# ALIP-0001 Take-Rate Framework: Executive Summary

## Overview
ALIP-0001 establishes three fixed take-rate constants governing platform payment processing economics. These locked parameters create predictability for financial planning and stakeholder alignment.

## Core Constants
The framework defines two distinct take-rate tiers:
- **Stripe Rail:** 1,000 basis points (10%) on transactions processed through Stripe's external payment network
- **Closed-Loop Credit Rail:** 500 basis points (5%) on transactions using internal credit infrastructure
- **Stripe Minimum Threshold:** $1.00 USD minimum transaction size to maintain sustainable unit economics and prevent per-transaction fees from eroding profitability on sub-cent transactions

## Rationale for Locking Constants
Locking these parameters provides certainty for revenue forecasting, partner agreements, and cost modeling. The fixed rates eliminate ambiguity around margin sustainability and create a stable foundation for long-term financial planning.

## Bridge Clause and Sunset Schedule
Section D includes a temporary bridge provision effective 2026-05-12 that absorbs foreign exchange losses incurred by the SE-platform during transition periods. This clause provides operational flexibility during the migration away from SE-platform infrastructure. The SE-platform itself is scheduled to sunset on 2026-08-31 per ALIP-0013, making the bridge clause time-limited and purposefully temporary.

## Economic Justification for Tiered Rates
The differential take-rate structure reflects genuine cost differences between payment rails:

**Stripe Rail (10%):** Stripe's external processing incurs substantial per-transaction costs including base merchant fees (~2.9%), fixed per-transaction charges ($0.30), currency conversion fees, and payout processing fees. These cumulative costs justify the higher 10% take-rate to maintain platform margin and operational sustainability.

**Closed-Loop Rail (5%):** The internal credit rail operates with minimal per-transaction friction and zero direct processing fees. This structural cost advantage enables the platform to capture value at the lower 5% rate while maintaining equivalent margins at scale.

## Conclusion
ALIP-0001's locked constants balance three objectives: ensuring revenue sustainability across different payment channels, providing transparency and predictability to stakeholders, and aligning take-rates with underlying cost structures. The time-bound bridge clause manages near-term platform transition while the sunset schedule ensures clean operational separation from legacy infrastructure by Q3 2026.