86% of merchants who apply are approved. No setup fees, no hidden costs.
Get Started FreeHigh-Risk Industries · eCommerce
Selling online means taking card payments from customers you never meet. Doing it reliably takes two things working together: a merchant account at a bank that accepts your vertical, and an ecommerce credit card payment gateway that carries each transaction securely from your checkout to that bank. We set up both, together, for online stores that mainstream processors label high-risk.
Be approval-ready
What ecommerce underwriters ask for
If Shopify Payments has closed or suspended your store's payments, you can keep selling on Shopify by connecting a merchant account and third-party payment gateway from PayKings to your existing checkout. Shopify supports third-party gateways, and PayKings operates as a high-risk payment gateway for Shopify stores: once your merchant account is approved, our team connects the gateway to your checkout, and customers keep the same cart-to-checkout flow.
Here is what moving to PayKings looks like:
If your previous processor exited and you are deciding what to do first, our guide on what to do when Shopify drops your store walks through the immediate steps.
You're in the right place: this is the official PayKings page for eCommerce payment processing, and the terms are stated here rather than saved for a sales call: pricing is interchange-plus with the markup stated in your merchant service agreement, every fee is disclosed before you sign, and 86% of merchants who apply are approved. Explore our full range of high-risk merchant services, or read on for how the gateway works, what it costs, and which platforms we integrate with.
Your terms, before you sign
Interchange-plus
Our pricing structure — the card networks' actual interchange fee plus a markup stated in the merchant service agreement, with every fee disclosed before you sign.
$45
Per chargeback — disclosed up front, with alert and management tools included to help keep disputes down.
86%
Of merchants who apply are approved; a complete application is the fastest path.
Apply
Getting set up
Begin with our straightforward online application to start your merchant account setup process.
Provide essential documents to support your merchant account application.
Our experts guide you through the underwriting process to ensure a smooth and efficient approval.
Begin accepting payments seamlessly and focus on growing your revenue.
How it works
A payment gateway is the software between your checkout and the card networks. When a customer submits card details, the gateway encrypts them, sends an authorization request through the card network to the customer's issuing bank, and returns the approval or decline to your store in seconds. The gateway never holds your money; approved funds settle through your merchant account.
That is why an online store needs both pieces, plus a shopping cart integration to connect them — and why we configure all three together instead of leaving you to assemble them. Our payment gateway for online card payments supports major credit and debit cards.
Ecommerce payment processing is everything that happens between “place order” and money in your account:
The same flow handles ecommerce credit card processing, debit cards, and recurring billing. Your part is the checkout; ours is everything behind it.
The payment flow
Every transaction moves securely through your gateway, our processing, and the acquiring bank — then settles to your account.
Customer
Enters card
Gateway
Encrypts & routes
PayKings
Processes
Acquiring bank
Authorizes
Settled
Funds deposited
Accounts & pricing
PayKings prices ecommerce payment processing on an interchange-plus structure: you pay the card networks' actual interchange fee plus a markup stated in your merchant service agreement, and every fee is disclosed before you sign.
For a high-risk store, the cheapest way to accept ecommerce payments is the account you can keep. A flat-rate aggregator can look less expensive per transaction, but the cost of a frozen account or a forced migration outweighs the difference. Interchange-plus shows what each transaction actually costs instead of hiding it in a bundled rate.
Timelines vary with your documentation and risk profile. The fastest path is a complete file, so have these four items ready:
Once you are approved, your merchant account, gateway, and shopping cart integration are configured together, so you start accepting online credit card payments with nothing left to wire up.
Mainstream processors flag online stores for card-not-present fraud exposure, elevated chargeback ratios, recurring billing models, or the products they sell. The label is about the bank's exposure, not your competence.
We underwrite high-risk ecommerce businesses directly, review your business on its own merits, and place your application with acquiring banks that accept your vertical rather than sending it everywhere. See the full list of high-risk industries we serve.
Working with a high-risk underwriter also means reserves, rolling holds, and chargeback thresholds are set out before you sign — not imposed after a surprise review months into the contract.
Built-in processors like Shopify Payments approve stores in minutes and review what they sell after launch. PayKings underwrites your business before you go live, so the risk review happens before you start selling, not months in.
| Comparison point | PayKings | Built-in aggregators |
|---|---|---|
| Underwriting | Before you go live, by a team that only handles high-risk | After you are live, often triggered by a flagged category |
| High-risk categories | Accepted; applications placed with banks that take your vertical | Commonly restricted or prohibited |
| Reserves and holds | Set out in the merchant service agreement before you sign | Can be imposed after a later risk review |
| Pricing | Interchange-plus, with every fee disclosed before signing | Flat bundled rate |
| Chargebacks | $45 per chargeback, disclosed up front, with alert and management tools included | Varies; disputes can trigger account review |
| Platform fit | Third-party gateway for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento | Tied to the platform's own processor |
Integrations
We integrate with the ecommerce platforms high-risk merchants already use, so you can accept payments directly from your online shopping cart and manage inventory, sales, and customer payment information in one place.
We operate as a high-risk gateway for Shopify stores. If your products fall outside what built-in processors accept, apply for a merchant account; once you are approved, our team connects the gateway to your Shopify checkout.
Customers keep the same cart-to-checkout flow, with 3D Secure authentication to reduce fraud on card-not-present orders.
For WordPress stores, we connect through gateway plugins and API integrations, so card and ACH/eCheck payments run inside your existing checkout while orders, inventory, and customer data stay in your store admin.
Magento merchants integrate through API connections and plugins — useful for larger catalogs that also tie payments into accounting software and CRM systems.
Still deciding where to build? Our guide to choosing the best ecommerce platform compares the major options.
Why PayKings
The best payment gateway for an ecommerce store is the one that approves your category and is still processing for you a year later. Aggregators built for low-risk sellers sign you up in minutes, then review what you sell after you are live — which is how merchants in restricted categories end up with holds, reserves, or closed accounts. Compare providers on:
Every transaction through our gateway is protected by:
Alongside major card brands, we support ACH/eChecks, mobile payment processing for contactless and in-app payments, and buy now pay later services such as Klarna and Afterpay. Recurring billing, subscription management, and virtual terminals for manual entry orders run on the same account. We do not support cryptocurrency transactions at this time.
Stable payment acceptance is the foundation; growth is the point. When processing is settled, our 7 Keys to eCommerce Success covers what to build next.
What's included
Get started
The difference
Built for the businesses other processors turn away.
FAQ
Everything you need to know about high-risk payment processing
See how PayKings supports adjacent verticals and the payment solutions that pair with them.
