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[159.112.244.20]) by mx.google.com with UTF8SMTPS id af79cd13be357-8cfc90cb763si590825885a.237.2026.03.21.04.54.51 for (version=TLS1_2 cipher=ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits=128/128); Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:54:51 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of bounce+a6cce7.4d1858-tjphuhs=gmail.com@mg2.substack.com designates 159.112.244.20 as permitted sender) client-ip=159.112.244.20; Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; dkim=pass header.i=@mg2.substack.com header.s=mailo header.b=c0MDDavL; dkim=pass header.i=@mailgun.org header.s=mg header.b=ixWajjsR; spf=pass (google.com: domain of bounce+a6cce7.4d1858-tjphuhs=gmail.com@mg2.substack.com designates 159.112.244.20 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom="bounce+a6cce7.4d1858-tjphuhs=gmail.com@mg2.substack.com"; dmarc=pass (p=REJECT sp=REJECT dis=NONE) header.from=substack.com DKIM-Signature: a=rsa-sha256; v=1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mg2.substack.com; q=dns/txt; s=mailo; t=1774094091; x=1774101291; h=List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe: List-Post: List-Id: List-Archive: List-Owner: Reply-To: In-Reply-To: References: Sender: Sender: Date: Message-Id: To: To: From: From: Subject: Subject: Content-Type: Mime-Version: X-Feedback-Id; bh=taEjn147JB+ibTNueDtjstFeJxrr5eKYDebezdP9jOo=; b=c0MDDavLeSnquMNb0/56dOImE/MLovoWbOqHEfFp/4K/qbt14Oh619tH21bFyBpqVC/gJVZxIg8jAPm8Ubf9p5HiEb6EnynAYX9KkgjXNzchemtsQ50EUKYJoSXHF1Oyk1VL/aY8y9E2rn/QplR9Rn5lR53fGE46blNNZGo+jAQ= DKIM-Signature: a=rsa-sha256; v=1; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mailgun.org; q=dns/txt; s=mg; t=1774094091; x=1774101291; h=List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe: List-Post: List-Id: List-Archive: List-Owner: Reply-To: In-Reply-To: References: Sender: Sender: Date: Message-Id: To: To: From: From: Subject: Subject: Content-Type: Mime-Version: X-Feedback-Id; bh=taEjn147JB+ibTNueDtjstFeJxrr5eKYDebezdP9jOo=; b=ixWajjsRrXbTHZJoY2KodcxNpcdwdPmkHpRVT7DrXSk4I9mVgYmI2gK69/ppBh2hdv1f3T7qKycYVeMn+3nCVh2GrH9E7eLW8d1RD7OpB+LDjIa3Fb1hK/FMJY65cgEnsIxGTjnY4NRMxmwK7zkA38STFqfj9STsxKnMayvF9HI= X-Mailgun-Sid: WyIxODZiYSIsInRqcGh1aHNAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiNGQxODU4Il0= X-Feedback-Id: postmaster@mg2.substack.com:post:5a78b6d5cd16820001f2a9d4:mailgun Received: by 7ab06fbf7dcc626ac77fad99ebf310e03e88deec3d836ed589e7054bbfb822da with HTTP id 69be870b37a549e1deb82030; Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:54:51 GMT X-Mailgun-Sending-Ip: 159.112.244.20 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="820c4e68af889f76971f1622647ef4ccb5879e17f6dd8e2a61ea8ad68ab0" Subject: =?UTF-8?q?Why_Payment_Processing_Is_Destroying_Vendors_in_This_Space_(A_V?= =?UTF-8?q?endor=E2=80=99s_Perspective)?= From: Derek from Peptide Price To: tjphuhs@gmail.com X-Mailgun-Tag: post X-Mailgun-Track-Clicks: false Message-Id: <20260321115446.3.c7ee3c2d7bac22a7@mg2.substack.com> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:54:46 +0000 Feedback-Id: post-191666107:cat-post:pub-3365367:substack Sender: Derek from Peptide Price References: In-Reply-To: Reply-To: Derek from Peptide Price List-Owner: List-Url: List-Archive: List-Id: List-Post: List-Unsubscribe: List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click X-Mailgun-Variables: {"category": "post", "email_generated_at": "1774094091395", "is_freemail": "true", "post_audience": "everyone", "post_id": "191666107", "post_type": "newsletter", "pub_community_enabled": "true", "publication_id": "3365367", "subdomain": "derekpruski", "user_id": "273622398"} --820c4e68af889f76971f1622647ef4ccb5879e17f6dd8e2a61ea8ad68ab0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable View this post on the web at https://derekpruski.substack.com/p/why-payment= -processing-is-destroying One of the vendors in this space reached out to me and asked me to share th= is anonymously. I think it=E2=80=99s important context for everyone here = =E2=80=94 especially when you see vendors struggling with payment options o= r going dark unexpectedly. This is a direct message from them, shared with = permission: =E2=80=9CI am a vendor in this space, but I wanted to explain how insane pa= yment processing is in this industry and why we sincerely appreciate when y= ou all choose ACH, debit, or Zelle-type payments. I=E2=80=99m in an online group with around 20 peptide vendors =E2=80=94 som= e smaller than us, some larger, but a good mix across the board. We=E2=80=99re less than a year old in this space, but not new to ecommerce = by any means. We=E2=80=99ve run and managed ecomm stores for nearly 27 year= s. Our main business employs close