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Payments, explained honestly
Long-form guides on choosing, comparing and switching payment processors, including the industries most comparison sites skip.
"Why should an intermediary hold that money first?" Bostjan Korosak of P2Flux on non-custodial payments
Bostjan Korosak of P2Flux discusses non-custodial USDC payments, direct settlement, account holds and closures, risk pricing, and the trade-offs for merchants.
4 November 2026 · 12 min read
Quick verdict: He is the first guest in the PSP Dex interview series, and appropriately direct about the trade-offs, including where his own model loses. Below: why he built it, what non-custodial changes day to day, what actually triggers the holds and closures our data says merchants complain about most, how he prices risk, and the one belief about the next three years most of the industry would argue with.
Written by PSP Dex · Reviewed by PSP Dex
7 PayPal Alternatives for Small Business (2026)
Seven PayPal alternatives for small business in 2026 compared on published rates: Stripe, Square, Shopify Payments, Helcim, Stax, Authorize.Net and 2Checkout, plus what PayPal itself charges and which alternative fits each kind of seller.
28 October 2026 · 11 min read
Quick verdict: Every alternative beats PayPal Checkout at 3.49% plus $0.49 on rate, or beats PayPal on something that matters more: in-person selling, a real online store, transparent wholesale pricing, or a gateway you already own. Stripe is the cheapest flat rate for online sales at 2.9% plus $0.30 with no monthly fee.
Written by PSPDex Research Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Best CBD Payment Processors (2026): Fees and Approval Compared
The best CBD payment processors for hemp businesses in 2026: PayKings from interchange plus 0.80% with approval in as little as 24 hours, PaymentCloud, Easy Pay Direct, and Soar Payments compared on published rates, approval times, and reserves, plus why Square is no longer a safe pick for CBD.
27 October 2026 · 12 min read
Quick verdict: PayKings is the fastest on paper with a published starting markup; PaymentCloud suits previously declined merchants, Easy Pay Direct offers multi-account redundancy, and Soar Payments fits Shopify stores. Do not start new CBD sales on Square until Square confirms otherwise in writing.
Written by PSPDex Research Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
How AI Agents Pay: Wallets, Agent-to-Agent Payments and API Micropayments
How AI agents actually pay: agent wallets and custody models, agent-to-agent payments, paying for API calls per request, and micropayments via x402, MPP, Lightning-style rails and scoped card tokens.
October 2026 · 8 min read
Quick verdict: An agent receives a mandate and scoped payment credentials, not raw card numbers or keys. API calls, store checkouts and agent-to-agent trade use different rails.
Written by PSP Dex Research Team · Reviewed by PSP Dex editorial review
Best Agentic Payment Platforms (2026): Compared on Protocols, Fees and Controls
The best agentic payment platforms compared on published facts: Crossmint, Nevermined, Skyfire, ATXP, Coinbase Agentic Wallet, Stripe and Catena Labs, plus Dodo Payments for billing. Protocols, fees, custody and spend controls checked 25 October 2026.
October 2026 · 10 min read
Quick verdict: There is no single best agentic payment platform: agent spending, checkout and seller-side billing are different jobs.
Written by PSP Dex Research Team · Reviewed by PSP Dex editorial review
Agentic Payment Protocols Compared: x402 vs AP2 vs ACP vs MPP
x402, AP2, ACP and MPP compared on how they work, what settles, who governs them and where each fits, plus Visa Trusted Agent Protocol and Mastercard Agent Pay. Checked against primary sources on 25 October 2026.
October 2026 · 9 min read
Quick verdict: x402 and MPP handle machine payments, AP2 proves authorization, and ACP completes checkout. They stack rather than replace each other.
Written by PSP Dex Research Team · Reviewed by PSP Dex editorial review
Braintree Pricing and Fees (2026): What Merchants Actually Pay
Braintree pricing in full: 2.89% + $0.29 standard card fees, $15 chargebacks, 0.75% ACH capped at $5, worked monthly cost examples, and a Braintree vs Stripe vs Adyen comparison.
