Easy Pay Direct works with all kinds of merchants, including what the banks call “high-risk” merchants. These merchants happen to be in an industry that the banks label as high-risk, which means that they are more likely to experience chargebacks, disputes, and fraud.

The most common reason for this is card not present transactions which present a higher risk of fraud. These merchants can have a particularly hard time finding a high-risk merchant account because a lot of payment processors refuse to participate in high-risk processing.

Even if these merchants find a “high-risk payment processor,” they can still frequently deal with holds or freezes on their money and shut down merchant accounts.

This is where Easy Pay Direct saves the day by finding them a high-risk merchant account provider that wants to work with their business and providing them with all the resources to meet their high-risk credit card processing needs.

Easy Pay Direct serves a wide range of industries; however, due to payment processing regulations, there are certain prohibited products, ingredients, and businesses we cannot support: 

• Amanita Mushrooms
• Microdosing Mushrooms
• Mushroom Spores
• Bail Bonds
• Bitcoins
• Biz-Ops
• Brand Name Product Resellers
• Cloud Storage
• Credit Repair
• Crowd Funding
• Crypto Currency  
• Discount Buying Clubs/Memberships
• E-Wallet Loans
• Essay / Exam Writing
• Fake Diploma/Licenses/GED/Certificates 
• Freight forwarding / mail forwarding (Often present themselves as truckers or freight haulers)
• Game of Chance
• Hormones, HCG, Steroids, Prescription products
• IPTV / Online TV Station service providers / Android Boxes
• Male Enhancements (Can not be promoted in Canada)
• Online Gambling
• Outbound Telemarketing 
• PayDay Loans, Cash Advance
• Payment Facilitators
• Penny Auctions
• Platform / Marketplace / PSP model
• Poppers (Also known as “Tape Head Cleaner” or “Industrial Solvent”)
• Research Chemicals
• Specific Firearm Accessories such as Flash Suppressors, high capacity magazines, and silencers 
• Stored value cards (gift cards)
• Tech Support Offshore
• Virtual IP, Proxy IP

Nutraceutical Ingredients:

• DHEA  – Prohibited by Nxg/Elavon/Nuvei/Esquire
• Forskolin
• Garcinia
• HCG, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
• HGH, Human Growth Hormone
• Kava
• Noopept
• THC-O
• Peptides
• SARMs
• L-Dopa, also known as levodopa, is an active pharmaceutical ingredient in FDA-approved drugs. As a result, it is not a permitted ingredient in dietary supplements in the US.
• Ketamine
• L-Carnitine (US ONLY; Canada, EU OK)
• Anything that requires an Prescription
• Mitragynine (psychoactive substance in Kratom)
• Amanita Mushrooms
• Delta8
• Delta9
• Delta10
• THC-A
• HHC
• THC-P
• Mushrooms
• Lions mane
• Reishi
• Cordyceps
• Shiitake
• Psilocybin / Shrooms / Psilocybin
• Mushroom Spores/Extracts

Easy Pay Direct specializes in high risk payment processing, but we also work with mid risk and low risk companies, offering affordable credit card processing.

View all the indsutries we serve here: https://www.easypaydirect.com/merchant-account-industries/

Here is a short list of some business verticals we service:

• Antiques & Collectibles
• Apparel & Clothing
• Bad Credit
• Bus Lines
• Cannabis Support Businesses
• Caterers
• CBD Oil & CBD Products
• Continuity Products and Subscription Boxes
• Credit Repair
• Credit Monitoring
• Debt Collection
• Digital Streaming
• Document Preparation
• Fantasy Sports
• Firearms & Ammunition
• Furniture & Home Furnishings
• Health & Beauty
• Hotels & Lodging
• Insurance / Warranty
• Legal Services
• Magazine Subscriptions
• Medical Billing & Coding

• Medical Supplies
• Membership & Recurring Billing
• MLM Companies
• Transportation & Moving
• Non-Profit
• Nutraceuticals
• Pawnbrokers & Pawn Shops
• Pet Products
• Precious Metals
• Property Management
• SaaS Companies
• Seminars & Coaching
• SEO / SEM / Ad Agency
• Smoking Accessories
• Sports Betting
• Survivalist & Tactical Gear
• Telemedicine
• Tobacco & Cigar
• Travel & Timeshare
• Vape / e-Cig / eJuice
• Veterinarians
• Web Design & Development

Easy Pay Direct provides merchant accounts specifically tailored to a merchant’s industry. We do this by leveraging our banking relationships to apply for merchant accounts on your behalf.

