Our mission is clear.

Macha is a member-based organization recognized as the premier resource for information related to all payment rules and networks.

Macha is a Payment Association established in 1975 that serves financial institutions, businesses, and municipalities. With offices in two states, Macha serves members throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Hawaii.

Our mission is to increase the understanding and use of payment networks by providing education, operational support, and advocacy to payments professionals.

What we do

Macha/PAR shares a common strategy with its membership in the pursuit of maximized business efficiencies, improved and evolving payment processes, reduced risk and cost, and increased participant satisfaction. Macha is a certified ECCHO Check Educational Partner, a sponsor of the Center for Payments, and as a Direct Member Payment Association of Nacha, is a specially recognized and licensed provider of ACH education, publications, and support.

Macha/PAR is recognized among its members as their primary resource for questions, training, and expertise for all their payment needs. Macha/PAR assists its members not only with ACH payments, but check, card, wire, and faster payments. Knowledge of all payment systems is critical in today’s environment as payments continue to converge and evolve.

Our training is not just for financial institutions' operations and compliance staff. We offer training focused toward the financial institution’s corporate customers as well.

Macha/PAR currently has eight Accredited ACH Professionals (AAPs), five National Check Professionals (NCPs), and five Accredited Payments Risk Professionals (APRPs) on staff. The staff is shared between the two organizations and has almost 100 years of combined experience. In order to provide the best support to our members, our staff is also encouraged to partake in continued education.

Our history

In 1975, as payment associations were being established across the country, The Mid-Atlantic Clearing House Association, Inc. (MACHA) was founded as a nonprofit 501 (C)(6) in Maryland serving its members in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Just a year later, in March of 1976, the Wisconsin Automated Clearing House Association (WACHA) was created as a nonprofit 501(C)(6) in Wisconsin.

Both of these membership-based organizations provided financial and business communities with electronic payments education and information.

In 2011, the Board of Directors established a wholly owned subsidiary Payment Advisory Resource (PAR) to be the delivery arm for services including compliance, advisory services, and risk management.  We are here to help our members navigate the ever-changing payments landscape!

In 2020 MACHA and WACHA merged to become Macha with the subsidiary PAR and continue to assist in implementation, problem solving, and marketing of all ACH products and services to our over 500 members.

Macha is a sponsor of the Center for Payments, a program working to advance the U.S. payment systems through market intelligence and thought leadership.	Macha, through its Direct Membership in Nacha, is a specially recognized and licensed provider of ACH education, publications, and support.  Through Macha's ACH training, you can prepare for and retain the AAP and APRP designations.	Macha is proud to be a Trusted Educational Partner of ECCHO (The Electronic Check Clearing House Organization).  We offer accredited training and exam preparation to help you earn your NCP designation and maintain it through continuing education credits.