Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
GILBERT DAVID L
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC [HPY] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President - Hospitality Group
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS, INC., 90 NASSAU STREET		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/11/2015
(Street)

PRINCETON, NJ 08542		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 12/22/2015   J(1)   15,731 A $ 0 43,877 D  
Common Stock 12/22/2015   F   6,602 D $ 95.72 37,275 D  

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Unit (2) (3) 12/11/2015   A   3,615     (4)   (4) Common Stock 3,615 $ 0 3,615 D  
Restricted Stock Units (2) (3) 12/22/2015   J(1)     13,074 (1)   (5) 06/14/2024(5) Common Stock 13,074 $ 0 0 D  
Restricted Stock Units (2) (3) 12/22/2015   J(1)     841 (1)   (6) 12/06/2023(6) Common Stock 841 $ 0 841 D  
Restricted Stock Unit (2) (3) 12/22/2015   J(1)     551 (1)   (7) 12/19/2019(7) Common Stock 551 $ 0 1,103 D  
Restricted Stock Unit (2) (3) 12/22/2015   J(1)     904   (4)   (4) Common Stock 904 $ 0 2,711 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
GILBERT DAVID L
C/O HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS, INC.
90 NASSAU STREET
PRINCETON, NJ 08542		       President - Hospitality Group  

Signatures

 /s/ Robert H.B. Baldwin, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact   12/30/2015
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (the "Issuer") entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 15, 2015 (the "Merger Agreement") with Global Payments Inc., Data Merger Sub One, Inc. and Data Merger Sub Two, LLC. The reporting person is expected to be a "disqualified individual" for purposes of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and the Issuer's Board of Directors approved the acceleration of the vesting and settlement of certain equity awards held by the reporting person to December 22, 2015 for purposes of mitigating the effects of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the vesting of 361 performance share units granted in December 2012.
(2) Each vested restricted stock unit was the economic equivalent of one share of the Issuer's common stock. The reporting person settled the vested restricted stock units for shares of the Issuer's common stock.
(3) Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's Common Stock.
(4) The restricted stock units vest in four equal annual installments beginning December 11, 2016. Vested shares will be delivered to the reporting person as soon as administratively practicable following the vesting of the restricted stock unit.
(5) The restricted stock units vest in four equal annual installments beginning June 14, 2013. Vested shares will be delivered to the reporting person as soon as administratively practicable following the vesting of the restricted stock unit.
(6) The restricted stock units vest in four equal annual installments beginning December 6, 2014. Vested shares will be delivered to the reporting person as soon as administratively practicable following the vesting of the restricted stock unit.
(7) The restricted stock units vest in four equal annual installments beginning December 19, 2015. Vested shares will be delivered to the reporting person as soon as administratively practicable following the vesting of the restricted stock units.

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