Eric Kuvykin, B2B solutions: payment processing

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Eric Kuvykin on Payment Economics: Interchange, Surcharging and Merchant Visibility

Interchange, surcharging, card-network rules and settlement developments remain important because they affect how merchants understand and manage card-acceptance costs.

Payment economics still matter. New technology can improve checkout, security and data, but merchants still need to understand what card acceptance costs and why.

Interchange, processor markup, software fees, surcharging rules, card-category acceptance and settlement developments all influence the real economics of accepting cards. A low headline rate is not enough if the merchant cannot understand the full statement or compare costs by channel.

Eric Kuvykin's view is that merchants should separate structural network costs from provider markup and optional service fees. That distinction helps business owners ask better questions and avoid making decisions from incomplete numbers.

The Visa and Mastercard merchant settlement conversation remains important because rule changes and cost changes can affect acceptance strategy. Merchants should confirm final terms through official sources and their own advisors before changing policy.

Embedded Finance for Main Street: Eric Kuvykin on Payments Inside Business Software

Embedded finance is becoming a practical small-business issue as payments, banking, lending and software move into the same workflow.

Embedded finance is changing how small businesses experience financial services. Instead of logging into separate systems for payments, banking, lending, reporting and customer records, more tools are bringing financial functions directly into the software a business already uses.

That can be valuable, but only when the economics and responsibilities stay visible. Convenience is not enough if the merchant loses clarity around fees, settlement timing, data access, contract terms or support ownership.

Eric Kuvykin's merchant-services perspective is that embedded finance should reduce friction without hiding control. A restaurant, retailer, contractor or service business should be able to see what was paid, when it funded, what it cost, what customer record it connects to and what happens if a payment fails.

The strongest embedded-finance systems will make daily operations easier. The weakest will bundle too many services into a confusing stack. Business owners should ask what the tool replaces, what it improves and what it makes harder to leave.