears)  (NYSE:  "S")  to  support  Sears'  private-label  credit  card
accounts.  No  agreement  between  TSYS and Sears has been  reached.  No further
comment or announcement will be made by TSYS until negotiations have concluded.

     TSYS  (www.totalsystem.com)  is one of the world's largest  credit,  debit,
commercial and  private-label  card processing  companies and is an 80.7 percent
owned subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp.(R)(NYSE: "SNV")(www.synovus.com).

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