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Articles by Cathy Beardsley
How Detailed Receipts Build Consumer Trust and Reduce Chargeback
When was the last time you bought something online? Chances are you looked for the confirmation almost immediately. Did the transaction go through? Does it show what you bought? Were you charged correctly? And if there's a problem, who can you contact? A good receipt answers these questions before a consumer even has a chance to ask them. That simple email can prevent confusion and head off potential chargebacks.
The Website Footer Requirements Every Adult Merchant Should Know
Since I started in this business 25 years ago, I've watched website footers evolve from a simple collection of links designed to help with SEO into important tools for meeting compliance and regulatory requirements, improving the customer experience and reducing chargebacks. Today, the footer is one of the first things our compliance team reviews when a merchant submits a new website for processing. Depending on your line of business, it can get pretty long.
Key Questions Online Merchants Should Know About PCI Compliance
Choosing a payment provider involves more than comparing features and pricing. It's also about trusting that your customers' payment information is being handled securely. Every August, Segpay is recertified as a Level 1 PCI-compliant service provider, a milestone the company has achieved for the past 20 years. Having helped write Segpay's original PCI policy documents more than two decades ago, I've seen firsthand how PCI compliance has evolved.
What to Know About Content Restrictions Across Global Markets
Throughout 2025, age verification remained a major focus as merchants worked to meet the requirements of 26 U.S. states, country-specific regulations in France, the UK, and Italy, and evolving guidance from the European Commission. As we reach the middle of 2026, both merchants and consumers seem to have found their footing when it comes to age verification.
The KPIs That Keep Payment Processing Humming While You're Away
Summer is finally here. After working hard to get the year off to a good start, many of us are planning vacations to take a well-deserved break. I always look forward to the summer as my kids are home and I can plan little trips with them to reconnect and have some fun. If you’re like me, however, you probably never go on vacation without your laptop, so you can check in or lurk in the background to make sure all systems remain go.
Key Strategies for Streamlining Payment Processing Approval
Payment processors hear this question all the time: Why is it taking so long to get my account approved? It's frustrating for everyone involved, but it's all part of the process. Over the past year, timelines have stretched to 60 days or more for merchants to complete onboarding, from internal compliance review to banking partner approval and final card brand registration. It's hard to believe that at one point, a merchant could open an account completely online with little to no review.
How to Maximize Value From Your Payment Processing Fees
Regulatory requirements are putting more and more pressure on the adult industry. To stay compliant, merchants need tools that help with content moderation, age verification and fraud solutions. Unfortunately, the fees for those tools are hitting merchants’ bottom lines — including fees charged by payment services providers. Feeling like your payment fees are on the rise? Wondering whether you are getting a competitive rate or paying too much?
Growing Site Revenue Under Ever-Changing Compliance Rules
Over the past year, many merchants have reported earnings that were flat or even a bit down. This is due to three main factors: age verification regulations, click-to-cancel rules, and banks backing away from cross-sales due to regulatory requirements and the rollout of the Visa Acquiring Monitoring Program (VAMP). This month, we share tested solutions to help protect and grow your business despite these obstacles.
How to Build Operational Resilience Into Your Payment Ecosystem
Over the past year, we’ve watched adult merchants weather a variety of disruptions and speedbumps. Some even lost entire revenue streams overnight — simply because they relied too heavily on a single cloud provider that suffered an outage, lacked sufficient redundancy and failover, or otherwise fell short when it came to making sure their business was protected in case of unwelcome surprises.
Navigating Age Verification Laws Without Disrupting Revenue
With age verification laws now firmly in place across multiple markets, merchants are asking practical questions: How is this affecting traffic? What happens during onboarding? Which approaches are proving workable in real payment flows? This month, let’s look at how compliance requirements and underwriting standards are intersecting for real merchants, using real transaction data.
Building Sustainable Revenue Without Opt-Out Cross-Sales
Over the past year, we’ve seen growing pushback from acquirers on merchants using opt-out cross-sales — also known as negative option offers. This has been especially noticeable in the U.S. In fact, one of our acquirers now declines new merchants during onboarding if an opt-out flow is detected. Existing merchants submitting new URLs with opt-out cross-sales are being asked to remove them.
Maintaining Brand Trust in the Face of Negative Press
Over the last year, several of our merchants have found themselves caught up in litigation over compliance with state age verification laws. Recently, Segpay itself was pulled into the spotlight, facing scrutiny over Florida’s AV statute, HB 3. These stories inevitably get picked up by both industry and mainstream news outlets.
