opinion

Looking Back at 2016’s Highlights

2016 was fraught with highs and lows. As an industry, we mourned the loss of friends and loved ones and welcomed new life into the world.

With the presidential election behind us and California’s Proposition 60 defeated, we look forward to picking up the pieces and moving forward. I want to take a moment to thank everyone over at the Free Speech Coalition and the “Say No to Prop 60” team for all of their hard work in making sure this piece of legislation was defeated.

2016 wasn’t all bad. Somewhere between the outbreak of the Zika virus and the Brexit vote I got engaged, and Mobius Payments experienced its fastest-growing calendar year.

The Chicago Cubs won the World Series after 108 years. Team USA brought home 46 gold medals, 37 silver medals, and 38 bronze medals for an astounding 121 total medals awarded from the summer Olympiad in Rio. 2016 was also peppered with loss. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Harper Lee, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder and Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as attorney general of the U.S. are just a few of the many we lost this year. Oh, how I loved the Thin White Duke.

2016 wasn’t all bad. Somewhere between the outbreak of the Zika virus and the Brexit vote I got engaged, and Mobius Payments experienced its fastest-growing calendar year. We also rolled out several exciting new products and services and we’ve expanded our European banking options to best serve our clients. The addition of several new European banking partners means even more options for our clients. Being able to diversify your relationships globally to achieve higher approval ratios in the corresponding regions while mitigating and spreading chargeback liability is tantamount to the longevity of any merchant account.

With chargeback regulations becoming more conservative this past year in the European region, it’s important to select and trust a banking partner who is well-informed and can provide guidance to keep your business running smoothly and without interruption. At every change or update to Visa and MasterCard regulations, both in the U.S. and the E.U., or updates to anti-money laundering regulations, Mobius Payments has been ahead of the curve and has been in position to advise our clients and pivot with the changes quickly and seamlessly.

The best thing that 2016 has given us is a reason to look forward to 2017. With 2016 almost squarely in our rearview mirror, we have the 2017 XBIZ Show at the beautiful Andaz Hotel in Los Angeles and the XBIZ Awards to look forward to in January, hosted by The Hedgehog himself! Also, congratulations to Matt, the director of sales, and Mia, the chief executive, on their XBIZ Exec Awards nominations!

The XBIZ events have historically been very productive and a great opportunity to catch up with familiar faces as well as make new connections and build new relationships. A big thank you to everyone over at XBIZ for all your hard work, not only during the “show season” but the rest of the year — providing us all with a platform to communicate on XBIZ.net as well as this wonderful publication that keeps us all informed of the latest news and trends in our industry.

With a new presidency on the horizon and a Republican Congress and Supreme Court, 2017 will not be without its moments … that’s certain. The one thing that shouldn’t give you a migraine or heartburn is your credit card processing!

As new Visa and MasterCard regulations are announced and enacted, we’ll be by your side every step of the way to ensure you are compliant before deadlines and continue to stay within the established thresholds. In addition to staying ahead of the curve, we offer a suite of tools to enhance your credit card processing experience. Contact me if you’d like to hear more about our chargeback resolution service or electronic gift cards!

Also, we’re calling it now: Dallas and New England in Houston on Feb. 5. You read it here first, folks!

In the coming year, we renew our commitment to excellent customer service and we are as dedicated as ever to make 2017 our best year yet.

With the support of our friends and family in the adult industry, we continue to grow and offer even more value-added services. As we look forward to 2017, Mobius Payments will continue to undertake continued enhancement for mobile platforms and cross-border acquiring.

We look forward to continuing to serve our clients, meeting new clients, and staying ahead of the curve. We look forward to seeing you all in Los Angeles next month. Have a happy and prosperous new year.

Jonathan Corona has more than a decade of experience in the electronic payments processing industry. As Mobius Payments Inc.’s vice president of compliance, Corona is primarily responsible for day-to-day operations as well as reviewing and advising merchants on a multitude of compliance standards set forth by the card associations. Mobius Payments specializes in high-risk merchant accounts in the U.S., E.U. and Asia.

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