For initial certification - 15 points are needed to apply for the exam.
For recertification - 18 points are need over each 3-year recertification period.
This page is intended to help individuals identify point-eligible endeavors (and the associated point values) when applying to take the CPCP exam or those seeking recertification.
The primary point categories are work experience/other professional credential, college education, card-related education and industry participation.
Double counting of points is not allowed; for example, an individual cannot claim:
• qualifying college courses and the resulting college degree
• card-related work experience and activities completed as part of their job, such as reports, manuals, presentations, etc., specific to a particular organization or card program
Appropriate supporting documentation is required for all claimed points. Scan into PDF files and upload the following required supporting
documentation to your online application.
Minimum of two years of Commercial Card (e.g., P-Card) work experience (end-user or provider)
3/year
9
Purchasing- or accounting-related work experience (end-users only, limited to those who fulfill a specific purchasing or accounting job); see below
1/year
3
Currently hold one of these professional credentials: APM,
APS, CAPA, CAPP, CCCM, CFCM, CFE, CLGPO, CM, CMA, C.P.M., CPA, CPCM, CPIM, CPP, CPPB, CPPO, CPSM, CSCP, CTP, GCPA, GCPCA, GTP, PMP
5
5
Maximum points for this section:
17
College Degree (from an accredited college or university)
Points
Max. Pts.
MBA (or other business-related master's degree)
15
15
Bachelor's
10
10
Associate's
5
5
Card/Card-Related Education
(activities must have occurred within 36 months of testing period)
Points
Max.
Pts.
Institute of Commercial Payments Annual Conference
3
9
Institute of Commercial Payments Regional Forum
1
3
Institute of Commercial Payments Resource Center contributions (such as an article for the newsletter)
0.5 - 1
3
Workshop on Commercial Cards by Institute of Commercial Payments or other external organization—not an end-user organization; see below
Other qualifying card-related education (e.g., event, course, certificate program) pre approved by the PCPCC (to submit an inquiry, click here)
PCPCC decision
6
Institute of Commercial Payments council member/committee chair
4/year
8
Institute of Commercial Payments task force member (excludes Institute of Commercial Payments online user groups)
3/year
6
Other voluntary, external committee (outside of job) related to Commercial Cards; must be pre-approved by the PCPCC (to submit an inquiry, click here)
1/year
2
Speaking/Facilitation Endeavors (Card/Card-Related Topic) (activities must have occurred within 36 months of testing period)
Points
Max. Pts.
Institute of Commercial Payments workshop instructor (workshops spanning multiple hours to one full day)
3
6
Institute of Commercial Payments Annual Conference speaker
1
3
Institute of Commercial Payments webinar speaker
1
3
Institute of Commercial Payments Regional Forum speaker or host
1
2
Speaker for other qualifying event by other organization (e.g., card provider, IFO); 1 point per event vs. 1 point per presentation
1
6
Facilitation of topical/industry roundtable at card/card-related conference/forum; 0.25 point per event versus 0.25 point per "round"
0.25
1
Fulfilling an interviewee role for an educational webinar or video interview published within the industry (e.g., Institute of Commercial Payments' website); see below
0.25
1
Writing Endeavors (Card/Card-Related Topic) (activities must have occurred within 36 months of testing period)
Points
Max. Pts.
Write educational content used in published industry education; see below
PCPCC decision
8
Survey Endeavors (Card/Card-Related Topic) (activities must have occurred within 36 months of testing period; Institute of Commercial Payments bi-weekly polls are not eligible)
Points
Max. Pts.
Complete card industry research/benchmark survey (point eligibility and value subject to review and approval by the PCPCC)
PCPCC decision
2
Other Industry Participation/Contributions (activities must have occurred within 36 months of testing period)
Points
Max. Pts.
Participation in Institute of Commercial Payments poll
(Participation in 10 polls/yr=1 pt)
0.10
2
Upon invitation by PCPCC, participate in CPCP item (question) review meeting (pt. value based on meeting duration, which varies); see below
pt. value varies
2
Other qualifying participation pre-approved by the PCPCC (to submit an inquiry, click here)
Workshop on Commercial Cards and/or Commercial Payments
A workshop is different than a conference or similar event, as it offers a concentrated learning opportunity—typically an interactive format among a smaller group of participants (e.g., approximately 50 or less).
Purchasing- or Accounting-Related Work Experience As noted in the table above, this endeavor is limited to end-users. It refers to an individual who fulfills a job role/position within one of these departments that is separate from a card program management role and the associated card program duties. For example, it could apply to an individual who manages the card program half-time and functions as a buyer the other half of their time. If an individual's
job role is exclusive to card program management, this point category does not apply.
Educational Event by End-User Organization or Regional Group Separate from an individual's ongoing job responsibilities, such events generally include one or more educational presentations on a card/card-related topic, interactive discussions, sharing of best practices, etc. One or
more providers (of card products or services) often participate, sometimes fulfilling a speaking role. Examples include:
an internal event centrally hosted by an organization with offices (and program managers and administrators) throughout the U.S.
a regional group of program managers and administrators who organize and host quarterly events
Fulfill interviewee role for a webinar/video interview published within the industry:
Interviewee is essentially a subject-matter expert, relaying their knowledge and experience to educate other industry professionals
Interview must be educational (not based on a particular provider or proprietary solution)
Duration of interview must be at least 20 minutes
Writing Endeavors
Write educational content used in published industry education:
Point eligibility and value subject to review and approval by the PCPCC.
Generally speaking, a 500- to 1,200-word article may qualify for 1 point, but point value may be less or more, depending on content; range of point values is 0.5 (1/2) point to 2 points.
Written content should include more than just a sample document. Sample documents based on a particular organization or program (e.g., training manual, presentation, etc.), created as part of someone's job, would be considered part of the individual's card-related work experience and, as such, cannot be counted again as a writing endeavor.
To be point-eligible, written content must be created for an external audience (e.g., other card professionals) and offer educational takeaways, such as a "how to" and/or "why" element. Click here to view one example (limited to Institute of Commercial Payments members
only). Another example would be an article written for and published within a trade journal,business magazine or similar
publication.
Writing content for Institute of Commercial Payments newsletter or online Resource Center are just two possibilities; if interested, refer to the submission guidelines for these endeavors.
Approved Surveys
If you would like another survey considered for point eligibility, complete the inquiry form.
Other Industry Participation
Participating in a CPCP item (question) review meeting is an endeavor that occurs on an occasional basis only—approximately every other year. Participation is by invitation only. These meetings are conducted by a small group (generally less than 10 individuals); if interested in this endeavor, email heidi.kaliher@iocpnow.com.
