Payments aren’t just infrastructure in gaming, they’re critical to the industry’s growth. From local wallets and currencies to mobile browser checkout, the way players pay now decides how studios scale.
In this episode of Payments Unfiltered, Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla, joins host Theo Spyrides to outline a practical playbook for global game monetization.
Together they unpack the levers that actually move revenue: enabling the right payment methods and currencies in priority markets, reducing friction at checkout, navigating regulatory shifts that can unlock new opportunities—or add fresh hurdles—and how to combat fraud.
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Low fraud and chargeback rates? Great. But what if it’s costing you customers?
In this episode of Payments Unfiltered, host Theo Spyrides is joined once again by Galit Shani-Michel, VP of Emerging Products at Forter, to explore the hidden risks of a “zero fraud” mindset.
From KPI misalignment to false declines and friction-filled 3DS flows, Galit explains how well-meaning fraud strategies can quietly damage conversion, customer experience, and long-term growth.
What you'll learn:
In this episode of Payments Unfiltered, Theo Spyrides speaks with Natasha de Terán, author of The Payoff and former Head of Corporate Affairs at SWIFT, about the hidden complexity behind everyday transactions.
In this episode of Payments Unfiltered, Theo Spyrides sits down with André Moeller, Payments, Risk, and Fraud Professional Lead at Elli (Volkswagen Group’s energy and charging solutions provider).
They explore the key strategies for setting up payments correctly, including:
Defining the optimal payment flow: Understanding the difference between Customer-Initiated Transactions (CIT) and Merchant-Initiated Transactions (MIT).
Selecting the right payment methods: Aligning payment options with customer preferences, average order values, and regional trends.
Avoiding misalignment: Why businesses must involve payment experts early to prevent friction, fraud, and failed transactions.
Optimizing checkout experiences: How too many payment options can create unnecessary complexity and reduce conversion rates.
The role of data: Using insights to optimize payments, reduce fraud, and improve business strategy.
Building a strong payments team: Why hiring experienced payments professionals is critical for success.
Fraud is evolving, and merchants can’t afford to fight it alone. In this episode of Payments Unfiltered, our host, Theo Spyrides, speaks with Galit Shani-Michel, VP of Payments at Forter, to discuss the rise of AI-powered fraud, the growing threat of friendly fraud, and why false declines cost businesses more than they realize. They also discuss why traditional fraud rules no longer work, how merchants can leverage data-sharing networks, and the real impact of 3DS on fraud prevention and conversion rates.
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About Forter
Forter is the Trust Platform for digital commerce. By ensuring accurate, instant assessments of trustworthiness across every step of the buying journey, Forter's ability to isolate fraud and protect consumers is why Nordstrom, Instacart, Priceline and leaders across industries have trusted them to process more than $1 trillion in transactions. Forter's deep understanding of identity and use of automation helps businesses prevent fraud, maximize revenue and deliver superior experiences for their consumers. Learn more at forter.com/partners/primer.
Join host Theo Spyrides as he dives deep with Michaela Weber, SVP & GM of Payments & Global Business Development at BigCommerce, to reveal how partnerships are reshaping the payment ecosystem. Discover how these alliances are fueling innovation and unlocking massive value for merchants. Theo and Michaela also discuss the breakthrough ecommerce trends and cutting-edge tactics merchants use to redefine their customers' checkout and payment experience.
Join host Theo Spyrides as he sits down with Parvinder Dahri-Cooper to explore her extensive experience in the payments ecosystem. Parvinder shares insights from her pivotal role in taking Worldpay to IPO and discusses her impactful efforts in driving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within the fintech industry. Discover why fintech must champion diversity and how it can lead the charge in supporting underserved communities. This episode also delves into the challenges of balancing product innovation with regulation and the potential for fintech to drive social good.
Rob Moffat, a partner at Balderton Capital, joins Theo Spyrides to discuss his journey into the VC space and his passion for payment and fintech innovation. He also discusses the trends He believes have shaped the payment industry in the last five years, how He spots and evaluates promising payment startups, and the essential skills and traits that payment entrepreneurs need to thrive.
Primer CEO & Co-Founder Gabriel Le Roux speaks on the Payments Unfiltered Podcast about his journey in payments, his experiences founding a successful start-up, and the evolution of the payments ecosystem over the past decade and where it’s going.
Join Theo Spyrides, Head of product at Primer for your much-needed dose of honest payments chat. In each episode Theo will dive into the payments ecosystem, exploring the personal journeys of those at the coalface, attempting to answer the big questions that’ll define where the ecosystem is heading, and, of course, have some fun along the way.