Merchant Accounts

A High Risk Merchant Account That Stays Open

Dedicated Accounts for the Businesses Other Processors Turn Away

A high risk merchant account lets your business accept credit and debit cards when your industry, chargeback history, or billing model puts you outside what Stripe, Square, and PayPal will support. PayKings underwrites you up front with acquiring banks that have dedicated high risk departments, so the approval you get is one you can build revenue on, not one that's reversed the first time your volume spikes.

(801) 899-7255

Wooden blocks spelling risk and return, representing high risk merchant accounts

At a glance

Approval rate: 86% of applicants
Decision: In as little as 24 hours
Pricing: Interchange + 0.80% to 1.10%
Setup fees: None

What you get

Everything a High Risk Merchant Account Should Include

A PayKings account isn't a stripped-down version of a standard one. It includes the tools high risk merchants need to keep processing, and it's backed by a team that has specialized in high risk payment processing since 2011.

A dedicated merchant account in your business's name, not a shared sub-account
Placement with acquiring banks that approve your specific industry
Interchange-plus pricing with every fee disclosed before you sign
Chargeback alerts and dispute support built in
Gateway, shopping cart, and virtual terminal integrations
A dedicated account manager once you reach $100k a month

Underwriting

What Underwriters Look At

Approval for a high risk merchant account comes down to how much financial risk the acquiring bank takes on by processing for you. Underwriters weigh your industry first, then the evidence that your business manages its risk well.

Mainstream processors run that review through an algorithm. Our underwriters already work your vertical, so context like a seasonal chargeback spike or a past processor shutdown gets explained, not auto-declined.

Industry and products
Chargeback and refund history
Average ticket size
Monthly volume
Fulfillment timeline
Owner credit and background

Documents You'll Need

Sending a complete file with your application is the fastest way to a decision. Standard requirements include:

Three to six months of processing statements, if you've processed before
Recent business bank statements
Articles of incorporation or other formation documents
A valid government-issued ID for each owner
A clear description of how and when you fulfill orders
Your website, with visible refund, privacy, and terms policies

Pricing & terms

Business partners shaking hands on merchant account terms

What a High Risk Merchant Account Costs

PayKings uses interchange-plus pricing: you pay the card networks' interchange rate plus a published markup, so you can see exactly what we earn on every transaction.

Merchants processing up to $100k a month pay interchange + 1.10% + 25¢. From $100k to $300k a month it's interchange + 0.80% + 10¢ with the monthly fee waived. Above $300k, pricing is custom to your volume and risk profile. There are no setup fees.

Rolling Reserves, Explained

Nearly every high risk merchant account carries a rolling reserve: a percentage of each day's sales held back to cover chargebacks and refunds the bank might otherwise absorb.

At PayKings, reserves are typically held for six months, and you can request an early release after 30 days. The reserve percentage is set during underwriting and written into your merchant service agreement before you sign.

Contracts and Termination Fees

PayKings doesn't lock merchants into long-term contracts. Agreements run an industry-standard term, the early termination fee can be waived, and the exact terms are disclosed in your merchant service agreement before you sign.

The difference

Dedicated High Risk Merchant Account vs. Payment Aggregators

Stripe, Square, and PayPal approve almost anyone at signup because they don't underwrite you until later. When their risk systems flag your industry or a spike in disputes, the account is frozen and your funds are held. A dedicated account is underwritten before you process a single sale.

FeaturePayKingsStripe / Square / PayPal

Account typeDedicated merchant account in your business's nameSub-account under the provider's master account

ApprovalReviewed by underwriters who know your industryAutomated, often reversed after you start processing

Funds heldReserve terms disclosed before you signFunds frozen without notice when risk is flagged

Bank coverageMultiple acquiring banks with high risk departmentsOne provider, one policy

SupportReal people, with a dedicated rep from $100k a monthTicket queue

Account health

Team monitoring merchant account performance data

Why High Risk Accounts Get Shut Down

The most common reason is chargebacks. Card networks start monitoring merchants whose chargebacks reach roughly 0.9% to 1% of monthly transactions, and a merchant that stays over the line can be terminated and added to the MATCH list.

The other causes are avoidable: selling products the account wasn't approved for, sudden volume jumps with no warning to the bank, and billing descriptors customers don't recognize on their statements.

How PayKings Keeps Your Account Open

Staying approved matters as much as getting approved. Every account includes:

Chargeback management with alerts that let you refund a disputed sale before it counts against you
Fraud prevention that screens transactions before they authorize
Your chargeback ratio tracked against card network thresholds, with problems flagged early
A network of acquiring banks, so one bank's policy change never strands your business

Getting set up

How to Get a High Risk Merchant Account

Apply once and we match you with the acquiring bank that fits your business.

Apply online

Complete a 10-minute application with your business and processing details.

Send documents

Send statements, formation documents, and ID so underwriting can start right away.

Get a decision

Our underwriters match you with a bank and send terms, often within 24 hours.

Start processing

Connect your gateway, cart, or virtual terminal and begin accepting cards.

Dropped by your processor?

Get Back to Processing Payments

If Stripe, Square, or PayPal has frozen or closed your account, apply now and tell us what happened. PayKings serves 50+ high risk industries, from CBD and travel to nutraceuticals and online gaming.

(801) 899-7255

Business owner jumping for joy after a merchant account approval

FAQ

High Risk Merchant Account FAQs

Everything you need to know about high-risk payment processing

You need one if your industry is on an acquiring bank's restricted list, your chargeback ratio runs above average, you sell on long fulfillment windows or recurring billing, or a processor like Stripe, Square, or PayPal has already declined, frozen, or terminated you. If none of that applies, a standard account will usually be cheaper. Not sure? See whether your industry is on our list, or apply and our underwriters will tell you.

Most PayKings applicants get a decision in as little as 24 hours once a complete application and documents are in. Missing documents are the most common cause of delay, so send processing statements, bank statements, and your business documents with the application.

Yes. New businesses can be approved, though underwriters lean more heavily on the owner's background, the business plan, the website, and the fulfillment process, and the account may start with a lower monthly volume limit or a larger reserve that relaxes as you build history. A low personal credit score is not an automatic decline either; see bad credit merchant accounts.

MATCH is a database card networks use to record merchants whose accounts were terminated for reasons such as excessive chargebacks or fraud. Mainstream processors treat a MATCH listing as an automatic decline. A high risk specialist reviews the circumstances instead, which is why a MATCH listing doesn't always end your ability to accept cards.

Card networks start monitoring merchants whose chargebacks reach roughly 0.9% to 1% of monthly transactions, which brings fines and, if it isn't fixed, termination. PayKings tracks your ratio against those thresholds and flags trouble early, and our chargeback management tools include alerts that let you refund a disputed sale before it becomes a chargeback.

Yes. Many merchants open a PayKings account as a backup or a second processor, and splitting volume across two accounts also protects you if either one changes its policy on your industry.