The rules of payments are changing—often mid-transaction. Are you ready?

In this episode number 68 of The Payments Experts Podcast, we break down the silent killers of merchant profitability: compliance gaps, outdated integrations, and poorly configured gateway flows. Managing partner of Global Legal Law Firm, James Huber, is joined by NMI (https://www.nmi.com/) Chief Revenue Officer, Rob Hoblit, to discuss how payments professionals can future-proof their merchant portfolios in an ever-evolving regulatory and card brand environment.

We cover:

The hidden costs of “set it and forget it” payment stacks

Why Level 2 and Level 3 data optimizations are underutilized (and how to fix that)

The realities of surcharging, dual pricing, and state-by-state compliance

How interoperability—not vendor lock-in—is your best defense against constant rule changes

What it actually takes to maintain high authorization rates while reducing chargebacks and support friction

If you’re an ISO, agent, processor, or fintech pro trying to reduce risk, improve interchange qualification, and stay ahead of card brand changes, this conversation is your playbook.

Listen to the full episode and explore more insights at
https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts

Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring actionable guidance for navigating high-risk merchant services, surcharging regulations, and the future of payments infrastructure.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Behind the Shutdown: What Every Payments Professional Should Know About Merchant Terminations, Fraud, and Sustainability

Why do some high-risk merchants process for years while others get shut down overnight—often without warning or explanation? And why are so many payment professionals blindsided when portfolios collapse or lawsuits emerge from deals that looked solid on paper?

In this episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partners Christopher Dryden and James Huber, along with Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Stock, pull back the curtain on the hidden risks, legal traps, and fraud schemes affecting agents, ISOs, processors, and merchants across the payments ecosystem.

From ISO Advocates to Merchant Defenders

The payments landscape has evolved. Where our law firm once primarily represented ISOs and processors, we now find ourselves increasingly defending merchants—many of whom were set up for failure from the start. The most common thread? Merchants signing processor agreements based on price alone, without reviewing key terms, reserve clauses, or termination rights.

Even large-scale B2B operators processing tens of millions annually often don’t realize that processing terms are negotiable—until their funds are frozen and they're locked out of access with no legal recourse.

The Dark Side of the Industry: Identity Fraud & Fake Merchants

We reveal shocking cases from the litigation trenches, including one involving an identity-theft ring run through merchant boarding. Agents were paying hairdressers, personal trainers, and gig workers $500 for their personal info—then opening fake accounts processing millions in transactions.

One courtroom deposition saw a series of “business owners” take the stand, each testifying they had no idea their identities were used to open merchant accounts. The opposing attorney—realizing the case was unraveling—sweated through his shirt and dismissed the lawsuit on the spot.

This isn’t rare. It’s happening more often than most in the industry are willing to admit.

Sustainable Agents vs. Churn-and-Burn Models

There is a better path forward. The most successful agents we work with aren’t chasing volume—they’re building durable portfolios by matching merchants with appropriate risk partners, vetting compliance, and establishing transparent expectations.

One seasoned agent told us, “I only have 15 merchants. That’s all I need.” He’s thriving—not because of quantity, but because his relationships are clean, compliant, and long-term.

What Every Merchant and Payments Partner Must Watch For

• If your processor won’t clearly define the relationship, it’s a red flag.
• If you’re boarding merchants without reviewing agreements, you’re inviting liability.
• If you’re an ISO unaware of who’s underwriting your downstream agents, you’re at risk.

The tools to succeed are available—banking relationships, contract negotiation, legal oversight—but they require intention. We’ve spent 20 years building these networks to help merchants, ISOs, and agents stay out of court and in business.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

Don’t become the next case study in bad processing decisions.
Subscribe now to The Payments Experts Podcast for real-world insight from attorneys who live and breathe the payments space.

🔗 Listen here: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Stablecoins & the $27 Trillion Shift: How Digital Dollars Are Reshaping the Payments Industry

The payments industry is undergoing a seismic transformation—and this time, it’s being led by stablecoins. Once dismissed as fringe crypto experiments, these digitally native assets backed by fiat currencies are now powering over $27 trillion in payment volume annually. And major players—from JP Morgan to Stripe and PayPal—are taking notice.

In this episode of The Payments Experts Podcast, Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner Christopher Dryden breaks down what this means for ISOs, PayFacs, fintechs, and merchant service providers navigating the future of money movement with Leo Arzumanyan, transactional attorney, and Jeremy Stock, Chief Operating Officer.

Why Stablecoins Matter to the Real Payments Economy

Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies, stablecoins offer near-instant settlement, programmable features, and transaction costs that are a fraction of traditional rails—often just pennies compared to $25–$50 wire transfer fees. As Dryden puts it:

“The cool thing about stablecoin is it's actually bringing some certainty into cryptocurrency that has never been there.”

Highlights from This Episode:

• The Rise of Institutional Adoption: Why banks like JP Morgan are launching their own stablecoins
• Regulatory Clarity at Last: How the Genius Act has opened the door for enterprise use cases
• Smart Contracts & Compliance: How blockchain-backed programmable money enables automatic payments with built-in audit trails
• Stablecoins vs. Crypto Arbitrage: The critical difference in value consistency—and why it matters to merchants, not traders
• What It Means for ISOs and PayFacs: Opportunities in settlement, remittance, chargeback mitigation, and real-time funding

Who Should Listen?

This episode is essential for:

• ISOs and acquirers curious about next-gen processing rails
• Fintech founders building money movement platforms
• Merchant service providers looking to cut costs and offer faster settlement
• Compliance teams evaluating the transparency advantages of blockchain
• Developers and operators exploring smart contract automation in payments

The future of payments is faster, cheaper, and programmable—and stablecoins are leading the charge.
Subscribe now to The Payments Experts Podcast for real-world analysis at the intersection of law, fintech, and merchant services.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

Visit globallegallawfirm.com to learn more.

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm