Every major creator platform (Substack, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, etc.) uses Stripe exclusively and blocks merchant-of-record alternatives. This creates a systematic trap:

Digital service sales have zero VAT/GST thresholds in most countries One international subscriber = immediate tax liability Platforms offer no country filtering and no compliant alternatives Creators either: (1) unknowingly violate tax law, (2) spend $20k+/year on compliance, or (3) shut down Payment processors and platforms profit from this gap by design

This affects 100k+ U.S. creators with $1B+ in collective tax liability.