<PAGE>
[A&B LETTERHEAD]
Exhibit 5.1
December 6, 2000
PTEK Holdings, Inc.
3399 Peachtree Road, N.E.
The Lenox Building
Suite 600
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Re: Form S-8 Registration Statement
Premiere Technologies, Inc. Amended and Restated 1998 Stock Plan
PTEK Holdings, Inc. 2000 Directors Stock Plan
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is given in connection with the filing by PTEK Holdings, Inc.,
a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), of a registration statement on Form S-8
(the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with the registration of
3,150,000 shares (the "Shares") of the $.01 par value Common Stock of the
Company (the "Common Stock") that may be sold or issued pursuant to the Premiere
Technologies, Inc. Amended and Restated 1998 Stock Plan and the PTEK Holdings,
Inc. 2000 Directors Stock Plan. This opinion is rendered pursuant to Item 8 of
Form S-8 and Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K.
We have examined such corporate records and documents as we deemed relevant
and necessary in order to enable us to give the opinion set forth herein,
including the Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and the Amended and
Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended, resolutions of the Board of
Directors of the Company authorizing the actions to be taken, and certificates
of officers of the Company.
In conducting our examination we assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the legal capacity of all natural persons; the authenticity of all documents
submitted to us as originals; that with respect to the issuance of any of the
Shares, the Company shall have sufficient authorized and unissued shares of
Common Stock available at the time of such issuance; that any required
consideration to be received for the issuance of any of the Shares is in fact
received by the Company prior to such issuance; the conformity to original
documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies,
that the Shares will be issued in accordance with the current terms of the
applicable plans and the current terms of the resolutions of the Board of
Directors authorizing the issuance of the Shares; and that the relevant
provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company and the
Georgia Business Corporation Code in effect at the time of issuance of any of
the Shares will not differ in any relevant respect from the relevant provisions
of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company and the Georgia
Business Corporation Code in effect as of the date of this opinion.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold
or issued pursuant to the Premiere Technologies, Inc. Amended and Restated 1998
Stock Plan or the PTEK Holdings, Inc. 2000 Directors Stock Plan will be legally
issued, fully paid and nonassessable under the provisions of the Georgia
Business Corporation Code.
<PAGE>
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever
appearing therein.
Sincerely,
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
By: /s/ Janine Brown
---------------------
