Page 23 - GS210701

CompanyProfile

Partner-driven,

technology-proven

merchant solutions

ISO/MLS contact:
fter competing with technology companies as
a merchant level salesperson in 2008 and then Ray Kenney
as a sub-ISO in 2015, JohnPaul Golino, founder Chief Operating Officer
A and CEO of Choice Merchant Solutions, saw a
better way. Borrowing a page from big tech's playbook, 800-539-9116
he set out to build and scale an end-to-end merchant
acquiring platform without investor money. ray@choiceinc.biz

"Fast forward to 2016, we registered Choice Merchant So-
lutions with Esquire Bank and formed Choice Technolo- istry than resumes when building a team. When every-
gies, where we created Jarvis, an operational infrastruc- one is comfortable, you eliminate unnecessary stress and
ture for merchant acquirers," Golino said. "Today, Jarvis just work better, he added.
supports more than 50,000 merchants as well as ISVs,
ISOs, resellers and financial institutions that white label "In the past year, we added people who are making a big
the platform." difference and we didn't lose anyone," Golino said. "Some
team members have been with us for 10 years and others
Following the success of Jarvis in the acquiring commu- two years; when you get really good people it makes a
nity, Choice hired a team in 2018 to build a similar type difference."
of back-office infrastructure for merchants. Launched in
2020, the technology, gateway and application are fully While acknowledging that the pandemic was a tough
synchronized; a sale on a terminal will also show up on time for everyone, Golino said pivoting to digital didn’t
the mobile app, Golino stated. happen by luck. Choice had already been building digital
platforms at the onset of COVID-19, and nearly 50 percent
Solid infrastructure of employees had already been working remotely, which

Golino pointed out that owning the technology stack and meant zero adjustments were needed to go 100 percent
gateway enables Choice to deliver true omnichannel solu- remote and digital, he noted.
tions on its smart app for Android and iOS devices. He Partner driven
added that the company and its ISV partners have helped
franchises, auto dealerships, municipalities and sports Contemplating Choice's near-term opportunities and
stadiums improve their conversion rates and bottom lines. road map, Golino said his biggest priority is to help ISOs
and ISVs who have been impacted by mergers, internal
Choice software seamlessly integrates device plat- sales and opaque pricing policies—because he has been
forms across channels to support customers where there. As a sub-ISO watching his deal count go from 100
and when they want to pay, Golino stated. QR to 75 to 15 deals a month, Golino vowed to forge lasting
code menus, online ordering and pay-by-text capa- relationships with transparent pricing for every partner
bilities enable customers to order ahead and check and customized support for every ISV.
out on their own devices remotely and in stores.
"We want you to feel good when you sign a merchant
The Choice POS family, which includes the Smart Termi- who is using another POS system," Golino said. "When
nal, Edge Terminal and Pro Terminal, can support every you walk out the door, you won't have to feel that the mer-
phase of the merchant customer lifecycle. The company's chant needs more than you can offer."
REST API enables ISVs to easily integrate Choice pay-
ments applications into vertically focused solutions, Go- In addition, Choice helps its partners and end-user cus-
lino noted, adding that the Choice Technology Suite pro- tomers leverage all of the endpoints it offers, Golino
vides partners with back-office infrastructure; scalable stated, adding that in many cases, this has improved the
technology; customizable, continuously updated feature ways in which business owners reconcile payments and
sets; and 24/7 support. pull transaction data. "We give you the technology you
need to scale, compete, reduce attrition and add value to
Cohesive team your business," Golino said. "With us, you don't have to
Crediting people and technology for his company's year- charge crazy fees for technologies because we own it all."
over-year organic growth, he said he relies more on chem-
23