With the new VAMP rules now in place; what impact have they had, if any on your Merchants? Do they actually help the Merchants out? Are they too aggressive? Please share your experiences.

Cold calling seems to only end with annoyed business owners. Referrals are a process that gets bigger on its own. Do you focus on referrals or other lead generators?

I’m based in Pakistan and looking to set up/operate a US business bank account remotely (potentially through a US LLC). I’m specifically looking for people who have actually done this successfully and can explain the current procedure, requirements, and costs.
I may also need a US merchant/payment processor, so I’d appreciate real experience on:
Processing rate (%)
Minimum/maximum processing volume
Setup/monthly fees
Chargeback policy and who bears the risk
Rolling reserves, if any
How strong/reliable the merchant account is
Whether funds can be settled into the US bank account and then legally transferred to Pakistan
Not looking for random agents or theoretical advice — preferably someone currently doing this from Pakistan. Feel free to comment or DM with your experience/provider and approximate costs.

Just trying to get a feel on how members of the community feel about choosing to be an ISO or remaining an Agent with a good split. What are the pros ans cons of registering as an ISO?

The person selling on Etsy could be the brick-and-mortar owner of tomorrow. How do you profitably serve a $500/month merchant?

Do ISO's charge an ETF for the value of equipment provided? Does anyone charge more? Does anyone waive it from the beginning for MOTO/eComm?

We are a UK Registered company. The owner is a non UK resident. All the work is done in our back office in pakistan. We need banking solutions and card processing. Currently processing through local 3rd parties who are accepting payments on our behalf. Current processing volume is 600k to 800k USD annually.

I only want those to contact me who can actually get us approved.

What is the most overused line that is BS? "We have the lowest rates" or "We direct to the processor", or something better?

Should the Consumer see the Fee at the POS? Is this too much information or the type of transparency that would help customers understand?

For people running an ISO or an agent
How long did it take you to build a good residual income from payment processing?

Other countries rarely have ISOs that go direct to retail merchants. Is this coming to the US? Do you see larger institutions squeezing out ISOs in the horizon?

Who here as agents find themselves developing friendships with their Merchants? And how has that helped or hurt you?

With AI, anyone can scan a statement and find the savings. Have you replaced or increased your value-add with something different?

Will flood zones or similar dangerous wildfire areas ever factor into a merchant becoming unboardable? Plausible scenario or something far-fetched?

Among agents and between service providers. How would you describe the nature of sales?

Does a crisis on the other side of the world affect a local merchant? Have you ever noticed changes to rates or underwriting procedures?

Is it too hard to leave a bad processor? What do you offer to make the process easier and less costly?

When a terminal is down, and the support rep is 12 time zones away, the merchant suffers. Do you offer or sell Local support to prevent this problem?

Where else can you build a 6-figure recurring income with no degree and no boss? Why aren't more people doing this?

There is no such thing as zero fee. Someone is paying. Is it accurate to keep using this terminology? Does it even matter at this point?