Imagine being barred from accepting cards overnight—and no one will tell you why. That’s the reality for many merchants placed on MasterCard’s MATCH list, a risk registry that can sink a business while support teams stay silent. We brought managing partner James Huber and senior associate Bryce Vandemore into the studio to unpack what really moves the needle: skipping the endless email chains and going straight to a well-drafted complaint that forces banks and processors to respond.

We take apart the power dynamics behind the MasterCard MATCH list and explain why a litigation-first strategy now gets merchants faster answers than inquiry letters. We share case patterns, how banks and processors pass the buck, and what it takes to pressure real protocol change.

• why inquiry letters stall while complaints trigger action
• how banks, processors and ISOs split duties and avoid blame
• why MATCH listings cluster by category and tool-driven flags
• the costs, timelines and leverage of litigation versus waiting
• how fines and retroactive rule shifts punish compliant merchants
• the cardholder protection narrative versus merchant reality
• service gaps between cardholder support and merchant silence
• risks of cashless policies concentrating control in card rails
• practical steps to show compliance and push for removal

We walk through the turning points that led us to a sue-first strategy, why it accelerates dialogue, and how these cases are simpler than most people think. The aim isn’t courtroom theatrics; it’s a clear yes or no so a merchant can reopen accounts and stop the cash burn. Along the way, we map the responsibility maze—banks hold the authority, processors run the operations, and both often cite “internal policies” or “ongoing investigations” while providing no reason code. We also call out category-wide crackdowns and retroactive fines, from peptide vendors to weight-loss products, where compliant businesses are swept up in blanket MATCHing with little transparency.

You’ll hear how the “we protect cardholders” message can mask a deeper incentive to protect the networks themselves, creating a stark service gap: cardholders get fast remediation and live help, while merchants hire counsel just to learn what happened. We dive into the rise of cashless policies and what it means when the only way to transact funnels through private rails that can exclude you without a hearing. Our goal is practical and focused—push for protocol change, document compliance, pressure timely reviews, and establish a credible path off MATCH when errors occur.

If you’re a merchant, ISO, or in-house counsel navigating MATCH, this conversation gives you the current playbook: where to start, how to apply pressure, and what outcomes are realistic. Subscribe for more merchant-first insights, share this with a colleague who’s stuck on MATCH, and leave a review with your questions so we can tackle them next.

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

Visit us today: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Social Engineering Beats Your Stack: Fix Identity or Get Breached

A single phone call to a help desk shouldn’t sink a global brand—yet it happens. We dig into how social engineering bypasses expensive tools, why identity verification matters at the exact human moments work gets done, and how to measure cyber risk before it becomes tomorrow’s headline. With Peter Segerstrom of Traceless (https://traceless.com/) —a CTO turned advisor who’s audited stacks for acquisitions and built teams from a spare bedroom to scale—we unpack the messy reality of software in payments and fintech: open‑source dependencies, brittle architectures, migrations that stall, and the quiet warts you inherit when you buy code along with revenue.

Christopher Dryden, Esq., traces with Peter how a simple phone call can topple complex systems and why identity verification sits at the heart of modern security. Peter shares a CTO’s view on auditing tech in payments M&A, grading risk, and building Traceless to protect real transactions in real time.

• social engineering as a primary breach vector
• why tech diligence now drives payments and fintech M&A
• lessons from scaling a startup to operational maturity
• auditing architecture, dependencies and maintainability
• open source as foundation and risk surface
• risk grading frameworks buyers can act on
• what cyber risk means for vendors and SaaS reliance
• real‑time identity verification for help desks and workflows
• AI as force multiplier for attackers and defenders

We walk through the practical M&A playbook: inventory the stack, map data flows, assess maintainability, and grade risks so executives can decide what to fix, mitigate, insure, or avoid. Peter explains how a “technical Carfax” reframes negotiations, saving buyers from hidden liabilities and helping sellers prepare cleanly. We also talk vendor risk and why relying on major SaaS platforms can be safer than running your own server—while still demanding least privilege, strong logging, and incident plans that assume someone will eventually pick the wrong link or trust the wrong voice.

