VISA 2011 SMALL BUSINESS #GOBIZ SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THE SWEEPSTAKES. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AND WHO ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED AND RESIDE IN THE UNITED STATES OR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND WHO EITHER HAVE OR CREATE A TWITTER ACCOUNT AT TIME OF ENTRY.
VOID IN PUERTO RICO AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.


2. ELIGIBILITY: Visa2011 Small Business #gobiz Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age and older, who are physically located and reside in the United States or District of Columbia and who either have or create a Twitter account at the time of entry ("Eligible Participant"). Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited. Employees of Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A. Inc. (“Sponsor”),Visa International Service Association, and their respective successors, affiliates and client financial institutions, prize suppliers and advertising and promotion agencies, Tenthwave Digital LLC and each of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, representatives, officers, directors, shareholders and employees (collectively, “Releasees”), and each of their immediate family members (spouse and parents, children and siblings, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) and individuals living in the same households of each of these individuals, whether related or not, of the above are not eligible to enter or win. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. U.S. law governs this Sweepstakes.


3. SWEEPSTAKES TIMING/DESCRIPTION: The Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:00 AM Pacific Time (“PT”) on October 25, 2011 and ends 11:59:59 PM PT on November 17, 2011 (the "Promotion Period"). Five (5) potential Grand Prizes winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received on each respective Tuesday and Thursday throughout the Promotion Period as outlined in the chart below in rule 5.


4. HOW TO ENTER: To enter, you must have or create a non-private Twitter account (“Twitter account”). If you already have a Twitter account, you will have to sign in to your account. If you are not an existing member of Twitter, you will be required to follow the directions and join Twitter. When you join Twitter, you are indicating that you have read and agree to accept the Twitter Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Membership to Twitter.com is free. To enter the Sweepstakes, sign in at Twitter.com, go to www.twitter.com/Visasmall business and click “Follow” to follow Visa Small Business on Twitter.
   
   Each Tuesday and Thursday between 12:00:00 AM PT and 11:59:59 PM PT (each day an “Entry Period”) during the Promotion Period, Sponsor will tweet a Small Business –themed question (“Initial Tweets”). Initial Tweets will contain the hashtag #gobiz. To be entered in the Sweepstakes, Eligible Participants must respond to the question including the hashtag #gobiz in their response or re-tweet the @visasmallbiz featured tweet question including the hashtag #gobiz, (each, an “entry”) during the respective Entry Period. Eligible Participants will receive one (1) entry for each tweet or retweet made in response to an Initial Tweet. Entries must be received on dates/times stated in the Entry Chart below in order to be eligible for the applicable Drawing. There is a limit of one (1) entry per person/Twitter account per Entry Period. Subsequent entries submitted by the same person/Twitter account on the same Entry Period are void. Entries received for an applicable Entry Period will only be eligible for that Entry Period’s drawing and will not be eligible for subsequent drawings. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged. Twitter’s clock will be the official timekeeping device for the Sweepstakes. Entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized Twitter account holder associated with the username used to enter via Twitter. The authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned to a username by twitter.com. You must enter using only a twitter.com account subscribed to and registered in your name. Entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the person subscribed and registered to the username from which entries are received. The potential winners may be required to provide Sponsor with proof that he/she is the authorized account holder of the user name/Twitter account associated with the winning entry. Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, incomplete, or misdirected entries. Entries that do not comply with these Official Rules are subject to disqualification. Entries that have been generated by a script, macro, bot or any other automated means will be deemed void. Entry must be in keeping with the Sponsor’s image, and may not be offensive, nor can it defame, or invade upon the publicity rights or privacy of any person or otherwise infringe upon any person or entity’s intellectual property, personal or proprietary rights, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves all rights, including the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, modify, or dispose of any entry, proper names, likenesses, and photographs for advertising and promotional purposes in all media (including, but not limited to, the internet) without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Sponsor’s decisions are final on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes.


5. DETERMINATION OF WINNERS: Five (5) potential Grand Prize winners will be selected in a random drawing for each Entry Period defined in the Entry Chart below from among all eligible entries received based on the applicable dates/times stated in the Entry Chart below.

   Drawing #	Entry Period: Entry Received between 12:00:00 AM PT and 11:59:59 PM PT on:	Drawing/Notification Date
   1	Tuesday, October 25, 2011	October 26, 2011
   2	Thursday, October 27, 2011	October 28, 2011
   3	Tuesday, November 1 , 2011	November 2, 2011
   4	Thursday, November 3 , 2011	November 4, 2011
   5	Tuesday, November 8, 2011	November 9, 2011
   6	Thursday, November 10, 2011	November 11, 2011
   7	Tuesday, November 15 , 2011	November 16 , 2011
   8	Thursday, November 17, 2011	November 18, 2011

   
   The random drawings will be conducted by Tenthwave Digital LLC, an independent judging organization, in Melville, NY. Judges’/Sponsor’s decisions are final on matters relating to this Sweepstakes. Potential winners will be notified by a Twitter direct message. You must be following @visasmallbiz on Twitter at time of notification in order to receive your prize. Potential winners will be required to verify their mailing address within seven (7) days of winner notification prior to issuance of prize. Non-compliance within this time frame, or if prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, will result in the entrant being disqualified, and a potential alternate winner being selected. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prize. Odds of winning a Grand Prize in a random drawing depend upon the number of eligible entries received for that applicable drawing. Limit one (1) prize per person/Twitter account for the entire Promotion Period.


