Ep. 57 - Owning the Merchant: Embedded Payments, Hyper-Growth & the Future of Hospitality — with yetipay's Oliver Pugh

In this episode, hosts Grant Evans and Justin Hanna are joined by Oliver Pugh, Co-Founder of yetipay, to unpack how embedded payments are reshaping the economics of hospitality — and what it really takes to scale fast in the process.Oliver shares the journey behind yetipay’s rapid growth from £400k to £5m revenue in just 18 months, and why the biggest unlock wasn’t just product — it was rethinking who owns the merchant relationship. The conversation dives into what “embedded payments” actually means in practice, and why the traditional POS-to-PSP handoff model is still holding platforms back.They explore how white-label payments and platform ownership are shifting power toward vertical SaaS players, and why hospitality — with its speed, complexity, and customer expectations — is the perfect proving ground for this model.Looking ahead, the discussion turns to how data, automation, and deeper platform integration will define the next phase of embedded finance, and where the biggest opportunities still sit for operators and providers alike.Plus, Oliver steps up for The Payments Shed’s legendary Shelf of Shame — calling out one thing in payments he’d happily banish forever.***The Payments Shed Podcast is headline sponsored by ISX Financial.ISX Financial, delivers a unified ecosystem with multi-currency accounts, online payments,  real-time UK and EU transfers and global mass payouts. Within that platform, PaidBy® provides Pay by Bank with real-time settlement notifications, automated reconciliation and integrated refund management. One partner, one integration — helping your business transact with confidence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.isx.financial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops.Cyclops is a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform 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, payouts and fiat to digital asset conversion, with simple API or low code integration. Built specifically for the payments ecosystem, Cyclops focuses on making stablecoins practical, scalable and commercially viable.Learn more at - https://www.cyclops.io/***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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.