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Jeff Rooney, Co-Founder/CTO;Ted Cucci, President & CEO;Nicholas Cucci, Co-Founder/COOFounded in 2017, Fluid Pay has emerged as a leader in the payment processing industry, offering innovative solutions that address the sophisticated needs of modern commerce at a time when businesses face unprecedented challenges in managing online payments securely and efficiently. Fluid Pay has built the first secure, Level 1 PCI Compliant cloud-based payment gateway, enabling businesses to process transactions from a wide range of devices anywhere in the world. This technology has quickly established the company as a pioneering force in the industry, winning praise from respected publications like Banking CIO Magazine and CIO Review.
A Veteran Team with a Mission to Simplify Payments
Directed by a team of industry veterans, Fluid Pay is on a mission to simplify payment gateways. To this end, the company works closely with Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), Value Added Resellers (VARs), Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and (ISVs) software developers across all applications. The system is maintained 24/7/365, giving partners control at all times.
The industry veteran team is led by Ted Cucci (President and CEO), alongside Nicholas Cucci (Co-founder/COO) and Jeff Rooney (Co-founder/CTO). Ted has worked in the technology sector for over 20 years. He was one of the two co-founding members of Network Merchants Inc. (NMI) and ItsYourDomain.com (IYD). As COO, he was responsible for all aspects of daily operations and managed over 400 Affiliate Partner accounts, which were responsible for over 60,000 e-commerce, mobile, and POS/MOTO merchants. Nick Cucci and Jeff Rooney began their careers at NMI as well and spent over 11 years working there since the beginning of NMI's inception, handling sales, marketing, and network infrastructure. “It is truly exciting to be part of Fluid Pay. The team has built a business on technology but most importantly about operations and customer relationships. I’d have it no other way. ,” said Ted Cucci (President & CEO of Fluid Pay).
“Merging all of our backgrounds together truly has laid the groundwork for success. All three of us on the executive staff work together seamlessly and each brings a distinct approach to the technology industry. It’s very cool to witness and be a part of the team here at Fluid Pay,” says Jeff Rooney, CTO of Fluid Pay.
Fluid Pay's commitment to non-competition sets it apart, allowing the company to focus primarily on advancing payment technologies for its partners. With over 20 cloud-based products-including its e-invoicing tool-the company serves a diverse range of clients, from multi-million-dollar, multi-location businesses to small local shops around the world.
“We have created a suite of payment industry tools with a business-centric approach that simplifies the complexity of the payments space while strengthening security simultaneously,” states Nicholas Cucci, COO and Co-founder of Fluid Pay.
Developer-Friendly API: Fueling Easy Integration and Scalability
One of Fluid Pay’s strongest assets is its API. Fluid Pay’s API integration allows for smooth connectivity with various platforms, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming system upgrades. This adaptability is crucial as businesses increasingly rely on omnichannel strategies to provide a hassle-free shopping experience across multiple touchpoints.
Fluid Pay’s API-first approach allows for straightforward integration with a wide range of e-commerce platforms and business systems. This flexibility is crucial, as 45 percent of organizations cite integration challenges as a significant barrier to digital transformation. The API at Fluid Pay is so simple that they actually ingest their own API! This literally means the UI you see in Fluid Pay has been built using the API that is exposed. There are no hidden calls. Anything you can do inside Fluid Pay can be done via the API. This gives developers a major advantage because they can run browser-based transactions to see live code for their programming or troubleshooting if needed at any time.
As alternative payment methods gain popularity-projected to account for 24 percent of global e-commerce transactions by 2026-Fluid Pay continues to update its platform to stay ahead of industry trends and emerging customer needs.
We have created a suite of payment industry tools with a business-centric approach that simplifies the complexity of the payments space while strengthening security simultaneously
Innovative Payment Products to Drive Business Success
Fluid Pay offers one of the most comprehensive payment gateways in the industry, with over 20 products designed to simplify payment processing and reduce costs. Outlined below are some of the key solutions they provide:
Surcharge / Cash Discount / Dual Pricing
Fluid Pay has launched an in-house compliant surcharge platform. The platform is for credit cards and only prohibits banned states along with debit cards. The key features include:
• Automatic BIN Lookup: The BIN is validated in realtime as the credit card is entered into the Fluid Pay system to check surcharge eligibility.
• Flexible Amount Setting: The surcharge amount can be a fixed amount or percentage but cannot exceed 3.00 percent.
• Transparent Demonstration for End Users: The surcharge fees are disclosed on all checkout pages and receipts compliantly. Fluid Pay is also compatible with Dejavoo terminals, and we support tips on the devices.
Fluid Pay also offers other innovative fee programs like cash discount and dual pricing solutions to help businesses manage transaction costs:
• Cash Discount Programs: These incentivize cash payments, potentially reducing processing fees for merchants. According to a survey by the Federal Reserve, cash payments accounted for 16% of all transactions in 2023.
• Dual Pricing Strategies: This approach allows businesses to apply surcharges to card transactions, helping offset processing fees. Fluid Pay ensures these practices are implemented in compliance with regulations, which vary by jurisdiction.
