Smartriarch
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AI-native payment compliance for SaaS builders

Find your best payment processor

Answer 9 questions about your platform. Processor rankings update live as you go.

ℹ Smartriarch is built for software companies (ISVs and SaaS) embedding payments — not for merchants accepting payments directly.
ℹ
Smartriarch is built for SaaS platforms using Stripe Connect to enable payments for their merchants. If you use regular Stripe to bill your own customers for your software subscription, that's a separate use case outside Smartriarch's scope.
ℹ
Answer these as the platform, not as a merchant. These questions are about the merchants you enable payments for — not about your own software subscription billing, which is outside Smartriarch's scope.
1
What type of merchants will process payments?
›
High-volume verticals
Restaurants & food service
Retail & e-commerce
Home services & field service
HVAC, plumbing, cleaning, landscaping
Healthcare & wellness
Medical practices, gyms, spas, therapy
Professional services
Legal, accounting, consulting
Construction & trades
Growing verticals
Fitness & recreation
Gyms, sports leagues, studios, courts
Beauty & personal care
Salons, barbershops, spas
Education & childcare
Nonprofit & fundraising
Events & ticketing
Property management & real estate
Platform / marketplace
Marketplace with multiple sellers
SaaS platform enabling merchant payments
Not listed above
Small business — general
Covers the long tail of SMB SaaS
High-risk merchant
Adult entertainment, firearms, cannabis, and similar — specialized processors required
Other / not sure
2
Where will your merchants accept payments?
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Online only
Web browser, mobile app, e-commerce checkout
In-person only
Physical location, counter, POS terminal
Both online and in-person
Omnichannel — web and physical locations
3
Total monthly payment volume across all merchants ($)
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$0 – $50K
Just getting started
$50K – $500K
Early traction
$500K – $5M
Growing platform
$5M – $25M
Established platform
$25M – $100M
Scaled platform
$100M – $500M
Enterprise
$500M+
Large enterprise
4
How many merchants will process payments on your platform?
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1 – 10
Just starting
11 – 100
Early stage
101 – 1,000
Growing
1,001 – 10,000
Established
10,001 – 100,000
Scale
100,000+
Enterprise
5
Average transaction size
›
Under $50
Per-transaction fees dominate cost
$50 – $500
Standard mid-market range
$500 – $2,000
Elevated fraud scrutiny, chargeback risk increases
$2,000 – $10,000
High-ticket — specialized underwriting, rolling reserves likely
$10,000+
Large-ticket — Level II/III data recommended, processor selection critical
Transaction size affects which processors are cost-effective.

Under $50: per-transaction fees dominate — flat-rate processors like Stripe are simple but expensive at scale.

Over $2,000: interchange-plus pricing and Level II/III data can save significantly.

Over $10,000: processor selection and underwriting become critical — Visa and Mastercard switch to large-ticket interchange, which requires Level II/III data submission (tax amount, customer code, line items). Some processors automate that, others don't support it at all.
6
What type of cards will customers mainly use?
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Mostly debit cards
Lower interchange, lower risk
Mix of consumer credit + debit
Typical for most businesses
Mostly consumer credit
Higher interchange rates apply
Significant business / corporate cards
Amex, corporate Visa/MC — L2/L3 savings possible
7
How do your merchants get paid?
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Processor handles everything
Merchants get their own accounts — I don't touch funds
I collect and distribute myself
All payments come to me first — I manage disbursements
I'm a registered PayFac
Registered with card networks — I own merchant relationships
Not sure yet
Show me how these options differ
⚠ This model requires money transmitter licenses in most US states. Most processors support this but require significant compliance documentation before approval.
⚠ As a registered PayFac, PCI compliance is non-negotiable. You're directly accountable to Visa and Mastercard — a single violation can put your PayFac registration at risk. Scan your integration →

How payout models compare

  • Processor handles everything — simplest path. Your merchants apply directly with the processor. Zero fund-flow compliance risk for you. Best for most early-stage SaaS platforms.
  • You collect and distribute — funds flow through you first. Requires money transmitter licenses in most states.
  • Registered PayFac — you own all compliance and liability directly. Only makes sense above ~$50M/year in processing.
💡 For most early-stage SaaS: start with "Processor handles everything" and revisit when above $10M/year in volume.
  • Processor handles everything: simplest path — the processor pays merchants directly. You have no liability for fund flow.
  • Merchants get their own accounts: each merchant has their own processor relationship. You're just the platform — no fund flow through you.
  • I collect and distribute myself: you hold funds before disbursing — this triggers money transmitter license requirements in most US states.
  • Registered PayFac: you've registered directly with Visa/Mastercard. Maximum control, maximum compliance burden — only worth it above ~$50M/year in volume.
8
Expected chargeback rate
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Standard
Under 0.5% chargeback rate
Elevated
0.5% – 1% chargeback rate
Not sure yet
We'll flag what matters
A chargeback is when a customer disputes a charge directly with their bank instead of asking you for a refund. The bank reverses the payment and charges you a fee (typically $15–$100 per chargeback, on top of the lost transaction). Processors terminate merchants whose chargeback rate exceeds 1% of transactions — losing your processor mid-business is catastrophic, so this rate is watched closely.
9
Where are your customers located?
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US only
All your customers and merchants are in the United States
US and Canada
Cross-border NA payments — affects processor selection
International (coming soon)
Click to be notified when international support launches
Processor ranking
Updates as you answer each question
Select your merchant type to see processor rankings appear here.
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This is a tool, not legal advice. Smartriarch's recommendations are for guidance only and do not replace a fintech attorney, QSA, or licensed payments consultant. Verify all decisions with qualified advisors before signing contracts or going live.

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