A personal guarantee is common on merchant account applications—but what are you actually agreeing to? Learn why processors require one, what it may cover, how it differs from a credit check, and when it might be waived.

Stripe, Square, and PayPal make it easy to launch free trials that automatically convert into paid subscriptions. But for certain physical-product offers, technical functionality is not the same as merchant approval, MCC 5968 classification, or Mastercard specialty registration. Here’s what merchants should verify before processing.

Could VAMP and SMMP put legitimate merchants at risk? Joshua Cobian explores their tension with the FTC’s debanking stance and Trump’s executive order.