The NBPCA addresses key areas of interest to the network branded prepaid card industry through highly active and interactive Working Groups. The NBPCA’s Working Groups focus on government relations and media/consumer education issues.

Each Working Group is led by a hands-on professional and comprised of representatives of NBPCA members organizations.

Please check the Meetings/Events section for upcoming Working Group meetings.

Government Relations Working Group

The purpose of the NBPCA (SM) Government Relations Working Group is to conduct outreach on behalf of NBPCA members in matters of legislation, regulation, and law enforcement. This includes keeping members informed of significant legislative and regulatory initiatives that may affect their businesses and executing a government relations strategy to educate legislators/regulators and law enforcement about how the network branded prepaid card industry operates, the benefits it provides to consumers, as well as its needs and capabilities.

By taking a proactive position in government relations through education, the NBPCA contributes to creating a legislative/regulatory environment that is less influenced by anecdotal information and marketplace misconceptions. In addition, such educational efforts help establish the NBPCA as the “go to” organization when legislators, regulators, or law enforcement need information or reasoned analysis of a bill, regulation, or other significant occurrence relating to network branded prepaid cards.

Specific deliverables from the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group include:

• Electronic notification. Notifying members of significant legislative/regulatory initiatives that may possibly affect their network branded prepaid card lines of business.
• Government Update. A bi-weekly email update of major legal, regulatory, and litigation issues facing the network branded prepaid card industry.
• Government outreach. Proactively reaching out to key agencies/regulators and law enforcement to describe the Association’s purpose and mission and to offer support/educational assistance via in-person meetings with NBPCA staff and members.
• Comment letters. Responding on behalf of the NBPCA to relevant requests from legislators/regulators for comments on bills and proposed regulation affecting network branded prepaid cards.

Meetings

The NBPCA Government Relations Working Group offers 11 scheduled meetings throughout the year to keep members informed of the latest developments in prepaid card-related legislation, regulation, and litigation. In addition, ad hoc meetings may be added on matters of a time sensitive nature.

• Working group meetings via phone. The purpose of these meetings is to review timely issues, obtain member feedback, and discuss actions to be taken by the working group. From time to time, the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group calls ad hoc meetings to address issues of critical urgency.
• Briefing sessions via phone. Approximately five times per year, phone briefings on legislative and regulatory matters affecting network branded prepaid cards are held for the NBPCA membership. The primary function of the briefing sessions is to give members an opportunity to submit questions in advance to be answered by NBPCA's legal experts. The briefings may not, of course, be construed as legal advice, but can clarify legal and statutory language, and provide useful guidance on the practical day-to-day issues affecting members.
• In-person meetings. Approximately four times per year, the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group holds in-person meetings to facilitate face-to-face discussion of network branded prepaid card issues, attend to working group business matters, and hear expert speakers share their knowledge and positions.

From time to time, the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group meets with regulators/government agencies to conduct prepaid card educational sessions or to respond to a request to provide commentary on specific topics.

Media and Consumer Education Working Group

The NBPCA (SM) Media and Consumer Education Working Group works directly with print and broadcast media to create accurate and positive perceptions of network branded prepaid cards, as well as to reach out to key consumer groups to highlight the benefits of network branded prepaid cards.

The NBPCA uses the resources of a public relations specialist to assist in executing a proactive strategy to reach the most influential media and consumer representatives and creating appropriate messages.

By working actively with the media and consumer groups, the NBPCA can contribute to creating positive “word on the street” for network branded prepaid cards and establish itself as a reliable source of objective, inter-industry information—a valuable resource for both groups.

Deliverables from the NBPCA Media and Consumer Education Working Group include:

• Media relations. Actively and aggressively promote positive perceptions of network branded prepaid cards among trade and general media. Serve as a reliable source of information to the media and a single point of contact for a variety of inquiries.
• Consumer advocacy groups. Conduct outreach/education aimed at consumer advocacy groups to improve understanding of how network branded prepaid cards work and how they provide a superior solution to existing options in a wide variety of consumer payment scenarios.
• Industry outreach. Leverage NBPCA’s efforts by forming alliances with other associations and organizations with possible overlap into the network branded prepaid card space.

Meetings

The NBPCA Media and Consumer Education Working Group offers two types of regularly scheduled meetings to keep members informed of public relations activities and to solicit input on key issues:

• Working Group phone meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to review timely issues, obtain member feedback, and discuss actions to be taken by the Working Group. Four Working Group phone meetings are held during the year. From time to time, the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group calls ad hoc phone meetings to address issues of critical urgency.
• Working Group in-person meetings. Twice a year, the NBPCA Government Relations Working Group holds in-person meetings to facilitate face-to-face discussion of network branded prepaid card issues, attend to working group business matters, and hear expert speakers share their knowledge and positions.