Pricing
The first diagnosis is free. If a compact written audit is useful, the paid review is a one-time $10 checkout before delivery.
Free SaaS fee audit screening
SaaS Fee Audit for Checkout Fees
Send your SaaS checkout assumptions first. The free screening checks whether Stripe, PayPal, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, or a merchant-of-record setup deserves a deeper written audit.
What you get
First, a quick screening of your monthly revenue, order count, international card share, refund assumptions, current provider, and whether a merchant-of-record setup is even worth a paid written review.
- Whether the calculator result is already clear enough
- Whether Stripe-style processing is probably enough
- Whether Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, or Polar may justify higher fees
- Whether a compact written $10 recommendation would add value
Payment happens only after the pre-check, so you do not pay for a case where the calculator already gives a clear answer.
SaaS fee audit scenarios
A fee audit is most useful when a checkout decision changes after you model a real SaaS scenario instead of a generic processing rate. Start with the closest case below, then send the result if the answer is still unclear.
| Scenario | Best first check | Audit question |
|---|---|---|
| Low-ticket monthly SaaS | Model fixed-fee drag | Would annual billing beat switching providers? |
| Global launch with tax concerns | Compare Stripe Tax and Paddle | Is tax workflow the real reason to pay MoR fees? |
| Stripe, PayPal, and MoR comparison | Compare checkout routes | Which provider fits the buyer mix and support burden? |
| Migration from an existing provider | Review migration tradeoffs | Do subscriptions, invoices, refunds, and customer records make the move risky? |
Good fit
You are choosing a checkout stack before launch, switching away from Stripe, adding EU or global customers, or selling low-ticket SaaS where fixed fees matter.
Not a good fit
You need tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. This is a practical checkout economics review, not a professional compliance opinion.
Example output
For a $9 monthly plan with 850 orders and 40% international cards, annual billing may matter more than switching providers. Stripe can look cheaper, but merchant-of-record tooling may be worth testing if tax and support work would slow the launch.
What makes a case worth reviewing
A written audit is useful when the answer changes across scenarios: monthly versus annual billing, domestic versus global customers, direct processing versus merchant of record, or low refund rate versus realistic refund rate. If the winner never changes, the free diagnosis is usually enough. That keeps the paid review focused and practical. It also prevents paying for a recommendation that the calculator already makes obvious.
Useful before requesting
What the diagnosis checks
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Average order value | Fixed fees can dominate low-ticket SaaS and make annual billing more important than provider switching. |
| International card share | Global customers can raise the blended fee and change whether an MoR provider deserves consideration. |
| Tax workflow | Stripe Tax, sales tax software, and merchant-of-record providers solve different parts of the tax problem. |
| Migration risk | Subscriptions, webhooks, invoices, refund history, and customer records can make switching painful later. |
What to include in a SaaS fee audit request
The fastest useful audit request includes current provider, monthly revenue, order count, average order value, international-card share, refund rate, chargeback rate, tax workflow, subscription billing model, and the decision you are trying to make. If you are pre-launch, send the expected price point, launch countries, buyer type, and whether you care more about checkout control or outsourced payment operations.
The goal is not to predict the perfect provider. The goal is to find the assumption that changes the answer: low average order value, global card mix, tax registration burden, dispute risk, refund policy, payout timing, or the hidden work of moving customers after the first checkout stack is live.
SaaS fee diagnosis FAQ
Do I pay before the diagnosis?
No. The first screening is free. Payment is only relevant if a compact written audit would add value after the pre-check.
What does the optional $10 audit include?
It includes a concise written recommendation, the main fee drivers, the payment-stack tradeoff, and the next assumptions to verify.
Is this tax or legal advice?
No. It is a checkout economics review for planning. Use qualified professionals for tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice.