In the latest episode of The Payments Shed Podcast, Grant Evans and Justin Hanna are joined by Ashley Paulus, VP, Head of Revenue, UK & EEA at Checkout.com, for a conversation exploring what it takes to scale one of the world's largest payment platforms while preparing merchants for the next era of commerce. Ashley shares her perspective on stepping into a new leadership role at a pivotal moment for Checkout.com, discussing the company's journey to processing more than $300 billion in annual payment volume, its path to profitability, and the strategic decisions driving its continued growth. The conversation explores how merchant expectations have evolved, why customer experience now extends far beyond payment processing, and how the right combination of people, technology, and operational support is becoming a key differentiator for enterprise payment providers. They also unpack the growing momentum behind agentic commerce, stablecoins, and AI-powered payments, discussing how merchants should prepare for a future where intelligent software increasingly participates in the buying journey. Looking ahead, Ashley explains why trust, merchant enablement, and practical innovation will define the next generation of payments infrastructure, and where Checkout.com sees the biggest opportunities for merchants over the coming years. Plus, Ashley steps up for The Payments Shed's legendary Shelf of Shame to nominate one payments trend she'd happily banish forever. *** The Payments Shed Podcast is headline sponsored by Damisa. Damisa is a regulated cross-border payments and treasury infrastructure provider. Using a blend of traditional banking rails and stablecoin technology, Damisa helps businesses move money faster, cheaper, and more transparently across global markets. Its platform supports collections, settlements, disbursements, and liquidity management, while maintaining a strong compliance-first approach. Damisa is building the next generation of global payment infrastructure. Learn more at: https://www.damisa.xyz/ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is also sponsored by Cyclops. Cyclops is a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform built for payments companies, enabling PSPs, acquirers and processors to offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts without building their own blockchain stack. It provides a unified solution for pay-ins, pay-outs and fiat-to-digital asset conversion, with simple API or low-code integration. Learn more at: https://cyclops.finance/ *** The Payments Shed Podcast is supported by PCN. PCN is a boutique recruitment agency rooted in Amsterdam, driven by a singular mission: connecting top talent with industry leaders. PCN specialises in five core pillars — Fintech, Cybersecurity, SaaS, E-Commerce, and Salesforce — backed by a global network across borders. Learn more at: https://teampcn.com/ *** Disclaimer: Any views or opinions referenced in this podcast episode are our own, or those of our respective guests, and they do not represent any views, opinions, or statements from our respective employers, or those of our guests. Additionally, any views expressed here are not intended as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice.
