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November 2025 • Issue 25:11:02

What do merchants really want? Part 2

Nationwide Payment Systems, Street Smarts columnist
SM
and member of The Green Sheet Advisory Board.
1. What payment-related challenges are your
merchants talking about most often right now?

Alfred "Chip" Kahn, founder and CEO of Ovation CXM,
has observed that merchants are focused on affordabil-
ity and value. "Rising processing costs and complex fee
structures continue to challenge profitability, and many
are re-evaluating what they're actually getting from
their providers in return," he said. "They're asking for
solutions that provide more value, not just fees, and are
integrated into their broader customer experience strate-
gies that drive tangible business outcomes."
his article is the second installment of a multi-
part series focusing on pain points merchants Dale S. Laszig, founder of DSL Direct LLC and content
are raising most urgently. Part 1of this series, strategy director for The Green Sheet Inc., zeroed in on
T we presented a portion of responses we received divergent needs of business owners in her local region.
from payments leaders in response to our query. This "Some small and midsize business owners in Northeast
article continues the conversation with a second group of Pennsylvania are NYC expats who have brought next-
executives who answer the following: gen paytech to remote farming communities," she said.
"Others, here for generations, use digital apps, mod-
1. What payment-related challenges are your mer- ern POS systems, and mobile ATMs, provided by local
chants talking about most often right now? banks and ISOs, at fairs and outdoor venues."

2. Are shoppers asking for faster payments or new She added that in this environment, "merchants fre-
options at the point of sale, or are other issues quently complain about connectivity, specifically slow
more pressing? speeds, internet outages and service interruptions.
3. How do merchant concerns differ depending on These issues are improving as telco brands enhance in-
their size or vertical market? frastructure and incoming competitors expand redun-
dancy and coverage options."
4. Beyond speed and payment options, what im-
provements would make the biggest difference
for your merchants (e.g., lower costs, fewer dis-
putes, easier integrations, better service)? Contributed articles inside by:

5. If you could name one thing merchants wish the Allen Kopelman .....................................................................................16
industry would fix, what would it be?
Thomas Gillian .......................................................................................30
Featured in this article are Emily Baxter, partner at RPY In- Chad Otar ................................................................................................32
novations; Alfred “Chip” Kahn, founder and CEO of Ova-
tion CXM; Dale S. Laszig, founder of DSL Direct LLC; Dana Jessica Del Vecchio ..............................................................................34
Sills, director of partner relations at VyaPay; fintech expert
Max Sinovoi; and, in the sidebar, Allen Kopelman, CEO of Ken Musante ..........................................................................................36

Continued on page 22