The Payments Experts Podcast

Is traditional banking losing its grip on the future of money?

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Christopher Dryden, Managing Partner of Global Legal Law Firm, sits down with Ariel Blum, (https://www.nowreceive.com/) fintech entrepreneur and founder of Receive, to explore the rapid evolution of financial technology, digital payments, lending, and the growing influence of fintech startups.

From his early days as a DJ struggling to get paid to working at American Express and Green Dot, Ariel shares his unconventional journey into financial technology and what inspired him to become an entrepreneur.

The conversation explores how American Express helped pioneer digital checkout experiences, the unique economics of card networks, and why fintech companies are increasingly challenging traditional banking models.

Christopher and Ariel also discuss the globalization of payments, the evolution of digital wallets, contactless payments, Banking-as-a-Service, and how technology is making financial products more accessible to businesses and consumers.

As fintech innovation accelerates, the barriers to launching financial technology companies continue to fall. What once required enormous capital, infrastructure, and institutional relationships can increasingly be accomplished by smaller, more agile teams.

Topics discussed include:

• Ariel Blum's journey from DJ to fintech entrepreneur
• His experience at American Express and Green Dot
• The evolution of digital payments and checkout technology
• American Express vs. Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal
• Why traditional banking models are being challenged
• The growth of Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS)
• Digital wallets, contactless payments, and consumer adoption
• How fintech is expanding access to financial services
• The differences between U.S. and international payments markets
• Israel's growing fintech and technology ecosystem
• Entrepreneurship, innovation, and the future of lending
• How AI and emerging technology are lowering barriers to entry

For payments professionals, fintech founders, ISOs, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the future of money, this episode offers a fascinating look at an industry being transformed by technology and competition.

The future of payments isn't standing still. The question is, who's going to lead it?


**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

The payments industry is changing fast, and Visa’s VAMP program and Mastercard’s merchant monitoring approach could fundamentally reshape how e-commerce and high-risk merchants operate.

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Christopher Dryden and Jeremy Stock of Global Legal Law Firm sits down with payments veteran Rey Pasinli of Total Apps (https://www.total-apps.com/) for a detailed conversation about merchant processing, contracts, chargebacks, TC40 data, VAMP, Mastercard monitoring, processor relationships, and the growing compliance pressures facing merchants, ISOs, agents, and acquirers.

Rey explains how Total Apps evolved from spreadsheets and paper files into its own technology and CRM infrastructure, and why technology, data, and automation have become essential to operating efficiently in payments. 

The conversation also tackles one of the industry's persistent problems: merchants and sales agents often don't know what they don't know. Christopher and Rey discuss contracts, surcharging and cash discount programs, legal compliance, processor relationships, merchant education, and how short-term decisions can damage long-term merchant relationships. 

The episode then goes deep into Visa's VAMP framework and the data behind merchant risk. Rey discusses TC40 reporting, chargebacks, friendly fraud, dispute-management tools, portfolio-level exposure, and why accurately understanding the underlying data matters. He also explains how processors and acquiring banks may respond as monitoring pressure increases. 

Rey also compares Visa's approach with Mastercard's monitoring methodology, including the role of chargeback and refund ratios and the potential implications for newer and higher-risk merchants. 

His closing message to e-commerce merchants is simple: question everything. Merchants need to understand their processor, their data, their VAMP and monitoring ratios, their TC40 activity, and whether the tools they're using are actually working.

For merchants, ISOs, agents, processors, acquirers, fintech professionals, and anyone operating in e-commerce payments, this episode offers a granular look at changes that could have significant consequences across the payments ecosystem.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

What does it take to build, scale, and ultimately create real value in the payments industry?

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner James Huber sits down with payments veteran Adam Spencer (Beyond Normal) (https://beyondnormalpartnerships.com/) for a wide-ranging conversation about banking, merchant services, ISO growth, technology, entrepreneurship, portfolio value, and one of the most consequential chapters of Adam’s career: his involvement in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Adam’s payments journey began after roughly 25 years in banking, including 15 years at JPMorgan and later work at BBVA. His experience eventually expanded across issuing, acquiring, digital wallets, sponsor banking, and international payments before he moved into the private sector and consulting.

