EVO B2B Group Interview with Tom Lizzio - Universal

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Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Contact EVO B2B Group:

Phone: (513) 644-6146

Email: B2Binfo@evopayments.com

Read The Transcript:

Marty Hartman:
Welcome to the Supplier Spotlight interview. Today we have Thomas Lizzio, Senior Partner Success Manager at EVO B2B Group. Tom, welcome to the interview.

Tom Lizzio:
Hi, thank you Marty. Appreciate you having us on.

Marty Hartman:
So you’ve got the attention, our members are listening. Why should they pay attention to what you have to say in this interview?

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, Marty, you know we are very excited about our partnership with Universal Unilink and one of the big things that I think will make the members really excited is about our focus on B2B payments. So B2B payments can be quite confusing and just the history of, especially credit card processing, some members might have a bad taste in their mouth about that and that’s where EVO really tries to be different in the sense of we really try to thrive on transparency and really offering a total business solution.

Tom Lizzio:
So what that means is that with our B2B focus, we try to give them the best cost structures, giving them the best solutions and giving them the tools and resources that they need to be able to process payments the most efficient way possible. Which is going to help their business run smoother and hopefully put some time back in their day as well.

Marty Hartman:
Right. We’ve had some members that have switched over and reported that the transition was easy. So in addition to the savings that our members are going to have, they are also saving time and effort on that. So how do you go about doing that, saving time and effort for members?

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, that’s a great question and a lot of it goes to A/R Automation, which is kind of a hot topic right now within business. And we really find that true, especially in the B2B space because people are realizing that time is money and the fact that we have the technology today that can help systems work together, that’s really where EVO shines, in the fact that we have our own product, it’s called PayFabric that has the ability to plug into all sorts of different systems.

Tom Lizzio:
So, if a member’s using an ERP system or any kind of like operation management system, our product, PayFabric could work with it to where it takes what used to be a manual process of maybe going over to a credit card terminal and punching in the numbers and then going over to your ERP solution and then updating that record. You could have it all work together to where you’re working in one system. There’s no double entry and it’s able to get those records updated without any kind of a possibility of human error. So it can really streamline some of the processes that are in place today.

Tom Lizzio:
And the other exciting part is, for the automation side, is you can actually have the ability to, if you are currently today sending out like a mail invoice to your customers, you can send an email invoice to them with a payment link to where they can choose to either pay you with credit card or with ACH and they all do that from a secure payment link to where you never touch the card, you never see the card and everything is updated automatically.

Tom Lizzio:
So, it could really help cut out, if you’re offering terms to your customers, it can really help on those on the DSO and help you get paid faster, as well.

Marty Hartman:
Yes, getting paid faster, everybody loves that. So there’s a lot of payment processor companies out there. How is it that you guys are different?

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, so that is a huge area within payments is that there is a lot of different credit card processors. So really what separates us is that we are one of the few credit card processors where we are an end processor. So we don’t need anybody else to help us do a transaction. Where a third party broker might need someone like EVO to be able to process the payments, we’re able to take the payment all the way from when you guys capture it all the way to settlement.

Tom Lizzio:
So it really cuts out a middleman, it cuts down on some of those fees that would come with that. But then also, the fact that we are a B2B office, meaning that we just have that focus on B2B transactions, we are living and breathing that, so we know exactly what the pain points are for members and we know what the struggles are in payments. But that also means that we have the solutions to be able to help with those pain points.

Marty Hartman:
And that’s great for us because all of our members are, that’s what they do. It’s business to business all day long.

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah.

Marty Hartman:
Which is fantastic. So, if somebody was thinking about giving you guys a chance, what’s the transition like to switch from their current processor?

Tom Lizzio:
So we tried to make the transition as easy as possible. And, we really think that we’ve gotten it down to a science.

Tom Lizzio:
And so how this would work is, so on our partnership team with Universal Unilink, it’s myself as the Senior Partner Success Manager. There’s Bridgette Kime, who is our Partner Relationship Manager. So we’re kind of like a tag team working with Universal Unilink. And then we have Brandyn Cook, who is our business development, he’s our Business Development Manager and he is the one who would be working with the members.

Tom Lizzio:
So kind of how the process would start is that if they were to call in or email in, we would get them in touch with Brandyn. Brandyn would have a discovery call with them and discuss just the various topics about how they process credit cards or payments today, what they’re looking for within a system, really trying to figure out what’s going on today and figuring out where they want to go in the future, so that Brandyn can take that information and be able to come up with that business solution.

