Welcome to the Summer Edition of Ironwood Insights!
As America celebrates 250 years of independence, we reflect on the opportunity, resilience, and progress seen today with the enduring spirit of the American people. We also recognize National Fintech Day, another example of how innovation continues to carry that spirit forward across our industry. At Ironwood, that same spirit reflected in the work our Partners do in their support of local businesses, strengthening communities they serve, driving innovation and the growth they continue to pursue.
We are grateful for your continued trust and partnerships, and look forward to sharing the insights, ideas, and solutions designed to support your continued success.
Celebrating 250 Years of Independence—and the Strength of Our Communities
“We can’t take our independence for granted…independence requires action." - Rebeca Romero Rainey, President & CEO, ICBA
As we celebrate Independence Day, we are reminded of what foundation of our nation was built on, and those same principles continue to guide the work we do every day alongside our Partners. Community banks and credit unions represent independence in action. Reinvesting in the neighborhoods they serve, supporting local businesses, and helping families and entrepreneurs thrive. Their strength lies in relationships, local decision-making, and a deep commitment to the communities they call home. Simply put, stronger community financial institutions create stronger communities.
At Ironwood, the belief that independence is not just something to be celebrated, but something to be actively supported is the core of how we serve our Partners and continue to shape our approach as the payments landscape evolves. This year, we are proud to extend that commitment through the launch of our Partner Choice program, which brings greater flexibility and independence to our Agent Partner model. By giving bank and credit union partners more control over how they deliver merchant services, select solutions, and grow their programs, Partner Choice reinforces what makes community-based institutions unique all the while positioning them to compete and win in a rapidly changing market.
Independence requires thoughtful action. It also requires the right partnerships, the ability to adapt, and a continued focus on serving the businesses and consumers who rely on you every day. If you’re interested in learning more about how the Partner Choice program can support your goals, I encourage you to reach out to me directly or connect with our team at fisalesteam@teamironwood.com. We are proud to support our Partners by helping drive innovation, deliver value, and strengthen the impact across the communities they serve. We extend our sincere gratitude for your continued trust and collaboration. Together, we are not only celebrating independence—we are helping sustain it for future generations.
Wishing you and your teams a safe and meaningful Independence Day.
In our recent Product Spotlight Lunch & Learn, we highlighted Dejavoo’s iPOSpays platform. A flexible, cloud-based payment solution built to support today’s evolving merchant needs. Designed as a true omni-channel platform, iPOSpays enables businesses to seamlessly accept payments in-store, online, and on the go—while managing operations through a single, centralized system. The platform brings together point-of-sale, virtual terminal, recurring billing, payment links, and back-office tools into one ecosystem. Helping merchants streamline workflows and deliver a consistent customer experience.
With features like tap-to-pay, tokenization, fraud protection, real-time reporting, and flexible integrations, iPOSpays allows businesses to operate more efficiently while maintaining strong security and scalability. From a Partner perspective, iPOSpays supports a wide range of merchant needs while offering flexibility to adapt to different business models and growth strategies. It’s a strong fit for Partners looking to deliver a modern merchant services program without sacrificing control or simplicity.
Who iPOSpays is Designed For
Dejavoo’s iPOSpays is ideal for a broad range of business types. From micro-merchants to growing small and mid-sized businesses, as well as B2B environments. The platform is particularly well-suited for merchants looking to simplify operations, modernize their payments experience, and scale without disruption. IPOSpays addresses common challenges such as inefficient workflows, limited flexibility, security and compliance concerns, outdated customer experiences, and barriers to growth. By consolidating payments and operational tools into one platform, iPOSpays enables merchants to run their business more effectively and position themselves for future expansion.
While highly versatile, iPOSpays may not be the best fit for businesses that require highly specialized, niche solutions or those with very limited, infrequent transaction needs.
Missed the Live Session?
If you couldn’t attend the live Lunch & Learn, we encourage you to watch the recording to see the platform in action and better understand how iPOSpays can support your merchant services strategy. Watch the recording here. Also be sure to mark your calendars for upcoming Lunch & Learns below.
To inquire about registering, please complete the contact form found at the bottom of the newsletter.
National Fintech Day, celebrated each year on August 20th, recognizes the collaboration between financial institutions and technology innovators working together to shape the future of financial services. Established in 2018, it highlights how fintech continues to evolve beyond traditional banking to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions across industries.
