The Green Sheet Online Edition
February 23, 2026 • 26:02:02
The long stretch of winter
By February, even the hardiest among us feel it. The holiday rush is over. Year-end numbers have been tallied. Forecasts have been delivered. And now, in much of the Northern Hemisphere, we're navigating gray skies, delayed flights, icy commutes and merchants who are just as winter-weary as we are.
For payment professionals, this season has a particular rhythm. It's the stretch between urgency and renewal. The adrenaline of peak volume has faded, but the spring thaw, literal and economic, hasn't arrived yet. Severe weather slows foot traffic. Restaurants feel the chill. Small businesses watch cash flow carefully. Risk teams stay alert as fraud patterns shift with seasonal behavior.
A time for reinforcement
It can feel like a holding pattern. But winter has its own kind of work. This is the season for strengthening foundations. For reviewing and reinforcing what strained under peak volume. For refining onboarding flows, tightening controls, improving reporting and listening more closely to merchant concerns. When transactions slow slightly, clarity can increase.
Winter is also when trust is tested. Merchants remember who showed up during disruptions. Who helped them pivot to online channels when storefront traffic dipped. Who adjusted risk models without shutting down legitimate customers. Who picked up the phone when chargebacks spiked after a storm.
A time to strategize
Resilience in payments isn't built in sunshine; it's built in sleet. And something else is happening beneath the surface. While consumers may be hunkering down, finance teams are planning. CFOs are evaluating working capital. Retailers are rethinking loyalty strategies. Platforms are recalibrating embedded finance offerings. The conversations you're having now, even the cautious ones, are laying groundwork for the second quarter and beyond.
Winter can feel long. But it sharpens discipline. For those in acquiring, this is the stretch where strategy works quietly. Where endurance matters more than excitement. Where steady execution keeps the ecosystem moving, even when the sidewalks are icy.
Spring will come. Volumes will rise. Optimism will return. In the meantime, there is strength in the steady. And in payments, steady wins seasons. 
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