Compare · vs Stripe
The Stripe alternative that shares the economics
Stripe is excellent infrastructure on which you earn only what you add yourself. Merch FinTech is a software-plus-payments platform that pays a published share of the processing margin to the software company bringing the volume, and gives merchants the business software too.
Published share of the marginYour own merchant accountBasic credited back with processing
Online card rateStripe: 2.9% + 30¢ publishedMerch FinTechInterchange plus one disclosed margin, or a compliant zero-cost programBusiness softwareStripe: none · Ours: Basic, credited back while you processYour accountStripe account (Standard) or sub-merchant (Express/Custom) · Ours: your own merchant accountYour numbersSend a statement; we show the math on your card mix
Stripe rate from stripe.com/pricing as of October 2026; verify current terms. Savings versus flat rate depend on your card mix, so we quote from your statement, not from a page.
Fair is fair
Where Stripe is a fine choice
You are building the checkout yourselfStripe's documentation, SDKs and testing tools are the best in the industry. If engineers own your payment experience end to end, Stripe is the tool they want.
You sell in many countriesLocal payment methods, currencies and tax tools across dozens of markets. We serve US businesses through our sponsor-bank processing partner; global reach is Stripe's.
You have the volume and a payments teamPast a volume bar Stripe will negotiate a buy rate and partner terms. If you have that negotiating power and a payments team to use it, use it.
Where we win
You bring the volume. You should be paid on it.
For businesses, that means software with the payments. For software companies, it means a revenue line that did not exist before.
Software companies earn a published share of the marginOn Stripe Connect you earn what you add yourself. We pay a published share of the processing margin on every customer you bring, for the life of each account, and do the boarding, statements and support.
The business software is includedStripe is payments only. With us, Basic is $99 a month, credited back on your processing statement while you process with Merch FinTech: CRM, booking, invoicing, texting, forms, a website and a client portal. Pro adds marketing, automation and the AI receptionist.
Interchange-plus or zero-cost, not flat rateFlat rate charges a debit card the same as a rewards card. Interchange-plus passes the real cost through with one disclosed margin; send a statement and we show the math. A compliant dual-pricing or surcharge program can move the card cost to the card-paying customer where the law allows.
Your own merchant accountOn Stripe, holds and reserves are Stripe's call. With us each business is underwritten once and holds its own merchant account in its own name with our processing partner. Your stored cards and customer records move with you as tokens and exports if you ever leave.
AI that collects and follows upSmart retries on failed subscriptions, an AI receptionist that chases unpaid invoices by text, and a workflow builder you brief in plain English. Stripe gives you webhooks; we give you the whole follow-up.
ACH, banking and cards on the same loginACH at a flat per-item fee instead of a percentage, with the processor's return fee passed through at cost and two automatic retries. Business banking and cards are provided through our partner bank, subject to approval.
For software companies
What a vertical SaaS leaves on the table
On Stripe Connect you earn what you add yourself: an application fee your customers pay, or your own pricing on a negotiated buy rate once you have the volume and a payments team to run it. Stripe's partner revenue share is negotiated case by case above a volume bar. If you are a vertical software company with no payments team, none of that pays you much.
We pay a published share of the processing margin on every customer you bring, we do the boarding, statements and support, and your customers get the business software with it. Underwriting, settlement and risk are carried by our sponsor-bank processing partner.
- A share of the processing margin on every customer you bring, for the life of the account
- Each customer completes a short merchant application, pre-filled from your data; approvals typically take a few business days
- If we part ways: take your customers with a token export and the share ends, or they stay and it continues; your choice, in the agreement
- We do not market our own editions to customers you board
BaseA share of the processing margin, every customer you bringTiersBy the volume you boardFloorRetained by us for gateway, risk and supportTrue-upQuarterly, with a per-customer statementTop tierExclusivityYour scheduleWith the term sheet, once we have seen your volume
Words on purpose. Merchant pricing follows our published schedule; your share depends on what you bring, so we quote it in writing.
Head to head
Merch FinTech vs Stripe, row by row
| Row | Merch FinTech | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Businesses that want software with their payments; software companies that want a share of the margin | Developers building custom payment flows; global online businesses |
| Online rate (public) | Interchange plus one small, disclosed margin, or a compliant zero-cost program; quoted from your statement | 2.9% + 30¢; +0.5% keyed; +1.5% international |
| In-person rate (public) | Interchange-plus or zero-cost | 2.7% + 5¢ |
| ACH (public) | A flat per-item fee instead of a percentage | 0.8%, capped at $5 |
| Business software | Basic $99/mo, credited back while you process with us; 150 ready-made editions | — (payments infrastructure only) |
| Merchant account | Your own, in your name | Stripe account (Standard) or sub-merchant account (Express/Custom) |
| Revenue share for platforms | Published share of the processing margin on every customer you bring; schedule in the term sheet | What you add yourself: an application fee, or your own pricing on a negotiated buy rate; partner share negotiated above a volume bar. If you handle pricing: $2 per active account plus 0.25% + 25¢ per payout. |
| Beyond payments | ACH, business banking and cards, through our partners | Issuing, Treasury and Capital for eligible platforms |
Stripe pricing from stripe.com/pricing and stripe.com/connect/pricing as of October 2026; verify current terms. Stripe is a trademark of its owner; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Switching
What moving from Stripe involves
- Free migration. Customers, products, subscriptions and invoices export from Stripe and load into the platform with our team.
- Cards on file. Stripe supports PCI-compliant token migration to another processor on request. We coordinate the export so stored cards and active subscriptions move without re-entry.
- Parallel run. New subscriptions start on our rails while existing ones finish their cycle, then migrate. Nothing double-bills.
- Integration. Hosted fields, tokens, card on file, invoices and webhooks for platforms; hosted checkout and pay links if you would rather not write code.
- Honest math. If your volume is small and your checkout is custom, we will tell you to stay.
FAQ
Merch FinTech vs Stripe questions
Why would a software platform leave Stripe for Merch FinTech?
Revenue. On Stripe Connect you earn what you add yourself: an application fee your customers pay, or your own pricing on a negotiated buy rate once you have the volume and a payments team to run it. We pay a published share of the processing margin on every customer you bring, for the life of each account, and we do the boarding, statements and support, so your customers get the business software with it.
Is Merch FinTech developer-friendly?
Yes for the integrations most platforms need: hosted fields, tokens, card on file, invoices, pay links, hosted checkout and webhooks. We are honest that Stripe's API surface is broader. If you need custom checkout logic on every pixel, Stripe is the better tool and we will say so.
Can Merch FinTech handle an online-only business?
Yes. Hosted checkout, pay links, invoices, recurring billing with smart retries and ACH at a flat per-item fee instead of a percentage cover e-commerce and subscription businesses. Level 2 and 3 data optimization lowers the cost of business cards.
How long does an ISV integration take?
Two to six weeks for the integrated referral track, where each customer holds its own merchant account and completes a short application we pre-fill from your data. Six to twelve weeks for the pairing track, by invitation. Both are illustrative timelines and depend on your team.
Partner and ISV terms are set out in the term sheet; nothing on this page is a quote or a promise of earnings. Surcharge programs are subject to card-brand rules and state law; not permitted in CT, MA, ME and PR; debit cards are never surcharged.
See your numbers side by side
Send a recent Stripe statement, or your platform's volume, and we'll show the difference within one business day.
305-954-7362 · hello@merchfintech.com