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Insights and Expertise

banking still operate without shared standards, proper
education, or widely accepted frameworks that mer-
chants could rely on when making decisions, or source
providers.

Uninformed decisions and finance professionals mak-
ing decisions outside of their scope and expertise
leaves assumptions built on sales narratives, introduc-
tions and hidden motives instead of facts.

Unfortunately payment and banking choices often rely
on guesswork rather than a planned, disciplined ap-
proach, even though cash flow is the actual bloodline
of any operation. Currently the lack of knowledge en-
courages short-term gains (making decisions on pric-
ing alone) at the cost of sustainable growth and indus-
try integrity.
Why education matters
Today, only a handful of people understand how pay-
ments and banking actually work, and how the com-
plex system traps merchants. The worst part is the
lack of transparency: introducers are often the ones
we trust: our accountant, lawyers or those "low-fee ex-
perts" who are all selling the merchants for the high-
est commission paying partner, earning off the lack of
knowledge and confusion of the victims.

Only an independent payments and banking educa-
tion can bring clarity across this entire chain and help
businesses build a strategy that considers every aspect
payments and banking affect: customer experience,
risk management, technology, product development,
data security, compliance, finance and more.
Knowledge is power

The First American case serves as a sharp reminder
that even though providers try to trap unaware mer-
chants with deceptive pitches and unbreakable con-
tracts, knowledge is the ultimate escape.

As competition intensifies, only a dedicated pay-
ment strategy—led by informed leaders like the Chief
Payment Officer—can turn these risks into resilient
growth, ensuring cash flow stays protected, negotia-
tions stay sharp and no provider ever holds any busi-
ness hostage again. If you snooze on payments knowl-
edge, you lose. But now you know.

Viktoria Soltesz is the CEO and founder of PSP Angels and The Soltesz
Institute. She is a leading advocate for strategy-led financial opera-
tions, ethical industry practices, and structured education in an area
too often overlooked in traditional business training. PSP Angels
is a globally awarded, independent payment and banking consul-
tancy that has supported over 1,000 companies in building scalable,
secure financial infrastructures. The Soltesz Institute is the first and
only independent online organization offering EU-accredited train-
ing and certifications focused exclusively on payments and banking.
To contact Viktoria, please email viktoria@pspangels.com.
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