In this episode of Pioneers in Payments, host Donna Blum sits down with longtime payments entrepreneur, Tom Lineen, to discuss the rapid evolution of the payments ecosystem and the opportunities emerging at the intersection of banking, fintech, and embedded payments.
Tom is the Founder and President of WestTown Payments, a Dart Bank company. WestTown Payments was launch in partnership with West Town Bank & Trust in 2020 and acquired by Dart Bank in 2023. WestTown Payments is a Direct Bank Acquirer focuses on merchant acquiring, payment processing, and integrated banking and payment solutions for specialized and underserved markets. Prior to WestTown Payments, Tom founded Parallel Solutions (later known as Payvana), a global payment processing company serving mid- and high-risk merchants and played a key leadership role in the growth of Authorize.Net during the early days of e-commerce.
Drawing on decades of industry experience, Tom shares his perspective on one of the most significant trends shaping payments today: the rise of embedded payments. As banks, Fintechs, and payment facilitators (PayFacs) continue to converge, organizations are increasingly delivering seamless payment capabilities through integrated platforms and applications, fundamentally changing how businesses and consumers interact with financial services.
Tom also discusses the opportunities available for ISOs and agents to partner with community banks that are embracing innovative Fintech and PayFac solutions. As businesses seek greater efficiency amid tight margins and economic pressures, these partnerships are creating new avenues for growth and differentiation.
The conversation also explores the challenges facing the industry, including an increasingly complex regulatory environment, a shortage of sponsoring banks to support growing demand, and the uncertainty created by evolving legislative and regulatory guidance.
Tom concludes the discussion with a simple but powerful piece of advice for payments professionals: trust but verify. While relationships remain critical in the payments industry, organizations must carefully validate the capabilities, compliance posture, and track record of their partners before making strategic decisions.
Topics discussed include:
• Embedded payments and integrated banking solutions
• Merchant acquiring and payment processing
• Community bank and Fintech partnerships
• Payment facilitators (PayFacs)
• Sponsoring bank challenges
• Regulatory and compliance considerations
• Merchant services innovation
• The evolution of e-commerce payments
• Strategic growth opportunities in payments
Connect with Tom Lineen:
LinkedIn: tomlineen
tlineen@westtownpayments.com
About WestTown Payments:
WestTown Payments, A Dart Bank company, enables merchants to create commerce through compliance for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business transactions. With decades of experience in risk management, financial services and technology, WestTown Payments is uniquely positioned to put the value back in payment processing and is well-versed in the intricacies of delivering an industry leading merchant processing experience to its clients. Learn more at https://westtownpayments.com/.
