Ep. 116 - Owning the Payments Control Layer: Why Orchestration Is Becoming Mission-Critical, with Fexco payUnite

In the latest episode of The Payments Shed Podcast, recorded in London, Grant Evans and Jasmine Chana are joined by Brian Cleary, CEO of payUnite, part of Fexco, for a conversation exploring why payments orchestration is moving from a specialist capability to a mission-critical part of the enterprise payments stack. Brian breaks down what orchestration actually solves and why more merchants are looking for a control layer above their existing payments infrastructure. They explore what happens as businesses outgrow fragmented integrations, multiple acquirers and payment methods, and why having greater control over routing, reporting and performance is becoming increasingly important as payment environments grow more complex. A major focus of the conversation is independence. Brian explains why payUnite's acquirer-agnostic approach matters, how embedded commercial interests can potentially influence routing decisions, and what good optimisation should actually consider across approval rates, cost, geography and customer experience. They also discuss the operational and reporting challenges that can emerge as merchants add more providers to their payments stack. The conversation then turns to FX, DCC and the commercial opportunity within orchestration. Drawing on Fexco's 45-year heritage in foreign exchange, Brian explains how multi-currency capabilities can go beyond reducing payment costs and potentially unlock additional revenue for merchants. They also tackle some of the misconceptions surrounding DCC and where businesses can miss opportunities when managing international payments. Grant and Jasmine also explore some of the complex environments where payUnite operates, including cruise, hospitality and retail. With payUnite powering more than 40% of global cruise payments, Brian explains what makes the sector such a demanding payments environment and how lessons learned there can translate into other large, international merchant verticals. Looking ahead, they discuss what a well-orchestrated payments stack should look like in 2026, the metrics merchants should be optimising, where consolidation and M&A could take the orchestration market, and Brian's ambitions for the next stage of payUnite's growth. Plus, Brian steps up for The Payments Shed's legendary Shelf of Shame to nominate one payments trend or piece of infrastructure he'd happily banish. *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops. Cyclops helps payments companies offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts through one unified infrastructure platform. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cyclops.finance/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Salesloft. Salesloft uses agentic AI to turn buyer, conversation, deal and forecast data into clear actions that help revenue teams sell smarter. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.salesloft.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Mastercard Open Finance. Mastercard Open Finance enables businesses to use consumer-permissioned financial data to create more connected and personalised financial experiences. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mastercard.com/global/en/business/open-finance.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is partnered with PCN. PCN is a global boutique recruitment agency connecting leading talent and businesses across fintech, cybersecurity, SaaS, e-commerce and Salesforce. Find out more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teampcn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** Disclaimer: Views expressed are those of The Payments Shed Podcast hosts and guests, not their respective employers. Nothing discussed constitutes investment, legal, tax or financial advice.