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.

Stripe Payment Methods to Boost Global Sales

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Stripe’s 125+ payment methods help you reach international customers through local options like iDEAL, PIX, UPI, and Klarna. But using Stripe for everything — including domestic transactions — means overpaying where you don’t need to. This guide covers which payment methods to enable by region, how Stripe handles multi-currency pricing, and why a hybrid strategy pairing Stripe with a merchant account is the smartest move for growing businesses.

Save Big, Direct Link from Your Payment Gateway to Accounting Software

Businesswoman hand working with finances about cost and calculator and laptop with tablet on desk at office in morning light, Business accounting concept, Calculating or checking balance.

It makes sense that your payment gateway should link to your accounting software. So, why pay the middle-man fee when you can do it directly? Many companies pay hefty fees to invoicing platforms like Bill.com, ChargeZoom, or Chargebee. These platforms are popular but essentially act as middlemen. They might charge flat rates or, worse, take […]

How to Ensure Your Merchant Account Application Is Approved: Step-by-Step Guide

A hand holding a stamp that says "APPROVED" over a vat of ink.

Any business that wants to accept credit and debit card payments needs a merchant account. Without one, you can’t accept payments. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to increase your chances of merchant application approval. START YOUR MERCHANT ACCOUNT APPLICATION Checklist Before Your Application Answer these questions before submitting your […]

Best High-Risk Merchant Account Providers

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A high-risk merchant account is designed for high-risk businesses. If you don’t know your risk level, our guide below will help you understand better. Business owners in high-risk industries face unique challenges when seeking payment processors. Knowing your options opens doors to reliable merchant services that support your growth, not hinder it. Payment processors label […]

Transaction Approval Rate: Make More Money In 30 Days

Transaction Approval Rate: Make More Money In 30 Days

Your business loses money every time a customer’s payment fails. High-risk merchants in particular watch potential sales slip away because card networks decline legitimate transactions. You can reverse this trend and increase your transaction approval rate within 30 days. If your business processes $20,000 monthly but operates at a 75% approval rate instead of 90%, […]