The Payments Association acquires EU company driving global growth
The Payments Association (TPA), the trade association representing the payments industry, has acquired its European sister organisation, The Payments Association EU (TPA EU), bringing the two communities under one umbrella and creating a combined network of more than 350 member organisations.
The acquisition, which follows a unanimous vote by TPA EU members, marks the first major step in The Payments Association’s strategy to build an international footprint and extend the reach, capabilities and value of its membership proposition beyond the UK.
TPA EU will retain its strong European identity and presence. The organisation will continue to be based in Luxembourg and led by general manager Thibault de Barsy, ensuring continuity for its members and maintaining its focus on the priorities and opportunities shaping the European payments market. Anders la Cour will also continue to play a role supporting the community of Members.
The combined organisation will accelerate the opportunities for payments businesses to connect, collaborate and build relationships across the UK and the European Union. The wider community will include major international brands such as Amazon, BNP Paribas and Bytedance alongside banks, fintechs, payment providers and other organisations from across the payments ecosystem.
Emma Banymandhub, CEO of The Payments Association, said: “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.
“By bringing TPA EU fully into The Payments Association, we are creating a community of more than 350 members while giving our European operation greater resources and capabilities to grow. 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.
“What we can now add is the best of what we have developed in the UK – from advocacy and policy engagement to member programmes, commercial opportunities and community building – and use those capabilities to deliver even greater value to existing and future members across Europe.”
The acquisition builds on the investment in The Payments Association by global events and communities business Nineteen Group in 2025, which provided backing for the Association’s long-term growth ambitions.
A central focus of the next phase will be to bring proven practices, programmes and expertise developed by TPA in the UK to the European market, while adapting them to the distinct regulatory, commercial and political environment in which the EU members operate.
TPA intends to strengthen the advocacy and policy support available to European members by drawing on its experience of convening the payments industry and engaging policymakers and regulators in the UK. This includes its work representing industry concerns during the development of the UK’s mandatory Authorised Push Payment fraud reimbursement regime.
Thibault de Barsy, general manager of The Payments Association EU, said: “From our base in Luxembourg, we have built a vibrant community of more than 80 payments organisations with its own identity and a deep understanding of the European market. That local focus will remain.
“What changes is the breadth of resources and expertise we can draw upon. Becoming part of the wider Payments Association gives us access to proven programmes, greater operational capability and a much larger international network. That will help us strengthen what we already offer our members and accelerate the growth of our community across Europe.”
For members on both sides of the Channel, the acquisition will also create greater opportunities for cross-border collaboration, knowledge-sharing and commercial connections at a time when payments businesses are increasingly operating across multiple markets and regulatory regimes.
Anders la Cour, chairman of The Payments Association EU, commented: “The unanimous support of our members demonstrates the strength of the opportunity they see in bringing the two organisations together. TPA EU retains its European leadership and focus but now has the scale and backing of a much larger organisation behind it.
“That combination gives us an opportunity to build an even stronger European community while creating closer connections between payments businesses operating across the UK, Europe and internationally.”
The acquisition represents the beginning of a broader international growth strategy for The Payments Association, with the organisation seeking to build a more connected global payments community and extend the model it has developed in the UK into additional markets over time.
This is also an important milestone following Nineteen Group’s investment in The Payments Association.
Alison Jackson, CEO of Nineteen Group, said: “Our investment in The Payments Association was based on a shared ambition to grow its community, strengthen the value it provides to members and build its international reach. This acquisition is a significant first step in delivering against that ambition.
“It brings together two established communities while creating the platform and resources for further growth. We are excited to support Emma, Thibault and their teams as they develop The Payments Association’s presence in Europe and, over time, internationally.”