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Special thanks to @Shelly Sipple, AAP, AFPP, APRP, NCP, Senior Director, Certifications & Continuing Education for helping me write this blog!

At EPCOR, we are proud to champion a thriving and ever-growing community of accredited payments professionals. With more than 1,020 AAPs, 31 AFPPs, 219 APRPs and 208 NCPs among our members and staff, we’ve built a true powerhouse of expertise. It’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge, leadership and excellence across the payments industry.  While we are only midway through 2025, it’s a great time to start mapping out your 2026 professional journey. What steps can you take to advance your career and leave a lasting impression on your employer, manager and coworkers in 2026?

Earning a professional accreditation is a powerful way to stand out and accelerate your career, so consider making it a goal for next year! Being in the driver’s seat of your career journey can lead to greater job satisfaction and motivation. Setting clear personal goals at work lets you focus your efforts, get noticed and move closer to landing your dream job or a well-deserved promotion. 

There are many certifications known within the payments industry, but four of the most sought-after payments accreditations are the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), the new Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP), Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP) and National Check Professional (NCP). 

Which accreditation is right for you? 

The AAP accreditation was established in 1993 by Nacha and has certified over 4,200 ACH professionals nationally. An AAP is an expert in all aspects of the ACH Network, including a basic understanding of other payment types as they relate to the ACH Network. If you work solely on matters related to ACH (e.g., operations, sales, risk management), you should think about the AAP.

To learn more about the AAP journey, check out our So You Think You Want to Be an AAP? video for a quick overview of what this accreditation involves and how it can support your professional growth.

The newest accreditation from Nacha is the AFPP, which just celebrated its inaugural 2025 class of 161 payments professionals. AFPPs possess a comprehensive knowledge of faster payment methods in the U.S., an understanding of and experience in faster payments network rails and have a broad knowledge of all types of payments. If you have expertise across all faster payment types, including Same Day ACH, RTP®, FedNow® and Push-to-Card, then you should consider becoming an AFPP.

Want to learn what it means to earn the AFPP? Our So You Think You Want to Be an AFPP? video offers a quick dive into to the accreditation and who it’s designed for.

Established by Nacha in 2018, the APRP has nationally recognized more than 800 experts on payments risk management for ACH, check, wire, debit, credit and prepaid cards, and emerging and alternative payments. If your work has a larger scope outside of ACH or check, including strategy, product development or treasury sales, then the APRP may provide greater benefit to you.

Watch our So You Think You Want to Be an APRP? video to learn more about this accreditation and how it fits into today’s evolving risk landscape.

The NCP certification was established by ECCHO in 2010. Over 1,000 check professionals have been accredited nationally. An NCP is known for their exceptional check payment knowledge, including image processing. If your job responsibilities include check or image operations, treasury, product, fraud or risk, you should consider becoming an NCP.

Curious about what it takes to become an NCP? Dive into our So You Think You Want to Be an NCP? video for a helpful introduction to the certification and what it means to hold it.

Regardless of which accreditation you desire, it is recommended that you have two years’ experience in the payments industry before taking the associated exam. Additionally, you should know each exam is offered only once a year, is modified each year to ensure it covers the most recent rule/regulatory changes, consists of 120 multiple-choice questions (100 are scored) and may take up to three hours to complete. 

To reach your accreditation goal, whether becoming an AAP, AFPP, APRP or NCP, you’ll need a clear action plan, starting with focused training. And our expert team would love to help you prepare with our Prep Programs! Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to fully prepare you for the exam. It includes computerized practice tests, pop quizzes, webinars, study materials, on-demand courses and personalized support from an EPCOR staff mentor. 

Don’t be afraid to dream big and set yourself up for a successful payments career. Start by exploring which accreditation aligns with your goals and keep an eye out as registration opens for our Prep Programs. Every step brings you closer to your goal!

Registrations are officially open for our AFPP Prep Program! Registration for the AAP, APRP and NCP Prep Programs will open later this year. Stay tuned to News You Can Use for updates!

We would love to help you achieve any of these accreditations on your list and be a part of your professional journey. Whether you're just beginning to explore your options or already setting your sights on a specific designation, our Prep Programs are here to guide you every step of the way. We’re committed to helping you gain the confidence, knowledge and credentials needed to thrive in your payments career! 

PS. Did you know nearly 70% of our staff have accreditations? And in total we have: 

Brandie Thacker

Brian        Dao....

Kristel Goins

Melissa Asher

Luke Benning

Myranda Brown

Marcy Cauthon

Liz         Cone..

Casey Demma

Amy Donaghue

Sharon Hallmark

Christine Harris

Shirley James

Deanna Jewell

James Kallergis

Jennifer Kline

Lisa        Lihs....

Stephanie Mareski

Emily Nelson

Shelly Sipple

Raven Smith

Matthew Wade

Trevor Witchey

Kerri Woidke

Trista Woolston

Matt           Yates....

Melissa Asher	Marcy Cauthon	Liz Cone	Casey Demma	Sharon Hallmark	Jennifer Kline
Emily Nelson	Shelly Sipple	Raven Smith	Matthew Wade	Kerri Woidke	Trista Woolston

Marcy Cauthon

Liz Cone

Casey Demma

Amy Donaghue

Sharon Hallmark

Christine Harris

Deanna Jewell

Jennifer Kline

Stephanie Mareski

Emily Nelson

Shelly Sipple

Raven Smith

Matthew Wade

Trevor Witchey

Trista Woolston

	Marcy Cauthon	Amy Donaghue	Christine Harris	Jennifer Kline
	Emily Nelson	Shelly Sipple	Raven Smith	Trevor Witchey

Set yourself apart in the payments industry with the Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP) certification! Our AFPP Prep Program breaks down key exam areas through live webinars, on-demand content, practice tests and more.