My subscription price increased. What does this mean?
This means your business is growing! When you join Stax, your subscription price is based on the volume of credit and debit card payments your business accepts each year, which falls into a specific pricing tier. If your business processes more than it was approved for in a 12-month period, your subscription will be upgraded to a higher-volume tier to account for this growth.
How are subscription increases communicated?
All Stax and Payment Depot customers will be notified of any changes via email. Some Payment Depot customers may also receive a statement message. If you need to update your email address on file, please log-in to Stax Pay or submit a ticket here.
I am a Payment Depot customer and received a message on my December statement saying my price will go up to $499 per month in 2023. Is this correct?
Partially, but it may not apply to your account. Due to requirements from Payment Depot’s sponsor bank, we must notify our entire Payment Depot customer base of possible rate increases at least once per year. This message means that an increase is possible, not that one is occurring. If your subscription rate is increasing, we will notify you via email.
My notification says my business has exceeded its approved annual processing volume but it hasn’t been a full year. Is this correct?
Yes. It can be confusing, but in this case, “annual” refers to any 12-month period, not necessarily a calendar year. This could be June to June, April to April, etc., depending on when the account was reviewed.
If my processing crosses into a new tier and my subscription rate goes up, will I owe the difference between the old and new subscriptions for the months I have already paid?
Not at all! Subscription increases are not penalties. They are price corrections that allow us to support your business at its true processing volume.
Will my subscription price increase again?
Possibly, this is determined by your business’s processing activity. Generally, you can expect a tier upgrade for every $500,000 to $1,000,000 increase in total annual processing. We review account payment acceptance every six months to determine if processing is still within the approved range.
Let’s say you’re a new merchant joining Stax, and your account is approved for processing up to $500,000 annually. However, the business was more successful than expected, and you processed $750,000 in your first year. This volume falls into a higher bracket, and you will be upgraded to a new tier that allows you to process up to $1,000,000. If the next year you process $1,500,000, this will again place you into a higher tier and will require another upgrade.
With most of my service providers or vendors, I get better discounts if I purchase more. So if my processing volume increases, shouldn’t my price go down?
With traditional processors on Flat Rate and Interchange-Plus pricing models, not always, but with Stax subscription-based pricing, yes! However, payment processing has more in common with lending and banking than it does other merchant services, so your savings may not adjust in obvious, expected ways. Generally, as your processing volume increases, your subscription rate will be a smaller percentage relative to that volume, even though the actual dollar amount might be larger.
My business model has changed, and I do not expect to process as much this year as I did last year. Can I speak to someone about adjusting my subscription?
Absolutely! Stax has no contracts and we are invested in the long-term health of your business. Reach out to a Customer Success Manager by submitting a ticket here or by contacting Success@StaxPayments.com