content: <html>
  
  <head>
  
  
  
  <title>TSS8k.htm</title>
  </head>
  
  <body>
  <!-- MARKER FORMAT-SHEET="Head Major" -->
  <A NAME="A001"></A>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER">
                                           SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION<BR>
                                                 Washington, D.C.  20549<BR>
  <BR><BR>
  
  Form 8-K<BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
                                                     CURRENT REPORT<BR>
  <BR><BR>
  
                                           Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of<BR>
                                           the Securities Exchange Act of 1934<BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
                                                     October 15, 2002        <BR>
                                           ----------------------------------<BR>
                                                (Earliest Event Reported) <BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
  Total System Services, Inc.<BR>
  --------------------------------<BR>
                                              (Exact Name of Registrant as<BR>
                                                Specified in its Charter)<BR>
  <BR>
  <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" BORDER="0" WIDTH="600">
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TH COLSPAN="2"></TH>
       <TH COLSPAN="2"></TH>
       <TH COLSPAN="2"></TH>
       <TH COLSPAN="2"></TH></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
  <TD WIDTH="10%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="30%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Georgia</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="5%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="31%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;1-10254</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="5%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="27%" ALIGN="LEFT">58-1493818</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="2%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
  <TD WIDTH="10%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="30%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-------------</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="5%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="31%" ALIGN="LEFT">--------------------</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="5%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="27%" ALIGN="LEFT">-----------------</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="2%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
  <TD WIDTH="10%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">(State of</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">(Commission File</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">(IRS Employer</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
  <TD WIDTH="10%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;Incorporation)</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;Number)</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;Identification</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
  <TD WIDTH="10%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;Number)</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  
  </TABLE>
  <BR><BR>
  
                                  1600 First Avenue, Columbus, Georgia  31901<BR>
                                  -----------------------------------------------------<BR>
                                        (Address of principal executive offices)<BR>
  <BR><BR>
  
                                                      (706) 649-2267          <BR>
                                          -------------------------------------<BR>
                                             (Registrant's Telephone Number)<BR>
  <BR>
  <BR>
                               -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
                              (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)<BR>
  
  
  <BR><BR>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  <p ALIGN="LEFT">Item 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;  Other Events.<BR>
  --------&nbsp;&nbsp;  -------------------</P>
  
  <p ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;         On October 15, 2002, Total System Services, Inc. ("Registrant")  issued a press  release with respect to its earnings for the
  quarter ended September 30, 2002.</P>
  
  <p ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;          A copy of  Registrant's  press  release referenced above is  attached  hereto as Exhibit 99 and by this  reference  is hereby  incorporated  by
  reference into this Form 8-K and made a part hereof.</P>
  
  <p ALIGN="LEFT">Item 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.<BR>
  --------&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</P>
  
  <TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" BORDER="0" WIDTH="600">
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TH COLSPAN="1"></TH>
       <TH COLSPAN="2"></TH></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD WIDTH="2%" ALIGN="CENTER">(a)</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="1%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="38%" ALIGN="LEFT">Financial Statements - None.</TD>
       <TD WIDTH="2%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">(b)</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">Pro Forma Financial Information - None.</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">(c)</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">Exhibits</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD><TD ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="BOTTOM">
  <TD ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD ALIGN="LEFT">99 - Registrant&#146;s press release, October 15, 2002.</TD></TR>
  
  </TABLE>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  <!-- MARKER FORMAT-SHEET="Head Minor" -->
  <A NAME="A003"></A>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER">Signature<BR>
  ------------</P>
  
  <!-- MARKER FORMAT-SHEET="Para Flush" -->
  <P ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
  1934, as amended, Registrant has caused this report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. </P>
  <BR>
  <BR><TABLE WIDTH="100%" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">
  
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD WIDTH="50%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH=50% ALIGN="LEFT">TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES, INC.</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD WIDTH="50%" ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD WIDTH=50% ALIGN="LEFT">&nbsp;</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD>Date:  October 15, 2002 </TD>
       <TD>BY: /s/ Kathleen Moates</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-----------------------</TD>
       <TD>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;--------------------------------</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kathleen Moates</TD></TR>
  <TR VALIGN="TOP">
       <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
       <TD>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior Deputy General Counsel</TD></TR>
  
  </TABLE>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  <p align="center">3</p>
  </body>
  </html>
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "tss8k.htm", "description": "8-K FILING", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7084}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES INC", "cik": "0000721683", "assigned-sic": "7374", "irs-number": "581493818", "state-of-incorporation": "GA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-10254", "film-number": "02789197"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1600 FIRST AVENUE", "street2": "P O BOX 1755", "city": "COLUMBUS", "state": "GA", "zip": "31901", "phone": "7066492267"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1600 FIRST AVENUE", "city": "COLUMBUS", "state": "GA", "zip": "31901"}}
text: TSS8k.htm
  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  Washington, D.C.  20549
  Form 8-K
  CURRENT REPORT
  Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
  the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  October 15, 2002
  ----------------------------------
  (Earliest Event Reported)
  Total System Services, Inc.
  --------------------------------
  (Exact Name of Registrant as
  Specified in its Charter)
  Georgia
  1-10254
  58-1493818
  -------------
  --------------------
  -----------------
  (State of
  (Commission File
  (IRS Employer
  Incorporation)
  Number)
  Identification
  Number)
  1600 First Avenue, Columbus, Georgia  31901
  -----------------------------------------------------
  (Address of principal executive offices)
  (706) 649-2267
  -------------------------------------
  (Registrant's Telephone Number)
  -----------------------------------------------------------
  (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  Item 5.    Other Events.
  --------    -------------------
  On October 15, 2002, Total System Services, Inc. ("Registrant")  issued a press  release with respect to its earnings for the
  quarter ended September 30, 2002.
  A copy of  Registrant's  press  release referenced above is  attached  hereto as Exhibit 99 and by this  reference  is hereby  incorporated  by
  reference into this Form 8-K and made a part hereof.
  Item 7.      Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
  --------      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (a)
  Financial Statements - None.
  (b)
  Pro Forma Financial Information - None.
  (c)
  Exhibits
  99 - Registrant's press release, October 15, 2002.
  Signature
  ------------
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
  1934, as amended, Registrant has caused this report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  TOTAL SYSTEM SERVICES, INC.
  Date:  October 15, 2002
  BY: /s/ Kathleen Moates
  -----------------------
  --------------------------------
  Kathleen Moates
  Senior Deputy General Counsel
  3