DAY ONE
Wednesday, November 4
9:00am – 12:30pm • Morning Workshops
Four expert-led roundtables, 45 minutes each. One table, one legal team, and a small group of peers working the same problems you are. Choose the order that fits your priorities, pull up a chair, and pressure-test the scenarios that define real compliance risk.
8:00am
Registration & Breakfast
9:00am
Welcome
JODIE KELLEY
CEO
ETA
Table 1
Surcharging & Cash Discounting
Few practices invite more missteps than passing card costs to the customer. This roundtable works through the state-law patchwork, the network rules, and the disclosure requirements that govern surcharging and cash discounting.
Table 2
Payment Facilitator Risk: Structure, Liability, and Exposure
PayFacs occupy one of the most closely watched corners of the payments ecosystem — and the questions only get harder as the model evolves. This working roundtable digs into what drives PayFac risk: structural variations on the model; the contracting and liability decisions that shape relationships with sponsors, processors, and sub-merchants; and how those choices play out in an acquisition, investment, or assignment. The session also takes on the growing FTC scrutiny and class-action exposure facing merchant aggregators, and the concrete steps PayFacs can take now to limit enforcement and litigation risk.
Table 3
Law Enforcement Trends in Payment Processing
As regulators expand their focus beyond merchants to the companies that facilitate payment transactions, payment providers face growing legal, regulatory, and reputational risks. This session will explore recent enforcement developments, emerging areas of concern, and the practical implications for payment processors, merchant acquirers, and fintech companies.
Attendees will gain insights into current enforcement priorities, evolving liability theories, and strategies for managing risk in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Table 4
Anti-Money Laundering
As AML requirements continue to evolve, staying ahead of regulatory expectations is becoming increasingly complex for payments compliance professionals. In this session, our AML expert will provide an update on the latest developments in anti-money laundering regulations, enforcement trends, sanctions screening, beneficial ownership requirements, and emerging risks associated with faster payments and digital transactions. Attendees will gain practical guidance on how to strengthen their AML programs, enhance monitoring and controls, and navigate changing compliance obligations with confidence. The session will focus on actionable strategies and real-world insights to help compliance professionals reduce risk, meet regulatory expectations, and maintain an effective, future-ready AML framework.
12:10pm
Networking Lunch
Tables hosted by individual law firms for deeper, small-group discussion.
DAY ONE
Wednesday, November 4
1:20pm – 5:00pm • Afternoon Panel Sessions: Inside the Regulators’ Agenda
Federal regulators set the direction for the payments industry — and this is where you hear it directly. Focused conversations on enforcement priorities, the regulatory landscape, and what compliance teams should be doing about it now.
1:15pm
A Conversation with the FTC
The call no compliance team wants — and how to handle it. A practical walk-through of what to do when an enforcement action lands, from first response to resolution.
2:15pm
Money Transmission: Navigating an Evolving Regulatory Landscape
Money transmission remains one of the most complex areas of payments regulation. This panel will examine evolving federal and state requirements, licensing and compliance challenges, and emerging issues involving digital assets and new payment models. Panelists will discuss how payments companies can navigate overlapping regulatory regimes while continuing to innovate and grow.
Nicole Meisner
Partner; Chair, Paytech and Payment Systems
Taft
2:50pm
Dealing with an Enforcement Action
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.
3:25pm
Open Banking — Changing Payments
The CFPB has proposed new regulations to implement section 1033. Open banking will change how payments and everyday transactions are conducted. This session will focus on the challenges Open Banking will present to the payments industry.
4:35pm
Click to Cancel: Navigating the New Subscription Compliance Landscape
Subscription and recurring-payment models continue to draw heightened scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and plaintiffs’ attorneys. This panel will unpack the evolving “click-to-cancel” landscape and what it means for merchants, payment providers, and financial institutions. The discussion will explore practical compliance strategies, emerging litigation and enforcement risks, and how companies can build seamless subscription experiences that meet consumer expectations while reducing regulatory risk.
5:00pm
Evening Networking Reception
Close out the day with an evening of exceptional wine, curated cheese pairings, and conversation with fellow compliance leaders. A sommelier will guide guests through a selection of premium wines, complemented by chef-attended stations, passed hors d'oeuvres, and a full-service bar with signature cocktails. Guests will also have the opportunity to take home a complimentary bottle of one of the evening's featured wines. Join us for an elevated setting to unwind, connect, and continue the day's conversations.
DAY TWO
Thursday, November 5
9:00am – 12:00pm • Morning Panel Sessions
Day two opens with the widest lens: the technologies and markets redrawing the payments map faster than the rulebook can keep up. Where the law is still being written, these sessions lay out what’s known, what’s contested, and where the risk really sits.
9:00am
AI & Agentic Commerce
Agentic commerce is moving faster than anyone’s rulebook. What autonomous, AI-driven transactions mean for liability, consumer protection, and compliance.
10:00am
Prediction Markets: Innovation, Regulation, and Compliance
Prediction markets are rapidly expanding, creating new opportunities—and new regulatory questions—at the intersection of financial services, technology, and gaming. This panel will examine the evolving legal and regulatory landscape, key compliance and payments considerations, and what the growth of prediction markets means for payments companies, financial institutions, and policymakers.
10:40am
Cannabis, Payments, and the Evolving Regulatory Landscape
As the legal cannabis industry grows, payments companies continue to navigate a complex and evolving regulatory environment. This panel will examine developments in cannabis banking and payments, federal and state compliance requirements, enforcement and reputational risks, and what potential policy changes could mean for financial institutions, payments providers, and cannabis-related businesses.
11:05am
Policy and Politics Intersect
Policymakers from DC to the states are focused on payments, from a 10% rate cap to state laws like the IFPA, which blocks interchange on taxes and tips. This session will focus on these policies that threaten our industry and what we are doing to defeat them.
Scott Talbott
EVP
ETA
11:30am
View From the Industry
Compliance is major focus for all ETA members. This session features top compliance executives at the largest companies discussing how they address the challenges the entire industry faces.
12:00pm
Networking Lunch
Tables hosted by individual law firms for deeper, small-group discussion.
DAY TWO
Thursday, November 5
1:00pm – 4:30pm • Compliance With Network Rules
The major card networks, one room, one afternoon. Each network walks through its own rules and initiatives — then takes your questions directly. A perennial attendee favorite, and the rare chance to hear it straight from the source.
Topics include surcharging, fraud and deepfakes, chargebacks in agentic commerce, progressive onboarding, MDL 172, and broader compliance.
1:00pm
Compliance with Network Rules: American Express
Mike Miller
VP Global Network Policy & Standards
American Express
1:20pm
Compliance with Network Rules: American Express
Rob Rubio
Sr. Director - LAC Rules Regional Lead
Visa
1:40pm
Compliance with Network Rules: Mastercard
Jonathan Trivelas
Vice President, Brand Performance Team
Mastercard
2:00pm
Compliance with Network Rules: Discover
Bronwyn Carr
Vice President, Global Network Policy
Capital One
2:30pm
Coffee Break
2:45pm
Fireside Chat with Four Networks
Go deeper on the issues facing the industry from the networks’ point of view.
3:30pm
Q&A With Networks
4:00pm
Closing Remarks
JODIE KELLEY
CEO
ETA