Allen Kopelman, CEO and Founder of Nationwide Payment Systems, takes us behind the curtain of the rapidly evolving payments landscape, sharing insights gained from his fascinating career transition from restaurant chef to payments industry leader. Since founding his company in 2001, Allen has navigated multiple industry transformations, positioning his business to thrive amid technological disruption.

The conversation reveals a fundamental shift in merchant priorities: "Today businesses are buying tech first, merchant services second." This observation frames Allen's provocative assertion that "Software is the new ISO."

Looking ahead, Allen identifies several critical trends reshaping payments: the dominance of software-driven solutions, the impact of the FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule on recurring transactions, and potential interchange fee adjustments from card networks. He offers a compelling perspective on artificial intelligence as well, revealing how his company has leveraged AI to dramatically improve SEO performance and predicting that "people who know how to use AI will replace people who don't use AI."

Ready to gain insights from a payments veteran who's successfully navigated decades of industry evolution? This episode delivers practical wisdom you can apply immediately to your payments business or career.