The Payments Shed Podcast

🗄️ Shelf of Shame This one goes beyond payments terminology 👀 In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) shares why she thinks the industry should stop using the word: 👉 “Fraudster” Because today’s fraud landscape looks very different from 20–30 years ago. What once felt like isolated bad actors has evolved into: 👉 Organized criminal operations 👉 Sophisticated global networks 👉 Professionalized financial crime And Julie’s point is simple: 👉 We should call it what it is. A powerful perspective on how fraud has evolved across the payments ecosystem. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live.

Chargebacks can be frustrating for merchants 👀 But removing them entirely could create even bigger problems. In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) explains why consumer protection still matters so much in payments: 👉 Chargebacks build buyer confidence 👉 Trust drives adoption 👉 And consumers need reassurance when spending online One interesting example discussed: As peer-to-peer payment apps grew, many consumers realized: 👉 If the money’s gone… it’s really gone. And that lack of protection slowed adoption for some users. The key takeaway? 👉 The industry wants better solutions not necessarily no protection at all. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live.

Our good friends at PCN just dropped the GOAT of all talent reports. 👀 It explores what's driving talent across the industry, including the impact of AI, salaries, bonuses, DEI in the workplace, remote vs. office preferences, L&D opportunities and more. The link to the report is in the comments, but we highly recommend anyone working in payments and fintech give this a read, you won't regret it!

Fraud prevention is no longer something merchants can tackle alone 👀 In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) explains why collaboration has become mission critical: 👉 Fraud evolves too fast 👉 Payments change constantly 👉 New technologies emerge overnight And without shared knowledge? 👉 Merchants fall behind. One of the most interesting points raised: When trends like crypto or new payment methods emerge, collaboration helps businesses understand: - What’s real - What’s hype - What’s worth acting on Because fighting fraud and navigating payments in 2026 isn’t just about tools anymore. 👉 It’s about community, education, and shared intelligence. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live.

Deepfakes are becoming one of the biggest challenges in fraud prevention 👀 In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) talks about how quickly AI-driven fraud is evolving: 👉 Deepfake technology is now sophisticated enough to bypass some identity checks 👉 Even video verification is becoming harder to trust And that creates a constant: 👉 Cat-and-mouse game between fraud teams and criminals. One of the most striking points? 👉 The pace of AI development. This isn’t evolving year by year anymore. 👉 It’s changing week by week. A fascinating conversation on the future of fraud, trust, and authentication in payments. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live.

AI is already reshaping payments infrastructure 👀 And not just from the consumer side. In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) talks about where AI is creating real impact behind the scenes: 👉 Smarter transaction routing 👉 More sophisticated fraud detection 👉 Helping analysts automate investigative work Instead of manually searching: Addresses Social profiles Risk signals …teams can now use AI to handle the heavy lifting and focus on the harder decisions. A fascinating look at how AI is quietly becoming part of the operational layer of payments and fraud prevention. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live on all platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcast).

The fraudsters were sharing information… But merchants weren’t 👀 In this clip, Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) shares the story behind how the MRC began: Back in the ‘90s: 👉 HP 👉 Dell 👉 Apple …were all being targeted by the same criminal groups. The problem? 👉 The attackers were collaborating 👉 The merchants weren’t. So they brought competitors together for a simple lunch conversation. That moment eventually became: 👉 The beginning of merchant collaboration in fraud prevention. A fascinating reminder that fighting fraud often starts with sharing knowledge. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live. 🔗 Link to the full episode in the comments!

Fraudsters collaborate. Merchants used to fight alone. In this episode of The Payments Shed Podcast, Grant Evans and Justin Hanna sit down with Julie Fergerson, CPFPP (CEO @ MRC | Merchant Risk Council) to unpack: 👉 How the MRC started from a simple lunch between merchants 👉 Why fraud teams and payments teams often see risk differently 👉 The growing reality of organized digital crime 👉 And the challenges global merchants face in 2026 A fascinating conversation around fraud, collaboration, payments, and trust in the modern commerce ecosystem. The team at MRC have also very kindly partnered with us to help you all to keep learning for less, with 15% off all MRC eLearning courses until 1 June using the code 👉 PAYMENTSHED15. Follow/Subscribe our channels/profiles on all platforms: 🔴 Youtube: https://lnkd.in/eyyAugk9 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dv8uxEfe 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dfwiFcMX 🙏 Huge thank you to our sponsor ISX Financial® and our partners Cyclops and PCN for supporting the show.

We had a great chat with Marc O'Fathaigh, Country Manager UK & Ireland at Klarna live from FTT Embedded Finance & Super Apps in London last week. Marc told us that merchants are leaning into having every payment option available for their customers more than ever before. Choice is king. We also delved into the fact that Klarna has a very tenured customer base now, familiar with utilising the many benefits the Klarna app offers, including their responsible spending tools. You can watch and listen to the full podcast now right here.👇 🔴 Youtube: https://lnkd.in/exXvEmnu 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eft4TF76 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eE_e6mDG

🗄️ Shelf of Shame “Stablecoins = instant payments” 👀 In this clip, Jordan Lawrence (CEO & Co-Founder @ Damisa) calls out one of the biggest misconceptions in fintech right now: 👉 Just because stablecoins are involved… doesn’t automatically make the whole payment flow instant. Yes: ✔️ Settlement finality can be near-instant But there’s still: FX Compliance Off-ramping Operational processes …wrapped around the transaction. And interestingly: 👉 Sometimes businesses don’t want payments to move instantly. A really nuanced take on where stablecoins actually create value — versus where the hype takes over. 🎧 The full episode of The Payments Shed Podcast hosted by Justin Hanna & Grant Evans is now live. 🔴 Youtube: https://lnkd.in/dAdD4Zs7 🟢 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dyc2WMJv 🟣 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dMbZPDaW