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EX-31.1 - EX-31.1 - SPENDSMART NETWORKS, INC.v368214_ex31-1.htm
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EXCEL - IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT - SPENDSMART NETWORKS, INC.Financial_Report.xls

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One) 

x QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 
For the quarterly period ended: December 31, 2013
 
¨ TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 
For the transition period from N/A to N/A     

 

Commission file number: 000-27145 

 

THE SPENDSMART PAYMENTS COMPANY

(Name of small business issuer in its charter)

 

Colorado     33-0756798 
(State or jurisdiction of incorporation
or organization)
    (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

2680 Berkshire Parkway, Suite 130      
Des Moines Iowa     50325
(Address and of principal executive offices)     (Zip Code)

 

(858) 677-0080

(Issuer’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  x    No  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨  

 

Indicate by check mark whether registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.            Large accelerated filer ¨             Accelerated filer ¨            Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)             Smaller reporting company x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨  No  x

 

At January 31, 2014 there were 10,398,527 shares outstanding of the issuer’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I: Financial Information  
     
Item 1 – Financial Statements  
  Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2013 (unaudited) and September 30, 2013 4
  Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 5
  Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 6
  Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) 7
Item 2 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 14
Item 3 – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 18
Item 4 – Controls and Procedures 18
     
PART II: Other Information  
     
Item 1 – Legal Proceedings 19
Item 1A – Risk Factors 19
Item 2 – Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 27
Item 3 – Defaults upon Senior Securities 27
Item 4 – Mine Safety Disclosures 28
Item 5 – Other Information 28
Item 6 – Exhibits 28

 

Signatures

 

Exhibits

 

2
 

 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

In addition to historical information, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may contain statements relating to future results of The SpendSmart Payments Company (including certain projections and business trends) that are “forward-looking statements.” Our actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, without limitation, statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “estimates” or “intends”, or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements.” Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or achievements of our Company to be materially different from any future results or achievements of our Company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, those set forth herein and those detailed from time to time in our other Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings including those contained in our most recent Form 10-K. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. Our Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Our Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. Also, there can be no assurance that our Company will be able to raise sufficient capital to continue as a going concern.

 

3
 

 

THE SPENDSMART PAYMENTS COMPANY

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

   December 31,
2013
   September 30,
2013*
 
   (unaudited)     
ASSETS          
Current assets:          
Cash and cash equivalents  $497,313   $1,070,748 
Amounts on deposits with or due from merchant processor   201,866    177,894 
Prepaid insurance   4,068    16,271 
Total current assets   703,247    1,264,913 
Other assets:          
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $49,715 on December 31 and $48,583 on September 30, 2013   251    1,682 
Other assets   5,700    5,700 
Total other assets   5,951    7,382 
           
TOTAL ASSETS  $709,198   $1,272,295 
           
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIENCY          
Current liabilities:          
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities  $921,164   $1,163,692 
Accrued deferred personnel compensation   231,668    173,993 
Notes payable, fair value   142,089    - 
Derivative liabilities - warrants   26,505    57,784 
Total current liabilities   1,321,426    1,395,469 
           
STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT          
Common stock; $0.001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 10,398,527 shares issued and outstanding (10,380,388 - September 30, 2013)   10,398    10,381 
Additional paid-in capital   67,905,486    66,467,197 
Accumulated deficit   (68,528,112)   (66,600,752)
Total stockholders' deficit   (612,228)   (123,174)
           
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT  $709,198   $1,272,295 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

*Derived from audited financial information.

 

4
 

 

THE SPENDSMART PAYMENTS COMPANY

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the three months ended December 31,

 

   2013   2012 
   (unaudited)   (unaudited) 
Revenues  $227,050   $247,497 
           
Operating expenses:          
Selling and marketing   204,777    4,654,948 
Personnel related   1,736,689    3,893,183 
Processing   165,306    387,354 
General and administrative   312,386    314,644 
Total operating expenses   2,419,158    9,250,129 
           
Loss from operations   (2,192,108)   (9,002,632)
           
Non-operating income (expense):          
Interest expense   (7,073)   - 
Interest income   631    1,044 
Change in fair value of financial instruments   271,190    8,587,290 
Total non-operating income   264,748    8,588,334 
Net loss and comprehensive net loss  $(1,927,360)  $(414,298)
           
Basic and diluted net loss per share  $(0.19)  $(0.06)
           
Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share   10,392,008    6,898,772 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

5
 

 

THE SPENDSMART PAYMENTS COMPANY

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the three months ended December 31,

 

   2013   2012 
   (unaudited)   (unaudited) 
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net loss  $(1,927,360)  $(414,298)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities          
Depreciation expense   1,131    1,132 
Stock-based compensation   1,268,307    2,997,503 
Issuance of common stock for services   52,000    24,000 
Change in fair value of financial instruments   (271,190)   (8,587,290)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
Prepaid insurance   12,203    17,687 
Amounts on deposits with or due from merchant processor   (23,972)   57,815 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   (242,529)   1,835,586 
Accrued deferred personnel compensation   57,675    288,329 
Net cash used in operating activities   (1,073,735)   (3,779,536)
 
          
Cash flows from investing activities:          
Sale of property and equipment   300    - 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities   300    - 
           
Cash flows from financing activities:          
Net proceeds from issuance of preferred and common stock and warrants   -    4,866,192 
Net proceeds from exercise of warrants to purchase common stock   -    9,000 
Proceeds from issuance of convertible debt   500,000    - 
Net cash provided by financing activities   500,000    4,875,192 
           
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents   (573,435)   1,095,656 
           
Cash and cash equivalent at beginning of the period   1,070,748    5,509,911 
Cash and cash equivalent at end of the period  $497,313   $6,605,567 

 

See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.                

 

6
 

 

1.Basis of Presentation

 

The SpendSmart Payments Company is a Colorado corporation (the Company). Through our subsidiary incorporated in the state of California. The SpendSmart Payments Company (“SpendSmart-CA”), brings value added products, payment solutions, and mobile marketing solutions to consumers, merchants, businesses and government organizations. The Company is a publicly traded company trading on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol “SSPC.” The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of our Company and SpendSmart-CA as of and through December 31, 2013. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2013. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All normal recurring adjustments which are necessary for the fair presentation of the results for the interim periods are reflected herein. Operating results for the three month periods ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full year.

 

2.Liquidity and Going Concern

 

For the year ended September 30, 2013, our audited consolidated financial statements included an opinion containing an explanatory paragraph as to the uncertainty of our Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Additionally, we have incurred net losses through December 31, 2013 and have yet to establish profitable operations and cash flows from operations. These factors among others create a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended December 31, 2013 do not contain any adjustments for this uncertainty.  In response to our Company’s cash needs, in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 we raised additional cash through the issuance of two 7% Convertible Promissory Notes. Warrants to purchase an aggregate 200,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $2.25 per share were also issued with these investments.

 

The Company also currently plans to raise additional required capital through the sale of unregistered shares of the Company’s preferred or common stock (accompanied by warrants to purchase our common stock). All additional amounts raised will be used for our future investing and operating cash flow needs. However there can be no assurance that we will be successful in consummating such financing. This description of our recent financing and future plans for financing does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy our securities, nor shall such securities be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements and certificates evidencing such shares contain a legend stating the same.

 

3.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, fair value of financial instruments, at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

 

Fair Value Option

 

The Company elected the fair value option for its $500,000 7% Convertible Promissory Note (“Promissory Note”) as this option better represents the economics and the fair value of this instrument. The decision to elect the fair value option, which is irrevocable once elected, is determined on an instrument by instrument basis and applied to an entire instrument. The net gains or losses on Promissory Note for which the fair value option has been elected are recognized in change in fair value of financial instruments, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

7
 

 

Litigation

 

From time to time and in the course of business, we may become involved in various legal proceedings seeking monetary damages and other relief.  The amount of any ultimate liability from such claims cannot be determined.  However, except as otherwise disclosed herein, there are no legal claims currently pending or threatened against us that in the opinion of our management would be likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.  Our Company was involved in an arbitration with our previous processor but we have since agreed to a settlement of such arbitration. The agreed upon settlement amount has been accrued at December 31, 2013 and was paid on February 13, 2014.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, “FASB” issued ASU 2011-05, “Presentation of Comprehensive Income”, an amendment to FASB ASC Topic 220, “Comprehensive Income”. The update gives companies the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The amendments in the update do not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. ASU 2011-05 is effective for the Company for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 did not have any impact on the Company as the Company has no other comprehensive income or loss, and therefore the net income or loss equals to the total comprehensive income or loss. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-12 “Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05.” This update stated that the specific requirement to present items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income alongside their respective components of net income and other comprehensive income will be deferred. In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-02 “Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”. This update requires companies to present the effects on the line items of net income of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income if the amount being reclassified is required under GAAP to be reclassified in its entirety to net income in the same reporting period.  ASU 2013-02 is effective prospectively for the Company for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2012. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements were not significantly impacted by the adoption of this amended guidance.