to 100 people, so adding a peptide verti= cal was logistically straightforward. Before we even launched, it took us nearly 45 days just to secure a process= or that accepted embedded credit cards at checkout. The rate we got was not= friendly =E2=80=94 9.5% per transaction, 10% reserves held for 270 days, p= lus fees on top of fees. That was the best available. We also added two gif= t card-to-credit solutions and one payment facilitator as backups. Within the first month, one gift card solution went down holding $3,500. Ou= r payment facilitator went down holding another $4,000. We still had two ot= her solutions and ACH, so we kept moving. Then January hit. Our second gift card solution went down holding $13,500. = At that point we hadn=E2=80=99t seen any of the previous $21,000 either. Mid-January we added a new embedded card solution. February we added a thir= d. Things looked good =E2=80=94 until end of February/early March, when bot= h went down. One is holding $179,000 and claims they=E2=80=99ll pay us in s= ix months. The other was holding $4,000. Early March we found two more embedded solutions. We started running one as= a backup =E2=80=94 four days in, they shut off all processing and are now = holding $60,000. No idea if we=E2=80=99ll ever see it. Today I got an email= from the other saying they=E2=80=99re having issues too and to stop proces= sing. They=E2=80=99re holding $290,000. So in less than six months of business, we have $554,000 held by processors= , another $290,000 held in bank reserves, and likely another $500,000 sitti= ng in standard 3=E2=80=937 day payout holds. We=E2=80=99re looking at close= to $1.5 million dollars in limbo =E2=80=94 and we=E2=80=99re not sure if w= e=E2=80=99ll ever see most of it. Just another day as a vendor in this space. It isn=E2=80=99t for the weak.= =E2=80=9D I wanted to share this because a lot of you have asked why certain vendors = don=E2=80=99t always have card processing available, or why payment options= change without much warning. This is why. It=E2=80=99s not mismanagement = =E2=80=94 it=E2=80=99s an industry-wide problem that hits every vendor rega= rdless of size or how well-run the business is. When a vendor offers ACH, Zelle, or debit options and passes savings along = for using them, that=E2=80=99s not a gimmick. It directly helps them hold o= nto cash that would otherwise be sitting in someone else=E2=80=99s hands fo= r months =E2=80=94 or disappear entirely. Something worth keeping in mind next time you=E2=80=99re placing an order. For research use only, not for human consumption. Unsubscribe https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9kZXJla3BydXN= raS5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vYWN0aW9uL2Rpc2FibGVfZW1haWw_dG9rZW49ZXlKMWMyVnlYMmxrSW= pveU56TTJNakl6T1Rnc0luQnZjM1JmYVdRaU9qRTVNVFkyTmpFd055d2lhV0YwSWpveE56YzBNR= GswTURreExDSmxlSEFpT2pFNE1EVTJNekF3T1RFc0ltbHpjeUk2SW5CMVlpMHpNelkxTXpZM0lp= d2ljM1ZpSWpvaVpHbHpZV0pzWlY5bGJXRnBiQ0o5Lkh3cGpkT2kyWHAzU2pJenlyZ2dIQ3N6aEN= DNTNOa3VfV2pkRS0zSXVuNFUiLCJwIjoxOTE2NjYxMDcsInMiOjMzNjUzNjcsImYiOnRydWUsIn= UiOjI3MzYyMjM5OCwiaWF0IjoxNzc0MDk0MDkxLCJleHAiOjIwODk2NzAwOTEsImlzcyI6InB1Y= i0wIiwic3ViIjoibGluay1yZWRpcmVjdCJ9.KUJrCYgus6YE2ut3atmzDuF9Mx4Z1Fe4zcCusiH= pamc? --820c4e68af889f76971f1622647ef4ccb5879e17f6dd8e2a61ea8ad68ab0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Why Payment Processing I= s Destroying Vendors in This Space (A Vendor’s Perspective) @media (max-width: 1024px) { .typography .pullquote-align-left, .typography.editor .pullquote-align-left, .typography .pullquote-align-right, .typography.editor .pullquote-align-right, .typography .pullquote-align-wide, .typography.editor .pullquote-align-wide, .typography .pullquote-align-center, .typography.editor .pullquote-align-center { float: none; 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} } @media only screen and (max-width: 650px) { .file-embed-button.wide, .file-embed-error-button.wide { display: none; } } @media only screen and (min-width: 630px) { .file-embed-button.narrow, .file-embed-error-button.narrow { display: none; } } @media screen and (min-width: 541px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player { min-width: 500px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player .audio-player-progress { border-left-width: 16px; border-right-width: 16px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper .audio-player .audio-player-progress .audio-player-= progress-bar .audio-player-progress-bar-popup { top: -54px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-progress { border-left-width: 16px; border-right-width: 16px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 650px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-progress .audio-p= layer-progress-bar .audio-player-progress-bar-popup { top: -54px; } } @media (min-width: 250px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player { padding: 32px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: flex; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:last-of-type= { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 300px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 350px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-substack-logo { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-title { margin-top: 16px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 15%; width: 15%; display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-substack-logo { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 350px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 25%; width: 25%; display: block; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { display: flex; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button:first-of-typ= e { display: block; } } @media (min-width: 400px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 40%; width: 40%; } } @media (max-width: 400px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group { margin-top: 12px; } .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .btn-group .button { font-size: 13px; padding: 6px 12px; height: auto; margin-top: 10px; } } @media (min-width: 600px) { .audio-player-wrapper-fancy .audio-player .audio-player-hero-image-contai= ner { padding-top: 55%; width: 55%; } } @media (max-width: 650px) { .poll-editor-modal { min-width: calc(100% - 20px); } } @media (max-width: 750px) { .poll-embed .poll-anchor-target .poll-anchor-copy-button { left: 8px; top: 45px; } } @media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm) { @supports (-webkit-appearance: none) { p a:not(.primary.button), .post p:not(.button-wrapper) a:not(.primary.button), .footnote a.footnote-anchor:not(.primary.button), .thread-head .markup p:not(.button-wrapper) a:not(.primary.button) { color: #ff6719; text-decoration: none; } p a:not(.primary.button):hover, .post p:not(.button-wrapper) a:not(.primary.button):hover, .footnote a.footnote-anchor:not(.primary.button):hover, .thread-head .markup p:not(.button-wrapper) a:not(.primary.button):hove= r { text-decoration: underline; } } }3D""
One of the vendors in this space reached out to me and asked me to sha= re this anonymously.
͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &= nbsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ;͏     ­͏     ­͏   Q= 99; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &n= bsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ͏     ­͏     ­͏   ̳= 9; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nb= sp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&= #847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= 47;     ­͏     ­͏     = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  =   ­͏     ­͏     ­T= 7;     ­͏     ­͏     &= #173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   =   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏= ;     ­͏     ­͏     &#= 173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &= #8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏=     ­͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &= nbsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ;͏     ­͏     ­͏   Q= 99; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &n= bsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ͏     ­͏     ­͏   ̳= 9; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nb= sp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&= #847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= 47;     ­͏     ­͏     = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  =   ­͏     ­͏     ­T= 7;     ­͏     ­͏     &= #173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   =   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏= ;     ­͏     ­͏     &#= 173;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &= #8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏=     ­͏     ­͏     = 73;͏     ­͏     ­͏   &#= 8199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ =     ­͏     ­͏     = 3;͏     ­͏     ­͏   = 199; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &= nbsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ;͏     ­͏     ­͏   Q= 99; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &n= bsp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­= ͏     ­͏     ­͏   ̳= 9; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nb= sp;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&= #847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ; ­͏     ­͏     ­͏ &nbs= p;   ­͏     ­͏     ­&#= 847;     ­͏     ­͏    = ­͏     ­͏     ­͏  = ;   ­͏     ­͏     ­=
 
