# The Guide
Source: https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways

Last updated 22 October 2026.

TL;DR

-   Five pathways, three short lessons each. Start wherever your biggest question is
-   Roughly 20-25 minutes per pathway, about 105 minutes for all fifteen lessons
-   You don't have to go in order. Pathway 2 works fine if a chargeback just landed and you've never read pathway 1
-   Want a fix rather than an education? Go to [Playbooks](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/)

Five learning pathways, each with 3 short lessons. Start wherever your biggest question is.

| Pathway | You Should Start Here If... | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **[1\. Getting Started with Payments](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/getting-started-with-payments/introduction/)** | You're choosing a processor or just set one up | ~20 min |
| **[2\. Handling Your First Chargeback](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/handling-your-first-chargeback/how-disputes-work/)** | You got a chargeback and don't know what to do | ~25 min |
| **[3\. Protecting from Fraud](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/protecting-from-fraud/fraud-basics/)** | You're worried about fraud or seeing suspicious orders | ~20 min |
| **[4\. Running Payments Daily](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/running-payments-daily/daily-weekly-tasks/)** | You need to understand your daily payment operations | ~19 min |
| **[5\. Reducing Costs](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/reducing-costs/understanding-your-costs/)** | You want to pay less in processing fees | ~21 min |

A client missed their appointment? [Check the fee and booking payment](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/payments/appointment-fees/).

Want to try ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini on a payment question? [Start with the safe way to use AI](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/ai/for-small-businesses/).

## How to Use This Guide

**Pick one pathway.** Read the 3 lessons in order. Each lesson links to deeper content in the reference sections if you want more detail.

**Most businesses start with Pathway 1 or 2.** If you're brand new to payments, start with Getting Started. If you just got hit with a chargeback, start with Handling Your First Chargeback.

After finishing a pathway, the rest of the site is organized by topic: [Accept Payments](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/payments/), [Handle Disputes](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks/), [Prevent Fraud](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/fraud/), [Operations](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/operations/), and [Reference](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/).