ETA TRANSACT 2025 drew more than 3,000 professionals in the payments ecosystem to Las Vegas to explore new technologies, network, and hear from industry thought leaders. Buzz at the event surrounded the evolution of commerce, trust in the age of AI, stablecoin, embedded finance, and biometric payments. However, a common theme ran through all sessions: partnership. It’s a topic that’s particularly important for ISVs, many of whom find themselves expanding to become Fintechs to meet the demand for payments in context.
Panel: How ISV Software Is Evolving and What’s Next?
Diana Augustine, Head of Business Development, ISV & PSP for Ingenico, moderated the ETA TRANSACT panel discussion dedicated to helping ISVs keep up with demands in the new world of commerce. During the discussion, panelists, Sarah Adams, Chief Revenue Officer at ISVPay, Becky Kopplin, VP of Payments at Rainforest Pay, and Ben Walls, Technical Solutions Architect with Visa, stressed the importance of ISV-payment partnerships.
Walls advised ISVs to get the foundations of payments right by relying on partners to do the heavy lifting to address issues like PCI compliance and security. With the right partner, ISVs can devote more time to focusing on differentiating and growing their businesses. “With 75% of purchases still occurring in the store, it makes sense that you would partner with somebody with a really strong install solution like Ingenico or Visa, for example, that last year processed over 310 billion transactions,” Walls said.
He added that partnership can also accelerate time to market. Walls commented that one Fintech benefitted from working with Visa and Ingenico to certify Ingenico AXIUM Android terminals to Visa Platform Connect, saving 18 months.
Kopplin added that partnerships with payments companies help ISVs derisk projects, allowing ISVs to provide solutions for end-to-end business management that will stand out in the market.
These ETA TRANSACT panelists also offered advice for ISVs planning their roadmaps. Adams pointed out that ISVs sometimes focus on what’s next, but miss the basics, like creating a cohesive, embedded payment experience for consumers, a seamless merchant onboarding experience, and easy access to reports.
How to Spot a Valuable Payments Partnership
Players in the payments value chain who are exploring how they can benefit from the technologies and ideas at ETA TRANSACT must also evaluate new partners to make their visions a reality. Questions to answer when vetting potential payments partners include:
- Does the company have a product or a solution focus?
Merely selling devices, services, or apps will limit the value a company brings to a partnership. Look for payments companies that are open to creating new ways to overcome business challenges.
- Can you rely on the company for value-added services?
A payment company with a strong network of partners can expand payment services and solution options and help create industry-specific or unique solutions that precisely meet merchants’ requirements.
- How invested is the company in partnerships?
Companies that provide development and technical services, sales enablement, and marketing support will help their partners succeed.
- Does the company have a strong roadmap for innovation?
Although enabling all payment methods that consumers want to use today is essential, a partnership worth investing in will also provide a way to adapt to the changing world of commerce. The best strategy is to look beyond today to ensure that the effort invested in integration and the partner relationship will have long-lasting returns, even as technology and consumer demands change.
Make Partnerships Part of Your Business Strategy
With the speed of change, new regulatory mandates, evolving consumer behaviors, and the need to stand out in competitive markets, few companies can manage it all on their own. Partnership with a leading payments company can fill skill gaps, take solutions to market faster, and provide the flexibility necessary to adapt in the future.
If you weren’t able to connect with us at ETA TRANSACT, contact us today to learn more about how your ISV, acquirer, or merchant business will benefit from a partnership with Ingenico.
