Western States Acquirers Association

What Western States Acquirers Association does

Western States Acquirers Association (WSAA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 2004 and headquartered in Laguna Beach, California. It operates a single annual conference as its core product, with the 2026 edition scheduled for September 15-17 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Springs. The event aggregates the US merchant acquiring industry, drawing 1,500+ attendees, 160+ exhibitors, 50+ sponsors, and 550+ companies, and is supported by an associated mobile application for scheduling and networking and a pre-conference Ken Elderts Memorial Golf Tournament.

WSAA's revenue is generated entirely from event-related fees across four streams: attendee registration ($299 pre-show, $349 onsite), tabletop exhibitor packages ($4,495), tiered sponsorships from Bronze ($6,900) to Premier ($40,000), and golf tournament entry ($319/player). Distribution combines a self-serve online registration portal hosted on a third-party event platform with direct sponsorship and exhibitor sales, and on-site registration. Marketing is conducted through the WSAA website, email mailing list, Instagram, trade media partnerships, and reciprocal relationships with peer regional acquirer associations (Northeast, MidWest, Southeast) and industry bodies including ETA, RSPA, and Paytech Women.

The organization is governed by a volunteer board of payments industry executives drawn from firms including Fiserv, Paysafe, Discover Financial Services, Maverick Payments, and Shift4, with multi-year presidential tenures and a president emeritus council. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or external funding are disclosed; the association's value proposition centers on community-driven networking, industry education, and direct access to decision-makers in the merchant acquiring ecosystem.

Name

Western States Acquirers Association

Legal name

Western States Acquirers Association

Website

https://westernstatesacquirers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Western States Acquirers Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that hosts an annual three-day conference for US merchant acquiring industry professionals, drawing 1,500+ attendees, 160+ exhibitors, and 50+ sponsors from the payments ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue generated from attendee registration fees at various pricing tiers (pre-show and onsite pricing). Includes access to meals, beverages, conference activities, exhibit hall, education sessions, and networking events.
2. Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from tabletop exhibitor packages ($4,495) providing booth space, exhibitor passes, electrical outlet, Wi-Fi access, and attendee list. Additional roaming exhibitor options available.
3. Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship revenue ranging from Bronze ($6,900) to Premier ($40,000), with Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, and Silver levels in between. Each tier includes varying benefits including exhibitor passes, signage, website recognition, and preferred booth placement.
4. Golf Tournament Fees: Separate registration fees for the Ken Elderts Memorial Golf Tournament ($319/player) held the day before the main conference. Includes tournament participation, food, beverages, and awards ceremony.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Western States Acquirers Association (WSAA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that operates an annual multi-day conference for the merchant acquiring industry. The conference brings together merchant acquirers, ISOs, merchant services providers, and SaaS companies for educational sessions, exhibit hall interactions, and networking. Participation is offered via attendee registration, tabletop exhibitor packages, and tiered sponsorship packages.

Product overview

Western States Acquirers Association (WSAA) operates a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association serving the merchant acquiring industry. Its primary offering is the annual WSAA Conference, a three-day event held in Palm Springs featuring educational sessions, keynote addresses, exhibit hall with 160+ tabletop exhibitors, networking receptions, and the Ken Elderts Memorial Golf Tournament. The organization offers various participation tiers including attendee registration (pre-show $299, onsite $349), tabletop exhibitor packages ($4,495), roaming exhibitor access, and multi-tiered sponsorships ranging from Bronze ($6,900) to Premier ($40,000). An event mobile app provides attendees with scheduling and networking tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WSAA Annual Conference Flagship annual three-day conference bringing together acquiring industry professionals, ISOs, merchant services providers, and SaaS companies for networking, education, and business development across the payments landscape.
• Educational Sessions & Panels Industry-focused educational programming featuring speaker sessions, keynote addresses, and panel discussions covering trends, technologies, and strategies shaping the future of payments.
• Ken Elderts Memorial Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament held the day before the main conference, featuring a 4-person scramble format at the Palm Course of JW Marriott Desert Springs, honoring WSAA founder Ken Elderts.
• Attendee Registration Conference attendance passes providing access to educational sessions, exhibit hall, networking receptions, keynote address, and sponsored events, available at pre-show ($299) and onsite ($349) pricing.
• Tabletop Exhibitor Package Full exhibitor package including a draped 6' x 30" table for tabletop displays, two exhibitor passes, electrical outlet access, exhibit hall Wi-Fi, and final attendee list, priced at $4,495.
• Sponsorship Tiers Multi-tiered sponsorship opportunities (Premier $40,000, Diamond $35,000, Sapphire $25,000, Emerald $18,000, Gold $14,000, Silver $9,900, Bronze $6,900) offering brand visibility, signage, booth placement, and attendee access across two conference days.
• WSAA Mobile App Mobile application for conference attendees providing event schedules, networking tools, and meeting coordination features for registered participants.

