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When to Get Help

Most payment problems you can solve yourself with playbooks and documentation. Some problems are too big, too urgent, or too specialized. Knowing when to get help saves your business.

This page tells you when DIY stops working and what kind of help to get.

On this page

The Question This Answers​

"Should I handle this myself or hire someone?"

Wrong answer: "I'll figure it out" (when you're in VAMP with 3 weeks to fix) Right answer: Specific decision criteria by problem type

DIY vs Get Help Decision Framework​

Problems You Can Solve Yourself (DIY)​

✅ Chargeback Ratio 0.3-0.65%​

Why DIY works:

  • Not in crisis territory yet
  • Playbooks exist: Reduce Chargebacks Fast
  • Time to fix: 2-4 weeks
  • Cost: $0 (your time only)

Don't hire help unless: Ratio climbing fast or can't dedicate 5-10 hours/week.

✅ Basic Fraud Patterns​

Why DIY works:

  • Processor built-in tools sufficient under $500K/month
  • Configure Stripe Radar or Square fraud settings yourself
  • Playbook exists: Survive Fraud Attack

Don't hire help unless: Sophisticated fraud (account takeover, bust-out) or over $1M/month.

✅ Processor Selection (Under $1M/Month)​

Why DIY works:

  • Stripe vs Square decision is straightforward
  • Guides exist: Processor Profiles
  • Rates are non-negotiable anyway (no expert needed)

Don't hire help unless: You're over $1M and negotiating custom rates.

✅ Standard Setup and Configuration​

Why DIY works:

  • First-week guides exist: Stripe, Square
  • Processor documentation is good
  • Time: 4-12 hours total

Don't hire help unless: Complex integration (marketplace, custom platform).

✅ Individual Chargeback Responses​

Why DIY works:

Don't hire help unless: Over 100 chargebacks/month (hire FTE instead).

Problems That Need Help (Get Expert)​

🚨 Chargeback Ratio 0.75%+ and Rising​

Why you need help:

  • Entering VAMP/ECM territory (0.9-1.0% thresholds)
  • Fines are $25K-$100K/month if you breach
  • 2-4 weeks to fix before disaster
  • Consultant has seen this 50+ times, you haven't

Type of help: Chargeback consultant Cost: $5,000-$15,000 one-time ROI: Prevents $25K-$100K/month in fines + MATCH listing

When to hire: Immediately when ratio hits 0.75%

Alternative: Implement Reduce Chargebacks Fast yourself, but if it doesn't work in 2 weeks, hire help.

🚨 Already in Monitoring Program (VAMP, ECM)​

Why you need help:

  • You're paying $25K+/month in fines
  • Processor may terminate you in 3 months if no improvement
  • Required remediation plan to network
  • This is business-threatening

Type of help: Chargeback consultant + potentially legal Cost: $10,000-$25,000 ROI: Saves your processing account ($100K-$1M+ value)

When to hire: The day you receive monitoring program notice

See: MATCH/TMF List and Zero Point Nine Panic

🚨 Processor Termination Notice​

Why you need help:

  • 30-90 days to find new processor
  • Risk of MATCH listing
  • May need to negotiate with current processor
  • Funds held for 90-180 days

Type of help: Payment consultant + lawyer Cost: $5,000-$20,000 ROI: Might prevent MATCH listing (5-year impact)

When to hire: Immediately upon termination notice

DIY option: None. This is too serious.

🚨 Data Breach Suspected or Confirmed​

Why you need help:

  • PCI forensics required
  • Legal notification obligations (varies by state)
  • Card brand reporting required
  • Potential MATCH listing (code 01)

Type of help: PFI (PCI Forensic Investigator) + lawyer Cost: $15,000-$100,000+ depending on scope ROI: Required by card networks, not optional

When to hire: Within 24 hours of discovery

See: Breach Response Playbook

💰 Rate Negotiation Over $1M/Month​

Why you might need help:

  • Potential savings: 0.2-0.5% = $24K-$120K/year at $1M-$2M
  • Consultant fee: $5,000-$15,000
  • You don't know market rates, consultant does

Type of help: Payment consultant or broker Cost: $5,000-$15,000 OR commission on savings ROI: Positive if volume over $1M/month

When to hire: When you hit $1M/month sustained volume

DIY option: Research market rates, use comparison pages, negotiate yourself. Worth trying before hiring.

