The Story Behind Central Wisconsin Payment Services

The idea for Central Wisconsin Payment Systems didn’t come from a business plan or a sales pitch.

It came from getting ripped off.

Before entering the credit card processing industry, I was involved in building a restaurant with my uncle. He ran a separate, very large and successful operation that processed hundreds of millions of dollars through his bank annually. When it came time to set up credit card processing for the restaurant, the advice was simple: just go to the bank — they’ll take care of you.

So that’s exactly what I did.

Within two months, another agent walked in, reviewed our statement, and showed me how badly we had been overcharged. The rates and fees were excessive, the structure was confusing, and the costs were far higher than they should have been — all from the same bank my uncle trusted with hundreds of millions of dollars.

Fast forward a couple years, my role in the restaurant project was complete and I had gone back to recruiting bankers. One day, I received a call from a recruiter (as I did all day) and they wanted to tell me about an opportunity that they felt I would be a great fit for.

During the very first phone conversation, they said something that immediately resonated:

“We’ll teach you how to do this business the fair way — the right way. You’ll be a true processing partner to your clients, maintain long-term relationships, and keep their rates down.”

That was all it took. I immediately remembered what we experienced at the restaurant.

If my uncle was treated that way by his bank, with that kind of relationship, what was happening to everyone else?

That question became the foundation for everything that followed.

In 2004, I entered the credit card processing industry, signing on with Nationwide Payment Solutions as an independent agent. From the very beginning, the goal was simple: help businesses understand their processing costs, keep those costs under control, and never take advantage of a lack of transparency. If even half of business owners were being treated the way we were, there was an opportunity to build something meaningful and do it the right way. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that almost everyone was being taken advantage of.

Since then, the industry has changed dramatically.

When I first started in the business, most businesses used countertop terminals connected to phone lines. Some were still physically imprinting cards. eCommerce barely existed, mobile payments weren’t a thing, and payment processing was rigid and outdated.

Over the years, everything evolved.

I had realized that having more than one processor would benefit my business and my customers for several reasons. Nationwide Payments was gobbled up by a bigger fish and I needed to protect my customers. Also, different processors have different products and it allowed me to service a wider variety of merchants.

The industry became digital. Mobile. Flexible. E-commerce exploded. Gateways, online payments, affordable cloud POS, mobile transactions, and multi-channel processing became the norm, and I made it a priority to evolve alongside it.

Through years of hands-on experience, we expanded into every major processing environment: business-to-business, retail, mobile payments, eCommerce, service industries, wholesalers, and more. That depth of experience means no matter who we talk to, there’s a solution that fits.

This has always been a relationship-driven operation, and largely a one-man show. Every client relationship is direct. Yes, every processing bank has 24/7 helpdesk and their own internal support. However, my customers can always call me first and most do. Whether it is a technical question, a change to their account, or any type of assistance they need, I am available.

Today, it’s also becoming a family business.

Two of my children are beginning to step into the industry. My daughter recently brought her first lead from the Wisconsin Rapids area, and together we signed her first account.

At the core of everything here is a simple commitment: be the payment watchdog for my clients.

I partner with processing banks that have the same business principle as I do. You don’t build business by increasing the rates of your existing merchants — you build it by taking care of more customers. Despite my good processor relationships, I review statements every month for every merchant of mine. I do this to make sure nothing unnecessary has crept in and that the merchants are processing in the way to keep their rates the lowest. Then, we look for opportunities to reduce costs and keep payment systems running as efficiently as possible.

Credit card processing isn’t something you should have to worry about.

That’s our job. And it’s been the same job since 2004.