The Green Sheet Online Edition
August 10, 2026 • 26:08:01
Street Smarts
Growing your HVAC merchant portfolio - Part 1
This is the first installment of a two-part series examining how ISOs and merchant level salespeople (MLSs) can build a successful HVAC merchant portfolio. Part 1 explores why the HVAC industry continues to be one of the strongest vertical markets for payment providers and how understanding contractors' business challenges can help position your organization as a trusted technology partner. Part 2 will focus on marketing strategies that can help you reach HVAC businesses and grow your portfolio.
The HVAC industry is one of the strongest verticals for ISOs and MLSs. Demand is being fueled by aging infrastructure, increasingly extreme weather, stricter energy-efficiency regulations, electrification initiatives, and homeowners' growing expectations for smart, connected systems. Industry analysts estimate the U.S. HVAC services market now exceeds $150 billion annually, while the global smart HVAC market continues to grow as contractors invest in new technologies and services.
For HVAC contractors, growth creates opportunity, but it also creates new challenges. Labor shortages are limiting technician availability, while rising equipment costs, refrigerant changes and increasing customer expectations make efficiency imperative. Contractors are investing in technologies that help them schedule appointments faster, invoice customers sooner, communicate more effectively and get paid more quickly.
That presents an excellent opportunity for payment providers. Today's HVAC businesses are not simply shopping for lower processing rates. They are looking for business technology partners who can help streamline operations, improve cash flow and simplify business processes. Organizations that serve as consultants rather than simply payment processors will be best positioned to win this growing vertical.
Know your target audience
As with any industry you serve, it is important to understand the pain points HVAC professionals are facing and how your organization is uniquely qualified to meet their needs.
HVAC contractors' challenges are unique. Demand often increases dramatically during the hottest and coldest months of the year, making scheduling service calls more difficult. At the same time, equipment costs continue to rise, qualified technicians remain in short supply and customers expect quick responses, convenient payment options and excellent service. Understanding these challenges allows you to market integrated payment solutions that solve real business problems.
For example, recurring payments can help contractors manage monthly maintenance plans while allowing homeowners to spread costs over time. Financing and installment payment options can make expensive equipment replacements more affordable for customers while helping contractors close more sales. Mobile payment acceptance and electronic invoicing allow technicians to collect payments before leaving the job site, improving cash flow while reducing administrative work.
For contractors serving commercial or government customers, Level III processing capabilities may also be attractive. And for contractors who do not want to absorb credit card processing costs, cash discount programs provide another option that may benefit both the contractor and the customer.
Equally important is the integration of back-office solutions that help reduce the amount of time contractors spend on administrative tasks. Marketing how your accounting, CRM, inventory management and payment solutions work together can help instill confidence that you understand their industry and are the best choice for meeting their unique needs.
Today's HVAC contractors are also adapting to several industry-wide changes, including the transition to new low-global-warming-potential refrigerants, increased adoption of heat pumps, growing demand for indoor air quality solutions, and software platforms that use artificial intelligence to improve dispatching and scheduling. These investments are making integrated payment solutions an increasingly important part of a contractor's overall technology strategy.
Position your value proposition clearly
Marketing the payment solutions and services you provide is key to helping HVAC professionals see your organization as more than another payment processor. How you position your messaging is just as important as the features themselves. Rather than simply listing product capabilities, explain how those capabilities solve everyday business challenges. For example:
- Instant or same-day funding can help improve cash flow.
- Integrated in-person, online, mobile and email payment options reduce friction and help contractors get paid faster.
- Financing and installment options can help HVAC businesses close more equipment replacement sales while building recurring revenue.
- Competitive processing rates help more revenue stay in the merchant's business.
- Integration with field service management software such as ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or other business systems reduces duplicate work while improving scheduling, invoicing and customer management.
- AI-powered reporting and analytics can help identify profitable service lines, technician productivity and customer buying trends.
- Embedded payment experiences, including text-to-pay, payment links, stored payment credentials and recurring billing, reduce administrative work while improving the customer experience.
The more closely you connect your solutions to the everyday challenges HVAC contractors face, the more likely they are to see your organization as a trusted adviser rather than simply another vendor.
Part 2 will explore practical marketing strategies that can help you reach more HVAC contractors and continue growing your merchant portfolio. 
Jaki Kackert is a seasoned marketing professional with experience supporting organizations across the payments and financial services industries. Through expertise in content marketing, digital strategy, public relations, and communications, she helps ISOs and Resellers build marketing strategies that attract, retain, and grow merchant portfolios. For more information please visit www.kackertmarketing.com or reach out to Jaki at jbkackert@gmail.com
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