Consumers International
Consumers International is the global membership organisation for consumer groups, coordinating 200+ member organisations across 100+ countries to advance consumer rights through advocacy, research, and capacity building on digital finance, AI governance, sustainable consumption, and product safety.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Consumers International does
Consumers International, founded in 1960 and headquartered at 70 White Lion Street, London, is a registered charity (No. 1122155) and not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (No. 04337865) operating as the global membership organisation for consumer groups. It serves 200+ member organisations across 100+ countries, providing coordinated advocacy, capacity building, and a unified voice for consumer rights in international policy forums such as UNCTAD, OECD, WHO, WTO, and UNEP. Its programme portfolio is organised around six thematic pillars — Digital Rights, Sustainable Consumption, Clean Energy Futures, Good Food For All, Fair Finance, and Consumer Policy and Standards — and includes flagship initiatives such as the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator (launched 2022, now spanning 70+ consumer organisations across 53 countries), World Consumer Rights Day (annual 15 March campaign), the Digital Index policy database, the Digital Finance Index annual assessment, the Next Generation Leaders Network, the Global Experts Community, the Anne Fransen Fund, the Consumer Coalition to Stop Scams, and the Purchasing Powers documentary series produced with BBC StoryWorks.
The business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues and project-based grants from institutional funders. Member organisations apply and pay to join the network, gaining access to resources, training, peer learning, and advocacy platforms. Revenue is supplemented by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (primary funder of the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator since 2022), the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth (digital finance and inclusive growth initiatives), and the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (Digital Index database). Distribution is direct: applications for membership are reviewed by leadership, programmes are run in-house, and the organisation engages international institutions through long-standing institutional relationships rather than third-party channels. The technology stack is non-commercial; core work consists of research, policy advocacy, capacity-building programmes, grant administration, and convening events such as the Global Congress and the Sustainable Lifestyles Summit, supported by a website (consumersinternational.org), active social channels, and email newsletters. Strategic priorities in 2024-2025 have been AI governance (Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers campaign), clean energy transitions (UNEP MoU; Impact Initiative recognised by the IEA), and digital finance protection (Mastercard partnership), with policy wins including the 2025 UN Principles on Consumer Product Safety and a UN draft resolution on product safety advancing to the General Assembly.
Consumers International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Consumers International
- Legal name
- Consumers International
- Website
- https://consumersinternational.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Consumers International is the global membership organisation for consumer groups, coordinating 200+ member organisations across 100+ countries to advance consumer rights through advocacy, research, and capacity building on digital finance, AI governance, sustainable consumption, and product safety.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Consumers International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE)
Keywords
Where Consumers International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Consumers International 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 dues and fees: Revenue is generated through membership fees from consumer organizations joining the network. Organizations pay to become members and gain access to resources, training, advocacy support, and the global network.
- Grants and funding partnerships: The organization receives grants from institutional funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator, and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth for digital finance initiatives. These grants support specific programs and capacity-building activities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Consumers International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Consumers International is a global membership organization for consumer groups, coordinating 200+ member organizations across 100+ countries. It delivers consumer rights advocacy, policy engagement with international bodies (UNCTAD, OECD, WHO), capacity-building programs (notably the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator), research products (Digital Finance Index, Digital Index), and coordinated global campaigns such as World Consumer Rights Day.
Product overview
Consumers International is a membership organisation for consumer groups worldwide, offering a portfolio of advocacy programmes, research products, and networking initiatives rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator (a training and grants programme for consumer organisations on digital finance protection), World Consumer Rights Day (annual global advocacy campaign), and the Digital Index (policy database). Supporting products include research reports (Digital Finance Index, Building Consumer Resilience Report), documentary series (Purchasing Powers), grant programmes (Anne Fransen Fund), and professional networks (Next Generation Leaders Network, Global Experts Community). The organisation also coordinates the Consumer Coalition to Stop Scams and publishes the Global Blueprint for Inclusive Energy Services. All offerings serve the mission of consumer protection and empowerment across digital rights, sustainable consumption, fair finance, and related policy areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fair Digital Finance Accelerator A global network of consumer organisations strengthening consumer protection in digital finance through training, grants, peer learning, and advocacy campaigns for consumer groups in low- and middle-income countries.
- World Consumer Rights Day Annual global day of action (March 15) uniting 200+ Members, international organisations, government, business and civil society to raise awareness on consumer rights themes.
- Digital Index A global searchable database of legislation and initiatives for digital consumer empowerment, searchable by country, region, or policy area.
- Purchasing Powers Documentary Series Documentary series produced with BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions exploring consumer-driven change around the world.
- Fair Digital Finance Accelerator Grants Programme Grant funding awarded to member consumer organisations for digital finance initiatives including consumer research, digital tools, outreach, policy advocacy, and complaint resolution systems.
- Anne Fransen Fund Fund supporting consumer-led projects with social impact including financial literacy and safe food practices.
- Global Blueprint for Inclusive Energy Services Report providing a practical framework for creating more inclusive, accessible, and trusted energy services; first edition focuses on the Italian marketplace with 10 actionable solutions for energy poverty.
- Consumer Coalition to Stop Scams Coalition of approximately 40 participants convening members, government, industry and international institutions to build response to scams through stronger platform accountability and collective evidence.
- Digital Finance Index Annual assessment of digital financial services in low- and middle-income countries, evaluating consumer experience across four pillars of financial consumer protection.
