AltoPay Prepares for 15 Year Anniversary

Where it All Began

In the early 2000s, our founders, Luca and Terry, were running a successful ecommerce business. The next logical step in their growth strategy was to expand the U.S.-based operations to Europe and begin marketing globally.  

To do that, they’d need to get a European merchant account — which seemed like a pretty straightforward project. After all, they’d done it several times before in the U.S.

But they quickly realized the mentality overseas was very different from what they were accustomed to.  

Processes were slower and more relaxed. Communication was less frequent and not always clear. And acquirers used different methods to validate a business. 

Eventually, though, the duo was able to secure a coveted merchant account. Thinking their problems were behind them, they put their new merchant account to work. 

However, it became apparent that their troubles were just beginning. Like the application process, payment regulations were different in Europe too. But acquirers weren’t accustomed to explaining rules and generally left merchants to figure out processes themselves. This led to a continuous stream of new, unexpected challenges to overcome. 

Eager to learn and determined to succeed in this new endeavor, the business grew through close collaboration with acquiring partners until the owners ultimately found the perfect balance between European culture and U.S. mentality. 

It wasn’t long before word got out that Luca and Terry had done what few of their industry colleagues could do — build relationships with European acquirers and process payments globally. As a result, the pair were regularly consulted for tips and insights that could help others succeed. 

Realizing they were able to fill a void in the industry, Luca and Terry launched an all new business — one that could help growing merchants sell globally with stable payment processing. And in 2010, Alto Global Processing was born.

Learning and Growing

Alto Global Processing started as a two-person team, capitalizing on the founders’ unique experiences and perspectives. 

Not only did these former merchants have first-hand experience working with international acquirers, they themselves embodied a mix of both American and European ethnicity. This meant they were perfectly positioned to bridge the mentality gap between European acquirers and U.S. businesses. They helped acquirers adjust to merchant expectations and helped merchants understand acquirer processes. 

The end result was a better experience for everyone involved. And because they were providing a service that was sought by many, the business grew significantly. 

The team expanded both locally and overseas. An office was added in Europe. And new partners and merchants joined the portfolio every week. 

Over the years, processes and expectations became better aligned between merchants and acquirers. And as it became easier to forge relationships, new competitors entered the market to follow in Alto’s footsteps.

Competitors were able to facilitate merchant accounts, but they lacked experience and know-how. More importantly, their business models were missing Alto Global Processing’s core values. 

Integrity.

Honesty.

Transparency.   

So instead of helping merchants and acquirers establish secure payment processing, they made an already complicated process even more frustrating. 

While others added to the industry’s complexities, Alto’s team focused on listening to and helping their clients. 

And the effort paid off.

A single topic kept emerging: chargebacks were getting harder to manage. 

Hearing these challenges, Alto Global Processing responded with cutting-edge chargeback technology. And two new brands emerged: Alto Shield to prevent chargebacks and Alto RAM to recover revenue lost to chargebacks.

With these additional solutions, Alto Global Processing introduced an all-new possibility: payment processing that’s stable and reliable because risk is managed effectively. 

And the trend continued. As new threats emerged over the years, Alto responded with technology and support to make sure payment challenges don’t hinder business growth.