Caleb Avery's journey from selling payment terminals door-to-door as a college student to founding Tilled (https://www.tilled.com/), a revolutionary PayFac-as-a-Service platform, demonstrates the rapid evolution happening in the payments industry. In this fascinating conversation, Caleb shares James Huber of Global Legal Law Firm how his early experiences revealed small business owners' frustration with traditional payment processors, creating an opportunity for innovative solutions.

 • Noticed small business owners were frustrated with experiences from big banks and processors
 • Observed merchant needs evolving from simple terminals to integration with vertical software
 • Began consulting for software platforms and noticed they were using Stripe and missing revenue opportunities
 • Created Tilled to offer software companies a Stripe-like experience with better support and revenue generation
 • PayFac-as-a-Service provides API-first approach with developer-friendly documentation similar to Stripe
 • Helps agents and ISOs put their portfolios "on autopilot" by signing software platforms rather than individual merchants
 • Seeing expansion into increasingly niche vertical markets with specialized software solutions
 • Future direction includes moving beyond just payments to offer capital, banking, and disbursement solutions
 • Multiple partnership models available from simple referrals to white-labeling to enterprise solutions
 
 The real turning point came when Caleb noticed merchants increasingly asking about integration with vertical software platforms that offered features beyond just payment processing. After years consulting for software companies using Stripe, he recognized they were missing substantial revenue opportunities, which became the catalyst for creating Tilled.
 
 What makes Tilled unique is its API-first approach, creating a developer-friendly experience that transforms technology from an obstacle into an asset during the sales process. This allows payment professionals to escape the grind of door-to-door merchant acquisition and instead focus on signing software platforms that can automatically grow their portfolios as they acquire new users.
 
 Particularly intriguing is Caleb's perspective on the challenge facing traditional ISOs and agents. Rather than viewing the rise of vertical software as a threat, he positions it as an opportunity – albeit one requiring adaptation. Through multiple partnership models ranging from simple referrals to white-labeled solutions to enterprise integrations, Tilled provides pathways for payment professionals to transition into this new paradigm.
 
 Looking forward, Caleb envisions an expansion beyond just embedded payments into comprehensive financial services ecosystems. As successful vertical software companies increasingly offer lending, banking, and disbursement solutions alongside payments, Tilled is positioning itself to provide these capabilities to mid-market platforms, creating multiple revenue streams for its partners.
 
 For anyone working in payments or vertical software, this conversation offers crucial insights into industry trends and strategic opportunities that will shape the future of financial technology and merchant services.

**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