Behind the Click Podcast with Charly De Backer: What merchants get wrong about payments

In the latest episode of Behind the Click, hosted by Janine Vanessa Heinrich, the focus turned to a part of e-commerce many merchants underestimate: payments.

Janine talked with Charly De Backer, Head of Business Development at SysPay about what really happens behind the checkout page. Rather than discussing payment buttons or surface-level integrations, the conversation explored the infrastructure, routing logic, and expertise that influence whether transactions succeed or fail.

Payments look simple, but they’re not

One of the first points Charly made was that merchants often see payments as “plug and play.” From their perspective, it’s a checkout page and a button. What they don’t see is the complexity behind the scenes: the technology, rules, and decision-making that determines whether a payment was accepted.

As he explained, payment service providers manage far more than a single flow. They have to account for business models, markets, customer behavior, and regulatory constraints: all while making the experience seamless for the end customer.

“The merchant, they just see the payment as a plug and play button… but they don’t see what is behind all the technology that we manage on our side.” our guest said.

Payments are not just infrastructure: they affect revenue

A recurring theme throughout the episode was that payments are often treated as a cost or technical necessity, rather than as a lever for performance.

Charly emphasized that payment performance is not fully visible to merchants. According to him, a large portion of success depends on elements such as routing logic, BIN settings, and market-specific behavior: factors that sit behind the interface.

He also highlighted how much impact acceptance rates can have on a business:

“Getting a good payment system can definitely increase their revenue… if you optimize this acceptance rate, it can be worth hundreds of thousands or millions per year.”

Single acquirer vs. multi-acquirer: Why it matters

Another key topic in the episode was the risk of relying on a single acquirer. Our guest explained that many merchants, including large ones, still operate with just one acquirer, which limits flexibility.

He pointed out that with a single acquirer, merchants are exposed to operational risks such as technical outages, changes in risk appetite, or updated rules from card schemes like Visa and Mastercard. If something changes, the merchant may have no immediate alternative.

This is why Charly stressed the importance of multi-acquirer setups. Having multiple acquiring channels allows payment traffic to be routed dynamically, based on factors like geography, transaction type, or card details.

Complex business models need flexible payment setups

Charly also discussed industries and business models where rigid payment structures struggle the most.

He described marketplaces as particularly complex, involving multiple parties – end customers, platforms, and resellers – often operating across different countries. Payments must be collected, split, reconciled, and settled correctly, while remaining compliant.

Our guest noted that hospitality groups face similar challenges, especially when operating across multiple locations and jurisdictions, where reconciliation and settlement become significantly more complex.

Automation helps but human expertise still matters

While automation and data play an important role, Charly made it clear they are not enough on their own. He argued that payment data requires interpretation, and that optimization depends on understanding context, not just dashboards.

He also stated that merchants often lack the time or expertise to analyze why acceptance rates differ by market or how routing decisions affect performance. That, he said, is where human expertise remains essential.

What merchants need to be prepared for

Looking ahead, our guest highlighted two important realities merchants need to be prepared for:

1. Card schemes are becoming more risk-aware and continue to change their rules.
2. Relying on a single acquirer increases both operational and business risk.

He also pointed to the growing importance of hybrid payment models, combining cards, pay-by-bank/open banking, and crypto – depending on market and business needs.

Final advice for merchants

When asked for one piece of advice, Charly’s answer was direct. He advised merchants not to leave payment performance fully in someone else’s hands and encouraged them to understand their own acceptance rates and what influences them.

Throughout the episode, he reiterated that payments are not just infrastructure. When understood and optimized, they directly influence business growth.

To hear interview with Charly in full, in his own voice and with all the nuance that can’t fit on a page, watch the complete episode of Behind the Click:

You can also listen to the episode on the Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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