From Compliance Chaos to Crypto Clarity: Making the Case for Digital Payments in Adult
These are uncertain times for adult merchants. With compliance tightening and age verification mandates rising, the barrier to entry keeps getting higher. Between the Visa Integrity Risk Program (VIRP) rolled out in 2023, the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) set for enforcement this month and recent tightening up on acquiring solutions in the U.S., acquirers are under pressure.
New Visa Rules Adult Merchants Need to Know
In December 2024, I shared an update on the upcoming rollout of Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program, also known as VAMP. The final version went into effect in June, and enforcement will begin in October. With just a month to go, now is the time to review what’s changing and how to stay compliant. What Is VAMP? If you’re not already tracking your VAMP ratio, now is the time to start. Reach out to your payment provider and ask if they can provide this data.
What You Need to Know Before Relocating Your Adult Business Abroad
Over the last several months, a noticeable trend has emerged: several of our U.S.-based merchants have decided to “pick up shop” and relocate to European countries. On the surface, this sounds idyllic. I imagine some of my favorite clients sipping coffee or wine at sidewalk cafés, embracing a slower pace of life. But what’s driving this Great Digital Exit? This month, we look at the reasons behind this trend, as well as the benefits and challenges that come with such a move.
What U.S. Sites Need to Know About UK's Online Safety Act
In a high-risk space like the adult industry, overlooking or ignoring ever-changing rules and regulations can cost you dearly. In the United Kingdom, significant change has now arrived in the form of the Online Safety Act — and failure to comply with its requirements could cost merchants millions of dollars in fines. The OSA became law in October 2023, and has been rolling out in phases.
From Tariffs to Trends: Staying Resilient in a Shaky Online Adult Market
Whenever I check in with clients these days, I encounter the same concerns. For many, business never quite bounced back after the typical post-holiday-season slowdown. Instead, consumers have been holding back due to the economic uncertainty around the Trump administration’s new tariffs and their impact on prices. People may not be panicking, but they’re definitely watching the economic landscape more closely.
Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained
Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs. While both are critical parts of the payment ecosystem, each functions differently, offers distinct features and plays a different role.
WIA: Sara Edwards on Evolving Clip Culture and Creator Empowerment
Though she works behind the scenes, Sara Edwards has had a front-row seat to the evolution of adult content creation. Having been immersed in the sector since 1995, she has a unique perspective on the industry. “The internet was still in its early days when I started, and producing and distributing content was a much bigger challenge than it is today,” Edwards says. “Now, we’re producing 20-minute 4K clips without a second thought.
Eight Steps to Fast-Track AI Site Approval for Processing
Artificial intelligence is a hot topic these days. AI technology is speeding up the way we do business across all industries and offers numerous benefits, from automating processes to increasing efficiency and scalability. In the adult industry, some merchants are incorporating AI tools into their websites while others are building entire platforms based on AI-generated content.
Thor Johnson: Hard Hat Hustle to Fav Male Creator
Thor Johnson never expected to become one of the biggest names in adult entertainment — he just hit “upload” and let fate take the wheel. What started as a private video for his girlfriend turned into an unexpected career after it went viral, leading to his dismissal from a grueling oil field job and a crash course in the power of online adult content.
Mary Jane: Gamer, Streamer & Fav New Creator
Outside, it was a chilly January evening — but inside the Hollywood Palladium, Mary Jane shivered for entirely different reasons. As her name echoed across the historic theater, she blinked in disbelief, realizing that she had just won the 2025 XMA for Fav New Creator. She shot up from her seat, excitement spilling over in a joyous burst of energy. Jumping up and down, a radiant smile lighting up her face, she made her way to the stage.
Mary Jane: Gamer, Streamer & Fav New Performer
Outside, it was a chilly January evening — but inside the Hollywood Palladium, Mary Jane shivered for entirely different reasons. As her name echoed across the historic theater, she blinked in disbelief, realizing that she had just won the 2025 XMA for Fav New Creator. She shot up from her seat, excitement spilling over in a joyous burst of energy. Jumping up and down, a radiant smile lighting up her face, she made her way to the stage.
WIA Profile: Reba Rocket
Reba Rocket is a force to be reckoned with. As chief operating officer and chief marketing officer of Takedown Piracy, long at the forefront of intellectual property protection in adult entertainment, Rocket is dedicated to safeguarding the livelihoods of content creators and producers while fostering a more ethical and sustainable industry. Known for her passion, intelligence and relentless advocacy, Rocket received a 2025 XBIZ Exec Awards nomination for WIA Woman of the Year.
Protecting Content Ownership Rights When Using AI
In today’s digital age, content producers have more tools at their disposal than ever before. Among these tools, artificial intelligence (AI) content generation has emerged as a game changer, enabling creators to produce high-quality content quickly and efficiently. However, with this convenience comes a significant new challenge: safeguarding the rights associated with AI-generated content.
