About the Merchant Risk Council

Near the turn of the millennium, as the Internet was opening new markets and e-Commerce was beginning its rapid growth, a group of merchants joined together to share information and best practices about keeping electronic commerce safe and secure. As e-Commerce grew and fraud became more sophisticated, the Merchant Risk Council (MRC) was formed to increase networking and information sharing among merchants to better enable them to successfully fight online fraud.

Today, with over 900 members representing over 300 member companies across the globe, the MRC not only continues to provide a platform for information sharing and discussion, but acts as an advocate for e-Commerce merchants, providing a unified voice for improving the industry as a whole.

Over our ten-year history, with the continued support of our strong member base, we have emerged as the world’s foremost trade association for managing payments, preventing online fraud and promoting secure e-Commerce. Through our programs and events, we successfully bring together e-Commerce and multi-channel merchants, credit card issuers, credit card companies, risk management providers, and law enforcement, to engage and learn from each other in an effort to make the Internet a safer and more profitable place to do business.

The MRC delivers year-round programming that empowers our members with the knowledge and tools to succeed in the online payment, security, and risk industries of today, as well as tomorrow. We currently lead four global programming initiatives: Networking, Education, Benchmarking, and Advocacy.

Networking
Staying true to our roots, the MRC continues to implement networking initiatives to connect members to each other and to industry leaders in order to facilitate the sharing of information and best practices. Networking happens through various channels, including our four yearly conferences and events (two in Europe and two in the US), virtual conversations and forums for information sharing with dedicated distribution lists, and a secure online directory that connects industry leaders and stakeholders.

Education
Our educational programs offer curriculum that advances professional development, improves organizational operations, and enhances long-term strategic growth. Our conferences offer sessions covering a wide range of topics related to mobile and electronic commerce payments and risk, including sector-specific and regionally tailored content. We also provide an ongoing selection of industry-leading webinars throughout the year.

Benchmarking
The MRC’s benchmarking programs provide members with access to industry-specific data and information used to measure operational functionality and efficiency. We currently work with select solution providers to conduct an annual e-Commerce fraud survey, along with other industry-wide surveys that measure online payment strategies and security of network data.