The Trust Advantage with Andie Hill, Payroc | Episode 528

Trust can be the difference between getting “a couple test deals” and becoming the payments partner an agent builds a business on. Greg Myers sits down with Andie Hill, EVP of Agent Sales at Payroc, to unpack what payment providers must prove to earn an independent sales agent’s confidence and keep merchant referrals flowing over the long run.We dig into the real gap between recruiting and earning the business, including why onboarding is where trust most commonly breaks. Andy explains what agents are protecting when they bring a merchant over, why “no one to call” is a deal killer, and how support responsiveness and residual accuracy often matter more than small pricing differences. When something goes wrong, we talk about the two-part fix: resolution plus clear, accountable communication that preserves the relationship.We also explore how product can strengthen trust, from compliant surcharge programs and evolving state regulations to POS and software integrations that make merchants stickier. Along the way, Andy shares the behavioral signals that show trust is deepening, and what separates a basic provider from a true strategic growth partner who understands an agent’s goals and business model.If you care about merchant experience, agent retention, and sustainable growth in the payments industry, this conversation is for you. 

QuickBooks and spreadsheets aren’t failing because small business owners don’t care. They fail because owners are busy running the business, and “keeping the books” becomes a second job with high stakes. I sit down with Justin Meretab, co-founder and CEO of Layer, to dig into why embedded accounting is emerging as one of the most practical, high-ROI moves in embedded finance for vertical SaaS platforms.We unpack the difference between accounting software and bookkeeping, then get specific about why accounting belongs in the embedded finance roadmap right alongside payments, banking, and lending. When your platform already owns the operational workflow and the payments flow, you have the richest possible data to automate reconciliation, reflect refunds and fees correctly, and generate a clean profit and loss statement without the painful setup that comes with horizontal accounting tools. Justin also shares what “good fit” looks like for embedded accounting, especially for businesses doing roughly $50K to $5M+ in revenue that need clarity without hiring a full in-house finance team.We also talk platform strategy: who should own the product, what the SaaS team should own in go to market and support, and how AI is changing everything from transaction categorization to behind-the-scenes bookkeeping automation. If you’re building embedded finance, this conversation makes the case that accounting might be the simplest way to deliver immediate value, drive retention, and turn your software into the financial hub your customers already want.If you find this useful, subscribe, share the episode with a builder in vertical SaaS, and leave a review so more fintech teams can find it.

This conversation is part of a three-part series about Embedded Finance that Jane and I are launching leading up to Embedify 2026, our summit for vertical SaaS leaders on October 13 in Lehi, Utah.AI is making software faster to build, easier to copy, and harder to price with the old per-seat subscription model. So where does durable growth come from when “more features” no longer guarantees higher ARPU and AI agents start doing the work your users used to do? We think the answer is hiding in plain sight: the financial activity already running through your platform.In this episode I sit down with Jane Podbelskaya, Founder of Charge Forward, to unpack the embedded finance playbook for vertical SaaS. Jane explains how transactional revenue aligns with customer success, why embedded finance can protect profitability when AI tools carry higher costs, and what “embedded finance” really means beyond just payments. We also dig into where to look for monetizable moments inside real workflows, from obvious money movement to subtle signals like CSV exports, QuickBooks detours, and repeated integration requests.We then go past the hype into execution: what it means to manage embedded finance as a product and a P&L, how to think about pricing and packaging, how to drive adoption with clear UI and messaging, and why compliance-aware marketing matters even when a fintech partner handles most of the back-end complexity. Subscribe for the next parts of the series, share this with a SaaS operator who’s rethinking pricing, and leave a review with your biggest question about embedded finance.

