WSAA 2019 embraces changing acquiring community

More than 600 payments industry professionals gathered at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Rancho Mirage, Calif., from Sept. 18 to 19, 2019, for the 16th annual Western States Acquirers Association conference. Conference planners mixed back-to-basics training with payments innovation and emerging technologies for its signature event.

Established in 2003, WSAA is a not-for-profit organization for ISOs, merchant level salespeople (MLSs), financial institutions and technology companies that serve ecommerce and consumer retail sectors. The annual conference endeavors to educate and inform acquirers, ISOs and MLSs about the ever-changing needs of the financial services industry, event organizers stated.

WSAA 2019 featured a diversity of exhibitors, speakers, moderators and panelists. In addition to planned seminars and breakout sessions, the event included the 2019 Ken Elderts Memorial Golf Tournament at the Indian Wells Golf Resort. Discussions focused on emerging technologies, evolving business models and the continuing quest for secure, compliant, frictionless solutions.

Diversified agenda

The agenda was curated for a mixed audience of payments industry veterans and newcomers. The Electronic Transactions Association hosted a refresher course on industry fundamentals for payments professionals, which included tracks on payments industry trends, sales and marketing techniques, selling technology, and approaches to underwriting and risk management.

In a panel discussion on the future of cash discount and surcharging, David Leppek, executive payment consultant at Statement IQ, told audience members that surcharging and cash discounting are here to stay. Consumers and merchants accept these pricing models and expect them to continue, he added.

A presentation on the evolving CBD and cannabis landscape offered an in-depth look at regulatory requirements and best practices, including advice on how to monitor merchants who misrepresent their businesses by using incorrect MCC codes. Sharon Lampley, director, acquirer management at Mastercard said the DEA “considers marijuana a controlled substance, and Mastercard will not allow illegal transactions.”

A discussion of ISO to VAR migration phenomenon examined a new breed of tech-savvy ISOs embracing technology and managed services. Shawn Lally, vice president of agent sales at Paysafe Group, observed that sales partners are increasingly asking for help in expanding their businesses and reducing attrition. “They are asking us to help them integrate; this has been happening for a while,” he said.

Popular panels

The following discussions were among many other highlights:

• Investment community’s impact on payments: Moderated by Pat Ford, WSAA president and vice president, ISO Solutions at First Data/Fiserv. Panelists included Howard Mergelkamp, founder, Mosaik Partners; and Howard Herndon, attorney at Frost Brown Todd LLC.

• The role and reach of payment facilitators: Moderated by Todd Ablowitz, CEO and founder of Infinicept and chairman at Double Rich Inc. Panelists were Carlee Hudachko, executive vice president business development, BridgePay Network Solutions; Vinny Breault, general manager North America at Poynt; and Deborah Camm, WSAA director and vice president of business development and client relations at Merrick Bank.

• Using social media to grow in a digital economy: Moderated by Lane Conner, WSAA treasurer and founder and CEO at Fuzse. Panelists included Peggy Olson, president and CEO at Strategic Marketing; Anis Makaren, partner at Dyad Ventures; and Scott Farace, CMO at Celero Commerce.

Throughout the presentations, WSAA leaders thanked audience members for their support while inviting them to register for next year’s event, which will be held in Huntington Beach, Calif.

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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