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I'm not usually one to go full market capitalist, but there is definitely a market solution to this one. I'm glad they are exploring the options.

by jfyi 1y ago

IshKebab 1y ago
Why "definitely"? Visa/MasterCard have a total duopoly. How is a "market solution" going to get around that?
- jfyi 1y ago
  Because the issue isn't with Visa/MC but with the processors. They are looking at alternative processors that work with adult material.
  - IshKebab 1y ago
    No, the root issue is with Visa/MC. It's passed on indirectly via payment processors.
- dragontamer 1y ago
  Use a Discover card or AmEx. Or in this case: itch.io switches to CCpay instead of Stripe as mentioned in the article. Because Stripe was actually the problem here, not Visa/Mastercard. I still will highlight the closure of Manga Library Z (which Visa/Mastercard is to blame). But this itch.io problem was different.
duxup 1y ago
I wish there was actually a healthy market with options and competition, there isn't.
- jfyi 1y ago
  Epoch, CCBill, TickleCharge, many others... just search for "card processors that work with adult industry".
virgil_disgr4ce 1y ago
> there is definitely a market solution to this one This would only be true if it was possible—as in, actually realistic and doable—for anyone to enter the market.
zoeysmithe 1y ago
How so? Capitalism itself has created the visa/mastercard duopoly. Capitalism only leads primarily to monopolies and duopolies, hence the problem we're in. Do you really think there's a shortage of people who would like to start a company that gets an easy 3% per transaction?
- jfyi 1y ago
  The issue isn't at Visa/MC, but the processor. That is why Itch is looking at other processors. Also, that 3% doesn't go to just Visa/MC and the other card brands. It goes to the payment gateway, the payment processor, at least one level of sales organization, the merchant bank, and the POS company in the case of in person business. There are several intermediaries that get a slice of the pie.
rtkwe 1y ago
There are more adult oriented payment processors but they usually charge much higher rates because that sector attracts way more "I totally didn't buy that honey it must be fraud, I'm contesting it" that costs them more and they get charged more by the big upstream processors like Visa and Mastercard. Plus you're still liable for their rules the same way itch's current processor is if you want to process their card transactions.

I'm not usually one to go full market capitalist, but there is definitely a market solution to this one. I'm glad they are exploring the options.

by jfyi 1y ago

I'm not usually one to go full market capitalist, but there is definitely a market solution to this one. I'm glad they are exploring the options.

IshKebab 1y ago

Why "definitely"? Visa/MasterCard have a total duopoly. How is a "market solution" going to get around that?

jfyi 1y ago
Because the issue isn't with Visa/MC but with the processors. They are looking at alternative processors that work with adult material.
- IshKebab 1y ago
  No, the root issue is with Visa/MC. It's passed on indirectly via payment processors.
dragontamer 1y ago
Use a Discover card or AmEx. Or in this case: itch.io switches to CCpay instead of Stripe as mentioned in the article. Because Stripe was actually the problem here, not Visa/Mastercard. I still will highlight the closure of Manga Library Z (which Visa/Mastercard is to blame). But this itch.io problem was different.

duxup 1y ago

I wish there was actually a healthy market with options and competition, there isn't.

jfyi 1y ago
Epoch, CCBill, TickleCharge, many others... just search for "card processors that work with adult industry".

virgil_disgr4ce 1y ago

> there is definitely a market solution to this one This would only be true if it was possible—as in, actually realistic and doable—for anyone to enter the market.

zoeysmithe 1y ago

How so? Capitalism itself has created the visa/mastercard duopoly. Capitalism only leads primarily to monopolies and duopolies, hence the problem we're in. Do you really think there's a shortage of people who would like to start a company that gets an easy 3% per transaction?

jfyi 1y ago
The issue isn't at Visa/MC, but the processor. That is why Itch is looking at other processors. Also, that 3% doesn't go to just Visa/MC and the other card brands. It goes to the payment gateway, the payment processor, at least one level of sales organization, the merchant bank, and the POS company in the case of in person business. There are several intermediaries that get a slice of the pie.

rtkwe 1y ago

There are more adult oriented payment processors but they usually charge much higher rates because that sector attracts way more "I totally didn't buy that honey it must be fraud, I'm contesting it" that costs them more and they get charged more by the big upstream processors like Visa and Mastercard. Plus you're still liable for their rules the same way itch's current processor is if you want to process their card transactions.