 

4.Issuances of Common Stock and Warrants

 

During the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, we issued 17,639 and 4,000 shares of our common stock (in each respective period) to a contractor and two vendors in exchange for programming services and other services performed. In connection with these issuances of shares, we recognized expenses of $52,000 and $24,000 during the respective periods.

 

5.Fair Value Measures and Financial Instruments

 

The Company accounts for certain of our outstanding warrants issued in fiscal 2010 and 2012 (“2010 Warrants” and “2012 Warrants”) as derivative liabilities.

 

Based on the guidance in ASC 480 “Distinguishing Liabilities From Equity”, ASC 815 “Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity” and ASC 718 “Compensation – Stock Compensation” with regard to 2010 Warrants and 2012 Warrants, management concluded these instruments are required to be accounted for as derivatives due to a ratchet down protection feature. Under ASC 815, the Company records the fair value of these warrants (derivatives) on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, at fair value, with changes in the values reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations as “Change in fair value of instruments”. The fair value of the share purchase warrants are recorded on the balance sheet under “Derivative liabilities – warrants”. These derivative liabilities which arose from the issuance of the 2010 Warrants and 2012 Warrants resulted in an ending balance of derivative liabilities of $26,505 and $57,784 as of December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013, respectively, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

 

8
 

 

ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. ASC 820 describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value: Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 – Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and require significant judgment or estimation, pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques can be considered Level 2 or Level 3 depending on observability. At December 31, 2013 all of the Company’s derivative liabilities and liabilities related to the Promissory Note with the fair value election were classified as Level 3. If the inputs used to measure the financial assets and liabilities fall within more than one level described above, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

 

Level 3 Valuation Techniques

 

Financial liabilities are considered Level 3 when their fair values are determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies or similar techniques and at least one significant model assumption or input is unobservable. Level 3 financial liabilities consist of the Promissory Note and warrants for which there is no current market for these securities such that the determination of fair value requires significant judgment or estimation.

 

Determining fair value of Promissory Note and warrants, given the Company’s stage of development and financial position, is highly subjective and identifying appropriate measurement criteria and models is subject to uncertainty. The inputs used to value the Promissory Note are consistent with the inputs used to value the firm’s other derivative instruments. The Company valued the embedded derivative component using a lattice model.  This model incorporates transaction details such as the Company’s stock price, contractual terms, maturity, market interest rates, as well as assumptions about future financings, volatility, and holder behavior as of the date of issuance and each balance sheet date.

 

The 2010 Warrants and 2012 Warrants contain reset provisions. The fair value of the warrants issued by the Company in connection with these transactions has been estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation under the following assumptions:

 

   9/30/13   12/31/13 
Share Price  $1.95   $0.91 
Strike Price  $2.25   $2.25 
Risk-free Rate   0.10% to 0.33%    0.13% to 0.38% 
Volatility (Annual)   69% to 70%    70% to 72% 
Number of Assumed Financings   1    1 
Total Warrants Outstanding   9,637,948    7,977,990 
Total Common Shares Outstanding   10,380,888    10,398,527 
Time To Maturity (Years)   0.73 to 2.15    0.48 to 1.90 

 

The foregoing inputs into the 2010 Warrants, 2012 Warrants and Promissory Notes are reviewed quarterly and are subject to change based primarily on Management’s assessment of the probability of the events described occurring. Accordingly, changes to these assessments could materially affect the valuations.

 

Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

 

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below and disclosed on the balance sheet under Derivative liabilities – Warrants and Note Payable, fair value:

 

9
 

 

   September 30, 2013             
   Carry Value   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Derivative liability - warrants   57,784    -    -    57,784    57,784 
   $57,784             $57,784   $57,784 

 

   December 31, 2013             
   Carry Value   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3   Total 
Note payable, fair value  $142,089   $-   $-   $142,089   $142,089 
Derivative liability - warrants   26,505    -    -    26,505    26,505 
   $168,594             $168,594   $168,594 

 

The table below provides a summary of the changes in fair value, including net transfers, in and/or out, of financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the year ended December 31, 2013:

 

 

Fair Value Measurements Using Level 3 Inputs 
   Derivative Liability     
   Conversion         
   Notes   Warrants   Total 
Balance - September 30, 2013  $-   $57,784   $57,784 
Additions during the year   382,000    -    382,000 
Total unrealized (gains) or losses included in net loss   (239,911)   (31,279)   (271,190)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3   -    -    - 
Balance - December 31, 2013  $142,089   $26,505   $168,594 

 

6.Convertible Promissory Notes

 

On October 25, 2013 and November 4, 2013, the Company closed a private placement of 10 Units to a total of 2 investors, each Unit consisting of (i) a 13-month $50,000 principal amount promissory note (“Promissory Note”) bearing an annual interest rate of 7%, convertible at the holders’ option to common stock at the rate of $1.25 per share and (ii) a four-year callable Warrant (the "Promissory Note Warrants"), to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock. The Company received gross proceeds of $500,000.

 

The Promissory Notes are also contingently mandatorily convertible at a conversion price that is the lesser of i) 25% discount to the effective price sold in the consummation of an equity, or convertible debt financing in one or more series of transactions with aggregate gross proceeds of at least $3,000,000 or ii) $1.25 per share of common stock.

 

The Company, upon five-day notice to holders of outstanding Promissory Note Warrants, has the right, subject to limitations, to call all or any portion of the Warrants then outstanding if (i) the VWAP for each of ten (10) consecutive trading days equals or exceeds $4.50 per share and (ii) has a minimum trading volume of 50,000 shares per day over the same period. These warrants were valued at $118,000 in aggregate and were classified as equity instruments.

 

The Company elected the fair value option for notes payable as this option better represents the economics and fair value of notes payable. The decision to elect the fair value option, which is irrevocable once elected, is determined on an instrument by instrument basis and applied to an entire instrument. The Company recognized a $239,911 net change in fair value of financial instruments the condensed consolidated statements of operations from October 25, 2013 through December 31, 2013.

 

7.Convertible Preferred Stock

 

Series A Preferred Stock

 

At December 31, 2013 and September 30, 2013 we had 0 shares of Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Stock”) outstanding.

 

10
 

 

Series B Preferred Stock

 

Our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Stock”) automatically converted to common stock on January 19, 2013 as in accordance with the Certificate of Designation for the Series B stock which states that six months from the date of the final closing, as defined in the related subscription agreement, each share of Series B will automatically convert into common stock. 10,165 outstanding shares of Series B Stock automatically converted into 1,694,167 common shares at an effective price of $600 per share.

 

At December 31, 2013 we had 0 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock (“Series B Stock”) outstanding that were issued to investors for $1,000 per share.

 

8.Stockholders’ Deficit

 

Stock Options

 

On January 8, 2013, our Board of Directors approved the adoption of the SpendSmart Payments Company 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”). The 2013 Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders on February 15, 2013. The 2013 Plan provides for granting of stock-based awards including: incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock bonuses and rights to acquire restricted stock. The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the 2013 Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate 3,000,000 shares of the common stock of our Company. On August 4, 2011, our Board of Directors approved the adoption of the SpendSmart Payments Company 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”). The 2011 Plan provides for granting of stock-based awards including: incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock bonuses and rights to acquire restricted stock. The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate 1,666,667 shares of the common stock of our Company. We also have a stockholder-approved Plan (the IdeaEdge, Inc. 2007 Equity Incentive Plan - the “2007 Plan”, previously approved by our shareholders). The 2007 Plan has similar provisions and purposes as the 2011 Plan. The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the 2007 Plan (as amended) shall not exceed in the aggregate 266,667 shares of the common stock of our Company. With shareholder approval of the 2013 Plan, our Board has expressed its intentions to issue no more shares under the 2011 and 2007 Plans.

 

Through December 31, 2013, we have outstanding and vested a total of 1,566,667 and 1,279,630, respectively, of incentive and nonqualified stock options granted under the Plans, all of which we have estimated will eventually vest. All of the options have terms of five years with expiration dates ranging from August 2016 to November 2017.

 

Stock Option Plans

 

The Company’s stock option plans are administered by the Board of Directors, which determines the terms and conditions of the options granted, including exercise price, number of options granted and vesting period of such options.

