Your Next Payments Partner? Pick the People First

In the fast-paced world of modern payments, technology is no longer the battleground. For community banks, speed, uptime and real-time capabilities are now table stakes. The real differentiator is what happens when something goes wrong — and who shows up to fix it. Exceptional client support has become the deciding factor in payments partnerships. 

Recent industry research confirms a critical shift: banks are no longer choosing providers based solely on features or integrations. Instead, decisions are driven by confidence that a partner will answer the phone, take ownership and resolve issues quickly when the stakes are high. 

Why excellent service matters 

For years, community banks evaluated payments providers on innovative tech alone. But recent industry research reports a clear reversal. Today, banks are more likely to change vendors due to dissatisfaction with client support, surpassing technology considerations for the first time. 

As payment systems grow more complex and real-time rails like FedNow® and RTP® become standard, execution matters more than ever. Community banks need assurance that someone has their back when systems stall, fraud spikes or transaction behavior raises red flags. 

Trust is built – or broken – through support 

A widening “effectiveness gap” is compounding the issue. Research from Cornerstone Advisors shows fewer than half of bank executives are very satisfied with their providers, while vendors routinely overestimate the quality of support they deliver. 

For community banks, the consequences are personal. Support failures don’t just disrupt operations; they affect local businesses, customer confidence and institutional reputation. In this environment, a provider that understands your pressures and responds with urgency is not a nice-to-have — it’s essential. 

Even the best tech needs a human touch 

Self-service tools play an important role, but they have limits. When fraud occurs, settlement stalls or outages hit, banks should not be left waiting for answers or lost in a ticket system. Immediate access to knowledgeable experts who can act quickly and decisively is critical. 

At a minimum, your payments partner should provide: 

• A dedicated team empowered to respond with urgency 

• Consistent, direct access to experienced support staff 

• Proactive system monitoring and issue resolution 

When done right, client support becomes a strategic advantage — strengthening trust, improving authorization rates, reducing chargebacks and accelerating settlement timelines. 

Bottom line: Choose the people behind the platform 

When evaluating payments partners, the most important question isn’t, “What can this platform do?” It’s, “Who will be there when it matters most?” 

That’s where the Peregrine™ card processing engine stands apart. Built by SHAZAM® for community banks, Peregrine™ combines resilient technology with hands-on client support from people who know your institution and care about your priorities.  

Because in today’s payments landscape, great decisions start with choosing a partner who shows up — every time. 

Discover why community banks are choosing payments partners built around people, not just platforms. Scan the QR code or visit shazam.net/peregrine.