Acknowledging Our Past
Beginning in the early 1970s, the evolution of Payments Central and Mid-America Payments Exchange (MPX) followed similar paths. Each association's mission focused on education and industry leadership. Here's a brief look at the history of each association.
Mid-America Payment Exchange
In the early 1970s, the members of the Greater Kansas City Clearing House Association began to monitor the emerging Automated Clearing House (ACH) movement. The Greater Kansas City Clearing House Association served as a catalyst for ACH and helped form the Mid-America ACH Association (MACHA) in 1974. Mid-America ACH Association encompassed the eastern part of the 10th Federal Reserve District, which included Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Southwestern Iowa and Western Missouri.
In 1984, the association merged with the associations that incorporated the territories of Arkansas, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. This merger resulted in a new name — Mid-America Payment Exchange. Subsequent mergers in 1995 and 1997 added Indiana and Western Kentucky to the MPX territory. In 1998, the Greater Kansas City Clearing House Association, which was established in 1872, merged into MPX.
As the geographic scope grew, MPX member programs were enhanced and the association's focus expanded to include a broad spectrum of payments issues. MPX programs focused on providing education, as well as phone and email support to members regarding rules and regulations, operational issues, risk management and marketing of ACH, checks and cards.
Payments Central
Payments Central's roots go back to 1974 when the Automated Clearing House (ACH) was founded. The Columbus Regional Automated Funds Transfer System (CRAFTS) was the name of the original Columbus-based association, which served financial institutions in Central and Southeastern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky. Over time CRAFTS merged with the association headquartered in Dayton, and in 2001 merged with the Mid-America Automated Payments System (MAPS), headquartered in Cleveland, to become Payments Central.
Payments Central and its predecessor organizations have provided information to members about the most current payments developments, training that provides useful information about topics members need to succeed, marketing assistance to help members increase ACH and electronic payments usage, solutions to members' payments problems and questions, and advocacy for members' payments system interests nationally and locally.
Payments Central's services to members have focused on education, advocacy and support. Training programs have kept members apprised of the most current rule changes and product developments focused on electronic payments systems. Direct membership in NACHA has provided representation at the national level. A full-time professional staff has always offered telephone support and guidance for members on payment issues.