 

Warrants

 

In recompense for services performed on our behalf, we issued warrants to purchase up to 138,333 shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2013, including a five-year warrant to purchase up to 133,333 shares (exercise price of $1.95 per share) to a member of our Board of Directors and a five-year warrant to purchase up to 5,000 shares at $1.95 to our CFO (Chord Advisors, LLC). The aggregate expense recorded for the three months ended December 31, 2013 for these issuances was $29,452. In recompense for services performed on our behalf, we issued warrants to purchase up to 6,300,000 shares of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2012, including a five year warrant to purchase up to 2,000,000 shares (exercise price of $10.35 per share) to a member of our Board of Directors. Through December 31, 2013, we have not issued any warrants to advisors, consultants and in connection with the purchase of intellectual property. Warrants to purchase up to 150,000 shares of common stock have expired. Warrants to purchase up to 3,881,325 shares of common stock remain outstanding at December 31, 2013, of which 3,279,367 have vested.

 

For the three months ended December 31, 2013, we issued 200,000 warrants to new investors. Through December 31, 2013, we have also issued warrants to purchase up to 4,917,276 shares of our common stock to investors (and as compensation to third parties in connection with investments) related to the sale of our common stock, 4,096,665 of which remain outstanding net of exercises, cancellations and expirations (all of which are fully vested).

 

11
 

 

The numbers and exercise prices of all options and warrants outstanding at December 31, 2013 are as follows:

 

    Weighted    
Shares   Average   Expiration
Outstanding   Exercise   Fiscal Period
    Price    
35,380   8.70   2nd Qtr, 2014
57,333   9.75   3rd Qtr, 2014
35,000   7.65   4th Qtr, 2014
81,973   7.80   1st Qtr, 2015
78,100   7.80   2nd Qtr, 2015
10,600   10.05   3rd Qtr, 2015
83,918   6.60   4th Qtr, 2015
479,246   7.65   1st Qtr, 2016
872,800   7.20   2nd Qtr, 2016
960,100   6.45   3rd Qtr, 2016
1,263,958   6.90   4th Qtr, 2016
516,808   7.80   1st Qtr, 2017
859,750   6.15   2nd Qtr, 2017
1,076,475   7.65   3rd Qtr, 2017
1,599,208   6.75   4th Qtr, 2017
1,195,675   6.75   1st Qtr, 2018
66,667   5.85   2nd Qtr, 2018
138,333   1.95   1st Qtr, 2019
133,333   7.05   1st Qtr, 2023
9,544,657        

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

During the three months ended December 31, 2013, we recognized stock-based compensation expense totaling $1,268,307 in connection with the issuance of stock options and warrants issued to employees, directors, advisors and consultants (not including shares of stock issued directly for services). For purposes of accounting for stock-based compensation, the fair value of each award is estimated on the date of grant (or performance of the contracted services as appropriate) using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The following weighted average assumptions were utilized for the calculations of newly issued options and warrants during the three months ended December 31, 2013:

 

Expected life (in years)   4.99 years 
Weighted average volatility   90.07%
Forfeiture rate   0%
Risk-free interest rate   1.41%
Expected dividend rate   0%

 

At December 31, 2013, the weighted average exercise price of vested options and warrants outstanding (issued in connection with stock-based compensation) is $6.80 per share while the corresponding weighted average remaining contractual period was approximately 37.0 months. As of December 31, 2013, $3,174,110 of total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock-based compensation is expected to be recognized through November 2022.

 

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9.Subsequent Events

 

On January 29, 2014, Mr. Rob DeSantis resigned from his position as a director of The SpendSmart Payments Company (the “Company”).

 

SMS Acquisition

 

On February 11, 2014, The SpendSmart Payments Company, a Colorado corporation (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”), entered into subscription agreements (“Subscription Agreement”) with accredited investors pursuant to which we issued 1,131,099 shares of our newly designated Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series C Preferred Stock”) and warrants to purchase 4,524,396 shares of our common stock (the “Common Stock”) exercisable during the five-year period commencing on the date of issuance at $1.10 per share (the “Warrants”).

 

This offering resulted in gross proceeds to us of approximately $3,393,270.  The placement agent, a FINRA registered broker-dealer, in connection with the financing received a cash fee totaling $534,327 and will receive warrants to purchase up to 113,110 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.265 per share as compensation. The Series C Preferred Stock and the Warrants were offered and sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in reliance on the exemptions provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.

 

On February 11, 2014, immediately following the closing described above, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary The SpendSmart Payments Company, a California corporation (the “Subsidiary”), purchased substantially all of the assets of Intellectual Capital Management, Inc., d/b/a SMS Masterminds (“SMS”) a Nevada corporation, pursuant to the terms of an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”). In conjunction with the purchase of substantially all of the assets of SMS, the Company, through the Subsidiary acquired all of the goodwill owned by Alex Minicucci, the Chief Executive Officer of SMS, relating to SMS, pursuant to the terms of a Goodwill Purchase Agreement (the “Goodwill Purchase Agreement”) (the closing of the Asset Purchase Agreement and Goodwill Purchase Agreement collectively referred to as the “SMS Acquisition”).

 

Pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company acquired all of the assets of SMS. In consideration of the purchased assets, the Company agreed to issue to SMS five million two hundred and fifty thousand shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the Goodwill Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to pay Mr. Minicucci: (i) cash in the amount of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in the aggregate upon the closing of a minimum of three million dollars in gross proceeds raised in a financing transaction; (ii) cash in the amount of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in the aggregate upon the closing of a minimum of seven million dollars in gross proceeds raised in a financing transaction; (iii) an earn-out payment relating to fifteen percent of the earnings generated by the SMS after the acquisition; and (iv) an additional earn-out payment tied to the EBITDA of the Company after the acquisition of SMS.

 

On February 11, 2014, in conjunction with the closing of the SMS Acquisition, Mr. Alex Minicucci was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company.

 

Mr. Alex Minicucci is a serial entrepreneur with an 18 year background in web, ecommerce, and mobile marketing. In November 2008, Mr. Minicucci founded SMS Masterminds, subsequently earning several recognitions such as ‘Top 20 under 40 Entrepreneur in 2013. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Chief Operating Officer of TechXpress, Inc., a managed services IT firm. Between 2000 and 2003, Mr. Minicucci built and sold one of the nation’s largest virtual tour providers, USA Virtual Tours, to MediaNews Group. In the late 90’s, Mr. Minicucci started and ran one of the first web development firms in central California, TooPhat.com, Inc., focused on next generation web development combined with interactive 3D environments. Mr. Minicucci is an Eagle Scout and active mentor to business students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

 

In connection with the appointment of Mr. Minicucci as Chief Executive Officer, the Company and Mr. Minicucci entered into an employment agreement (the “Minicucci Employment Agreement”). The Minicucci Employment Agreement has an initial term of three years. The Minicucci Employment Agreement provides for the payment of a base salary of $375,000 per year (subject to discretionary increases by the Board). The Minicucci Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Minicucci is entitled to usual and customary benefits and also contains usual and customary restrictive covenants (including non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality).

 

In conjunction with Mr. Minicucci’s appointment, Mr. Michael R. McCoy resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. McCoy’s resignation was not the result of any disagreements with the Company. Mr. McCoy will continue to serve in his capacity as a director of the Company.

 

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Series C Convertible Preferred Stock

 

On February 11, 2014, the Company filed a Certificate to Set Forth Designations, Voting Powers, Preferences, Limitations, Restrictions, and Relative Rights (the Certificate of Designations”) of its Series C Convertible Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State of the State of Colorado to amend our articles of incorporation. The Certificate of Designations sets forth the rights, preferences and privileges of the Series C Preferred Stock. As provided in our articles of incorporation, the filing of the Certificate of Designations was approved by our Board of Directors. The following is a summary of the rights, privileges and preferences of the Series C Preferred Stock:

 

Number of Shares: The number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock designated as Series C Preferred Stock is 3,333,334 (which shall not be subject to increase without the written consent of all of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock or as otherwise set forth in the Certificate of Designation; provided however that the Company may authorize and issue additional shares of Series C Preferred Stock in the event the Maximum Offering Amount (as defined in the Subscription Agreement by and between the Company and each Holder dated as of even date herewith) is increased).

 

Stated Value: The initial Stated Value of each share of Series C Preferred Stock is $3.00 (as adjusted pursuant to the Certificate of Designation).

 

Voluntary Conversion: The Series C Preferred Stock shall be convertible at the option of the holder, into common stock at the applicable conversion price of $.75 per share, subject to adjustments for stock dividends, splits, combinations and similar events as described in the form of Certificate of Designations. In addition, the Company has the right to require the holders to convert to common stock under certain enumerated circumstances.