- Next Generation Leaders Network Network bringing together 30 young consumer advocates aged 18-30 representing members across 27 countries for leadership development and peer exchange.
- Global Experts Community Community connecting global consumer experts to share knowledge and expertise across consumer protection and empowerment domains.
Quantifiable outcome
- UNCTAD adopted first UN Principles on Consumer Product Safety in 2025, influenced by Consumers International advocacy
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Consumers International
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Consumers International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Consumers International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UN Environment Programme (UNEP)coreNew Memorandum of Understanding signed to accelerate climate action and advance people's essential rights and needs in the context of sustainable consumption and clean energy transitions.
- Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthcoreCollaboration on 'Building the Consumer Voice for Digital Finance' initiative aimed at improving protection and empowerment for vulnerable consumers in the digital finance sector. The effort focuses on driving consumer protection frameworks with emphasis on underserved populations.
- UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)coreLong-standing collaboration on consumer protection law and policy. Consumers International contributes to UNCTAD's Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, helped develop UN Principles on Consumer Product Safety (2025), and contributes to UNCTAD's Handbook on Consumer Product Safety.
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)coreCollaboration on competition policy, digital markets, and consumer product safety discussions. Consumers International participates in OECD Global Forum on Consumer Policy and contributed to OECD Consumer Policy Ministerial outcomes.
- GSMAcoreGSMA provides expert advice as part of the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator Advisory Panel. Ashley Onyango, Head of Financial Inclusion and AgriTech at GSMA, sits on the advisory panel, contributing expertise on mobile money and digital financial inclusion.
- CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor)coreCollaboration on research including 'The Role of Consumer Organisations to Support Consumers of Financial Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries' report drawing on experience of 42 Consumers International Members spanning 38 countries. CGAP experts serve on the Fair Digital Finance Advisory Panel.
- World Health Organization (WHO)minorEngagement on food systems, nutrition, and consumer health issues. Consumer voices were raised at the World Health Assembly regarding food price shocks and front-of-pack labelling.
- World Trade Organization (WTO)minorEngagement on trade policy and its impact on consumers, including discussions on rising tariffs and their impact on affordability.
- International Energy Agency (IEA)minorRecognition of Consumers International's 'Impact Initiative: Amplifying Consumer Voices in the Clean Energy Transition' by the IEA's Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions' Blueprint for Action on Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions.
- BBC StoryWorks Commercial ProductionsminorPartnership on 'Purchasing Powers' documentary series, which became BBC StoryWorks' most-watched series ever, reaching 2.2 million views.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Consumers International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL): International environmental advocacy organization using policy research and coalition-building. Comparable model of global advocacy, UN engagement, and policy-driven impact in the sustainable consumption space.
- Transparency International: Global civil-society coalition fighting corruption, structured as an international secretariat coordinating national chapters. Closely comparable membership/coalition model and global advocacy footprint.
- BEUC (European Consumer Organisation): Federation of 46 independent European consumer organisations; mirrors Consumers International's model at regional level, advocating for consumer rights and influencing EU policy on product safety, digital finance, and consumer protection.
- International Cooperative Alliance: Global federation of cooperative organisations representing members in 100+ countries. Directly comparable international membership-federation structure serving consumer/member interests worldwide.
- Access Now: Global digital rights organization advocating for consumer/user rights in technology. Directly comparable on digital rights, AI governance, and online consumer protection themes that Consumers International prioritises.
- Public Citizen: US-based public interest advocacy organization focused on consumer rights, regulation, and corporate accountability. Comparable advocacy-focused, non-membership-federation model with policy influence emphasis.
- Which?: UK consumer champion organization with similar advocacy, research, and member-supported model. Closest geographic peer to Consumers International's London base and shares focus areas in digital markets and consumer protection.
- Consumer Reports: US-based independent consumer advocacy and product-testing nonprofit. Operates similar advocacy, testing, and policy-influence functions and serves as the leading national analogue in the consumer advocacy space.
Others
- GSMA: Industry association representing mobile operators; partners with Consumers International on the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator advisory panel and shares mobile money / digital financial inclusion focus.
Broad incumbents
- Fairtrade International: Multi-stakeholder global body setting standards for ethical consumption and producer protection. Similar federation-of-national-organization structure and international standards-setting role.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Consumers International social profiles
Digital presenceConsumers International compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Consumers International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Consumers International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Consumers International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Consumers International 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 Consumers International
What does Consumers International do?
Consumers International is a global membership organization for consumer groups, coordinating 200+ member organizations across 100+ countries. It delivers consumer rights advocacy, policy engagement with international bodies (UNCTAD, OECD, WHO), capacity-building programs (notably the Fair Digital Finance Accelerator), research products (Digital Finance Index, Digital Index), and coordinated global campaigns such as World Consumer Rights Day.
Is Consumers International a public or private company?
Consumers International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Consumers International founded?
Consumers International was founded in 1960. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Consumers International based?
Consumers International is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Consumers International make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership dues and fees are the primary driver. The others are grants and funding partnerships.
Who are Consumers International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Transparency International, BEUC (European Consumer Organisation), International Cooperative Alliance, Access Now, Public Citizen, Which? and Consumer Reports. GSMA is listed as an others. Fairtrade International is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Consumers International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Consumers International.
What industry is Consumers International in?
Consumers International's product category is Consumer Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAOAE, Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators. Its NAICS code is 56192.