High Risk Merchant Account

High Risk Merchant Account

If you are a high risk merchant seeking secure, reliable, credit card processing, you’ve come to the right place.  US and international high merchants in all industries are welcome to apply.

  • Competitive Rates.  Our goal is lowering your current rates to save you money on processing fees.  Contact us today for your no-obligation rate comparison.
  • Quick Approvals.   Fast approvals translate to more orders quicker.
  • High Volume Merchant Accounts.  Specialists in high volume processing for high risk merchants.
  • Extensive Banking Network.  US & international acquiring banks welcome high risk merchants.  High risk merchants establish and diversify payment processing accounts through our wide network of acquiring banks.
  • High Risk ACH & Echeck Payments.  The more ways customers can pay you, the more sales you make.  Most popular alternative payment method for US shoppers.
  • Level 1 PCI-DSS High Risk Payment Gateway.  Secure, compliant payment processing with military-grade encryption protects your business and your customers.
  • Chargeback Prevention & Mitigation Services.  Protect your high risk merchant account and keep chargebacks under control.
  • International Payment Methods.  Great for international merchants or US high risk merchants with international customers.  More than 80 different “in-country” payment methods are available world-wide.
  • Fraud Fighting Weapons.  Customizable fraud fighting tools.  Accept good orders fast. Decline fraudulent orders immediately.  Set aside questionable orders for review.
  • Superb Customer Service. Experienced representatives dedicated to the success of high risk merchants. Receive the help you need quickly and professionally.

What are High Risk Merchants?

The term “high risk” is used by acquiring banks to classify industries or businesses that have a statistically higher risk of financial loss than standard risk accounts. 

Chargebacks are the biggest perceived risk for the acquiring banks.  The card brands have chargeback ratios that must be maintained by high risk merchants.  If the thresholds are consistently exceeded, processors & banks are liable for fines by the card brands.

Other reasons for a high risk merchant classification include products or services being sold; targeted markets; high ticket items; and business models such as subscription or recurring billing.  Some acquiring banks will not accept certain industries due to “reputational risk”.  For instance, an acquiring bank may not accept adult-oriented businesses yet will accept high risk merchants in other industries. 

Many industries are automatically classified as high risk.  Even if your business has low chargebacks, you may still be considered high risk if your business is considered part of these industries. 

A high risk merchant classification does not mean you will have higher rates.  There are excellent solutions for high risk merchants that offer you extremely competitive rates.

High Risk Payment Processing Gateway Benefits

High risk merchants using the Level 1 PCI/DSS gateway have the highest level of payment processing security, exceeding the most stringent requirements for compliant processing.  The high risk payment processing gateway uses military grade encryption which protects your business and safeguards customers’ sensitive card data. 

Customizable cascading rules & filters allow you to automatically or manually create parameters for accepting and rejecting transactions.  Hundreds of validation tests are performed on every order with results returned within seconds. 

Extensive proprietary databases are included in the high risk payment gateway, adding  extra levels of security . For example, positive / negative databases include consumer data compiled from merchants worldwide to alert you if  a buyer has been identified as a fraudster on other sites.   

Anti-fraud fighting tools in the high risk payment gateway help you quickly accept good orders.  And decline fraudulent ones.  Questionable transactions can be set aside for manual review.

Recurring billing is included as a standard feature on the high risk payment gateway.  Setup an unlimited number of recurring payment plans to meet the requirements of your business.  Recurring payment data is transformed into encrypted tokens which are stored in the high risk gateway’s secure vault. 

Load balancing lets you manage multiple high risk merchant accounts though a single dashboard.  Direct transactions to different processors based on volumes, product types, and a myriad of other criteria.

Other features included in the high risk gateway features are:  order velocity monitoring: risk scoring models; address verification; geolocation; card verification; device fingerprinting with packet signature inspection; consolidated data reviews and audit trails; consumer history of initiating chargebacks; accept/block strategies; system intrusions & reconstruct event reporting, identity morphing prevention; tracking buyers’ use of payment methods, and much more.

