Best High-Risk Merchant Account Providers

If you sell T-shirts or earrings, you'll have no problem finding a payment processor. But if you sell subscriptions or CBD products, that can be a nightmare because your business is considered high-risk. You may not think that it is, but processors do.

Even if you have great sales and run a legitimate business, there's a high chance that many (if not most) regular processors will simply tell you – no.

So, what do you do in this case? You look for a payment processor that works specifically with high-risk businesses, of course.

Read on because this article lists the best ones.

Top High-Risk Merchant Account Providers

PROVIDER	BEST FOR	RATING
Adaptiv Payments	Broad coverage across high-risk industries	4,9/5
Durango Merchant Services	International and offshore processing	4,8/5
Easy Pay Direct	High-ticket and high-volume businesses	4,7/5
Host Merchant Services	Flexible setups for payments	4,6/5
PaymentCloud	Businesses that want more hands-on support	4,5/5
High Risk Pay	Startups and businesses with poor credit	4,4/5
SoarPay	High-risk businesses in the U.S.	4,3/5

The best option here is Adaptiv Payments because they're so well-rounded. They work with many different types of high-risk businesses, and they also offer international processing, protection against fraud, and chargeback support.

If most of your business happens abroad, though, then you might prefer Durango. Easy Pay Direct makes the most sense for businesses that process large amounts or have unusually high-value transactions.

Host Merchant Services is ideal for those that value flexibility in the way they accept payments, and PaymentCloud is good for businesses that have complicated setups because their account support is excellent.

High Risk Pay is a no-brainer for startups and businesses with poor credit because they can struggle a lot with approval, while SoarPay covers a really long list of high-risk businesses, but they're aimed more at those based in the U.S.

How the Providers Compare

PROVIDER	HIGH-RISK COVERAGE	INTERNATIONAL PROCESSING	TOOLS FOR FRAUD AND CHARGEBACKS
Adaptiv Payments	Many high-risk industries	Yes	Filters for preventing fraud, tools for disputes and chargeback alerts
Durango Merchant Services	High-risk businesses and ones that are hard to place	Yes, including merchant accounts	Fraud controls, tools for preventing chargebacks
Easy Pay Direct	High-risk, high-volume, and high-ticket businesses	Yes. Offshore options included	Fraud screening, alerts for chargebacks and transaction routing
Host Merchant Services	High-risk and regulated industries	Yes, with processing in multiple currencies	Monitoring in real time, fraud detection, tools for managing chargebacks
PaymentCloud	Wide range of high-risk industries	Yes	Fraud prevention, chargeback management
High Risk Pay	Startups, businesses with poor credit, businesses with a lot of chargebacks	Limited	Tools for detecting fraud and preventing chargebacks
SoarPay	More than 50 high-risk and regulated industries	Limited	AVS, CVV, and built-in fraud filters

Out of all the high-risk payment gateway solutions, Adaptiv Payments covers the most ground, and it's by far the most well-rounded option for any business that needs more than a basic way to run credit cards. Aside from offering merchant accounts for industries that are considered to be high-risk, they also offer ACH payments, virtual terminals, recurring billing, and e-commerce integrations.

And since they work with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, you don't even have to rebuild the setup you already have if you want to change processors.

Pros

• Works with a very wide range of high-risk industries
• Offers ACH, virtual terminals, recurring billing, and ecommerce processing
• Works with both domestic and international banking partners
• Supports major ecommerce platforms

Cons

• They don't have a standard processing rate published on their site, so pricing has to be requested

Pricing and Other Details on Adaptiv Payments

DECIDING FACTOR	DETAILS
Processing rates	None is listed publicly because it’s tailored to the specific business
Setup fees	None
Application	Online, takes less than 5 minutes
Approval	It’s fast and digital. Preliminary approval can be done in as little as 24-48 hours
Funding	24-48 hours
International processing	Multiple currencies supported, available solutions for international merchants
Support	24/7 tech support

How to Choose the Right Option

There are multiple payment processors to choose from, but to know which one’s the best one for your business, it’s good to go through this checklist:

What’s Your Industry?

Before you do anything else, make sure that the provider you're interested in is willing to work with a business in your industry. Not every high-risk processor works with every single type of business.

Full Price (Including All the Additional/Hidden Fees)

A low processing rate looks great, but more often than not, you'll pay fees on top of that. Check what the fees are so you know what you'll actually pay.

Check What ‘International’ Means

If you work overseas, check what 'international' means. Even if you aren’t working outside your country right now, you might want to in the future once the business grows/scales. Some providers only let you accept foreign cards, and others can onboard businesses abroad, settle in different currencies, and so on. Basically, the term 'international' doesn't tell you a lot.

FAQ

Why are some businesses considered to be high-risk?

It really comes down to how much risk the processor thinks they're taking on. Your industry could be the reason you're considered high-risk, but it could also be your chargeback rates, size of transactions, the fact that you sell internationally, etc.

Will you pay more if your business is high-risk?

Possibly. There's no rule that says high-risk businesses pay higher rates, but it depends on the specifics of your area of work.

What if your credit isn't good?

That doesn't automatically mean you'll get rejected because some providers specialize in working with businesses that have bad credit. Of course, even that doesn't guarantee that you'll get approved.

Date: 27.08.2026