Our Mission is to provide a networking forum and hub for European Direct Marketers and Customer Non Present merchants to interface with credit card companies and other payment related systems.

The DRF Europe is a not-for-profit organization led by Customer Not Present (CNP) merchants aiming at sharing knowledge, networking and discussing areas and topics of mutual benefit in the consumer payments, service and fulfillment space.  It is an extension of the Direct Response Forum in the United States, originally formed in 1990 by a group of direct marketers interested in developing and maintaining communications and relations between direct marketing companies and the credit card associations. Since its inception, the DRF has provided a unique open forum enabling merchants and the main actors of the payment industry to exchange and learn on all aspects of payment acceptance, processing and industry best practices.

Why was the DRF Formed?
The cost of processing orders and accepting consumer payments is a noticeable financial line item for online, mail, catalog, subscription and other "customer not present" merchants.  Merchants must deal with special regulations and unique operational requirements due to the nature of their business.  The DRF Europe can provide a platform of exchange between merchants and their operational supply chain vendors. 

Why was the forum started?

CNP merchants deal with a very distinct set of issues related to consumer orders and payments for their goods and services.  These include:

• CNP merchants have more expensive cost of sales.
• CNP merchants have complex customer service and fulfillment systems.
• CNP merchants are subject to a strictest standard by credit card associations and payment regulators.
• CNP merchants do not have a voice in payments' rule making or product development process.
• CNP merchants individually have difficulty evaluating and assessing new payment related products and services.

By providing CNP merchants with a venue to exchange views, share best practices, discuss technologies and payment related products, it is expected that merchants will discover ways to work together to influence the direction of the operational supply chain and payments industry.