Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards

What Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards does

SIGIS (Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards, Inc.) is a Delaware-incorporated, US-domiciled not-for-profit standards organization founded in 2007 and headquartered at 111 Deerwood Rd, Suite 200, San Ramon, California. It develops and maintains the IIAS (Inventory Information Approval System) technical standard and the 90% Rule Registration program that enable merchants to accept FSA, HRA, and HSA debit card payments in compliance with IRS requirements. Its core deliverables are the SIGIS Technical Specification, the monthly-updated Eligible Product List classifying IRS Section 213(d)-qualified medical products, multiple certification programs (TPS/POS, merchant, acquirer/processor, gateway, issuer processor, Integrated Payment Provider, network), and a public Store Locator for cardholders.

The organization's go-to-market is membership-based and sales-led. It recruits merchants, manufacturers, payment networks, acquirers/processors, issuer processors, payment gateways, Integrated Payment Providers, POS vendors, and plan administrators as members across four annual subscription tiers (Tier I-III for ecosystem infrastructure participants requiring additional servicing, Tier IV for merchants and manufacturers needing basic access). Revenue derives from annual membership dues plus ancillary reinstatement, NSF, and payment-reprocessing fees; specific tier pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution runs through the sig-is.org member portal, direct email renewal notifications, a help desk ([email protected]), and integration with Authorize.net for payment processing.

SIGIS operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors. It holds no parent company, has no subsidiaries, and has not raised outside funding. Its roster of certified ecosystem participants includes all major US debit networks (Visa, MasterCard, NYCE, STAR, ACCEL) and over twenty POS/TPS providers spanning pharmacy and retail. Geographic coverage is the United States plus US Territories (US Virgin Islands, Guam, CNMI/Saipan), with explicit non-coverage of Puerto Rico and most foreign markets. In late 2024, SIGIS extended the standard's reach with the Manual Claims Standard (December 2024) and an updated Eligible Product List criteria (November 2024), and it has been certifying e-commerce Integrated Payment Providers (Binkey, Gale) to extend IIAS compliance into online retail.

Name

Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards

Legal name

SIGIS: Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards, Inc.

Website

https://sig-is.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SIGIS is a 2007-founded US not-for-profit standards organization that develops the IIAS technical specification, the monthly Eligible Product List, and certification programs enabling merchants, POS vendors, processors, networks, and plan administrators to process FSA, HRA, and HSA health benefit card transactions in compliance with IRS rules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Payment Standards and Certification

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Eligibility, Enrollment & Benefits Administration (HLAEALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Claims Administration & Payment Integrity (Medical/Dental/Vision) (HLAEALAD), Compliance, Reporting & Regulatory Administration (ERISA/ACA/No Surprises) (HLAEALAJ)

Keywords

• Healthcare payment standards
• IIAS certification services
• FSA HRA compliance
• Payment card certification
• Eligible product list

Headquarters

HQ city

San Ramon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SIGIS generates revenue through annual membership fees across multiple tier levels. Tier I to III members may pay by credit card or check; Tier IV members must pay by credit card. A $25 discount is offered for early renewal payments made before the membership anniversary date.
2. Membership Reinstatement Fees: A $50 reinstatement fee is charged for members who fail to renew within the required timeframe and are terminated. Additionally, $25 NSF fee for returned checks and $25 Payment Reprocessing fee for reprocessed payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SIGIS develops and maintains the IIAS technical standards, the Eligible Product List, and certification/registration programs that enable merchants, POS vendors, payment networks, acquirers/processors, gateways, issuer processors, and plan administrators to process FSA, HRA, and HSA health benefit card transactions in compliance with IRS requirements. Members purchase tiered memberships and complete program-specific certifications (IIAS Certification, 90% Rule Registration, or participant-type certifications) to operate within the healthcare payment ecosystem.

Product overview

SIGIS (Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards) is a not-for-profit standards organization established in 2007 that provides industry standards for processing FSA, HRA, and HSA health benefit card transactions in compliance with IRS requirements. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on two main compliance pathways: IIAS Certification for merchants requiring full Inventory Information Approval System capabilities, and the 90% Rule Registration for qualifying pharmacies. Core offerings include the Eligible Product List (monthly-updated database of IRS 213(d) eligible items), Store Locator service, and certification programs for various industry participants including POS vendors, acquirers, processors, networks, gateways, issuer processors, and Integrated Payment Providers. The product suite enables automated verification of healthcare eligibility at point-of-sale and supports both card-based IIAS transactions and a newly launched Manual Claims Standard for consumer reimbursement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IIAS Certification Program
• 90% Rule Registration
• Eligible Product List
• TPS/POS Solution Provider Certification
• Merchant Certification Self-Assessment
• TPS Client Merchant Certification
• Issuer Processor Certification
• Gateway Certification
• Acquirer/Processor Certification
• Integrated Payment Provider Certification
• Manual Claims Standard
• Store Locator
• Members Area Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminates need for manual receipt submission for consumers at IIAS-certified merchants through auto-substantiation of transactions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration30 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and certified.

