High-Risk Merchant Account Providers
The providers in the table below offer high-risk merchant accounts and payment processing to UK-based businesses. Typically each provider works only with some high-risk sectors, not all.
If you don't need a high-risk merchant account, you'll save money by going with a standard merchant account.
| High-Risk Merchant Account Provider | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
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FCA-Licensed acquirer, covering all of Europe. Supporting Visa, Mastercard, American Express, China UnionPay, Sofort, iDEAL, Giropay, 45+ more. Not supported: tech support, property rental, travel, furniture, bridal wear, pharmacy: controlled substances, cannabis products. | More info » |
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Not supported: online tech support, gambling, prescription drugs, cannabis-related products. | More info » |
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Support merchants in blockchain, travel & hospitality, forex, binary, gaming, e-commerce and more. | More info » |
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What is a High-Risk Merchant Account?
Major merchant account providers such as Streamline and the highstreet banks consider certain business sectors high-risk and generally refuse to provide merchant accounts to them.
A high-risk merchant account is a merchant account provided to a business in one of these sectors.
Some providers specialise in providing merchant services to these sectors.
High-Risk Sectors
Industries often considered to be 'high-risk' include, amongst others:
- alcohol
- tobacco and electronic cigarettes
- drugs and drug products (including prescriptions)
- nutraceuticals
- airline, travel, tourism and lodging
- debt management and collection agencies
- payday loans
- gambling
- foreign exchange (Forex)
- e-wallets
- pyramid selling
- dating and escort services
- adult entertainment
- timeshares and holiday clubs
- tech support
- money-making products and services
- charities
- monthly memberships and subscription services
- insurance
- jewellery
- software
- advertising services
- online auctions
- events and tickets
- penny auctions
- file sharing
- VPN
- affiliate marketing
What are the Downsides to a High-Risk Merchant Account?
Compared to a standard merchant account, a high-risk merchant account will impose one or more terms that are less favourable than with a regular merchant account.
For example:
- setup fees
- a minimum monthly number of transactions
- higher transaction fees
- a longer settlement period
- a rolling reserve
- an annual fee