Grant of Options

Grant of Options

Thursday 9th February 2012 - Optimal Payments Plc (LSE: OPAY) (the "Company"), makes the following announcement regarding options to be granted further to the Company's announcement on 20 December 2011.

The Company confirms that, following receipts of acceptances by eligible employees, it has granted a total of 1,173,200 options to eligible employees over the Company's ordinary shares of 0.01 pence. The options were granted under the two share options plans operated by the Company as follows:

·; A total of 976,800 options were granted under the Optimal Payments Plc Share Option Plan (the "Unapproved Plan").

·; A further 196,400 options were granted under the UK-approved Optimal Payments Plc Approved Share Option Plan (the "Approved Plan").

The options under both the Unapproved Plan and the Approved Plan were granted at an exercise price of 56.67 pence, being the average of the mid-closing price of the Company's shares for the three trading days prior to 8 December 2011.

The period during which these options can be exercised is as follows:

Under the Unapproved Plan:

·; 976,800 options have a grant period of 3 ½ years from 8 December 2011, having a single vesting date on 8 December 2014, on which date all of the options granted vest. These options expire on 8 May 2015 and the last date for exercise is therefore 7 May 2015.

Under the Approved Plan:

·; 196,400 options have a grant period of 3 ½ years from 8 December 2011, having a single vesting date on 8 December 2014, on which date all of the options granted vest. These options expire on 8 May 2015 and the last date for exercise is therefore 7 May 2015.

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As at 8 February 2012, the Company has total options outstanding of 9,079,090, with 1,983,141 options under the Unapproved Plan, 466,209 options under the Approved Plan and 6,629,740 options under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plans. As at 8 February 2012, the Company had 126,312,376 ordinary shares in issue.

For further information contact:

Optimal Payments Plc

Andrew Gilchrist EVP Corporate Affairs + 44 (0) 1624 698 713

Email:  [email protected]

Canaccord Genuity + 44 (0) 207 050 6500

Simon Bridges / Kit Stephenson