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Insights and Expertise

StreetSmarts SM

A 2026 BFCM marketing playbook

for your ISO or MLS business

By Jaki Kackert Don't forget mobile. With more than half of online holiday
Kackert Marketing transactions occurring on smartphones last season, mer-
chants should review how promotions, product pages and
lack Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are checkout experiences perform on smaller screens.
no longer just a long weekend on the retail
calendar. They are part of an extended holiday The ISO opportunity: Out-of-the-box resources give sales
B selling season that begins weeks, sometimes representatives and account managers a reason to pro-
months, before Thanksgiving. actively contact merchants. Instead of reaching out only
when there is a processing problem or contract renewal,
For ISOs and merchant level salespeople (MLSs), this cre- you are starting a conversation about generating revenue.
ates an opportunity beyond processing additional trans- Help merchants sell value, not just discounts
actions. The holiday season provides a reason to engage
your merchant portfolio, introduce additional solutions, Consumers want deals, but continually cutting prices isn't
strengthen retention, and demonstrate the value your or- always the best strategy for an SMB. Encourage merchants
ganization brings to the merchant relationship. to think beyond “20% off everything.” Promotions could
include:
There is plenty of business at stake. The 2025 holiday sea-
son generated a record $257.8 billion in U.S. online spend- • Spend $75 and receive $10 toward a future purchase.
ing from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, according to Adobe An- • BOGO discount, like “Buy two products and receive
alytics. Cyber Week alone generated $44.2 billion, while a third at a discount” or “free.”
smartphones accounted for 56.4 percent of online holiday • Free shipping above a designated threshold.
transactions.
• Bonus loyalty points during Cyber Week for mer-
Heading into BFCM 2026, merchants are also serving in- chants that have an established program.
creasingly value-conscious consumers while managing • Early BFCM access for existing customers.
higher operating costs and rapidly changing technology. • Earn promotional gift card with purchase, above a
Your strategic advantage is helping them navigate that designated threshold.
complexity. Here are several ways to turn BFCM into an
office-wide merchant growth and retention strategy. These offers can help merchants increase average tickets
Give merchants 'BFCM-in-a-box' and encourage repeat visits without competing solely on
pricing.
Your SMB merchants are busy, and many do not have ded-
icated marketing departments. Make holiday promotion The ISO opportunity: Review whether your merchants'
easier by providing a simple, customizable BFCM toolkit. POS, ecommerce and loyalty systems support tiered pro-
Consider including email and SMS templates, social me- motions, bundles and rewards. A BFCM conversation can
dia captions and graphics, gift card promotions, QR-code easily become a valuable technology review.
signage, and a basic calendar showing when holiday cam-
paigns should launch. Make gift cards work for your merchants
Gift cards can generate revenue today while giving cus-
tomers a reason to return tomorrow. Encourage merchants
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