Merchant Sales Podcast

This week’s Merchant Sales Podcast is a special throwback episode. While on vacation, James revisited one of his favorite sales training recordings from nearly a decade ago—back when he was personally walking into businesses every day and building a portfolio of more than 700 merchant accounts. In this short but practical episode, James shares timeless field sales techniques for approaching busine...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd is joined by James Huber, Partner at Global Legal Law Firm, for a practical discussion on the legal and strategic decisions that shape a successful payments business. From ISV partnerships and embedded payments to raising capital, protecting residuals, negotiating investor agreements, and planning for acquisitions, they share real-world...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Ron Halversen, President of Clarity Ventures, to discuss what it really takes to win enterprise and B2B payment opportunities. From ERP integrations and payment automation to faster cash flow, operational efficiencies, and lower processing costs, Ron explains how ISOs can solve meaningful business problems instead of competing sol...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Bob Lovinger, Founder and CEO of FlexxBuy and CEO of Coach Financing, to discuss why consumer financing remains one of the biggest untapped opportunities for agents, ISOs, and software providers. From coaching programs and professional services to home improvement and medical practices, Bob explains how financing can help merchant...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Sebastian Builes Jinete, CEO of Arcum, to discuss how AI and payments data are transforming the way ISOs, acquirers, and processors manage their portfolios. From merchant activation and retention to win-back campaigns and partner monitoring, Sebastian shares how actionable intelligence can help organizations maximize revenue and m...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Lane Gordon, CEO of 733Park, to discuss how AI is reshaping software, payments, and business valuations. From merchant portfolios and SaaS models to vertical software strategies and acquisition trends, Lane shares what buyers are looking for today—and what business owners should be thinking about if they hope to build long-term va...

Tap on Phone has been one of the most talked-about innovations in payments, but many agents still aren't offering it to merchants. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Vlad Sadovskiy, CEO of Netevia, to discuss why Tap on Phone is gaining momentum, the challenges behind bringing it to market, and how ISOs can use it to compete more effectively in a Square-dominated s...

Traditional ISO models often leave agents waiting on approvals, relying on multiple systems, and giving up control throughout the merchant lifecycle. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Simon Kemp to discuss the growing opportunity around PayFac for ISOs and how new models are helping bridge the gap between traditional ISO relationships and full payment facilitation...

In this replay episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd revisits one of our foundational conversations: What is payment processing? James delivers a straightforward, easy-to-understand explanation of how credit card processing works, covering the basics of authorization and settlement, along with the roles of processors, acquirers, and merchant accounts. Whether you're new to payments...

Fraud prevention used to be about stopping bad transactions—but today, it’s about maximizing revenue without blocking good customers. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Stuart Mann of Accertify to break down how fraud strategy has evolved, from simple rule-based systems to AI-driven models that analyze behavior, device data, and user intent. They explore how mercha...

The payments landscape is changing fast—and many ISOs are struggling to keep up. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Ben Griefer, COO of Maverick Payments, to break down what it really takes to stay competitive today, from choosing the right upstream partners to balancing risk, operations, and sales focus. They dive into the tradeoffs between going direct vs partner...

In a market where pricing and equipment have become completely commoditized, agents are struggling to stand out and win deals. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Jeff Moskowitz, CEO of Tuzo Rewards, to explore a different approach—using rewards to shift the conversation away from price and toward value. They break down how agents can use rewards to create better fi...

Most agents are stuck competing for small accounts where pricing is everything—but enterprise deals play by a completely different set of rules. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Jerry Gialanella of Fort Point Payments to break down what it really takes to win larger merchants, from shifting your mindset to focusing on real business problems instead of basis point...

Most agents are focused on saturated markets like retail and restaurants—but the real opportunity may be in B2B. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Russ Hayes and Mike Hayes to break down how ISOs and agents can tap into manufacturers, distributors, and contractors to unlock larger deals and long-term growth. They discuss why integrated invoice and ACH solutions ar...

Most agents get stuck competing for the same small accounts, fighting over price in crowded verticals like restaurants and retail. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James sits down with Josh Holden to break down what it really takes to move upmarket—targeting larger businesses, focusing on specific verticals, and building a strategy that actually scales. They dive into hiring strategi...

ACH has long been a frustrating part of payments — slow settlement, complex onboarding, and limited control. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Will Messina, CEO of GrailPay, to break down how modern infrastructure is transforming ACH. They discuss why legacy ACH has struggled for decades, how better risk modeling enables faster funding, and what it takes...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd talks with Satheesh Kanchi, founder and CEO of OneHubPOS, about the growing opportunity for ISOs and agents to offer a processor-agnostic, white-label POS solution. They discuss how OneHub is approaching restaurant and specialty retail verticals, what makes a unified POS platform different from fragmented app-based systems, and why flex...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd explores some of the biggest developments shaping the payments landscape today. He discusses the rapid growth of digital wallets like Apple Pay, increasing merchant acceptance of cryptocurrency, and new payment frameworks emerging for cross-border transactions. He also highlights an important reality in payments: technology may evolve q...

High-risk merchants represent one of the biggest, and most misunderstood, opportunities in merchant services. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd speaks with Julie Franke, owner of Electronic Merchant Services, about what really defines a high-risk merchant account and how agents can succeed in this specialized segment of the industry. They break down the different types...

The payments industry is shifting, and for ISOs, the future increasingly belongs to software. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with David Robinson, CEO of MyDevTeam, to discuss how payment companies and agents can transition from traditional processing models into software-driven businesses. They break down what it really takes to build technology, how ISOs c...

Interchange fees are one of the largest — and most misunderstood — costs in merchant services. But new changes from Visa are reshaping how optimization works and creating new opportunities for payment professionals. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd speaks with Jeremy Layton, CEO of Verisave, about interchange optimization, Visa’s new Commercial Enhanced Data Program (C...

Real-time payments are already transforming how money moves, but most payment professionals still don’t understand the opportunity. In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd and Patti Murphy sit down with Jim Colassano, Senior Vice President at The Clearing House, to break down the RTP (Real-Time Payments) network and why instant money movement could reshape merchant settlement...

Where is the payments industry really headed as we move toward 2026? In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Greg Myers, host of the Leaders in Payments podcast, to break down the biggest trends payments leaders are watching—from AI and agentic commerce to embedded finance and evolving ISO strategies. The conversation cuts through the hype to focus on what’s ac...

In this week’s episode, James sits down with Ben Ross of Green PayTech for a candid discussion on what it really takes to build and scale a payments business in today’s market. They dig into partnership strategy, technology alignment, and why integrated payments are no longer optional for anyone serious about long-term growth. Later in the episode, Patti Murphy returns with Today in Payments, cove...

In this episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Jaron Rice for a candid, unfiltered conversation about growth, control, and the realities of scaling in the payments industry. Jaron shares his personal journey from building a book, registering directly, experimenting with scale, and ultimately redefining what success actually looks like in today’s market. They break dow...