Tom Lizzio:
But we also do a cost analysis. So if they were to provide Brandyn with their previous processing statements, we actually have a team that’s dedicated to going line by line through processing statements to really uncover what’s going on. So it’s going to inform the member about what their overall rate is, which we call a net effective rate. It’s going to go into any kind of hidden fees or fees that are being charged that maybe shouldn’t be there. And it’s going to just shed some light on what’s really going on with the processing. And it’s also going to let them know what their overall rate or net effective rate would be with EVO and the Universal Unilink pricing program. So he’ll go through the results of that, he will discuss what the business solution is, and then from there, it’s just going to come down to whether or not the member thinks this is, the member thinks that this is the right business decision for them.

Marty Hartman:
Right. So everybody’s going to be a little bit different because everybody does, everybody’s business is a little different. So that cost analysis, I think would be a really great way to determine if making the switch is worthwhile.

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, it really is. And, if they do decide that this is the right move for them, then the process after that we really try to make that simple as well. So Brandyn would actually go through a pre-application checklist, which is just basic questions that are about the business. And then, he would get the application prefilled out for them. He would send it over to them for signature. Then he just needs a few documents for our underwriting team. And then once he gets the application signed and those documents back, he submits everything to underwriting. He usually hears something about 8 to 12 hours and at that point, we’ll get the approval done and then our client services team goes to work getting the account built, getting whatever the solution is ready for them. So we could typically have a member up and running within about 24 to 48 hours.

Marty Hartman:
All right. So in payment processing there’s a lot of terms floating around that can be confusing. Like you mentioned A/R Automation and what’s, another one is PCI Compliance. Can you tell our folks what that means and if you can help with that.

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, definitely. So PCI Compliance is definitely one of the more common things that our client services teams gets asked. And then also, a lot of our business development reps also get asked, and really what PCI Compliance is, it’s just a security standard set by the card brands to ensure that you are processing payments the safest and most secure manner.

Tom Lizzio:
Now there’s two ways for PCI compliance to be completed. So one of them is just a, the merchant would have a self assessment questionnaire and they can explain how they are accepting payments today. And then the other option is that they can have a non-intrusive scan done of the network. Now, that is just to make sure that there is no cracks in their firewall or anything like that. So what we like to tell our merchants is, it’s similar to if you were to walk around your house and just confirming that the windows and doors are closed and not open. So it’s really just, it’s checking the outer facing network. So it’s nothing internal.

Marty Hartman:
which is great having you guys help with that. So what would be the best way for members to contact EVO?

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, so the best way for them to get in contact with us would be getting in touch with Bridgette. So they can reach out to us at B2Binfo@evopayments.com and then also they can reach us by phone at (513) 644-6146 and they would get Bridgette and Bridgette would get them connected with Brandyn. And, she’s there to really answer some questions and they can also go to our website as well and also, I believe on the Universal Unilink website as well.

Tom Lizzio:
So there’s a lot of different options for a member to get in touch with us. Or the other option is that they can come hang out with me in, I believe Nashville, for the Universal Unilink Annual Conference that I’m very excited-

Marty Hartman:
Yes.

Tom Lizzio:
… to be going to.

Marty Hartman:
We’re excited that you’re going to be there also. Thanks for the plug for that because we are, we’re expecting some pretty good attendance from our members and we’re thrilled that you’re going to be there at the conference. I know that the last time you were at a conference that there was a lot of interest generated so we hope the same thing happens this time. So what else would you like us or would you like our members to know before we sign off for today?

Tom Lizzio:
Yeah, I think the last thing that I want them to know is that whether you’re a client of ours or if you’re just a member, our main job is to make sure that you guys are taken care of. So at the end of the day we are a resource for all of Universal Unilink. So if there are any questions, concerns, or if you want to know more about what’s going on within the payment industry, please just give us a call. We would love to just talk to you about that. You know April and October is when MasterCard and Visa do their mandates and we are going to be trying to get ahead of that in recent mandate changes. There’s been some big changes to the B2B side of things and so, we’re really trying to make sure that our clients are staying educated but we want to make sure that our partners are as well.

Tom Lizzio:
So even if they’re not a client of ours, we’d love to talk to them about the changes with that, that are going to be going on. And if they want to stay up to date on stuff going on in the payment industry, we have webinars that go on about every other month about PCI Compliance, about our new product, PayFabric and then also just general things going on in payment.

Tom Lizzio:
So it’s a great way for a member, if they don’t want to call in, to find out what’s going on within the industry.

Marty Hartman:
That’s fantastic. Many ways to get more information and I hope our members take you up on the offer because you guys are the experts in the field, so there’s no sense in just wondering or wracking your brain, trying to figure these out. Call the experts to find out what’s going on and they can definitely help you out. Tom, I really appreciate you taking the time for us today.

Tom Lizzio:
Not a problem. Thank you so much. And, we look forward to working with more members and then seeing everybody in Nashville.