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.

Credit Card Decline Code 05: Do Not Honor (solution)

do not honor error code stripe credit card decline code 05

Is your store riddled with “Do Not Honor” messages? You’re not alone. These codes harm your business and can ultimately lead to account termination. A cleaner processing statement not only looks better but also improves your odds of getting better rates. These decline codes are also not card network-specific. They apply to Visa, Mastercard, Discover, […]

Split Testing for Pricing Will 10x Your Global Sales

The hand of a man wearing a suit holds a piece of chalk onto a chalkboard that says "Pricing Strategy"

I’ve seen countless businesses leave money on the table by using one-size-fits-all pricing. Let’s explore how strategic price testing across different regions can dramatically boost your conversion rates. OPTIMIZE YOUR CHECKOUT Geographical Price Testing I discovered throughout the years that geographical split testing for pricing can transform businesses. Companies implementing this strategy consistently see growth […]

Shopify Sucks for 2025: The Shopify Transaction Fees Trap

Blue black ground with a four stacks of coins growing in height and wooden blocks that spell out “FEES”, one block on each stack of coins.

Shopify’s transaction fees are eating into your profits more than you realize. Let me break down why their fee structure creates significant challenges for growing businesses. SWITCH FROM SHOPIFY The Fee Trap Shopify’s rigid fee structure creates a costly trap for growing businesses in 2025. On the Basic plan, you’ll pay 2.9% + $0.30 for […]

Payment Authentication Methods to Reduce Chargebacks

Man wearing a suit holding his hand out with a phone displaying a hologram of a fingerprint

Gone are the days when a simple password was enough to keep your customers’ payment data secure. I witness firsthand how outdated authentication methods lead to cart abandonment, chargebacks, and frustrated customers. Today’s digital commerce demands smarter, faster, and more secure ways to verify customer identity at checkout. Whether you’re selling clay pots or a […]

Can Shopify Shut Down Your Store? YES! Here’s What to Do

Laptop computer displaying logo of Shopify Inc., a Canadian multinational e-commerce company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario

Your Shopify store is thriving, sales are flowing, and then it hits. That heart-stopping email from Shopify Payments announcing your payment processing has been suspended. I’ve helped hundreds of merchants through this exact situation, and here’s what you need to know: your business isn’t over. Let me clear up the biggest misconception right away – […]