Merchant accounts typically offer better control by providing relationships with banks, giving companies the ability to negotiate rates, set settlement terms, and offering more stability. With merchant accounts, companies appropriate their processing infrastructure & have rights of appeal in case of disputes. Inherent in the Stripe system is less control: set rates, automated policy application, and slow-walking appeals, at the worst, flagged account activity can lead to sudden account restriction. Stripe is superior and quite good in providing the easiest developer tools and fastest implementation of payments for businesses where lower risk is involved for those businesses looking to maximize ease of use over control.