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NACHA Awards Nearly 400 Individuals the Accredited ACH Professional Credential
Individuals Join Select Group of Professionals Regarded as Experts in the Payments Industry
HERNDON, Va., December 20, 2012 – NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association recently awarded nearly 400 individuals the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) credential, which establishes one’s credibility, professional competency, and expertise within the payments industry. These individuals join the more than 4,000 ACH professionals who have been awarded the credential since the inception of the AAP Program in 1993.
To be awarded the AAP credential, individuals must pass a comprehensive exam, which is administered by NACHA each fall. The exam tests an individual’s knowledge of a variety of subjects including the NACHA Operating Rules, the ACH Network and other payments systems, technical and operational ACH requirements, risk management, and payments-related regulations. Those who pass are awarded the AAP credential, which is valid for five years. To maintain the credential, AAPs must earn 60 continuing education credits within the five-year accreditation period, with no more than 20 credits earned in any one year.
“The AAP credential is the standard of excellence in ACH payments competency,” said Janet O. Estep, president and CEO of NACHA. “Each year, the AAP program continues to grow, which validates the value AAPs provide to the organizations they serve, and the significance of the AAP credential to regulators, examiners, and customers. It demonstrates an entity’s continued commitment to compliance with the NACHA Operating Rules and sound risk management practices to support the safe, secure, and reliable ACH Network.”
In recognition of their achievement, NACHA will honor the recently credentialed and current AAPs during National AAP Recognition Day, which will be celebrated on February 12, 2013. Additionally, all AAPs will be recognized at the AAP Reception, which will be sponsored by the Regional Payments Associations, and held during NACHA’s PAYMENTS 2013 Conference, April 21-24 in San Diego, CA.
PAYMENTS is the largest and most comprehensive educational event for payments professionals. It draws more than 2,400 decision makers and innovators from organizations that utilize and provide electronic payment solutions and services. The content-rich conference offers more than 130 educational sessions on critical topics addressing all aspects of payments transaction services. All AAPs in attendance can earn up to 17.4 continuing education credits.
For more information about NACHA’s AAP Program, please visit https://www.nacha.org/edu-aap. For more information about PAYMENTS 2013 and how to register, please visit https://payments.nacha.org.
NACHA — The Electronic Payments Association
NACHA manages the development, administration, and governance of the ACH Network, the backbone for the electronic movement of money and data. The ACH Network provides a safe, secure, and reliable network for direct account-to-account consumer, business, and government payments. Annually, it facilitates billions of Direct Deposit via ACH and Direct Payment via ACH transactions. Used by all types of financial institutions, the ACH Network is governed by the fair and equitable NACHA Operating Rules, which guide risk management and create payment certainty for all participants. As a not-for-profit association, NACHA represents more than 10,000 financial institutions via 17 regional payments associations and direct membership. Through its industry councils and forums, NACHA brings together payments system stakeholders to foster dialogue and innovation to strengthen the ACH Network. To learn more, please visit www.nacha.org, www.electronicpayments.org, www.payitgreen.org, and direct.nacha.org.