Field notes,
from the rails.
Long-form pieces on the decisions that compound. Interchange, gateways, MOR architecture, cross-border, FX. Written from engagements, not theory.
How interchange optimization actually works (and where SaaS leaves money on the table)
Most SaaS platforms over-pay interchange by 20–60 basis points without knowing the levers exist. A practitioner's view of what moves the needle, with examples.
Read in fullPicking a payment gateway: a buyer's framework for ISVs and marketplaces
Most gateway selections are made on rate sheet and integration time. The decisions that matter are the ones nobody puts in the RFP. Here are the seven we ask first.
Read in fullMOR vs gateway: which model is right for your platform?
Becoming your own merchant of record looks like an upgrade. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it costs you a quarter of margin and a year of focus. The decision framework, in plain English.
Read in fullCross-border payments: the architecture choices that compound
The decisions that quietly determine whether a global payments stack throws off margin or burns it. Multi-acquirer routing, FX strategy, and the case for treating cross-border as architecture, not procurement.
Read in fullScheme fees: the quietest line item, the noisiest opportunity
Visa and Mastercard publish fee schedules that read like tax code. Most platforms pay them, lump them with interchange, and never look. Here's what's hiding in the assessment columns.
Read in full
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