From our perspective, Rectangle Health is a strong example of how fintech transforms complex, high-impact verticals like healthcare. By simplifying both patient and payer payments through a single, integrated platform, Rectangle Health helps organizations accelerate revenue, reduce administrative workload, and create a more seamless financial experience. Rectangle Health supports a wide range of healthcare verticals, including dental, veterinary, specialty medical providers, ambulatory care groups, and large healthcare enterprises. Across these segments, the focus is the same: streamline payments, automate compliance, and eliminate friction that slows operations and affects both staff and patients.
Through Ironwood, our Partners gain access to Rectangle Health’s Practice Management Bridge platform. This solution brings those pieces together in one cohesive system, enabling features like automated payment processing, text-to-pay capabilities, integrated reporting, and built in compliance tools that help practices stay aligned with regulatory requirements. By connecting directly with existing practice management systems, like EHR and EMR, the platform removes manual steps, reduces errors, and creates a more efficient workflow across the entire organization. Customers consistently highlight the real-world impact of these improvements, one dental practice noted that after implementing the platform, outstanding balances dropped significantly and staff no longer had to spend valuable time tracking down payments, allowing the team to shift focus to other priorities.
Why It Matters
Solutions like Rectangle Health do more than modernize payments. They drive measurable improvements across the business by increasing operational efficiency, reducing costs tied to manual processes, and free up staff to focus on higher value activities like spending more time with patients. Instead of focusing on repetitive administrative tasks, teams can dedicate their efforts to growing their practice/clinic, enhance the patient and customer experience, and deliver better outcomes at every touchpoint.
DealerPay
Dealer Pay represents what fintech should be: intentional, customer focused, and built to improve the way dealerships operate every day. Across the country, Dealer Pay is helping automotive groups rethink payments as a strategic advantage rather than a routine function. One example that stands out is The Niello Automotive Group. Spanning multiple franchises, they wanted a better way to improve efficiency across their operations while enhancing customer experience. By implementing Dealer Pay’s POS with modern payment tools and DMS integration, they streamlined reconciliation, enabled mobile payment collection, and improved overall performance across locations. Leadership pointed to gains in both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, showing how the right technology can drive measurable results at scale.
See more dealership testimonials by clicking here.
This kind of impact is rooted in a shared vision between Dealer Pay and Ironwood. As Jim Fahey, Director of Indirect Sales at Dealer Pay, explains, “Our partnership with Ironwood is rooted in a shared belief that payments should be a growth driver for dealers, not just a back-office function. Together, we are helping dealerships modernize how they collect, reconcile, and manage transactions in a way that is fully integrated with their existing operations.” That philosophy aligns closely with what we hear from our auto dealer partners. When payment processes are intuitive and connected, friction is reduced across the dealership. From the front-line staff to accounting teams, a more seamless experience translates into faster workflows, fewer errors, and stronger internal collaboration. Just as importantly, customers benefit from a smoother, more professional interaction at every touchpoint, helping dealerships build trust and stand out in a competitive market.
Why It Matters
Dealer Pay reflects the future of payments in the automotive space with integrated systems that connect operations, greater transparency and control, and reliable support that strengthens long-term partnerships. On National Fintech Day, that is exactly the kind of innovation worth recognizing. Because true progress in fintech is defined not by new tools alone, but by the impact those tools have on the businesses we serve.
We’re proud to recognize Rectangle Health and Dealer Pay as valued Partners who continue to bring meaningful innovation to our Partners and the businesses they serve. Through their specialized platforms, they deliver more than payments technology creating efficiency, transparency, and scalability that drive real results. From simplifying healthcare payments to optimizing dealership operations, these solutions help reduce complexity, lower costs, and empower teams to focus on growth off their businesses and delivering exceptional customer and patient experiences.
“Thank you so much, you, Joan, and the whole Ironwood Team have been an exceptional partner, and you made my job easy!” - Joellen Repsher
There is no greater compliment the Ironwood team can receive than hearing words like these from our Partners. It reflects the trust, collaboration, and shared commitment that define the relationships we work to build every day. I want to take a moment to recognize Joellen’s outstanding career in community banking and offer Ironwood’s best wishes as she begins her retirement. With decades of experience in community banking, Joellen built her career around consistency, accountability, and doing what was right for the customers and communities she served.