The conversation explores what agents and ISOs should be doing differently today. Adam argues that smaller payments businesses need access to economies of scale, broader platforms, alternative payment capabilities, and strategic partnerships if they want to compete. He also explains why building a valuable merchant portfolio requires more than simply signing accounts. Retention, customer relationships, technology, vertical specialization, and predictable residuals can ultimately determine what that portfolio is worth.

One surprisingly simple lesson? Answer the phone. Adam explains why strong customer service can dramatically improve merchant retention and why payments professionals who remain valuable to their merchants may also make their portfolios more attractive to potential buyers.

The episode then takes a major turn into Adam’s experience with the PPP program. Adam recounts how his own difficulty obtaining a PPP loan exposed weaknesses in the system and eventually led him into lending technology and services. He describes working with bank relationships, technology, merchant portfolios, APIs, KYC, BSA and AML processes to help make the application process more accessible to small businesses.

Adam also discusses the controversy and scrutiny that followed, including his account of the technology and fraud-prevention processes involved. He states that the system ultimately processed applications at enormous scale and that approximately 2.5 million suspected fraudulent applications were turned over at the application stage.

This is a candid conversation about what happens when banking, payments, technology, entrepreneurship, government programs, and risk all collide.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Peptide merchants are facing an increasingly complicated payments landscape. MATCH placements, card brand violations, large assessments, processor terminations, and uncertainty over which products are actually creating problems can put an otherwise operating business in a difficult position almost overnight.

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner James Huber and Senior Associate Bryce Van De Moere discuss what they are seeing firsthand while representing peptide merchants, processors, and other participants in the payments ecosystem.

Topics include:
• Why peptide merchants are being classified as high risk 
• Peptide businesses and payment processing 
• Mastercard MATCH list placements 
• Challenging peptide-related MATCH placements 
• Card brand violations and assessments 
• Processor and acquiring-bank relationships 
• Changing standards surrounding peptide products 
• Compliance considerations for peptide merchants 
• Monitoring websites for potential issues 
• AI-powered merchant monitoring 
• Alternative payment processing solutions 
• What peptide merchants should expect going forward

One of the central problems is that the regulatory and card-brand landscape surrounding peptides continues to move. Products and compounds that trigger scrutiny today may be treated differently tomorrow, while merchants can find themselves dealing with the consequences of decisions made under earlier standards. The episode discusses situations in which merchants have faced MATCH placement over products they contend they did not sell, as well as changing treatment of particular peptides. 

James and Bryce also examine why peptide merchants can struggle to maintain reliable payment processing even when they are attempting to operate compliantly. They discuss the firm's experience working with both merchants and processors, the importance of understanding exactly what triggered a card-brand action, and emerging processing alternatives for businesses in this space. 

A major focus is the Mastercard MATCH list. Bryce explains the firm's approach to challenging peptide-related MATCH placements by working with processors and acquiring banks, seeking greater specificity regarding the alleged violation, and pursuing a resolution that can make sense for the merchant and other parties involved. 

The conversation also tackles card-brand fines and assessments. Where a MATCH placement forms the basis of an assessment, the attorneys discuss the potential implications if that underlying placement is subsequently removed.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

What does it take to leave the security of corporate banking, build your own payments company, and create a brand merchants actually trust?

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Christopher Dryden and Jeremy Stock sit down with Charles Bayani, founder of The Payment HQ, (https://www.thepaymenthq.com/), for a conversation about entrepreneurship, merchant services, sales, personal branding, agent training, and what it takes to build a payments organization for the long term.

Charles traces his journey from Wells Fargo, where he spent more than a decade developing his career in banking and merchant services, to launching The Payment HQ in 2022. He explains how the structure, training, mentorship, and sales discipline he learned in corporate banking ultimately became building blocks for his own company. 

But leaving corporate America also meant learning how to operate without layers of management and approval. Charles and Chris discuss the freedom and responsibility that come with entrepreneurship, why mistakes can become valuable business lessons, and the importance of creating SOPs, training programs, standards, and repeatable processes rather than simply chasing the next merchant account. 

A major focus of the episode is one of the most overlooked assets in merchant services: personal brand.

When Charles first launched The Payment HQ, merchants didn't recognize his new company. What they could recognize was Charles himself. His reputation, banking experience, LinkedIn presence, endorsements, and professional track record became a powerful source of credibility. That realization led Charles to invest more heavily in video, marketing, social media, and building a personal brand that could help establish trust before the sales conversation was over. 

