Author: Maria Sparagis

Maria Sparagis is President of DirectPayNet, where she's spent over 20 years helping businesses scale to six-, seven-, and eight-figure revenue through optimized payment processing. She works hands-on with business owners to solve merchant account challenges, reduce processing costs, and implement payment strategies that support real growth. Maria is a regular speaker at fintech conferences and writes about practical approaches that help businesses break through revenue plateaus.

FTC Is Coming After “Made in USA” Claims

"MADE IN USA" label on a woven fabric

Labels like MUSA or Made in the USA can tank your business. You see them everywhere on Amazon, eBay, and Shopify stores, products that proudly sporting “Made in USA” badges. American flags plastered on product photos. Bold claims about supporting American workers. But many—if not most—of these products ship straight from overseas warehouses. If you’re […]

How to Avoid Friendly Fraud, a Growing Threat to Your Business

Credit card security

Friendly fraud is one of the most annoying yet seemingly avoidable types of fraud. Many merchants are left wondering what they’ve done wrong or why their customers are mistreating them. One day you’re in the black, and the next your chargeback ratio spikes beyond acceptable limits. Your payment processor flags your account. Your rolling reserves […]

Survival Guide: Stripe Account Suspended

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Payment processors and PSPs hold immense power over businesses, Stripe, despite its reputation as a developer-friendly platform, is no different. The payments giant regularly suspends accounts and holds funds, sometimes without clear justification. I recently received an email from a business owner whose experience illustrates the reality that many merchants face when dealing with account […]

The De Minimis Rollback Means More Chargebacks — How to Avoid

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The de minimis rollback changes how businesses handle international shipping costs. This change affects millions of online purchases every day. When customers don’t know about extra charges, they create chargebacks that hurt businesses. Here’s how to avoid the hassle. REDUCE CHARGEBACKS What Is the De Minimis Rollback? The de minimis threshold sets the limit for […]

14 Reason Codes That Land Your Business on the MATCH List

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If you run a business that accepts credit card payments (so, every business), then you need to know about the MATCH list. This database tracks merchants who’ve had their payment processing accounts shut down. Getting MATCHed can destroy your business overnight. You’ll struggle to find any bank willing to process your payments again. The Member […]