American Bankers Association

American Payments is a coalition of financial institutions focused on making payment systems more accessible, innovative, and secure for consumers and businesses. The organization highlights how electronic payments—including credit and debit cards, mobile payments, and online transactions—give people more ways to pay and manage purchases. Its work and advocacy center on four themes: access, convenience, security, and innovation.

American Payments describes the role of contactless payments in shopping, delivery, curbside pickup, and faster checkout, as well as technologies that help protect transactions. These include chip cards, artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, and tokenization, which uses a unique digital identifier to protect sensitive account information. The coalition also points to emerging options such as biometric cards and faster payment networks that can make funds available immediately for transfers, purchases, refunds, and insurance claim payouts.

Through its news and information, American Payments also covers how banks and credit unions support customers and businesses, including pandemic-related fee waivers, deferred payments, and other accommodations.