See: Processor Contracts

💰 International Expansion (First Time)​

Why you might need help:

  • Tax, legal, entity structure complexity
  • Payment method selection by country
  • Compliance (PSD2, data localization, etc.)
  • First time doing this = high error cost

Type of help: International payment consultant OR Merchant of Record (Paddle, FastSpring) Cost:

  • Consultant: $10,000-$30,000
  • MoR: 5-8% of revenue (they handle everything) ROI: Depends on market size

When to hire: If target market is $100K+/year opportunity

DIY option: Start with Going Global and Regional Payment Methods, hire help if stuck.

Types of Help Available​

1. Payment Consultant (Project-Based)​

What they do:

  • Chargeback reduction strategies
  • Processor negotiation
  • Fraud program optimization
  • Operations audit

Cost: $5,000-$30,000 per engagement Duration: 4-12 weeks Best for: Specific problems (CB crisis, rate negotiation, fraud attack)

When to use:

  • CB ratio >0.75%
  • Rate negotiation at $1M+
  • Fraud attack you can't contain

Red flag: Multi-year retainers. Most problems are solved in 8-12 weeks.

2. Fractional/Part-Time Expert​

What they do:

  • Ongoing fraud review
  • Monthly chargeback responses
  • Metrics monitoring
  • Strategic guidance

Cost: $2,000-$8,000/month (10-40 hours) Duration: Ongoing (3-12 months) Best for: $500K-$2M/month businesses not ready for FTE

When to use:

  • 50-150 chargebacks/month
  • Need expert but can't afford $80K/year FTE
  • Scaling rapidly and need guidance

Alternative: Outsourced chargeback response services ($500-$2K/month)

3. Full-Time Hire​

What they do:

  • Daily fraud review
  • Chargeback representment
  • Processor management
  • Tool administration
  • Reporting and optimization

Cost: $60,000-$90,000/year + benefits Duration: Permanent Best for: Over $1M-$2M/month sustained

When to hire:

  • 100+ chargebacks/month
  • 200+ fraud reviews/week
  • Complex operations (multi-processor, international)

See: Staffing guidance (not yet created - future page)

When you need a lawyer:

  • Processor termination (MATCH listing risk)
  • Data breach (notification obligations)
  • FTC investigation (subscription compliance)
  • Large customer lawsuit
  • Complex contracts (non-standard agreements)

Cost: $300-$800/hour OR $10,000-$50,000 retainer Best for: Legal exposure, not operational problems

When to hire: Any legal threat or regulatory investigation

5. Technical Integration Help​

When you need developer:

  • Custom checkout implementation
  • Marketplace/platform (Stripe Connect)
  • Complex integration (API, webhooks)
  • Migration between processors

Cost: $75-$200/hour OR $5,000-$30,000 project Best for: Technical implementation, not strategy

When to hire: When your team doesn't have dev resources

Cost-Benefit Decision Matrix​

ProblemDIY CostExpert CostDIY TimeExpert TimeDecision
CB ratio 0.5%$0$5K20 hours0 hoursDIY
CB ratio 0.85%Risk of MATCH$10K40 hours0 hoursExpert
Rate negotiation ($2M/mo)$0$10K20 hours0 hoursExpert (ROI: $60K/yr)
Standard setup$0$3K8 hours0 hoursDIY
Data breachIllegal to DIY$50K+N/A0 hoursExpert (required)
Fraud attack$0-5K loss$5K10 hours0 hoursDIY first, expert if persists

Red Flags You're In Over Your Head​

Get help immediately if:

1. You Can't Explain What's Happening​

Symptom: "Chargebacks keep going up and I don't know why"

Red flag: After reading Chargeback Fundamentals, you still can't identify root cause.

Action: Hire consultant to audit and diagnose.

2. You're Spending 20+ Hours/Week on Payments​

Symptom: Full-time job just managing chargebacks, fraud, processor

Red flag: At $500K/month, this should be 5-10 hours/week max.

Action: Hire fractional expert or outsource chargeback responses.

3. You've Received Multiple Threshold Warnings​

Symptom: 3+ emails from processor about CB ratio, fraud rate, or risk review

Red flag: DIY isn't working fast enough.

Action: Hire consultant before you hit threshold.