However, we do not just apply for any merchant account; we use providers who want to work with your business model and underwrite their merchants. This is important because it ensures that a provider gets to know who you are and your business model before working with you, so they know what to expect moving forward.

This strategy guarantees that we find a merchant account provider that wants to work with you, making the likelihood of holds, freezes, and shutdowns much less, and providing stable credit card processing.

Another benefit is that you get to avoid the nightmare that applying for merchant accounts can be. Not only do most merchant account providers do very little underwriting, but it can also take many applications before you find a merchant account that is good for you.

Each application that you send out hurts your chances of getting approved for the next because multiple applications make you look desperate to a provider, which they perceive as high risk.

After we set you up with your first merchant account, we recommend getting an additional merchant account if you have over $250,000 in sales volume a year. This is to ensure stable payment processing.

Even though Easy Pay Direct takes all the precautions to prevent you from experiencing a hold, freeze, or shutdown, we can never know how banks might act. If they hire someone new or implement a new algorithm, your account could have action taken against it.

If you have a second merchant account that is already up and running and processing payments, you can pivot your revenue stream to this account and avoid holds, freezes, and shutdowns altogether.

All of this may seem complicated and a lot of work, but it would be better if you were doing this on your own. However, if you are working with Easy Pay Direct, we manage all of this to make your role very easy. We even assign you your very own Certified Payment Specialist (CPS), who will monitor your merchant accounts for you, giving you one point of contact for all of your merchant processing needs.

At Easy Pay Direct your journey will begin with your application which we use to collect information about you and your business to match you with the right merchant account provider. From there, you will be connected with your very own New Client Specialist (NCS) who will help you complete this application and will be your 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.

After this, you will be introduced to your Certified Payment Specialist (CPS), who will be your one point of contact for all of your payment processing needs. This ensures that when you call, you are talking to someone you know and who knows you and your business. They will apply for merchant accounts on your behalf and help you set up your new accounts and online payment gateway.

After that, you will be ready to start accepting payments. Your CPS will monitor your accounts and contact you whenever you want to chat or if they need to alert you of something that requires your attention, in addition to annual merchant account reviews.

• transaction routing
• Decline recovery
• Hosted checkout
• Mobile payments
• Fraud prevention
• White glove service
• Chargeback mitigation
• Recurring billing
• 250+ integrations

For a more in-depth look at factors impacting what makes certain businesses high risk, let’s look at some of the top variables individually. Some of the high-risk factors listed above may seem arbitrary, but a business owner can control a few important elements of a company’s risk profile. Knowing what they are is important so you can proactively manage them.

Processing History: If your business is already accepting credit cards, then you are building a history that plays a part in your risk profile.Three to six months of processing statements are enough to reveal risk-related trends in your processing activity, starting with whether you are actively taking credit card payments.

Processing history reveals factors like your chargeback ratio and refund ratio. It can also provide a snapshot of how fast your company is growing and whether your business is cyclical. Your processing statements also reveal some information about your customer profile, such as what percentage of your sales are international and what types of cards your customers use. Credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, etc. all have different risk implications.

Chargeback Activity: A chargeback happens when a cardholder reports that a charge on their card should be removed. A few of the most common reasons include:

• Unfamiliar charge
• Unfulfilled purchase
• Product not as described
• Fraud

Managing Chargebacks: Not only is a high chargeback ratio a risk concern for the processor, but it is also monitored by the major Card Brands (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express). An out-of-control chargeback ratio can result in your authorization to accept cards being revoked.

Often, when there are a lot of chargebacks, the reason codes can help identify what strategies will improve the chargeback ratio. For instance, the descriptor (the business information that appears on the cardholder’s statement) may need to be changed if many chargebacks are filed due to unfamiliar charges

Personal Credit Score: A high personal credit score indicates that you manage money, credit, and personal financial risk well. That makes you the kind of person financial institutions want to work with. Your personal credit score affects the business risk profile because the processor assumes you will handle the business finances similarly. They also depend on you to be responsible for any financial obligations if the business fails for any reason.Regarding high-risk merchant accounts, a lower personal credit score can be considered together with other factors to offset the potential negative impact on application approval. For instance, strong financial statements can minimize the impact of a low credit score.

Bank Statements

Similar to processing statements, business bank statements tell a story. They reveal whether you keep a healthy balance in case of unexpected costs, like a chargeback, and what kind of operating margin you have available.

