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As 2009 approaches, independent sales organizations will face increased pressure to hold onto well-performing merchants while weeding out troublesome ones, reports CardLine sister publication ISO&Agent Weekly. "ISOs can begin by looking within their customer bases to grow revenue by providing substantially more value and by focusing on expanding card acceptance into underpenetrated segments," says Gerritt Kerkstra, group head of acquiring and operations for U.S. commerce development at MasterCard Worldwide. In 2009, ISOs will concentrate on niches and vertical industries, contends Xavier Ayala, vice president and director of national sales and marketing at Eureka, Calif.-based Humboldt Merchant Services LP. Linda Perry, head of acquirer and processor relations at Visa Inc., says ISOs and the rest of the payments industry must continue to pay close attention to security issues next year. Meanwhile, Donna Embry, senior vice president at Payment Alliance International, a Louisville, Ky.-based ISO, predicts ISOs running their businesses totally on cash may opt to sell their merchant portfolios to raise money if credit is unavailable.
