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CoverStory

Kraal pointed out, however, that legacy payment provid- away due to voids or inventory waste. They need systems
ers often create significant bottlenecks here. "If integrat- that turn data into a simple, actionable playbook, not just
ing a new payment rail takes months and requires com- another complex dashboard."
plex API workarounds, the merchant is immediately at a
competitive disadvantage," he said. "What matters most to Kraal has seen consistency in many areas. "Interestingly,"
merchants is a provider's capability to onboard these new he said, "the fundamental pain points are remarkably con-
payment types quickly and seamlessly, acting as an en- sistent across the board: every merchant, regardless of size
abler rather than an obstacle. or vertical, demands better fee transparency, reliable tech-
nical support, and a significant reduction in false declines.
"This agility is crucial for growth, especially for digital- However, the strategic complexity intensifies dramatically
first businesses looking to expand into new global mar- with merchant size and global reach." For smaller or local
kets where local payment preferences are diverse and con- merchants, Kraal stated, the focus is often on simplified
stantly shifting." onboarding and clear, predictable costs; for large, high-
volume ecommerce or multinational corporations, the
3. How do merchant concerns differ depending concerns shift to sophisticated operational efficiency.
on their size or vertical market?
"Larger businesses frequently work with multiple acquir-
Cardarelli has observed that enterprise merchants tend to ers and PSPs to optimize performance, making intelli-
use multiple systems, which creates more complexity. "For gent payment orchestration essential," Kraal said. "They
a retail vertical, they typically use an enterprise resource need a system that can intelligently route each transaction
planning (ERP) system, plus a point-of-sale (POS), inven- through the most cost-effective or reliable channel in real
tory, accounting, and customer resource management time. S
(CRM)m" she said.
imilarly, cross-border complexity, including navigating
"For a lodging merchant, they may use multiple solutions local regulations and currency management, becomes a
across the property: a POS in the restaurants, bar, and re- much more acute operational headache for those pursuing
tail outlets; a property management system (PMS) at the global expansion."
front desk; and a reservation system for the spa and salon,"
she added. "International and cross-border adds another
layer of complexity. Supporting local payment methods,
currency conversions, and regulations adds cost/complex- 2026 Events
ity." Cardarelli additionally noted that coordinating any
payment implementation requires extensive planning ATMIA US Conference 2026
across all stakeholders, including IT, finance, operations
and project management. "Ensuring a seamless, efficient Feb. 10 – 12, 2026 2026
integration of new payment technologies is critical and of-
ten complex," she said. Secure Technology Alliance
Identity & Payments Summit
She also highlighted that a small or medium-sized res- March 2 – 4, 2026, Houston, Tx.
taurant business may have a less complicated ecosystem
and only require domestic payment acceptance. "Online Nacha’s Smarter Faster Payments 2026
ordering is more prevalent with third-party delivery ser- April 26 - 29, 2026, San Diego, Ca.
vice integrations such as Uber Eats and Door Dash," she
said. "Implementing an integrated solution or maintain-
ing omnichannel solutions can be challenging in terms SEAA 2026
of resources and costs." Tu has found that concerns defi- June 8 - 11, 2026, Miami, Fl.
nitely differ, though reliability is a universal theme. "QSRs
(quick service restaurants) are all about speed, efficiency MWAA 2026
and throughput," he said. "An internet outage that halts July 22 - 23, 2026, Chicago, Il.
the flow of orders to the kitchen display system or stops
mobile payments is a speed bump of doom. Any lag in the Visit www.greensheet.com/datebook.php for
system directly impacts their bottom line." more events and a year-at-a-glance event chart
or email events@greensheet.com if you have a
On the other hand, he noted, independent restaurants event/show you wish to be listed.
and small retailers are sitting on a gold mine of data that
they are desperate to use effectively. "Beyond just staying
online, the concern is how to leverage their POS data for
smarter management," he said. "Merchants want to know
who their top-performing employees are, how to sched-
ule more effectively and how to stop profit from slipping

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