High risk credit card processing is a category of merchant accounts that have higher than the average financial risk for processing banks.
A business’s credit card processing profile is usually considered high-risk for one of three reasons:
- Industry – companies that sell goods or services that are highly regulated or which fall into legal gray areas are almost always high risk. These include categories like cannabis, adult content, firearms, or travel.
- Business Model – businesses that accept payments online, use a recurring or subscription payment plan, or have long “delivery” times for their products are some of the most common high risk business models.
- Financial History – a company or business owner that has had financial problems or has run into trouble with a previous processing account may find that they need a high risk processing account to rebuild their reputation with the processing banks.
Generally, these categories are considered more likely to incur chargebacks, even if the specific business never has a charge disputed. Chargebacks are a financial liability to the business that took the original payment.
If the company goes out of business or is unable to cover its obligation to pay the costs and fees of processing credit cards, that financial responsibility becomes a liability for the processor. This explains how these accounts can become costly for the processor and why they are considered “high risk.”
Easy Pay Direct has a proven track record of helping business owners with high risk profiles get the right processing accounts at the right credit card processors for their business needs. Let us help make things easier for your high risk credit card processing account set up today!
Whether you’re a brick and mortar business or one that operates 100 percent online, you need merchant account services to help you process credit card payments and so much more. Your payment processor is as essential to your business as the products you sell or the service you provide. Without a solid credit card processor, your brick and mortar business simply cannot keep up with your competitors and online businesses cannot function at all, especially if your business needs a unique high risk credit card processing solution.
Unfortunately, businesses who offer certain products and services, including online businesses, are what many merchant processing service companies view as “high risk” merchants. If you and your business have been designated as a high risk merchant, don’t despair. There are many outstanding options available for high risk credit card processing. You just have to know where to look.
Fortunately for you, Easy Pay Direct offers a wide range of payment processing services, including high risk payment processing. If you’ve been turned down by other merchant processing organizations because they’ve decided you’re a “high risk” merchant, it is time to shift your focus to our high risk processing services. We have a lot to offer and know you’ll be happy with your decision.
Before we dig into the “nitty gritty” details, it’s important to understand a little more about high risk credit card processing and what it means for your business to be designated as a high risk merchant. Here’s what you need to know about high risk credit card processing companies and why they are in such high demand among merchants today.
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You’ll be amazed by the number of completely innocent businesses that are designated as “high risk” businesses when it comes to credit card processing. The better you understand the types of industries affected, the better prepared you can be in your search for a payment processor that is willing to work with high risk merchants. This list is hardly representative and only includes a few of the businesses that many payment processors will label as high risk payment processing accounts.
- Any business that operates wholly online.
- Travel businesses, including airline and airplane charter services, time shares, travel clubs, vacation planning, vacation rentals, tour operations, etc.
- Life coaching, hypnosis, etc.
- Online gaming, lotteries and sweepstakes, bookmaking, sports betting, and similar services.
- Bankruptcy attorneys, attorney referral services, and similar organizations.
- Debt collectors, collection agencies, credit repair services, check cashing services, loan brokers, financial planning, and similar services.
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services.
- Furniture sellers.
- E-cigarette, vaping, CBD, etc. websites.
- Get rich quick companies, online “business opportunities,” and other similar opportunities promising fast profit for takers.
- Extended warranty companies.
- Nutraceuticals and vitamin supplement organizations.
- Fantasy sports.
- Entertainment download sites (music, movies, games, etc.).
- Weapon sales including knives, triggers, magazines, ammunition, etc.
While this list is hardly inclusive, it sets the stage to help you understand that few industries are exempt from designation as “high risk.”
Online merchants, regardless of industry, carry unique risks for fraudulent transactions due to card not present payments. Because you cannot physically inspect the card, you only have the card number to work with and no means of legitimately authenticating the card holder is the one making the transaction.
Because of this, the risk of fraud is greater among businesses that operate largely or exclusively online. Most payment processors, as a result, identify them as high risk merchants. If you’re planning to operate your business primarily online, it is in your best interest to consider high risk credit card processing services from organizations, like Easy Pay Direct, that understand the challenges you face within your industry and how to address your credit card processing needs as an eCommerce business.
The Easy Pay Direct customer journey is one of the easiest journeys you are likely to take. It doesn’t begin in dark places like holds, freezes and shutdowns. Instead, we strive to be Superman, to save merchants from these realities – even for high risk merchants.We want to bring you into the light of day and treat you like the valued business partner we know you are. You won’t be treated with disrespect. In fact, you will have access to our courteous New Client Specialists and Certified Payments Specialists Who will become someone that you know you can count on in any situation.
At Easy Pay Direct the application is the first part of your journey. We use this to collect information about you and your business to make sure we find you a solution tailored to your business. From there you will be connected with your NCS that we mentioned above. They will help you complete your application and will be your one point of contact to answer all of your questions.
Once we have the necessary information and have assessed your business model, you will be classified as a Gold, Platinum or Diamond merchant based on your unique payment processing needs. Then you will be introduced to your Certified Payment Specialist (CPS) who will be your one point of contact for all of your high risk credit card processing needs. This ensures that when you call, you are talking to someone that you know and who knows you and your business. They will set up your new merchant accounts and your online payment gateway for you.
After that, you will be ready to start accepting payments. Your CPS will monitor your accounts and keep in contact whenever you want to chat or if they need to alert you of something that requires your attention. They will also perform annual merchant account reviews for all of your merchant accounts.
If you’re not swiping cards, there’s risk.
If you’re not operating a traditional brick and mortar business, it’s critical that you’re aware of the risks of having a merchant account shut down. As the major card brands have made it easier and easier for consumers to dispute charges, it has become more and more common to see merchant account providers hold funds, impose reserves, and close accounts. Unfortunately, any time the card isn’t present during a transaction – you are on the risk spectrum. Many people say “it’s not if, but when” you’ll run into merchant account problems.
How long would your business exist if you couldn’t accept credit cards?
We can help prevent it before it ever happens. We make it easy.
