Why the Pledge exists.
Through our work with the UN Global Compact and SDG 16, we made a commitment: financial crime prevention shouldn’t be an afterthought. The Fortitude Pledge is that commitment made public. We know eliminating 100% of financial crime risk is a moving horizon. We pursue it anyway.
Built on the belief that the payments industry’s ambition has to be absolute, even when the reality is hard, every transaction is screened. Every risk escalated. Every person trained. That’s what commitment looks like when it’s built in, not bolted on. We hold ourselves to this standard and invite others to join us.
The principles behind the Pledge
Compliance should be a baseline, not a ceiling
Regulation tells you the minimum. We think the minimum isn’t enough. The Fortitude Pledge is built on the belief that rigorous prevention goes further than any rulebook requires.
Vigilance is a practice, not a policy
Fraud evolves. So does our approach to it. Effective prevention isn’t a periodic review, it’s embedded in every transaction, every escalation, every day.
Payment systems should protect the most vulnerable
Migrants, refugees, and the elderly deserve the same standard of protection as anyone else. We build our programmes with that responsibility in mind.
The industry is stronger when it acts together
Shared standards benefit everyone. When more organisations hold themselves to this level of rigour, the whole ecosystem becomes harder to exploit.
The impact of the Pledge
Practical tools, not just principles.
Signatories receive the Pledge branding and educational materials to support their commitment to the standard.
Every cardholder, better protected.
Rigorous screening and consistent escalation means fewer fraudulent transactions reaching cardholders. The standard you hold yourself to has a direct impact on the people behind every payment.
A credible signal to the industry and consumers.
Pledge membership communicates something meaningful to clients, regulators, and partners. Not just a badge. A demonstrated commitment to operating at a higher standard.
Rigour that compounds across the industry.
When more organisations hold themselves to this standard, financial crime has fewer places to hide. Collective rigour makes the whole ecosystem more resilient.
Read the full commitment
What the pledge commits to, what it asks of its signatories and why the payments industry needs a higher standard for financial crime prevention.
Join the Pledge
The Pledge is an open invitation to payment providers who want to go further than regulation requires. The bar is higher here. If that’s where you want to be, let’s talk.
