November 5-6 • The Ritz-Carlton • Pentagon City, VA
Navigate Complexity with Clarity
$1295 ETA Members • $1495 Non-Members
Day 1 • Wednesday, November 5
9:00am – 12:30pm • 101 Level Sessions
An overview of the basic laws and regulations governing payments. These sessions are great for those who are new to payments or just want a refresher. The 101 level also serves as a precursor for the 201 level sessions.
8:30am
Registration & Light Breakfast
9:00am
Opening Remarks
JODIE KELLEY
CEO
ETA
9:05am
Overview of Regulators
Federal and state regulators put the fine details on laws and are on the front lines for enforcement actions. This session will focus on who are they, what do they do, and the powers they have to affect payments companies.
10:00am
EFTA/Reg E/EWA
The Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA) and Regulation E protect consumers engaged in electronic transfers, including POS transactions and remittances. This session will focus on these important policies and how payments companies should approach them.
10:30am
Banks Oversight of Fintechs
Banks and fintechs are working together. Federal regulators expect banks to oversee compliance with laws and regulations. This creates challenges. This panel will explore how both banks and fintechs think about this dynamic.
10:55am
Faster Payments
FedNow is up and running. Canada is working on its own faster rail. This session will focus on how payments companies are adapting to faster payments.
Theresa Kananen
Partner
AGG
11:20am
Durbin and Reg II/Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act
The landscape for debit and interchange fees is shifting fast. One court has vacated Reg II (the Durbin debit rule), another has affirmed it, setting up a showdown at the US Supreme Court. The Fed has proposed lowering debit price caps for large banks by 33%. On the IFPA, the court is poised to make a final ruling on the reach of Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. 22 states rejected copycat proposals to restrict interchange. 2026 will see a continuation of these state efforts.
12:20pm
Lunch
Tables hosted by individual law firms to facilitate deeper discussion.
Day 1 • Wednesday, November 5
1:35pm – 5:00pm • 201 Level Sessions
These sessions focus on the latest changes to laws and regulations as well as discussion of the current trends to help attendees keep their compliance programs ahead of the curve.
1:35pm
Overview of Regulatory Environment
Regulators are focused on the payments industry with new regulations and enforcement actions. This session will discuss how to think about the regulatory environment in DC and what it means for your company.
2:30pm
Surcharging and Cash Discounting
Surcharging updates & new pricing disclosure laws. Deeper dive into applicability of the laws, requirements and restrictions, network rules and current state and federal laws, the intersection between transparent pricing laws and surcharges.
3:00pm
Coffee Break
3:10pm
Dealing with a Regulatory Enforcement Action
The risk of enforcement actions against the industry had increased. Learn about how to avoid them and what to do when your company is facing one.
3:35pm
Privacy
More and more states are enacting privacy laws, creating a patchwork and new compliance challenges. This session will discuss the implications of data security laws in using merchant data for KYC and onboarding and cardholder data for processing, as well as, downstream data privacy obligations as well as best practices for flow through Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) and privacy policies with respect to merchants and cardholders. This session will provide the latest on privacy laws and how to think about them.
4:15pm
Artificial Intelligence
Agentic AI is strengthening and changing the way payments are conducted. From fraud prevention to customer service, learn how AI is making compliance easier.
4:35pm
Money Transmission
New entrants, new services, and new laws and regulations have created compliance challenges associated with money transmission activities. This session will explore these challenges, alternative compliance approaches such as bank partnerships, relying on exemptions, and acting as “merchant of record,” and more.
5:00pm
Deeper Dive Conversation
Individual tables hosted by law firms. This is an opportunity to sit with the lawyers for deeper discussions.
6:00pm
Networking Reception/Dinner
Tables hosted by individual law firms.
Day 2 • Thursday, November 6
9:00am – 12:00pm • 201 Level Sessions (continued)
201 Level Sessions continue. Day 2 also features discussion with network representatives about complying with network rules.
8:00am
Breakfast
Tables hosted by individual law firms.
9:00am
Overview of Politics/Capitol Hill
ETA works with policymakers to deliver the messages of the payments industry. This session will discuss how President Trump and the 119th Congress are viewing our industry.
Scott Talbott
EVP, ETA CPP
ETA
10:00am
State Expanded Consumer Protection
When Washington steps back, the states step forward. With the reduction in resources at the CFPB, state policymakers are filling the void. This session will explore state consumer protection efforts.
Ellen Traupman Berge
Partner
Venable
11:05am
Compliance from the Industry Perspective
Regardless of size, compliance is a challenge all payments companies face. This panel will hear from industry players and how they think about staying on top of compliance issues.
11:35am
The CFPB’s Agenda
President Trump has all but shuttered the CFPB and is rolling back regulatory actions initiated by the previous Administration. This session will explore compliance under President Trump.
12:00pm
Lunch
Tables hosted by individual law firms to facilitate deeper discussion.
Day 2 • Thursday, November 6
1:00pm – 4:30pm • Compliance With Network Rules
These two sessions will facilitate deeper discussion about compliance with network rules and other areas, like Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, MCC, surcharging, fraud prevention, and more.
1:00pm
Compliance with Network Rules: Visa
Robert Johnson
Head of Visa Rules Management, US Region
Visa
1:30pm
Compliance with Network Rules: Mastercard
Jonathan Trivelas
Vice President, Brand Performance Team
Mastercard
2:00pm
Compliance with Network Rules: American Express
Mike Miller
Vice President, Global Network Policy & Standards
American Express
2:30pm
Networking Break
Sponsored by Steptoe
2:45pm
Fireside Chat with Four Networks
Dive deeper into issues facing the payments industry from the network point of view. Including the V/MC recent settlement over interchange fees, surcharging, and more.
Ellen Traupman Berge
Partner
Venable
3:20pm
Q&A With Networks
4:00pm
Closing Remarks
JODIE KELLEY
CEO
ETA