Third Party Payment Processors Association - TPPPA

What Third Party Payment Processors Association - TPPPA does

The Third Party Payment Processors Association (TPPPA) is a Washington, D.C.-based, non-profit trade association founded in 2013 that serves third-party payment processors, financial institutions, merchants, and vendors operating in the U.S. payments industry. Its core offering is the TPPPA Compliance Management System (CMS), a proprietary, risk-based control framework delivered in two variants — Processor CMS (covering BSA/AML/OFAC, UDAAP, Regulation E, consumer protection, NACHA rules, and data security) and Bank CMS (covering program management, board oversight, third-party risk management, due diligence, monitoring, and reporting). The CMS framework has been shared with federal and state regulators including the FDIC, OCC, FRB, FTC, CFPB, and FinCEN, giving TPPPA a documented role in shaping compliance expectations across the sector. The organization is led by President Marsha Jones and operates with 1-10 employees, governed by a board drawn from member firms.

TPPPA generates revenue primarily through three membership tiers — Voting Member ($15,000/year), Non-Voting Member ($5,000/year), and Affiliate Member ($5,000/year) — with additional income from CMS certification audits, gap analyses, and consulting engagements performed by TPPPA-accredited payments professionals or approved SOC audit firms. Distribution is exclusively through membership-based access: organizations apply via the website, are subject to acceptance, and agree to a Code of Conduct. Member benefits include model policies and templates, free compliance webinars, monthly GoToWebinar member meetings, weekly regulatory updates, free CMS audits (for voting tier), discounted consulting, and participation in the annual 'Solving the Payments Puzzle' conference (the 2026 edition scheduled for November 18-20 at the Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort).

Beyond products, TPPPA's core function is advocacy: filing amicus briefs (notably in Ally v Sheridan in January 2026), responding to requests for comment from the California DFPI, FTC, and CFPB, and maintaining ongoing dialogue with federal and state regulators on behalf of members. The association's stated mission is to give companies a pathway to pursue legal business opportunities by demonstrating effective compliance management systems — positioning itself as both a compliance tooling vendor and an industry voice in a heavily regulated niche.

Name

Third Party Payment Processors Association - TPPPA

Legal name

TPPPA Corporation

Website

https://tpppa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Third Party Payment Processors Association (TPPPA) is a non-profit trade association that provides advocacy, regulatory engagement, and a proprietary Compliance Management System framework to U.S. payment processors, banks, merchants, and vendors. Founded in 2013, it generates revenue through tiered membership dues and certification audits from its Washington, D.C. headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voting Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for payment processors and financial institutions with full voting rights, board participation eligibility, committee leadership, free CMS audits, and discounted consulting services. Highest tier membership.
2. Non-Voting Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for merchants without voting rights. Includes members-only website access, communications, compliance webinars, and support services at an additional fee.
3. Affiliate Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for vendors and service providers offering solutions to support processor and bank members' compliance. Includes online demo sponsorship opportunities and webinar participation as subject matter experts.
4. Audit and Consulting Services: CMS certification audits, gap analyses, and consulting engagements provided to members for additional fees beyond membership dues. Includes on-site reviews, documentation review, and compliance program support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TPPPA delivers a proprietary Compliance Management System (CMS) Control Framework that helps third-party payment processors, banks, merchants, and vendors build risk-based, documented compliance programs. The association complements the framework with CMS Certification Audits, Gap Analysis services, member training webinars, monthly regulatory update meetings, advocacy with federal and state regulators, and an annual industry conference.

Product overview

The TPPPA is a national not-for-profit industry association that offers a unified compliance management system platform called the TPPPA Compliance Management System (CMS). The CMS is the core product—a rigorous control framework that includes two main variants: Processor CMS for payment processors and Bank CMS for financial institutions. Supporting the core CMS are additional modules including CMS Certification Audits, CMS Gap Analysis, Compliance Management Tools (policies, templates, checklists), Compliance Webinars and Training, Monthly Member Meetings via GoToWebinar, and the annual 'Solving the Payments Puzzle' Conference. The TPPPA 2026 Conference is scheduled for November 18th-20th at the Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Membership provides access to these tools and resources for navigating the payments compliance landscape.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TPPPA Compliance Management System (CMS) A comprehensive risk-based, documented control framework that helps third-party payment processors, financial institutions, and merchants create and maintain compliance management programs aligned with guidance from bank regulators, FinCEN, FTC, DOJ, CFPB, and FFIEC. The framework is industry-agnostic and payment-type agnostic.
• CMS Certification Audits Annual certification audits, conducted by TPPPA-accredited payment professionals or approved SOC audit firms, that validate members' documented controls against the TPPPA CMS Control Framework. Members that pass with minimal findings earn the CMS Certified seal to demonstrate compliance culture to regulators and law enforcement.
• CMS Gap Analysis A pre-audit assessment service that identifies gaps between a member's current compliance program and the TPPPA CMS Control Framework, providing recommendations to address deficiencies before undergoing formal CMS audits.
• TPPPA Membership Program Annual tiered membership program for payment processors and financial institutions (Voting Member, $15,000/year), merchants (Non-Voting Member, $5,000/year), and vendors and service providers (Affiliate Member, $5,000/year). Includes members-only website access, communications, free compliance support from accredited payments professionals, free and discounted CMS audits, training webinars, monthly member meetings, and committee and board participation eligibility (Voting tier).
• TPPPA Annual Conference (Solving the Payments Puzzle) Annual in-person industry conference providing payments-industry education, networking, and sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities. Includes educational sessions, a golf tournament, and member networking for payment processors, banks, merchants, and vendors.

