FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Electronic Funds Transfer Association (EFTA), which promotes electronic payments and commerce through responsible federal government relations and member education, announced today a formal partnership with the Association for Financial Technology (AFT). This new relationship will enable members of both associations to share information and potentially collaborate on a range of issues including electronic payments and commerce, credit, debit & prepaid technology, cybersecurity, data privacy, mobile payments and how legislative and regulatory initiatives may impact them.

As part of the partnership, AFT will have a representative attend monthly legislative and regulatory calls conducted by the EFTA, which will provide insight into how the government impacts the financial services industry. It also provides AFT with a direct link to a government relations organization with a deep understanding of how federal and state legislators and government agencies play a role in the industry. Additional benefits include cross-promotion between associations, discounts on events and networking opportunities.

“AFT is the premier, national association for technology and service providers,” said Kurt Helwig, president and CEO of EFTA. “While AFT does not have a government relations function, the members understand how government impacts potential business cases and the speed of innovation. The opportunity to come together and leverage each of our associations’ resources and strengths is mutually beneficial, and we look forward to working together to support the advancement of electronic payments and commerce.”

Xan Kasprzak, president of AFT and vice president of Ensenta said, “While EFTA is focused on the payments portion of the U.S. financial services industry, both organizations represent companies that bring new fintech technologies into the marketplace and ways to improve the customer experience. We are all motivated to stay informed and affiliate with like-minded organizations.”

About AFT
Association for Financial Technology (AFT) is industry’s premier resource for networking and professional development for those companies and executives serving U.S. financial institutions (FI’s), including banks, credit unions, lenders and payment companies. Founded in 1972, the members represent virtually every area of technology, data or services needed to help FI’s succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace.

Working within a highly regulated industry and complex vendor landscape, AFT helps members by 1) creating valuable relationships; 2) provides business and industry intelligence; and 3) delivering programs that inform members on issues, trends and forces shaping the industry. To learn more about AFT, visit www.aftweb.com.

About EFTA

The Electronic Funds Transfer Association (EFTA) is a non-profit trade association dedicated to the advancement of electronic payments and electronic commerce. EFTA’s nearly 300 members include the nation’s leading financial institutions, ATM owners, networks and manufacturers, payment processors, card companies, software companies, state governments and technology services providers. For 40 years it has informed debate over the consumer, business and policy implications of new and existing payments technology. EFTA accomplishes this through public outreach to Congress, the administrative agencies, regulators, consumers and the media. For more information, visit www.efta.org.