WHAT ALEXIOSTM IS.
AND WHAT IT IS NOT.
The terms of the arrangement, stated before the application.
THE COMPANY
WHAT IS APERTURE?
Aperture is a compliance infrastructure company. It builds and operates AlexiosTM, the platform that governs how regulated merchants reach payment acceptance.
WHAT EXACTLY IS ALEXIOSTM?
AlexiosTM is the compliance layer between a merchant and a payment processor. It evaluates the business, the business model, and the merchant's website against the standards a processor applies, returns every issue it finds for correction, and continues to monitor the account once the merchant is live.
IS APERTURE A PAYMENT PROCESSOR?
No. Aperture does not process payments, underwrite merchants, or issue merchant accounts. Those functions belong to the payment processor and remain with the payment processor.
IS THIS LEGAL ADVICE?
No. Aperture provides compliance guidance, not legal advice. Regulatory obligations remain with the merchant, and counsel should be retained where the question calls for it.
DOES APERTURE RUN ITS OWN BUSINESS THROUGH THE SAME GATE?
Yes. Gotham Compounds is client zero and passes through the identical gate, with no exception written for it. No merchant's scan results are visible to anyone outside Aperture, including Aperture's own business.
THE MONEY
WHO IS THE MERCHANT OF RECORD?
The merchant. The processor account is opened and held by the merchant, who stands as the merchant of record at every point in the relationship. Aperture does not occupy that position at any stage.
DOES APERTURE HOLD OR MOVE MERCHANT FUNDS?
No. Settlement runs from the payment processor directly to the merchant's own bank account. Aperture has no custody of merchant funds at any point in the flow.
HOW DOES APERTURE EARN?
Through an application fee applied to processed volume. There is no service fee, no monthly fee, and no charge for compliance scanning or monitoring. The complete rate schedule is published on the pricing page.
WHAT DOES THE MERCHANT PAY THE PROCESSOR?
The processor's own fees, billed directly by the processor. Aperture's application fee is separate from them and is the only amount Aperture charges.
THE PROCESSOR
WHICH PAYMENT PROCESSOR DOES ALEXIOSTM CONNECT TO?
Stripe is the first supported processor. AlexiosTM is built to operate across multiple processors, and additional processors are being added to the platform.
IS APERTURE AFFILIATED WITH STRIPE?
No. Aperture is an independent platform and uses Stripe Connect in the ordinary way any platform does. There is no partnership, no endorsement, and no special standing.
CAN PEPTIDE COMPANIES USE STRIPE?
Stripe's own published policy states that research-purpose peptides may be sold, on the condition that preventive measures keep them away from buyers who would purchase for non-research purposes. (Stripe support, Prohibited and Restricted Businesses FAQ, as of August 2026.) That condition is where most RUO sites fail. Satisfying it is what AlexiosTM is built to do. Approval remains the processor's decision alone.
DOES ALEXIOSTM GUARANTEE APPROVAL?
No. Approval and continued account status are entirely the processor's decision. AlexiosTM prepares a merchant to meet the standard the processor requires. It does not influence, predict, or control the outcome.
WHO OPENS THE ACCOUNT?
The merchant. Once the gate is cleared, the merchant completes the processor's own application through the platform and holds the processor relationship directly.
WHAT DOCUMENTS WILL THE PROCESSOR ASK FOR?
The processor verifies the business, its tax identification, its owners at 25 percent or more, and its bank account. Documents are requested only where that cannot be done automatically.
THE PLATFORM
WHAT DOES THE SCAN EXAMINE?
The merchant's public-facing site in full. Product language, claims, disclaimers, buyer gating, checkout flow, policy pages, and supporting documentation are evaluated against the requirements a processor applies to regulated commerce.
HOW ARE FINDINGS RETURNED?
As a pass or fail against the gate, with every issue itemized at one of two severities. Blocking issues must be resolved before the gate opens. Advisory issues are recorded for correction.
DOES MONITORING STOP AFTER APPROVAL?
No. Scanning continues weekly for the life of the account, so that drift is found before a processor finds it. An account that processes no volume for three consecutive months moves to monthly scanning, and weekly scanning resumes automatically once volume returns.
WHAT IS THE CHARGEBACK PROTECTOR?
A monitoring function inside AlexiosTM. Detects suspicious transaction patterns early to help reduce chargeback risk. It also advises whether to contest or settle a dispute. AlexiosTM does not prevent or eliminate chargebacks, and it does not promise the outcome of a dispute.
ARE NEW COMPANIES ACCEPTED?
Yes. New Ventures Welcomed. AlexiosTM sets no requirement for processing history, monthly minimums, or time in business. The gate measures compliance, not tenure.
THE COMPLIANCE INFRASTRUCTURE
BEHIND REGULATED COMMERCE.