Merchant Risk Council

What Merchant Risk Council does

The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 2000 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington (with a Seattle correspondence address). Its stated mission is to make commerce safe and profitable, delivered through a community-led, event-driven model serving eCommerce merchants, solution providers, card issuers, and law-enforcement stakeholders across 90+ countries.

MRC's product surface spans three pillars: (1) community and events, including the member-only MRC Engage platform (powered by Higher Logic), Community Groups and Special Interest Groups covering APAC, LATAM, Crypto, Data Science, Law Enforcement, Gaming, Travel, Subscriptions, and others, Mentor Program, Slack channels, and a year-round event calendar anchored by flagship conferences (MRC Vegas, MRC London, MRC San Diego, MRC Dublin, MRC Melbourne), regional MRC Connects meetups, virtual summits such as VAMP, and weekly "Webinar Wednesdays"; (2) education and certification, including the eLearning platform (LearnUpon), on-demand courses (Payment Essentials, Fraud Essentials, CPFPP Guided Prep), the Career Credentials certificate suite (Payments Professional, Fraud Prevention Professional, Chargeback Professional) launched in September 2025, and the CPFPP certification with NASBA-accredited CPE-credit pathways; and (3) research and advocacy, led by the annual Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report (2026 edition drawing on 1,278+ respondents across 37 countries, produced with Visa Acceptance Solutions and Verifi) and active advocacy dockets covering PSD2/SCA, PSD3, ABECS Brazil 3DS, RBA Interchange Surcharging, Reserve Bank of India, and first-party misuse.

The business model is a hybrid subscription-plus-transaction-fee structure. Primary revenue comes from tiered annual memberships - Silver/Platinum/Platinum Subsidiary for merchants, Crystal/Signature/Regional Elite/Global Elite for solution providers, and Industry Partner tiers for issuers, law enforcement, and ancillary services - supplemented by conference/event registration (member vs. non-member pricing), and certification/eLearning revenue (Career Credentials and CPFPP). Named member organizations span Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify, JPMorgan Chase, Target, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Adyen, Mastercard, Capital One, Ancestry.com, Retail inMotion, and Sift; the Global Board is co-chaired by Sam Anson (Sony Interactive Entertainment) and Lex Ledger (Spotify), and is governed by 50+ drawn from enterprise merchants and solution providers. The organization operates with 11-50 employees and is led by Co-Founder and CEO Julie Fergerson, who announced in June 2026 a planned retirement by year-end as the Board initiated a CEO succession search.

Name

Merchant Risk Council

Legal name

Merchant Risk Council, Inc.

Website

https://merchantriskcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Merchant Risk Council is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 2000 that serves 780+ member companies and 13,000+ payments and fraud-prevention professionals across 90+ countries through membership, conferences, certification (CPFPP), and industry research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services for eCommerce Payments and Fraud Prevention

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Fraud Prevention, Risk & Chargeback Management (CRAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Risk, Underwriting & Portfolio Monitoring (FSAMALAH), Financial Crime Compliance Program Management (Policies, Controls, Training) (FSAMAMAH), Fraud Prevention, Controls & Compliance (MCC controls, AML/KYC, SCA) (THACAJAG)

Keywords

• Payments fraud prevention
• ECommerce risk management
• Merchant trade association
• Fraud prevention certification
• Payment industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: MRC generates primary revenue through annual membership fees at multiple tiers: Silver, Platinum, and Platinum Subsidiary for merchants; Crystal, Signature, Regional Elite, and Global Elite for solution providers; and Industry Partner memberships for law enforcement, issuers, and ancillary services. Membership fees are incurred annually with automatic renewal.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from flagship conferences (MRC Vegas, MRC London, MRC San Diego, MRC Dublin, MRC Melbourne), MRC Connects regional events, virtual summits, and Webinar Wednesdays. Member rates differ from non-member rates.
3. Professional Development and Certification: Revenue from eLearning course sales, Career Credentials certificate programs, and CPFPP certification exams. The Career Credentials program includes courses for Payments Professional, Fraud Prevention Professional, and Chargeback Professional.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Merchant Risk Council is a global trade association that delivers membership services, professional certifications, applied research, and peer-networking programs to merchants, solution providers, issuers, card brands, and law-enforcement stakeholders working in eCommerce payments and fraud prevention. Its commercial offerings include tiered Merchant and Solution Provider memberships, the CPFPP (Certified Payments and Fraud Prevention Professional) credential, the Career Credentials program, the annual Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report, eLearning courses, the Mentor Program, webinars, and topic-specific Communities of Improvement.