 

Mandatory Conversion: At the Company’s sole option, each outstanding share of Series C Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock at the applicable conversion price immediately prior to the close of business on the date that the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock, based on the closing price on the or any other market or exchange where the same is traded, shall exceed $4.00 per share for any 30 consecutive trading days anytime from the Original Issue Date with an average daily trading volume of 100,000 shares (such numbers shall be proportionally adjusted for dividends, stock splits, Common Stock combinations and recapitalizations involving the Common Stock).

 

Voting Rights: Except as described in the Certificate of Designations, holders of the Series C Preferred Stock will vote together with holders of the Company common stock on all matters, on an as-converted to common stock basis, and not as a separate class or series (subject to limited exceptions).

 

Liquidation Preferences: In the event of any liquidation or winding up of the Company prior to and in preference to any Junior Securities (including common stock), the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive in preference to the holders of the Company common stock a per share amount equal to the Stated Value (as adjusted pursuant to the Certificate of Designations).

 

Item 2 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The following discussion and analysis is intended as a review of significant factors affecting our financial condition and results of operations for the periods indicated. The discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes presented herein. In addition to historical information, the following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ significantly from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors discussed in this Quarterly Report and our other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Overview and Financial Condition

 

Discussions with respect to our Company’s operations included herein refer to our operating subsidiary, The SpendSmart Payments Company, a California Corporation (“SpendSmart-CA”).

 

On February 11, 2014, we closed on the acquisition of SMS Masterminds. SMS Masterminds is a mobile loyalty solution focused on mobile marketing for small and medium sized businesses. We anticipate that our product suite will consist of various SpendSmart prepaid cards, prepaid program management and card management, mobile marketing and merchant kiosk services, and a financial literacy resource center.

 

14
 

 

Results of Operations

 

Revenues

 

Our Company had total revenues of $227,050 and $247,497 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012. Revenues consist of fees charged to our customer prepaid cardholders for monthly maintenance fees, ATM fees, load fees and other insignificant revenues. We continue to not charge our cardholders for new card initiation fees. We charge maintenance fees on our issued cards (“ICs”) to cardholders on a monthly basis pursuant to the terms and conditions in our cardholder agreements. We charge ATM fees to cardholders when they withdraw money or conduct other transactions at certain ATMs in accordance with the terms and conditions in our cardholder agreements. Other revenues (currently insignificant) consist primarily of fees associated with optional products or services, which we may offer to consumers during the card activation process.

 

Our aggregate new card fee revenues vary based upon the number of ICs activated and the activities associated therewith. Our aggregate monthly, bi-annual, and annual maintenance fee revenues vary primarily based upon the number of active cards in our portfolio and the average fee assessed per account. Our average monthly maintenance fee per active account depends upon the extent to which fees are waived based on promotional considerations. Our aggregate ATM fee revenues vary based upon the number of cardholder ATM transactions and the average fee per ATM transaction.

 

Our prepaid card product offerings are marketed primarily to parents, enabling them to link and communicate with younger cardholders (generally their children or other young people in their care) in order to guide responsible spending. Our products have been designed with significant features that we hope consumers will find compelling. Going forward we plan to market our products (both online, in traditional retail settings and with strategic partners) to the public as a convenient and safe youth payment system.

 

While we are optimistic about the prospects for our prepaid card products, there can be no assurance about whether or when they will turn out to be successful or if they will generate sufficient revenues to fund our operations over future periods.

 

Operating Expenses

 

In order to better represent our financial results and to make them comparable to leading companies in the prepaid card industry, we classify our operating expenses into four major categories: 1) selling and marketing; 2) personnel related; 3) processing; and 4) general and administrative expenses. We do not allocate common expenses to any of these expense categories.

 

Selling and marketing expenses

 

Selling and marketing expenses totaled $204,777 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 ($4,654,948 for the three months ended December 31, 2012). This amounted to a decrease of $4,450,171 from fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2014 or 95.6%. The following is a detail of the significant components of selling and marketing expenses for those periods.

 

Selling and marketing expenses

 

   FY '14, Q 1   FY '13, Q 1   $ Change   % Change 
                 
Marketing consulting  $36,443   $106,725   $(70,282)   -65.9%
Public relations   33,175    38,645    (5,470)   -14.2%
Direct marketing   10,559    30,685    (20,126)   -65.6%
Marketing programs   103,600    4,478,429    (4,374,829)   -97.7%
Market research   21,000    464    20,536    4425.9%
                     
Total  $204,777   $4,654,948   $(4,450,171)   -95.6%

 

Decreases in marketing consulting in the most recent quarter over the prior year’s corresponding quarter’s totals were due to decreased expenditures for marketing agencies in the current year. Our levels of direct marketing were substantially reduced in the current quarter while we focused more on our account engagement (e.g. revenue per card). Marketing programs expense dropped in the current quarter compared to last year due mainly to higher advertising spend and the $3,750,000 in endorsement-related expense.

 

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Personnel related expenses

 

Personnel related expenses totaled $1,736,689 and $3,893,183 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. This amounted to a decrease of $2,156,494 from fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2014 or 55.4%. More significant components of these expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 were as follows.

 

Personnel related expenses

 

   FY '14, Q 1   FY '13, Q 1   $ Change   % Change 
                 
Salaries and wages  $359,780   $703,731   $(343,951)   -48.9%
Stock based compensation   1,268,307    2,997,503    (1,729,196)   -57.7%
Consulting and outside services   50,800    109,864    (59,064)   -53.8%
Other   57,802    82,085    (24,283)   -29.6%
                     
Total  $1,736,689   $3,893,183   $(2,156,494)   -55.4%

 

Overall decreases in personnel related expenses reflected the reduction of employees and consultants over the prior fiscal year, as well as a reduction in our provisions for bonuses accrued during the quarter. Stock based compensation was significantly lower due to fewer option and warrant grants made and accrued during the most recently completed quarter (and in prior periods that vested in the current quarter). Other personnel related expenses include employer taxes, employee benefits and other employee related costs.

 

Processing expenses

 

Processing expenses totaled $165,306 and $387,354 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. This resulted in a decrease of $222,048 from fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2014 or 57.3%. More significant components of these expenses for the three ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 were as follows.

 

Processing expenses

 

   FY '14, Q 1   FY '13, Q 1   $ Change   % Change 
                 
Card processing  $82,900   $29,387   $53,513    182.1%
Settlement reversal   (220,707)   -    (220,707)   100.0%
Fraud losses   -    4,169    (4,169)   -100.0%
Account initiation   -    382    (382)   -100.0%
Card creation   15,990    13,876    2,114    15.2%
Account holder communications   4,446    11,666    (7,220)   -61.9%
Merchant credit card fees   57,793    78,074    (20,281)   -26.0%
Contracted software development   189,130    185,998    3,132    1.7%
Customer service   27,211    47,832    (20,621)   -43.1%
Other   8,543    15,970    (7,427)   -46.5%
                     
   $165,306   $387,354   $(222,048)   -57.3%

 

Decreases in processing expenses were the result of a decrease in our accrual related to the settlement with our previous card processor along. Our plan is to continue to reduce our costs on a per account basis over time. Customer service costs were reduced due to our bringing some of the customer service function in house (with the related personnel expense included in salaries and wages above).

 

General and administrative expenses

 

General and administrative expenses totaled $312,386 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 ($314,644 for the three months ended December 31, 2012). This resulted in a decrease of $2,258 and corresponding percentage decrease of 0.7% from fiscal 2013 to 2014. The following is a detail of the significant components of general and administrative expenses for the respective periods.

 

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General and administrative expenses

 

   FY '14, Q 1   FY '13, Q 1   $ Change   % Change 
                 
Accounting  $34,752   $55,424   $(20,672)   -37.3%
Insurance   50,612    17,881    32,731    183.0%
Investor relations   6,760    33,151    (26,391)   -79.6%
Legal fees - general counsel   143,735    98,768    44,967    45.5%
Rent   18,485    20,594    (2,109)   -10.2%
Travel and lodging   10,833    36,959    (26,126)   -70.7%
Seminars   180    5,292    (5,112)   -96.6%
Telecommunications   6,574    21,318    (14,744)   -69.2%
Other   40,455    25,257    15,198    60.2%
                     
Total  $312,386   $314,644   $(2,258)   -0.7%

 

Total operating expenses

 

Total operating expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, were $2,419,158 and $9,250,129, respectively. The decrease in operating expenses totaled $6,830,971 in our first quarter fiscal 2014 compared to first quarter fiscal 2013 or 73.8%. Included in the total operating expenses were noncash expenses for stock based compensation totaling $1,268,307 and $2,997,503 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, along with $3,750,000 to our brand ambassador during the three months ended December 31, 2012.

