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CoverStory

Meeks also offered a list of merchant priorities: The issue Meeks put at the top of merchants' wish list is
• Clear, consolidated reporting. timely, capable, live support. "Merchants often feel com-
pletely alone when issues arise, caught between software
• Fewer disputes, and tools to prevent them, not just vendors, processors, gateways and POS companies, each
react. pointing to the other," she said.
• Simpler, more durable integrations.
• Responsive support from people who understand "When something breaks, they don't want to troubleshoot
logos. They want someone to step in, fix it and help pre-
their setup. vent it from happening again.
"Merchants aren't looking for more bells and whistles," she
added. "They want fewer disruptions and more clarity so "Too often, they're promised hands-on support during the
they can stay focused on running their business." sales process, only to be left with an 800 number and long
hold times. The person who 'will always be there' disap-
Cucci highlighted better communication from providers pears, and the support team doesn't know their setup or
as key. "Merchants often feel left out of the loop when business. Merchants don't expect perfection. They expect
there are changes in compliance, pricing or platform ca- ownership. That's what builds trust, and it's what keeps
pabilities," he said. "Transparency and proactive commu- them from walking away."
nication build trust. He also emphasized technology, stat-
ing, "On a technical level, better integration tools—cleaner These perspectives make it clear that while technology
APIs, sandbox environments and reporting dashboards— continues to evolve, merchants’ core needs—transparen-
make an enormous impact on daily operations. cy, support, cost control and simplicity—remain constant.
Look for the second installment of this discussion in our
5. If you could name one thing merchants wish the next issue, where additional industry leaders will share
industry would fix, what would it be? what they’re hearing from merchants and how the pay-
ments community can better respond.
Cucci believes the one thing merchants wish for is a uni-
fied and transparent payments ecosystem. "Too often,
merchants feel the industry works around them, not for
them," he said. "Between hidden fees, complicated recon-
ciliation and inconsistent support, they want simplicity
and partnership—not just a vendor relationship. "At Fluid
Pay, we focus on providing that partnership—modern, Payments is our Business
fully cloud-based technology backed by real people who
know their business and act fast when they need help." • Expert Witness Consulting Testimony
• Experience in Criminal & Civil cases
If merchants could fix one thing, Dahlberg stated, it would
be the state of transparency and support across the entire • Payment Facilitation
payments industry. "Too often, they feel trapped between • RFP services
card networks, issuing banks, and processors, left without • Integrated Payments
clear explanations or control over fees, disputes, and out- • Least Cost Routing
comes," she said. "True progress in the payments process-
ing world will depend not just on faster or smarter tech- • Card Network Rules
nology—but on rebuilding trust, clarity, and partnership • Payment Gateways
with the businesses that make commerce possible." • Processor Selection
• 'Hard to Place Merchants'
According to Katz, one major thing U.S. retailer merchants
often wish the industry would fix is credit card processing
fees (also known as interchange or "swipe" fees). "These Let us demonstrate how our our Experience
fees, charged by card networks and banks every time a and Knowledge can work for you!
customer pays with a card, eat into profit margins, espe-
cially for small and midsize retailers," he said. Napa Payments and Consulting
He also mentioned hidden fees as problematic. "Hidden
fees that pop up unexpectedly and get debited from the (707)601-7656
retailer's bank account can be very stressful for retailers,"
he said. "Credit card processing contracts often have pages kenm@napapaymentsandconsulting.com
upon pages of fine print, making it difficult for a merchant
to catch all the nuances and references to fees and penal- napapaymentsandconsulting.com
ties."

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