Payments Innovation Forum

What Payments Innovation Forum does

Payments Innovation Forum (PIF) is a not-for-profit membership organization and trade body representing the UK payments industry. Founded in 2007 and registered in England and Wales (company number 05955151), PIF is headquartered in London and is governed by an Executive Director (Diane Brocklebank), a rotating Chair and Vice Chair (Jonathan Vaux and Kevin McAdam respectively, from July 2026), and nine non-executive directors. Its members span the payments value chain, including card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, Discover Global Network), e-money institutions and payment service providers (Paysafe, ANNA Money), issuer processors and BIN sponsors (Thredd, Andaria), and technology and solution providers (DECTA, Blackhawk Network).

PIF delivers its offering through three interlocking product lines: tiered membership (Standard at £9,000 per year, Benefactor at £15,000 per year, and a Startup tier with progressive three-year pricing from £3,000 to £9,000), a calendar of events and working groups (Legal & Regulatory Working Group, AI & Agentic Payments Forum, Payments Innovation Series, AGM, Winter Networking Reception, and support of the Payments Awards 2026), and thematic workstreams covering Public Sector Payments, B2B Payments, and Cross-Border Payments. PIF is not a technology company and does not develop proprietary software; its core "platform" is the community, governance process, and content it produces. The organization also maintains a public news portal, LinkedIn and YouTube presence, and a suite of international alliances with fintech associations in Lithuania, Ireland, Hong Kong, Germany, and the US.

PIF's revenue model is subscription-based, generated from membership fees, event sponsorship, and benefactor donations, with the membership year running 1 January to 31 December and pro-rated fees for mid-year joiners. Members gain access to working groups, networking, thought-leadership content, and regulatory advocacy; member resources are gated behind login. The 2023 turnover was disclosed as below £36 million in the Modern Slavery Statement (a UK regulatory reporting threshold, not a precise figure), and the organization has 11–50 staff according to public firmographic data, though no precise headcount is disclosed.

Name

Payments Innovation Forum

Legal name

Payments Innovation Forum Ltd

Website

https://paymentsinnovationforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Payments Innovation Forum is a UK not-for-profit trade association and membership body representing the payments industry. Founded in 2007 and based in London, it serves issuers, e-money institutions, schemes, and solution providers through tiered membership, working groups, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from Standard Members (£9,000 + VAT/year), Benefactors (£15,000 + VAT/year), and Startup Members (tiered pricing: £3,000 Year 1, £6,000 Year 2, £9,000 Year 3). Membership year runs from 1 January with pro-rated fees for mid-year joiners.
2. Event Sponsorship: Event sponsorship fees contribute to funding PIF operations. Sponsors support events such as the Payments Innovation Series, AGM, and specialist forums.
3. Benefactor Donations: Benefactor donations help PIF plan and sustain work in areas where the industry seeks clarity, solutions and direction. Benefactors must be existing members in good standing for at least 12 months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Payments Innovation Forum is a not-for-profit membership organisation and trade body representing the UK payments industry. It sells tiered annual memberships (Standard, Benefactor, Startup) and delivers member services including events, legal and regulatory working groups, thematic workstreams, industry news, and thought leadership reports to support the payments ecosystem. PIF does not sell software or financial products; its offering is relationship-, knowledge-, and advocacy-based services paid for through membership fees, event sponsorship, and benefactor donations.

Product overview

Payments Innovation Forum (PIF) is a not-for-profit membership organization and trade body representing the UK payments industry. Rather than a unified software product, PIF offers a portfolio of membership-based services including tiered membership programs (Standard, Benefactor, and Startup tiers), events and conferences (Legal & Regulatory Working Group sessions, Payments Innovation Series, Payments Awards), collaborative working groups (Legal & Regulatory, International), thematic workstreams (Public Sector Payments, AI & Agentic Commerce, B2B Payments, Cross-Border Payments), industry news and research content, and thought leadership publications. These services are designed to support growth, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration across the payments ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PIF Membership Tiered annual membership programme providing access to industry insights, networking, working groups, and events. Tiers include Standard Member (£9,000+VAT/year), Benefactor (£15,000+VAT/year), and Startup Member (progressive pricing from £3,000 in year 1 to £9,000 in year 3). Designed for payments industry organisations including e-money institutions, issuer processors, schemes, payment service providers, and solution providers.
• PIF Events and Conferences Programme of in-person and virtual events including Legal & Regulatory Working Group sessions, the Payments Innovation Series, the Payments Awards, the Winter Networking Reception, and Payments Innovation Day. Designed for payments industry professionals seeking networking, thought leadership, and regulatory engagement.
• PIF Working Groups Collaborative forums including the Legal & Regulatory Working Group (focused on compliance and regulatory guidance) and the International Working Group (focused on cross-border business scaling). Designed for member organisations seeking peer collaboration and regulatory advocacy.
• PIF Workstreams Thematic programmes uniting members around key industry challenges and opportunities. Active workstreams cover Public Sector Payments, AI & Agentic Commerce, B2B Payments, and Cross-Border Payments. Designed for member organisations seeking structured collaboration on specific industry topics.
• PIF News and Industry Research Industry news portal covering topics including AI, Agentic Commerce, B2B Payments, Contactless Payments, Cross-Border Payments, Cryptocurrency, Digital Payments, Open Banking, and Stablecoin, featuring member news and industry research. Designed for payments industry professionals seeking market intelligence.
• PIF Thought Leadership and Reports White papers, reports, and guidance documents offering analysis on strategic industry topics, regulatory changes, and best practices, designed to support member decision-making. Targeted at PIF members across the payments ecosystem.

