DirectPay
DirectPay is a payment processing company and registered ISO of Wells Fargo that provides merchant accounts, mobile payments, and the APEX business platform to service-based entrepreneurs—coaches, speakers, trainers, and consultants—deemed high-risk by traditional banks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersIslandia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DirectPay does
DirectPay (legally DIRECTPAY Inc.) is a payment processing company founded in 1997 by James Komosinski and headquartered in Hauppauge, New York. The company specializes in serving service-based entrepreneurs—coaches, speakers, trainers, and consultants—who are systematically declined for merchant accounts by traditional banks due to perceived high-risk revenue profiles. DirectPay addresses this gap by operating as a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., supplemented by a partnership with START Merchant Services (a registered MSP of Elavon Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp). The company markets a 98% merchant approval rating and 2-3 business day account setup, with current leadership including CEO Neil Alcala and a small, named-team operational model (approximately 10-15 staff including Relationship Managers, Credit Manager, and IT Specialist).
The company's technology stack is partnership-driven rather than proprietary: core credit card processing runs on Authorize.Net, its APEX all-in-one business platform is a white-label of HighLevel (CRM, marketing automation, funnels, course hosting, calendar, integrated checkout), multi-currency capability is delivered via Planet Payment, and POS hardware offerings include Clover, Verifone, and First Data terminals. Product surface spans Automated Recurring Billing, a rules-based Fraud Detection Suite, Simple Checkout, Mobile Pay with EMV chip readers, Multi-Currency Pricing, a PCI Compliance Program, and Canadian Merchant Accounts. All US and Canadian processing infrastructure is rented from upstream partners.
DirectPay's revenue model is multi-stream: transaction-based fees (3.23% + $0.35 on the Flat Rate Plan; 2.35% + $0.30 on the Two Tier Plan), subscription revenue (APEX at $79/month versus a stated value of $297/month; Mobile Pay at $24-$28/month plus transaction fees; Fraud Suite at $5/month), multi-currency gateway and statement fees, hardware resale, and a $50-per-merchant Affiliate Program. Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led via named Relationship Managers who provide consultative onboarding; community-led via partnerships with the International Coaching Federation and National Speakers Association; and channel-led via the affiliate program, YouTube content series ("7 Figure+ Success Secrets"), webinars, and member benefits with partner discounts. The customer base is described as "thousands of business owners" concentrated in the coaching, speaking, and consulting verticals across the US and Canada.
DirectPay firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DirectPay
- Legal name
- DIRECTPAY Inc.
- Website
- https://directpayinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DirectPay is a payment processing company and registered ISO of Wells Fargo that provides merchant accounts, mobile payments, and the APEX business platform to service-based entrepreneurs—coaches, speakers, trainers, and consultants—deemed high-risk by traditional banks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DirectPay industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Merchant Payment Processing Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE), Recurring Billing & AutoPay Management (FSAMAJAE), Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus) (FSAMABAC)
Keywords
Where DirectPay is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Islandia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DirectPay business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Transaction Fees: Percentage-based fees on credit card transactions. Flat Rate Plan charges 3.23% per transaction plus $0.35 per transaction fee. Two Tier Plan charges 2.35% per transaction plus $0.30 per transaction fee. Additional fees include authorization fees, monthly fees, and annual fees.
- APEX Subscription: Monthly subscription for all-in-one business platform including CRM, marketing automation, funnels, courses, calendar scheduling, and payment integration. Offered at $79/month (exclusive rate) compared to regular $297/month.
- Mobile Pay Subscriptions: Monthly subscription for mobile payment processing with per-transaction fees. Plan 1: 3.18% + $0.32 per transaction with $28 monthly fee. Plan 2: 2.33% + $0.27 per transaction with $24 monthly fee.
- Multi-Currency Gateway Fees: $10 gateway fee (appears as Gateway Billing on statement) and $7 statement fee. Transaction fees vary by card type: Visa/MasterCard 2.20% + $0.25, Discover 2.97% + $0.20, American Express TBD.
- Affiliate Commissions: $50 commission for each new merchant account referred through the affiliate program. Additional bonus commissions available quarterly.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of payment terminals and printers including First Data FD150, Verifone 400m, and Clover systems (Flex, Mini, Go, Station).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Flat Rate Plan - Best for businesses processing $1,000/month or less |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Two Tier Plan - Best for businesses processing $1,000/month or more |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Mobile Pay Plan 1 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Mobile Pay Plan 2 |
| Subscription | Monthly | APEX All-in-One Platform |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Multi-Currency Pricing Add-on |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fraud Detection Suite |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
DirectPay product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DirectPay provides merchant accounts and credit card payment processing for service-based businesses, particularly coaches, speakers, consultants, and online course creators. Core processing is powered by Authorize.Net, with companion offerings including Mobile Pay (smartphone EMV reader), the APEX all-in-one business platform (white-labeled from HighLevel), automated recurring billing, fraud detection, and multi-currency processing (powered by Planet Payment). The company operates as a registered Independent Sales Organization of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Product overview
DirectPay is a payment processing company founded in 1997 that offers a portfolio of products centered on merchant services and payment acceptance. The core offering is Credit Card Processing powered by Authorize.Net, supplemented by Mobile Pay for smartphone-based card acceptance and a range of add-on modules including Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) for subscription management, Simple Checkout for basic e-commerce transactions, Fraud Detection Suite for security, and Multi-Currency Pricing for international sales. The company also resells hardware through its Printers & Terminals offering (First Data, Verifone, and Clover POS systems). Notably, DirectPay white-labels the HighLevel platform as APEX, an all-in-one business platform providing CRM, marketing automation, funnels, course creation, and calendar scheduling. Additional services include PCI Compliance Program support, Canadian Merchant Accounts, a Member Benefits program with partner discounts, and an Affiliate Program. The company serves service-based entrepreneurs, coaches, speakers, and consultants, operating as a registered Independent Sales Organization of Wells Fargo Bank.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- APEX: All-in-one business platform powered by HighLevel, combining CRM, marketing automation, funnels, course creation, calendar scheduling, and integrated payment tools.
