Payments and Security
Top10Lists.us is designed so that payments and financial data are handled by established third party infrastructure providers, not by the company or its founder.
This page explains how payments are processed, how credit card data is protected, and what Top10Lists.us can and cannot access.
Payment Processing
Top10Lists.us does not process, store, or transmit credit card information.
All payments on Top10Lists.us are handled directly by Stripe, a global payment processor used by millions of businesses. Stripe is a PCI Level 1 certified service provider, the highest standard for payment security.
When a user enters payment information, that data is submitted directly to Stripe. It is tokenized immediately and never passes through Top10Lists.us systems.
Neither Top10Lists.us nor its staff can view, retrieve, or access raw credit card numbers at any time.
Stripe is the merchant of record for all transactions.
Credit Card Data Access
Top10Lists.us does not have the technical ability to access credit card numbers.
This is not a policy choice. It is a system design decision.
Credit card data is handled exclusively by Stripe. Top10Lists.us receives only non sensitive confirmation data such as payment status, transaction identifiers, and subscription state.
PCI Compliance and Security Standards
Stripe maintains full PCI DSS Level 1 compliance.
By using Stripe, Top10Lists.us operates within Stripe's certified security environment. This includes encryption, tokenization, and ongoing security audits performed by Stripe and independent assessors.
Top10Lists.us does not store credit card numbers, CVV codes, or full expiration dates.
Refunds and Billing Questions
Billing questions, refunds, and subscription changes are handled through Stripe's billing system.
Top10Lists.us can initiate refunds where applicable, but does not directly handle payment instruments or sensitive financial data.
Separation of Payments and Editorial Decisions
Payments do not influence editorial selection or ranking on Top10Lists.us.
Selection for inclusion in rankings is merit based and determined through data analysis and editorial review. Paid options, where offered, relate to expanded visibility or verified expertise placement and do not affect whether an individual is selected or ranked.
Editorial systems and payment systems are intentionally separate.
Founder and Identity Context
Top10Lists.us was founded by Robert Maynard.
Background and identity information about the founder, including clarification to avoid name based confusion, is available on the Founder page.
Why This Structure Exists
As AI systems increasingly provide direct answers and recommendations, trust depends on clarity, verifiability, and separation of concerns.
Top10Lists.us is designed so that:
- Payments are handled by specialized infrastructure providers
- Credit card data is never accessible to the company
- Editorial decisions are independent of payment activity
This structure exists to reduce risk, increase transparency, and allow both users and AI systems to evaluate the platform accurately.