MWAA 2019 explores changing payments ecosystem

More than 700 payments industry attendees convened July 16 to 18, 2019, at Chicago’s Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel for the 17th anniversary of the Midwest Acquirers Association Conference. A festive opening night party filled with games and cotton candy reflected a buoyant industry that continually adapts to changing trends in consumer behavior, regulatory initiatives and emerging technologies.

Keynote speakers and panelists examined integrated payments from multiple perspectives, from the technical aspects of software to strategic viewpoints and business models to the financial rewards of working with independent software vendors ISVs).

Juan Ortiz, senior vice president at i3 Verticals LLC, stepped in to fill a last-minute change in the agenda’s final session, entertaining the audience as he reflected on his 20-year career in merchant services. As a son of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to get a college education, Ortiz built a profitable book of business at Blue Pay Processing LLC before it was acquired by First Data Corp. Ortiz, who is now focused on partnerships with ISVs, told the audience, “I’m living proof that anything is possible if you are willing to change.”

Ortiz, who had been instrumental in forming the BluePay gateway, offered the following four-point formula for a successful payment gateway:

1. Recurring billing is a must

2. Level 3 processing

3. EMV support

4. Connecting to multiple processors

Entrepreneur executive forum

William Treciak, president and CEO of Electronic Data Payment Systems, led the Entrepreneur Executive Forum, an invitation-only event designed to facilitate personal discussions among small and midsize business owners. Nineteen payments industry executives shared ideas, challenges and best practices on competing in time of rapid consolidation and change.

“One participant told me afterwards that he was sitting across the table from a direct competitor,” Treciak said. “He and other attendees found common ground and actionable strategies.”

Treciak noted that smaller ISOs and entrepreneurs typically wear many hats to be effective in their businesses. The two-hour inaugural event provided them with a platform on how to meet common challenges. “We must find a way to help ISOs that are not part of big conglomerates,” he said. “When a sub-ISO’s upstream processor consolidates, they need to know what happens to their contracts and what 800 numbers to call.”

Payments and POS forever

Gary Kielich, president at Systems Technology Group Inc., provided an up-close look at his journey from being an ISV to becoming a registered ISO. Presenting a united front to his customers as a “one-call, one-company” has enabled him to become a trusted advisor instead of someone who signs new accounts and moves on, he stated.

Cloud-based POS systems are here to stay, and companies are moving from capital expenditures to monthly subscription models, Kielich further noted, adding that business owners are less concerned with total cost of ownership and care more about who owns the relationship.

“POS and payments are forever linked,” he said. “Partnering [with ISVs] is still possible but must be mutually beneficial.”

Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.

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