Conexxus.org

What Conexxus.org does

Conexxus, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association, incorporated in Virginia and headquartered in Alexandria, that develops and maintains technology standards for the convenience and fuel retail industry. The organization traces its roots to the NACS Technology Standards Project launched in late 1995, was incorporated in 2004 as PCATS (Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards), and rebranded to Conexxus in 2014 to reflect an expanded mission covering mobile commerce, digital identity, and broader retail technology. Its standards portfolio spans ten-plus active specification families, including the Electronic Payment Server (EPS), Forecourt Device Controller (FDC), Mobile Payments APIs and XML, POS/Back Office Interface, Loyalty, Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), Lottery Data Exchange, Motor Fuels Interface, Site Asset Specification, and Retail Merchandise Data Exchange, with an ongoing migration toward OpenAPI 3.0 and JSON-compliant architectures.

The organization operates a membership-based model with six tiers (Gold, Silver, Silicon, Technical Association, Retail Association, and Emeritus), where dues are set by the Board of Directors and scale with the member organization's annual sales. Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues, conference and event fees (Annual Strategy Conference and Annual Conference plus the monthly Conexxus365 webinar series), and Diamond, Emerald, and Garnet sponsorship tiers from technology vendors serving the industry. Governance is provided by a seven-member Board of Directors (four designated by NACS, three elected by the Board of Advisors) and a Board of Advisors of up to fifteen members including committee chairs.

Conexxus serves a constituency of 300+ member organizations spanning major retailers such as 7-Eleven, Circle K, Chevron, BP, and CITGO, technology suppliers including Verifone, NCR Voyix, Dover Fueling Solutions, Bluefin, and PDI, and industry associations led by NACS. The organization maintains formal representation at external standards and regulatory bodies including EMVCo, the W3C, ANSI X9, the US Payments Forum, the PCI Security Standards Council, the US Federal Reserve Mobile Payment workgroups, the Merchant Advisory Group, and the Secure Technology Alliance, alongside a long-standing global partnership with the International Forecourt Standards Forum (IFSF). Headcount is approximately 6–12 staff members operating from a distributed model across Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Name

Conexxus.org

Legal name

Conexxus, Inc.

Website

https://conexxus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conexxus is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association that develops and maintains technology standards for the convenience and fuel retail industry, serving 300+ member organizations including major retailers, technology suppliers, and industry associations across payments, forecourt integration, mobile commerce, and data security.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Technology Standards

akta.pro primary industry

POS Certification, Testing & Compliance (EMVCo, PCI PTS/PCI DSS) (FSAMADAL)

Keywords

• Retail technology standards
• Payment processing standards
• Data exchange protocols
• Convenience store technology
• Trade association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

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 from Gold, Silver, Silicon, Technical Association, Retail Association, and Emeritus members. Dues are based on annual sales of the member organization.
2. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees for Annual Conference, Annual Strategy Conference, and other events. Discounts provided to Gold and Silver members.
3. Sponsorships: Diamond, Emerald, and Garnet sponsorship tiers for annual conference and events. Sponsors include technology vendors serving the industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Conexxus develops, publishes, and maintains a portfolio of technology standards and specifications (EPS, FDC, POS/Back Office, Mobile Payments APIs/XML, Loyalty, Motor Fuels, Retail Merchandise, P2PE, Lottery, Site Asset, Payment System Product Codes) that enable interoperability between POS, payment, forecourt, loyalty, and supply chain systems in the convenience and fuel retail industry. Members access these standards through tiered annual memberships, supplemented by the Conexxus365 webinar series and two annual conferences.

