by Dean Sheaffer | Mar 4, 2026 | 2026 Q1, Cost Optimization, Operations
The Future of In-Store Payments: Invisible, Faster, and More Secure In-store payments are moving toward a simple goal: get the customer out the door faster, with less friction and less risk. 1. Biometric Authentication Becomes Normal In physical locations, biometrics...
by Dean Sheaffer | Feb 5, 2026 | 2026 Q1, Operations
Biometric Authentication in Payments: What SMB Merchants Need to Know For years, securing card payments has meant a tradeoff: stronger security often meant more friction at checkout. PINs slow lines. Passwords get forgotten. One-time codes frustrate customers....
by Dean Sheaffer | Jan 21, 2026 | 2026 Q1, Legal, Operations, Opinion
A Point Counter-Point Examination By: Dean Sheaffer, Mark Horwedel, and John MacAllisterThe President recently announced via Truth Social that he would be calling for a credit card interest rate cap of 10%. While we believe it very unlikely that this cap will...
by Dean Sheaffer | Jan 18, 2026 | 2026 Q1, Sponsor Articles
A Conversation with Matt Brennan, CEO of Pay with Spire When you talk to Matt Brennan, the conversation tends to span continents, industries, and several eras of the digital economy. Before he took the helm at Pay with Spire, Brennan spent 16 years at Apple: spanning...
by Dean Sheaffer | Dec 29, 2025 | 2025 Q4, Legal, Operations
A proposed settlement announced in late 2025 could change this dynamic. While still subject to court approval, the settlement’s provisions may reshape how merchants approach card acceptance, pricing, and checkout strategy. For decades, merchants accepting Visa or...
