1. Describe the problem:
I'm a startup founder at the monetization validation stage. I have an MVP and want to quickly test if my first customers are willing to pay for it. The main barrier is that to accept payments (for example, via Stripe), I need a legally registered company and my own account. Setting up a company (even through Stripe Atlas) costs a minimum of $800 and takes days/weeks to arrange. This kills all speed in demand testing. There are services that allow you to operate under their account (as an aggregator), but their entry threshold is also high, and they require extensive verification. I need a simple «plug-and-play» solution for accepting initial payments.
2. How often does the problem occur?
The problem arises at the most critical early stage of every product — when you need to check if there's demand within 1-2 weeks. This is the «valley of death» between creating the MVP and making the first sales.
3. What attempts have you made to solve the problem?
I looked at Stripe Atlas — too expensive and slow for the testing stage. I searched for aggregator services, but they also require complex checks and high fees designed for more mature businesses.
4. How much are you willing to pay for the solution?
I'm willing to pay a high transaction fee — 50% or even more of each payment — for the ability to instantly connect payment processing under someone else's legal account, without registering my own company and without lengthy verification. Later, once monetization is confirmed, I'll set everything up myself.