 

Nonoperating Income and Expense

 

We recognized a gain from the change in the fair value of financial instruments of $271,190 for the three months ended December 31, 2013, compared to $8,587,290 for the comparable period in fiscal 2013.

 

For the three months ended December 31, 2013, interest income totaled $631 ($1,044 for first quarter fiscal 2013).

 

For the three months ended December 31, 2013, interest expense totaled $7,073 ($0 for first quarter fiscal 2013).

 

Net Loss and Net Loss per Share

 

For the three months ended December 31, 2013, our net loss totaled $1,927,360 ($414,298 for the three months ended December 31, 2012). Our basic and diluted net loss per share was $0.19 for the three months ended December 31, 2013 (a loss of $0.06 for the three months ended December 31, 2012). Common stock equivalents and outstanding options and warrants were not included in the calculations due to their anti-dilutive effects.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

We have primarily financed our operations to date through the sale of unregistered equity (accompanied by warrants to purchase shares of our common stock) and in prior years with the issuance of notes payable. At December 31, 2013, our total assets were $709,198, while we had negative working capital of $618,179. Total liabilities were $1,321,426 (all of which were current) and our stockholders’ deficit totaled $612,228.

 

We raised approximately $3,393,270 in gross proceeds from our equity raise on February 11, 2014, and may raise additional funding through the sale of unregistered common stock and warrants although there can be no assurance that we will be successful in raising such funds.

 

17
 

 

Our cash and cash equivalents balance at December 31, 2013 totaled $497,313. During the three months ended December 31, 2013, positive cash flows resulted from financing and investing activities of $500,300, offset by negative cash flows from operating activities totaling $1,073,735.

 

Plan of Operations

 

With the acquisition of SMS Masterminds, we plan to add some additional staff to meet the needs of our businessover the next twelve months. We expect however to continue to cut costs based on the shared infrastructure of combining our two businesses. We expect that our greatest cost to be incurred during fiscal 2014 will be in the area of customer account acquisition, marketing, and building our infrastructure.

 

Going Concern

 

As noted above (and by our independent registered public accounting firm in its report on our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 2013), there exists substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for twelve months after the date of these financial statements. Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not contain any adjustments related to the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements which are prepared in accordance with accounting principles that are generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We continually evaluate our estimates and judgments and we base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Materially different results can occur as circumstances change and additional information becomes known. There were no changes in our critical accounting policies during fiscal 2014.

 

Item 3—Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

Intentionally omitted pursuant to Item 305(e) of Regulation S-K.

 

Item 4 – Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures and internal controls.

 

As required by the Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e), we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision of and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. On August 19, 2013, after consulting with the Company’s Audit Committee, management concluded it had incorrectly calculated its historical volatility for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The error also impacted the three and nine months ended June 30, 2012 interim periods. The error specifically related to an excel spreadsheet calculation whereby it was calculating a volatility that was significantly higher than it should have been. The historical volatility is a key assumption and driver in determining the valuation of the company’s stock based compensation and derivative liabilities. The aforementioned errors constitute a material weakness over financial reporting and therefore the Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2012. The control environment that existed at September 30, 2012 continued to exist through December 31, 2013 and therefore the company did not maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2013.

 

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Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

 

During the period ended December 31, 2013, we concluded that we did not maintain effective control over financial reporting related to the classification and reporting of certain financial instruments. In order to remediate such condition, we undertook and put in place the following actions.

 

·In October 2013, we hired a new Chief Financial Officer through Chord Advisors to lead our complex accounting and finance initiatives.

 

·In October 2012, we hired a Controller to assist our Chief Financial Officer with our Company’s accounting and financial tasks.

 

·We have engaged a third party to administer our equity based compensation plan.

 

Part II: Other Information

 

Item 1 – Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time and in the course of business, we may become involved in various legal proceedings seeking monetary damages and other relief.  The amount of any ultimate liability from such claims cannot be determined.  However, except as otherwise disclosed herein, there are no legal claims currently pending or threatened against us that in the opinion of our management would be likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.  Our Company was involved in an arbitration with our previous processor but we have since agreed to a settlement of such arbitration. The agreed upon settlement amount was paid on February 13, 2014.

 

Item 1A – Risk Factors

 

Investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information included in this herein before making an investment decision.  If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. In that case, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

WE HAVE A LIMITED OPERATING HISTORY OVERALL AND HAVE ONLY RECENTLY EMBARKED ON OUR CURRENT CORPORATE FOCUS OF PROVIDING ONLINE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS.

 

We completed our acquisition of BillMyParents, Inc. a California corporation on October 16, 2007. BillMyParents-CA was formed in April 2007 to pursue opportunities in the gift card industry. We subsequently refocused our efforts on providing prepaid cards for young people and their parents. In March 2013, the Company changed its name to SpendSmart Payments Company, Inc. and BillMyParents-CA changed its name to The SpendSmart Payments Company. We do not currently have an adequate level of operating revenues that would support profitable operations and we have a limited operating history. Because we have a limited operating history, our historical financial information is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the business and prospects of our Company. Furthermore, our revised business focus is centered on our SpendSmart product and has been ongoing only since 2009. We have limited experience as to whether the Company will be popular with consumers. Failure to correctly evaluate our Company’s prospects could result in an investor’s loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

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OUR FAILURE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL ADEQUATE FINANCING WOULD MATERIALLY AND ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.

 

We cannot be certain that we will ever generate sufficient revenues and gross margin to achieve profitability in the future. Our failure to significantly increase revenues or to raise additional adequate and necessary financing would seriously harm our business and operating results. We have incurred significant costs in building, launching and marketing our SSPC Product. In addition, we have signed an agreement with an endorser that requires the expenditure of significant capital resources, including advances totaling close to $4 million. On November 30, 2012, December 10, 2012 and July 15, 2013 we closed on private equity transactions whereby we raised $2,580,500, $2,286,000 and $1,401,273 respectively, in net proceeds after deducting fees and expenses. In addition, on July 5, 2013, we closed on a warrant tender offer which results in gross proceeds of $1,490,715. Finally, in November 2013 we closed on a private equity transaction whereby we raised $500,000 in net proceeds. Notwithstanding these transactions, we will still require additional funding in order to operate our business. If we fail to achieve sufficient revenues and gross margin with our SSPC Product, or our revenues grow more slowly than anticipated, or if our operating or capital expenses increased more than is expected or cannot be reduced in the event of lower revenues, our business will be materially and adversely affected and an investor could suffer the loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

THERE ARE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACQUISITION OF SMS MASTERMINDS.

 

An integral part of our current, proposed growth strategy was the consumation of the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of SMS Masterminds. The SMS Masterminds transaction involved a number of risks and presented financial, managerial and operational challenges, including: diversion of management’s attention from running the existing business; increased expenses, including legal, administrative and compensation expenses resulting from newly hired employees; increased costs to integrate personnel, customer base and business practices of the acquired company; adverse effects on reported operating results due to possible write-down of goodwill associated with the acquisition; and dilution to stockholders due to the issuance of securities in the proposed transaction.  

 

WE FACE COMPETITION FROM OTHER ONLINE PAYMENT SYSTEMS.

 

We will face competition from other companies with similar product offerings. Many of these companies have longer operating histories, greater name recognition and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than us. Many of these companies also have more extensive customer bases, broader customer relationships and broader industry alliances than us, including relationships with many of our potential customers. Increased competition from any of these sources could result in our failure to achieve and maintain an adequate level of customers and market share to support the cost of our operations.

 

WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO DEVELOP OUR PRODUCT OFFERINGS.

 

Our ability to successfully access the capital markets at the same time that our Company has required funding for the development and marketing of our product offerings is challenging. This has caused and will likely continue to cause us to restrict funding of the development of our products and to favor the development of one product offering over the other based on their relative estimated potentials for commercial success as evaluated by our management. We will require additional debt and/or equity financing to pursue our growth strategy. Given our limited operating history and existing losses, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining additional financing. Furthermore, the issuance by us of any additional securities pursuant to any future fundraising activities undertaken by us would dilute the ownership of existing shareholders and may reduce the price of our common stock. Furthermore, debt financing, if available, will require payment of interest and may involve restrictive covenants that could impose limitations on our operating flexibility. Our current focus is on our SpendSmart Cards. The failure of our SpendSmart Cards to be commercially successful would substantially harm our business and results of operations. Our failure to successfully obtain additional future funding may jeopardize our ability to continue our business and operations. Furthermore, in the future we may determine that it is in the best interest of our Company to severely curtail, license, jointly develop with a third party or sell one of our product offerings, which may be on terms which limit the revenue potential of the product offering to our Company.