Product overview

Conexxus is a non-profit 501(c)(6) technology standards organization for the convenience and fuel retail industry. Rather than a single product, Conexxus offers a portfolio of technology standards and specifications (including Electronic Payment Server, Forecourt Device Controller, POS/Back Office Interface, Mobile Payments APIs, Loyalty Standard, Motor Fuels Interface, and others) that enable interoperability between systems from different vendors. The organization also provides membership tiers (Gold, Silver, Silicon, Technical Association, Retail Association, Emeritus), hosts annual conferences (Annual Strategy Conference and Annual Conference), and delivers educational content through Conexxus365 webinars. Members gain access to intellectual property for data exchange standards, technology innovation advocacy, and industry collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electronic Payment Server (EPS) Standard XML-based protocol standard for processing electronic payments at fuel dispensers, forecourt payment terminals, and convenience stores, supporting magnetic stripe, EMV, and NFC transactions.
• Forecourt Device Controller (FDC) Specification Joint Conexxus/IFSF global specification for controlling forecourt devices including pumps, dispensers, and alternative fuel equipment, and the first truly global specification jointly developed by the two organizations.
• Forecourt Payment Terminal Standard XML protocol standard for control of fuel island payment devices, whether pump-integrated or standalone, including magnetic stripe, EMV, and NFC transaction support.
• POS / Back Office Interface Standard Standards for point-of-sale to back office data exchange, including sales reporting, inventory integration, and operational workflows in convenience and fuel retail environments.
• Mobile Payments APIs API-based mobile commerce standards enabling mobile payments at convenience and fuel retail locations, with loyalty functionality incorporated into the v2.0 release.
• Mobile Payments XML Standard XML-based mobile payment standards for the convenience and fuel retail industry, providing an alternative format to the API-based mobile commerce specification.
• Loyalty Standard Standards for loyalty program integration and data exchange in convenience and fuel retail environments.
• Motor Fuels Interface Standard Electronic business-to-business (EB2B) standards for motor fuels data exchange in the retail fuel supply chain.
• Retail Merchandise Data Exchange Standard Standards for electronic data exchange related to retail merchandise between convenience retailers and suppliers.
• Payment System Product Codes Standard Standardized product code system for the convenience and fuel retail payment industry, including support for fuels, merchandise, and emerging categories like EV battery exchange.
• Point to Point Encryption (P2PE) Standard P2PE standard based on X9 119.1 for securing payment card data at the point of transaction in convenience and fuel retail environments.
• Lottery Data Exchange Standard Standards for lottery ticket data exchange at convenience store POS systems.
• Site Asset Specification Standard for electronic transmission of device asset data (make, model, location, serial number) required for PCI DSS compliance in convenience and fuel retail sites.
• Conexxus Annual Strategy Conference Annual conference bringing together technology leaders from the convenience and fuel retail industry for strategy development, innovation discussions, and standards work. Registration fees apply, with discounts for Gold and Silver members.
• Conexxus Annual Conference Annual conference featuring committee meetings, standards development sessions, and technology education for Conexxus members. Registration fees apply, with discounts for Gold and Silver members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Industry saves approximately $1 billion in avoided EMV liability shift costs due to Conexxus advocacy resulting in deadline delay
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and moderate.

