Comprehensive comparison of Stripe alternatives including Shopify Payments, Square, and PayPal. Learn how each platform differs from Stripe, which offers the best fees and features for your business type, when to choose dedicated merchant accounts over payment aggregators, and how to select the right payment processor for your transaction volume and industry.
Complete guide to Square payment processing: understand how Square works as a payment facilitator, why accounts get frozen, what the transaction fees actually cost for each plan tier, how long Square holds funds, and when your business has outgrown Square’s PayFac model
Complete guide to PayPal payment processing: understand how PayPal works as a payment aggregator, why accounts get limited, what the fees actually cost including hidden charges, how long fund holds last, and when alternative payment processors become necessary for business stability and growth.
Everything you need to know about Shopify Payments to decide if you should use them. Learn how they work, why accounts get suspended, what the fees really cost, and when an alternative payment processor is the best choice for your store.
Payment processing fees are a necessary cost of doing business in today’s digital economy, but they can quietly erode your profit margins if you don’t understand them. Every transaction comes with a price—interchange fees paid to card-issuing banks, assessment fees paid to card networks, and processor markups. These fees vary based on card type, transaction method, merchant category, and your pricing model. This guide breaks down the different types of fees, explains pricing structures like flat-rate and interchange-plus, shows you how to read your merchant statement, and provides actionable strategies to reduce costs and protect your bottom line.