 

WE RELY ON THIRD-PARTY SUPPLIERS AND DISTRIBUTORS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO OUR BUSINESS AND DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS SUCH AS PROCESSORS, PROGRAMMERS, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SECURITY ADVISORS.

 

We will be dependent on other companies to provide necessary products and services in connection with key elements of our business. Any interruption in our ability to obtain these services, or comparable quality replacements would severely harm our business and results of operations. Should any of these adverse contingencies result, they could substantially harm our business and results of operations and an investor could suffer the loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

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WE RELY ON OUR BANK ISSUERS TO ISSUE Spendsmart CARDS AND THIRD-PARTY CREDIT CARD MERCHANT PROCESSORS TO ALLOW OUR CUSTOMERS TO LOAD BALANCES ON THEIR SPENDSMART AND BMP CARDS AND THESE THIRD PARTIES COULD VIEW OUR PRE-PAID SPENDSMART AND BMP CARDS AND LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES AS OVERLY RISKY.

 

SSPC Cards are issued by our bank issuers who are essential to our ability to market our products. Additionally, most of our customers load balances on their SSPC cards with a credit card. We are dependent on our bank issuers in order to market SSPC cards. Should one or more of our bank issuers judge our financial resources inadequate, it/they could terminate its/their relationship(s) with us, and we could no longer issue or service cards issued by that bank. This would require us to incur large expenses to obtain a new bank issuer(s), if obtaining such issuer were even possible.

 

We are also dependent on third party credit card merchant processors to allow our customers to load these balances on their SSPC cards. Many credit card merchant processors view the prepaid card industry which we operate in as high risk from a fraud and financial standpoint. While we take steps to reduce fraud in our business, our limited financial resources can be viewed as too risky by credit card merchant processors and cause them not to want to do business with us, or discontinue doing business with us. Since most of our customers load balances on their SSPC cards with a credit card, any interruption in our ability to obtain these services or comparable quality replacements, would severely harm our business and results of operations.

 

Should we lose the services of one or more of our bank issuers or those of a credit card merchant processor and not be able to replace them, our business and results of operations would be substantially impaired, and an investor could suffer the loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

WE OPERATE IN A HIGHLY REGULATED ENVIRONMENT AND FAILURE BY US OR THE BANK(S) THAT ISSUE(S) OUR CARDS TO COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS COULD HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL POSITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

 

We operate in a highly regulated environment, and failure by us or one or more of the banks that issue our cards to comply with the laws and regulations to which we are subject could negatively impact our business. We are subject to a wide range of federal and state laws and regulations. In particular, our products and services are subject to an increasingly strict set of legal and regulatory requirements intended to protect consumers and to help detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing and other illicit activities. Many of these laws and regulations are evolving, unclear and inconsistent across various jurisdictions, and ensuring compliance with them is difficult and costly. Failure by us or our bank to comply with the laws and regulations to which we are or may become subject to could result in fines, penalties or limitations on our ability to conduct our business, or federal or state actions, any of which could significantly harm our reputation with consumers and other network participants, banks that issue our cards and regulators and could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

CHANGES IN CREDIT CARD ASSOCIATION OR OTHER NETWORK RULES OR STANDARDS SET BY THE PAYMENT NETWORKS OR CHANGES IN CARD ASSOCIATION AND NETWORK FEES OR PRODUCTS OR INTERCHANGE RATES COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL POSITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

 

We and the banks that issue our cards are subject to card network association rules that could subject us to a variety of fines or penalties that may be levied by the card associations or networks for acts or omissions by us or businesses that work with us, including credit card merchant processors. The termination of the card association registrations held by us through any of the banks that issue our cards or any changes in card association or other network rules or standards, including interpretation and implementation of existing rules or standards, that increase the cost of doing business or limit our ability to provide our products and services could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, from time to time, card associations could increase the organization and/or processing fees that they charge, which could increase our operating expenses, reduce our profit margin and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, a substantial portion of our operating revenues is derived from interchange fees, and we expect interchange revenues to someday potentially represent a significant percentage of our total operating revenues. The amount of interchange revenues that we earn is highly dependent on the interchange rates that the payment networks set and adjust from time to time. The enactment of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, required the Federal Reserve Board to implement regulations that have substantially limited interchange fees for many issuers. While we believe the interchange rates that may be earned by us are exempt from such limitations, in light of this legislation and recent attention generally on interchange rates in the United States, there can be no assurance that the interpretation or enforcement of interchange legislation or regulation will not impact our interchange revenues substantially. If interchange rates decline, whether due to actions by the payment networks, the banks that issue our cards or existing or future legislation, regulation or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, we would likely need to change our fee structure to compensate for lost interchange revenues. To the extent we increase the pricing of our products and services, we might find it more difficult to acquire new card customers and to maintain or grow card usage and customer retention, and we could suffer reputational damage and become subject to greater regulatory scrutiny. We also might have to discontinue certain products or services. As a result, our operating revenues, operating results, prospects for future growth and overall business could be materially and adversely affected.

 

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CHANGES IN LAWS AND REGULATIONS TO WHICH WE ARE SUBJECT, OR TO WHICH WE MAY BECOME SUBJECT, MAY INCREASE OUR COSTS OF OPERATION, DECREASE OUR OPERATING REVENUES AND DISRUPT OUR BUSINESS.

 

Changes in laws and regulations or the interpretation or enforcement thereof may occur that could increase our compliance and other costs of doing business, require significant systems redevelopment, or render our products or services less profitable or obsolete, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. We could face more stringent anti-money laundering rules and regulations, as well as more stringent regulations, compliance with which could be expensive and time consuming. Changes in laws and regulations governing the way our products are sold or in the way those laws and regulations are interpreted or enforced could adversely affect our ability to distribute our products and the cost of providing those products and services. If onerous regulatory requirements were imposed on the sale of our products and services, the requirements could lead to a loss of retail distributors, which in turn could materially and adversely impact our operations. State and federal legislators and regulatory authorities have become increasingly focused on the banking and consumer financial services industries and continue to propose and adopt new legislation that could result in significant adverse changes in the regulatory landscape for financial institutions (including card issuing banks) and other financial services companies (including us). Changes in the way we or the banks that issue our cards could expose us and the banks that issue our cards to increased regulatory oversight, more burdensome regulation of our business, and increased litigation risk, each of which could increase our costs and decrease our operating margins. Additionally, changes to the limitations placed on fees, the interchange rates that can be charged or the disclosures that must be provided with respect to our products and services could increase our costs and decrease our operating revenues.

 

THE DODD-FRANK WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACT ON OUR BUSINESS, RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.

 

In July 2010, President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“DFA”). The DFA, as well as regulations promulgated thereunder, could have a significant adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

The DFA has resulted in increased scrutiny and oversight of consumer financial services and products, primarily through the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) within the Federal Reserve. The CFPB has broad rulemaking and enforcement authority over providers of pre-paid cards, among other credit providers. The CFPB has the authority to write regulations under federal consumer financial protection laws, and to enforce those laws. The CFPB regulations have yet to be fully promulgated and depending on how the CFPB functions, it could have a material adverse impact on our business. The impact this new regulatory regime will have on the Company’s business is uncertain at this time.

 

Many provisions of the DFA require the adoption of rules to implement. In addition, the DFA mandates multiple studies, which could result in additional legislative or regulatory action. Therefore, the ultimate consequences of the DFA and its impact on our Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition remain uncertain.

 

WE ARE SUBJECT TO VARIOUS PRIVACY RELATED REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT WHICH MAY INCLUDE AN INCREASED COST OF COMPLIANCE.

 

We are subject to various laws, rules and regulations related to privacy, information security and data protection, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and we could be negatively impacted by these laws, rules and regulations. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act guidelines require, among other things, that each financial institution develop, implement and maintain a written, comprehensive information security program containing safeguards that are appropriate to the financial institution’s size and complexity, the nature and scope of the financial institution’s activities and the sensitivity of any customer information at issue. Our management believes that we are currently operating in compliance with these regulations. However, continued compliance with these laws, rules and regulations regarding the privacy, security and protection of customer and employee data, or the implementation of any additional privacy rules and regulations, could result in higher compliance and technology costs for our Company.

