United States
The payments industry isn’t what it used to be—and that’s a good thing. What started with clunky credit-card imprinters evolved into a full-blown ecosystem. ISOs emerged, shifting sales beyond traditional banks. Electronic terminals replaced manual ones, ecommerce redefined buying behavior, and integrated solutions changed how businesses operate. As innovation accelerated, smarter terminals hit the market—and agents had to level up, learning everything from gateway tech to PCI compliance just to stay in the game.
But for decades, sales were not only relatively straightforward, they were high margin and residuals-driven, hitting a high point in the early 2000s.
Today, you sell processing as part of a platform, including sophisticated terminals, online checkout, mobile, recurring payments, surcharging, analytics, and more. Processing fees are still the monetization foundation, but they’re now value bundled, living under the hood of broader solutions. And compensation is based on lower residual margins and total value provided.
It's true that the market is more competitive and nuanced than ever. And while hustle and commitment are essential to success, they’re not enough. The secret is choosing the right partners. If you do, you’ll have all the tools you need to achieve your goals and succeed.
1. Success Starts with Support
With the right partner in your corner, you’re never alone. Great merchant service providers support you every step of the way—not just after the sale, but from the very beginning. Whether you're prospecting, uncovering a merchant’s needs, or building proposals, the right partner shows up before, during, and after the deal is closed.
Look for a support structure that includes:
Dedicated relationship manager—You need a primary point of contact who will serve as your operational quarterback. Their job is to help you move deals faster, solve boarding and tech issues, and maximize income and merchant satisfaction.
What they do:
- Onboarding – Training on systems, pricing, products, and sales tools
- Deal Support – Guidance on pricing, contracts, and applications
- Underwriting Liaison – Work with risk teams to move deals forward
- Escalation Point – Step in when deals, terminals, or support tickets stall
- Product Enablement – Updates on pricing programs, hardware, and gateways
- Residuals Help – Support with reconciling and understanding payouts
- Performance Coach – Sales tips, pitch help, vertical insights, and pipeline reviews
Merchant support team—This team is your safety net, helping with everything after the sale, ensuring that your merchants stay live, satisfied, and supported through daily operations and payment issues.
What they do:
- Onboarding Support – Get merchants live with terminals, portals, and training
- Transaction Help – Fix failed payments, batch errors, or refund issues
- Chargeback Management – Guide merchants through disputes and responses
- Equipment Support – Replace, configure, or troubleshoot POS and terminals
- Account Changes – Update banking, pricing, contacts, or business details
- Statement Questions – Break down fees, deposits, or monthly anomalies
- Outage Response – Rapid resolution for connectivity or network issues
- Retention Backup – Step in to prevent cancellations and keep merchants happy
Presales and onboarding team—This team helps you turn prospects into live, transacting merchants—quickly and correctly. Their job is to remove friction before and during the sign-up process.
What they do:
- Presale Support – Recommend hardware, pricing, and software; build proposals/demos for complex cases
- Application Help – Guide merchant app completion; ensure docs are correct; flag KYC issues early
- Pre-Underwriting Check – Prescreen risks (MCCs, volumes, products) before underwriting
- Hardware/Software Prep – Configure POS/terminals, assign IDs, load settings, and test devices
- Go-Live Coordination – Schedule installs/calls; confirm funding, logins, and first transactions
- New Merchant Training – Provide onboarding guides, how-to resources, and smooth support handoff
2. Success Requires Infrastructure That Works for You
When you’re selling payments, you need partners with product structures as well as process structures that work for you.
From a product standpoint, look for a competitive, flexible stack that gives you a range of tools to close deals across different merchant needs.
This should include:
- A range of hardware (smart terminals, mobile readers, POS systems)
- Cloud + in-store software options
- Pricing models (interchange-plus, surcharging, dual pricing, flat rate)
- Gateway and integration models (for online and mobile sales)
- Value-adds like next-day funding, reporting dashboards, fraud tools, automatic savings programs, and more
From a process standpoint, you need efficient, agent-friendly operations that support the sale from start to finish—and beyond.
Don’t settle for less than:
- Fast, clear underwriting and boarding (expect days, not weeks)
- Clean application process (digital, error reducing)
- Responsive agent support (see above!)
- Transparent, accurate residual tracking and payouts
- Easy-to-use portals for pricing, app submission, and deal status
Remember that you can only sell as fast and as well as your partner’s products and processes let you. For excellent sales, seek out excellence in your partners.
3. Success Is Built on Growth Opportunities
A strong support system and solid infrastructure are a great start—but they’re not the whole picture. If you're aiming to build a long, successful career in payments, you need more than just great products and processes. You need a partner who’s invested in your growth.
Ask yourself: What does success look like 12 to 24 months from now? Are you building a book—or building a business?
Look for a partner that brings more to the table: co-marketing, lead gen, and vertical focus to fuel your pipeline; ongoing training, product updates, and competitive insights to keep you sharp; and strategic coaching to help you develop a real portfolio strategy.
Because closing deals is just the beginning. The goal is long-term residuals. The goal is growth.
Also keep in mind that a partner’s growth is a good benchmark. If they’re continually developing and advancing their product offerings and systems, if they’re growing their own bottom line, chances are better that your business will be positioned to grow alongside them.
Why Payroc?
As you’re considering payment partners, we hope you’ll look closely at Payroc. Thanks to our unmatched agent support, white-glove onboarding and residual management, and vertical solutions for serious merchant services professionals, we’re an agent favorite. What’s more, we’re growing quickly, and we’re looking for talented ISOs and agents to grow with us.