PayPod: The Payments and Fintech Podcast

Many businesses need to process transactions across borders, between large companies, and beyond… but how can it all run efficiently? How does the B2B eCommerce space differ from B2C eCommerce? Our podcast guest on this episode will answer these questions and more. Brandon Spear is the president of MSTS. MSTS is a global B2B payment and credit solutions provider that specializes in commercial transaction management, facilitating transactions for customers in over 190 countries with 40 years of experience. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

There are so many organizations out there where payments and money transfer are crucial part of their operations… efficiency and function can have direct impacts on bottom lines and growth. Given that, goals for speed, less friction, excellent security, and beyond put payments tech at the strategic forefront for many of these organizations. Our guest is Laurence Cooke, who is the founder and CEO of nanopay, a fintech working to reimagine payments by empowering businesses and banks to scale with innovative payment and liquidity management products. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

We’re back to discussing Bitcoin on this podcast episode! No matter how you view cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin certainly is making an impact on the fintech world and the future of financial systems themselves. Our guest is entrepreneur and bitcoin enthusiast Aleksandar Svetski. Aleks is the founder and CEO of Amber, an app that makes buying bitcoin easy, and even allows users to do it passively. Aleks had tremendous insight – and passion – to share about why Bitcoin is so important and everyone should own some. Listen in! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Achieving mainstream adoption for commerce is one of the biggest challenges cryptocurrencies face according to many. On this show, we discuss this and cover a company that is leading the charge for allowing consumers to use cryptocurrencies to buy real world products and services… with a little help from gift cards. Our guest is Sergej Kotliar, who is CEO of Bitrefill, a company that allows people to turn their crypto into gift cards, prepaid phone cards, and more. Bitrefill allows consumers to exchange their digital currency for gift cards from companies located all over the world. Furthermore, Bitrefill is now working to develop networks for cryptocurrency exchange as well. Listen in for Sergej’s excellent perspective on the world of cryptocurrency and commerce! Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

No matter how you cut it, fraud can happen… especially in our increasingly digital world. Not only do payments businesses need to worry about this, but any organization with a digital presence also must be vigilant. Fortunately there are solutions to combat fraud… “good guys” out there fighting the good fight against “bad guys” with the help of technology. On this episode, we explore this with our guest, Priya Rajan, who is the Vice President of Marketing at DataVisor. DataVisor is actively working to leverage technology (such as machine learning), to help organizations manage fraud, fight spam and more. Priya had a tremendous amount to share about both the business costs of fraud, the challenges presented by fraudsters, and how technology is bridging the gap. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

POS systems offer great opportunities for both merchants and payments businesses alike. Whether you’re an agent, ISO, there’s a tremendous benefit to having enticing POS offerings. If you’re a merchant, a streamlined POS solution can save your business time and money. On this episode, we’re exploring this with the help of Danny Schard, who is the Director of ISO sales at PayProtec. Danny has extensive experience in the merchant services industry, particularly on the sales side, and he has seen how POS systems can transform all kinds of businesses. Listen in to hear his excellent insight into the world of POS sales and technology. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

These days, digital products are the lifeblood for many businesses, especially fintechs. New (or updated) offerings from mobile banks, financial tools, payment apps, and beyond are being released daily. Success is not a given when a new digital product is released, so having quality strategies and execution are crucial. Our guest on this episode had incredible insight to share on what does (and doesn’t) work when it comes to digital product strategy. Leon Gauhman is the founder and Director of Product and Strategy at Elsewhen. Elsewhen is a London based digital product consultancy. Since their founding in 2011, Elsewhen has endeavored to provide a different approach to digital consultancy—one that combines strategy, design and engineering into one unified process. Their clients have included Google, Mastercard, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Citi, and more, and they specialize in the financial services, data, banking and insurance sectors. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

The world of payments is incredibly competitive, and technology is constantly pushing the industry forward. Though their demise has been incorrectly predicted for years, POS systems are still a key part of the payments ecosystem for merchants. So it goes without saying that whether you're an ISO or ISV, having an effective POS system strategy can be a game changer... Listen in as Scott chats with Many Zenou, founder and CEO of Dejavoo systems about POS System strategies (including cloud based POS systems) revolutionizing the payments world. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Obtaining loans and other financial services can be challenging for underbanked individuals and organizations in emerging markets. Scott is joined by Florentine Lenoir of LenddoEFL, a company leveraging fintech solutions to address this, to discuss. Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/

Careers in the payments and fintech industries are far reaching and unique. Opportunities can be found everywhere... be they with ISOs, acquirers, banks, payfacs, fintech startups, and more. But how do you find those opportunities? Our guest on this episode has significant knowledge about the world of recruiting in fintech and payments. Marc Badalucco is the managing partner and recruiting expert for IMPACT Payments Recruiting, a recruitment agency specializing in the payments, e-commerce and fintech industry. Since 2000, they have been the Payments, Cards, and Fintech industries most trusted recruitment partner; touting the largest database of payments professionals worldwide (110,000+). Find show notes and more at: https://www.soarpay.com/podcast/