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with embedded payments to run their business don't care
Looking ahead, experts predicted about rate," he said. "Any payments pro who isn't selling
software will soon be extinct or irrelevant."
simple integrations and flexible, Sticky or icky?

open-ended partnerships will
become increasingly important in Enrolling customers in multiple solutions has long been a
common practice among merchant service providers, who
an AI-driven software landscape. have found that creating "stickiness," or having multiple
hooks in an account, often makes clients less likely to seek
alternatives. Experts pointed out that this approach is less
needing more than a checkbox approach to compliance effective when it limits choice, especially for merchants
frequently hire experts and managed service providers. using multiple providers who want optionality without
exclusive commitments.
"Finance, healthcare and other highly regulated companies
can't conduct business unless they are compliant," he Kronenthal called optionality "integration by another
said. "In these industries, where knowledge and best name" for platforms with broad networks of connectivity
practice extend beyond PCI DSS, too many firms take the and integrations. These networks offer a diversity of
minimum required steps to pass an audit, and if that audit products and services, he said, and create value as
comes up tomorrow, they'll need a defensible control to they add new partners, payment methods and device
prove they're meeting all the checks required." manufacturers.

Chris Kronenthal, president of FreedomPay, suggested He added that data and autonomous operations are
that a simple technology stack with a POS system, becoming key differentiators for open platforms. Providers
gateway, processor and value-added services is a feasible with strong reconciliation and observability tools can give
entry point for small and midsize businesses lacking the merchants greater control over their technology across
resources or expertise to manage a complex ecosystem. multiple channels, processors, ISVs and regions.
"As merchants grow, they will require more advantageous Stephen Martin, co-founder and CEO of RouteSense,
pricing, more sophisticated tools at each layer of the stack proposed that merchants are more susceptible to vendor
and a more open ecosystem," he said. "Working with a lock-in when they can't see transactions and payment flows.
partner that offers fair terms and transparent pricing "If you don't know your auth rate is underperforming, you
can ease the transition from a single platform to a multi- don't know your processor is the problem," he said. "If you
vendor environment." don't understand chargeback thresholds, you can't push
back when your MID gets pulled."
Evolving selling styles
A model built on ignorance is not sustainable, Martin
Experts warned that low-rate, discounted and short-term added, particularly as merchants are getting smarter,
savings offers can trap merchants in relationships that are data is becoming more accessible and programs like the
difficult to exit. Visa Acquiring Monitoring Program (VAMP) are forcing
stakeholders to pay attention to numbers they once
Goran Bosankic, co-founder and CEO of Field39, noted that ignored. Providers relying on termination clauses and
low-priced offers accompanied by downtime, operational proprietary integrations will need new strategies.
burdens and limited data access may cost merchants more
in the long run. "Sellers must focus on value-added service All-in-one or one-to-many
and reliability," he said. "Helping merchants focus on core
business by letting payments work for them is crucial in Noting that today's merchants are more technologically
selling merchant services today." advanced and often work with multiple gateways,
processors and software providers, experts advised MLSs
Kronenthal mentioned that offers built on upfront to be consultative and avoid pitches focused on features
savings followed by price increases are less effective than and benefits.
trusted partnerships that support upsell and cross-sell
opportunities. "Selling needs to pivot from price to value," Martin acknowledged the days of walking into a business
he said. "By pivoting to a value-based engagement model, and pitching your stack are over. "Merchants aren't looking
with transparency in pricing, potential rate increase for another vendor to add to the pile," he said. "They're
mechanisms and contract terms, sellers can start to create drowning in vendors. What they really want is someone
a true 'win-win' relationship dialog with the merchant." who can help them make sense of what they already have:
what's working, what isn't and where they are bleeding."
Allen Kopelman, co-founder and CEO of Nationwide
Payment Systems, urged fellow ISOs to borrow a page Better yet, he added, if you walk in with actual insight
from Big Tech and sell technology solutions rather than about their portfolio before they've told you anything,
payment processing. "Merchants who use technology you'll have their attention. That's a very different skill than
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