Certification Preparation

Payments and Fraud Prevention Certification Preparation
March 28 – May 30, 2025
Virtual

$1,600

$1600 Non-MRC Members / $1200 MRC Members (CPFPP exam fee not included)*

We know that the global payments industry is complex and ever-evolving. Alongside it, fraud is steadily increasing and the two topics are intertwined. Curating the best team of payment and fraud prevention professionals is not just a competitive edge, but is table stakes when it comes to protecting your organization’s profitability.

Welcome to the Payments and Fraud Prevention Certification Preparation Course, designed to assist** in preparing professionals who are seeking to demonstrate their command of payment and fraud knowledge by obtaining the Merchant Risk Council’s Certified Payments and Fraud Prevention Professional (CPFPP) certification.

This credential, the first-ever in our industry, serves as verified proof of expertise and as a hallmark of professional achievement. Earning the CPFPP designation distinguishes individuals in these rapidly growing industries, setting them apart as professionals equipped to address the evolving challenges of payments and fraud prevention.

*If the minimum number of attendees needed to hold the course is not met, the course dates could be adjusted. Registered attendees will be notified by email with any updates.

**While preparatory exam courses are beneficial for review and consolidation of knowledge, success in exams is a multifaceted outcome influenced by various factors, and no course can guarantee success on its own. Students should complement preparatory courses with self-directed study, review of provided exam study guides and a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter to increase their chances of success. More information on eligibility requirements for the exam can be found here.

Location

Virtual

This workshop will be hosted virtually using Zoom Meetings.

Agenda

Payments Industry Introduction

Payments Systems Introduction - 1:00 Hour
  • Understanding Volumes - Count vs. Amount, Country Variation
  • Payments System Triad - Rules, Processing, and Brand
  • Payments System Stack - How the pieces fit
  • Push and Pull Payments - Definition, examples, and implications
  • Transaction Economics
    • Bank fees, network assessments, and interchange
    • Fixed fees, ad valorem fees, and basis points
  • Risk and Fraud - They’re not the same thing
  • Chain of Liability - Payment guarantees, who takes what risks
Payments Industry Stakeholders - 1:00 Hour
  • Digital Core Systems - Cards vs. A2A Payments
  • Non-Core Systems - Wallets, BNPL
  • Domains of Payments - How Use Cases Differ
  • Stakeholder Overview - Categories and Roles
  • Payments Providers – Banks vs. networks vs. processors vs. PSPs
  • Global Payments - Key Concepts

Card Payments

Card System Fundamentals - 1:00 Hour
  • Historical and Contemporary Card Value Chains
  • Role of Network, Role of Issuer, Role of Acquirer, Role of PSP
  • Acceptance Environment - Card Present (CP) vs. Card Not Present (CNP)
  • Chain of Liability in Card System
  • Card Product Structure - Physical vs. Digital vs. Virtual Cards
  • Card Acceptance Fundamentals
  • Agreement Alternatives for Merchants - Acquirer vs. ISO vs PayFac
  • Card Network Rules, Mandates, and Penalties
  • Connectivity Alternatives for Merchants
    • Direct vs. Processor vs Gateway
    • ISO vs. Proprietary Message Formats
Card Transaction Handling - 1:00 Hour
  • Dual Message vs. Single Message Processing
  • Auth, Clearing, Settlement - Definitions, Data Flows, Special Conditions
  • Authorization Return Codes
  • Capture, Partial Capture, Multi-Auth Capture
  • Void, Reversal, Refund, Partial Refund
  • Zero Dollar Auth, Partial Auth
  • Identifying Card Product Types
Card Processing Economics - 1:00 Hour
  • Key Components - Interchange, Assessments, and End-Party Fees
  • Interchange Model w/ Examples
  • Merchant Discount Fee - Interchange Plus vs. Bundled
  • Interchange Variation Around the World
  • Downgrades, Behavioral Fees, Penalty Fees
Cross-Border Card Processing - 1:00 Hour
  • Cross-Border Processing - Overview and Key Concepts
  • Basic Cross-Border Processing Model
  • Interchange and Assessments on Cross-Border Transactions
  • Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) Processing Model
  • DCC Rules, Examples, and Where It Fits
  • Multi-currency Processing for Online Merchants
Digital Payments -1:00 Hour
  • Digital Payments Building Blocks
    • EMVCo Tokenization
    • Tokenization Use Cases
    • QR Code Fundamentals
  • Digital Payments: In-Store vs. In-Browser vs In-App
  • Digital Wallets

