Green Sheet
18:46:12 (UTC) 12-22-2025
The POS for carriers pushes boundaries with iQ Storefront
18:43:16 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Shift4 launches global stablecoin settlement platform
18:41:53 (UTC) 12-22-2025
StubHub App launches in OpenAI ChatGPT
18:40:16 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Fiserv collaborates with Visa to accelerate agentic commerce
18:39:02 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Conduent launches Italy’s first integrated transit EMV contactless payment system
18:35:43 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Fiserv, Mastercard partner to advance trusted agentic commerce for merchants
17:48:03 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Alkami announces breakout tracks for Alkami Co:lab 2026
17:46:47 (UTC) 12-22-2025
Finastra expands global footprint with new U.S. and India offices
Breaking News
Monday, December 22, 2025
Fed finds slower debit growth, rising fraud losses, steady interchange
The Federal Reserve on Dec. 19, 2025, published its long-anticipated biennial report on debit card transactions, offering detailed insight into how Americans pay with debit and prepaid cards and how related fees and costs have evolved through 2023.
Online Edition – Issue 25:12:01
What do merchants really want - Part 3
This article is the third and final installment in our multipart series exploring the payment-related pain points merchants are raising most urgently. In Parts 1 and 2, industry leaders shared what they're hearing about rising costs, chargebacks, integrations, support expectations and the expanding range of payment options at the point of sale. Here, we continue that conversation by asking a new group of experts to respond to the same five questions, providing additional perspective on where merchants are feeling the most pressure and where providers can make the biggest difference.
Our flipbook edition
Calendar of Events
Events
February 3, 2026
2026 International Trade and Payments Conference
February 4, 2026
February 10, 2026
February 17, 2026
February 23, 2026
Community Voices
This week's featured contributor:
Viktoria Soltesz
Viktoria Soltesz is the CEO and founder of PSP Angels and The Soltesz Institute. She is a leading advocate for strategy-led financial operations, ethical industry practices, and structured education in an area too often overlooked in traditional business training. PSP Angels is a globally awarded, independent payment and banking consultancy that has supported over 1,000 companies in building scalable, secure financial infrastructures. The Soltesz Institute is the first and only independent online organization offering EU-accredited training and certifications focused exclusively on payments and banking.
December 22nd, 2025
Rethinking the Agent Model for 2026
As the payments industry looks toward 2026, many agents and ISOs are realizing the traditional agent model is under pressure. In this episode, James Shepherd sits down with Keith Sampson for an honest conversation about burnout, goal setting, and why chasing high splits often leads to unsustainable businesses. Keith shares lessons from building and exiting companies, navigating personal and professional burnout, and rethinking how payments fits into a larger long-term strategy.
Together, they break down why the agent model is changing, how to think differently about referral versus dealer structures, and what it really takes to build lasting wealth in today’s integrated payments landscape. The episode also includes a Today in Payments segment with Patti Murphy, covering timely industry news and updates not included in this interview.
Company profile from GS240602
Drive revenue, scale operations with B2B cellular connectivity
OptConnect began life in 2000 as a Grant Victor company, providing cellular routers for ATMs. After years of selling routers as ATM accessories, the company expanded into other markets and established OptConnect LLC in 2009, a global wireless connectivity provider that offers a range of cellular connectivity options, from self-managed to fully managed solutions. Chris Baird, president and CEO of OptConnect, said the company is focused on simplifying connectivity. "One size doesn't fit all, especially when it comes to cellular connectivity," he said, adding that OptConnect provides IoT project expertise, resources and support.