4. Processor Isn't Responding​

Symptom: Sent 3+ emails about account hold, no response

Red flag: You don't have leverage or know who to escalate to.

Action: Hire consultant with processor relationships.

5. You Don't Understand Your Own Metrics​

Symptom: Can't calculate CB ratio, don't know what VAMP is, can't read statement

Red flag: Flying blind is dangerous.

Action: Either dedicate time to learn OR hire fractional expert to set up monitoring.

Consultant ROI Calculator​

Decision formula: Hire consultant if (Problem cost - Consultant fee) > $0

Example 1: Chargeback Crisis (ROI: Positive)​

Problem: CB ratio 0.88%, entering VAMP next month DIY cost:

  • VAMP fines: $25,000/month
  • Risk of MATCH listing Consultant cost: $10,000 Consultant result: Reduce to 0.72% in 6 weeks ROI: $10K cost prevents $75K+ in fines Decision: Hire immediately

Example 2: Rate Negotiation at $2M/Month (ROI: Positive)​

Problem: Paying 2.9% at $2M/month volume DIY cost: $0 but rates stay same Consultant cost: $15,000 OR 25% of first-year savings Consultant result: 0.3% reduction (2.9% → 2.6%) Savings: $2M × 0.3% × 12 = $72,000/year ROI: $15K cost → $72K/year savings Decision: Hire consultant

Example 3: Standard Fraud Review at $200K/Month (ROI: Negative)​

Problem: Reviewing 50 fraud flags/week DIY cost: 5 hours/week × $50/hr = $1,000/month Consultant cost: $3,000/month fractional Consultant result: Same outcome, you save 5 hours/week ROI: $3K cost to save $1K = Lose $2K/month Decision: DIY, it's not that many flags yet

When to Get Each Type of Help​

Consultant (Project-Based) - When​

ScenarioHire WhenCostROI
CB ratio crisisOver 0.75%$5K-15KPrevents MATCH
Rate negotiationOver $1M/month$10K-20K$50K-$200K/year
Fraud attackCan't stop after 48 hours$5K-10KPrevents $10K-$50K loss
International launchOver $100K/year target market$10K-30KPrevents $20K-$100K mistakes
Processor terminationTermination notice received$10K-25KMight prevent MATCH

Fractional Expert - When​

ScenarioHire WhenCostAlternative
50-100 CBs/monthCan't keep up$2K-5K/monthOutsourced CB response
Daily fraud review100+ flags/day$3K-8K/monthFull-time at $6K/month
Scaling rapidly$500K → $2M in 6 months$3K-6K/monthWait for FTE at $2M

Full-Time Employee - When​

TriggerRoleSalaryWhen
100+ CBs/monthPayments Operations$60K-$80KOver $1M/month
$2M+ volumeFraud Analyst$65K-$90KHigh CB/fraud rate
Multi-processorPayments Manager$80K-$120KOver $5M/month

Legal Help - When​

ScenarioHire ImmediatelyCost
Data breachSuspected or confirmed$15K-$100K+
MATCH listingTermination + MATCH threat$10K-$30K
FTC investigationSubscription compliance$20K-$100K
Customer lawsuitClass action threat$15K-$50K+
Contract disputeProcessor non-compete, non-standard terms$5K-$20K

Legal is not negotiable for these scenarios. Budget for it.

Problem-Specific Guidance​

Chargeback Crisis​

CB ratio 0.4-0.65%: DIY

CB ratio 0.65-0.85%: Consider consultant

  • You're in VDMP (Visa early warning)
  • Consultant ROI: Prevents VAMP
  • Cost: $5,000-$10,000

CB ratio over 0.85%: Hire consultant immediately

  • Entering VAMP/ECM in weeks
  • Fines start at $25K/month
  • Consultant cost < fine cost

Fraud Problem​

Isolated fraud: DIY

  • One-off fraud orders
  • Use processor fraud tools
  • Cost: $0

Coordinated attack: DIY first, hire if persists

  • BIN attack, card testing, velocity spike
  • Use Survive Fraud Attack
  • If continues 48+ hours: Hire expert ($5K-$10K)

Sophisticated fraud: Hire expert

  • Account takeover, bust-out, synthetic identity
  • Requires specialized tools + expertise
  • Cost: Fraud tool ($2K-5K/month) + consultant setup ($5K-$10K)