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partner representing the electronic transactions industry. ETA promotes the continued growth and development of the electronic payments industry through advocacy, education, and networking opportunities.
• Northeast Acquirers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional acquirer association covering the Northeastern United States, similar in mission to WSAA but focused on a different geographic region.
• MidWest Acquirers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional acquirer association covering the Midwestern United States, providing networking and educational opportunities for Midwest-based industry professionals.
• Southeast Acquirers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional acquirer association covering the Southeastern United States, serving the merchant acquiring community in that geographic region.
• Paytech WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on advancing women in the payments industry through networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Association of Employment Providers (formerly RCSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for employment providers, formerly known as the Remote Check Services Association, serving members in the human resources and employment sectors.
• RSPA (Retail Solutions Providers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade association representing retail solution providers, helping members succeed in the changing retail technology landscape through education, networking, and advocacy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA): The national trade association for the payments industry and WSAA's most explicit strategic partner. ETA operates Transact, the largest annual payments industry conference, and shares overlapping membership, sponsor base, and advocacy mission with WSAA.
• Southeast Acquirers Association (SEAA): Direct regional peer providing the same conference, networking, and education services to acquiring industry professionals in the Southeastern US. Operates the same annual conference format and is a listed WSAA partner.
• MidWest Acquirers Association (MWAA): Direct regional peer running a Midwest-focused annual acquirer conference with the same 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association structure and membership model as WSAA. Listed by WSAA as a core partnership.
• Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA): Trade association for retail technology and POS solution providers with annual conference programming. Listed as a WSAA core partner and overlaps heavily on ISV, ISO, and merchant services provider attendees and sponsors.
• Merchant Risk Council (MRC): Global membership organization for payments and fraud-risk professionals that runs an annual conference drawing merchants, issuers, acquirers, and ISOs. Direct overlap with WSAA's merchant services and acquiring community audience.
• Northeast Acquirers Association (NEAA): Direct regional peer operating an analogous annual acquirer conference in the Northeastern US. WSAA lists NEAA as a core partner, indicating shared model and overlapping attendee/sponsor base across geographies.
• Conexxus: Non-profit technology industry association serving the convenience retail and fuel marketing ecosystem, with a focus on payments, POS, and ISO integration. Operates annual conference programming with overlapping sponsor and attendee profiles to WSAA's acquiring-focused audience.

Broad incumbents

• Money 20/20: Largest global payments and financial services industry event, drawing thousands of attendees from the same acquirer, processor, and merchant services ecosystem that WSAA serves. Competes for the same enterprise sponsor budgets and a portion of the attendee base.
• Shoptalk: Major retail and commerce conference with significant payments and merchant services programming. Competes for enterprise payments sponsors and draws a portion of WSAA's ISV and merchant services audience.

Emerging players

• CardNotPresent (CNP) Expo: Specialized conference and media brand focused on card-not-present and digital payments, serving merchants, ISOs, and processors. Overlaps with WSAA's merchant services provider and ISO audience but with a narrower CNP focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westernstatesacquirersassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Western States Acquirers Association