Merchants Acquirers Committee

What Merchants Acquirers Committee does

The Association of Payment Professionals (APP), formerly the Merchant Acquirers' Committee (MAC), is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1997 and incorporated in 2006. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it serves risk, underwriting, and compliance professionals across the payment ecosystem, including processors, facilitators, regulators, financial institutions, ISOs/ISVs, fintech companies, card brands, payment networks, and law enforcement. The organization operates with a very small paid staff (approximately two full-time roles as of 2020) and is otherwise run by member volunteers who staff its Board of Directors, committees, and Strategic Interest Groups.

APP's core deliverable is a community and education platform rather than a technology product. Its portfolio includes the M@cademy online learning environment (launched 2023), the MACPACK foundational resource, the "7 Things to Know" publication series, monthly webinars (APP Edu, Coffee Connect), the APP Alerts information-sharing system for fraud and job postings, the Level Up annual conference series (Level Up 24 through 27), and Regional Roadshows held in U.S. cities such as Chicago, Fort Worth, and Atlanta. Underlying infrastructure is a standard online member portal rather than a proprietary AI/ML or payments-technology stack; the value proposition rests on curated content, member-to-member information sharing, and live convening.

The business model is a hybrid membership-and-sponsorship structure. Most organizations join at no cost, with a smaller paid tier for 1-2 employee members; all applications require Board of Directors approval. Revenue economics are driven primarily by event sponsorships, the partner directory, and recurring support from a concentrated sponsor base including card networks (Visa), data and identity providers (Equifax, LegitScript, SecurityMetrics, G2 Risk Solutions), AI-native risk vendors (Fraud.net, Coris AI, Ballerine), banks (Chesapeake Bank, Merrick Bank), and advisory firms (Arnall Golden Gregory). Customer concentration on the membership side is highly diversified across 2,400+ member organizations, while sponsor and event revenue carries more modest concentration risk typical of small professional associations.

Name

Merchants Acquirers Committee

Legal name

Association of Payment Professionals

Website

https://macmember.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

APP is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership association serving 2,400+ risk, underwriting, and compliance professionals across the payments ecosystem via education (M@cademy, webinars, MACPACK), an annual Level Up conference, regional roadshows, and a fraud/job alerts community, funded primarily by event sponsorships and partner directory support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Industry Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Merchant Acquiring & Processing Platforms (BPAMAFAB)

Keywords

• Payment risk management
• Fraud prevention education
• Compliance training
• Payment industry association
• Professional membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Nuys

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 providing access to networking, professional development, education focused on payment risk management, fraud prevention, and compliance. Most organizations join at no additional cost; some choose a smaller '1-2 employee tier'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Merchants Acquirers Committee, operating as the Association of Payment Professionals (APP), is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers education, networking, and resources to over 2,400 payment professionals focused on risk management, underwriting, fraud prevention, and compliance. Its core offerings include the M@Cademy e-learning platform, MACPACK foundational resources, the Level Up annual conference, regional roadshows, monthly webinars, Strategic Interest Groups, and the APP Alerts fraud and job-sharing communication system, all built on a volunteer-driven content model.

