Apply Merchant Activation Specialist
Fully Remote • Remote - US Apply Description

About Payliance

Founded in 2007, Payliance is a trusted leader in payment processing — processing more than $63 billion annually, supporting 40,000+ merchant locations, and serving over 350 lending clients. We offer an all-in-one platform for real-time funding, payment processing, account verification, and recovery services, giving lenders the technology to operate efficiently and confidently.

What sets Payliance apart is our blend of modern technology, deep industry expertise, and a highly collaborative, people-first culture. Backed by Serent Capital, we're expanding our capabilities and delivering measurable results for clients across lending, e-commerce, collections, and gaming.

About the Role

The Merchant Activation Specialist owns the critical window between signed deal and first transaction — ensuring newly boarded merchants are set up correctly, processing confidently, and realizing value from Payliance's platform as quickly as possible. This role combines post-sale quality control, proactive merchant outreach, and hands-on training for SMB to mid-market accounts.

This is a high-impact role for someone who is detail-oriented, comfortable on the phone with merchants, and motivated by moving accounts from 'approved' to 'active' with speed and care.

What You'll Do

Post-Sale Quality Control

· Review newly boarded merchant accounts for completeness, accuracy, and proper setup before and after go-live.

· Audit account configurations — processing limits, program type, fee structures, and terminal/platform setup — to catch errors before they impact the merchant.

· Coordinate with Underwriting, Operations, and Sales to resolve onboarding discrepancies quickly.

· Maintain a QC log of common setup issues and escalate patterns to leadership for process improvement.

· Ensure all documentation, compliance requirements, and approvals are in order prior to activation.

Proactive Merchant Outreach

· Monitor activation pipelines to identify merchants who have been approved but have not yet begun processing.

· Conduct proactive outreach — via phone, email, and other channels — to remove barriers and drive time-to-first-transaction.

· Diagnose and resolve activation blockers including technical issues, missing equipment, incomplete setup, or merchant hesitation.

· Maintain accurate activity logs and outreach notes in CRM to ensure full visibility for Sales and Operations.

· Escalate high-risk or stalled activations to the appropriate team with context and recommended next steps.

SMB & Mid-Market Account Training & Onboarding

· Deliver product and platform training to newly activated SMB to mid-market merchants — covering processing basics, portal navigation, reporting, and support resources.

· Conduct live or recorded onboarding sessions for individual merchants or small groups as needed.

· Identify and address knowledge gaps that contribute to delayed activation or early attrition.

· Collaborate with the Sales Enablement team to keep training content current with product changes.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

· Track and report on activation rates, time-to-first-transaction, and outreach conversion by segment and channel.

· Identify trends in activation delays and recommend process, tooling, or content improvements.

· Partner with Sales, Operations, and Product to surface merchant feedback that informs onboarding improvements.  

Compensation & Benefits

· Base Salary: $65,000 – $75,000, commensurate with experience

· Performance-based annual bonus of up to 5% of base salary.

· Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.

· 401(k) with company match.

· Generous PTO plus paid company holidays.

· Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance.

· Paid parental leave.

Work Environment

Remote-first with collaboration across U.S. time zones. Occasional travel may be required for team on-sites or company events.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Payliance is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive workplace for everyone. Discrimination or harassment of any kind — based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or pregnancy — is not tolerated. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the application and employment process.

Requirements

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

· 2–4 years of experience in merchant services, payment processing, customer onboarding, or a related client-facing role.

· Strong understanding of payment processing concepts — merchant accounts, terminal setup, fee structures, and basic compliance requirements.

· Proven ability to manage a high volume of outreach activity with accuracy and follow-through.

· Comfortable communicating with merchants at all levels — from small business owners to operations managers.

· Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, especially in reviewing account configurations and documentation.

· Proficiency with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) for activity tracking and pipeline management.

· Self-directed and able to prioritize workload independently in a fast-paced environment.

· Genuine openness to adopting AI tools and a willingness to experiment with new technology to work smarter and faster.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience with merchant onboarding, activation, or implementation processes at a payments company or ISO.

· Familiarity with ACH, card processing, and payment processing platforms.

· Experience developing training materials or conducting product education for non-technical audiences.

· Experience working in a private equity-owned, venture-backed, or high-growth startup environment.

· Demonstrated use of AI tools to improve outreach efficiency, documentation, or training content creation.

How Your Success Will Be Measured

· Activation Rate: Percentage of approved merchants who reach first transaction within target timeframe.

· Time-to-First-Transaction: Average days from approval to first processing event.

· Outreach Conversion: Percentage of stalled merchants successfully activated through proactive outreach.

· QC Accuracy: Reduction in post-boarding setup errors and escalations.

· Training Completion: SMB to mid-market merchant training completion rates and satisfaction scores.

· Pipeline Visibility: Accuracy and completeness of CRM activity logs across the activation portfolio.

Salary Description $65,000 - $75,000 Apply View All Jobs