• ACCEL NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationACCEL is a certified PIN Debit and Signature network that supports SIGIS IIAS Technical Specification for FSA/HRA transaction processing. Certified since 2013 for PIN Debit and 2015 for Signature.
• MasterCard (Debit MasterCard/Maestro)coreTechnology or IntegrationMasterCard and Maestro are certified PIN Debit networks supporting SIGIS IIAS standards. Debit MasterCard/Maestro certified since 2013; MasterCard Signature certified since 2012. Both also have Vision Support Certification.
• NYCE Payments NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationNYCE is a certified PIN Debit network supporting SIGIS IIAS Technical Specification for FSA/HRA transaction processing. Certified since 2013.
• STAR NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationSTAR Network is a certified PIN Debit network supporting SIGIS IIAS Technical Specification for FSA/HRA transaction processing. Certified since 2013.
• Visa (Visa Interlink, Visa Signature/PIN)coreTechnology or IntegrationVisa Interlink (PIN Debit) certified since 2012 and Visa Signature/Signature PIN certified since 2012. Both support SIGIS IIAS standards and have Vision Support Certification.
• Authorize.netsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAuthorize.net is used by SIGIS to accept credit card payments safely and securely for membership fees and services. Adheres to strict industry standards for payment processing.
• Binkey, Inc.certifiedTechnology or IntegrationBinkey provides a fully IIAS-compliant POS system for online merchants, retailers, and e-commerce platforms. Features auto-identification of eligible products, bank-level encryption, and payment processing for FSA/HSA/HRA cards.
• Gale Payments, Inc.certifiedTechnology or IntegrationGale enables eCommerce merchants to accept HSA/FSA payments compliant with SIGIS IIAS standards. Automatically flags eligible products in checkout for online shoppers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs): NCPDP is the leading standards development organization for pharmacy-related electronic healthcare transactions, including pharmacy benefit claims and prescription drug processing. Like SIGIS, it operates as a non-profit membership-based standards body, maintains certified POS/pharmacy vendor lists, and develops transaction standards relied upon by every major payer and pharmacy network in the U.S.
• CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare): CAQH is a non-profit alliance that develops operating rules and standards (e.g., CAQH CORE) to streamline healthcare administrative transactions between providers, payers, and plan administrators. It shares SIGIS's role as a healthcare administrative standards body with a membership model and government-aligned compliance mission.
• WEDI (Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange): WEDI is a non-profit advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on health IT and electronic data interchange standards. It mirrors SIGIS's role in convening healthcare ecosystem stakeholders (payers, providers, vendors) around administrative standards, though focused on EDI transactions rather than payment-card acceptance.
• PCI Security Standards Council: PCI SSC is the global standards body that maintains PCI-DSS, PA-DSS, and related payment-security standards. SIGIS-certified POS systems (e.g., PrimePOS, CAM Commerce Solutions) explicitly reference PCI compliance. PCI SSC is directly comparable as a payment-industry standards body with a certification ecosystem and member governance structure.
• ASC X12 (Accredited Standards Committee X12): ASC X12 is the ANSI-accredited standards body for cross-industry electronic data interchange in the U.S., including healthcare eligibility, claims, and remittance transactions. It is the underlying standards authority for many healthcare transactions that SIGIS complements at the payment-card layer.
• HL7 (Health Level Seven International): HL7 develops international healthcare interoperability standards (e.g., FHIR, HL7 v2) for clinical and administrative data exchange. Like SIGIS, it is a member-driven non-profit standards organization that publishes specifications consumed across the U.S. healthcare ecosystem.
• NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association): NACHA governs the ACH Network and develops operating rules for electronic payments, including healthcare claim payments. It is directly comparable to SIGIS as a payment-industry standards body with a tiered membership model and certified-participant ecosystem.
• Accredited Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12): Note: already listed above - skipping duplicate.

Broad incumbents

• ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI oversees the U.S. private-sector standardization system and accredits standards bodies including ASC X12 and HL7. As the umbrella national standards authority, it provides the structural analog to SIGIS's role within the narrower healthcare payment-card domain.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization): ISO is the global standards-development federation of which ANSI is the U.S. member. While SIGIS is U.S.-only, ISO represents the international-scale analog of standards-body governance relevant to evaluating SIGIS's potential future expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards