Trust is the hidden advantage that decides which payments companies earn bigger merchants, stronger partners, and more room to innovate. Greg Myers sits down with Darrel Anderson, Senior Vice President of Compliance at Payroc, to get specific about how trust is built in a world of constant audits, card brand rules, bank expectations, and fast-moving fraud. We share why “perfect security” is easy if you lock everything down, and why the real craft is building a compliance framework that protects the business while still enabling growth.

We dig into what trust looks like operationally: transactions that keep flowing, the right data showing up consistently, and issues getting caught before they become fines or sanctions. Darrel explains how experienced compliance teams don’t just say no, they help product and sales teams find a safe path to yes, and that credibility extends beyond merchants to regulators, card networks, and partner banks. We also talk about speed, including a simple test for reckless launches: if you cannot clearly explain the risk and controls back to someone else, you are moving too fast.

When incidents happen, we focus on what preserves customer confidence: frank communication, involving customers in the solution, and taking ownership until resolution is complete. Darrel also shares leadership frameworks like the red balloon theory and “smoke detectors versus fire extinguishers” to push teams toward prevention over reaction. Finally, we tackle AI in payments compliance and fraud: how it can remove repetitive work and sharpen detection, and why criminals using AI means the arms race is just getting started.

This episode is part of our Embedded Finance Podcast Series, exploring the strategies, opportunities and challenges shaping the future of embedded finance. The series is leading up to Embedify ’26, the Embedded Finance Summit for vertical SaaS leaders, taking place October 13 in Lehi, Utah. To learn more visit embedify2026.com.

Payments don’t fail because the API is hard. They fail because the experience is forgettable and customers never adopt it. We talk with John Badovinac, SVP of Embedded Commerce at Flute, about what vertical SaaS leaders can do differently when they want to own the payments experience and turn it into a real line of business.

We get practical on the building blocks: how to model profitability, pick a pricing policy that matches your go-to-market, and design onboarding that feels native inside your product. John explains why “launching” is only the start and how the best platforms drive payment adoption by placing invoicing, text-to-pay, stored credentials, and checkout moments directly inside the workflow users already live in.

Then we look forward. John shares how AI dev tools can cut integration timelines from weeks to days, lowering the barrier to embedded payments and embedded finance. He also lays out a compelling next step: embedded intelligence, where AI helps surface working capital, instant payouts, and other financial products at the right time for the right customer. We close with what to avoid, what to demand from a payments partner, and why urgency and long-term alignment matter as you scale.

Your LinkedIn feed will be full of “great to see you” posts after WSAA 2026, but the real value happens before the photos, in the hallways and late-night conversations where partnerships actually start. I’m joined by Amanda Beam, Vice President of Partner Relations at Exectras and a member of the WSAA Board of Directors, to give you a clear preview of what to expect September 15th through 17th in Palm Springs, California and why this conference continues to be a must-attend for the acquiring and merchant services community.

We dig into what’s being expanded this year, including a heavier focus on education, technology exposure, and structured opportunities to collaborate with leaders across the payments ecosystem. Amanda shares what it takes to make the event feel seamless, from the online registration process to the on-site experience and the mobile app, and why those details matter when you’re trying to maximize meetings and make every conversation count.

We also talk about what makes WSAA networking so effective: the density of decision makers, the mix of settings beyond the showroom floor, and the momentum that comes from being in the same place for three full days of connections.

On the content side, expect two full days of conference programming covering emerging payment technologies, business growth strategies, and the evolving needs of merchants and consumers, plus updates from card brands and eight and a half hours of focused exhibitor time to evaluate solutions and spot trends quickly.

If you want to stay informed, build real relationships, and avoid missing the conversations that shape next year’s deals, make sure you’re part of WSAA 2026.