Inside SurgePays’ platform & partner-first bet on the wireless dealer channel, with VP of Sales Allison Seyler
Written by Kathy Thatcher, CEO & Publisher, Wireless Dealer Magazine
Wireless Dealer Magazine recently had the privilege of sitting down with Allison Seyler, Vice President of Sales for SurgePays. A powerhouse in FinTech and telecom with more than 15 years of experience, Seyler brings a strong background in building strategic partnerships, driving revenue growth, and helping businesses scale inside the wireless and prepaid marketplace.
In this WDM feature, Seyler takes readers inside the SurgePays.io and LinkUp Mobile opportunity, showing how retailers are leveraging prepaid wireless, top-ups, managed marketing services, BPO services, and retail technology to drive long-term growth. The feature also highlights what sets the partnership apart: Build Your Own Plans, Direct Partnership, White-Glove Support, and a Full Growth Platform designed to help retailers launch, scale, and succeed.
The conversation opened with Seyler’s background and the experience that led her to her role as Vice President of Sales at SurgePays. Her career has placed her directly in the middle of the partnerships, accounts, retailers, and carrier relationships that shaped growth in FinTech, telecom, and prepaid wireless.
“I’ve spent over 15 years in FinTech and telecommunications sales, primarily focused on building strategic partnerships, driving revenue growth, and helping businesses scale within the wireless and prepaid space,” Seyler shared. “Throughout my career, I’ve managed high-volume corporate accounts and worked closely with retailers to create long-term growth opportunities.”
Her path to SurgePays was driven by more than industry experience. After years of working across FinTech, telecom, prepaid wireless, and strategic partnerships, Seyler saw an opportunity to bring that background into a company focused on serving retailers and channel partners in a more meaningful way.
That mission shows up in practical retail conversations. Many retailers already have strong neighborhood relationships, daily customer interaction, and the trust that comes from serving their communities. SurgePays looks for ways to turn those existing strengths into new service opportunities.
“What led me to SurgePays was the opportunity to help independent retailers thrive. We have the technology, the products, and the support to help stores add new revenue without adding unnecessary complexity.” Seyler said.
“Today, my focus is making sure our partners have everything they need to succeed, from the right tools to the right support. We’re not just here to sign partners; we’re here to help them grow.”
Allison Seyler, Vice President of Sales at SurgePays
“What excites me most is seeing the real impact SurgePays solutions can have on businesses,” Seyler explained. “A lot of retailers are looking for ways to make more money without dramatically changing their existing operations, and prepaid wireless, top-ups, and Managed Marketing services create exactly that opportunity.”
For Seyler, the most rewarding part is seeing partners succeed beyond the initial launch. From onboarding to ongoing support, SurgePays works alongside retailers to help them grow, adapt, and build long-term success, not just make a first sale.
“I love helping retailers discover new income streams, increase customer traffic, and build recurring revenue models that strengthen their business over time,” Seyler said. “When a retailer starts seeing repeat wireless customers coming back every month, or when an ISO realizes they can expand beyond traditional merchant services, that’s exciting because it creates long-term value and stability for their business.”
As the discussion turned to revenue, Seyler pointed to a major shift taking place across the retail landscape. Businesses want more than an occasional sale. They are looking for offerings that keep customers engaged beyond the first visit.
“Recurring revenue is one of the biggest opportunities in the market today,” Seyler said. “One of the things that really sets LinkUp apart is Build Your Own Plans,” Seyler said. “As our dealers grow, they earn the ability to create their own wireless plan tiers based on what their customers actually need. That’s not something you’ll get from the major carriers. It helps our partners differentiate their business instead of selling the exact same plans as everyone else.”
For retailers that flexibility creates a competitive advantage. Instead of offering the same wireless plans as every other provider, partners can deliver plans tailored to their market while expanding their business with a differentiated, recurring revenue solution.
“Prepaid is just the beginning,” Seyler said. “What makes SurgePays different is that we give partners a complete growth platform. Along with wireless, they gain access to Managed Marketing Services, BPO support, our Merchant Portal and Payment Center, and retail programs like Phone in a Box.” Seyler explained. “It’s all designed to help partners launch faster, grow smarter, and create more value for the businesses they serve.”
“Our retailers earn the ability to create their own wireless plan tiers based on what their customers actually need. That’s not something you’ll get from the major carriers.” Seyler said.
“Through prepaid wireless activations, top-ups, gift cards, digital products, and retail technology solutions, retailers can create multiple revenue streams from a single platform.”
The next layer of the conversation centered on the platform itself and how partners can turn a single retailer relationship into a broader retail-service strategy.
At the store counter, the strategy moves from theory to traffic. The moment a customer returns for an essential service, the retailer has another opportunity to serve that customer and increase the value of the visit.
