Denise Purtzer
Managing global partnerships for ClearSale means empowering our partners to be trusted resources for their merchants—including helping them fight fraud.
We sat down with Monica Perez, ClearSale’s global partnership manager and a new member on our team, to learn about her experience and advice for ecommerce merchants, whether they are just launching an online business or expanding into international markets.
Q: How did you get to your position at ClearSale? Can you share a brief background on your experience?
Monica: I’ve been in the ecommerce space for almost 10 years. Early in my career, I recognized that the growth in ecommerce would naturally trigger fraudsters. So I transitioned my focus to fraud prevention and began working with global partners to help merchants increase their revenue.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
Monica: My day-to-day focus is on building great relationships and a strong partner community. I strive to be proactive, responsive, a strategic resource, and an advocate for our partners. Success for me is empowering our partners to continue being a trusted resource for their merchants.
Q: Why are ClearSale’s partnerships so important? What value do these partnerships bring to ecommerce merchants who work with us?
Monica: We’re just one piece in the puzzle. But we’ve built (and are continuing to build) a community of strategic, trusted partners who are passionate about helping merchants succeed in today’s challenging ecommerce environment. These merchants then benefit from working with best-in-class, pre-vetted partners and solutions.
Q: Why do you think that merchants should prioritize fraud protection for their businesses?
Monica: It’s simple: Fraud eats into their bottom line. Even more damaging is its impact on their brand reputation. Too-lax or too-stringent fraud protection can have the same effect: angry customers.
Q: What is the most important thing a merchant should know about fraud?
Monica: They need to know that no merchant is safe in the online world of card-not-present (CNP) fraud. Fraudsters continue to evolve their tactics, and most merchants aren’t aware they’re being targeted.
Q: What would be your top advice to an online business just starting out?
Monica: My advice is to implement fraud protection early instead of waiting to rectify the problem once a fraud attempt has taken place. Fraud attempts aren’t always obvious, so it’s also important to measure specific KPIs that suggest there’s a problem. I recommend starting with chargeback and order approval rates.
Q: What insight can you share about international fraud compared to fraud in the U.S.?
Monica: We live in an explosive ecommerce economy which has created the perfect storm for fraud, not only in the U.S. but worldwide. It's important to educate our partners about the global fraud landscape as merchants sell into different countries and put themselves at higher risk.
Q: Tell us about the most memorable moment you’ve had while working at ClearSale.
Monica: I really enjoyed meeting our passionate and lively CEO during a virtual company town hall.
Q: What do you appreciate about ClearSale’s company culture?
Monica: Across the company, no matter their role in the organization, everyone puts the customer’s best interests first. We know the challenges ecommerce merchants face, so we do everything we can to make their lives easier.
Q: When you aren’t protecting merchants from fraud attempts, what are your favorite hobbies?
Monica: I enjoy taking advantage of the great Miami weather and doing outdoor activities. Also, I enjoy line dancing from time to time!
Q: What is one thing we might not know about you?
Monica: I was born in Cuba!
Interested in learning more about how ClearSale’s amazing team of professionals can help protect your business — no matter what your size, what you sell or where you’re located? Contact us today.