Products and services
- Credit Card Processing
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% approval rating for merchant accounts
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use DirectPay
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
DirectPay technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature6 records
DirectPay partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting, flagship and minor.
- Authorize.NetcorePayment processing powered by Authorize.Net. Provides gateway infrastructure for credit card processing, virtual terminal, and fraud detection capabilities.
- HighLevelcoreAPEX platform is powered by HighLevel, an all-in-one CRM, marketing automation, and sales platform. DirectPay resells and integrates with HighLevel for its APEX product.
- Planet PaymentsupportingMulti-Currency Pricing feature powered by Planet Payment. Enables international customers to pay in their preferred currency while merchant receives funding in their own currency.
- International Coaching Federation (ICF)flagshipTrusted partner and community connection. DirectPay is recognized as a trusted payment processor for ICF members and serves the coaching community.
- National Speakers Association (NSA)flagshipTrusted partner and community connection. DirectPay serves as trusted payment processor for NSA members and speakers.
- Content CucumberminorMember benefit partner offering 20% off monthly membership for copywriting services. Members get one free article plus discounted access.
- choice MagazineminorMember benefit partner offering 15% discount on magazine subscriptions filled with business-building information and industry news.
- LPC (Library of Professional Coaching)minorMember benefit providing access to world's premier free online coaching library with over 500 high-caliber resources including articles, research briefs, and videos.
- CloversupportingPoint-of-sale terminal provider offering Clover Flex, Mini, Go, and Station systems. DirectPay offers customized Clover POS solutions for in-store payments.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DirectPay competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Payment Depot: Subscription-style SMB payment processor offering flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing alongside merchant services. Similar small-business ISO model with a focus on transparent, multi-tier pricing analogous to DirectPay's Flat Rate and Two Tier plans.
- National Processing: ISO providing merchant accounts and payment processing for SMBs across verticals with relationship-led sales. Directly comparable GTM (sales-led with named account managers) and pricing structure to DirectPay.
- Dharma Merchant Services: Payment processor specializing in high-risk and hard-to-place merchant accounts, including service-based and coaching businesses. Direct competitor in the same niche that DirectPay targets, with similar bank-partnered ISO economics.
- Helcim: SMB payment processor offering transparent interchange-plus pricing alongside integrated software (invoicing, recurring billing, online store). Comparable to DirectPay in targeting SMBs needing processing plus recurring billing and check-out tools.
- Host Merchant Services: Independent payment processor ISO serving SMBs and high-risk verticals with interchange-plus pricing. Closely comparable to DirectPay's SMB/high-risk service-business focus and reseller-to-bank model via partnerships with acquiring banks.
- Stax: Subscription-based payment processing platform for SMBs with tiered SaaS pricing and integrated software tools. Closely mirrors DirectPay's combination of merchant processing plus an all-in-one platform (APEX/HighLevel).
Broad incumbents
- Stripe: Dominant online payment processor with developer-first APIs, fraud tools, and recurring billing (Stripe Billing). Competes with DirectPay in online checkout, ARB, fraud, and multi-currency, though targeting more tech-forward SMBs and enterprises.
- PayPal: Global payments giant offering merchant processing, PayPal Checkout, recurring billing, and fraud protection. Overlaps with DirectPay across most product lines but with vastly greater scale, brand, and self-serve onboarding.
- Square (Block, Inc.): Major SMB payments and software platform (parent Block, Inc.) spanning POS hardware, online checkout, and merchant services. Competes with DirectPay's Mobile Pay, hardware (Clover adjacent), and broader SMB processing offerings at scale.
Others
- HighLevel: All-in-one CRM, marketing automation, and sales platform that powers DirectPay's APEX product. Functions as a supplier/partner rather than a competitor, but its standalone agency-tier positioning is thematically related to APEX's bundle.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DirectPay social profiles
Digital presenceDirectPay compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
DirectPay financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DirectPay leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
DirectPay funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DirectPay M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DirectPay
What does DirectPay do?
DirectPay provides merchant accounts and credit card payment processing for service-based businesses, particularly coaches, speakers, consultants, and online course creators. Core processing is powered by Authorize.Net, with companion offerings including Mobile Pay (smartphone EMV reader), the APEX all-in-one business platform (white-labeled from HighLevel), automated recurring billing, fraud detection, and multi-currency processing (powered by Planet Payment). The company operates as a registered Independent Sales Organization of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Is DirectPay a public or private company?
DirectPay is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DirectPay founded?
DirectPay was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DirectPay based?
DirectPay is headquartered in Islandia, United States, in the North America region.
How does DirectPay make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are APEX Subscription, mobile Pay Subscriptions, multi-Currency Gateway Fees, affiliate Commissions and hardware Sales.
Who are DirectPay's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Payment Depot, National Processing, Dharma Merchant Services, Helcim, Host Merchant Services and Stax. Broad incumbents are Stripe, PayPal and Square (Block, Inc.). HighLevel is listed as an others.
Does DirectPay have an API?
No public API is recorded for DirectPay.
What industry is DirectPay in?
DirectPay's product category is Merchant Payment Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAF, Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management), with a secondary code of FSAGABAE, Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6159.