The Green Sheet Online Edition
August 24, 2026 • 26:08:02
Letter from the editor
The payments industry never stands still. New technologies emerge, business models evolve and companies continually look for the next growth opportunity. Amid all that change, however, it's worth turning our attention from what's coming next to something fundamental: What kind of companies are we building along the way?
That's the question at the heart of our guest lead from payments veteran Theodore Cucci. Drawing on decades in the industry, he believes that long-term success rests on qualities that aren't easily measured on a balance sheet: trust, integrity, focus, and the relationships companies build and protect over time. His perspective is timely in an industry where traditional boundaries are blurring and yesterday's partner can become tomorrow's competitor.
That emphasis on thoughtful choices runs through this issue's contributed articles, even as our writers approach payments from different directions. Jaki Kackert continues her series on reaching HVAC businesses, while Elie Y. Katz explores how delivery is changing the POS needs of convenience stores. Diarmuid Thoma examines the signals that can expose automated fraud, and Dan Frechtling considers why merchant risk management must extend beyond initial underwriting. AI figures prominently, too: Monica Eaton looks beyond customer-facing applications to AI's potential in dispute management, Andrii Shevchuk explores how AI and LLMs are transforming payment gateways, and Jean-Jacques Bérard examines how to move AI from experimentation into everyday operations. Jean-Philippe Niedergang considers why resilience is increasingly important as self-service and unattended commerce expand.
News Briefs take us from the rapid growth of same-day ACH payments to the evolving economics of India's UPI system. We also look at modest small business sales growth amid declining foot traffic, renewed momentum behind the Credit Card Competition Act, New Jersey's warning to merchants over credit card surcharge disclosures and growing financial strain among U.S. credit card customers. Together, the stories offer a snapshot of an industry balancing faster payments and changing consumer behavior with continuing questions about costs, competition, regulation and financial health.
You'll also find our regular mix of resources for the payments community, including Industry Update, where we mark company and career milestones; DateBook, with details on upcoming industry events; and new product and innovator profiles. Please explore those and the other resources throughout the issue. Send questions and comments about what you're seeing in the industry to greensheet@greensheet.com. For company news you'd like our team to consider, send press releases to press@greensheet.com. 
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact information, links and other details may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
