WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Tuesday, the Third Party Payment Processors Association (TPPPA) filed a second amicus brief in support of Preferred Collections and Management, Inc. in the Hunstein v Preferred Collections matter USCA11 Case: 19-14434 at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals en banc review of this case.

The TPPPA is a national not-for-profit industry association that represents and promotes the interests of payment processors, banks, and merchants. Its basic mission is to support compliance efforts of third-party payment processors and banks in third-party payment transactions and to engage with industry and government to promote consumer protection and common-sense compliance requirements.

"The Third Party Payment Processors Association is interested in the Hunstein case because it threatens to undermine the relationships of third-party service providers, like payment processors, and the companies that they serve," said Marsha Jones, President of the TPPPA. "We are also concerned about conflicting interpretations of federal law, such as the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), which will result in confusion for consumers and businesses alike."

Third-Party Payment Processors are vendors for merchants in every industry, including debt collection. Consumers authorize merchants to withdraw payments by providing the merchants with their bank account information. The merchants then electronically provide payment processors with this information, and the payment processors properly format the payment instructions to ensure timely and accurate payments. Growth in electronic payment processing has increased significantly with the pandemic and is unlikely to recede. Consumers have embraced the convenience, security and control of timing that electronic payments provide.

Should the Court side with the plaintiff in this matter, collection companies, and potentially others resulting from precedent set by this case, could be denied the opportunity to utilize payment processors to process electronic payments. This could force consumers to be required to use less favorable payment options that are more costly and less secure such as checks, money orders, or cash. The TPPPA believes the Court should side with the defendant to preserve consumer choice, and to ensure businesses can utilize the efficiencies and security that payment processors provide.

Media Contact

Marsha Jones, Third Party Payment Processors Association, 888-662-0888, mjones@tpppa.org

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SOURCE Third Party Payment Processors Association