The conversation also tackles a larger problem facing the payments industry: agents who receive too little training and are left competing almost exclusively on price. Charles explains why payments companies should invest in education and develop professionals who can provide genuine value to merchants rather than participating in a perpetual race to the bottom.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

What separates a great payments partner from one that simply sells a merchant account?

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner Christopher Dryden sits down with Rey Pasinli of Total Apps (https://www.total-apps.com/) for a candid conversation about merchant processing, high-risk payments, reserves, contracts, ethics, underwriting, and the practices that continue to give the payments industry a black eye.

Rey brings nearly three decades of payments experience and says he has worked with roughly 85,000 merchants throughout his career. His entry into the industry began from the merchant side, after his own early business experience left him locked into an expensive equipment lease. That experience helped shape his philosophy that payment professionals should advocate for merchants, bridge the knowledge gap between businesses and banks, and build relationships around transparency and service. 

The conversation digs into an issue many merchants overlook: the processing rate isn't always the most important number. Approval ratios, processor selection, reserve structures, chargeback management, timely funding, and the ability to recover reserves can have a far greater impact on a company's bottom line. Rey explains why merchants should think about their payment infrastructure as a complete system rather than simply shopping for the lowest rate. 

Christopher and Rey also tackle merchant processing agreements, excessive termination provisions, reserve transparency, residual disputes, and the importance of negotiating contracts before problems arise. They discuss how poor incentives and a lack of accountability can ripple through processors, ISOs, agents, and ultimately merchants. 

Finally, the conversation turns to high-risk and emerging verticals. From CBD and peptides to entirely new online business models, Rey explains why successful processing requires understanding the merchant's entire operation, matching the business with the right acquiring partner, and actively managing risk rather than simply approving an account and walking away.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

What happens when a young entrepreneur wakes up to a booming e-commerce business, only to discover that thousands of dollars are suddenly on hold?

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Christopher Dryden, managing partner of Global Legal Law Firm, sits down with CEO of Zillennial Technologies, Inc., (https://zillennial.xyz/) Eric Gonzalez, to discuss a journey that began with an unexpected lesson in high-risk payment processing and ultimately evolved into building e-commerce businesses and financial technology.

Eric shares how an early athletic apparel business took off almost overnight, only for a payment hold to leave him without the cash needed to fulfill orders. That experience introduced him to the often-confusing world of payment processing, underwriting, risk management, and the challenges entrepreneurs face when platforms or processors decide they no longer support a business model. 

But the conversation goes well beyond payments.

Christopher and Eric discuss entrepreneurship, sales, leadership, and the difference between failure and "temporary defeat." Eric explains how setbacks pushed him to learn new skills, rebuild his businesses, develop his own technology, and eventually transform an e-commerce operation into a broader technology company. 

The episode also explores Eric's vision for unified banking: giving entrepreneurs managing multiple companies and LLCs a centralized view of bank accounts, credit cards, loans, payments, due dates, and other financial obligations without losing the separation between their different businesses.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Surcharging sounds simple. Staying compliant is anything but.

In this special webinar edition of the Payments Experts Podcast, James Huber, Managing Partner of Global Legal Law Firm, and Jessica Walsh, Transactional Associate, break down the increasingly complicated world of credit card surcharging, dual pricing, and cash discounting.

The discussion moves beyond the basics and into the issues merchants, ISOs, agents, processors, and payments professionals are actually confronting: Visa and Mastercard surcharge rules, state-by-state restrictions, junk fee laws, disclosure requirements, debit card pitfalls, MDR calculations, and the potentially significant consequences of getting a program wrong.

James and Jessica also examine why a program that appears compliant under state law may still create problems under card brand rules, and why the details of how prices and fees are presented to consumers matter.

Topics include:
Surcharging vs. dual pricing vs. cash discounting
Visa and Mastercard surcharge rules and caps
Why debit and prepaid cards create compliance risks
MDR and determining permissible surcharge amounts
Required consumer and acquirer disclosures
State-by-state surcharging restrictions
California and other state junk fee laws
Secret shoppers, consumer complaints, and potential fines
Common disguised-surcharge mistakes
Practical examples of compliant and noncompliant pricing models

The central takeaway is simple: disclose, disclose, disclose. What merchants call a fee matters less than how the pricing program actually operates.

