Stablecoins & the $27 Trillion Shift: How Digital Dollars Are Reshaping the Payments Industry The payments industry is undergoing a seismic transformation—and this time, it’s being led by stablecoins. Once dismissed as fringe crypto experiments, these digitally native assets backed by fiat currencies are now powering over $27 trillion in payment volume annually. And major players—from JP Morgan to Stripe and PayPal—are taking notice. In this episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, Global...
The High-Risk Processing Trap: How Merchants Are Getting Exploited In the fast-moving world of high-risk payment processing, what looks like a lifeline can quickly turn into a liability. For merchants operating in regulated or fringe industries—think peptides, nootropics, coaching, supplements, adult, or subscription models—finding a processor willing to approve them often feels like a win. But behind that approval, a darker reality is unfolding: frozen funds, surprise fees, and reserve manip...
Exposing the Dark Side of Payments: When Processors Turn Predatory Behind the polished pitch decks and ISO agreements lies a side of the payments industry few merchants or agents ever see—until it’s too late. In this brutally honest episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm partners Christopher Dryden and James Huber pull back the curtain on predatory practices, weaponized contracts, and the shocking truth about how processors, not fraudsters, are often the ones doing the...
Super ISOs Are Reshaping the Payments Industry—Are You Keeping Up? The payment processing landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. What was once a top-down ecosystem dominated by acquiring banks and processors is now increasingly driven by a new force: Super ISOs. These fast-moving, well-capitalized organizations are effectively operating as mini-processors, and they’re rewriting the rules of how merchant services are delivered and scaled. In this episode of The Payments Experts Pod...
Stuck on the MATCH List? What Every Payments Professional Must Know to Protect Merchants and Portfolios In the merchant services and payments world, few issues are more business-threatening than being placed on Visa and Mastercard’s MATCH list. For merchants, it can mean account terminations, frozen processing, and reputational damage. For ISOs, agents, and payment facilitators, it can trigger portfolio instability, residual loss, and merchant attrition—often without warning. In this episode ...
Non-Competes, Non-Solicits, and Your Bottom Line: What Every Payments Professional Must Know The fine print in your payment processing agreements could be quietly limiting your earning potential, career mobility, and business growth—and you might not even realize it. When was the last time you scrutinized the restrictive covenant language buried inside your ISO, agent, or partnership agreements? In this episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, produced by Global Legal Law Firm (https://www.gl...
AI in Payments: Innovation, Illusions, and Legal Risk Artificial intelligence is transforming the financial world—and the payments industry is no exception. In this episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, produced by Global Legal Law Firm, we examine both the breakthrough opportunities and critical blind spots AI presents for payment professionals. The Hidden Risks of AI-Drafted Contracts The discussion opens with a cautionary trend: merchants and agents using generative AI tools to draft...
What’s Really in Your Agent Agreement? Legal Pitfalls Every Payments Professional Should Know In the world of merchant services and electronic payments, contract pitfalls aren’t just inconvenient—they can be career-altering. Agreements that look standard at first glance often include fine print that chips away at residuals, restricts future business opportunities, or limits your rights to dispute unfair terms. Unfortunately, many ISOs and agents don’t realize the risks until it’s too late. In...
Dual Pricing Is Exploding—But Most Merchants Are Getting It Wrong If you've noticed more businesses offering different prices for cash versus credit, you're not imagining things. Dual pricing is gaining serious traction among merchants looking to offset rising card processing costs. But behind the growing popularity lies a compliance maze that too many business owners are navigating blind. In this episode, Joe Wilkins, Managing Partner at Great Credit Card Processing, (https://greatcreditcard...
Why Cybersecurity Is Now a Revenue Imperative for Payment Processors—and a Lifeline for Merchants Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue—it's now a frontline concern for revenue protection, portfolio stability, and merchant survival. In this episode, industry veteran Jon Aronson, who’s been shaping payments since 1994, speaks with Christ Dryden and Jeremy Stock as he breaks down how AJ Global Cybersecurity is redefining merchant protection through a mix of Quick Reactionary Funds and a r...
