{"podcast":{"title":"Click & Convert with Maria Sparagis","slug":"click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413","podcast_index_feed_id":1375413,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/maria-sparagis/","website_url":"https://directpaynet.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/0bfda54a-9b87-4d2d-8065-e279d8530fce/pod-cover-1.png","author":"Maria Sparagis","episode_count":200,"summary":"Maria Sparagis has spent 20+ years helping online businesses find the revenue they didn't know they were losing. As president of DirectPayNet and a payment solutions expert, she knows that the difference between a good business and a great one often comes down to how you handle payments and conversions. On Click & Convert, Maria shares the strategies, tools, and insider knowledge that ecommerce founders and online entrepreneurs need to scale to 6 and 8 figures — from optimizing your checkout flow to maximizing what hits your bottom line. Featured in American Banker, Vice, Coindesk, and Yahoo. Connect at mariasparagis.com or directpaynet.com.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-21T14:20:51.556739+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413"},"episode":{"title":"#250 Best Stripe Alternative for a Non-Resident US LLC","slug":"250-best-stripe-alternative-for-a-non-resident-us-llc","published_at":"2026-08-31T17:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413/250-best-stripe-alternative-for-a-non-resident-us-llc","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413","url":"https://directpaynet.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7040a35c-986f-4757-98fd-d0e49ed1dde5.mp3","summary":"If you're a non-US resident with a US LLC and Stripe suddenly puts your funds on reserve, holds your payouts, or shuts down your account, finding another US payment processor may be harder than you expect. In this episode, I explain why finding a Stripe alternative for a non-resident US LLC can be challenging; and what you can do before a Stripe problem leaves you scrambling for another payment processing option. I also share the story of an established e-commerce merchant processing $2–$3 million a month through Stripe who suddenly had a 25% reserve imposed after a temporary increase in chargebacks; potentially tying up hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash flow. We’ll look at why non-resident owners can face additional challenges qualifying for a US merchant account, even with a US LLC, EIN, ITIN and US bank account. I’ll also explain how building a strong processing history, maintaining low chargebacks, establishing legitimate US presence where possible, and understanding reserves can help improve your options. The biggest takeaway: using Stripe isn't necessarily the mistake. Waiting until Stripe becomes a problem before exploring another processing option can be. If you're a non-resident owner of a US company consistently processing $50,000+ per month with at least six months of processing history, my team at DirectPayNet can review your business and help you set up a US merchant account. CHAPTERS Stripe Reserve: What Happens When 25% of Your Funds Are Held Why US Merchant Accounts Are Harder for Non-Residents Why Stripe Is Easier to Start With 05:51 How to Build Your US Processing History Does Having a US Presence Help? Why a Merchant Account Reserve Isn't Always Bad When to Look for a Stripe Alternative #Stripe #MerchantAccount #PaymentProcessing _____________…","meta_description":"If you're a non-US resident with a US LLC and Stripe suddenly puts your funds on reserve, holds your payouts, or shuts down your account, finding another…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":703,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413/episodes/250-best-stripe-alternative-for-a-non-resident-us-llc/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/click-convert-with-maria-sparagis-1375413/250-best-stripe-alternative-for-a-non-resident-us-llc.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}