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READ IN APP3D""
 

One of the vendors in this space reached = out to me and asked me to share this anonymously. I think it’s import= ant context for everyone here — especially when you see vendors strug= gling with payment options or going dark unexpectedly. This is a direct mes= sage from them, shared with permission:

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“I am a vendor in this space, but I wa= nted to explain how insane payment processing is in this industry and why w= e sincerely appreciate when you all choose ACH, debit, or Zelle-type paymen= ts.

I’m in an online group with around 20 pe= ptide vendors — some smaller than us, some larger, but a good mix acr= oss the board.

We’re less than a year old in= this space, but not new to ecommerce by any means. We’ve run and man= aged ecomm stores for nearly 27 years. Our main business employs close to 1= 00 people, so adding a peptide vertical was logistically straightforward.

Before we even launched, it took us nearly 45 days = just to secure a processor that accepted embedded credit cards at checkout.= The rate we got was not friendly — 9.5% per transaction, 10% reserve= s held for 270 days, plus fees on top of fees. That was the best available.= We also added two gift card-to-credit solutions and one payment facilitato= r as backups.

Within the first month, one gift car= d solution went down holding $3,500. Our payment facilitator went down hold= ing another $4,000. We still had two other solutions and ACH, so we kept mo= ving.

Then January hit. Our second gift card solut= ion went down holding $13,500. At that point we hadn’t seen any of th= e previous $21,000 either.

Mid-January we added a = new embedded card solution. February we added a third. Things looked good &= #8212; until end of February/early March, when both went down. One is holdi= ng $179,000 and claims they’ll pay us in six months. The other was ho= lding $4,000.

Early March we found two more embedd= ed solutions. We started running one as a backup — four days in, they= shut off all processing and are now holding $60,000. No idea if we’l= l ever see it. Today I got an email from the other saying they’re hav= ing issues too and to stop processing. They’re holding $290,000.=

So in less than six months of business, we have $554,0= 00 held by processors, another $290,000 held in bank reserves, and likely a= nother $500,000 sitting in standard 3–7 day payout holds. We’re= looking at close to $1.5 million dollars in limbo — and we’re = not sure if we’ll ever see most of it.

Just = another day as a vendor in this space. It isn’t for the weak.”<= /em>

=

I wanted to share this because a lot of you have asked w= hy certain vendors don’t always have card processing available, or wh= y payment options change without much warning. This is why. It’s not = mismanagement — it’s an industry-wide problem that hits every v= endor regardless of size or how well-run the business is.

W= hen a vendor offers ACH, Zelle, or debit options and passes savings along f= or using them, that’s not a gimmick. It directly helps them hold onto= cash that would otherwise be sitting in someone else’s hands for mon= ths — or disappear entirely.

Something worth keeping = in mind next time you’re placing an order.

For research= use only, not for human consumption.

<= /div>

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© 2026 Derek Pruski
548 Marke= t Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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