Get approved in as little as 24 hours. No setup fees, no hidden costs.
A merchant account is essential for travel businesses. However, if you run a travel agency, booking site, or lodging company, you know how difficult it can be to get approved for a travel agency merchant account.
That's where we come in. We'll get a high-risk merchant account set up for your company so you can start accepting credit card payments. These specialized payment processing accounts are designed for merchants classified in high-risk categories, providing the necessary solutions for online credit card processing in the travel industry
Travel businesses face unique challenges in the payment processing world. As a high-risk industry, many traditional banks and payment processors are hesitant to work with travel merchants. At PayKings, we specialize in providing merchant accounts tailored to the specific needs of the travel industry, ensuring you can process payments securely and efficiently.
Follow these simple steps to set up your travel merchant account
Start your journey with a simple online application process for your travel business.
Provide the required documents to support your travel merchant account application.
Our expert team will guide you through the underwriting process for travel businesses.
Begin accepting payments for your travel services and watch your business thrive.
PayKings has years of experience working with merchants in travel and other high-risk industries. Along the way, we've partnered with over 20 financial institutions. When you choose us for payment processing and merchant accounts, we can find the perfect financial partner for you.
If you run a business in the travel industry, let us help you set up high-risk merchant accounts and other merchant services.
At PayKings, we specialize in providing merchant accounts tailored to the specific needs of the travel industry, ensuring you can process payments securely and efficiently.
Comprehensive payment solutions tailored for your Travel business
Everything you need to know about high-risk payment processing
PayKings offers a wide range of payment options to help businesses—especially high-risk merchants—process transactions securely and efficiently. Customers can use:
Various travel-related businesses typically require high-risk merchant accounts:
PayKings offers a number of ways for your business to take payments. Whether your customers are booking cruise ship tickets to Singapore or planning a trip to the United Kingdom with your payment system, below are some of the methods they can use to pay:
PayKings keeps payment data secure by using industry-standard protections and advanced security protocols. All payment processing through PayKings is PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) Level 1 compliant, which means we meet the highest standards for storing, transmitting, and processing payment data. This includes strict encryption requirements, secure network architecture, and regular vulnerability assessments to ensure personal data remains protected from breaches.
In addition to PCI compliance, PayKings uses tokenization and end-to-end encryption to shield sensitive information during transactions. Tokenization replaces card details with randomly generated tokens, so actual card data is never stored or transmitted—making it useless to hackers even if intercepted. Encryption ensures that all communication between the customer, merchant, and payment gateway is scrambled and unreadable to unauthorized users.
We also offer fraud detection and prevention tools as part of our merchant services. These systems monitor for unusual activity in real-time. Using automation, our software flags or blocks suspicious financial transactions to prevent chargebacks or theft. Some accounts also receive customizable security settings—such as AVS (Address Verification System) filters, CVV checks, and velocity controls—to minimize the risk of fraud.
Beyond the technology, PayKings provides compliance support and guidance, helping merchants maintain secure practices that align with data security regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy laws, depending on the regions they serve.
Summed up, PayKings builds a layered approach to payment security that includes regulatory compliance, encryption, fraud tools, and merchant education—making it easier for high-risk businesses to operate safely.
To set up a merchant account for your travel business with PayKings, you'll need to complete an application process that includes both submitting business details and undergoing underwriting. The first step is filling out our online application, where you'll provide general information such as your legal business name, DBA (doing business as), website, years in operation, and estimated annual sales volume. This preliminary information gives PayKings a basic understanding of your business and helps initiate the underwriting review.
Once the initial application is submitted, PayKings will request a range of documents to support your account setup. You'll need to provide official business formation paperwork, such as your articles of incorporation or LLC documents, as well as a government-issued photo ID for the business owner or controlling party. A voided check or bank letter proving your business bank account is also necessary, along with several months' worth of bank statements—typically three to six months. If you've previously processed payments through another provider, submitting your past merchant statements can significantly streamline the approval process.
In addition to financial documents, you'll be asked to share personal and business details for anyone who owns 25% or more of the company, including Social Security Numbers or Employer Identification Numbers (SSNs or EINs), addresses, dates of birth, and contact information. If your travel business is subject to any specific licensing requirements—such as a travel agency license—you may need to submit that documentation as well. This ensures you meet industry compliance standards and helps PayKings determine your eligibility. Be aware that as part of the process the bank will pull your credit score. Don't worry though, even businesses with low credit scores may be approved.
After all required documents are submitted, PayKings' underwriting team will conduct a thorough review. If everything is in order, some accounts can be approved within 24 to 48 hours, though the process may take three to seven business days depending on how quickly all materials are provided. Our underwriting support team may request additional details during this phase to clarify anything in your application or documentation.
Once approved, PayKings will help you complete the technical side of the setup. This can include integrating a payment gateway, setting up recurring billing features, or configuring other tools based on your travel business model. From there, you'll be ready to start processing payments securely and efficiently.
PayKings specializes in high-risk merchant accounts for a wide variety of industries including, but not limited to:
