# Explainers behind the directory

Title: Payments explainers and fee notes

Description: Explainers on payfacs, account closures, interchange-plus, Visa VAMP, and chargeback cost. Processor figures were read on November 9, 2026. No invented rates.

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.

# 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 record](/blog/payfac-gateway-acquirer-merchant-of-record.md). What each provider type actually sells, and which Stripe problem it solves.
- [Why processors close accounts after you start processing](/blog/why-processors-close-accounts.md). Instant onboarding defers the review. Up-front underwriting does the review first.
- [Flat rate versus interchange-plus](/blog/flat-rate-vs-interchange-plus.md). Where a blended rate stops being the cheap option, without pretending interchange is one number.
- [What telehealth companies need from a payment processor](/blog/telehealth-payment-processing.md). Underwriting, licenses, and why a faster signup is the wrong feature.
- [Visa's VAMP rules explained for merchants](/blog/visa-vamp-explained.md). What the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program measures, from Visa's own fact sheet.
- [The real cost of a chargeback, by processor](/blog/cost-of-a-chargeback.md). The published fee is the small line. The disputed amount and the ratio are the bill.
- [What we found verifying processors' pricing pages](/blog/verifying-processor-pricing.md). Patterns from building the first pricing dataset, on November 9, 2026.
- [Monthly pricing and policy changes](/blog/monthly-changes.md). A running log. November 2026 is the first pass, not a claim that prices moved.

## Questions

### What 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.

### When 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.

### What 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.

### How 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.

### Which 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.

## Sources

Last verified November 9, 2026.

- Stripe pricing: https://stripe.com/pricing?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripealternatives.com

## Related

- [Stripe alternatives directory](/index.md)
- [Stripe pricing profile](/alternatives/stripe.md)
- [Pricing dataset](/data/pricing.md)
- [Methodology](/methodology.md)
- [Stripe fees explained](/guides/stripe-fees-explained.md)
- [Why this directory exists](/why.md)
- [Stripe restricted business checker](/tools/restricted-check.md)