Index
Explainers behind the directory
These explainers cover payfacs and gateways, why accounts close, flat rate versus interchange-plus, Visa's VAMP rules, and the cost of a chargeback. Figures that name a processor were read on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US domestic card rate in that reading is 2.9% + $0.30.
- Payfac, gateway, acquirer, or merchant of recordWhat each provider type actually sells, and which Stripe problem it solves.
- Why processors close accounts after you start processingInstant onboarding defers the review. Up-front underwriting does the review first.
- Flat rate versus interchange-plusWhere a blended rate stops being the cheap option, without pretending interchange is one number.
- What telehealth companies need from a payment processorUnderwriting, licenses, and why a faster signup is the wrong feature.
- Visa's VAMP rules explained for merchantsWhat the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program measures, from Visa's own fact sheet.
- The real cost of a chargeback, by processorThe published fee is the small line. The disputed amount and the ratio are the bill.
- What we found verifying processors' pricing pagesPatterns from building the first pricing dataset, on November 9, 2026.
- Monthly pricing and policy changesA running log. November 2026 is the first pass, not a claim that prices moved.
How should you use this index?
Explainers behind the directory lists 8 pages, using figures checked on November 9, 2026. Open a page for the job you have, and use Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 US card rate as the baseline when the page names one.
01What is on Explainers behind the directory?
Explainers behind the directory lists 8 pages. Fees cited there were read on November 9, 2026. Stripe's US card rate in that reading is 2.9% + $0.30.
02When should you stay on Stripe instead of using Explainers behind the directory?
Stay when the account is healthy and you want Billing, Tax, Connect, or Terminal. A gap of a few dollars against 2.9% + $0.30 is rarely worth moving subscriptions.
03What if a rate on a linked page is missing?
The page says the price is quoted. This directory does not invent a percent. Frame's card line, from 2.0% + $0.39, is a floor, not a billed rate.
04How do you report a wrong figure?
Use the corrections page and link the provider's own page, plus the date you read it. Confirmed edits are written on the changelog.
05Which date applies to this index?
November 9, 2026. Quote that date with any figure you reuse. If the provider's page has changed, the provider's page wins.
Which sources were checked?
Explainers behind the directory covers 8 pages in the November 9, 2026 edition. Stripe's baseline rate is 2.9% + $0.30.
Last verified .
Which related pages should you read next?
These six links use the same November 9, 2026 reading as the 8 entries. Stripe's dispute fee in that reading is $15.