NACHA Accredits 553 Payments Professionals

Herndon, Virginia, December 17, 2004 - Five hundred fifty-three payments industry professionals received accreditation or were re-accredited in 2004 by NACHA - The Electronic Payments Association under the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) Program, bringing the current number of AAPs nationwide to an all-time high of 2,554.

"Earning an Accredited ACH Professional designation is a great way to advance your payments career," said Elliott C. McEntee, President and Chief Executive Officer of NACHA. "AAPs provide the expertise that financial institutions and companies need to plan their payments strategies and manage their payments services."

Four hundred thirty-seven payments professionals received accreditation by passing the national AAP examination, administered on October 19, 2004. Of those, 404 received accreditation for the first time, and 33 received 5-year re-accreditation. An additional 116 payments professionals received re-accreditation in 2004 through NACHA's continuing education program.

"The number of first-time AAPs is increasing every year, which is good news for the payments industry," said McEntee. "Education and training are essential for both personal success and to develop expertise for the industry."

The AAP designation was created in 1993 to recognize professionals for their understanding and knowledge of the ACH Network and the payments industry. The 2004 AAP recipients will be honored at an AAP Breakfast at NACHA's annual conference, PAYMENTS 2005, on Monday, April 11, 2005 in San Antonio, Texas.

To qualify for accreditation, applicants must earn a passing score on the AAP exam. It is highly recommended that those choosing to sit for the AAP exam have a minimum of two years of experience in the payments industry. AAP accreditation is valid for five years, after which re-accreditation is available.

The AAP exam is given every October at approximately fifty sites throughout the United States. The next AAP exam is scheduled for October 18, 2005. For more information, contact your local payments association or NACHA at 703-561-1100, or visit the NACHA web site at http://www.nacha.org.

About NACHA - The Electronic Payments Association
NACHA is the leading organization in developing electronic solutions to improve the payments system. NACHA represents more than 12,000 financial institutions through direct memberships and a network of regional payments associations, and 650 organizations through its industry councils. NACHA develops operating rules and business practices for the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network and for electronic payments in the areas of Internet commerce, electronic bill and invoice presentment and payment (EBPP, EIPP), e-checks, financial electronic data interchange (EDI), international payments, and electronic benefits transfer (EBT). Visit NACHA on the Internet at www.nacha.org.