Separating Substance from Hype: Evaluating Tech Vendors & Spotting Red Flags

At CardFree, we’re proudly product-first. While our CTO’s hair may be majestic, “sexy” would not be a word used to describe our company. We’re not going to be showing off the biggest, fanciest booths at the trade shows and our CEO isn’t a regular on any of the business podcasts. We haven’t raised capital in 12 years, so you won’t see any headlines hyping up our latest round of funding. We have, however, invested more in development than some flashier companies have raised in their entire existence.

We are decidedly not a sales and marketing-first company. Don’t get us wrong — we understand that sales and marketing are important, but we firmly believe that our tech should speak louder than any sales pitch or ad campaign. We’ve seen too many companies promise the moon while still working out how to build the rocket.

That’s a major consequence of prioritizing sales over development — development takes time, and throwing VC money at it won’t fast-track the process. Some companies want to offer a “full stack” solution, so instead of investing the time, they build (or acquire) a few lightweight solutions, slap on some fancy branding, and hope no one asks the hard questions. “Fake it ’til you make it” seems to be the MO for a lot of tech vendors. 

That’s where you come in. The onus is on merchants to cut through the fluff and sniff out the BS. Ask the right questions. When evaluating tech vendors, merchants need to go one, two, or three levels deeper on functionality and requirements. 

It’s unfortunate, but navigating the B2B sales process can be treacherous. While there are plenty of honest companies out there doing quality work, there are also lots of fakers and BS-ers. Luckily, we’ve got your back. In this article, we’re breaking down how to separate the real deal from the smoke and mirrors by asking the right questions and keeping vendors in check.

Red Flags to Watch for in the Sales Process

Overpromising or Selling Future Features

One of the most common pitfalls in the tech sales process is the promise of features or products that don’t yet exist. It’s easy for a vendor to claim that new capabilities are “in development” or “coming soon,” but you’ll need more than just their word, or else you might be stepping into risky territory. Ask to see a live demo, preferably connected to a working POS – if all that’s offered are prototypes, wireframes, or mockups, the vendor is likely a long way away from delivering a viable product. 

Of course, it’s common for tech companies (like CardFree 😉) to innovate and carry a vision for the future, so there will often be a roadmap of upcoming products and capabilities. The trick for merchants is to ask the right questions and get to the bottom of whether the vendor can truly deliver on that roadmap, or if they’re just blowing smoke.

The difference between an empty promise and a genuine commitment is a track record. If a company claims they’re building something for you, ask for case studies or referrals from merchants who have had similar requests fulfilled successfully. Reach out to those merchants and keep asking questions. How long did the process take? How satisfied are they with the results? Were there any roadblocks along the way? What kind of customer support is the vendor delivering?

Dive Deeper Into Functional Needs and Integrations 

Get as Specific as Possible

It’s easy for vendors to make broad claims about their technology, but the devil is in the details. One of the best ways to avoid getting caught in the hype is to dig into the functional requirements. Work with your team to create a document or spreadsheet that breaks down all the specific features your operation needs and ask the vendor to confirm whether they can meet those needs.

If the vendor is not able to provide a specific feature or functionality on your list, dive deeper to understand how you can solve for that. Does it require a custom integration? If so, what’s the timeline on that and are there additional costs to be aware of? Or maybe you’ll need to set up middleware or purchase a separate solution – what are the options there and how will that impact the overall cost? 

Past Integration Experience

If your tech solution requires integration with existing systems like a POS or payment processor, the vendor’s experience in this area is crucial. Ask how many times they’ve completed the specific integration you need and for how many clients. Request specific examples of past integrations, and ask how long those integrations took from start to finish.

Even if a vendor has lots of experience with custom integrations, it’s not enough for a vendor to say, “we’ve done this type of thing before so we can figure it out.” Ask if they’ve initiated conversations with the necessary people, like the integration partner’s developer relations team. This shows that they’ve done their due diligence and are ready to execute, rather than simply trying to get a contract across the finish line.

Assessing the Vendor’s Engineering Team

Understand Who’s Building the Products You’re Being Sold

When evaluating tech vendors, the strength of their engineering team is often a good indicator of their ability to deliver on promises. Like we mentioned above, vendors often invest heavily into marketing and sales, but without a robust, experienced engineering team, delivering complex solutions will be a challenge.

Ask about the size of the engineering team, their location, and whether they are full-time employees or contractors. There are plenty of services that enable tech companies to hire engineers overseas to fulfill certain tasks, but without deep, industry-specific hands-on experience, that could mean significant delays and half-baked products.

Cutting Through the BS

Hold Vendors Accountable

One of the most effective ways to separate serious vendors from the rest is to ask if they’re willing to tie their promises to your agreement. For example, if they’ve promised a customized solution, will they commit to delivering specific features by a certain date, and are they open to including penalties or fee reductions if they miss that deadline? Are you able to get out of your contract if the vendor doesn’t deliver? If a vendor is hesitant to commit, it’s worth questioning their ability to follow through.

Spotting Genuine Intentions 

It’s important to determine whether the vendor genuinely cares about your business or if they’re simply trying to close a deal. One way to assess this is by evaluating who you’re talking to. Are you only interacting with the sales team, or are they able to bring higher-level engineers or executives into the conversation? No offense to any salespeople out there, but a member of the engineering team is much less likely to mislead or lie to you than someone from the sales team, especially when it comes to specific tech capabilities.

If the vendor is an open book, ready to bring in anyone on their team to the conversation, that’s a good indication the vendor actually cares about your business and providing solutions the right way, as opposed to simply trying to close a deal and meet a quota. 

Assess the Vendor’s Customer Support

Don’t Let the Support Disappear After Go-Live

One often overlooked but critical aspect of evaluating tech vendors is understanding their customer support, especially after the initial setup and go-live. Many vendors promise extensive support during the production and development phases but then disappear once the solution is live. To avoid being left in the dark, it’s important to ask the right questions about post-launch support.

Figure out what kind of ongoing production support is offered. Is their team available for troubleshooting or resolving issues after go-live, or does their involvement taper off? Ask about their average turnaround time for resolving production issues or answering general support questions. Will you have direct access to a customer support agent, or is there a client portal for support ticket submissions? 

Most vendors will probably tell you they provide the best support in the business, so again, you’ll need to dig a little deeper. Ask about specific instances where their team solved a complex issue. Get in touch with one or more of their customers and see what their experience has been. 

Ask the Right Questions, Avoid the Wrong Partners

Navigating the tech landscape requires more than just listening to a compelling sales pitch. Next time you’re evaluating tech vendors, go deeper. Demand specifics, ask for demos, talk to references, and hold vendors accountable to their promises. By doing so, you’ll position your business to succeed with partners who are truly invested in your success.

When evaluating tech vendors, you can’t afford to be dazzled by empty promises. It’s about substance, not just salesmanship. Just as we at CardFree value development over hype, you should value vendors who prioritize delivering real, usable products over those selling the future. Don’t be fooled by the “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality. By asking the right questions and looking beyond the BS, you’ll ensure your business chooses a partner that’s focused on true innovation — not just selling the dream.