European Third Party Providers Association (ETPPA)

Introduction

European Third Party Providers Association (ETPPA) is a European trade association representing bank-independent third party providers in open banking and open finance. Established in 2019, it advocates for fair access, competition, and workable regulation for providers of account information, payment initiation, and confirmation of funds services. ETPPA grew out of the Future of European Fintech coalition, which was created to represent TPP interests during PSD2 technical standards negotiations.

What is ETPPA and who does it represent

The European Third Party Providers Association (ETPPA) represents bank-independent third party providers whose business depends on access to payment accounts and financial data under PSD2 and related open banking frameworks. Its members are typically fintechs and regulated providers active in account information services, payment initiation services, confirmation of funds services, and related open banking use cases.

ETPPA was incorporated to formalise the former Future of European Fintech coalition, which was created in 2017 to represent TPP interests during negotiations on the PSD2 regulatory technical standards for strong customer authentication and secure communication. The association’s current work extends from PSD2 implementation to the evolution of open banking, open finance, and broader data-access frameworks.

Mission and advocacy focus

ETPPA’s mission is to ensure that bank-independent third party providers can compete fairly and securely in Europe’s open banking ecosystem. It advocates for reliable API access, proportionate regulation, workable authentication requirements, fair liability rules, and a level playing field between incumbent banks and independent TPPs.

The association focuses on policy and technical issues that affect providers relying on account access, customer-permissioned data, and payment initiation capabilities. Its advocacy is especially relevant where EU rules affect PSD2, PSD3, the Payment Services Regulation, open finance, instant payments, API performance, fraud prevention, and access to payment account infrastructure.

Policy domains

• PSD2, PSD3 and Payment Services Regulation — Advocacy on the regulatory framework governing TPPs, payment initiation, account information, authentication, liability, and access rights.
• Open banking and API access — Work on reliable account access, API quality, fallback mechanisms, interface performance, and implementation consistency across Europe.
• Open finance and data access — Engagement on the evolution from PSD2 open banking toward broader financial data-sharing frameworks.
• Payment initiation and instant payments — Advocacy around account-to-account payment services, instant payment enablement, and the role of PISPs in European payments.
• Fraud prevention and consumer protection — Input on strong customer authentication, secure communication, risk management, liability allocation, and consumer trust in TPP services.

Geographic scope and cross-border reach

ETPPA primarily covers the European Union, supporting members in accessing cross-border markets and facilitating compliance with regional regulations.

Why ETPPA matters for payments operators

ETPPA's advocacy directly impacts payment operators by influencing regulatory frameworks that govern data access and financial service provision. Operators' legal and compliance teams engage with ETPPA to align with evolving policies. The association's work ensures that operators can innovate within a stable regulatory environment, enhancing service offerings.

Who runs it and who are the members

ETPPA is led by a Chairperson and a board of directors composed of representatives from member organizations. It operates as a non-profit association under Belgian law.

Members and notable members

ETPPA membership is best described by role in the open banking ecosystem rather than by unverified individual company names. Its members are typically bank-independent fintechs and regulated providers for whom TPP services form a substantial part of the business.

Working groups and committees

ETPPA coordinates member input on regulatory, technical, and operational issues affecting third party providers. Its working areas may include PSD2 and PSD3, the Payment Services Regulation, open banking API access, open finance, payment initiation, confirmation of funds, strong customer authentication, liability, fraud prevention, and consumer protection.

The association develops policy positions, consultation responses, industry feedback, and advocacy input rather than binding technical standards or scheme rulebooks.

What does it publish and who does it influence

Policy and regulatory engagement

ETPPA engages with European regulators like the European Commission and EBA through consultation responses and advisory roles, influencing policy development.

Events and convenings

ETPPA participates in policy discussions, regulator engagement, workshops, member meetings, consultation processes, and open banking forums. Its convening role is mainly focused on advocacy, technical-policy coordination, and member alignment around TPP issues rather than broad commercial networking.

Specific event formats and public participation routes may vary by year and should be verified through ETPPA’s official channels.

How to join ETPPA

Eligibility includes licensed third-party providers, fintech firms, and payment service operators within the EU.

ETPPA membership tiers and fees

ETPPA uses a tiered fee structure that reflects company size and desired level of engagement. Its public membership information indicates full members with voting rights and associate members without voting rights, but it does not appear to publish a simple full fee table. Companies should confirm current pricing, eligibility, and participation routes directly with ETPPA.

What members commit to

Members participate in working groups and adhere to conflict-of-interest rules. The application process involves demonstrating alignment with ETPPA’s mission.

FAQ

Is ETPPA a regulator?

No. The European Third Party Providers Association is a private-sector trade association, not a regulator. It does not supervise TPPs, issue licences, or create binding rules. Its role is to represent bank-independent third party providers in European policy, regulatory, and technical discussions on open banking and open finance.

Who can join ETPPA?

ETPPA membership is most relevant for bank-independent fintechs and regulated providers whose business depends substantially on third party provider services. This includes firms active in account information services, payment initiation services, confirmation of funds, open banking infrastructure, and related customer-permissioned data or payment account access use cases.

How much does ETPPA membership cost?

ETPPA uses a tiered fee structure based on company size and desired level of engagement. Its public information refers to full members with voting rights and associate members without voting rights, but does not show a simple full fee table. Companies should confirm current costs directly with ETPPA.

Why does ETPPA matter for payment operators?

ETPPA matters for payment operators that rely on open banking, account-to-account payments, payment initiation, account information, or API-based bank connectivity. Its advocacy can influence PSD2 and PSD3 implementation, API access, authentication rules, liability, instant payments, open finance, and the practical operating environment for TPP services.

What does ETPPA do for its members?

ETPPA provides policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, consultation responses, member coordination, and representation in European open banking and open finance discussions. Its work helps members coordinate positions on account access, payment initiation, API quality, strong customer authentication, fraud prevention, consumer protection, and the evolution of PSD2.

Does ETPPA operate outside Europe?

ETPPA is primarily focused on Europe, especially EU and EEA rules affecting third party providers under PSD2 and related open banking frameworks. Its work may be relevant to international fintechs operating in Europe, but its advocacy is centred on European regulation, European account access, and European open finance policy.