High Risk Processing for Multi-Channel Payments

All high risk merchant accounts give you the ability to accept payments anyway you want.

  • Online. Easy-to-install API integrates to your website for eCommerce payments.
  • Mail / Phone Orders (MOTO)  Unlimited virtual terminals.  Enter order information into the high risk gateway through any internet enabled computer for secure transmission of payment data. 
  • InApp.  Integrate payment processing into applications with the high risk payment gateway API. 
  • Mobile Devices. Easily accept payments from mobile devices.
  • Bulk Processing. Upload large order files quickly & safely to the high risk payment gateway for processing.
  • Internal Systems. Use the high risk payment processing gateway to automate payment data exchange.
  • CRM, Shopping Cart and Accounting Platforms.  The high risk gateway is integrated with major CRM, shopping carts, and accounting platforms.  Speeding time to market while enhancing productivity. 

Applying for Your High Risk Merchant Account

Application for your high risk merchant accounts is free, with no obligation.  Dedicated high risk merchant account specialists guide you through the process.  The goal is for you to obtain the fastest approval, lowest rates, and most beneficial processing terms. 

To apply for a high risk merchant account, you simply submit an application along with supporting documents.

Supporting documents include:  ID for the signer on the account; most current past 3 months of business bank statements; 3-6 months of payment processing history, voided check for the bank account to which processing funds will be settled; and information about the company. 

Account approvals can be as fast as 1 day although most high risk merchant account approvals take 3-5 days due to the time needed to review the application file.  A complete application package helps speed approval times.  


High Risk Merchant Accounts Approval Process

Of course, it’s prudent to have a signer on the account with good personal credit.  Otherwise, adding a co-signer who has good credit helps get the account approved . Credit is checked as the final step in the application process once the file is underwritten. 

The underwriting team first reviews the high risk merchant account application form to verify the information is correct.  Phone numbers, addresses, emails and other data are checked for accuracy. 

Ecommerce high risk merchants need fully-functioning, secure websites.  Test all  pages or links on your site to be sure they are loading quickly and displaying properly.  Clearly show customer service email or phone numbers along with privacy, refund & other polices.  If your website requires a username & password, provide a demo or test login along with your application package so the underwriting team can have a look at what customers see.

During the application review, underwriters may “cold call” or email to see how customer service is handled.  If calls go to voice mail, have a message that includes your company name and when the caller will receive a response.  If email support is offered, use auto responders to inform the consumer that the email was received and when a reply can be expected. Then respond as promised. 

Processing statements are reviewed for volumes and chargeback ratios.  If you have low chargebacks, that’s great.  If chargebacks are rising, include a brief explanation with as to the reason and what is being done to keep chargebacks under control. 

Bank statements are reviewed, confirming there is enough operating capital to support the requested processing volumes.  Corporate information and the rest of the supporting documents are verified.

Once your high risk merchant account is approved, your MID (merchant identification number) is issued.  And you can start processing immediately.  


 

Why Choose NationalACH for High Risk Processing?

NationalACH is a full-service provider offering a wide variety of high risk payment processing solutions.  Making it easy for you to get more sales without extra effort. 

  • Level 1 PCI-DSS high risk payment gateway safeguards your business against fraud & data breaches
  • Easily accept all major debit and credit cards world-wide.
  • Boost orders from US shoppers up to 30% by adding echecks to your checkout page
  • Increase orders from international shoppers up to 40% with more than 80 “in-country” alternative payment methods popular with global shoppers
  • One-time payments or unlimited recurring billing plans. Convenient for your customers.  Profitable for you.
  • Expand market reach with multi-currency processing.
  • Chargeback protection services.  Chargeback prevention systems help stop chargebacks before they occur.  Chargeback mitigation services help you fight chargebacks you can win.
  • High capacity payment processing. High risk merchants easily obtain the processing volumes needed to manage and grow their businesses.

Want to see NationalACH in action?

See a Free Demo

Contact us at 855-562-ACH2