If you are a merchant, ISO, agent, processor, PayFac, fintech professional, or anyone advising businesses on payment acceptance, this episode provides a practical overview of one of the most misunderstood compliance areas in the payments industry.

This presentation is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

The payments industry is changing faster than ever, and the winners over the next decade won't simply sell payment processing. They'll build distribution, specialize in vertical markets, embrace software, and solve real business problems.

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner Christopher Dryden sits down with James Shepherd, founder of CCSalesPro, Stackably, and CCStorage, for an in-depth conversation about where the payments industry is heading and what ISOs, agents, ISVs, and payment professionals must do to stay competitive.

Why distribution is becoming the most valuable asset in payments
The future of ISOs, ISVs, and merchant services
Vertical specialization and software-first selling
AI's impact on merchant sales
Building recurring value instead of selling rates
Stripe, Square, Adyen, and the changing competitive landscape
Merchant acquisition strategies that actually work
Lessons on innovation, persistence, and long-term growth

James explains why distribution has become the most valuable asset in payments, why vertical specialization is replacing generic merchant sales, and why software is becoming the true competitive advantage. They also discuss why merchants no longer buy lower processing rates alone, how AI is accelerating change, and why sales professionals must continually adapt, fail, learn, and innovate to remain relevant.

The conversation closes with an insightful discussion about Stripe, Square, Adyen, legacy processors, and the future of payment technology, offering predictions that every payments executive, ISO owner, software company, and merchant services professional should hear.

We also dig into the mindset shift that separates winners from the rest: you will be bad at new verticals and new models at first, and there is no shortcut around that discomfort. Then we zoom out to the bigger competitive landscape, including Stripe, Square, and the PayFac model, and why improving tech and developer experience is becoming existential for legacy processors.

If you want a sharper merchant value proposition and a clearer view of where payments is heading, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with the biggest change you are making in your sales approach.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice.  All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

PEP Links:
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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

AI Identity Theft Is Destroying Merchant Accounts

AI is transforming the payments industry, but it's also giving fraudsters powerful new tools. In this eye-opening episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, James Huber and Jeremy Stock sit down with Allen Kopelman, CEO and co-founder of Nationwide Payment Systems (https://nationwidepaymentsystems.com/), to discuss the explosive rise of AI-driven business identity theft and its impact on merchants, ISOs, payment processors, and underwriters. 

Topics Covered:
• AI-generated business identity theft 
• Fake merchant accounts and fraudulent underwriting 
• MATCH list issues and merchant account shutdowns 
• AI-generated fake documents and synthetic identities 
• Merchant and ISO liability 
• Fraud prevention best practices 
• The future of AI versus AI in payment security

The conversation explores how criminals are using artificial intelligence to generate convincing fake documents, steal legitimate business identities, create fraudulent merchant accounts, and leave innocent business owners facing MATCH listings, frozen merchant accounts, and devastating operational disruptions. James and Allen also discuss why automation alone isn't enough, how underwriting practices must evolve, and why both merchants and payment professionals need stronger safeguards against increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. 

A scammer can hijack your business identity, open a merchant account under your name, and get you shut down before you even know it happened. That sounds impossible until you see how cheap and automated the modern fraud playbook has become.

We break down the surge in AI-powered business identity theft hitting payment processing, merchant services, and underwriting teams right now. Allen shares real stories from the field: stolen identities used to form new corporations, online bank accounts opened in minutes, fake websites spun up overnight, and POS systems like Clover shipped straight to unsuspecting victims. Once the virtual terminal is live, fraudsters run stolen cards, chargebacks explode, and the real business owner can land on the MATCH list through no fault of their own.

We also dig into the part that makes everyone angry: when an acquiring bank or processor acknowledges the merchant was a victim but still refuses to remove them from MATCH. We walk through practical recovery steps (police report, FTC report, credit bureau disputes) and the underwriting red flags that help catch fake documents, edited bank letters, suspicious metadata, and “too clean” online applications. Finally, we talk liability for ISOs and agents, why automation creates new weak points, and what the industry could do next to share intel on repeat scammers.

Subscribe for more payments risk and fraud prevention conversations, share this with a business owner who takes cards, and leave a review if you want us to keep pushing on MATCH accountability. What is the most surprising fraud tactic you have seen lately?

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.** 

PEP Links: 

https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/ 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2176695

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm