In this episode of Cents Chat, Kitty and Steve look at the APM conversation from both ends of the spectrum: OpenUSD, stablecoins, and the future of programmable money on one side, and the humble cash drawer on the other. Then Kyle Hatfield from Centsless joins to explain why cash may be the alternative payment method ISVs forgot to build for. With the penny disappearing, merchants are already facing exact-change signs, rounding rules, state-by-state legislation, refund headaches, split-tender complexity, EBT/SNAP considerations, and reconciliation gaps that a simple POS toggle will not fix. Cash may be old, but the software problem around it is brand new.

In this episode of Cents Chat, Kitty leads a conversation with Koard about what happens when the phone becomes the payment terminal. Joined by co-host Jason for the technical deep dive, the discussion breaks down why card-present payments are still harder than they look, why so many ISVs default to card-not-present flows, and how Tap to Pay can help platforms bring in-person acceptance directly into their mobile apps.

Koard’s Behailu explains how their platform helps ISVs, PSPs, and software companies navigate the messy parts: EMV complexity, Apple approval, processor routing, cryptography, merchant onboarding, and the operational reality hiding behind one simple tap.

Because payments are never “just an API.”

In this episode of Cents Chat, Kitty and Jason sit down with Jordan Thaeler, founder of POS+, to talk about one of the biggest tensions in embedded payments: the difference between a preferred payments partner and a payments prison. For years, ISVs have built real revenue streams by integrating payments into their platforms, and when done well, that model can create a better experience for everyone. The trouble starts when “preferred” quietly becomes “mandatory,” pricing drifts out of line, functionality lags, and merchants realize they are not choosing a payments provider so much as being cornered into one.

Jordan breaks down how POS+ is pushing back on that model by giving merchants more payment choice without forcing them to rip out the software they already use to run their business. The conversation gets into merchant frustration, ISV monetization, payment flow workarounds, AI-driven adaptability, and why the smartest platforms should stop treating friction like a moat. The takeaway for ISVs is simple: pick a great default payments partner, make the economics fair, keep the experience strong, and give merchants a reasonable path to alternatives. Most merchants will choose the preferred option if it actually earns the business. But nobody likes being trapped.