Adult Merchant Account
We provide merchant accounts for a wide range of adult business types
Signature Payments has been providing adult merchant accounts to businesses for over 20 years. As experts in the adult industry, our experienced in-house team is ready to help you get your merchant account approved.
Ready to Get Approved?
Get Started Today!
We understand the unique needs of your business.
As part of any successful business, business owners must find a reliable processor to facilitate payments. Adult based businesses are considered high risk and many processors can’t or won’t accept these types of merchants. Why are adult merchants considered high risk?
There are a few reasons why businesses in this category often face difficulty securing adult credit card processing.
- Chargebacks: Adult businesses have a much higher probability of chargebacks being filed by customers. Chargebacks are similar to traditional refunds. Instead of reversing transactions through you directly, customers reverse the charges through their banks — while keeping whatever service or item they ordered. Chargebacks exist across all industries, but they are especially common in the online world, given the ease and anonymity with which users can reverse transactions. With certain industries — including adult and dating sites — chargebacks happen even more often. As a result, qualifying for a merchant account is extremely difficult.
- Reputational Risk: Even if chargebacks are low, some banks cite “reputation risk” as a reason to not accept adult merchants for processing. This reputation is partially justified given how many bad actors there are in the larger adult space. Unfortunately, these negative perceptions indirectly impact everyone in the industry. This makes securing a merchant account very difficult — even if yours is a reputable and transparent business.
- Regulatory Hurdles: In 2020, Visa expanded their “high-brand risk” categories for certain merchants (including online dating businesses). In addition to carrying an obligatory $500 application fee, registering as a high-brand risk merchant shrinks the pool of payment options available to you. That’s because only certain banks and processors are authorized to work with businesses in this category. With fewer payment processing options from which to choose, you’ll likely pay higher-than-normal rates — assuming you’re able to find a provider with which you can work.
Securing a merchant account for an adult business requires a payment processor who specializes in high risk and understands the unique needs of adult merchants.
While most payment processors will say no (for any number of reasons), we say yes.
In fact, Signature Payments has a long history of serving adult industry merchants — providing them with safe, fast and convenient payment options to help them scale their businesses. We understand their unique needs and our experience in the high-risk space uniquely positions us to provide the solutions and support to help businesses grow.
With Signature Payments you get…
Easy Sign-Up
Our application can be accessed online for quick and easy completion in just a few minutes.
Fast Approvals
Our application process is quick and easy so you can accept payments quickly.
No Hidden Fees
Our team works hard to get your account approved at the lowest possible rates with no hidden fees.
Flexible Solutions
We work with multiple banks and offer both domestic and offshore solutions to give you the flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of businesses do you accept?
Signature Payments accepts a wide range of retail, eCommerce and mobile-based businesses related to the adult industry including bookshops, cam sites, video, adult novelties, online and gentlemen’s clubs.
Are all adult businesses considered high risk?
No. Signature Payments does not consider all adult businesses to be high risk. Examples of low-risk businesses include novelty stores, gentlemen’s clubs and erotic art and books. However, even businesses in these sectors may sometimes face resistance when applying for merchant accounts with other providers.
Many people have strong opinions about adult-related content. Some of these individuals are the ones who will review your payment processing application. If you’ve already faced these types of hurdles in the past, we may be able to help. To learn more, contact us today.
What kinds of payments can I accept?
With a Signature Payments adult industry merchant account, your clients will be able to securely pay using any major credit or debit card — including those issued by Visa®, American Express®, Discover® and Mastercard®. In addition, you can accept payments made via mobile wallet, check or electronic benefits transfer (EBT). We’re committed to helping you grow. The ability to accept multiple payment types dramatically increases your chances of making that next sale — and the next one after that.
What if my credit history is a little shaky?
Because a Personal guarantee is a requisite in most cases, we do take your personal credit history into account. However, we also review your business’s financial history and other factors to determine your creditworthiness. If your business has a decent track record of generating sales and paying bills, we invite you to apply for adult merchant processing with us today.
What criteria does my business need to meet to be approved for an adult merchant account?
This will depend on whether or not the business is classified as high risk or low risk. For more information on the criteria your business needs to meet, contact us and we’d be happy to discuss your business needs.
How do I apply for adult payment processing?
That’s easy. You can use our simple online application form to get started. After reviewing your application, we’ll follow up ASAP with next steps. If you have questions about our payment solutions or the application process, schedule a free consultation with our merchant services team today.