In this week’s episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Chris Del Grande, payments entrepreneur and ISO operator, for an in-the-weeds conversation on scaling merchant portfolios through the 1099 agent model. They break down what it really takes to grow at scale - where agents struggle, how ISOs can better support them, and why the 1099 channel remains one of the biggest opportunities heading into 2026.
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In this week’s episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Chris Del Grande, payments entrepreneur and ISO operator, for an in-the-weeds conversation on scaling merchant portfolios through the 1099 agent model. They break down what it really takes to grow at scale - where agents struggle, how ISOs can better support them, and why the 1099 channel remains one of the biggest opportunities heading into 2026.
Integrated payments are reshaping the industry, but success looks very different depending on whether you’re an ISV or an ISO. This week, James Shepherd sits down with Ashley Willson, a consultant who works with both software companies and ISOs, to share her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in integrated payments. With experience on both sides of the equation, Ashley offers practical insights into where the market is headed and how to navigate it.
Then, Patti Murphy joins James for Today in Payments to cover the latest industry trends, including new statistics on surcharging programs and what they mean for the future.
Merchant Sales Podcast
In this week’s episode of the Merchant Sales Podcast, James Shepherd sits down with Chris Del Grande, payments entrepreneur and ISO operator, for an in-the-weeds conversation on scaling merchant portfolios through the 1099 agent model. They break down what it really takes to grow at scale - where agents struggle, how ISOs can better support them, and why the 1099 channel remains one of the biggest opportunities heading into 2026.