How Payment Orchestration Can Help Your Business
An emerging payment solution is making waves in the merchant world: the payment orchestration platform (POP). It’s quickly gaining traction as a powerful tool for managing online payments — but questions abound. What exactly is POP, and how does it work? This month, we’ll dive into the fundamentals of POP, explore its key features and help you determine whether it’s right for your business. What is Payment Orchestration? While POP offers numerous benefits, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
A Look at the Latest AI Tools for Online Safety
One of the defining challenges for adult businesses is helping to combat the proliferation of illegal or nonconsensual content, as well as preventing minors from accessing inappropriate or harmful material — all the more so because companies or sites unable or unwilling to do so may expose themselves to significant penalties and put their users at risk.
Know When to Drop Domains You Don't Need
Do you own too many domains? If so, you’re not alone. Like other things we accumulate, every registered domain means something to us. Sometimes a domain represents a dream project we have always wanted to do but have never quite gotten around to. Yet we keep the dream alive by holding onto the associated domain in hopes that one day, it will come to fruition.
Understanding 'Indemnification' in Business Contracts
Clients frequently tell me that they didn’t understand — or sometimes, even read — certain portions of a contract because those sections appeared to be just “standard legalese.” They are referring, of course, to the specialized language used in legal documents, including contracts. While such language can often seem daunting to those without a law degree, legalese actually plays a crucial role in ensuring that contracts are clear, enforceable and protect the interests of all parties involved.
5 Steps to Make Card Brand Compliance Easy
It’s February, the month of love. Just once, wouldn’t it be great to receive a little candy heart asking you to “Be Mine” instead of more forms to fill out and documents to submit? Of course, regulatory compliance does have one important thing in common with romance: Fail to put in the work, and your relationship is likely over — your relationship with the card brands, that is.
Mastering the Art of the Perfect Event Selfie
The show floor at a conference or event like XBIZ or X3 is a unique world, full of industry professionals and endless opportunities for connection. It’s a space where networking happens, where outfits make statements — and where knowing just how to capture and broadcast these unforgettable moments can make your social media feed truly come alive.
WIA Profile: Paulita Pappel
Raised in Spain, surrounded by a predominantly Catholic community, Paulita Pappel grew up being told porn was bad. When she became a feminist, she was told her fascination with porn was not in line with her desire to empower women. This inner conflict made her feel like there was something wrong with her. Then she moved to Berlin, which she calls “the world capital of sexual liberation.” She learned about feminist porn and ventured into the industry, first as a performer and then as a producer.
Complying With New Age Assurance and Content Moderation Standards
For adult companies operating in today’s increasingly regulated digital landscape, maintaining compliance with card brand requirements is essential — not only to safeguard your operations but also to ensure a safe and transparent environment for users. Mastercard’s AN 1956 standards and VISA’s Verified Identity and Risk Program (VIRP) requirements were introduced to set clear expectations around protecting users and the integrity of online commerce.
Understanding the FTC's New 'Click to Cancel' Rule
The Federal Trade Commission’s new “Click to Cancel” rule has been a hot topic in consumer protection and business regulation. Part of a broader effort to streamline cancellation processes for subscription services, the rule has sparked significant debate and legal challenges. Adult subscription services are justifiably concerned. Adult companies to which the rule applies should be following these developments closely and preparing for compliance.
Key Factors for Choosing a Merchant Services Partner
Running a successful adult business requires more than just delivering alluring and cutting-edge products and services. Securing the right payment processing partner is essential to maintaining a steady revenue stream, protecting your reputation and ensuring your operations are compliant with all laws and regulations. Finding a merchant service provider that understands the unique needs of adult businesses can therefore make all the difference.
Identifying and Preventing Transaction Laundering
Recently, a few merchants approached me after receiving compliance notifications from their acquirer about transaction laundering. They were unsure what it meant, and unsure how to identify and fix the problem. You’ve most likely heard of money laundering, which means hiding the source of funds. Transaction laundering means hiding the source of a payment transaction, usually by processing illegal transactions through a legitimate merchant account.
5 Things to Look for When Vetting Industry Fundraisers
As adult content creators, we are passionate about supporting fundraisers that align with our values and make a tangible impact on our community — but not all fundraisers or organizations are created equal. With so many initiatives out there, it can be difficult to know where to place your money or lend your support.
WIA: Alexis Fawx Levels Up as Multifaceted Entrepreneur
As more performers look to diversify, expanding their range of revenue streams and promotional vehicles, some are spreading their entrepreneurial wings to create new businesses — including Alexis Fawx. The award-winning MILF star and now multi-hyphenate businesswoman has parlayed her Brazzers contract stardom and independently shot content game into ventures such as the “High As Fawx” podcast and her own coffee brand, HAF. “‘High As Fawx’ was originally a comedy show,” Fawx explains.