 

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OUR BUSINESS COULD SUFFER IF THERE IS A DECLINE IN THE USE OF PREPAID CARDS AS A PAYMENT MECHANISM OR THERE ARE ADVERSE DEVELOPMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PREPAID FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.

 

As the prepaid financial services industry evolves, consumers may find prepaid financial services to be less attractive than traditional or other financial services. Consumers might not use prepaid financial services for any number of reasons, including the general perception of our industry. For example, negative publicity surrounding other prepaid financial service providers could impact our business and prospects for growth to the extent it adversely impacts the perception of prepaid financial services among consumers. If consumers do not continue or decrease their usage of prepaid cards, our operating revenues may remain at current levels or decline. Predictions by industry analysts and others concerning the growth of prepaid financial services as an electronic payment mechanism may overstate the growth of an industry, segment or category, and you should not rely upon them. The projected growth may not occur or may occur more slowly than estimated. If consumer acceptance of prepaid financial services does not continue to develop or develops more slowly than expected or if there is a shift in the mix of payment forms, such as cash, credit cards, traditional prepaid cards and prepaid cards, away from our products and services, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

 

FRAUDULENT AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY INVOLVING OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES COULD LEAD TO REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE TO US AND REDUCE THE USE AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR CARDS AND RELOAD NETWORK.

 

Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods to engage in illegal activities involving prepaid/credit/debit cards or cardholder information, such as counterfeiting, fraudulent payment or refund schemes and identity theft. We rely upon third parties for some transaction processing services, which subjects us and our cardholders to risks related to the vulnerabilities of those third parties. A single significant incident of fraud or increases in the overall level of fraud involving our cards, could result in financial or reputational damage to us, which could reduce the use and acceptance of our cards, cause other channel members to cease doing business with us or lead to greater regulation that would increase our compliance costs.

 

A DATA SECURITY BREACH COULD EXPOSE US TO LIABILITY AND PROTRACTED AND COSTLY LITIGATION, AND COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR REPUTATION AND OPERATING REVENUES.

 

We, the banks that issue our cards, network acceptance members and/or third-party processors receive, transmit and store confidential customer and other information in connection with the sale and use of our prepaid cards. Encryption software and the other technologies used to provide security for storage, processing and transmission of confidential customer and other information may not be effective to protect against data security breaches by third parties. The risk of unauthorized circumvention of such security measures has been heightened by advances in computer capabilities and the increasing sophistication of hackers. Improper access to our or these third parties’ systems or databases could result in the theft, publication, deletion or modification of confidential customer and other information. A data security breach of the systems on which sensitive cardholder data and account information are stored could lead to fraudulent activity involving our products and services, reputational damage and claims or regulatory actions against us. If we are sued in connection with any data security breach, we could be involved in protracted and costly litigation. If unsuccessful in defending that litigation, we might be forced to pay damages and/or change our business practices or pricing structure, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operating revenues and profitability. We would also likely have to pay (or indemnify the banks that issue our cards for) fines, penalties and/or other assessments imposed as a result of any data security breach. Further, a significant data security breach could lead to additional regulation, which could impose new and costly compliance obligations. In addition, a data security breach at the bank that issues our cards, network acceptance members or third-party processors could result in significant reputational harm to us and cause the use and acceptance of our cards to decline, either of which could have a significant adverse impact on our operating revenues and future growth prospects.

 

OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY SURROUNDING OUR SPENDSMART AND BMP CARDS IS UNCERTAIN.

 

Our future success may depend significantly on our ability to protect our proprietary rights to the intellectual property upon which our products and services will be based. Any patents we obtain in the future may be challenged by re-examination or otherwise invalidated or eventually be found unenforceable. Both the patent application process and the process of managing patent disputes can be time consuming and expensive. Competitors may attempt to challenge or invalidate our patents, or may be able to design alternative techniques or devices that avoid infringement of our patents, or develop products with functionalities that are comparable to ours. In the event a competitor infringes upon our patent or other intellectual property rights, litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend our patents against challenge, even if successful, could be expensive and time consuming and could require significant time and attention from our management. We may not have sufficient resources to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend our patents against challenges from others.

 

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WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON CONSUMER TASTES WITH RESPECT TO PREFERRED METHODS OF ONLINE PAYMENT FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

 

Our product offerings’ acceptance by consumers and their consequent generation of revenues will depend upon a variety of unpredictable factors, including:

·Public taste, which is always subject to change;
·The quantity and popularity of other payment systems available to the public;
·The continued appeal and reputations of our celebrity spokespersons; and
·The fact that the distribution and sales methods chosen for the products and services we market may be ineffective.

 

For any of these reasons, our programs may be commercially unsuccessful. If we are unable to market products which are commercially successful, we may not be able to recoup our expenses and/or generate sufficient revenues. In the event that we are unable to generate sufficient revenues, we may not be able to continue operating as a viable business and an investor could suffer the loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

OUR COMPANY IS ECONOMICALLY SENSITIVE TO GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CONTINUED WEAKENING OF THE ECONOMY; THEREFORE A REDUCTION IN CONSUMER PURCHASES OF DISCRETIONARY ITEMS COULD CONSEQUENTLY MATERIALLY IMPACT OUR COMPANY’S FUTURE REVENUES FROM SPENDSMART AND BMP CARDS FOR THE WORSE.

 

Consumer purchases are subject to cyclical variations, recessions in the general economy and the future economic outlook. Our results may be dependent on a number of factors impacting consumer spending, including general economic and business conditions; consumer confidence; wages and employment levels; the housing market; consumer debt levels; availability of consumer credit; credit and interest rates; fuel and energy costs; energy shortages; taxes; general political conditions, both domestic and abroad; and the level of customer traffic on social networking websites. Consumer purchases of discretionary items may decline during recessionary periods and at other times when disposable income is lower. A downturn or an uncertain outlook in the economy may materially adversely affect our business and the success of our BMP and SpendSmart Cards.

 

Financial Risks

 

OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED ASSUMING THAT OUR COMPANY WILL CONTINUE AS A GOING CONCERN.

 

The factors described herein raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from this uncertainty. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern in their audit report for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. If we cannot generate the required revenues and gross margin to achieve profitability or obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, we will need to substantially revise our business plan or cease operations and an investor could suffer the loss of a significant portion or all of his investment in our Company.

 

CURRENT MACRO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF OUR COMPANY.

 

Continuing recessionary conditions in the global economy threaten to cause further tightening of the credit and equity markets and more stringent lending and investing standards. The persistence of these conditions could have a material adverse effect on our access to further needed capital. In addition, further deterioration in the economy could adversely affect our corporate results, which could adversely affect our financial condition and operations.

 

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WE DO NOT EXPECT TO PAY DIVIDENDS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, AND WE MAY NEVER PAY DIVIDENDS AND, CONSEQUENTLY, THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTORS TO ACHIEVE A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT IS IF A TRADING MARKET DEVELOPS AND INVESTORS ARE ABLE TO SELL THEIR SHARES FOR A PROFIT OR IF OUR BUSINESS IS SOLD AT A PRICE THAT ENABLES INVESTORS TO RECOGNIZE A PROFIT.

 

We currently intend to retain any future earnings to support the development and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Our payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors after taking into account various factors, including but not limited to our financial condition, operating results, cash needs, growth plans and the terms of any credit agreements that we may be a party to at the time. In addition, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock may be limited by state law. Accordingly, we cannot assure investors any return on their investment, other than in connection with a sale of their shares or a sale of our business. At the present time there is a limited trading market for our shares. Therefore, holders of our securities may be unable to sell them. We cannot assure investors that an active trading market will develop or that any third party will offer to purchase our business on acceptable terms and at a price that would enable our investors to recognize a profit.

 

OUR NET OPERATING LOSS (“NOL”) CARRY-FORWARD IS LIMITED.

 

We have recorded a valuation allowance amounting to our entire net deferred tax asset balance due to our lack of a history of earnings, possible statutory limitations on the use of tax loss carry-forwards generated in the past and the future expiration of our NOL. This gives rise to uncertainty as to whether the net deferred tax asset is realizable. Internal Revenue Code Section 382, and similar California rules, place a limitation on the amount of taxable income that can be offset by carry-forwards after a change in control (generally greater than a 50% change in ownership). As a result of these provisions, it is likely that given our acquisition of The SpendSmart Payments Company-CA, future utilization of the NOL will be severely limited. Our inability to use our Company’s historical NOL, or the full amount of the NOL, would limit our ability to offset any future tax liabilities with its NOL.