Product overview

The Association of Payment Professionals (APP), formerly the Merchant Acquirers' Committee (MAC), operates as a membership-based association rather than a software product company. The organization offers a unified educational platform consisting of M@Cademy for online training, MACPACK as a foundational resource, and the 7 Things to Know educational series. These educational offerings are complemented by the APP Alerts communication system for fraud and risk information sharing, and the APP Webinar series providing monthly educational content. The organization facilitates community engagement through Strategic Interest Groups (SIGs), the annual Level Up conference, Regional Roadshows, and Coffee Connect sessions. Member services include the Member Compass directory and a Job Board. The portfolio is built on volunteer-driven content development, serving over 2,400 payment professionals across risk, underwriting, and compliance functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M@Cademy Online educational platform providing training courses and career pathways for payment risk, underwriting, and compliance professionals, accessible through the member portal.
• MACPACK A robust foundational educational resource for the payment community developed by volunteers from the Bank Consortium SIG, covering core payment industry knowledge.
• 7 Things to Know Educational publication series covering key topics in payments such as AI in payments, money mules, and other industry subjects for APP members.
• Level Up Conference Annual multi-day conference providing networking and professional development for payment risk, underwriting, and compliance professionals, with multiple annual editions (Level Up 24, 25, 26, 27).
• Regional Roadshows Regional educational events held in cities such as Chicago, Fort Worth, and Atlanta providing local networking and education opportunities for payment professionals.
• APP Alerts Communication system enabling APP members to share fraud alerts, job openings, and expertise within the payment professional community.
• Coffee Connect Free monthly webinar sessions connecting payment professionals, including specialized formats such as Next Gen Leaders and Underwriters editions.
• APP Webinar Series Monthly educational webinars covering payments topics including convenience fees, surcharges, EMV attacks, and financial statement analysis for APP members.
• Strategic Interest Groups (SIGs) Peer communities supporting members with common interests, including the Bank Consortium, Government Relations, and Fraud Trends SIGs.
• Member Compass Member directory and resource hub enabling APP members to connect with each other and access member benefits.
• Job Board Platform providing job postings and career opportunities within the payment industry as a member benefit.
• Government Relations Newsletter Newsletter providing updates on government relations topics and regulatory developments affecting the payments industry for APP members.
• MAC Monitor Regular publication providing industry monitoring and updates for APP members.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LegitScriptminorOthersSponsor of APP, appears in the Who We Serve section partner logos. LegitScript provides certification services for merchants and algorithms in the payments space.
• VisaminorOthersCard brand sponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• EquifaxcoreOthersSponsor and partner. Dom Cirone from Equifax was selected as President-Elect of APP Board, indicating a significant relationship.
• Chesapeake BankcoreOthersSponsor member. Erin Johnston from Chesapeake Bank serves on the 2026 Board of Directors for a second term.
• Merrick BankcoreOthersSponsor member. Shari Savlick from Merrick Bank served as Immediate Past-President and will continue as Past President Advisor.
• Intuit Inc.minorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• G2 Risk SolutionsminorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• SecurityMetricsminorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• Trust2ConnectminorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• TrueBizminorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• Mentom PaymentsminorOthersSponsor appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• Arnall, Golden, GregoryminorOthersSponsor and legal advisory partner appearing in the Who We Serve section partner logos.
• National Association of Boards of PharmacyminorOthersPartner appearing in the Who We Serve section logos.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Clearing House Association: The Clearing House is a banking association and payments company that operates CHIPS and supports payments-industry policy and education. It overlaps with APP's payments-ecosystem constituency and risk/compliance focus, but with a more policy and infrastructure orientation.
• Nacha (National Automated Clearing House Association): Nacha governs the ACH network and runs education, risk management, and rulemaking programs for ACH payments professionals. It is comparable to APP as a payments-industry association serving risk and operations roles, though focused on ACH rather than card acquiring.
• Consumer Bankers Association (CBA): CBA is a U.S. trade association for retail banking, offering education, advocacy, and events covering consumer credit, risk, and compliance. It is comparable to APP as a banking trade association serving risk and compliance professionals, with broader retail-banking focus.
• PCI Security Standards Council: PCI SSC sets the global standards for cardholder data security and runs training, qualification, and community programs for payments security professionals. It is comparable as a payments-security education body, but with a narrower compliance-only mandate.
• American Bankers Association (ABA): ABA is the largest U.S. banking trade association, offering advocacy, education, training, and certification for the banking industry. Comparable as a banking professional association with risk and compliance programming, though far broader in scope than APP's payment-focus.
• BAI (Bank Administration Institute): BAI is a nonprofit research and education organization serving retail banking professionals with research, training, and events. It is comparable to APP in providing education and networking for banking operations, risk, and compliance roles, but at broader retail-banking scope.
• Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA): ICBA is a trade association representing community banks, providing education, advocacy, and compliance resources. It is comparable to APP as a membership-driven banking association offering risk and compliance education, though focused on community-bank segment.

Direct peers

• BAFT (Bankers Association for Finance and Trade): BAFT is an international, member-driven trade association focused on transaction banking, payments, and trade finance, offering education, advocacy, and networking. It overlaps with APP in serving payment professionals at banks and fintechs with educational programs and industry events.
• Risk Management Association (RMA): RMA is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association serving risk-management professionals in financial services. It is comparable to APP in its risk-management education, networking, and chapter-based community model—though RMA serves banks more broadly.
• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): ETA is the leading trade association for the payments industry, serving merchants, acquirers, ISOs, and payment technology companies with education, advocacy, and major annual events (TRANSACT). It is the most direct peer to APP given overlapping membership and similar mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merchants-acquirers-committee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Merchants Acquirers Committee