profile

Exec Seat: Q&A With Doug Wicks, CEO of Payze

Meet Doug Wicks, PhD, a familiar face among those who’ve worn their hats in the online adult industry for some time.

Last August, Wicks took an equity stake in payment solutions company Payze.com, which was founded by industry vets who’ve operated processing systems since the late 1990s. Wicks joined the Payze board and immediately assumed the role of CEO.

The key to a successful relationship is to provide a large set of tools that these clients can pick and choose from.

XBIZ World recently asked Wicks a number of questions about Payze, how he got where he is today and the new federal initiative, Operation Chokepoint, and its effects on the processing industry.

XBIZ: How did you get involved in the industry and where did you get your start?

WICKS: By chance really. I finished a job in Europe for three years and landed back in Phoenix where this little company with 10 employees asked me to come work for them. I told them no thank you to their first two offers but they were very insistent. That company was CCBill, and within two years we had over 200 employees and I was the vice president of sales for both their processing and hosting companies. As they say, the third time is a charm and I was very lucky to work with such a great group of people.

XBIZ: How did Payze find its beginnings?

WICKS: Hank Freeman, the owner of SexKey.com and substantial domain portfolios partnered with Joel Paulin, who was the former COO of CCBill in 2006. Together they planned and devised the concept of Payze.com. The idea was very simple and that was to provide a true onestop shop for online merchants at lower rates than their competition. Merchant accounts, affiliate tracking, detailed reporting and the new third-party processing coming shortly will give Payze.com the one-stop shop.

XBIZ: What defines Payze and make it stand out from the rest?

WICKS: First, the trusted group of owners and employees. You will not find a complete group of owners and employees with the amount of experience that we have. Secondly is the detailed reporting engine and complete affiliate system powered by NATS that we feel is better than anything on the market. Lastly is our banking ties that give us the ability to provide the lowest rates in the industry.

XBIZ: How important is it to customize programs for client needs? And can you give some real and interesting examples of such customization?

WICKS: Very important for starters. Most clients have the need to sell their products in slightly different ways and gather reporting for feedback differently. The key to a successful relationship is to provide a large set of tools that these clients can pick and choose from. Also, you must have the ability to create new tools and reporting quickly as the online sales environment evolves and changes. Currently we have clients needing to sell tokens in a wallet system so we have built and provide that. Others have needed a true cable billing model where you can add additional charges one month and take charges away in other months, so we built that. Cancel discounts, upsells, cross sells are all part of the Payze tool set.

XBIZ: What sector of the online adult business is driving the market these days?

WICKS: I would say that cam/chat, dating and the true niche arenas drive the market.

XBIZ: Where is most of your business coming from, Europe or U.S., or is it about the same?

WICKS: U.S., E.U. and Canada in that order for our portfolio.

XBIZ: Are there any countries/regions that you don’t currently service but would like to in the near future?

WICKS: We are currently working on implementing Asian banks as well as South America.

XBIZ: How does Payze, with an evolving slate of banking and privacy regulations, stay in compliance?

WICKS: Interestingly, different banks interpret card association and government rules in slightly different ways. Payze.com has many banks behind the scene, so it becomes a challenge to be many things to many different banks. That said, the answer lies in the clientele that you take on for business. If you are selective with who you allow to process under your brand then you have a much easier path in being compliant.

XBIZ: What’s your take on the effects of Operation Chokepoint?

WICKS: From what I have read and understand there are banks dropping perfectly good clients and using the government's operation chokepoint as one of the reasons. This really brings up the morality issue for the banks and again most banks operate with a different set of moral codes and regulations. Does this mean adult processing is going away? No! Does this mean gun ammunition sales are going away? No! What this means is that the banks will become more selective with whom they choose to do business with but this has been going on long before operation chokepoint.

XBIZ: What’s coming up for the company this year and in 2015?

WICKS: As mentioned, the Payze.com third-party processing will be launching in the fall of this year. This, in itself, will be a great addition to our line of products. Additionally you will see new reporting tools, new banks and generally a lot more of us at the shows.

XBIZ: What’s a typical work day like?

WICKS: You mean after reading my copy of XBIZ World? Video conferencing, online chatting, emails and phone calls take up the day. For most of us at Payze there is also getting the kids up and off to school, working hard during the day, getting the kids home from school, homework, dinner, play time and then off to bed. Then there is the late night work that tends to happen since we are part of this global online community with clients around the world.

XBIZ: When not thinking about the biz, what do you like to do?

WICKS: Most of us at Payze have children so I would have to say that family and children dominate our non-biz time.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

WIA Profile: Laurel Bencomo

Born in Cambridge, England but raised in Spain, Laurel Bencomo initially chose to study business at the University of Barcelona simply because it felt familiar — both of her parents are entrepreneurs. She went on to earn a master’s degree in sales and marketing management at the EADA Business School, while working in events for a group of restaurants in Barcelona.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Gregory Dorcel on Building Upon His Brand's Signature Legacy

“Whether reflected in the storyline or the cast or even the locations, the entertainment we deliver is based on fantasy,” he elaborates. “Our business is not, and never has been, reality. People who are buying our content aren’t expecting reality, or direct contact with stars like you can have with OnlyFans,” he says.

Jeff Dana ·
opinion

How to Turn Card Brand Compliance Into Effective Marketing

In the adult sector, compliance is often treated as a gauntlet of mandatory checkboxes. While it’s true that those boxes need to be ticked and regulations must be followed, sites that view compliance strictly as a chore risk missing out on a bigger opportunity.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

A Look at the Latest AI Tools for Online Safety

One of the defining challenges for adult businesses is helping to combat the proliferation of illegal or nonconsensual content, as well as preventing minors from accessing inappropriate or harmful material — all the more so because companies or sites unable or unwilling to do so may expose themselves to significant penalties and put their users at risk.

Gavin Worrall ·
opinion

Know When to Drop Domains You Don't Need

Do you own too many domains? If so, you’re not alone. Like other things we accumulate, every registered domain means something to us. Sometimes a domain represents a dream project we have always wanted to do but have never quite gotten around to.

Juicy Jay ·
opinion

Understanding 'Indemnification' in Business Contracts

Clients frequently tell me that they didn’t understand — or sometimes, even read — certain portions of a contract because those sections appeared to be just “standard legalese.” They are referring, of course, to the specialized language used in legal documents, including contracts.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

5 Steps to Make Card Brand Compliance Easy

It’s February, the month of love. Just once, wouldn’t it be great to receive a little candy heart asking you to “Be Mine” instead of more forms to fill out and documents to submit? Of course, regulatory compliance does have one important thing in common with romance: Fail to put in the work, and your relationship is likely over — your relationship with the card brands, that is.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Protecting Your Business With a Data Backup Strategy That Works

If the subject of backups sounds boring to you, maybe this will grab your attention: Without properly implemented backups, your business is vulnerable to partial or even catastrophic data loss, which could screw your company and tank your income.

Brad Mitchell ·
profile

WIA Profile: Paulita Pappel

Raised in Spain, surrounded by a predominantly Catholic community, Paulita Pappel grew up being told porn was bad. When she became a feminist, she was told her fascination with porn was not in line with her desire to empower women. This inner conflict made her feel like there was something wrong with her.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Complying With New Age Assurance and Content Moderation Standards

For adult companies operating in today’s increasingly regulated digital landscape, maintaining compliance with card brand requirements is essential — not only to safeguard your operations but also to ensure a safe and transparent environment for users.

Gavin Worrall ·
Show More