Real-time payments are finally delivering what everyone asked for: near-instant settlement. But when the buffer disappears, a new risk takes center stage: not “was the credential valid,” but “did the actor have authority to create the obligation.” Greg Myers sits down with Jeremy Blackburn, founder and CEO of ChainIT, to unpack why authority verification may become the most important layer in modern payments, especially as AI agents start initiating transactions on behalf of people and businesses. We talk through ChainIT’s approach to zero-trust commerce, including biometric authentication, verifying identity and organizational roles through authoritative sources, and turning those verified claims into reusable digital tokens. Jeremy explains the difference between traditional network authorization and governance-derived authority, plus how transaction guardrails can be enforced at the moment of execution. We also dig into what “complete commerce” looks like when agreements, compliance, and payment movement happen as one governed workflow. You’ll hear practical examples like construction draws and insurance claims, where verification, conditional lien releases, and AML checks often drag on for days. We also zoom out to the biggest payments industry trends: RTP and FedNow, stablecoin and programmable money, agentic commerce, and why quantum security is already on the horizon for cryptographic infrastructure. If you care about fraud prevention, compliance, and the future of enterprise payments, this is the conversation to bring back to your team. 

Your “global” checkout is only as strong as its most local payment method. I’m joined by João Del Valle , CEO of EBANX, to unpack what really happens when a fast-growing merchant tries to launch across emerging markets and discovers that international card acquiring alone is not enough. We get specific about why local payments unlock demand, from PIX in Brazil to pay by bank experiences and domestic card brands like Verve, and why these rails can determine whether you reach the market at all.We also dig into the commercial reality behind expansion: setting up local entities, teams, and infrastructure can take years, while many companies want to go live in 50 to 100 countries in parallel. João explains how EBANX helps global merchants accept alternative payment methods, enable installments, improve authorization rates, and deliver unified reporting and settlement across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. We talk through the verticals where this matters most, including retail marketplaces, streaming and digital services, advertising, and travel, where local installments can be the difference between abandonment and purchase.Then we zoom out to the biggest payments trends reshaping the industry: AI, early moves toward agentic payments, stablecoins for cross-border payments, and blockchain as settlement infrastructure. A major thread is the rapid rise of account-to-account payments, driven by financial inclusion, cost dynamics, and a consumer desire for predictable money movement without surprises.

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. 

Insurance payments are one of the last places you’d expect to still see mountains of paper checks and yet that’s exactly what Todd Greenbaum says is happening across large parts of the industry. We sit down with the President and CEO of Input1 to unpack a simple idea with big consequences: moving money is often the easiest part, while reconciliation, allocation, reporting, and clean data flow are what decide whether billing feels modern or painful.We talk through how premium payments really work in property and casualty insurance, including pay-in-full, installment billing, and premium financing. Todd explains why it’s so hard for carriers, MGAs, and brokers to stitch together separate tools without creating friction for policyholders, and how endorsements can change premiums mid-term in ways that break “simple” payment setups. We also explore what a better customer experience looks like, from feature-rich portals to timely reminders and confirmations that make customers feel seen rather than silently debited.Then we look ahead: the ongoing digitization of insurance payments, the rise of embedded payments and micro-insurance transactions, and why real-time payments can matter for something as basic as whether coverage is active when it counts. Todd also shares a thoughtful take on AI in insurance operations using it to reduce fraud and improve workflows while being careful about pushing AI to the front lines before customers are ready.If you care about insurance billing modernization, payment reconciliation, premium finance, and the future of insurtech payments, this episode is for you.

Payments is full of “after-the-fact” reporting, but we want a world where the system warns you before the damage is done. I’m joined by Ankita Chowdhry, AI Product Lead at Payabli, to break down where AI is genuinely making a difference in payments right now and where it’s still mostly experimentation. We get specific about risk queues, underwriting reviews, compliance workflows, and why modern reasoning models can reduce manual work without sacrificing safety.We also dig into what embedded finance changes for vertical SaaS platforms. When you combine financial data with operational data, you can move beyond simple scoring and start adding context: what the business actually does, how customers behave, and what patterns usually lead to disputes or stalled activation. Ankita shares how that opens the door to proactive payments operations, like detecting elevated chargeback risk early and recommending actions before a merchant gets into trouble.Then we tackle the practical questions builders are asking in 2026: what AI should you build vs buy, what makes production AI harder than a demo, and why Payabli is embedding AI directly into payments infrastructure instead of treating it like a separate tool. If you’re building embedded payments, embedded finance, or a vertical SaaS platform, this is a roadmap for what to automate first and how to do it responsibly.