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Project NemominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 12-month campaign connecting disability inclusion experts with FinTech decision makers who want to accelerate their disability inclusion journey.
• Blue Train MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFull-service marketing agency dedicated to fintech and payments, serving clients from startups to established providers.
• Association of Governance Risk & Compliance (AGRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal non-profit professional accreditation and certification organization for GRC professionals, with qualifications accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance.
• Fintech Hub LithuaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation uniting FinTech industry participants in Lithuania, helping create favorable conditions and positioning Lithuania as an attraction center for the industry.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK organization backing small businesses since 1974. PIF members can join FSB with a special discount on the FSB sign-up fee.
• Fintech & Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents interests of FinTech and Payments businesses in Ireland, developing the regulatory, commercial and community ecosystem.
• Hong Kong Fintech Industry Association (HKFIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization established in 2014, leading efforts to reshape industry development and education through policy advocacy and education programs.
• Innovative Payments AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS trade organization serving as the leading voice of the electronic payments sector including prepaid products, mobile wallets, and P2P technology.
• Open Future WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest global source of information on progress in open banking and beyond, providing free resources and curated content.
• Prepaid Verband DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman prepaid industry association established in 2011, promoting dialogue with media and public.
• Lawson WareminorOthersHeadhunting solution specializing in Payments, FinTech and Financial Services for over 25 years, with a referral-driven network delivering senior candidates within 25 working days.
• ABGiminorOthersProfessional services and consulting business helping UK companies accelerate and fund innovation strategies, including R&D tax relief, Patent Box, and innovation tax incentive claims.
• FStech and Retail Systems (Payments Awards 2026)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPIF is proud to support the 15th annual Payments Awards 2026, organized by FStech and Retail Systems, recognizing excellence and innovation in the payments space.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UK Finance: The primary UK banking and financial services trade association. Directly comparable to PIF as a UK-based industry body representing financial services firms, with overlapping regulatory advocacy and policy engagement functions, though serving a broader banking membership.
• Innovative Payments Association: US trade organization for the electronic payments sector including prepaid, mobile wallets, and P2P technology. Functionally analogous to PIF as a non-profit trade body representing payments innovators, though serving a US-centric member base.
• The Payments Association: UK-based community for payments industry professionals, with a similar membership-and-events model and overlapping focus on fintech, regulation, and innovation. Directly competes with PIF for the same enterprise and startup member base in the UK.

Regional players

• Hong Kong Fintech Industry Association (HKFIA): Non-profit industry body for fintech in Hong Kong with policy advocacy and education programs. A peer through PIF's partnership network, operating a similar non-profit trade-association model but focused on the Hong Kong ecosystem.
• Prepaid Verband Deutschland: German prepaid industry association established in 2011. Direct functional peer as a national payments-segment trade body, with a PIF partnership connection, but serving the German market.
• Fintech Hub Lithuania: Association uniting FinTech industry participants in Lithuania. A peer in mission as a national fintech/payments trade body, connected to PIF through a partnership, but focused on the Lithuanian market.
• Fintech & Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI): Represents FinTech and Payments businesses in Ireland. Direct peer in mission and structure as a national payments/fin trade association; comparable through a PIF partnership but serves the Irish rather than UK market.

Broad incumbents

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): US-based trade association for the payments industry, representing a broad range of payments companies. A larger, more established incumbent operating with a similar advocacy and education model but at significantly greater scale and US focus.
• NACHA (The Electronic Payments Association): US not-for-profit association that governs the ACH network. A direct functional analog as a payments-industry rule-making and advocacy body, though much larger and operating the underlying US payments infrastructure.

Others

• Project Nemo: PIF partner focused on disability inclusion in fintech. Thematically related as an industry-facing community initiative, but not a direct competitor — more of an ecosystem participant that PIF helps amplify.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzxttjmxesA3paBVrObv3rw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/payments-innovation-forum
• Xx.com/payinnforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Payments Innovation Forum