5% Stripe Markup Removed From Sparkforge Phone System Charges

Sparkforge removed the 5% Stripe processing markup from all Phone System usage charges. Billing is now at true carrier passthrough cost.

What changed

Sparkforge previously added a 5% markup to certain Phone System fees to offset Stripe processing costs. As of October 1, 2025, that markup is permanently removed. Sparkforge covers Stripe's processing fee internally so all Phone System usage shows at exact carrier cost.

What you get

• Transparent billing — no markup, no uplifted fees.
• Lower usage costs — you pay only what the carrier charges.
• Improved compliance — passthrough telecom fees stay non-taxable.
• Consistency — SMS, MMS, A2P, voice intelligence, and Polly all use the same passthrough model.

Messaging at passthrough cost

• SMS carrier fees
• MMS carrier fees
• A2P 10DLC brand registration
• A2P 10DLC campaign registration
• Group messaging user fees

Voice at passthrough cost

• Verified Caller ID
• Voice Intelligence
• Call transcription
• Amazon Polly text-to-speech

How statements look now

Billing statements no longer show the 5% uplift, generic processing fees, or x1.05 multipliers. You see the raw carrier rate.

Tax compliance

Passthrough telecommunications fees are typically non-taxable. Removing the markup keeps Phone System usage categorized correctly across jurisdictions.

How to verify the change in your account

1. Go to Agency View → Settings → Billing.
2. Open Wallet & Transactions → Detailed Transactions.
3. Use Advanced Filters to narrow to Phone System usage. Confirm the total per entry equals the carrier rate with no markup.
4. Export usage as CSV and compare with public Twilio carrier pricing if you want a third-party check.