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they've been nothing but headaches (especially if you're young—nobody trusts you.)

Ah, things must have changed from early 2000s. I had no problems getting (pretty high risk) merchant accounts back in high school.

That said, Stripe looks pretty cool. No more authorize.net mess=)

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I'm a college student, and pay cash for nearly everything, so I have very little credit history. After trying 3 or 4 merchants earlier this year, I still couldn't find one that would accept me, even with my father co-signing. Stripe is good news for young businesses.

Get a credit card and start using it -- paying it off 100% every month. I was in your shoes only a few years ago and it is worth starting to build your good credit early on. Even if you can only get a $300 limit.

Variation: you can get a secured credit card. Give them money, and that's your limit. But it's a credit card nonetheless. After some period of time, you get the money back, and a better card. Talk to your bank.

I've been turned down a few times for merchant accounts. The company I started in college got turned down, and we ended up using paypal.

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