Abacoa & Alton Neighbors - January 2026

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 | A B A C O A & A LT O N N E I G H B O R S 9 But when Heartland was acquired in 2016, the culture shifted. “Colton and Vickie saw the writing on the wall,” he added. “They weren’t willing to sacrifice their ethics and wanted to continue advocating for their merchants.” After leaving Heartland in 2016, they had a different ISO for a few years with other business partners before deciding to start Jupiter Payments. “It was inarguable that they were going to do business the right way,” Perez said. “They weren’t willing to waiver—whatsoever.” Then came 2020 - COVID, uncertainty, and shutdowns. “It was a risky decision,” Blake said. “The world’s shutting down, and Colton and Vickie decided they wanted to go off entirely on their own to continue doing business the right way by advocating for merchants and providing a merchant- first servant approach. But what we really wanted to make sure we did was not sacrifice the ethics of what we do.” And with that, Jupiter Payments was officially born in March 2020. “We process over $2 billion a year. We’re in all 50 states. We just happen to be headquartered right here in Jupiter.” Today, Jupiter Payments operates not just as a full-platform merchant services provider, but has also evolved to offer merchants vertical- specific software with integrated payments. “We offer a variety of products and services,” Perez said. “We’re really a fintech company that offers integrated payments.” Their bread and butter is credit card and debit card processing, Point of Sale Solutions, ACH, small business loans, full- platform merchant services, and integrated software payments. “Most merchants nowadays use integrated payments within their software systems,” he explained. “Toast, CRMs, EMRs, all the different software—these companies build great software, realize the revenue in payments, and want to integrate the payments.” The company serves merchants processing $20,000 to $3 million a month, as well as start-up mom and pops. “That’s our sweet spot,” Blake added. “Anything above that? We can absolutely do it—it’s just a longer sales cycle.” And while Jupiter Payments can technically process internationally, Perez says the business is “primarily in the U.S.—all 50 states, mostly the southeast.” Perez lights up when discussing how the company impacts the community. The company sponsors: • Jupiter Police Foundation, where Perez sits on the advisory board • Local charities, including a recent golf tournament benefiting the Shane Carpenter Foundation • Local schools, often through the Partlows’ children • Adopt-a-Highway programs, including a stretch on A1A near Admiral’s Cove But their biggest impact, he says, is financial. “Being able to add one to five percent back to a merchant’s bottom line—it’s powerful,” Perez said. “Especially in a town where commercial rent can be $70 a square foot. It gives small business owners leverage and peace of mind, so they can focus on running their business.” That focus on transparency and merchant education is central to his personal approach. “Sit down, let’s have a conversation,” he explained. “If I can earn your business, great. If not, I hope I provided you with some knowledge, and you walk away with some leverage.” Perez’s definition of leadership is crisp and deeply held. “Leadership to me isn’t about a title or tangible goods,” he explained. “To me, a leader sets the example for others by taking action and accountability with the purpose of serving others. A leader inspires others by doing what's hard and doing it consistently every single day. Leaders have discipline and turn obstacles into opportunities, setbacks into lessons, and ambition into results. Leaders serve for purpose, not pleasure.” He believes leadership requires three traits: accountability, fast thinking, and the ability to problem solve. “If you can’t think fast, can’t solve problems, and can’t be accountable, you’ll be weeded out so fast.” Perez credits Colton Partlow with shaping his own leadership. “Colton put me in a position in my early 20s for some serious personal and professional