APSCA
APSCA is a non-profit industry association founded in 1997, headquartered in Shanghai with offices in Malaysia and India, that organizes payments and identity conferences and serves member organizations across Asia Pacific, Greater China, South Asia, and Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What APSCA does
APSCA (Asia Pacific Smart Card Association) is an independent, non-profit industry association founded in 1997 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, with regional offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and India. It serves as the convening platform for senior decision-makers across the payments and identity sectors in Asia Pacific, Greater China, South Asia, and Europe, organizing industry conferences (such as Mobility Payments Asia Pacific, the Border Management and Identity Conference co-organized with the International Organization for Migration, Transport Payments Asia Pacific, Digital Payments South Asia, the Asian Payment Card Forum, and the Powered & Next-Generation Cards Conference) and maintaining a network of more than 12,000 senior executive contacts and 16,000+ newsletter subscribers across roughly 30-50 member organizations that include Visa, JCB, NXP, Sony, Veridos, ICMA, Linxens, Cubic, NPCI, and Famoco Solutions.
The association's core deliverables are events, content, and membership services rather than technology products. Its product surface includes the conference portfolio, the Radiant Awards program (recognizing excellence in national electronic identity schemes), the APSCA Data Center (a repository of presentations, reports, and papers), the APSCA Newsletter and SCBI Newsletter, and a membership program that grants free event passes, sponsorship discounts, branding, and business-intelligence access. The association co-founded ID4Africa with the Identity Council in 2018, extending its identity-management mission into African markets.
APSCA generates revenue primarily through annual membership subscriptions (Asia-Pacific membership at EUR 4,800 per year; India Local at INR 90,000 per year; India International at INR 150,000 per year) supplemented by event registration fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibition opportunities at its conferences. Membership provides recurring, distributed revenue across multiple government, banking, transport, retail, payments, and telecommunications segments, with marquee institutional relationships including the World Bank, IOM, the State Bank of Vietnam, NAPAS, NPCI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
APSCA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- APSCA
- Legal name
- APSCA
- Website
- https://apsca.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- APSCA is a non-profit industry association founded in 1997, headquartered in Shanghai with offices in Malaysia and India, that organizes payments and identity conferences and serves member organizations across Asia Pacific, Greater China, South Asia, and Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
APSCA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Association Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Exhibitor/Sponsor Management (Corporate Conferences) (THACAFAN)
Keywords
Where APSCA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kuala Lumpur
- HQ country
- Malaysia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
APSCA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: APSCA generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees. APSCA Asia-Pacific membership costs EUR 4,800 per year with benefits including 2 free event passes per event, sponsorship discounts, branding on website, industry information service, business networking service, and one-to-one support. APSCA India Local membership is INR 90,000 per year with 6 free passes annually. APSCA India International membership is INR 150,000 per year.
- Event Registration and Sponsorship: APSCA generates revenue from event registration fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibition opportunities at its conferences and exhibitions. Members receive discounted rates for these opportunities compared to non-members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | APSCA Asia-Pacific Membership - Full regional access |
| Subscription | Annual | APSCA India Local Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | APSCA India International Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
APSCA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
APSCA is an independent, membership-based industry association that organizes paid industry conferences, forums, workshops, and exhibitions for the payments and identity sectors across Asia-Pacific, Greater China, South Asia, the Gulf, and Africa. It sells annual regional memberships (Asia-Pacific at EUR 4,800/year; APSCA India Local at INR 90,000/year and International at INR 150,000/year) and generates supplementary revenue through event registration fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibition opportunities at events such as Mobility Payments Asia Pacific, the Border Management and Identity Conference (BMIC), Transport Payments Asia Pacific, Digital Payments South Asia, the Powered & Next-Generation Cards Conference, and the Asian Payment Card Forum.
Product overview
APSCA (Asia Pacific Smart Card Association) is an independent industry association for identity and payments, not a technology product company. The organization provides a platform of services including industry conferences and events (such as Mobility Payments Asia Pacific, Border Management and Identity Conference, Transport Payments Asia Pacific, Digital Payments South Asia, and Powered & Next-Generation Cards Conference), knowledge resources through its Data Center, newsletter publications (APSCA Newsletter and SCBI Newsletter), and the Radiant Awards program recognizing excellence in government identity schemes. APSCA also offers membership services providing networking, business intelligence, and marketing opportunities for the payments and identity industry across Asia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- APSCA Newsletter: Industry newsletter covering payments and identity developments in Asia
- SCBI Newsletter
- Radiant Awards
Products and services
- Mobility Payments Asia Pacific
- Border Management and Identity Conference (BMIC)
- Transport Payments Asia Pacific
- Digital Payments South Asia
- Powered & Next-Generation Cards Conference
- Asian Payment Card Forum
- APSCA Asia-Pacific Membership
- APSCA India Membership
Companies that use APSCA
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
APSCA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
APSCA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreIOM co-organizes the Border Management and Identity Conference (BMIC) with APSCA. This is a major international event focused on border management, identity systems, and technical cooperation. IOM is the International Organization for Migration and a related UN agency.
