Communities of Practice

Engagement Communities of Practice

Contribute to a Community of Practice

Periodically formed Communities of Practice (COP) invite merchants and other payments stakeholders to address targeted issues and opportunities. The COPs are focused on advocating for change within the payments ecosystem and/or educating merchants on changes that may impact their organizations.

Each COP is open to All Access merchant members and other invited stakeholders (e.g. acquirers) who can assist with solving for the COPs objectives. COPs are tactical in nature and conclude when the objectives are achieved.

Active Communities of Practice

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Debit Routing

Driving merchant choice in alternative debit routing and education of available options and obstacles to merchant routing choice.

Meeting Frequency: As Needed 

 

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Faster Payments

Promote and drive merchant-focused use cases, have a voice in development of the eco-system, and document best practices and operational needs as the payments industry pursues faster payment options. 

Meeting Frequency: Third Tuesday of Every Month at 1:00-2:00pm CT 

 

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Token

MAG merchants research the network and browser Token Autofill service to understand how it impacts merchants and cardholders in the areas of security, customer experience, and online payment processes. 

Meeting Frequency: First Wednesday of Each Month at 1:00PM CT

Paused Communities of Practice

Enable omni-channel commerce with supporting rules and relevant, modern, and effective tools for fraud mitigation. Identify holistic solutions to mitigate fraud in the ecommerce space, addressing all ways customers shop.

Visit the  MAG Learning Center to view COP resources. Member login required.

Collaboration on techniques for conducting payments data analysis and pinpointing crucial and ever-changing payments KPI’s – including the evaluation of alternatives to standard data reporting.

Visit the  MAG MAG Learning Center Center to view COP resources. Member login required.

Identifying, collaborating on, and affecting solutions to payments industry challenges for petroleum & convenience store merchant professionals.

Visit the  MAG Learning Center to view COP resources. Member login required.


Determine the primary pain points and best practices for call center payments in light of the increased need to support remote payments.

Visit the  MAG Learning Center to view COP resources. Member login required.

Retired Communities of Practice

Define merchant impact due to the 8-digit BIN expansion in 2022. Develop a checklist for merchants to use when evaluating the impact of 8-digit BINs to their payment systems.

Concluded on January 16, 2020. 

Find Merchant Readiness Guide Here

Evaluate the installment and split-pay markets well as identify the players and their various capabilities.

Find Merchant Reference Guide Here

Work with the networks and acquirers to clarify merchant requirements and timelines. Develop and publish best practices.

Concluded on February 25, 2020. 

Find Merchant Readiness Guide Here

Develop Best Practices for merchants as they attempt to solve for challenges in operating their brick and mortar businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concluded on August 19, 2020. 

Find Best Practices: Here

Examine existing and emerging companies, processes and methods relevant to the use of Blockchain technology in payments-related activities. Provide pertinent educational material for MAG membership and exchange ideas among MAG and other industry participants involved with the examinations.

Merged into Innovation Committee

Merchant members collaborate with the global networks to increase transparency in what qualification criteria is and merchants receive advanced notice to merchants when changes to qualification criteria are made. Also, merchant members engage with acquirers to get more meaningful data to assist merchants in reducing downgrades and integrity fees. This COP provides a discussion forum to review existing business intelligence/data analytics tools that can be used to pull transaction level data for better analysis on downgrades.

Concluded on January 6, 2021. 

Find Merchant Readiness Guide Here

Merchant members focus on their influence on EMVCo specifications and related market implementations.

Merged into Tech Ops Committee on August 18, 2022.

Visit the MAG Learning Center to view COP resources. Member login required.

Evaluate the QR Code specifications, models, and providers in the market and identify best practices for merchant acceptance and the customer experience. 

Concluded on April 4, 2022.

Find the Merchant Reference Guide here.

Create an educational guide for merchants interested in learning more about the network rules, regulations, and state laws surrounding surcharging, cash discounting, and convenience fees. 

Concluded September 5, 2023.

Find Merchant Reference Guide Here


Get involved in a Community of Practice

Interested in joining an active COP or have an idea for a new COP?

CONTACT THE MAG TODAY

 

The following are required to form a new COP:

  • The issue has defined objective(s) that when achieved will signify the end of the COP.
  • Issue/opportunity impacts several merchants or is a relatively common problem shared by others.  
  • You are a merchant who is willing to help lead the effort and get others engaged.
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Community of Practice HUB

Visit MLC to view COP resources. Member Login Required.

MAG LEARNING CENTER

MEMBER LOGIN REQUIRED
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The Merchant Advisory Group

Driving positive change and innovation in the payments industry that serves the merchants interest through collaboration, education, and advocacy.