From our early partnership through Security Card Services to becoming part of the Ironwood family in early 2024, her approach remained steady focusing on delivering a level of service that others could rely on. Joellen showed her experience in the way she worked with her team, supported her customers, and engaged with our organization. She set a clear example of what partnership should look like, and the impact of that will continue well beyond her retirement. Joellen, thank you for your partnership and for the trust you placed in our team. You have been an important part of our journey, and you will be missed. We wish you all the best in this next chapter.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to all our Partners who advocate for Ironwood every day. Whether serving as references in a formal capacity or sharing your experiences with colleagues at other community banks and credit unions, friends, or family members, your willingness to speak to the service you receive is the greatest compliment we can be given. Your trust continues to shape our growth and direction.
As we continue this journey together, we wish you and your teams a happy and safe Fourth of July as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.
April, May, and June are a time of momentum and fresh opportunity, and we’re excited to share what’s ahead. We are deeply grateful for our FI Partners and the trust you place in Ironwood every day. As we move through this season, we look forward to continuing to support you—and the businesses you serve—with ideas, collaboration, and thoughtful innovation. Together, we’ll keep building progress, strengthening partnerships, and creating meaningful growth.
In 2024, the Illinois Governor signed into law a provision in the Illinois state budget that proposed interchange fees should be calculated on the pre-tax portion of a transaction. This provision is known as the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) and it excludes the taxes, tip, and gratuity portion of the transaction from interchange fees.
UPDATE: The Illinois General Assembly voted June 1, 2026, to extend the effective date of this law by 12 months. The Illinois Governor is expected to sign the extension soon, making the new effective date of the law July 1, 2027. As we approach the new implementation date, we will communicate additional details.
This quarter we have a couple of support spotlights that we are excited to share with you!
First, we offer a huge congratulations to Areli Saucedo. Areli has had an upgrade in her role from Partner Support to Ironwood's Director of Partner Support. She has been working closely with all our partners and is an integral part of bridging the gap between sales and support during her time here with Ironwood. This new position only reflects the hard work and dedication that she has put into supporting our partners across the board, and we are very excited for her. We can’t wait to see what else she can bring to the table as she continues to provide you with top-tier support.
Our secondary spotlight goes to Jason Odle. Jason has recently moved from supporting the merchants directly to supporting our partners in his new role as Sales Support Specialist. Some of you may have spoken with him, if you were working with your merchants on an issue, while he was directly supporting them. With this new position he will be able to help bridge the gap, even further, between partner support and onboarding merchants, adding further support to partners and sales representatives along the way. We look forward to seeing just how his role provides benefits for our merchants and partners!
Congratulations both of you on your new position!
This July, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence.
It’s a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to live in a country where we can raise our families in peace, pursue opportunities, and chase the American Dream. From coast to coast, we share common values, safety, security, and kindness along the way—and those ideals continue to shape both our communities and our businesses. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Convention, where more than 300 banking professionals gathered to discuss the evolving landscape of community banking. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian resident and former banker, I always value the chance to hear diverse perspectives and stay connected to industry developments. Thank you to those who I had the pleasure of speaking with.
This year’s conversations were especially impactful. Topics ranged from the economic outlook and updates from Washington to discussions on brain health and global inflation. Each session reinforced just how dynamic and resilient our industry must be to meet the challenges ahead. It was a privilege to represent Ironwood and stand alongside professionals dedicated to strengthening their institutions and communities. I continue to be inspired by the unwavering, deep-rooted commitment community banks and credit unions have to the places they call home—it’s foundational to the strength of our communities.
There’s something especially meaningful about independence—the ability to choose, adapt, and innovate. At Ironwood, that principle is at the core of everything we do. We’re deeply committed to supporting our partners by continuously introducing new programs and solutions designed specifically to help community banks and credit unions drive growth and increase non-interest revenue—while delivering the kind of white-glove service that truly sets us apart.
Reflecting on my time as a banker, no two days were ever the same. Each brought new challenges and required thoughtful problem-solving—putting myself in the shoes of business clients and working to help them save time and money. Looking back, I often think about the impact that expanded product offerings and a true boutique level of service could have had on those relationships.
That perspective fuels my passion today.
As we celebrate this historic milestone in our nation’s journey, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our partners. Your trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to excellence are what make our work so meaningful.
Wishing you, your team, and your families a safe, joyful, and memorable Independence Day.