QorPay vs Stax
How QorPay's direct-processor, partner-focused model compares with Stax, the subscription-priced merchant services and Stax Connect provider.
What is each product?
QorPay: QorPay is a direct processor and registered payment facilitator that owns its platform, QorCommerce, end to end. It is a registered PayFac of Pathward, N.A. and an ISO of Synovus Bank and Chesapeake Bank, serving software platforms, ISOs, and agents with embedded boarding, automated underwriting, card-present and ACH acceptance, and multi-tenant portfolio tooling through REST APIs. Stax wraps subscription pricing around processing rails it does not own; QorPay owns the rails, so the margin math starts at cost instead of on top of someone else's markup.
Stax: Stax (formerly Fattmerchant) is a merchant services provider known for subscription-style pricing, where merchants pay a membership fee and interchange is passed through rather than marked up per transaction. Its Stax Connect product offers embedded payments for SaaS platforms and ISVs. It primarily serves small and mid-sized US businesses and the software companies that sell to them.
How do QorPay and Stax compare feature by feature?
| QorPay | Stax | |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership of processing stack | Owns and operates QorCommerce, its own processing platform | Operates its platform layer over established processing partners |
| PayFac-as-a-Service | Yes: registered PayFac of Pathward, N.A.; partners board sub-merchants under QorPay | Stax Connect provides embedded payments for SaaS and ISVs |
| Embedded boarding and underwriting | Automated Underwriting module; API-driven boarding via QorCommerce v3 | API-based onboarding through Stax Connect; underwriting managed by Stax |
| Card-present support | QorConnect + Qor@theEdge for card-present acceptance | Terminals and POS integrations for in-person acceptance |
| ACH | Native ACH processing with standard SEC codes | ACH supported |
| Multi-tenant ISO tooling | Channels module for multi-tenant portfolios; built for ISOs and agents | Focused on merchants and SaaS platforms; ISO portfolio tooling is not the core product |
| Residual reporting | Portfolio- and channel-level residual reporting on the QorCommerce ledger | Partner revenue reporting via Stax Connect; varies by program |
| Pricing model | Three merchant models: interchange-plus, flat rate, or compliant surcharging, matched to volume, ticket size, and card mix; partners get buy rates or revenue share | Subscription/membership pricing with interchange passthrough for merchants |
| Sponsor-bank transparency | Named sponsors: Pathward, N.A. (PayFac), Synovus and Chesapeake (ISO) | Sponsorship via processing partners; varies by program |
| Support model | Direct access to the team that operates the platform | Merchant support team; dedicated support for Connect partners |
When should you pick QorPay?
- You are an ISO or agent building a portfolio: Channels and Portfolio Tools make multi-tenant management and residuals first-class, which is not Stax's focus.
- You want your provider to be the direct processor with named sponsor banks rather than a platform layer over other processors.
- You need deep API control over boarding, underwriting, and payment flows through QorCommerce v3, plus embeddable AppBloqs components.
- You need HIPAA compliance for healthcare payment workloads.
When should you pick Stax?
- You are a small or mid-sized merchant with steady volume where subscription pricing with interchange passthrough is simple and cost-effective.
- You want an all-in-one merchant experience (invoicing, terminals, dashboard) from one vendor with minimal integration work.
- You are a SaaS company whose needs match Stax Connect's turnkey embedded payments model.
- You prefer flat, predictable monthly costs over negotiated per-program pricing.