Product overview

The Merchant Risk Council (MRC) is a global non-profit membership association offering a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services for payments and fraud prevention professionals. The organization operates as a platform-plus-services model, combining its flagship Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report research with professional development offerings (CPFPP certification, Career Credentials certificates, and eLearning courses), community platforms (MRC Engage), and event programming (conferences, webinars, community groups). MRC members gain access to networking, education, advocacy resources, and a mentor program, all designed to advance eCommerce safety and profitability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPFPP (Certified Payments & Fraud Prevention Professional): The first-ever industry-standard certification for payments and fraud prevention professionals.
• Career Credentials
• MRC Engage

Products and services

• MRC Membership
• CPFPP (Certified Payments and Fraud Prevention Professional) Certification
• Career Credentials Program
• Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of merchants faced cybersecurity attacks in the past year, driving need for MRC education programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Visa Acceptance SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Visa Acceptance Solutions collaborated with MRC on the 2026 Global eCommerce Payments and Fraud Report, providing industry-leading insights from 1,278 merchant professionals across 37 countries. This annual report partnership establishes benchmarks for payments optimization and fraud prevention globally.
• VerificoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Verifi partnered with MRC and Visa Acceptance Solutions on the 2026 Global eCommerce Payments and Fraud Report, contributing to comprehensive industry benchmarking data on fraud trends and payment optimization strategies.
• Checkout.comflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 November 2024Checkout.com partnership provides MRC members free access to Payment Essentials and Fraud Essentials self-paced eLearning courses through MRC's professional development platform. This partnership supports MRC's education pillar by offering complimentary foundational courses to the membership.
• Higher LogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationHigher Logic powers the MRC Engage community platform (community.merchantriskcouncil.org), providing the technology infrastructure for member-only discussion forums, community groups, special interest groups, and collaborative knowledge sharing.
• CventcoreTechnology or IntegrationCvent provides event management and registration technology for MRC's portfolio of conferences, regional events, webinars, and virtual summits, enabling streamlined event operations and attendee management.
• NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC is registered with NASBA as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. This accreditation enables MRC to offer CPE credits for its eLearning courses and webinars, which can be applied toward professional certifications including CPFPP, CFE, CISM, CISSP, and CPA.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): ETA is the leading trade association for the payments industry, serving merchants, acquirers, networks, and FinTechs. Highly comparable to MRC in its membership-based association model, education programs, advocacy, and event portfolio (TRANSACT), though ETA covers a broader payments remit while MRC is specialized in eCommerce fraud and risk.
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE): ACFE is the world's largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of fraud prevention training and the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential. Directly comparable to MRC's CPFPP/certification-driven model and professional-development mission, with similar conference, chapter, and CPE ecosystems.
• Risk Management Association (RMA): RMA is a not-for-profit membership association serving the risk-management community at financial institutions. Comparable to MRC as a professional association offering education, certification, peer networking, and events, though its core constituency is bank risk officers rather than eCommerce merchants.
• FS-ISAC (Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center): FS-ISAC is a member-driven threat intelligence sharing organization for the financial services sector. Comparable to MRC's community/engagement model (member-only information sharing, events, working groups) but its domain is cyber threat intelligence rather than payments fraud.
• National Association of Credit Management (NACM): NACM is a membership association supporting B2B credit and collections professionals through certification (CBA, CBF), education, and local chapter networking. Directly comparable to MRC in operating a trade association with tiered membership, certification, and education revenue across a credit-related professional community.
• Association for Financial Professionals (AFP): AFP is a membership association for treasury, corporate finance, and payments professionals, offering the CTP and FP&A certifications, events, and benchmarking research. Comparable to MRC's association model and certification-driven monetization, but with a treasury/corporate finance audience.
• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): IAPP is the largest global privacy professional association, offering CIPP/US/EU/CIPT certifications, annual summits, and policy advocacy. Highly comparable to MRC's professional certification, education, and global event model, but focused on privacy rather than payments fraud.

Broad incumbents

• PCI Security Standards Council: PCI SSC sets the global technical standards for cardholder data security (PCI DSS) and operates a payments-security ecosystem of participating organizations, training, and QSA programs. Comparable to MRC as an industry-wide body influencing eCommerce payments security and merchant compliance, but standards-focused rather than community/membership-driven.

Emerging players

• Shared Assessments: Shared Assessments is a member-driven organization that develops third-party risk management tools, certifications (CTPRP, CTPRA), and best practices. Comparable to MRC in certification/member community model serving risk professionals, but specialized in vendor/TPRM rather than payments.
• National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA): NCFTA is a non-profit partnership between law enforcement, academia, and private industry focused on cyber-crime intelligence and training. Comparable to MRC's Law Enforcement membership tier and cybercrime advocacy, but operationalized as a public-private intelligence body rather than an open trade association.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merchantriskcouncil

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merchant Risk Council