6. PRIZES: There will be five (5) Grand Prizes awarded for each Entry Period during the Promotion Period for a total of forty (40) Grand Prizes consisting of a $250 Visa Gift Card. Total ARV of all prizes: $10,000. All federal, state, and local taxes and any other costs not specifically stated within these Official Rules are the sole responsibility of the winner. Prizes are not transferable and no substitutions or cash equivalents are permitted, except that Sponsor at its sole discretion, may substitute the prize with a prize of comparable or greater value. Specifics of the prizes are in sponsor’s sole discretion. If winner is 18 years of age or older but deemed a minor in his/her state or place of residence, prize will be awarded in the name of a parent or legal guardian. Terms and conditions related to Visa Gift Cards apply.


7. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules including all eligibility requirements and the decisions of the Sponsor and judges, which are final and binding. By accepting a prize, winners consent to the use of their name, image, likeness, photograph, voice, entry, and biographical material for advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes by Sponsor, or party designated by the Sponsor, in any and all media now or hereafter devised, including but not limited to, any online announcements, worldwide in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification, or permission, except where prohibited by law. Entrants release and hold harmless Releasees and Twitter from any claims, actions, injury, loss, or damage of any kind, including but not limited to, personal injury or death, resulting, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from participating in this Sweepstakes or from the acceptance, possession, or use or misuse of a prize (including any travel/activity related thereto). This limitation of liability is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damages of any kind, including (without limitation) compensatory, direct, indirect, or consequential damages; loss of data, income or profit; loss of damage to property; and claims of third parties. Entrants agree that Releasees have not made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, statutory, express or implied (including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, title, and fitness for a particular purpose), in fact or in law, relative to the Sweepstakes.
   
   SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT, AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION, TO DISQUALIFY ANY ENTRY POSTED TO ANY WEBSITE THAT THE SPONSOR FEELS IS INAPPROPRIATE, OBJECTIONABLE AND/OR INCONSISTENT WITH THE POSITIVE IMAGE AND/OR GOOD WILL IT WISHES TO PROMOTE IN THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
   
   ALL ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ALL ENTRIES SUBMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS SWEEPSTAKES ARE SUBMITTED ON A NON-CONFIDENTIAL AND NON-PROPRIETARY BASIS AND MAY BE USED BY SPONSOR, ITS AGENTS AND SUBSIDIARIES, FOR ANY AND ALL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) IN CONNECTION WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES, IN PERPETUITY, WORLDWIDE, IN ANY MEDIA NOW KNOWN OR HEREAFTER DEVELOPED.


8. GENERAL: Sponsor will collect information from the entrants solely for the purpose of the notifying the winners. Sponsor will not share this information with any third party, except as necessary for the administration of the Sweepstakes or winner notification as applicable, nor attempt to contact entrant, unless entrant has agreed to receive further information on Sponsor’s products and promotions. Releasees are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, inaccurate, incomplete, undelivered, damaged, delayed, or garbled entries; or for any other errors or problems of any kind, whether typographical, printing, mechanical, human, electronic, or otherwise, relating to or in connection with the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, any error or problem that may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the announcement of the prizes, or in any Sweepstakes related materials. Entry materials that have been tampered with or altered are void. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend part or all of this Sweepstakes at any time without notice, if in the sponsors opinion there is any suspected or actual evidence of electronic or non-electronic tampering with any portion of the Sweepstakes, or if virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness, or integrity of the Sweepstakes. In the event of cancellation, Sponsor may void any entries it suspects are at issue and, award remaining prize(s) for the applicable Entry Period(s) in a random drawing from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received for the Entry Period(s) at issue up to the date of cancellation. Caution: Any attempt by an entrant or any other individual to damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify entrants who violate these Official Rules or interfere with this Sweepstakes in any manner. If an entrant is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate that entrant’s eligibility to participate in the Sweepstakes. Any attempt by an individual to access any website associated with the Sweepstakes via a bot script or other brute force attack or any other unauthorized means will result in the IP address becoming ineligible. Use of automated entry devices or programs is prohibited.


9. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the eligible participant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California.


10. WINNERS’ LIST: For the names of the Grand Prize winners, available after November 30, 2011 mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope by November 30, 2011 to: Visa 2011 Small Business #gobiz Sweepstakes Winners, P. O. Box 997, Plainview, NY 11803-0997.


11. SPONSOR & ADMINISTRATOR: The Sponsor of this Sweepstakes is Visa U.S.A. Inc., P.O. Box 8999, San Francisco, CA 94128-8999. Administrator: Tenthwave Digital LLC, 35 Pinelawn Road, Suite 207W, Melville, NY 11747.