    • Passive Wallets - Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.
    • Staged Wallets - PayPal, Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc.
  • Managing Digital Credentials

A2A Payments

ACH Processing Fundamentals - 1:00 Hour
  • ACH Value Chain and Processing Model
  • Using Fintechs to validate account ownership and balance
  • Same Day ACH Models and Implications
  • Chain of Liability in ACH
  • Managing ACH Risk Exposures in Direct Debit
  • Third Party Sender (TSP) vs. Third Party Service Provider (TPSP)
Fast Payments Fundamentals - 1:00 Hour
  • Fast Payments Value Chain
  • How Fast Payments Work
    • ISO 20022 Messaging Format
    • Overlay Model
    • Request for Payment
  • Fast Payments Risk Exposures
  • Fast Payments in the US - Zelle, RTP, FedNow
  • Fast Payments Around the World - Pix (Brazil), UPI (India)
    • Global Card Push Payments - Rules, Economics

Payments Risk Management

Payments Risk Fundamentals - 1:00 Hour
  • Risk vs. Payments Risk vs. Payments Risk Management
  • Risk Management by Stakeholder
  • Payments Risk Taxonomy
    • Business Risks w/ Examples
    • Legal Risks w/ Examples
    • Settlement Risks w/ Examples
  • Payments Risk and Information Security
  • Fraud is an Outcome, Not a Risk
    • Risk Management Tenets
Card Fraud - 1:00 Hour
  • Fraud – Definition, Nature, and Patterns
  • Fraud Vector Management
  • Third Party vs. First Party Fraud
  • Internal vs. External Fraud
  • Fighting Fraud across the Card System
  • Card Fraud Classifications and Controls
  • Global Card Fraud Losses (cut by US only, cut by CNP only)
  • PCI-DSS, Vaulting, and Hosted Checkout Flows
Fraud Mitigation for Merchants - 1:00 Hour
  • Determining Fraud Patterns
  • Fraud Prevention Policies and Controls
  • Fraud Threats by Method and Across Vector
  • Merchant Fraud Mitigation Tools
    • Role of Rule-Based Systems and Machine Learning Models
    • Risk Provider Framework
  • Payments Security and Compliance

Back Office Operations

Card System Dispute Management - 1:00 Hour
  • Chargebacks vs. Refunds
  • Chargeback Fundamentals w/ Examples
    • Fraud Chargebacks
    • Service Chargebacks
    • Administrative Chargebacks
  • Merchant Representment Strategies
  • Compelling Evidence
  • Pre-Arbitration and Arbitration
  • Chargeback Deflection Strategies - Ethoca and Verifi
Payment Vendor Selection - 1:00 Hour
  • Managing Payments RFPs
  • Standard Contract Components
  • Standard Fees - Negotiable and Non-Negotiable
  • Contract Best Practices
  • Vendor Management
Measuring Card Payments Performance - 1:00 Hour
  • Payments Metrics vs. Commerce Metrics
  • Basic Payments Metrics
    • Average Ticket (by Method, by Geography)
    • Auth Rate and Decline Rate (by Method, by Geography)
  • BIN Level Analysis Techniques
  • Recurring Payment Metrics
  • Total Cost of Payments Acceptance
Fraud Management Metrics - 1:00 Hour
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Manual Review Rate
  • Decline Rate vs. Catch Rate
  • Chargeback ratios, thresholds, and fees
  • Dealing with False Positives

Payments Optimization

Domestic Payments Methods - 1:00 Hour
  • Domestic Payments - Definitions and Rationalization
  • Commonalities and Variation by Market
  • Notable Methods in Key Markets
  • Direct Debits and Mandates
  • Cash Voucher Systems
Cross-Border Card Acceptance - 1:00 Hour
  • Cross-Border Acceptance Models
    • Motivations and Benefits
    • Challenges and Requirements
  • Cross-Border Card Acceptance
    • Acceptance Rules in Key Domestic Markets
    • Local Acquiring Specialist
  • Key Regulatory Variation by Market
Buyer Authentication - 1:00 Hour
  • Role of SCA in PSD2
  • Two-Factor Authentication
  • SCA Compliance Scope and Exempted Use Cases
  • 3-D Secure and Card Network Products
  • SCA Key Issues and Global Expansion
Routing and Orchestration Fundamentals - 1:00 Hour
  • Debit Card Routing in the US
  • PINless Debit Fundamentals
  • Cross-Processor Orchestration

30,000+ Glenbrook Payments Boot CampTM workshop participants

Attending companies include fintechs, networks, banks, technology providers, investors, and more.

