PAYMENTS FM

At Money20/20, I spoke with Steve Boms, Executive Director of the Financial Data and Technology Association (FDATA). FDATA represents financial technology companies whose products depend on access to financial data with the permission of consumers or businesses.

Why this matters

Steve makes a distinction between a market where data-sharing products are available and one where people have consistent rights to use them.

In the U.S., financial data connections often depend on arrangements between the institution holding the account and the third-party provider. Those arrangements can determine the data available, the way it...

In this episode, I spoke with Emi Keshler, Director of Partner Development at Payabli. We talked about what a successful embedded payments program looks like. We discussed buyer experience, merchant experience and everything in between.

State of Payments survey: It takes about four minutes, anonymous responses are welcome, and we will publish the results at the end of the year.

What a successful payments program means to you?

Success is having control over the program: reliable metrics, a forecast for the next quarter, and operational processes that support the payment volume.<...

Jo Phillips and Will Corbera, co-founders of Payabli, joined PAYMENTS FM to talk about why vertical software platforms are becoming payments companies, how they think about risk and pricing, and what separates a payments program that works from one that fails.

Why this matters

Vertical software platforms have been adding payments for close to a decade. Companies like ServiceTitan, Mindbody, and Toast did it early, moving off legacy processors and generic gateways into something built for their own industry.

The decision is easy to state and hard to execute. A platform has to...

Today we talked to Anubhav Pradhan, co-founder of ShiftMate. We discussed the future of open banking and Pay-by-Bank. 

Discover how these technologies empower consumers with data control and offer new growth opportunities for financial institutions.

Key Topics

Differences between open banking and Pay-by-BankRegulatory impacts on data ownership and consentLeveraging data for customer relationship managementReal-time payments and their industry impact

Timestamps:

01:10 - Pay-by-Bank explained02:17 - Consumer data aggregation03:11 - Payment methods and trends05:10 - Building trust through open banking06:08 - Adoption statistics07:02 - Role of platforms like Plaid08:10 - Institutional challenges10:23 - Infrastructure a...

In this episode, we explore how subscription and e-commerce companies can harness data, AI, and innovative payment strategies to boost growth and improve customer engagement. Andrei Rebrov, co-founder of Finsi and former CTO of Scentbird, shares practical insights on building effective analytics systems and integrating AI for smarter decision-making.

In this episode:

00:00 - Increasing e-commerce conversions through customer payment options

00:26 - Andrei Rebrov introduces his background and current focus in data analytics

01:54 - The problem of blind decision-making in subscription and retail businesses

02:24 - The rise...

Agentic commerce was one of the loudest e-commerce trends of 2025 — but is it real demand or mostly hype + incentives?

In this episode of Payments FM, Nikita sits down with Colin Luce, Founder & CEO of Basis Theory, to unpack what’s actually happening in agentic commerce and agentic payments right now, what merchants should do today, and why trust + tokenization might decide how this all plays out.

We cover:

The real blocker: messy merchant data and product availability

Embedded checkout vs “true agents transa...

In this episode of Payments FM, we sit down with Dan Loomis from Gusto to discuss the world of payroll and cashflow management for small and medium businesses. 

Dan sheds light on the common financial headaches like cashflow volatility, lack of control and confidence, and how Gusto Money aims to solve these through innovative solutions. 

We explore the challenges small businesses face such as managing payables, accelerating receivables, and the unique issues arising from bill payments and invoicing. 

Dan also discusses the new integrations and features of Gusto Money, including the Payroll Bridge, fin...

In this episode, we explore the intricate world of payments and banking with Victoria Soltesz, founder and CEO of PSP Angels.

We cover essential topics including international payments, high-risk merchants, crypto in payments, and the gaming industry. Victoria shares her mission to create a more ethical and transparent payment industry, emphasizing the need for proper education and strategic planning.

Learn practical advice on streamlining your payment processes, understanding the latest in FinTech, and optimizing your fees and customer journey.01:59 International Payments11:36 High-Risk Merchants21:34 Crypto in Payments25:38 Stablecoins and Tokenization27:33 The Complexities of iGaming Payments33:29 Offshore...

In this episode we talk with Albert Drouart from Pagos about everything payments data. 

We talk about how businesses can leverage payment data to optimize their transaction processes, reveal hidden issues, and enhance overall performance. 

Through real-life examples and advanced monitoring strategies, Albert explains the transformative potential of data enrichment and AI in the payments landscape. 

Key topics include anomaly detection, benchmarking, and AI in payments. 

This episode is a must watch for anyone who is working with payments data or looking for different ways to optimize their payments performance.

<...

Mastering Payment Integrations with Michael Taylor: Best Practices & StrategiesIn this in-depth conversation, Michael Taylor, the Director of Solution Engineering at checkout.com, shares invaluable insights on optimizing your payment processes. We discuss the importance of pre-mortems, best practices for integrating a new payment service provider (PSP), setting clear expectations, and establishing robust communication channels. Michael emphasizes the need to engage all relevant stakeholders early in the process to avoid friction and ensure a smooth integration. We also explore the evolving landscape of e-commerce payments, the role of AI in certification processes, and the critical metrics for monitoring performance post-launch...

In this episode, we sit down with Philip Pages, CEO of Redux Payments, to explore the issue of involuntary churn in subscription-based businesses.

Why churn is a critical problem, the difference between voluntary and involuntary churn, and the need for intelligent retry logic to reduce churn rates.

We dive into various retry strategies, the impact of new technologies like network tokens, and other methods to optimize payment recoveries.

Additionally, Philip shares practical advice for merchants to improve their payments performance and underlines the significance of focusing on involuntary churn for exponential business growth.<...

In this episode of Payments.FM, Joshua Silver, the CEO of Rainforest, delves deep into the intricacies of payment integration models for software platforms.

We discuss the two primary models: the integrated referral model and the embedded payments model. Joshua highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and emphasizes the importance of service, technology, and commercials in selecting a payment provider.

We also touch on the challenges of fraud and compliance, and how Rainforest's unique approach mitigates these risks while offering a seamless user experience.

Tune in for actionable insights on improving...

The Essential Guide to Payment Orchestration with Gr4vy's VP Commercial Zubin Vandrevala.

Join us in this insightful episode as we delve into the world of payment orchestration with Zubin Vandrevala, VP Commercial at Gr4vy. Learn about the evolving needs of merchants in payment processing, the complexities they face, and how orchestration platforms can provide strategic advantages. Zubin shares his experiences and case studies, including a detailed look at how key merchants successfully integrated payments orchestration solutions. This episode is packed with valuable insights for any merchant or business looking to understand the potential of payment...

In this episode, Anantharaman Pattabiraman, CEO of the payment intelligence platform Inai, discuss the intricacies of payment performance metrics.

We chat about metrics for different business models such as e-commerce and subscription services, the challenges merchants face in tracking and interpreting payment data, and the opportunities for leveraging AI in payments.

Anta provides actionable insights on optimizing authorization rates, reducing costs, and minimizing involuntary churn. He also explores the future of payment technologies and the importance of viewing payments as a revenue driver rather than just a cost center.

00:00 Introduction to Payment Success R...

In this episode, Jenna Wire, a seasoned expert in the FinTech industry and a founding member of Venmo and Braintree, discusses the latest global trends in payments, challenges facing subscription businesses, and the new era of cross-border payments.

Jenna shares her insights on the high costs of credit card processing for merchants, the importance of payment orchestration, and the strategies for reducing payment processing costs.

She also explores the potential of generative AI in the payment sector, the rising role of payment consultants, and practical advice for subscription merchants looking to retain and...