

Uncensored Direct Marketing
Maria Sparagis
Hosted by Maria Sparagis, president of DirectPayNet, and payment solutions expert for entrepreneurs in the high risk industries of supplements, dating, business opportunities, gambling and more. On this podcast, Maria shares her knowledge on how to reduce decline ratios, add thousands of dollars to your bottom line with a few simple conversion hacks, and maximize revenue while keeping your high-risk merchant accounts happy and healthy. As a cryptocurrency advocate since 2012, Maria will also share her knowledge on the digital currency markets.
Maria has worked with several high level entrepreneurs in Direct Marketing including Christian Hudson, Julian Reyes, Jeremy Schoemaker “ShoeMoney”, Mike Chang and many more.
She has been featured in American Banker, Vice, Inside Bitcoins, Coindesk, and Yahoo.
Connect with Maria mariasparagis.com or directpaynet.com
Maria has worked with several high level entrepreneurs in Direct Marketing including Christian Hudson, Julian Reyes, Jeremy Schoemaker “ShoeMoney”, Mike Chang and many more.
She has been featured in American Banker, Vice, Inside Bitcoins, Coindesk, and Yahoo.
Connect with Maria mariasparagis.com or directpaynet.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 21, 2024 • 7min
Authorize.net on Shopify, a Top Gateway Alternative
Authorize.net is one of the best and most versatile payment gateways for any online business. Here's why you should use it and how to connect it to your Shopify account.Need a merchant account? Get in touch! ➡️ directpaynet.com/contact-us0:00 Intro00:34 What Is Authorize.net1:52 Getting an Account3:41 Connecting to Shopify6:50 Outro

Oct 16, 2024 • 15min
How to Boost Checkout Conversions
Not converting at checkout, or even before? Here's what might be going on and how to solve it.Checkout conversions are the make-or-break moment for your business. Without sales, you're toast. Understanding why customers drop off and where they drop off is a key factor in improving not only your checkout flow but also your product and your business.0:00 Intro00:47 How to Increase Conversions02:31 A Winning Checkout Page4:32 Understanding Your Declines7:20 Biggest Decline Reasons14:28 Outro✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Sep 18, 2024 • 19min
Ep. 168 - How to Win and Prevent Chargeback Disputes
Chargebacks suck. They're inevitable... but also preventable! Let's get into the timeline of a chargeback, how you can save yourself some $$$ with chargeback alerts, and methods any business can utilize to reduce chargebacks to a minimum.Remember, every business experiences chargebacks. But that doesn't mean your business has to suffer because of them.Get payment processing that SUPPORTS your business:directpaynet.com/contact-us0:00 Intro0:45 Every Business Experiences Chargebacks1:41 Cardholder Rights4:02 Common Reason Codes6:51 Business Owner Rights8:16 Win or Lose a Dispute11:34 Tips to Prevent Chargebacks17:37 Biggest Benefit19:09 OutroConnect with Maria:🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://x.com/directpaynet

Sep 9, 2024 • 19min
Ep. 167 - Stripe Payout Paused? How to Recover Quickly
Stripe paused payouts? Can't access Stripe funds? Can't accept payments?These are all too common issues globally for Stripe users. This video will cover how to handle it step-by-step so you can keep your business running and get your money back.Stripe shut you down: https://youtu.be/Y4SHOET94G8Lower Stripe fees: https://youtu.be/dTCC0SSS8BoBackups and Application Approval: https://youtu.be/mz_KYFtEJf80:00 Intro1:11 #1 Missing Account Info2:41 #2 Disputes3:57 #3 Your Niche5:51 #4 You Scaled Too Quickly7:57 #5 Restricted Businesses List8:48 #6 Foreign Merchants10:32 #7 Statement Warnings12:05 3 Steps to Save Your Business18:37 Outro✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Aug 26, 2024 • 7min
Ep. 166 - Stripe and GoHighLevel Integration - Pros, Cons, and Alternatives
Go High Level has tight Stripe integration, but that doesn't mean it's the only option. You connect many of the world's most popular and versatile payment gateways into your GoHighLevel account, opening up the opportunity to use a payment processor that better suits your business.In this video, you'll find out if Stripe and GHL are right for you.0:00 Stripe and GHL1:18 Options Other Than Stripe2:09 Stripe-Only Features3:06 Benefits of Having a Backup4:08 Should You Use GHL?6:22 Optimizing Your GHL Experience✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Aug 19, 2024 • 14min
Ep. 165 - Steps to Get Your Merchant Account Application Approved
Getting your merchant account application approved is not easy, but this video will cover everything you need to know to get banks and providers to say "yes" to yours.0:00 Intro00:58 What are you selling?1:37 Is your product high risk?3:24 Is your website ready?8:11 Are you on MATCH or TMF?9:40 Have you declared bankruptcy?10:23 Do you have bad credit?11:43 Is your bank account low?13:31 Outro Stripe account suspended? https://youtu.be/duyX85tqSNkStripe permanently terminated? https://youtu.be/L6075XCHvOw✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Aug 5, 2024 • 14min
Ep. 164 - Why and How to Move Tokenized Subscription Data Out of Stripe
Stripe Tokens are super useful if you go all-in on Stripe—but you should NEVER rely solely on one solution. As a business owner, it's risky to put all your eggs in one basket. Stripe Tokens don't let you move around so freely, though. So what can you do?If you're selling subscriptions via Stripe and tokenizing that data (as you should be doing), then find a 3rd-party vault to transfer those tokens to. That way, you can use the same customer data and subscription data no matter when payment solution you choose.✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Jul 29, 2024 • 11min
Ep. 163 - "Help, Stripe Shut me down!" - Steps to Recovering Your Business
If Stripe shut you down without warning or notice and you need to get your store back up and running ASAP, THIS VIDEO IS FOR YOU!Before trying to get your money back or your Stripe account unsuspended, open a new account somewhere else. Your first priority should ALWAYS be the ability to process payments. Without that, you don't have a business.Follow my guide and your business will be back up and running in no time, Stripe or not.✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Jul 22, 2024 • 60min
Ep. 162 - Creating the Perfect Podcast for Your Business | with Justin Moore
Every business should have a podcast, and Justin Moore of Podigy Podcasts is here to show you just how it's done. No matter what you sell or what you offer, there is always a reason to have a podcast. It helps you connect with customers on a deeper level, building a relationship beyond the sale.FInd out just what you need to get started and how to do it efficiently in this episode of Uncensored Direct Marketing.Get in touch with Justin Moore:🔗All the resources he mentioned are here: https://www.skool.com/the-coachcast-academy-3205/classroom/eb258c8f?md=a6062fc45f324219b4feec8b1d9944f5➡️ Check out his podcast: @podigypodcasts ➡️ Check out his Instagram: instagram.com/podigypodcasts✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet

Jul 15, 2024 • 21min
Ep. 161 - How to Scrub Issuing Bank Declines from Your Transaction List
Issuing bank declines like insufficient funds, do not honor, etc. are KILLING your relationship with your payment processor and your bottom line. For every decline, you pay a fee. So why not scrub issuing bank declines from your transaction list? Here's how.✓ Need a merchant account? Get in touch!🔗 Maria Sparagis Website: http://mariasparagis.com🔗 DirectPayNet Website: https://directpaynet.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasparagis🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasparagis.directpaynet🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directpaynet_paymentsolutions🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/directpaynet