The Payments Association (TPA), the UK-based trade association representing the payments industry, has acquired its European sister organisation, The Payments Association EU (TPA EU). The deal brings the two bodies under a single structure, creating a combined network of more than 350 member organisations across the UK and the EU.
The acquisition followed a unanimous vote by TPA EU members. According to the announcement, it is the first major step in TPA's strategy to build an international footprint and extend its membership proposition beyond the UK. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Continuity for European members
TPA EU will continue to operate from Luxembourg under its existing General Manager, while its Chairman will continue to support the member community. The Luxembourg-based organisation currently has more than 80 payment organisations among its members.
According to the official press release, the move was not intended to run European operations from the UK. TPA EU's leadership will remain in the EU, with the needs of European members at the centre of its activities. It was also mentioned that the organisation's local focus would stay unchanged. The difference is that it can now draw on a broader pool of resources, operational capability, and a larger international network.
The combined community will include international companies such as Amazon, BNP Paribas, and Bytedance, alongside banks, fintechs, payment providers, and other organisations from across the payments ecosystem.
Bringing the UK model to the EU
A central focus of the next phase will be transferring practices, programmes, and expertise developed by TPA in the UK to the European market. These will be adapted to the distinct regulatory, commercial, and political environment in which EU members operate. The capabilities in scope include advocacy and policy engagement, member programmes, commercial opportunities, and community building.
Advocacy is a particular priority. TPA plans to expand the policy support available to European members by drawing on its experience of convening the payments industry and engaging with UK policymakers and regulators. This includes its work representing industry concerns during the development of the UK's mandatory Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reimbursement regime.
The organisations also position the deal as a response to market structure. Payments businesses increasingly operate across multiple markets and regulatory regimes, and the combined network is intended to support cross-border collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and commercial connections between members in the UK and the EU.
Investor backing and international plans
The acquisition builds on the 2025 investment in TPA by Nineteen Group, a global events and communities business, which provided backing for the association's long-term growth ambitions. The deal was also described as a first step in delivering on a shared ambition to grow TPA's community and international reach.
TPA has said the acquisition marks the beginning of a broader international growth strategy. The organisation intends to extend the model it has developed in the UK into additional markets over time, although it has not named specific markets or set a timeline for further expansion.
