The TPA’s approach is to have principles, policies and practices that are aligned with our values, which are for us to be:
TPA’s purpose is to be the most influential membership organisation in payments where the connections, collaboration and learning shape an industry that works for all.
TPA designs and delivers clearly defined and superior value membership benefits for companies operating in the payments industry or organisations using the products/services of its members. TPA promotes members’ interests and thought leadership that moves the market forward and engages with external stakeholders to promote the UK and the payments industry.
TPA’s policy is to provide the highest quality of support for its external stakeholders, including the Financial Conduct Authority, Payment Systems Regulator, Bank of England, HM Treasury, HMRC, the Competition and Markets Authority and Pay.UK. This is achieved by:
TPA has an Advisory Board (AB) made up of experienced senior executives from member organisations that meet quarterly and provide guidance and advice to TPA’s executive team about TPA and its direction. AB members are all volunteers:
Advisory Board members are expected to:
AB members can remain on the Board for up to three years, or longer if they take the role of Chair or Deputy Chair. The selection of new AB members to replace those retiring is based on the ratings of members via an online vote that takes place in November each year.
An AB member may retire from the board outside the annual voting cycle if their role, circumstances, or responsibilities make it impossible for them to fulfil their duties as anticipated and required. When this is the case, having advised the Chair in writing, the AB member can nominate a replacement from their respective organisation to take their place on the AB. The replacement must be sufficiently senior and experienced. Once the replacement has been approved by the AB Chair, Deputy Chair and Director General then other AB members are informed. If the Chair, Deputy Chair and Director General do not approve of the proposed replacement, the retiring AB member can propose alternatives until approval has been secured. The tenure of the replacement lasts until the end of the calendar year, at which time they are encouraged to put their name forward to be considered through the normal new AB member voting process.
TPA sets out to be seen as a valuable source of policy guidance and consultation responses so that it achieves its purpose. Our challenge is that our scope is broad and the views of our members are not always aligned. This can cause resources to be spread thinly and conflicting views to be featured in the policy and consultation responses.
To ensure we overcome these challenges we will:
TPA aims to select and serve members that adhere to our values. Our policy is to mitigate against bad actors joining the association that might deliver reputational or commercial risk to TPA through the behaviour of their staff, whether directly relating to their dealings with TPA or its staff, or their behaviour in the open market.
The TPA team sets out to achieve this by adhering to the highest standard of integrity with everything it does. But should TPA take issue with a member due to its behaviour relating to TPA, our policy is to appoint an independent adjudicator or external body to resolve the issue. TPA has the right to decline the renewal of a member following the recommendations of the Advisory Board or the outcome of the independent adjudication but will use this right sparingly.
Where the interests of different stakeholders diverge – and TPA is both involved and potentially has a role to play in helping to resolve this – TPA’s policy is to help in a collegiate, collaborative manner, reflecting the need to achieve TPA’s purpose.
However, TPA will not act as a forum or conduit for complaints by either members or non-members about other members or institutions, nor does TPA set out to address market failures/issues that are seen by the Advisory Board as being the responsibility of regulators or government bodies.
TPA’s policy is to provide the highest quality of service to all its internal stakeholders, including the Advisory Board, TPA Ambassadors and TPA staff.
TPA is run by a limited company called Emerging Payments Ventures Ltd (EPV) under commercial operating guidelines. Shares in EPV are held by individuals and/or companies that may vary from time to time. Profits are reinvested in the company, retained or taken as dividends. EPV sets out to have a positive balance sheet and cash balances in excess of three month’s operating expenses at any one time. TPA’s policy is to ensure timely and complete payment of member and sponsor fees and pay suppliers in a similarly professional way.
TPA’s policy is to support The Payments Association EU and Emerging Payments Association Asia. These are regional communities that were set up with our support. They are aligned with our values and provide similar services to TPA, adapted to reflect regional differences.
Our policy is to partner enthusiastically and collegiately with other bodies such as trade associations to deliver mutual benefit for the greater good, operating under the banner, ‘We are stronger together’.
TPA’s policy is to run the community sustainably, while proactively supporting efforts to achieve a sustainable world.
TPA’s policy is to employ a diverse workforce that is rewarded according to sound commercial principles in an inclusive way. TPA staff are developed to optimise their professional capabilities and maintain their wellbeing. TPA operates out of an office in London and staff are encouraged to work in a hybrid approach, focussed on output and contribution.
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