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Letter from the editors

Empowering & Connecting
hen it comes to higher education, much
of the discussion in mainstream media
centers on the high cost of obtaining a today’s
W college degree and the outsize, burden-
some debt many graduating students carry going for- payments
ward, often for decades. In this issue, we do not jump
into that discussion. We do, however, put the spotlight
on a different sort of higher education, one designed to professionals
enhance your earning power without putting you into
debt: professional education, specifically certification
programs offered by organizations within the pay-
ments industry.

In our lead article, you'll get an insider's view of
several certification programs, including the Payment
Card Industry Professional, Certified Lease & Finance
Professional, and Electronic Transactions Association
Young Payments Professional. You'll hear from
individuals who have gone through those programs
and shared both what they learned and what benefits
they continue to derive from them.

When education is combined with industry experience,
the benefits multiply. Industry experts contributing to
this issue speak from their experience on such topics as
what it really takes to succeed as an entrepreneur; the • Spotlight Innovator
importance of conversing with merchants in their own
business language; merchants' need for reliable, cost- Web Pages: Capture prospects with
effective technologies that deliver multiple benefits; branded, customized web pages for
declining check usage and increasing ACH and card
payments; concerning payment topics that need more innovators and leaders.
attention; a dozen payment predictions for 2020.
• Video Content Marketing: Educate
Recent news stories published include Visa's acquisition and impress with animation and
of Plaid, a Blackhawk study on digital wallet growth,
Travelex's progress in recovering from a cyberattack, white-board explainer videos.
how the major card brands are likely to benefit from • Resource Guide: Grab attention with
the latest U.S.-China trade agreement, direct to
consumer models threatening traditional retailers, advanced mini ads in print and
and the latest phishing techniques proving to be online.
effective for scammers. Product and company profiles
are, of course, also included, along with notes on new • Targeted Email Campaigns: Reach
Merchant Sales podcast episodes concerning the card-
not-present realm in 2020, Mastercard rules on free responsive professionals who know
trials, how to get past gatekeepers on the phone, the and trust The Green Sheet.
overturning of Oklahoma's no-surcharging law, and
more. Also inside you'll find updates on individual and
company achievements, industry research, strategic Danielle Thorpe
partnerships, acquisitions of note, and executive
appointments. AVP Media Partnerships

There are always more developments in payments than https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellethorpe/
we can address in one issue. Do you want to share and
opinion on a hot industry topic? Just email a note of
300 words or fewer to greensheet@greensheet.com, and 707-284-1686
we might feature you in Readers Speak. Don't want
to go public? That's OK, email us your questions and
comments, and we'll keep them confidential.
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