The Payments Association Acquires TPA EU in First International Expansion Step.

The Payments Association has acquired The Payments Association EU, its European sister organisation, bringing the two payments communities under one organisation.

The acquisition follows a unanimous vote by TPA EU members and creates a combined network of more than 350 member organisations, according to The Payments Association.

The association said the wider community includes major international brands such as Amazon, BNP Paribas and ByteDance, alongside banks, fintechs, payment providers and other organisations across the payments ecosystem.

TPA EU will retain its European identity and remain based in Luxembourg. Thibault de Barsy will continue as general manager, while Anders la Cour will continue supporting the community.

The acquisition is the first major step in The Payments Association’s plan to expand beyond the UK. The organisation said the combined network would give members more opportunities to build cross-border relationships, share knowledge and develop commercial connections across the UK and European Union.

European operation remains local

Emma Banymandhub, chief executive of The Payments Association, said the acquisition would expand the organisation’s international reach without moving control of its European operation to the UK. “Our ambition is to improve payments globally, not only in the UK, and this acquisition is the first tangible step towards the international footprint we have set out to build.”

She added: “Crucially, this is not about running Europe from the UK. Thibault and his team will continue to lead TPA EU from the European Union, with the needs of European members firmly at the heart of what they do.”

The Payments Association plans to bring programmes and expertise developed in the UK to the European market, while adapting them to the EU’s regulatory, commercial and political environment.

The association said the next phase would include stronger advocacy and policy support for European members. It cited its work representing industry concerns during the development of the UK’s mandatory Authorised Push Payment fraud reimbursement regime as an example of that experience.

Thibault de Barsy, general manager of The Payments Association EU, said the organisation had built a community of more than 80 payments organisations in Luxembourg. “That local focus will remain. What changes is the breadth of resources and expertise we can draw upon.”

He said joining the wider Payments Association would give TPA EU access to new programmes, greater operational capacity and a larger international network.

First step in wider expansion

The acquisition follows Nineteen Group’s investment in The Payments Association in 2025. The global events and communities business said the investment was intended to support the association’s growth and international expansion.

Allison Jackson, chief executive of Nineteen Group, said: “It brings together two established communities while creating the platform and resources for further growth.”

The Payments Association said it intends to extend elements of its UK model into additional markets over time, although it did not identify specific countries or provide a timetable for further expansion.

The Payments Association’s existing programme includes PAY360, the PAY360 Awards and Financial Crime 360, alongside working groups, member events and its Payments Intelligence research programme.