• International Forecourt Standards Forum (IFSF)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2013Long-standing global standards partnership with IFSF covering forecourt device integration, electronic payments, loyalty, mobile payments, and car wash standards. Jointly developed the first truly global Forecourt Device Controller (FDC) specification. API work is proceeding as a global standard with IFSF to ensure innovation can cross borders. Open Retailing website and gitlab created to support collaboration.
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Conexxus has been a participant for over two decades in W3C work groups including Web Payments, Digital Promotion, and Verifiable Claims. David Ezell currently serves as co-chair for the Web Commerce Interest Group and Advisory Committee member. Work focuses on standardizing web-based retail landscape for mobile commerce and digital identity without exposing personal data.
• EMVCocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConexxus is one of the only retail organizations participating in the creation of chip-based payment platforms. Through membership, Conexxus represents industry concerns and identifies future specification requirements. Also nominated by card brands to design fleet operation tags leveraging PAR discretionary data in EMV specifications.
• US Payments ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresenting industry concerns regarding deployment of EMV and mobile payments through ongoing participation in the US Payments Forum.
• ANSI X9coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver two decades of representing industry issues to this ISO body tasked with structuring the payments industry standards in the US and abroad. Work on reconciling ISO8583 payment standards with upcoming ISO20022 in conjunction with IFSF and nexo.
• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACS provides integral role in technology standards, having incubated the original Technology Standards Project in 1995. Four NACS-designated directors serve on the Conexxus Board of Directors. NACS provides grant funding for Conexxus initiatives including the $1M API Sprint. NACS Government Relations collaborates with Conexxus on technology advocacy.
• US Federal ReservemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerA decade of representing convenience and fuel retail segment's issues related to US payment system through participation in Boston and Atlanta Mobile Payment Initiative Workgroups and Richmond BACPAC roundtables.
• PCI Security Standards CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing advocacy and education work with PCI Council including guidance documents for EMV implementation and compliance. Conexxus provides industry-specific resources and whitepapers on PCI DSS requirements.
• Merchant Advisory Group (MAG)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinda Toth serves as facilitator for the Petro SIG at the Merchant Advisory Group, representing merchant interests in payment technology discussions.
• Secure Technology AlliancemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerConexxus Executive Director Linda Toth participates in the Secure Technology Alliance, advocating for secure payment technology in the convenience and fuel retail industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GS1 US: GS1 US is a non-profit standards organization providing barcode, supply chain, and product data standards to U.S. retailers. It serves a comparable role to Conexxus (vertical retail standards), is a Conexxus Diamond sponsor, and Katie Villalobos previously worked at GS1 US.
• W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): W3C is a non-profit international standards body that develops web standards including Web Payments and Verifiable Claims. Conexxus has been a W3C participant for over two decades, with Director David Ezell co-chairing the Web Commerce Interest Group — making W3C a directly comparable non-profit standards organization.
• EMVCo: EMVCo manages the global EMV specifications for chip-based payments and is one of the few payment-card industry bodies. Conexxus is one of the only retail-organization participants in EMVCo and was nominated to design EMV fleet tags — directly comparable as a non-profit standards organization in the payments space.
• PCI Security Standards Council: PCI SSC is a non-profit global standards body that develops frameworks (PCI DSS, PCI PTS) for payment card security. Conexxus coordinates with and contributes industry guidance to PCI SSC, and their Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) standard supports PCI DSS compliance for fuel retailers.
• NACHA (The Electronic Payments Association): NACHA is a non-profit association that governs the ACH network and develops payment-related standards and rules. Functionally analogous to Conexxus as a non-profit payments-industry standards body serving a defined vertical.
• International Forecourt Standards Forum (IFSF): IFSF is a non-profit global standards organization for the forecourt/convenience retail industry, Conexxus's closest peer and longtime partner. Both develop interoperability specifications for forecourt devices, electronic payments, loyalty, and mobile commerce, and they jointly produced the first global Forecourt Device Controller (FDC) specification.

Broad incumbents

• OASIS Open: OASIS is a non-profit standards organization that develops open standards for security, cloud, IoT, and other areas. Similar structure to Conexxus as a non-profit consortium producing technology specifications, though operating across a broader scope.
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI is the U.S. national standards body coordinating voluntary standards across industries. Conexxus's engagement with ANSI X9 (financial industry standards body) makes ANSI a comparable broad umbrella standards organization with retail technology adjacency.

Regional players

• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS): NACS is the U.S. trade association for the convenience and fuel retail industry — the same vertical Conexxus serves. While Conexxus focuses on technology standards and NACS on broader industry advocacy, NACS is the strategic partner and historical incubator of Conexxus.

Emerging players

• OpenID Foundation: The OpenID Foundation is a non-profit standards organization focused on digital identity standards. Conexxus's W3C Verifiable Claims and digital identity work intersects with OpenID's identity standards, making it an adjacent emerging-peer standards body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Conexxusonline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCFAl4WBJsL7nxZm80sOw5Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conexxus-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conexxus.org