Payment Processor Fun 2025 -- Making Your Own MSP

Creating your own payment processor is extremely complex and expensive, requiring bank sponsorship, regulatory compliance, and significant technical infrastructure. High-risk payment processors charge 15%+ fees compared to 3% for standard processors, making them financially prohibitive for small platforms. Even building alternative payment systems faces regulatory challenges, as banking authorities classify most cash escrow services as banking activities. The fundamental issue is that Visa and Mastercard control the entire payment ecosystem and can be pressured by political groups to censor content, making any payment solution vulnerable to the same pressures that affected platforms like Itch.