Fall is In the Air; End-of-Year is In Sight

Wrap Up Your 2025 To-Do List

Finish What You Started: Complete That eLearning Course!

You’ve sipped the pumpkin spice. You’ve watched the leaves fall. Now it’s time to finish that MAG course before the ghost of procrastination returns.

Log in to the MAG Learning Center and scroll to the bottom of the page to see if you have any unfinished courses waiting for you.

New MAG Portal

Speaking of logging in, you may notice a new look! Our upgraded MAG website portal makes it easy to view and edit your profile, review your activities, sign up for a MAG Committee, and much more.

The new portal launched on October 8. If you haven’t logged in since then, you will need to create a new password. Need help? Contact info@merchantadvisorygroup.org.

November Webinar: Visa’s DCAP and VAMP Programs

Join Visa’s digital commerce and risk experts for a strategic session on critical updates to Visa’s Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) and Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP). Learn how VAMP is transforming global fraud and dispute monitoring.

Join us at Noon CST on November 18 and gain the edge you need to drive revenue, mitigate risk, and future-proof your payments strategy. This webinar is open to MAG members and sponsors.

Payments Technology

Stay current on what’s happening across industry standards. The Q3 Payments Technology Report highlights updates from:

EMVCo: TapToMobile User Experience Guidelines v1.1
FDX: Consent Standards
Secure Technology Alliance: Digital Identity
WC3: AI Agents
X9: Post-Quantum Computing Risk Study Group Assessment Report

Looking Ahead to 2026

Membership Renewals

Let’s keep advancing payments together! Membership renewals arrive the first week of November. Stay engaged with the MAG and continue shaping the future of payments.

Payments MAGnified 26: See You In San Diego

Registration opens next month for Payments MAGnified 26, taking place at the newly remodeled Gaylord Pacific in beautiful San Diego. Join us February 17-20, 2026, for three days of networking, learning, and innovation with some of the best minds in payments.

Additional 2026 MAG Events

Mark your calendars for these events:

MAG Payments Summit – London 26 | 9-10 June 2026
MAG Payments Conference 26 — Gaylord Opryland, Nashville | September 27-30
MAG Payments Summit – Singapore 26 | 20-21 October

MAG Out and About

MAG Staff is working hard to represent the merchant voice across the payments ecosystem:

Bryan Penny just spoke at Forter Impact 2025 on VAMP on October 21, covering merchant success stories and compliance best practices.

Steve Cole attended X9’s Consensus and Board of Directors meetings on October 28-29.

Steve will also attend USPF’s Member Meeting on November 12-13 and EMVCo’s Technical Meeting the week of November 17.

…And a Fond Farewell

👏 Happy Retirement, Bryan Penny!

From MAG member to the Board of Directors to Vice President, Bryan’s leadership has made a lasting impact on the merchant community. Congratulations, Bryan, and thank you for your years of dedication!