Delivering high risk, high reward solutions

DigiPay Solutions is an independent payment provider specializing in high-risk, high-volume, card-not-present and business-to-business merchant services. The company is based in San Diego with regional offices in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and New York. Founder and President Mike Ackerman, who has worked with leading retailers and financial institutions, said he wanted to bring his 25 years' executive management experience to bear in designing a different kind of ISO based on personal values and industry best practices.

"We wanted to create a culture of integrity and build a brand from scratch," Ackerman said. "We recruited team members who share our vision and accomplished a great deal in the first year. Our family of associates has helped our company grow organically."

Ackerman's business partner and wife, Sandy Travers, has consulted for more than 25 years with venture capital firms, guiding companies through startup, turnaround and critical growth phases. As Vice President of DigiPay, Travers brings distinct research skills, analytical thinking and technical experience to the rapidly changing payment processing landscape. "I like to think of us as a 'dynamic duo' because we bring such different skills and styles to the business," Travers said. "Mike has vast connections and credibility in payments, while I bring decades of practical experience launching startups that engineered emerging technology."

High-risk solutions

DigiPay noted that its suite of solutions for high-risk merchants is uniquely strengthened by best-of-breed technology, skilled in-house specialists and the company's seasoned payment service provider. It is designed to adapt to diverse, changing regulatory environments. The company's risk managers and underwriters, with deep knowledge of legal and compliance mandates in numerous markets worldwide, work closely with about 25 domestic and offshore banks to obtain the best possible merchant account services at competitive rates, DigiPay added.

DigiPay prides itself on being agile enough to meet ever-changing industry trends and noted that its proprietary fraud management suite provides granular detail in customer account scoring in order to reduce declines. To balance the portfolio, the company offers pass-through pricing to low-risk merchants and their agents. Both traditional and high-risk merchants can select from DigiPay's expanding menu of technology solutions and support services.

Payment gateway, technology suite

Travers described the DigiPay payment gateway as a power strip with multiple outlets, capable of supporting a range of resources and tools to streamline efficiencies. It facilitates multicurrency checkouts and advanced transaction routing while keeping payment card data out of scope of the POS, in accordance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) compliance guidelines.

DigiPay listed the following additional features in its technology suite and gateway: real-time processing; comprehensive, real-time reporting; intelligent routing and interchange optimization; 24/7 system monitoring and technical support; PCI compliance; 3D Secure/Verified By Visa; Card Verification Value 2/Address Verification Service; free virtual terminal; shopping cart integration; recurring billing; multicurrency processing; proprietary fraud detection and management tools; and seamless integration.

Consulting services

DigiPay also pointed out that its associates keep up with industry trends, digital currencies and emerging technologies, routinely consulting with clients on a variety of strategic initiatives and business opportunities.

"Mike knows the best people in this business, and I know how to recruit and leverage talent to build a dynamic culture," Travers said. "Ultimately, I think our divergent views are the key to our success because we are able to look at challenges in different ways; sometimes the path forward is an amalgamation of our ideas."

Travers and Ackerman are committed to building a democratic organizational culture in which all team members have a voice. Reflecting upon their journey from startup to profitability in less than three years, they attributed their success to their team's curated knowledge and energetic, collaborative environment. "I like to use the Wayne Gretzky analogy that we are mindful of where the puck is today, but we're preparing for where it is going next," Travers said.

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