If you operate a high-risk business on a narrow margin, processors are more likely to impose a reserve on your merchant account. A reserve is a percentage of your sales that is held in an escrow account to cover expenses if you default on fees.

Most reserves are operated on a six-month rolling cycle, and reserve funds held for at least 180 days can be released. Other reserves are set with a cap. Once that limit is met, no additional reserve funds are collected.

Easy Pay Direct is a one-stop merchant account provider and payment gateway. We offer direct integrations to the top shopping carts in the industry, as well as documentation and support to make your custom integrations easier.

With our patent-pending load balancing system, not only is your processing safe and secure with Easy Pay Direct, but it’s also easy to manage multiple merchant accounts all in one place.

It all starts with an application. Because this is a high-risk application, several documents are required to complete the submission. Known as “KYC” or Know Your Customer documents, many of these items are required by law. While the sensitive nature of some requested items may feel invasive, they are necessary.

Here are the most common items to have on hand when you submit your application:

Driver’s License or passport

Last three months of business bank statements (if your account is new, personal bank statements may be used to supplement any statements you don’t have yet)

Last three months of processing statements (all current processors!) if available

Articles of Incorporation (a Secretary of State business name filing may be sufficient if the business is not incorporated)

EIN or social security number confirmation (IRS letter SS-4 or an I-9)

Void check for the business bank account where deposits will be made

Once your application is submitted, the processor’s underwriting team will review it along with your supporting documents. If everything is in order, you should have your approval in as little as 3 days, although the process can take a couple of weeks. The best way to help speed things along is to promptly provide any additional documentation or information requested by the underwriting team.

How do you get set up with EasyPay Direct?

First, you fill out a quick form on our website. This form takes 7 minutes or less.

Second, you upload some documents for underwriting.

Third, our team reviews the application and those documents; at this point, underwriting starts.

That process usually takes 24 to 48 hours.

Respond as quickly as you can. If we have any questions, we want to keep things going.

Fourth, we get you set up and integrated. For example, if you have a shopping cart or another piece of software you need connected, our team can walk you through that or do it for you!

Fifth, you are live and processing payments in the safest way possible.

The faster you submit your application and documents to us, the quicker we can get you up and running and actively processing.

CPD

Yes, Easy Pay Direct supports CBD businesses in the USA and Canada with 100% legal, reliable merchant accounts and no monthly minimum volume requirement. We accept hemp-based CBD products (lab tests required) and offer fast approvals (2-4 business days) with 24-48 hour fund deposits. Startups are welcome with solid financial backing or prior business success. Plus, we can assist with CBD bank account setup. 

Gaming/Gambling

 Easy Pay Direct serves the gaming and gambling industry, which is considered high-risk by financial institutions due to factors like frequent chargebacks, fraud risks, and the nature of online transactions. Whether you operate in e-sports, online gambling, casinos, or mobile gaming, having a reliable merchant account is crucial for offering secure and seamless cashless payment options. Easy Pay Direct specializes in high-risk industries and provides tailored merchant account solutions to help gaming businesses process payments efficiently while mitigating risks. Our accounts support multiple payment methods, enhance security, and ensure smooth transaction processing. 

Adult Entertainment:

Yes, Easy Pay Direct serves the adult entertainment industry, providing secure and reliable adult merchant accounts for businesses in this high-risk sector. Due to factors like high chargeback rates, card-not-present transactions, and industry stigma, many payment processors decline adult businesses—but Easy Pay Direct specializes in high-risk payment processing. We offer cost-effective, PCI-compliant merchant accounts with features designed to reduce chargebacks, enhance security, and provide excellent customer support. Whether you run an adult e-commerce store, escort service, novelty shop, or streaming platform, we can help you process credit card payments smoothly and securely. Get started with Easy Pay Direct today!

Kratom:

We were one of the first credit card processors to offer stable Kratom accounts and we know the industry inside and out.

Learn More Here: https://easypaydirect-1.wistia.com/medias/pb0o9ulkwf

Firearms

Yes, Easy Pay Direct serves the firearms industry, providing gun-friendly credit card processing for businesses selling firearms, ammunition, and related products. Since many traditional processors classify firearm businesses as high-risk, securing a reliable merchant account can be challenging. Easy Pay Direct specializes in high-risk industries, offering secure, PCI-compliant processing with fraud prevention tools to protect transactions. While some restrictions may apply based on regulations and provider policies, we ensure a fast, secure, and compliant payment processing solution tailored to firearm businesses. 

Easy Pay Direct provides payment processing services to customers in the United States, Canada, and high-volume processing clients across the European Union.