The Electronic Transactions Association’s payments professional certification program will debut by the end of the year, the trade group announced Feb. 22.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization began developing the program in 2009.
Its goal with the initiative is to create a standardized way to acknowledge industry members’ skill and knowledge levels. Participants successfully passing the certification process may use the Certified Payments Professional designation, the association says.
“Those who earn the … credential will be demonstrating their industry knowledge and skills, their commitment to the industry, and enhance their credibility and professional reputation,” Rori Ferensic, ETA director of education, tells ISO&Agent Weekly.
Participants will have to pass an examination that will cover sales, pricing, operations, product knowledge, risk, and regulatory and security subjects, she says.
Administered at a testing center, the computerized 125-question test will take about three hours to complete, Ferensic says. Application and examination fees have not been finalized yet, but Ferensic expects them to be between $300 and $500 for ETA members. Non-member rates will be set once the member fee is established, she notes.
The ETA hopes the program fosters ethical business practices, enhances the reputations of payments companies and quantifies the expertise of acquiring-industry professionals.
Professional testing designer Castle Worldwide Inc. has helped the ETA produce the certification program.
Many ETA members also had a role in shaping the program by serving as subject-matter experts, Ferensic say.