“What makes it powerful is that these services also help drive customer frequency,” Seyler shared. “A customer coming in for top-ups, prepaid wireless service, or gift cards creates additional opportunities for cross-selling and increased in-store spending,” Seyler said. “It becomes more than just a transaction, it becomes a customer retention strategy, backed by our in-house bilingual 24/7 support team to help partners deliver a better customer experience.”
The wireless component of that strategy is LinkUp Mobile, powered by SurgePays. It brings the recurring retail opportunity into a service category every retailer understands: connectivity.
“LinkUp Mobile gives partners the ability to participate in one of the strongest recurring revenue categories in retail today,” Seyler said. “Wireless is essential, customers need connectivity every single month, and that creates a consistent opportunity for retailers and channel partners.”
White-Glove Support · Direct Partnership · Build Your Own Plans · Full Growth Platform
Become a Partner Today: Enjoy higher margins, top-ups, white-glove onboarding, and 24/7 bilingual support, all backed by the SurgePays platform to help drive traffic, build customer loyalty, and create recurring revenue.
For a partner, launching wireless is only one part of the opportunity. The bigger question is whether the program provides the structure needed to keep growing after the first activation. Seyler says that is where LinkUp Mobile’s partner support becomes especially important.
“What makes LinkUp Mobile stand out is the combination of competitive plans, strong network quality, partner support, and flexible distribution opportunities,” Seyler explained. “We focus heavily on supporting our partners with white-glove onboarding, 24/7 bilingual customer service, operational support, and custom plans that help them succeed long term. When you go direct with SurgePays, you’re not just adding new revenue streams, you’re gaining a partner that’s committed to helping your business grow.”
For retailers, these services can change how customers see the store. The location becomes more than a place to buy a single product; it becomes a place customers associate with practical daily needs.
“The key is creating reasons for customers to return consistently,” Seyler said. “Wireless payments, prepaid top-ups, digital products, and related services naturally bring customers back on a recurring basis.”
Seyler also pointed to what happens after the second, third, and fourth visit. Over time, those small repeat interactions change the economics of the customer relationship.
The results are already speaking for themselves. “I joined SurgePays in March 2024. Since then, LinkUp Mobile has grown from its launch on AT&T to more than 200,000 active subscribers. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when retailers get the right model in their hands,” Seyler said.
Those milestones, Seyler added, reflect what happens when the right products meet the right partnership. “Our focus is helping retailers and partners grow, and these results show what’s possible when they have the flexibility, support, and platform to succeed.”
The conversation then moved to one of the biggest challenges facing retailers today: how to scale growth without building every department internally. SurgePays is focused on the operational side of that challenge, with services designed to help partners increase visibility, manage outreach, and support customer acquisition more efficiently.
“Scaling today requires more than just selling a product; it requires infrastructure, support, and efficiency,” Seyler said. “Managed Marketing Services help partners increase visibility, customer acquisition, and brand awareness without needing to build large internal marketing teams.
“As partners grow, marketing becomes just as important as sales. Our Managed Marketing Services give retailers access to professional marketing support without the cost of building an in-house team. From campaign strategy and creative development to execution, we help partners stay visible, attract new customers, and keep existing ones engaged.”
For many retailers, having dedicated marketing expertise is out of reach. Managed Marketing Services fill that gap, allowing partners to focus on running their business while SurgePays helps drive awareness, customer engagement, and store traffic.
“Our BPO services model is another major advantage because it allows retailers to scale operationally without the overhead of traditional hiring,” Seyler explained. “Partners can purchase dedicated support seats through us, giving them trained team members who operate as an extension of their business. These dedicated resources can assist with customer service, lead generation, cold calling, account management, customer acquisition, follow-up support, and ongoing relationship management.”
By this point in the conversation, the pieces began to connect. Wireless platform services, marketing support, operational help, and retail technology are designed to work together rather than sit in separate silos.
“Everything we offer is designed to work together,” Seyler said. “From Build Your Own Plans and Managed Marketing Services to dedicated BPO support and retail technology, our goal is to give partners a complete platform they can grow with, not just another product to sell.”
Throughout the conversation, one theme remained consistent: SurgePays isn’t simply expanding its product portfolio. It’s building long-term partnerships that help retailers grow with the infrastructure, Support, and flexibility they need to compete in a rapidly evolving market.
“Our goal has never been to be just another wireless provider,” Seyler said. “We’re building a platform that gives our partners the flexibility to compete, the support to scale, and the confidence to grow. When our partners succeed, that’s how we measure our success.”
As the prepaid wireless industry continues to evolve, Seyler believes the greatest opportunities will belong to businesses that embrace innovation, stay close to their customers, and choose partners committed to long-term growth. For SurgePays, that isn’t just a strategy, it’s the foundation of every partnership.
As the conversation concluded, WDM asked Seyler how interested partners can learn more about LinkUp Mobile powered by SurgePays and its retail platform, and what the first step looks like.
