Checkout.com and MRC Unveil New Course To Help Merchants Navigate Payments Complexity

Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments provider, today announced the launch of an eLearning course in collaboration with the Merchant Risk Council (MRC). Designed to help payments professionals cut through complexity and focus on the metrics that matter most, this course empowers learners to strengthen their expertise and unlock growth opportunities. Titled Payment Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the program is the latest addition to the MRC’s expanding education portfolio.

The course helps payments professionals, from payments and eCommerce managers to fraud specialists and financial analysts, the tools to better understand, track, and optimize the measures that drive payment success. It also explores forward-looking trends such as AI-driven analytics, real-time payments, open banking, and cryptocurrency integration.

As payments become more complex, education is essential to ensure professionals can adapt with confidence. The stakes are high: Checkout.com’s recent Trust in the Digital Economy report found that 66% of consumers view payment performance as the single biggest driver of trust at the checkout, while 42% would not return to a site after experiencing a failed payment. With customer acquisition costs in eCommerce averaging $50–$130, every failed payment risks not only lost revenue but wasted investment. And as digital selling channels evolve, with the expected rise of agent-driven purchasing and agentic commerce, the ability to understand and optimize payment metrics becomes even more critical. The Payment KPIs course equips professionals with the tools to understand and optimize these critical metrics.

“Thriving starts with education. This course is about giving professionals the knowledge they need to navigate payment complexity and focus on the metrics that drive revenue and trust,” said Rory O’Neill, Chief Marketing Officer at Checkout.com. “In a landscape where payment performance directly impacts conversion and customer experience, education in payments is one of the most powerful investments businesses can make.”

“As trends like real-time payments, open banking and cryptocurrency, and soon agentic commerce reshape the payments industry, professionals must stay ahead of evolving performance metrics,” said Julie Fergerson, CEO of the Merchant Risk Council. “At MRC, we’re proud to launch this course alongside Checkout.com, delivering accessible, actionable insights that help payments and risk professionals optimize performance with confidence.”

The course complements the growing suite of Checkout.com–sponsored MRC programs, including Payment Essentials and Fraud Essentials. Built on a multi-year partnership between Checkout.com and MRC, these courses reflect a shared commitment to empowering payments professionals with the education they need to build trust, enhance performance, and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.