Make your website payment-ready before you apply.
Audit legal clarity, pricing transparency, and platform restrictions across 15+ payment processors in 60 seconds.
Authored by CheckoutReady Compliance Engineering Team · Built on Visa, Mastercard, & Underwriting Manuals
Audits rules and underwriting signals across major processors
How It Works
A 60-second health check for your checkout setup.
Prevent weeks of back-and-forth rejection emails with a proactive 3-step check.
CheckoutReady is an automated payment compliance engine that audits public SaaS and digital storefronts against card network rules (Visa and Mastercard) and processor underwriting criteria before merchant onboarding.
Evidence-Backed Audit
Real code quotes, not vague scores.
Every audit result cites the exact sentence on your site that may cause friction with underwriters.
Regulatory Standards & Scheme Mandates
Governing Rules Behind Payment Underwriting
Merchant approval decisions are governed by card scheme mandates and processor service agreements.
“A merchant must clearly disclose refund, return, and cancellation policies on its website prior to transaction submission.”
“Merchants offering trial periods converting to recurring subscriptions must provide explicit price disclosure and online cancellation.”
“You must maintain a fair return, refund, and cancellation policy and make the terms readily accessible to your customers.”
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Underwriting insights and platform policy standards every software founder should know.
How do Payment Facilitators (Stripe, PayPal) differ from Merchants of Record (Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)?
A Payment Facilitator (PayFac) processes payments directly under your legal entity using deferred underwriting, whereas a Merchant of Record (MoR) acts as the authorized reseller assuming tax and chargeback liability. PayFacs like Stripe offer instant initial onboarding, but may abruptly freeze payouts if early sales velocity triggers automated risk heuristics. MoRs like Paddle and Lemon Squeezy enforce strict manual upfront website audits, but manage global VAT/GST remittance and buyer disputes on your behalf.
What mandatory legal pages must a SaaS website host in its footer before applying?
A compliant SaaS website must host four mandatory footer disclosures: Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, and Legal Contact Information. Underwriters and card scheme rules mandate that these links remain unauthenticated and persistent across all checkout pages, detailing software licensing scope, data retention practices, objective refund dispute windows (e.g. 14 or 30 days), and verifiable corporate entity identity.
Why are $1 or low-cost trials flagged as negative-option billing under Visa and Mastercard rules?
Negative-option billing occurs when customer silence or a low-cost trial ($1–$5) automatically converts into a full-price recurring subscription ($49–$99/mo) without explicit disclosure. Under Visa Core Rules Section 5.9.3.1 and Mastercard AN 4843, merchants must explicitly disclose the post-trial recurring price, exact renewal frequency, and immediate self-service cancellation mechanism directly adjacent to the checkout submit button.
Can an individual or non-US solopreneur get approved without a registered US LLC?
Yes, international founders and solo developers can accept global payments without a US LLC by integrating Merchant of Record (MoR) platforms. Services like Creem, Dodo Payments, Whop, and Polar act as the legal seller of record, allowing founders to sell internationally and receive local payouts without establishing Delaware entities or filing foreign sales tax returns.
Why did testing payments with my own credit card get my merchant account closed?
Self-testing live checkouts with personal or company credit cards triggers automated anti-money laundering (AML) cash-advancing violations. Card network rules strictly prohibit merchants from processing transactions using cards matching the business owner's identity or shared IP/device fingerprint. All payment flow validation must take place strictly in sandbox environments with mock test credentials.
Get your website ready for payments today.
Scan your site for compliance gaps or find your ideal payment processor in under 60 seconds.