Meet Lauren Bernhard Toledo | Payments Fixer & Small Business Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Bernhard Toledo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea didn’t come from wanting to “be an entrepreneur.” It came from frustration. After years in the POS industry catering to payment processing agents, Michelle and I kept seeing small business owners pushed into expensive, long-term systems that didn’t actually work for their business. The incentives were backwards; selling mattered more than helping. Seeing that firsthand, especially through my father’s autoshop, made the lack of education and lack of empathy impossible to ignore. Michelle and I built my company to do the opposite: be honest, explain the options clearly, and help business owners make decisions that actually make sense for their specific business. We don’t want any more business owners who aren’t educated in the payments industry to get ripped off.

What should our readers know about your business?
SaborPay was built to bring clarity and honesty to an industry that often relies on confusion. We’re processor and POS-agnostic, which means our advice is based on what actually fits a business, not what pays us the most. While building SaborPay, both Michelle and I have worked a full-time job. That was intentional. This business will never be about getting rich quickly or chasing volume. It’s about helping business owners understand what they’re paying for and protecting them from bad decisions. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that trust matters more than scale. SaborPay was built with intention, rooted in family business values, and designed to help people, not pressure them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ok, without a doubt, the FIRST place they should go to is straight to Pinkerton’s BBQ. No debate, the best BBQ I have ever tasted in 5 different countries I have visited. Houston Museum District is a very nice day trip. The POST is amazing. I would definitely leave one night for Cidercade, and honestly, any location is fun. If they come during rodeo season, that is a MUST. They have to try Dutch Bros. When I moved to Texas, I swore off every other coffee place when I tried Dutch Bros. For nightlife, I’m a homebody, but Montrose has very fun places, and I like Whiskey River North. Definitely stay out of Greenspoint.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to the people who shaped how I see small businesses. My dad taught me what ownership really means, long hours, tough calls, and doing right by people even when no one’s watching. That foundation stays with me in everything I build. I also want to recognize Michelle’s parents. They’ve been business owners their entire lives, and having the chance to help them truly understand an industry that’s rarely explained clearly was incredibly meaningful. Their openness and trust reinforced why education has to come first. And finally, the small business owners who were honest with me early on, the ones who shared their frustrations and asked hard questions. They reminded me who this work is really for.

Website: https://www.saborpay.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saborpaytx/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saborpay/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579826014426

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@saborpay