UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 21 )*
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Total System Services, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
$.10 Par Value Common Stock
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(Title of Class of Securities)
891906-10-9
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(CUSIP Number)
December 31, 2003
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(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:
[X] Rule 13d-1(b)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
Page 1 of 10 pages
13G
CUSIP No. 891906-10-9
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (entities only)
Columbus Bank and Trust Company, as parent holding company and in
various fiduciary capacities, and Synovus Financial Corp. as parent
holding company of Columbus Bank and Trust Company.
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
3 SEC USE ONLY
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Georgia
Number of 5 SOLE VOTING POWER
Shares 159,630,980 - Beneficial ownership recognized
Benefi- 2,629,111 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; Held as
cially fiduciary
Owned By
Each
Reporting
Person With
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
204,714 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; Held as
fiduciary
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
159,630,980 - Beneficial ownership recognized
2,599,944 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; Held as
fiduciary
8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
220,606 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; Held as
fiduciary
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
(Includes Beneficial Ownership disclaimed)
162,495,889
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
[ ]
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
82.6%
(Calculated excluding from outstanding shares all shares owned by
Issuer as Treasury shares)
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
BK and HC
Page 2 of 10
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Page 3 of 10
SCHEDULE 13G UNDER THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
1. (a) Name of Issuer: Total System Services, Inc.
(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
1600 First Avenue
Columbus, Georgia 31901
2. (a) & (b) Name and Principal Business Office of Person Filing:
Synovus Financial Corp., One Arsenal Place, 901 Front Avenue, Suite 301
Columbus, Georgia 31901
Columbus Bank and Trust Company, 1148 Broadway
Columbus, Georgia 31901
(c) Citizenship:
Columbus Bank and Trust Company, Synovus Financial Corp., and Total
System Services, Inc. are Georgia corporations, with Columbus Bank
and Trust Company being a Georgia banking corporation, and Synovus
Financial Corp. and Total System Services, Inc. being Georgia business
corporations.
(d) Title of class of securities: $.10 par value common stock.
(e) CUSIP No. 891906-10-9
3. Check whether person filing is a:
(a) [ ] Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act
(b) [X] Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act
(c) [ ] Insurance Company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the Act
(d) [ ] Investment Company registered under section 8 of the Investment
Company Act of 1940
Page 4 of 10
(e) [ ] Investment Adviser in accordance with ss. 240.13d - 1(b)(1)(ii)(E)
(f) [ ] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
ss. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F)
(g) [X] A parent holding company or control person in accordance with
ss. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G) (Note: See Item 7)
(h) [ ] A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813)
(i) [ ] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment
company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of
1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3)
(j) [ ] Group, in accordance with ss. 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J)
4. Ownership:
(a) Amount beneficially owned (Includes shares as to which beneficial
ownership is disclaimed).
December 31, 2003 162,495,889
(b) Percent of Class: 82.6% (Calculated excluding from outstanding
shares all shares owned by the Issuer as treasury shares).
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
159,630,980 - Beneficial ownership recognized
2,629,111 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; held as fiduciary
(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote
204,714 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; held as fiduciary
Page 5 of 10
(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
159,630,980 - Beneficial ownership recognized
2,599,944 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; held as fiduciary
(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
220,606 - Beneficial ownership disclaimed; held as fiduciary
For an additional discussion on this item, see Exhibits "A" and "B"
attached hereto.
5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
Not Applicable
6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
SEE EXHIBIT "B"
7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the
Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company or Control
Person.
SEE EXHIBIT "B"
8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
See Exhibit "C"
9. Notice of Dissolution of Group.
Not Applicable
Page 6 of 10
10. Certification. By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired
and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not
acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having that purpose or effect. After reasonable inquiry and
to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information
set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
COLUMBUS BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY
February 10, 2004 By:/s/James D. Yancey
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Date James D. Yancey
Chairman of the Board
SYNOVUS FINANCIAL CORP.
February 10, 2004 By: /s/G. Sanders Griffith, III
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Date G. Sanders Griffith, III
Senior Executive Vice President
Page 7 of 10
EXHIBIT "A"
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In addition to the securities identified in the response to Item 4, as
of December 31, 2003, the banking, brokerage and trust company subsidiaries of
Synovus Financial Corp., including Columbus Bank and Trust Company and its trust
company subsidiary, possessed neither sole nor shared voting or investment power
in connection with 3,083,785 shares of the class of securities which is the
subject of this report, which were held in various agency, custody, non-
advisory, safekeeping or asset management capacities. Such securities are not
included in the response to such item in this report. However, appropriate
disclosures will be included in all future reports to identify the volume of
such securities held in agency, custody, non-advisory, safekeeping, asset
management or other capacities in which they possess neither sole or shared
voting or investment power.
Page 8 of 10
EXHIBIT "B"
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As of December 31, 2003, Columbus Bank and Trust Company, the parent
holding company of the issuer, as well as a banking subsidiary of Synovus
Financial Corp. and a signatory party hereto, possessed the right to receive or
the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale
of 81.1% of the class of the securities which is the subject of this report,
equal to 159,630,980 shares, of which the beneficial ownership is recognized. In
addition, 3,083,785 shares of the class of securities which is the subject of
this report are held in a fiduciary capacity by Columbus Bank and Trust
Company's wholly-owned trust company subsidiary, Synovus Trust Company ("Synovus
Trust"), as set forth below. The other banking, brokerage, investment advisory
and trust company subsidiaries of Synovus Financial Corp. as of December 31,
2003 held in a fiduciary capacity 18,500 shares of the class of securities which
is the subject of this report. None of such subsidiaries, individually or in the
aggregate, possesses such right or power relating to more than five percent of
the class of the securities which is the subject of this report.
Page 9 of 10
Held by Columbus Bank and Trust Company and its wholly-owned trust
company subsidiary, Synovus Trust Company, as of December 31, 2003.
Sole Shared Sole Power Shared Power
Voting Power Voting Power To Dispose To Dispose
------------ ------------ ------------- ------------
159,630,980 204,714 159,630,980 220,606
2,629,111 2,581,444
As of December 31, 2003, Columbus Bank and Trust Company was the registered
owner and possessed sole voting and dispositive power with respect to
159,630,980 shares of the class of the securities which is the subject of this
report, the beneficial ownership of which is recognized.
As of December 31, 2003, Synovus Trust Company, the wholly-owned trust
company subsidiary of Columbus Bank and Trust Company, held in various fiduciary
capacities 2,629,111 shares as to which it possessed sole voting power,
2,581,444 shares as to which it possessed sole dispositive power, 204,714 shares
as to which it possessed shared voting power, and 220,606 shares as to which it
possessed shared dispositive power, of the class of the securities which is the
subject of this report, the beneficial ownership of which is disclaimed.
The only other subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp. that on December 31, 2003
held shares of the class of securities which is the subject of this report is
Synovus Securities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and investment advisor that
is wholly-owned by Synovus Financial Corp. Synovus Securities, Inc. held 18,500
shares of such securities in an advisory capacity as to which it possessed sole
dispositive power, the beneficial ownership of which is disclaimed.
Page 10 of 10
EXHIBIT "C"
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Columbus Bank and Trust Company, a Georgia banking corporation, is a bank as
defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Act").
Synovus Financial Corp., a Georgia business corporation, is the parent holding
company of Columbus Bank and Trust Company in accordance with Regulation
240.13d-1(b)(1) (ii) (G) promulgated under the Act.