Managing Online Safety Risk as an Adult Content Creator
Online safety is important for everyone, but poses particular challenges for adult creators, who are unfortunately often perceived as commodities rather than individuals. This can lead to entitlement and harassment, as some clients may feel they have the right to dictate a creator’s behavior or content. Moreover, the pressure to produce content constantly can create an environment where personal boundaries are frequently ignored, which compromises safety.
Optimizing Spicy Content for Search Engine Boost
You’re creating awesome content and doing everything you can think of to promote it, but still not getting the traction you were hoping for. Sound familiar? If so, you have probably found yourself thinking, “How do I get more people to actually see this stuff?” Let me introduce you to the magic of search engine optimization, or SEO. It might sound techy and dull, but trust me: A few tweaks can make it a lot easier for your target audience to find your content.
How to Halt Hackers as Fraud Attacks Rise
For hackers, it’s often a game of trial and error. Bad actors will perform enumeration and account testing, repeating the same test on a system to look for vulnerabilities — and if you are not equipped with the proper tools, your merchant account could be the next target. This kind of attack is most frequently conducted using automated software, trying as many different combinations as possible until they get a hit uncovering a user’s sensitive information.
Q&A: Luna Baby Rises as Premium Social Star
As a first-generation American and eldest daughter to immigrant parents, Luna Baby grew up surrounded by all the hallmarks of Persian-Armenian culture. She looks back fondly on her youth as a time filled with Middle Eastern food, music and celebration. During that period, she developed a strong work ethic and self-discipline from attending dance classes, as well as art lessons, seven days a week.
How Background Choices Influence Wardrobe, Makeup for Creator Content
In the adult industry, creating visually compelling content extends beyond the creator’s appearance. It requires meticulous attention to a range of visual elements, all of which need to fit the creator’s vibe and branding. One key factor is the background, which not only sets the tone for the content but also impacts, and is impacted by, wardrobe and makeup choices. Here are some strategies for selecting the ideal background for your content.
Creating a Stellar Content Calendar
In the fast-paced world of content creation, staying organized is crucial for success. One of the most effective ways to do that — while also leveling up your content strategy — is by creating a content calendar. A well-structured content calendar not only helps you plan and organize your content but also ensures consistency, which is key to building and maintaining an engaged audience.
The Benefits of At-Home STI Testing for Talent
In the adult industry, regular STI testing and sexual health checkups are a mandated necessity. For many performers, however, testing resources are not as accessible as they should be. One solution is at-home testing kits. Traditional STI testing requires a visit to a doctor’s office or clinic, but all of that is changing with home STI testing, which is transforming sexual health management.
Q&A: Mathema Kitten Rises to the Top as Clip Creator
As the only child of older parents who strongly encouraged her to prioritize academics, Mathema Kitten grew up spending a substantial amount of time on her studies. Working to meet her folks’ high expectations, she spent little time around people her own age and felt shy and challenged in navigating relationships with peers.
VerifyMy Seeks to Provide Frictionless Online Safety, Compliance Solutions
Before founding VerifyMy, Ryan Shaw was simply looking for an age verification solution for his previous business. The ones he found, however, were too expensive, too difficult to integrate with, or failed to take into account the needs of either the businesses implementing them or the end users who would be required to interact with them.
How Adult Website Operators Can Cash in on the 'Interchange' Class Action
The Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement resulted from a landmark antitrust lawsuit involving Visa, Mastercard and several major banks. The case centered around the interchange fees charged to merchants for processing credit and debit card transactions. These fees are set by card networks and are paid by merchants to the banks that issue the cards. Many merchants argued that these fees were excessively high and were set in a way that stifled competition, leading to the lawsuit.
The Ins and Outs of Creating Horror Porn
It’s spooky season, which means it’s the time of year when I get to go all out on my very favorite genre: horror porn. While horror porn may seem incredibly “niche,” horror happens to be one of the most popular genres of film in general, getting butts in seats all year round — sometimes no matter how bad the actual movie looks. Why is horror so popular in regular media but not in porn? Well, it’s probably because it’s not very easy to mix the two together.
It's Time to Rock the Vote and Make Your Voice Heard
When I worked to defeat California’s Proposition 60 in 2016, our opposition campaign was outspent nearly 10 to 1. Nevertheless, our community came together and garnered enough support and awareness to defeat that harmful, misguided piece of proposed legislation — by more than a million votes. This November 5, we need to do it again.
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