Processor Problems​

Account hold (routine review): DIY

  • Provide requested documents
  • Wait 3-7 days
  • Cost: $0

Account hold (30+ days): Hire consultant

  • Consultant has processor relationships
  • Can escalate appropriately
  • Cost: $3,000-$8,000

Termination threat: Hire consultant + lawyer

  • Need to negotiate or find alternative
  • Legal review of termination
  • Cost: $10,000-$30,000

International Expansion​

Adding payment methods: DIY

Full market launch: Consider consultant or MoR

  • Target market over $100K/year
  • Consultant: $10K-$30K
  • MoR (Paddle, FastSpring): 5-8% of revenue but they handle everything
  • ROI: Prevents $20K-$100K in compliance mistakes

See: Going Global

Outsourcing Options​

Chargeback Response Services​

What they do: Respond to chargebacks for you

Vendors: Chargeflow, Chargebacks911, others Cost: $300-$2,000/month OR per-chargeback fee Best for: 50-200 chargebacks/month

When to use:

  • You don't have time to respond yourself
  • Cheaper than hiring FTE
  • Want to maintain win rates

DIY until: 50+ chargebacks/month

Fraud Review Services​

What they do: Manual review of flagged transactions

Cost: $0.50-$3 per review OR $1,000-$5,000/month Best for: 100-500 fraud flags/day

When to use:

  • You can't review 100+ orders/day yourself
  • Cheaper than FTE ($2K-$5K/month vs $6K/month salary)
  • Want 24/7 coverage

DIY until: Can't keep up (orders piling up, missing fraud)

Test to Run: Do You Need Help?​

Week 1: Identify your problems

  1. List all payment problems you're facing
  2. Rank by severity (account-threatening vs annoying)
  3. Rank by urgency (need fixed this week vs this quarter)

Week 2: Calculate DIY cost vs Expert cost

For each problem: 4. DIY cost: Your time (hours × $50-100/hr) + risk of failure 5. Expert cost: Consultant quote or market rate 6. ROI: If expert cost < DIY cost + risk, hire expert

Week 3: Decision 7. Account-threatening problems: Hire immediately 8. Positive ROI problems: Hire if you have budget 9. Negative ROI problems: DIY with playbooks

Success criteria: Clear decision for each problem (DIY or hire, not "figure it out later").

Scale Callouts​

Under $500K/month:

  • DIY almost everything
  • Exception: Data breach (hire legal/PFI)
  • Exception: MATCH listing threat (hire consultant)

$500K-$1M/month:

  • DIY routine operations
  • Hire for: CB crisis (0.8%+), rate negotiation, complex fraud
  • Consider: Fractional expert if overwhelmed

$1M-$5M/month:

  • Hire for: Rate negotiation, international launch, CB crisis
  • Consider: Full-time payments person at $1.5M-$2M
  • DIY: Routine fraud review, individual CB responses

Over $5M/month:

  • Hire: Full-time team (2-5 people)
  • Consultant: Strategic projects only
  • DIY: Day-to-day operations (you have team)

Where This Breaks​

  1. Ego prevents hiring: "I can figure this out" while CB ratio hits 0.95%. Swallow pride, hire help, save account.

  2. Hiring too early wastes money: $200K/month business hiring $15K consultant for routine setup. DIY with playbooks first.

  3. Wrong type of help: Hiring fraud consultant for chargeback problem. Match expert to problem type.

  4. Multi-year contracts for one-time problems: Most consultant engagements should be 8-12 weeks. Avoid long retainers.

  5. Hiring instead of fixing root cause: Hiring manual reviewers when real problem is wrong fraud rules. Fix the system, don't bandaid with people.

Next Steps​

Have a problem right now?

  1. Use decision tree above to determine DIY vs hire
  2. If hiring: Get 2-3 quotes, check references
  3. If DIY: Start with relevant playbook

Scaling and planning ahead?

  1. Know your thresholds (when to hire at each stage)
  2. Budget for potential consultant needs
  3. Build relationships before you need help

Want to hire someone?

  1. Fractional expert: Search "payment consultant" + your niche
  2. FTE: Post job description (staffing guide - future page)
  3. Legal: Payment industry attorney (not general business lawyer)

See Also​