[Chloe DurandParticipant]

Been looking into payment processing options for a small ecommerce setup and trying to understand how IC++ pricing actually works in practice versus the flat rate models most providers push. Anyone have experience comparing direct card scheme integration versus gateway-based setups in terms of real fee structure and payout timing?

[Eric LarsenParticipant]

Spent some time looking at this recently after getting burned by a provider that quoted competitive rates but buried interchange markup in a separate fee tier that only showed up on monthly statements. The IC++ model is more transparent in principle but only if you can actually verify what the interchange component is per transaction type since Mastercard and Visa publish their interchange tables publicly and the spread a processor adds on top is where the real variance lives. Direct scheme integration versus processing through a third-party gateway affects both fee structure and settlement timing in ways that are not always obvious upfront. Came across internet acquiring from Sends while mapping out providers and the direct Mastercard and Visa integration claim is worth scrutinizing since genuine direct membership versus a principal member sponsorship arrangement carries different liability and fee implications. The same-day payout claim also needs clarification on whether that applies to card transactions specifically or only certain payment methods since settlement cycles for card schemes typically follow T+1 or T+2 regardless of processor promises. The 1.2% floor on IC++ is plausible for low-risk merchant categories but interchange rates vary significantly by card type and transaction method so that figure likely represents best-case conditions. Verify the full fee schedule including scheme fees and processor margin independently before committing to any acquiring relationship.

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