Click & Convert with Maria Sparagis

Choosing the Best Payment Processor for Your Online Business in 2025 Wondering which payment processor is right for your online store? In this episode, Maria Sparagis (CEO of DirectPayNet) explains the crucial differences between popular PSPs like Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, and getting your own dedicated merchant account. What you’ll learn: - How Stripe and PayPal work for startups vs. scaling bus...

Are webinars really making a comeback? 🤯 In this episode, I sit down with Gia Liossis of GIAffiliate Management to find out why webinars might be your brand’s untapped goldmine—especially if you’re in health, beauty, supplements, or coaching. We get into: - Why webinars still work in 2025 (and who they don’t work for) - The best affiliate audiences for webinar conversions - Tips to get people to...

In this episode, Alex and get into the wild world of hiring — and what happens when 350 people apply for a job... but only eight follow simple instructions. Whether you're a job seeker wondering why you're not landing interviews, or a small business owner trying to avoid the chaos of recruiting, this conversation offers raw insights, real numbers, and a surprisingly effective hiring hack that save...

Worried about the looming recession and how it might impact your online business? In this episode, we're diving deep into recession-proof strategies for e-commerce and direct response brands. I’m joined by Alex to explore how businesses can thrive, not just survive, during economic uncertainty. We cover: ✅ Why building a brand matters more than ever in 2025 ✅ How micro-influencers can boost conv...

💸 Stripe’s NEW Dispute Fees Are Outrageous — What You *Must* Know to Protect Your Business Stripe just changed the game — and not in a good way. Business owners now face a $30 fee to fight disputes, and if you let Stripe’s “Smart Disputes” AI win them for you, they’ll keep 30% of the recovered amount. Seriously. In this episode, I pull no punches, breaking down why Stripe's new policy is deeply p...

In this episode my media guy Alex and I dive deep into the implications of Capital One's recent acquisition of Discover. We get into how this major shakeup could affect business owners who accept Discover cards, including potential changes to processing fees, merchant account structures, and overall payment dynamics. There are parallels to Amex's OptBlue program, which might show how Capital One a...

🚨 Visa’s New Chargeback Rules Could Shut You Down – Are You Ready? 🚨 Visa is flipping the script on chargebacks—and if you're an online business owner, this affects you. I'm breaking down the new VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program) regulations that are already live in Europe and heading to North America. From stricter chargeback thresholds (dropping to 0.9% in 2026) to new penalties for merc...

Stripe has officially applied for a Money Transmitter (MALPB) license in Georgia. It's a move that will change what we know about Stripe in payment processing...at least in the U.S. But what does this really mean for your business? In this episode, I, Maria Sparagis, payment processing expert and founder of Direct Payment, break down the real implications of Stripe becoming its own payment process...

Your mobile checkout page NEEDS to be optimized. Mobile is rocketing past desktop for sales, which means more people are tapping around on your mobile site than ever before. If you've left your mobile checkout page unchecked, you're LOSING MONEY. In this video, I'm covering 9 ways you can optimize your mobile checkout to secure sales and bump your bottom line. Need a merchant account? Get in touch...

Stripe Radar is the built-in fraud tool Stripe offers directly through the dashboard. But if you leave this tool unconfigured, you'll either block valid payments or accept fraudulent ones. So here's how you can tweak Stripe Radar to fit your business better and convert more sales, no matter what region you're in. Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us 0:00 Intro 1:15...

Monthly subscriptions are a more sustainable choice for businesses. Not only do customers like them more for various reasons like lower price points, but they help lower your risk profile. Lifetime access sounds appealing—having accessing for an entire lifetime. But that is also the catch. You have to support that product for a lifetime, and if you don't then those customers will win a chargeback...

What to do when Square closes your account and you can't accept payments. Just like with Stripe or PayPal or Shopify Payments, Square is keen on shutting down any account that has the slightest tinge of risk. If this happens to you, immediately open a backup account—but don't stop there. That acount is just for 10% of your transactions and to tide you over while you open a real merchant account. D...