Automatic Account Updater
Fluid Pay offers a service called Automatic Account Updater. This service automatically updates vaulted payment methods in the event a customer’s payment information expires or is replaced. This, in turn, helps merchants avoid transaction issues and gaps in services provided to customers, which is extremely useful for merchants who use recurring billing.
Simple Payments
Simple Payments is a web page hosted by Fluid Pay. Fluid Pay users simply log into their account and configure what they would like displayed on their custom 100% hosted payments page. Users can add products, recurring plans, one-time payments, etc. They can even store payment methods in the customer vault! Zero programming is required, and end users are authenticated by SMS (text) before making a payment. This service is compliant with all fee programs and can be custom-branded for each business!
We have created a suite of payment industry tools with a businesscentric approach that simplifies the complexity of the payments space while strengthening security simultaneously
WatchDog
WatchDog is a fraud management tool used to set rules and zero in on preventing and detecting suspicious transactions. WatchDog is one of the first payment tools to use a machine learning algorithm. Innovative and ahead of its time, the models adapt to new data independently as it comes in. Transactions can be declined or approved pre- and post-authorization. This fraud-detering tool is used for its extensive reporting capabilities while providing merchants with a simple, fast, and effective way to view all of their transactions in one place.
The Future of Fluid Pay: Innovation and Expansion
Fluid Pay isn’t resting on its laurels. The company is looking ahead and is excited about its rapid growth! The runway is only getting bigger for Fluid Pay, its employees, partners, and merchants. “We are continuing to grow at a rapid pace, and we are always looking for new ways to stay innovative. We will always be a customercentric payments company,” state Cucci and Rooney.
With a robust suite of payment solutions, a developerfriendly API, and a strong leadership team, Fluid Pay is wellpositioned to continue leading the payment processing industry into the future.
Defining Control and Flexibility in Payment Gateway Infrastructure
Payment gateway decisions have shifted from simple transaction routing toward enabling control over how payments are embedded, managed and monetized across ecosystems. Executives in the payment processing sector are no longer evaluating gateways as standalone utilities. The focus has shifted toward platforms that enable intermediaries to retain ownership of merchant relationships while scaling services without fragmentation. This shift reflects a broader expectation that payment infrastructure should support business models, not constrain them, especially when growth depends on speed, adaptability and service consistency.
A recurring friction point lies in the disconnect between card-present and card-not-present environments. Many organizations still rely on separate systems for each, introducing inefficiencies, duplicated integrations and inconsistent reporting. A more effective approach consolidates these transaction types within a single framework, allowing businesses to manage payments through one integration while maintaining consistency across channels. This reduces dependency on multiple vendors and simplifies expansion into new use cases, especially as commerce continues to blur the line between physical and digital transactions. It also gives partners clearer visibility into payment activity across merchant portfolios.
Control over merchant onboarding and pricing configuration has also become a defining factor. Payment providers that impose rigid structures limit how partners differentiate themselves in competitive markets. Platforms that allow flexible onboarding workflows and customizable pricing enable intermediaries to respond to varied merchant needs without rebuilding infrastructure. This flexibility becomes particularly important for organizations targeting multiple verticals, where payment requirements differ and require tailored deployment approaches that align with each segment’s expectations. A gateway that supports this variation helps partners grow without sacrificing consistency.
Developer accessibility has emerged as another critical dimension. Software-led payment strategies require gateways that integrate directly into applications without creating friction for end users. Clean, well-documented APIs support faster deployment and allow software providers to embed payments as a native function rather than an external add-on. This integration model improves user experience and creates revenue opportunities tied to processing while maintaining control within the application layer and reducing reliance on external systems. It also shortens implementation timelines and improves the ability to support changing merchant demands.
Security and compliance remain foundational, yet expectations have evolved beyond baseline adherence. Executives now look for platforms that integrate encryption and tokenization into the transaction lifecycle rather than treating them as separate layers. This approach reduces exposure while maintaining performance, ensuring that compliance does not hinder scalability. Infrastructure aligned with PCI DSS Level 1 standards, while maintaining simplicity in deployment, provides reassurance without adding unnecessary complexity for partners and their merchants.
Fluid Pay aligns with these priorities through a platform designed to support partner-led growth rather than direct merchant acquisition. It provides a unified system that supports both card-present and card-not-present transactions through a single integration, removing the need for multiple gateways and simplifying expansion into omnichannel environments. Its APIs allow software providers to embed payment functionality, enabling consistent user experiences and new revenue streams. Flexible onboarding and pricing controls support adaptation across merchant segments, while built-in encryption, tokenization and PCI Level 1 compliance ensure secure transactions. The certified VP3350 device extends its capabilities into physical payment environments without requiring additional integrations, reinforcing its position as a strong choice for organizations prioritizing control, scalability and integration simplicity....Read more
Company
Fluid Pay
Management
Jeff Rooney, Co-Founder/CTO;Ted Cucci, President & CEO;Nicholas Cucci, Co-Founder/COO
Description
Fluid Pay is a cloud-based payment gateway offering solutions like fraud detection, batch processing and e-invoicing. It provides white-label gateways allowing businesses to brand and customize their payment services. The company emphasizes security with Level 1 PCI compliance and uses tools like WatchDog for fraud prevention.
