About this episode

This episode discusses the complexities and compliance issues surrounding the Merchant of Record model in the payments industry.

“Merchant of record” sounds official. The problem: card networks don’t even define it the same way. That ambiguity can get businesses shut down overnight. Want the bright line between MOR, PayFac, and PayFac Light? California can be the place where fast-growing commerce companies learn an expensive lesson: states are no longer “too busy” to chase remote sellers, platforms, and cross-border transactions. We talk through how post-COVID enforcement changed the game, why the California Franchise...

Topics covered

• Merchant of Record
• Compliance
• Payments
• Card Networks
• Post-COVID Enforcement
• E-commerce
• Remote Sellers

Keywords

• Merchant of Record
• Compliance Model
• Payments
• Card Networks
• E-commerce
• California
• Post-COVID Enforcement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: California Franchise

Places: California, California

More episodes of The Payments Experts Podcast

• Visa's Secret Shoppers Cost This Merchant $25K: How Merchants Get Hit With Compliance Fines | PEP116 · July 13, 2026 · 45 min
• Your Business Is Probably Overpaying - Learn Why | AI-Powered Cost Audits with Bill Kurtzner PEP115 · July 6, 2026 · 20 min
• The Biggest Opportunity in Payments 2026: Why Distribution May Be Your Last True Advantage | PEP113 · June 22, 2026 · 25 min
• Five Things That Give The Merchant Processing Industry a Bad Name and How To Fix It | PEP112 · June 16, 2026 · 45 min

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