Customer Testimonials

“The Payments Boot CampTM has done an amazing job at giving me a broader understanding of the payments industry in an easy to digest and engaging format.”

– Tessa Dill Money Solutions Specialist – Payments, Shopify

Key Payments Terminology

All the key terms explained on one place.

Glenbrook Press

Comprehensive books that detail the systems and innovations shaping the payments industry.

Daily Schedule

Workshop Schedule

*If the minimum number of attendees needed to hold the course is not met, the course dates could be adjusted. Registered attendees will be notified by email with any updates.

Every Friday for 10 weeks – 12:30pm-2:30pm ET

 

Sessions will be recorded and available for viewing within 24 hours of the end of the session.

 

Week 1 – March 28
  • Payments Systems Introduction
  • Payments Industry Stakeholders
Week 2 – April 4
  • Card System Fundamentals
  • Card Transaction Handling
Week 3 – April 11
  • Card Processing Economics
  • Cross-Border Card Processing
Week 4 – April 18
  • Digital Payments
  • ACH Processing Fundamentals
Week 5 – April 25
  • Fast Payments Fundamentals
  • Payments Risk Fundamentals
Week 6 – May 2
  • Card Fraud
  • Fraud Mitigation for Merchants
Week 7 – May 9
  • Card System Dispute Management
  • Payment Vendor Selection
Week 8 –  May 16
  • Payments Metrics and KPIs
  • Fraud Management Metrics
Week 9 – May 23
  • Domestic Payments Methods
  • Cross-Border Payments Acceptance
Week 10 – May 30
  • Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)
  • Transaction Routing Optimization

Fees, billing, discount and refunds

Discounts

Merchant Risk Council

MRC (Merchant Risk Council) members will receive a membership discount code to be entered to receive the membership reduced price of $1,200. This code is available via the MRC website in your profile upon logging in or you may email certification@merchantriskcouncil.org to obtain it. Please note that the price of the MRC CPFPP application and exam is not included in this workshop and is not eligible for discount.

* Only one discount code may be used per person. Discounts may not be combined with any other sale, promotion, discount, code, coupon, and/or offer.

Refunds

Workshop registrants may cancel their registration for a full refund if cancelled two weeks prior to the event. Refunds for cancellations within two weeks of the event will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, it may be possible to switch registrations to an event at a later date.

Information on refunds for the CPFPP exam can be found on the Merchant Risk Council website.

Reference Materials & Resources

Glenbrook Resources
  • Payments News – Glenbrook’s curated daily news feed
  • Payments Views – Glenbrook’s commentary and opinion blog on topical issues in the payments industry
  • Payments On Fire – Glenbrook’s podcast interview series featuring the latest and most interesting developments in payments
  • Glossary – Glenbrook has compiled an expansive industry glossary of key payments terms and acronyms
  • Attending Companies – view a list of companies who have attended Glenbrook Payments Education events
Merchant Risk Council Resources
For additional resources to prepare for the CPFPP, please visit the Merchant Risk Council’s website which contains the up-to-date information including the CPFPP Exam Content Outline, suggested reference materials, a free study guide with each paid CPFPP application, and more. Additional information on eligibility requirements for the exam can be found here.

Workshop Leaders

Yvette Bohanan

Yvette Bohanan

Yvette helps our clients develop high-performing payments teams through our Payments Boot Camp offerings. Leading select engagements in areas such as digital currency systems and payments risk management, Yvette works with our clients to develop strategies for product introductions, revenue generation, and risk management.

Russ Jones

Russ Jones

Russ brings exceptional skills in payments industry analysis, strategy development, and product conceptualization - as well as 35 years as an executive, analyst, and consultant - to Glenbrook clients from across the payments value chain.

Chris Uriarte

Chris Uriarte

Chris brings diverse and specialized experience to Glenbrook, having held multiple leadership positions in the payments industry over the past 25 years. His expertise lies in global payments, risk management, fraud prevention, payments technology and payments operations.

Drew Edmond

Drew Edmond

Drew has years of experience managing global payments operations in marketplace and financial services environments. He brings a keen interest in identifying and executing optimal payments strategies for businesses throughout the payments value chain.