Research index / payment economics
The real cost of getting paid, written down.
Long-form notes for non-US SaaS founders: Merchant of Record pricing, Stripe's international and FX surcharges, US LLC compliance, and the exact revenue at which one bundle becomes cheaper than the other.
Firstbase vs Stripe Atlas vs Doola: True 3-Year Cost, Registered Agent & Form 5472
Three formation fees, three completely different three-year bills. Firstbase with a Wyoming LLC totals $876 over three years; Stripe Atlas, which can only form in Delaware, totals $1,600; Doola Total Compliance reaches $6,177. Includes the annual-report and franchise-tax schedules, registered-agent renewals and the IRS Form 5472 / pro forma 1120 filing that carries a $25,000 penalty.
The 5% MoR Illusion: Exact US LLC + Stripe Breakeven for Non-US SaaS Founders
A flat 5% is not a single decision. This teardown derives the break-even formula, works through three real card mixes at $8,000 MRR and puts the full US LLC compliance bill — including IRS Form 5472 and the $25,000 penalty — next to the processing savings.
Run your own card mix
The live calculator implements the same formulas, with sliders for international card share, an FX switch and three preset scenarios. Every input is written to the URL.
Open the payment calculator ↗Read the entity cost teardown ↗Method and disclosure
The model compares a Merchant of Record at 5% + $0.50 per order with Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30, adding 1.5% for international cards, 1% for non-USD conversion and an editable annual US LLC compliance budget divided by twelve. It is a planning estimate, not a quote, a tax opinion or a guarantee of eligibility. Provider pricing, state fees and filing duties change; verify them before committing.
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