 

Corporate and Other Risks

 

LIMITATIONS ON DIRECTOR AND OFFICER LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OF OUR COMPANY’S OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS BY US MAY DISCOURAGE STOCKHOLDERS FROM BRINGING SUIT AGAINST AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR.

 

Our Company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws provide, with certain exceptions as permitted by governing state law, that a director or officer shall not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud or knowing violation of law, or unlawful payments of dividends. These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing suit against a director for breach of fiduciary duty and may reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation brought by stockholders on our behalf against a director.

 

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INDEMNIFICATION OF OUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

 

Should our officers and/or directors require us to contribute to their defense, we may be required to spend significant amounts of our capital. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws also provide for the indemnification of our directors, officers, employees, and agents, under certain circumstances, against attorney's fees and other expenses incurred by them in any litigation to which they become a party arising from their association with or activities on behalf of our Company. This indemnification policy could result in substantial expenditures, which we may be unable to recoup. If these expenditures are significant, or involve issues which result in significant liability for our key personnel, we may be unable to continue operating as a going concern.

 

OUR EMPLOYEES, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND INSIDER STOCKHOLDERS BENEFICIALLY OWN OR CONTROL A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK, WHICH MAY LIMIT YOUR ABILITY AND THE ABILITY OF OUR OTHER STOCKHOLDERS, WHETHER ACTING ALONE OR TOGETHER, TO PROPOSE OR DIRECT THE MANAGEMENT OR OVERALL DIRECTION OF OUR COMPANY.

 

Additionally, this concentration of ownership could discourage or prevent a potential takeover of our Company that might otherwise result in an investor receiving a premium over the market price for his shares. Approximately half of our outstanding shares of common stock is beneficially owned and controlled by a group of insiders, including our employees, directors and executive officers. Accordingly, our employees, directors, executive officers and insider shareholders may have the power to control the election of our directors and the approval of actions for which the approval of our stockholders is required. If you acquire shares of our common stock, you may have no effective voice in the management of our Company. Such concentrated control of our Company may adversely affect the price of our common stock. Our principal stockholders may be able to control matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors, mergers or other business combinations. Such concentrated control may also make it difficult for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock in the event we merge with a third party or enter into different transactions which require stockholder approval. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

 

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WE ARE DEPENDENT FOR OUR SUCCESS ON A FEW KEY EMPLOYEES.

 

Our inability to retain those employees would impede our business plan and growth strategies, which would have a negative impact on our business and the value of your investment. Our success depends on the skills, experience and performance of key members of our Company. Each of those individuals may voluntarily terminate his employment with our Company at any time. Were we to lose one or more of these key employees, we would be forced to expend significant time and money in the pursuit of a replacement, which would result in both a delay in the implementation of our business plan and the diversion of limited working capital. We do not maintain a key man insurance policy on any of our key employees.

 

SHOULD WE BE SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSITIONING TO A COMPANY GENERATING SIGNIFICANT REVENUES, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MANAGE OUR GROWTH EFFECTIVELY, WHICH COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.

 

The ability to manage and operate our business as we execute our growth strategy will require effective planning. Significant rapid growth could strain our internal resources, leading to a lower quality of customer service, reporting problems and delays in meeting important deadlines resulting in loss of market share and other problems that could adversely affect our financial performance. Our efforts to grow could place a significant strain on our personnel, management systems, infrastructure and other resources. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our operations could be adversely affected, resulting in slower growth and a failure to achieve or sustain profitability.

 

Capital Market Risks

 

OUR COMMON STOCK IS THINLY TRADED, SO YOU MAY BE UNABLE TO SELL AT OR NEAR ASK PRICES OR AT ALL IF YOU NEED TO SELL YOUR SHARES TO RAISE MONEY OR OTHERWISE DESIRE TO LIQUIDATE YOUR SHARES.

 

There is limited market activity in our stock and we may be too small to attract the interest of many brokerage firms and analysts. We cannot give you any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained. While we are trading on OTCQB, the trading volume we will develop may be limited by the fact that many major institutional investment funds, including mutual funds, as well as individual investors follow a policy of not investing in over-the-counter stocks and certain major brokerage firms restrict their brokers from recommending over-the-counter stocks because they are considered speculative, volatile, thinly traded and the market price of the common stock may not accurately reflect the underlying value of our Company. The market price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to quarterly variations in our revenues and operating expenses, announcements of new products or services by us, significant sales of our common stock, including “short” sales, the operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors may deem comparable to us, and news reports relating to trends in our markets or general economic conditions.

 

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THE APPLICATION OF THE “PENNY STOCK” RULES TO OUR COMMON STOCK COULD LIMIT THE TRADING AND LIQUIDITY OF THE COMMON STOCK, ADVERSELY AFFECT THE MARKET PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK AND INCREASE YOUR TRANSACTION COSTS TO SELL THOSE SHARES.

 

As long as the trading price of our common stock is below $5 per share, our common stock will be subject to the “penny stock” rules, unless we otherwise qualify for an exemption from the “penny stock” definition. The “penny stock” rules impose additional sales practice requirements on certain broker-dealers who sell securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors (generally those with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000 or $300,000 together with their spouse). These regulations, if they apply, require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the associated risks. Under these regulations, certain brokers who recommend such securities to persons other than established customers or certain accredited investors must make a special written suitability determination regarding such a purchaser and receive such purchaser’s written agreement to a transaction prior to sale. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, has adopted sales practice requirements which may also limit a stockholder's ability to buy and sell our stock. In addition to the "penny stock" rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer's financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. These regulations may have the effect of limiting the trading activity of our common stock, reducing the liquidity of an investment in our common stock and increasing the transaction costs for sales and purchases of our common stock as compared to other securities. The stock market in general and the market prices for penny stock companies in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our stock, regardless of our operating performance. Stockholders should be aware that, according to SEC Release No. 34-29093, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include 1) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; 2) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; 3) boiler room practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; 4) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differential and markups by selling broker-dealers; and 5) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of those prices and with consequent investor losses. The occurrence of these patterns or practices as well as the regulatory disclosure requirements set forth above could increase the volatility of our share price, may limit investors’ ability to buy and sell our securities and have an adverse effect on the market price for our shares of common stock.

 

WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF MAJOR BROKERAGE FIRMS, WHICH COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE MARKET VALUE OF OUR COMMON STOCK.

 

Security analysts of major brokerage firms may not provide coverage of our common stock since there is no incentive to brokerage firms to recommend the purchase of our common stock. The absence of such coverage limits the likelihood that an active market will develop for our common stock. It will also likely make it more difficult to attract new investors at times when we require additional capital.

 

WE MAY BE UNABLE TO LIST OUR COMMON STOCK ON NASDAQ OR ON ANY SECURITIES EXCHANGE.

 

Although we intend to apply to list our common stock on NASDAQ in the future, we cannot assure you that we will be able to meet the initial listing standards, including the minimum per share price and minimum capitalization requirements, or that we will be able to maintain a listing of our common stock on this trading. Until such time as we qualify for listing on NASDAQ or another national securities exchange, our common stock will continue to trade on OTCQB or another over-the-counter quotation system where an investor may find it more difficult to dispose of shares or obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of our common stock. In addition, rules promulgated by the SEC impose various practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell securities that fail to meet certain criteria set forth in those rules to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. Consequently, these rules may deter broker-dealers from recommending or selling our common stock, which may further affect the liquidity of our common stock. It would also make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital.

 

FUTURE SALES OF OUR EQUITY SECURITIES COULD PUT DOWNWARD SELLING PRESSURE ON OUR SECURITIES, AND ADVERSELY AFFECT THE STOCK PRICE.

 

There is a risk that this downward pressure may make it impossible for an investor to sell his or her securities at any reasonable price, if at all. Future sales of substantial amounts of our equity securities in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could put downward selling pressure on our securities, and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

Item 2 –Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

None not previously disclosed.

 

 

Item 3 – Defaults upon Senior Securities

 

Not applicable.

 

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Item 4 – Mine Safety Disclosures

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5 – Other Information

 

None.

 

Item 6 – Exhibits

 

See Exhibit Index immediately following signatures.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

  The SpendSmart Payments Company, a Colorado corporation
   
  By: /s/ BILL HERNANDEZ
    Bill Hernandez, President
   
  February 14, 2014
   
  By: /s/ DAVID HORIN
    David Horin, Chief Financial Officer
   
  February 14, 2014

 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.   Description
31.1*   Certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, by President
31.2*   Certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, by Chief Financial Officer
32.1*   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350 by Chief Executive Officer
32.2*   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350 by Chief Financial Officer
*  

Filed as an exhibit to this report

 

 

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