Then we widen the lens to Traceless and the identity problem at the core of modern breaches. Real‑time verification for customers, partners, and employees closes the easiest door attackers use: impersonation. From teenager pranksters to nation‑state zero‑days, the threat spectrum is wide, and AI now powers both sides—faster phishing and reconnaissance for attackers, smarter analysis and stress testing for defenders. The takeaway is clear: build verification into business workflows, treat architecture as a living system, and make risk visible with honest grading.

If this conversation helps you think differently about due diligence and operational resilience, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more people can find it.

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

Visit Global Legal Law Firm today: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

Hemp Ban Fallout: How Policy Whiplash Hits Payments, Portfolios, and Merchants. Hosted by Global Legal Law Firm Managing Partner James Huber and Senior Associate Attorney Bryce Van De Moere

A sudden hemp or cannabinoid ban doesn’t just change SKUs—it detonates risk models, freezes reserves, and scrambles underwriting across entire portfolios. In this episode, we unpack how shifting federal–state rules, card-brand policies, and retailer enforcement create a perfect storm for ISOs, PayFacs, acquirers, and merchants operating anywhere near hemp, CBD, delta-8/10, or “functional” products.

We move past the headlines to the operational reality: MCC assignments that suddenly look “high-risk,” sponsor banks tightening controls, BIN-level pressure driving early enforcement, and offboarding protocols that leave merchants without token access or refund options. If you own portfolio exposure—or sell into these verticals—this conversation gives you a realistic way to protect revenue without inviting regulatory heat.

What’s at stake

Portfolio shock: Rapid policy shifts drive reserve hikes, rolling holds, and frozen payouts that cascade across portfolios.

Regulatory overlap: Farm Bill ambiguity, state AG actions, and network rules collide—leaving merchants compliant in one lane and out of bounds in another.

Processor posture: Heightened KYC/KYB, product-level reviews, and SKU scanning that turn “low-touch” boarding into ongoing surveillance.

Litigation vectors: Deceptive practices claims, labeling variance, age-gating failures, and unfair competition allegations—often leveraged after a payment cutoff.

What we cover (practical and tactical)

Mapping the risk perimeter: Hemp vs CBD vs delta-8/10; how labeling, THC thresholds, and packaging claims change your risk category overnight.

Underwriting changes you’ll actually see: Document asks, site/photo audits, ingredient attestations, SKU-level approvals, and re-verification cadences.

Card-brand rules in practice: What “permitted with restrictions” means for your receipts, disclosures, and refund timelines; when MCC re-codes are necessary.

Offboarding without chaos: Token portability, refund runways, age-verified customer lists, and inventory liquidation strategies that reduce complaints and chargebacks.

Dispute defense in gray zones: Evidence sets that win (COAs, batch IDs, age verification logs, delivery confirmation) and when “refund first” beats “fight first.”

Ops knobs you can turn today: BIN rules, shipping blacklists by state, adult-signature requirements, SKU-specific routing, and refund automation triggers.

Alternative rails, done right: Where ACH/pay-by-bank and wallets help—and where they create new compliance workstreams and reconciliation debt.

Field stories and failure modes

MATCH and mislabeling: How a single mislabeled product can trigger portfolio-wide scrutiny and a five-year hangover if records aren’t corrected fast.

Secret-shopper reality: Entry signage, web product pages, cart disclosures, and line-level receipts—why “register-only” notice is a fine magnet.

Stacked fines and common ownership: How assessments replicate across related entities when documentation and SKU controls are inconsistent.

A usable playbook for payments teams

Re-verify your book: Run a hemp/cannabinoid sweep—SKU lists, labeling, COAs, age gates, shipping lanes, and ad claims.

Board with attestations: Product-category, labeling compliance, age-gating, shipping lanes, and refund policies—signed and renewed on cadence.



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

Visit us today: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm