What Electronic Transactions Association does

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is a Washington, D.C.-headquartered international trade association founded in 1990 that represents over 500 companies across the electronic payments ecosystem, including card networks, payment processors, financial institutions, fintechs, ISOs, and payment facilitators. Per the data, ETA's members collectively process approximately $56.75 trillion annually in purchases and P2P payments, and the digital payments industry sustained roughly 2 million jobs and contributed $354 billion to U.S. GDP in 2024. ETA operates as a non-profit funded by membership dues, certification and examination fees, educational course sales, enterprise education subscriptions, event registration and sponsorship revenue, and digital advertising across its owned channels.

ETA's core product surface is a multi-vertical trade association platform. It comprises a learning management system (ETA University at etau.electran.org) delivering foundational courses (Payments 101 and Payments 201) and eight specialized compliance courses (Payments Compliance 101, Money Transmission, Privacy, AML, EFTA/Reg E, Telecommunications & Payments, Surcharging), bundled into the ETA Certified Payments Compliance Professional (ETA CPCP) certification. The standalone ETA Certified Payments Professional (ETA CPP) is positioned as the premier globally recognized payments credential, administered via proctored quarterly exams with a 3-year recertification cycle requiring 36 CE credits. The events portfolio centers on the flagship TRANSACT conference (Atlanta, March) plus the Strategic Leadership Forum (Naples, September), Fintech Policy Forum (Washington D.C., September), Payments Compliance Conference (Washington D.C., November), and various executive webinar series. Advocacy is delivered through member-led committees (AI, Compliance, Bank, Digital Assets, Risk/Fraud/Security, PayFac, Mobile Payments, ISV, B2B, Retail Technology), advisory councils (Government Relations, Lawyers, State Issues, Canada), and the ETAPAC political action committee engaging on payments policy at federal and state levels.

ETA's go-to-market is hybrid: enterprise direct sales for membership and enterprise education subscriptions (Enterprise200 at $20K-$30K/year, Enterprise Unlimited at $30K-$40K/year with group discounts up to 40%), self-serve individual course and certification purchases via the member portal, and field/event-driven sponsorship sales (event sponsorships, digital amplification packages, newsletter takeovers). Member dues are billed annually by calendar year, scaled to organization size and revenue. Board governance is led by payments industry executives from US Bank, Paysafe, Mastercard, Visa-partner institutions, Discover, JP Morgan, Stripe, Block, Truist, PNC, FIS, Wells Fargo Merchant Services, Nuvei, and Moneris, with CEO Jodie Kelley leading the staff organization of 11-50 employees. In March 2026, ETA acquired the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC), pushing total membership past 500 companies.

Name

Electronic Transactions Association

Legal name

Electronic Transactions Association

Website

https://electran.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit trade association representing 500+ payments industry companies through advocacy, education, certification (ETA CPP, ETA CPCP), flagship events like TRANSACT, and a federally registered political action committee (ETAPAC).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues billed by calendar year. Dues determined based on organization size, primary business, and annual revenue. Organizations in the business of electronic payments are eligible for membership.
2. Certification and Examination Fees: ETA CPP certification exam: $500 for members, $650 for non-members. Recertification fees: $75 for members, $150 for non-members.
3. Educational Course Fees: Individual course sales for payments foundational courses, compliance courses, and certification bundles. Pricing varies: Payments 101 ($230-300), Payments 201 ($250-320), Compliance courses ($250-399), ETA CPCP bundle ($1,895-2,195).
4. Enterprise Education Subscriptions: Annual enterprise subscription packages: Enterprise200 (200 seats) at $20,000-30,000, Enterprise Unlimited at $30,000-40,000. Group discounts up to 40% off individual pricing for 10+ seats.
5. Event Revenue: TRANSACT annual conference and 18+ industry events generating revenue through registration fees, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees.
6. Sponsorship and Advertising: Event sponsorships, digital amplification packages, and advertising across website, newsletter (18K subscribers), and social media channels (24.3K followers).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ETA is a nonprofit trade association serving the electronic payments industry through four interlocking programs: (1) industry advocacy before U.S. federal, state and Canadian policymakers via ETAPAC and member councils; (2) professional certifications and online education including the ETA Certified Payments Professional (CPP), ETA Certified Payments Compliance Professional (CPCP) bundle, Payments 101/201 foundational courses, and eight specialized compliance courses; (3) a portfolio of 18+ annual events led by the TRANSACT conference; and (4) member community programs including committees, advisory councils, the Young Payments Professional (YPP) scholar program, and industry awards.

Product overview

ETA is a trade association for the digital payments industry that provides advocacy, education, certification, events, and community programs. Its education offerings consist of online foundational courses (Payments 101 and Payments 201, available individually or as a bundle), and eight specialized compliance courses covering Payments Compliance 101/201, Money Transmission, Privacy, Anti-Money Laundering, Electronic Funds Transfer Act/Regulation E, Telecommunications & Payments, and Surcharging. These compliance courses are also available as part of the ETA Certified Payments Compliance Professional (ETA CPCP) certification bundle. ETA also offers the ETA Certified Payments Professional (ETA CPP) as the premier standalone industry certification. Its event portfolio includes the flagship TRANSACT Conference, Strategic Leadership Forum (SLF), Fintech Policy Forum, Payments Compliance Conference, and various webinar series. ETA operates member-led committees (including AI, Compliance, Bank, Digital Assets, Risk/Fraud/Security, Payments Sales & Strategy, PayFac, Mobile Payments, Retail Technology, ISV, B2B, and others) and advisory councils (Government Relations, Lawyers, State Issues, and Canada). It also manages ETAPAC, its political action committee. In March 2026, ETA acquired the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC), expanding its membership to over 500 companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TRANSACT: ETA's signature annual conference where payments leaders and innovators converge to network, close deals, and develop solutions shaping the future of payments.
• ETAPAC
• ETA CPP
• ETA CPCP
• ETA YPP
• ETA University (ETAU)
• Forty Under 40
• STAR Awards
• Transaction Trends

Products and services

• ETA Certified Payments Professional (ETA CPP)
• ETA Certified Payments Compliance Professional (ETA CPCP) Bundle
• ETA Payments 101
• ETA Payments 201
• ETA Payments Compliance 101
• ETA Money Transmission
• ETA Privacy
• ETA Anti-Money Laundering
• ETA Electronic Funds Transfer Act / Regulation E
• ETA Telecommunications & Payments
• ETA Surcharging
• Enterprise200 Education Subscription
• Enterprise Unlimited Education Subscription
• TRANSACT Conference
• Strategic Leadership Forum (SLF)
• Fintech Policy Forum
• Payments Compliance Conference — D.C.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million jobs sustained by digital payments industry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026ETA acquired the American Transaction Processors Coalition (ATPC) in March 2026, integrating ATPC's expertise and workforce in Georgia. The combined organization represents over 500 member companies and strengthens ETA's advocacy, education, and member engagement programs. Jay Morgan, ATPC's Executive Director, joined ETA as an advisor during the transition.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BAI: BAI is a financial services training, research, and events organization offering certification programs and industry benchmarking. It competes with ETA in payments education and industry events for banking professionals.
• Consumer Bankers Association: CBA is a U.S. trade association for retail banking that provides advocacy, education, and conferences for consumer-facing financial institutions. Its member base overlaps with ETA's financial institution segment around payments products.
• Credit Union National Association: CUNA is the largest U.S. credit union trade association providing advocacy, compliance, and education. Its payments-related offerings compete with ETA for credit union payments professionals and compliance officers.
• Merchant Advisory Group: MAG is a merchant-focused payments association that engages with the acquiring side of the payments ecosystem. It serves as a counterpart to ETA on merchant-acquirer relationships, providing comparable networking and advocacy for payments stakeholders.
• Nacha: Nacha governs the ACH network and is the rulemaking body for electronic payments in the U.S. It provides similar advocacy, education, and certification programs for ACH participants, overlapping directly with ETA's mission on the payments infrastructure side.
• Independent Community Bankers of America: ICBA represents community banks with advocacy, education, and payments-related services. Its Payments and Technology Conference overlaps with ETA's payments focus on the community banking segment.
• American Bankers Association: ABA is the largest U.S. banking trade association with advocacy, education, certification, and conferences. It serves a broader banking membership but overlaps with ETA on payments-related advocacy and training for financial institutions.
• The Clearing House: The Clearing House is a banking association and payments company owned by major commercial banks. It operates RTP (real-time payments network) and provides payments industry governance and advocacy, making it the closest functional peer to ETA in the U.S. payments ecosystem.
• Bank Policy Institute: BPI (formerly Financial Services Roundtable) is the advocacy and policy organization for the largest U.S. banks. It overlaps with ETA on regulatory advocacy for payments and financial services at the federal level.

Regional players

• UK Finance: UK Finance is the U.K. trade association for financial services, covering banking and payments with advocacy, education, and policy work. It is a strong international counterpart to ETA in the U.K. market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/electranassoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ElectTranAssoc/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElecTranAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/Electronic-Transactions-Association-2196752

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Electronic Transactions Association