A question from enterprise leaders: “At what transaction volume does it make sense to internalize our payment processing?”

The Volume Paradox

Most organizations focus solely on MDR savings. The math seems simple: if you’re processing significant volume, why not capture that margin yourself?
But here’s what the spreadsheet doesn’t show:

The Hidden Complexity Layers

• Regulatory compliance isn’t a one-time cost—it’s an ongoing commitment
• PCI-DSS certification is just the beginning, not the end
• Building the technology is easier than maintaining operational resilience
• Your team’s bandwidth has an opportunity cost

Beyond Break-even Thinking

There is a pattern with successful payment internalization projects in the Thai market. They share three characteristics beyond just volume:

1. Strategic Clarity: They know why they’re building—data ownership, customer experience control, or ecosystem integration. Cost saving alone rarely justifies the complexity.
2. Ecosystem Readiness: Their transaction patterns are predictable, concentrated, and growing. One-off spikes don’t build sustainable infrastructure.
3. Capability Alignment: They have (or can acquire) the right technical and regulatory expertise. Payment infrastructure isn’t adjacent to your core business—it becomes part of it.

The Inflexion Point

While it’s difficult to share a specific client benchmarks, there’s a threshold where the conversation shifts from “Can we?” to “How should we?”
That threshold isn’t universal. It depends on:

 – Your transaction concentration and predictability
 – Your strategic ambitions beyond cost reduction
 – Your organizational capability to manage regulated infrastructure
 – Your market position and negotiating leverage with existing providers

Alternative Paths

Interestingly, some of the most sophisticated players choose not to build. Instead, they: Negotiate enterprise-grade commercial terms based on volume commitment / Deploy multi-provider strategies to optimize routing and reduce dependency/ Explore strategic partnerships that share economics without operational burden/ Sometimes the smartest infrastructure decision is deciding what not to build.

A Framework, not a formula

Every organization’s payment journey is different. The companies getting this right aren’t following a template—they’re applying a rigorous strategic framework tailored to their specific context. What’s been your experience with payment infrastructure decisions? What factors carried the most weight in your evaluation.