PFaaS Pricing and Contract Checklist

A usable provider proposal must translate into a versioned assumption register: rate or amount, basis, payer, contract section, effective date, tier, minimum, responsibility, and exit term.

Economics to extract

Revenue right and merchant-pricing control
Percentage and fixed buy rates by rail and mix
Authorization, refund, payout, dispute, account, statement, and FX fees
Revenue share, thresholds, tiers, monthly minimums, and annual commitments
Reserve, prefunding, settlement timing, and interest entitlement
Implementation, certification, migration, and termination fees

Risk and responsibility to assign

Name the owner for onboarding, KYB/KYC, sanctions, monitoring, underwriting, fraud tools, dispute handling, principal loss, negative balances, merchant support, complaints, data security, PCI, network reporting, tax reporting, and regulatory change.

Service and operational evidence

Review authorization uptime, onboarding completion, payout timing, support response, reconciliation files, reporting access, data quality, incident response, subcontractors, audit rights, business continuity, and complaint escalation. Model the internal work left to the platform.

Termination and portability

Confirm merchant and token portability, data export, notice, transition service, reserve release, outstanding dispute handling, branding removal, provider replacement, wind-down, and who communicates with merchants. Attractive launch economics can be offset by a costly exit.

Build one scenario per proposal

Do not overwrite assumptions to fit multiple providers. Store a dated scenario for each proposal, use the same merchant and volume case, and then compare contribution, break-even, cash need, responsibilities, and sensitivity side by side.

Use this information

Apply the method in the Embedded Payments Unit Economics Calculator. Keep the entered assumptions with the result so another reader can reproduce it.

Return to the cluster guide or compare operating models for the next decision.

Frequently asked questions

Can this guide replace a written contract or professional review?

No. It explains a reproducible planning method and the questions to verify; the applicable contract, official source, or qualified adviser controls.

Why are the assumptions shown instead of hidden defaults?

Financial results can change materially with tax, price, risk, cost, time, and responsibility assumptions. Visible inputs make the answer auditable.

How often should I revisit the result?

Recalculate whenever a quoted rate, fee, price, contract term, source rule, or risk allocation changes.

Sources

Sources and methodology reviewed 2026-09-25. Results are planning estimates, not a lender quote, tax opinion, investment recommendation, legal opinion, or provider proposal.