- Identity CouncilcoreAPSCA is co-founder of ID4Africa together with the Identity Council, expanding its reach into the African market for identity management.
- World Bank GroupmajorThe World Bank supports APSCA events including Transport Payments Asia Pacific 2018. World Bank experts participate in APSCA conferences as speakers on transport payments, digital development, and financial inclusion topics.
- State Bank of VietnammajorThe State Bank of Vietnam supports APSCA events including Transport Payments Asia Pacific 2018. The central bank regulates payment systems and supports e-payments development in Vietnam.
- National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS)majorNAPAS hosted Transport Payments Asia Pacific 2018. NAPAS is Vietnam's first intermediary payment service provider licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam to provide switching and electronic clearing services.
- National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)majorNPCI hosted the 8th Asian Payment Card Forum in Mumbai in September 2017. NPCI drives retail payments infrastructure development in India including the RuPay card scheme and IMPS instant payments.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ThailandminorThe Ministry supports the Border Management and Identity Conference (BMIC) events held in Bangkok.
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of IndiaminorMoHUA supports APSCA India events focused on transport payments and smart city development in India.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
APSCA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GSMA: Global mobile network operator association that runs major events (MWC) and industry programmes touching mobile payments and digital identity. It is a much larger, broader incumbent operating in adjacent verticals rather than as a payments/identity specialist.
- ID4Africa: Multi-stakeholder movement on African digital identity, co-founded by APSCA and the Identity Council. Directly tied to APSCA's own footprint and comparable as an identity-industry convening platform operating in a different geography.
- PCI Security Standards Council: Open global forum responsible for the PCI Data Security Standard and related payment-security standards. Its membership-based industry-coordination model and focus on payments security make it an adjacent peer, though narrower than APSCA's remit.
- EMVCo: The global technical body that manages EMV specifications for payment card interoperability, jointly owned by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay and Visa. It is broader than APSCA but addresses the same underlying payment-standards community in Asia.
Direct peers
- Biometrics Institute: Independent industry body promoting the responsible use of biometrics and digital identity, headquartered in Australia with Asia-Pacific activity. Overlaps APSCA on the identity side of the portfolio and competes for the same government and vendor audience.
- OSPT Alliance: Industry association promoting open, interoperable standards for payment and identity solutions, including CIPURSE and related specifications. Comparable membership-led, standards-focused model to APSCA in the payments/identity space.
- Secure Technology Alliance (formerly Smart Card Alliance): US-based industry association for smart cards, payments and secure identity, the closest North American counterpart to APSCA. It organizes industry conferences, produces educational resources and runs member-driven working groups on payments and identity — directly parallel to APSCA's model.
- ATM Industry Association: Global not-for-profit trade association serving the ATM and cash/payments industry, with member events, training and working groups. Has a similar membership-revenue model and operates conferences and knowledge resources comparable to APSCA's approach.
- Mobey Forum: Global industry association for mobile financial services and digital ID, founded by major banks and payment vendors. Its membership model, industry workstreams and focus on payments/identity convergence mirror APSCA's remit, making it a directly comparable international peer.
Regional players
- Payments Association (UK): UK-based membership organization serving the payments ecosystem with events, working groups and policy advocacy. Operates in a different geography but mirrors APSCA's industry-association model and similar verticals (payments, fintech, ID).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
APSCA social profiles
Digital presenceAPSCA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
APSCA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
APSCA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
APSCA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about APSCA
What does APSCA do?
APSCA is an independent, membership-based industry association that organizes paid industry conferences, forums, workshops, and exhibitions for the payments and identity sectors across Asia-Pacific, Greater China, South Asia, the Gulf, and Africa. It sells annual regional memberships (Asia-Pacific at EUR 4,800/year; APSCA India Local at INR 90,000/year and International at INR 150,000/year) and generates supplementary revenue through event registration fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibition opportunities at events such as Mobility Payments Asia Pacific, the Border Management and Identity Conference (BMIC), Transport Payments Asia Pacific, Digital Payments South Asia, the Powered & Next-Generation Cards Conference, and the Asian Payment Card Forum.
Is APSCA a public or private company?
APSCA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was APSCA founded?
APSCA was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is APSCA based?
APSCA is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the Asia region.
How does APSCA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Registration and Sponsorship.
Who are APSCA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GSMA, ID4Africa, PCI Security Standards Council and EMVCo. Direct peers are Biometrics Institute, OSPT Alliance, Secure Technology Alliance (formerly Smart Card Alliance), ATM Industry Association and Mobey Forum. Payments Association (UK) is listed as a regional player.
Does APSCA have an API?
No public API is recorded for APSCA.
What industry is APSCA in?
APSCA's product category is Industry Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies), with a secondary code of THAHACAK, Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 8600.