Feature Articles

opinion

Best Practices for Payment Gateway Security

Securing digital payment transactions is critical for all businesses, but especially those in high-risk industries. Payment gateways are a core component of the digital payment ecosystem, and therefore must follow best practices to keep customer data safe.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Ready for New Visa Acquirer Changes?

Next spring, Visa will roll out the U.S. version of its new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP), which goes into effect April 1, 2025. This follows Visa Europe, which rolled out VAMP back in June. VAMP charts a new path for acquirers to manage fraud and chargeback ratios.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

How to Keep Meta From Derailing Your Social Media Campaign

The heavy hand of Meta can be both unforgiving and unpredictable. Profiles that Meta decides have violated its platforms’ terms may find themselves on the receiving end of punishments — including the dreaded “shadow ban,” which can be damaging for a brand’s social media campaign and strategy.

Scarlett Ward ·
opinion

Ben Rush, Alter Sin Deliver 7-Scene 'Spain in the Ass' Extravaganza

Alter Sin, Ben Rush and executive producer Tim Valenti invite fans to tag along on a steamy trip to Barcelona in “Spain in the Ass,” starring Falcon exclusive Sir Peter, Paddy O’Brian, Dean Young, Seth Peterson, Eros Manos, Jolian and featuring the debut of Tom Storm.

Alejandro Freixes ·
trends

Pleasure Biz Mainstays Reflect on Decades-Long Careers, Share Advice for Up-and-Comers

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That saying definitely holds true in the pleasure industry, where many executives build careers that exceed a quarter century.

opinion

Managing Online Safety Risk as an Adult Content Creator

Online safety is important for everyone, but poses particular challenges for adult creators, who are unfortunately often perceived as commodities rather than individuals. This can lead to entitlement and harassment, as some clients may feel they have the right to dictate a creator’s behavior or content.

Eve Batelle ·
profile

WIA Profile: Melissa Fite

Though she works behind the scenes, Melissa Fite has a bird’s-eye view of the pleasure products industry. As the marketing coordinator and junior graphic designer at XR Brands, Fite gets an intriguing overview of the latest consumer trends, plus an exciting sneak peek at XR’s newest sex toys before they hit the shelves.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Distribuciones-BES Spreads Pleasure Brands' Reach Across Mexico

It’s time to brush up on your Spanish, sex toy manufacturers. The Mexican market is thriving, and the country’s distribution and retail businesses are eager to forge new connections with brands from around the world.

Colleen Godin ·
profile

YCosmetics Founder Tess Finkle Talks Messaging Behind 'If I Say Yes' Brand

Over the past few years, sexual wellness brands have gained much prominence in the digital space. YCosmetics, which released its flagship If I Say Yes collection earlier this year, is vying to become the next intimacy and skin care brand to gain a dedicated online following.

Nishka Dhawan ·
opinion

Optimizing Spicy Content for Search Engine Boost

You’re creating awesome content and doing everything you can think of to promote it, but still not getting the traction you were hoping for. Sound familiar? If so, you have probably found yourself thinking, “How do I get more people to actually see this stuff?”

Megan Stokes ·
opinion

Promoting the Link Between Men's Mental Health, Sexual Wellness for Movember

As Movember rolls around each year, men across the globe grow mustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues and help men take control of their mental and sexual health.

Ian Kulp ·
opinion

Smart Commerce: How AI can Take Retail Operations to the Next Level

In my last article, I discussed how AI is not just “on the horizon” for small-to-midsize retailers — it’s barreling toward us in a big way. I stressed the critical need for data integration as the foundation for AI to truly optimize retail operations.

Sean Quinn ·
profile

WIA Profile: Siren Obscura

Siren Obscura grew up in Arizona, surrounded by rugged beauty and desert landscapes that she describes as having a quiet power to them. That environment strongly shaped her appreciation for contrasts and natural light, which plays a significant role in her work today.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

Tips for Selling E-Stim Toys to First-Timers

Once the sole domain of the BDSM and kink community, electrostimulation has seen an increase in mainstream popularity in recent years. However, e-stim is still a lesser-known type of play with which many novice shoppers are unfamiliar.

Claire Blakeborough ·
opinion

How Sextech Is Helping Pioneer a New Approach to E.D.

Erectile dysfunction is no longer just an issue affecting older men — there has been a significant increase in younger people seeking help for ED, with numbers climbing globally.

Julia Margo ·
opinion

How to Thwart Holiday Fraudsters With Finesse

The holiday season is a prime time for shopping. Unfortunately, it’s also peak season for credit card fraud. With increased transactions both online and in-store, fraudsters have more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities — and they are getting better at it every day.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

How to Advise Beginners on Shopping 'Animal Play' Toys

One important aspect of sex that often goes overlooked is exercising our imaginations. Letting our minds run wild gives us the chance to try new positions, play with new parts of the body, add toys and accessories, or even create a completely made-up fantasy world where we can pretend to be an entirely different species.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

How to Halt Hackers as Fraud Attacks Rise

For hackers, it’s often a game of trial and error. Bad actors will perform enumeration and account testing, repeating the same test on a system to look for vulnerabilities — and if you are not equipped with the proper tools, your merchant account could be the next target.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Strategies for Navigating Content Restrictions on Social Media

Welcome to the “seggsual” wellness industry, also known as the “s//xual wellness industry” or “s-eggs-ual” wellness industry. Why so many aliases? Because mentioning what we actually do can torpedo our marketing efforts on social media platforms.

Scarlett Ward ·
profile

Q&A: Luna Baby Rises as Premium Social Star

As a first-generation American and eldest daughter to immigrant parents, Luna Baby grew up surrounded by all the hallmarks of Persian-Armenian culture. She looks back fondly on her youth as a time filled with Middle Eastern food, music and celebration.

Alejandro Freixes ·
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