When it comes to earning Nacha accreditations, Stephanie Prebish looks at it this way.

“The tests, I feel, are easy. It’s the studying that’s the hard part,” said Prebish, speaking from experience. She’s one of about 100 people who have earned what’s known as the “triple standard”—the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP), Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP), and Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP). Prebish, Nacha Senior Managing Director, Association Services, said whenever she completed one of those exams, “I did think to myself I really learned a lot just from studying.” 

Having Nacha accreditations can be a significant career booster, as Brandon Calvert can attest. He’s also earned the “triple standard” of AAP, AFPP, and APRP, and that helped land him his position as ACH Operations Lead at Pittsburgh-based TriState Capital Bank. “I was actually contacted by a recruiter, and the reason why they contacted me was because of the accreditations that I had,” said Calvert, who joined Prebish on Nacha’s Payments SmartCast podcast. 

Both stressed that while much studying is required, there are myriad resources available, including Nacha’s TPI Home School—coming up in September—as well as the Payments Associations, which Prebish called “integral to this process.” She noted that candidates are 30% more likely to pass the exam if they go a PA for training. 

And once you have a Nacha accreditation—or two, or three—Calvert said you’ll gain respect, because “people understood that those letters meant something.” 

“It makes you stand out as a payments expert,” said Calvert. “People know that when they go to you for information, you’re able to deliver. If you’re not able to deliver, you’re able to look at the appropriate places to find the information, and it’s a much faster process.” 

Prebish urged financial institutions and other payment organizations to support staffers interested in earning Nacha accreditations. 

“Having that expert on your staff is so important. The auditors are looking at that,” said Prebish. “It’s crucial for every organization to have somebody who is their go-to.” 

TriState Capital Bank is a Pennsylvania chartered bank. Member FDIC. 

Learn more about the AAP, AFPP, and APRP accreditations on Nacha’s website. 

Much more was discussed, and you can listen to the complete podcast below.