Real Talk Payments pulls back the curtain on the payment processing industry through candid conversations with seasoned veterans who've seen it all. Hosted by Pagos, this podcast brings together industry leaders with decades of combined experience to share the unfiltered truth about what really happens behind every transaction.

In this inaugural episode, our host, Kapil Mokhat is joined by Andy Barker (Pagos), Albert Drouart (CPO and Co-founder of Pagos), and Matt Wagner (VP and GM of Payments at Adobe) for a deep dive into the industry's quirks, frustrations, and hard-earned lessons. From the mysterious "do not honor" decline code that's been the number two decline reason for over 25 years, to the shocking reality of hidden FX markups reaching 300 basis points, nothing is off limits.

The conversation explores why payment costs are anything but predictable, despite Visa and MasterCard's impressive profit margins. Discover how one conversation with a Mexican bank increased checkout success rates by 1,400 basis points overnight, and why merchants sometimes choose to pay millions in penalty fees because it makes good business sense. The panelists tackle the paradox of an industry selling speed and real-time processing while settlement still takes days, and why after a quarter-century, basic reporting and visibility remain surprisingly difficult.

Whether you're a payments professional frustrated by opaque specifications, a merchant trying to optimize authorization rates, or simply curious about the invisible infrastructure powering global commerce, Real Talk Payments delivers the insider knowledge and practical insights you won't find anywhere else. No hype, just honest conversation from people who've actually been in the trenches.