Big Changes Ahead: What Visa’s New VAMP Program Means for Merchants. The payments world is bracing for a major shakeup—and many merchants might not be ready for what’s coming. In this eye-opening episode, Matthew Steinbrecher of Sound Commerce (https://sound-commerce.com/) joins us to unpack Visa’s new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP), set to roll out on October 1st, and why it could impact nearly every corner of the payments ecosystem. With over a decade in global payments, Matthew ...
Caleb Avery's journey from selling payment terminals door-to-door as a college student to founding Tilled (https://www.tilled.com/), a revolutionary PayFac-as-a-Service platform, demonstrates the rapid evolution happening in the payments industry. In this fascinating conversation, Caleb shares James Huber of Global Legal Law Firm how his early experiences revealed small business owners' frustration with traditional payment processors, creating an opportunity for innovative solutions. • ...
Riley Bangerter, founder of Aacadia Payments (https://aacadiapayments.net/), takes us on a fascinating journey through the evolving payment processing landscape, sharing his unique path from stockbroker to payment expert following the 2008 financial crisis. • Entered the payments industry seeking residual income after the 2008 financial crisis collapsed his mortgage business • Founded Aacadia Payments six years ago and partnered with Daryl Peppers to create a balanced leade...
Who really controls the flow of money in payment systems? The answer might surprise you. In this eye-opening conversation with payments industry veteran Eric Grover of Intrepid Ventures (https://intrepidventures.net/), we uncover the fundamental power dynamics that determine how interchange fees move through the ecosystem. Eric and Christopher Dryden, Esq., discuss how payment system economics fundamentally flow toward those who can affect transaction volume, explaining why interchange typica...
Anthony Malatesta, Principal at Wellesley Hills Financial (https://www.wellesleyhillsfinancial.com/) joins Global Legal Law Firm’s Christopher Dryden and Jeremy Stock to share crucial insights about positioning payment businesses for optimal valuation and successful exits. What's the real difference between a merely profitable payments business and one that commands premium multiples at exit? According to Anthony Malatesta of Wellesley Hills Financial Group, it comes down to intentional prepa...
Two payments industry veteran experts talk about electronic payments in a way you have never heard before. Join Christopher Dryden, Esq., and special guest Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems, Inc., for this in-depth, fascinating discussion. Check out Allen’s new NPS One platform coming soon, offering merchants a comprehensive business tool with rapid approval, virtual terminal capabilities, invoicing, links to accounting, embedded finance options, and more. The payments la...
From ATMs so novel they didn't even have a name to AI-powered payment systems that can take your order perfectly—the payments landscape has transformed dramatically since the 1970s. Joining Chris Dryden on the Payments Experts Podcast today is Patti Murphy, the "Payments Maven of the Fourth Estate," whose four-decade journey covering payment technology offers a unique perspective on how far we've come and where we're headed. • Beginning her payments career in 1977 editing an EFT examination h...
Paul Hadfield shares his journey from college dropout to successful payment processor, emphasizing the importance of building sticky merchant relationships through technology and customer service rather than treating them as short-term revenue sources. Enjoy this conversation with James Huber, managing partner of Global Legal Law Firm. • Started in payments in 2001 after answering a newspaper ad while contemplating dropping out of college • Built and sold his first IS...
Jeff and Hersh Moskowitz share how their payment processing journey led to the creation of Tuzo (https://www.tuzorewards.com/), a revolutionary rewards program that helps ISOs build stronger merchant relationships and increase portfolio value. • Started in point-of-sale systems in 2009, primarily serving convenience, liquor, and tobacco stores • Pioneered dual pricing/cash discount methodology around 2012-2013 following the Dodd-Frank Durbin Amendment • Develope...
If you’re a merchant and you want help with chargebacks, this episode is for you! Friendly fraud is anything but friendly for merchants. In this eye-opening discussion, expert payments attorneys Larry Haines and Bryce Van De Moere expose the growing epidemic of customers who receive goods or services, then fraudulently dispute legitimate charges with their credit card companies. It’s chargebacks, baby – and they’re a growing problem. Banks allocate mere minutes to rev...