Quantifiable outcome

• CMS Certification demonstrates compliance culture expected by regulators and law enforcement agencies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CatalystminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatalyst is a government relations firm providing comprehensive public policy and advocacy services. Located in the heartland with broad reach from coast to coast. Partners with clients to create innovative and effective advocacy campaigns at every level of government. Supports TPPPA's advocacy efforts with multi-state and federal government affairs strategies.
• Troutman Pepper LockeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm with consumer financial services practice structured to address client legal issues including compliance, regulatory changes, governmental investigations, litigation, and enforcement. Multi-disciplinary team of compliance, litigation, and enforcement attorneys offer holistic legal services and regulatory strategies.
• MicroBiltcoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit Reporting Agency (CRA) and Nacha preferred vendor with over 45 years of experience providing consumer data and risk management services. Offers traditional and proprietary credit data solutions through secure APIs, web portal, and batch. Risk Verification Database provides fraud prevention technologies for ACH Network protection.
• Fi911coreTechnology or IntegrationFi911 supports financial institutions with innovative back-office management technologies for banking and payments industries. Features include merchant onboarding, client portals, DisputeLab for chargeback dispute resolution, threat detection, reconciliation, risk management tools, and commission/ISO payout systems. Subsidiary of Chargebacks911.
• ProfituityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Consulting/professional services firm supporting payment industry members.
• FLEX Payment SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard member representation (Rob Zeitler). Sponsor of TPPPA. Payment solutions provider.
• PaypoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Payment services provider.
• FORTH, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Member testimonial provider. Merchant services company.
• North American Banking Company (NABC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Board advisory member (Todd Lovaas). Banking company serving third-party payment processors.
• ReliaFundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Board member representation (Kevin Hill, Secretary). Payment processing services.
• South State BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of TPPPA. Financial institution partner.
• Chargebacks911 (Cb911)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint logo with Fi911. Board advisory member (Monica Eaton-Cardone). Chargeback and dispute management solutions provider for financial institutions and payment processors.
• VeriCheckminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard Chairman representation (Ryan McCurry). Payment processor member with 20+ years in payments processing space. Testimonial provider praising TPPPA's regulatory and compliance information.
• East West BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard advisory member representation (Jesse Sandoval). Financial institution partner.
• Commercial Bank of CaliforniaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard advisory member representation (Neel Pinge). Banking partner.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Credit Union National Association (CUNA): Largest US credit union trade association. Represents depository institutions that partner with third-party payment processors, providing compliance and advocacy support that partially substitutes for TPPPA's Bank CMS Tools among credit-union members.
• American Bankers Association (ABA): The largest US banking trade association, representing banks of all sizes. ABA competes with TPPPA for financial-institution members and broader banking compliance advocacy, but at a much wider scope that includes retail, commercial, and trust banking beyond payments.
• Consumer Bankers Association (CBA): Trade association for retail banking, with a strong payments and card-services focus. CBA serves as a broader alternative trade-association home for bank members engaged in card processing, deposit, and consumer credit programs that intersect with TPPPA's mandate.
• Bank Policy Institute (BPI): Policy and advocacy organization for large US banks. Overlaps with TPPPA on regulatory engagement around third-party processor risk management, BSA/AML, and payments innovation, but at a larger-bank institutional scale.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): Trade association for community banks, many of which partner with third-party payment processors — TPPPA's target bank segment. ICBA provides compliance and advocacy support that partially overlaps with TPPPA's Bank CMS and Bank CMS Tools offering.

Direct peers

• The Clearing House: Operator of core US payment systems (CHIPS, RTP network) and an industry-association-style body that publishes payments rules and advocates on payments policy. Directly comparable to TPPPA in combining payments rule-making, compliance expectations, and member advocacy under one roof.
• Nacha: Governing body of the ACH Network and rule-making authority for the payments ecosystem. Nacha develops ACH operating rules and risk-management frameworks that TPPPA's Processor CMS is built to support, and the two organizations explicitly coordinate — TPPPA's President previously served on Nacha's Risk-Management and Advisory Group.
• ATM Industry Association (ATMIA): Global trade association for the ATM and cash-access industry, including ATM ISOs and deployers. Mirrors TPPPA's structure — a payments-adjacent trade association providing advocacy, compliance frameworks, and certification to a niche processing vertical.
• PCI Security Standards Council: Develops and maintains the PCI DSS payment security standards that govern how processors and merchants handle card data. Comparable to TPPPA in that it issues a compliance framework and certification regime specifically for the payments industry, often referenced alongside TPPPA's CMS.
• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): The largest US trade association for the payments industry, representing payment processors, ISOs, and fintechs. ETA competes directly with TPPPA for the same processor, ISO, and fintech members, and runs overlapping education, advocacy, and certification programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tpppa1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-party-payment-processors-association-tpppa-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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