October 2026 · 9 min read
Quick verdict: Braintree charges 2.89% + $0.29 per card transaction with no monthly fee. It nearly ties Stripe on price; pick it for PayPal and Venmo in one integration and ACH capped at $5.
Written by PSPDex Research Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Adyen vs Stripe: Fees, Payouts and Features Compared (2026)
Adyen vs Stripe compared on published 2026 fees: Adyen Interchange++ at $0.13 plus interchange and scheme fees at cost plus a 0.60% markup, against Stripe at 2.9% plus $0.30, with a worked $50,000 month, international cards, disputes, and who should pick which.
October 2026 · 10 min read
Quick verdict: Stripe charges one flat rate and Adyen charges cost plus a markup. At $50,000 a month Adyen is cheaper on a debit-heavy card mix and Stripe wins on simplicity, self-serve onboarding and predictable billing.
Written by PSPDex Research Team · Reviewed by PSP Dex editorial review
Stripe vs PayPal: Fees, Payouts and Features Compared (2026)
Stripe vs PayPal compared on published 2026 US fees: Stripe at 2.9% plus $0.30 against PayPal Checkout at 3.49% plus $0.49, standard cards at 2.99% plus $0.49, and Advanced cards at 2.89% plus $0.29, with a worked $50,000 month, international sales, disputes, and who should pick which.
October 2026 · 9 min read
Quick verdict: Stripe charges one flat card rate and PayPal prices by how the buyer pays. The wallet button is the expensive route at 3.49% plus $0.49, while PayPal Advanced cards essentially tie Stripe on domestic cards.
Written by PSPDex Research Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Loofa vs PayIt vs Mural Pay: The Complete Comparison Guide 2026
Loofa vs PayIt vs Mural Pay compared: features, pricing, integrations, approval rates and which payment solution fits your business model in 2026.
September 2026 · 12 min read
Quick verdict: Loofa optimizes routing between Paddle and Stripe, PayIt bundles invoicing, payments and accounting for freelancers, and Mural Pay maximizes approval rates for e-commerce and digital businesses.
Written by PSPDex Editorial Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
What Is a Payment Service Provider (PSP)?
A complete plain-English guide to payment service providers: how PSPs work, payment flows, fees, security, chargebacks, orchestration and how to choose one.
September 2026 · 32 min read
Quick verdict: A payment service provider is the infrastructure partner that helps a business accept, secure, route, settle and manage electronic payments across cards, wallets, bank transfers and local payment methods.
Written by PSPDex Editorial Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Stripe vs Adyen for Recurring Payments: A Comprehensive Analysis
A practical Stripe vs Adyen comparison for subscription billing, recurring payments, pricing, global expansion, failed-payment recovery and enterprise payment operations.
September 2026 · 18 min read
Quick verdict: Stripe is the stronger default for SaaS and digital subscriptions. Adyen is the better fit when recurring payments are part of a global enterprise payments operation.
Written by PSPDex Editorial Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Beyond Stripe: The Honest Guide to Stripe Alternatives in 2026
Stripe is the default, until it isn't. A candid, category-by-category tour of 50+ payment processors, what each one is actually good at, and when you should stay put.
February 2026 · 14 min read
Quick verdict: Stripe is still the best default for many online businesses, but high-risk merchants, global sellers, SaaS teams and bitcoin-native companies should compare specialist alternatives before committing.
Written by PSPDex Editorial Team · Reviewed by PSPDex editorial review
Explore the payments directory
Start with a pillar guide, narrow by industry, then compare individual providers and run the numbers.
Pillar guides
By industry
- Ecommerce payment processors
- SaaS payment processors
- Subscription billing providers
- Marketplace payment providers
- Digital goods & merchant of record
- CBD payment processing
- Nutraceutical & supplement gateways
- Membership payment processing
- Travel merchant accounts
- Telehealth payment processing
- Community platform payment processors
- Crypto-friendly processors
Provider reviews
Calculators
