Payroc sets top-three goal with $100 billion in annual card volume

By Grace Kim

Payroc processes 65 million unattended transactions a year through more than 107,000 terminals, and Co-Founder and President Adam Oberman calls the company a leader in that space.

In a Pulse 2.0 interview, Oberman said Payroc’s gateway and in-store point-of-sale solution had won a major international award. The company, as described in that interview, provides omnichannel commerce solutions, payment processing, point-of-sale systems and integrated payment capabilities across industries and international markets.

How did Payroc start?

Oberman entered payments through his father, who worked for a large processor. He started in risk and underwriting, reviewing transactions, then moved into collections. After a couple of years, he joined his brother in sales.

“Payments found me through my dad, who worked for a large processor. I started out in risk and underwriting, reviewing transactions, then moved into collections,” Oberman said.

He and his brother, joined by their cousin, then sold door to door while trying to make a living. None of the three expected what the business would become, Oberman said.

He said he wanted a shot at being his own boss and saw an opening for something different: not just another payments company, but one focused on people and doing things the right way. Customers responded quickly, then family and friends wanted in, and the business grew from there.

Payroc began as a three-person sales effort before it became a payments processor with international reach.

What changed with the Integrity Payment Systems deal?

Among Payroc’s milestones, Oberman said the company first hit the $100 billion mark in annual card volume. He said the acquisition of Integrity Payment Systems in February 2018 stands out more because it moved Payroc from ISO status to full processor and acquirer.

Oberman said the deal opened the door to a wave of later acquisitions. Those transactions built out Payroc’s technology stack and supported international expansion, and he called the Integrity purchase the event that changed the company’s trajectory.

The February 2018 acquisition supplied the processing and acquiring capabilities that Payroc’s later acquisition strategy built upon.

What does Payroc sell?

Oberman described Payroc’s offering as a full range of omnichannel commerce solutions, including gateways, point of sale, terminals and payment processing. He said the company had built a leading position in unattended payments, serving EV charging, parking, vending and car washes.

Payroc’s partner programs give ISO agents what Oberman called a straightforward and lucrative path to grow with the company. He said Payroc could accommodate any route a business uses to take payment, from in-store systems to unattended terminals.

Payroc’s integrated offering spans payment hardware, payment software and ISO agent programs, Oberman said.

How has Payroc’s technology changed?

Oberman described Payroc’s evolution from hardware sales to an international software and processing platform. The company started by selling credit card terminals door to door. It now has multicurrency capabilities, global reach and software that delivers integrated solutions at international scale, he said.

He said constant change in payments had kept Payroc on its toes. The company now has the technology and expertise to put its strongest solutions in front of the businesses it serves, Oberman said.

Payroc has moved from a stand-alone terminal business to an international, multicurrency processing platform.

How is Payroc’s expansion funded?

Payroc’s funding has come from a mix of founders, banking partners and Parthenon, its private equity partner, Oberman said. He called Parthenon’s involvement a major accelerant and said the firm helped Payroc expand faster than it could have on its own.

Parthenon’s backing sits alongside founder capital and banking partnerships in Payroc’s funding mix.

How large is the opportunity?

Oberman called Payroc’s total addressable market massive because the company operates across many payment verticals. He compared Payroc to a big fish in an enormous pond, with substantial runway still ahead, according to the interview.

He described Payroc as a people-first company that says what it will do and then delivers. He also said the company is creative, moves fast and closes customer or partner problems after committing to a solution. That execution, he said, cannot be faked over time.

Payroc’s growth case rests on vertical breadth, service speed and consistency rather than any single payment category.

What is Payroc’s next goal?

Oberman set a clear target: become one of the industry’s top three integrated payments providers.

“We want to be a top three integrated player in this industry. When a company is looking for an integrated payments solution, we want Payroc to be one of the first names that comes up, and that’s a big goal for me personally,” Oberman said.

He said staying close to partners and customers and responding as the business grows matter as much as market position. The company’s next test is whether more than 107,000 unattended terminals and international scale can secure top-three standing without losing the responsiveness Oberman credits for Payroc’s early growth.