About Margin Labs

Independent advice.
No stack to sell.

An independent embedded payments advisory practice. Not a vendor, not a broker, not a course brand. Aligned with operator outcomes — not processing volume.

What Margin Labs Is

Built for operators, not for processors.

Margin Labs helps software platforms model, capture, and optimize the payments revenue hiding in their existing business. The practice serves vertical SaaS operators at $2M–$50M ARR who are evaluating embedded payments for the first time, optimizing a program that's underperforming, or questioning what they're paying to process.

Every engagement starts from the same premise: payments only work when the people who are supposed to use them actually do. The Margin Multiplier framework, the four-model approach, and every piece of advisory work builds backwards from adoption — not infrastructure.

The Framework

Four models.
One right answer for your stage.

The Margin Multiplier maps any vertical SaaS platform against all four embedded payments monetization models — ISV Referral, Enhanced Residuals, PayFac-as-a-Service, and Full PayFac — and quantifies the revenue delta between where you are and where you could be.

Most platforms commit to a model too early and change it too late. The gap between Model 1 and Model 3 is typically 3× revenue. The implementation gap is rarely as large as people think.

Model 01

ISV Referral

~15–25 bps

Model 02

Enhanced Residuals

~30–50 bps

Model 03 — Most Common Sweet Spot

PayFac-as-a-Service

~60–100 bps

Model 04

Full PayFac

~100–150 bps

How It Works

Diagnostic → Model → Recommend → Execute.

We work on a project or retainer basis depending on scope and stage. Engagements range from a single diagnostic call to a multi-month strategy retainer.

Step 01

Diagnostic

We start with your numbers: volume, vertical, current model, merchant count, and activation rate. The Margin Multiplier runs your scenario against all four models and produces an economic baseline.

Step 02

Model

We build your custom opportunity model — revenue projections at $1M, $5M, $10M volume increments. Three-year forward view. Payback analysis on implementation cost. This is the asset you take to your board.

Step 03

Recommend

Stack-agnostic provider recommendation. Vendor scorecard completed for your shortlist. Negotiation anchor points identified. No preferred processor — the recommendation is yours to act on.

Step 04

Execute

Adoption playbook. Merchant onboarding design. Pricing strategy. KPI dashboard. Implementation Gantt. Everything you need to go from decision to revenue.

Who It's For

Built for operators at the point of decision.

Vertical SaaS operators at $2M–$50M ARR who are evaluating embedded payments for the first time or optimizing a program that isn't performing to its potential.

PE-backed platforms whose boards are asking why payments revenue is underperforming benchmarks. SMBs questioning whether they're overpaying to process.

And — quietly — product leaders in fintech and payments-adjacent SaaS who want an independent model before they commit to a vendor or a board recommendation.

What It's Not

No processor. No ISO. No vendor.

Margin Labs does not process payments, represent an ISO, or earn undisclosed referral fees. When a referral is made, it's disclosed. When switching isn't worth it, that's the answer — even when there's income on the table.

Ready to model your margin opportunity?

Start with the Margin Multiplier — free, no sales call, delivered in under 2 minutes. Or reach out directly to discuss an engagement.

Run the Margin Multiplier → Start a Conversation ↗

Independent advice.No stack to sell.