You've been upselling wrong this whole time. Here's how to do it the RIGHT WAY. And for when the upsell doesn't hit or your customer simply can't afford, I've thrown in a few alternatives for you like downselling and affiliate offers. Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us 0:00 Intro 0:55 What Is an Upsell? 1:48 How to Upsell 14:22 Downselling 18:59 Outro

Shopify Payments, the gateway and processor that Shopify uses and AGGRESSIVELY pushes you to use is actually powered by...Stripe! So if you're not able to use Stripe, then you're also not able to use Shopify Payments and vice versa. But luckily, I have some great alternatives for those of you who still want to use Shopify's platform without Shopify Payments. Need a merchant account? Get in touch!...

Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us Jason Schappert has been an entrepreneur his entire life and is here to share the ins and outs of building wealth as a business owner. One of the greatest pieces of advice he gives is to PAY YOURSELF FIRST. Listen and watch as he dives into how to invest, what to invest in, how to pay yourself, and taking your business to the ne...

Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us If your Stripe account has disappeared or you can't access it, here's how to recover. Stripe Account TERMINATED: https://youtu.be/L6075XCHvOw 0:00 Intro 0:25 Why Your Account Disappeared 1:05 #1 Forgotten Email or Password 2:05 #2 Stripe Account Terminated 3:02 #3 Accidental Deletion 6:19 Following Through 7:55 Securing Your Str...

The best Stripe alternative for your business really depends on what you sell and where you sell. Stripe won't accept a ton of risk, so returns and chargebacks can literally destroy your business. PayPal, Square, and Shopify Payments act the same. While there is a place for any of these payment services, there are also much safer options to keep your store running no matter what happens. Need a me...

Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us Insufficient funds, error code 51 in your payment gateway, doesn't have to the end of that customer's journey. Aside from the obvious, here's what insufficient funds can mean and 4 ways to save the sale and profit from these customers. 0:00 Intro 0:47 Insufficient Fund Declines 1:36 Why Insufficient Funds Happen 3:53 Strategies...

A contract will save you from declines, refunds, and chargebacks. Here's what you need to include in yours: 1. Service Timeline 2. What's Included in Your Service 3. Pricing 4. Refund Policy 5. Payment Terms 6. Confidentiality Agreement 7. Cancelation Policy 8. Customer Specifications 9. Jurisdiction 0:00 Intro 0:40 High Ticket Products 1:20 Declined Transactions 4:21 How to Make a Contract 14:24...

What is the MATCH list? Or the TMF? How did you get on it in the first place, and how do you get off? I answer all these questions right here so you can continue running your business as low-risk as possible.   Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us

Black Friday Cyber Monday is almost here, and I've got the PERFECT BFCM strategy for you. You also may not realize this, but Black Friday is a GOLDMINE of customer data. It's honestly more valuable to gather this data than to make a one-time sale. Let's get into it. Liss Graham Email Strategy: https://youtu.be/KnC8-bM4Dec Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us 0:00 I...

Click to Cancel doesn't have to be the downfall of your business. The FTC's new rule is aimed at protecting consumers, but also offers businesses a new type of sales funnel. Cancellations can be a sales funnel. Don't let customers off the hook so easily, but don't force them to stay on. Finding the balance is key. Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us 0:00 Intro 0:5...

Today, I'm speaking with someone who knows the business well and has worked with me for quite some time. Together, we're answering the more common questions we get about Stripe, reserves, backups, and essentially how to continue accepting payments when your Stripe account freezes over. 0:00 Intro 2:30 Low Chargebacks, Funds Held – Why? 4:22 Chargeback Ratio Safety Zone 7:09 How to Accept Payments...

Authorize.net is one of the best and most versatile payment gateways for any online business. Here's why you should use it and how to connect it to your Shopify account. Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us 0:00 Intro 00:34 What Is Authorize.net 1:52 Getting an Account 3:41 Connecting to Shopify 6:50 Outro

Not converting at checkout, or even before? Here's what might be going on and how to solve it. Checkout conversions are the make-or-break moment for your business. Without sales, you're toast. Understanding why customers drop off and where they drop off is a key factor in improving not only your checkout flow but also your product and your business. 0:00 Intro 00:47 How to Increase Conversions 02:...