Tommy Kelley

Here’s a quick interview we had with Tom.

I: Tom first of all can you tell us why you decided to get into merchant processing?

T: Initially I got into merchant processing because I knew I wanted to be in business for myself. I wanted to build a business that I had control of and that would have a low overhead cost. I initially thought of residential cleaning but in the end, I chose merchant processing services I felt that with my background in corporate sales and a love for local businesses that it would be a good match. I love the idea of being able to affect people for positive.

I: Can you tell us what APSKS stands for?

T: “Advanced Processing Solutions, Kansas.” It’s a long one, so we usually just go by “APSKS.”

I: Tom, what have you found out over the years by working in merchant processing?

T: I found that by and large processing companies want merchants to be in the dark. I’ll be the first to admit that this can be a very shady industry and I’ve come across many businesses that are flat-out taken advantage of. Well, I knew that I didn’t want to be like that, even if I didn’t make a lot of money but was able to take care of my family I would be happy to provide a service at a reasonable cost that I knew the big banks or other out of state companies would not be able to do. They simply don’t have the local presence or the care that my company would have for other local businesses.

I: Tom, you seem like a seasoned pro how long have you been doing this?

T: I’ve been in the merchant processing industry for 8 years. I started off by working with another local company but didn’t like the ethics they engaged in. I thought to myself, "I can do the same thing maybe on a smaller scale, but I can do it honestly and feel good about myself." 

I: What’s your biggest challenge, Tom? 

T: Well, simply put, just getting companies to allow me the opportunity to sit down with them. There are so many credit card processing companies out there that people are simply bombarded. They don’t have the time or desire to listen, and some have been burnt by past experiences. Nevertheless, companies that do listen to take the time to sit down with me find out that we are truly different; we’re engaged, we're honest, we’re very unique and like them, we are a local business!

I: Thanks for visiting with us today Tom and thanks for telling us about APS Kansas.

T: You’re very welcome!

Wendy Kelley

What’s now take a quick minute to speak with Wendy Kelley executive account manager Hispanic division at APS Kansas.

I: Hello Wendy how are you? Hola!

W: I’m doing good.

I: Great maybe I can ask you a few questions. What did you decide to get into the merchant processing industry?

W: For two reasons; first, I wanted to support my husband and our growing business the second reason which was even more satisfying to me was that I saw there was a great need in the Hispanic business community I noticed so many times Hispanic businesses seem to be taken advantage of more often than English speaking business owners. I think this is wrong and I want to do something about it. I wanted to help my Hispanic business community.

I: I see, and how long have you been doing this?

W: I’ve now been working with my husband and other local Hispanic businesses for 3 years. It worked out great because unlike other merchant processing companies whether they are banks or out-of-state companies, I understand the way Latinos think and the way they do business, what their goals and what their dreams are.

I: Would you like to say anything to Hispanic business owners that might be reading this interview?

W: Yes, Me gustaría dirigirme a los hispanos dueños de negocios y decirles que yo entiendo de muchos de sus desafíos, frustraciones y confusión que muchas veces surgen a la hora de escoger una compañía de procesamiento de pagos por medio de tarjetas de crédito y débito. Quiero reiterarles mi  ayuda para tener éxito en todo y cada uno de sus negocios. Les ofrezco un examen gratuito de su estado de cuenta de la compañía actual con la que están procesando. Para asegurarse que estén recibiendo un buen servicio personalizado con tarifas justas y de acuerdo a la particularidad de todos y cada uno de sus negocios.
Atentamente,
Wendy Kelley