High Risk Merchant Accounts
High risk merchant accounts allow businesses that are considered high-risk, to process payments online. Businesses looking for instant approval in the high-risk space can apply through Signature Payments and receive competitive rates on their merchant accounts and payment gateways.


Ready to accept payments anytime, anywhere?
What are High Risk Merchant Accounts?
- High risk merchant accounts are a payment processing service for businesses in high risk industries.
- A Paypal merchant account, for example, will only support businesses that are low risk.
- Different factors would require you to find high risk merchant services
- Factors from credit score and chargebacks to industry type can categorize your business as high risk
- Instant approvals for high risk accounts are uncommon but possible for established businesses
Do I Need A High Risk Merchant Account?
How do you know if your business has been categorized as a high risk merchant? And why is it essential to ensure you have the correct merchant account for your business? It’s important to understand the difference because it can significantly impact your business. Find out more with our High Risk 101 downloadable. Businesses in this category must know who the right high risk merchant account providers are. Gateways like NMI, or Authorize.net provide solutions for high risk merchants. Whereas, Stripe merchant services and Square payment processing does not fully support industries like CBD, adult, and firearms.
Merchant Account Instant Approval
Merchants looking for a high risk merchant account for instant approval must find options fast. However, the approval process is an involved one. High risk merchants can improve their chances of getting approved by highlighting the best features of their business and sharing documents quickly. A cover letter should include relevant information, such as the industry insight of people involved in the project.
Merchants should also discuss anything that makes the business stand out, such as proactive fraud monitoring. Better yet, for longevity and financial success, they should avoid companies trying to sell high risk merchant accounts for instant approval. It’s not practical and will often hinder payment processing down the line.

How To Compare High Risk Merchant Accounts
Do your due diligence on high risk merchant accounts. Companies, like Signature Payments offer payment processing solutions and almost instant payment gateway approval. Find a customized plan that highlights what your business needs most.
Merchant account providers are high risk payment processing companies willing to accept the liability for the increased risk.
Surprisingly, most merchants who fall into this class are unaware of it. Luckily we have a list of industries that often look for application approval. View our list of industries to see if your business may require these custom services. Also, for an overseas merchant account, consider if you may need high risk offshore merchant processing accounts.

What are the Most Common Reasons a Business might Need High Risk Merchant Accounts?
01. The business sells products online
A high risk ecommerce merchant account is a type of service commonly referred to as Card-Not-Present merchants.
 
02. The business is in a highly regulated industry
Businesses that sell CBD oils online, e-cigs, firearms, and adults are among a few of the many that would fall in this category.
 
03. The business is in an industry that a bank may see as a reputational risk
Companies like IT or security services deal with customer information and could be considered a reputational risk. Additionally, adult merchant accounts qualify.
 
04. The business industry is known for having a high instances of chargebacks or fraud
Merchant accounts in this arena often experience increased chargebacks, identity theft, and account takeover. This makes banks run in the other direction.
 
05. The business sells products or services using a continuity or recurring billing model
This type of business model brings a lot of chargebacks when clients are billed without consent or remembering they even signed up. Resultantly, many chargebacks will lead to your account shutting down entirely.
 
06. The person signing on to the merchant account has lousy credit
This one is a no-brainer. Banks are less willing to lend funds to those with bad credit. That’s when a high-risk processing company comes in handy.
How To Get Fast Merchant Account Approval
Address high trading volumes in a cover letter. Trading volumes impact the risk to the processing company. Showing a solid processing history with a great deal of money moving through the business can increase the chance of approval. Finally, high risk merchant accounts should have the plan to address long fulfillment duration. Fulfillment duration refers to the time it takes between when payment is collected and when the service or product is delivered. The longer the fulfillment duration, the higher the risk of chargebacks. Therefore, the riskier the business. Reducing the fulfillment duration or showing firm reserves lowers the merchant’s risk.
Approval For Offshore Accounts
International businesses who need offshore merchant account providers can gain insight into how to get approved for a high risk offshore merchant account. Other things to consider about finding a suitable payment processor include the ratio of chargebacks your company incurs.
High Risk Merchant Accounts and Payment Gateway Solutions
Our gateway gives you access to information regarding your new account. Including individual transactions and batch totals with comprehensive reporting tools. Signature Payments end-to-end solution offers flexible products and high risk merchant account services that enable merchants to accept nearly all types of electronic payments, including major credit cards: MasterCard®, VISA®, American Express®, Discover®, Diners Club International®, signature debit cards, Gift and loyalty cards, and even for a high risk ACH merchant account.
How To Accept Bitcoin As Payment
How To Accept Bitcoin As PaymentSep 25, 2023 | Payments To accept Bitcoin as payment on your website you’ll need to install a crypto payment gateway. A gateway exchanges the data between the customer’s account and yours. These integrations are found through payment processors that support cryptocurrency exchanges. If you…
Elon Musk’s Twitter Payment Platform
Elon Musk’s Twitter Payment PlatformSep 25, 2023 | Payments Elon Musk has recently made a splash in the payments industry with his new Twitter Payment Platform, which promises users a fast and secure way to transfer money. But is this platform a threat to other payment processors? In this article,…
Accept Crypto Payments On Shopify
Accept Crypto Payments On ShopifySep 22, 2023 | Payments With a surge in Bitcoin popularity, many eCommerce stores want to accept crypto payments on Shopify. Customers seek new options and checkout, and among them is cryptocurrency. For online stores, this means adapting payment gateways that suit alternative forms of payment. …
How to Accept Crypto Payments
How to Accept Crypto PaymentsSep 22, 2023 | Payments If you want to learn how to accept crypto payments, follow these simple steps. Find a cryptocurrency integration that works with your website There are major solutions like Bitpay or Coinbase that work with major websites If you currently have a…
Integrated Payments with Signature Payments
Integrated Payments with Signature PaymentsSep 21, 2023 | Payments Staying ahead requires seamless and efficient payment solutions in today's fast-paced business landscape. Signature Payments, a trusted merchant services company, understands the importance of integrated payment systems in running a successful business. This comprehensive guide explores how integrated payment systems can…
High Risk Merchant Account Underwriting Process
High Risk Merchant Account Underwriting ProcessSep 21, 2023 | High Risk The merchant account underwriting process can be overwhelming. This is particularly true for high risk merchant accounts, and those merchants who have been declined by traditional banks and aggregate payment processors. In every industry, some companies challenge regulations and…
Crypto Payment Gateway
Crypto Payment GatewaySep 20, 2023 | Gateway A crypto payment gateway is an online tool that allows you to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. With a gateway integration, you give customers the option of paying with crypto. As a retailer, you can then convert the coins into USD…
Point of Sale Systems for Retail
Point of Sale Systems for RetailSep 20, 2023 | Payments The last impression that a customer will have of your business is during their checkout experience. It is crucial to make this process as smooth and efficient as possible in order to leave a positive lasting impression and ensure customer…
Boompay v4.0: Your Cutting-Edge Payment Gateway
Boompay v4.0: Your Cutting-Edge Payment GatewaySep 20, 2023 | Gateway, Payments In the rapidly evolving landscape of online commerce, having a reliable payment gateway is paramount for merchants across industries. Enter Boompay v4.0, the latest iteration of this trailblazing payment solution. Whether you operate an e-commerce website, a subscription-based service,…
Does Stripe Allow Adult Content
Does Stripe Allow Adult ContentSep 20, 2023 | High Risk, Payments Stripe has strict regulations with how they allow adult content. In Stripe’s rules and regulations they specify you cannot have pornography which depicts nude or sexual acts. Moreover, they don’t allow adult services such as escorts, massages, or live…