Author: Maria Sparagis

Picture of Maria Sparagis

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.
Picture of Maria Sparagis

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.
Compliance & Regulation

Ecommerce Compliance: A Complete Guide

Running an ecommerce business means following a complex set of rules that touch everything from payment security to customer privacy and advertising. Ecommerce compliance covers FTC rules that protect customers from misleading ads, PCI DSS standards that secure payment data, GDPR and similar privacy laws for handling personal information, and local, national, and international regulations for selling across borders. This guide breaks down the essentials—what card networks require, how to keep ads and subscriptions compliant, red flags that trigger account shutdowns, and rules for selling globally—so you can protect your revenue, customer relationships, and business future.

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February 2, 2026
Merchant Accounts

Stripe vs Merchant of Record vs Merchant Account: The Complete Comparison

Stripe, merchant of record, or merchant account—which payment processor is right for your business? Stripe offers speed but comes with suspension risks and higher costs at scale. Merchant of record eliminates tax compliance but charges 5-8% and you lose customer data ownership. Merchant accounts provide the lowest fees, complete control, and stability, but require more setup. This guide compares real costs, benefits, and trade-offs across all three models to help you choose the best payment processing solution for your business size and industry.

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January 30, 2026

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