High risk payment solutions that get you approved
The specialist home for sectors that need proper underwriting. Specialist acquiring, experienced underwriters and a dedicated Risk Analyst on every account, handling your application and guiding you step by step.
Why good businesses get labelled high risk
A high risk merchant account is not a judgement on your business. It is a label triggered by your industry, your chargeback exposure or your transaction profile. Regulated products, high transaction values, subscription billing and advance bookings all carry it, which is exactly why these sectors deserve underwriting by a person who reads the actual business behind the application.
We do it differently. Every application is read by a person. Our specialist acquiring underwrites your sector deliberately rather than by exception, so capacity is never the problem. What gets you approved is presenting the business properly, and that is precisely what we do for you.
Once you are live, the work continues. A dedicated Risk Analyst tunes your fraud rules around how your business actually trades, your chargebacks are managed actively rather than just counted, and Open Banking gives you a payment route with no chargebacks at all.
Sectors we specialise in
If your industry is on every restricted list, it is probably on this one instead.
Online pharmacies
GPhC and MHRA aware onboarding, prescription workflows and recurring scripts.
Learn moreTravel
Deposits, balances, high transaction values and seasonal cash flow handled properly.
Learn moreCrypto
Accept crypto-related payments with GBP settlement and compliance led onboarding.
Learn moreForex and trading
High volume processing and multi-currency settlement for trading platforms.
Learn moreFinancial trading
Client deposits at market speed for forex, CFD and trading platforms.
Learn moreGaming
Microtransactions, subscriptions and esports payments with age verification.
Learn moreVape and e-cigarettes
Age verification built in for a sector mainstream providers ban outright.
Learn moreAdult and dating
Discreet billing descriptors, subscription management and specialist acquiring.
Learn moreAdult industry
Age assurance aware underwriting, scheme registration managed and discreet billing.
Learn moreNutraceuticals
Transparent subscription billing for supplement brands, underwritten properly.
Learn moreDirect selling and MLM
Product-led direct selling with retail and distributor orders on one account.
Learn moreCBD and supplements
Compliant processing for CBD, hemp and nutraceutical products.
Learn moreFrom rejected to live in four steps
- Tell us about the businessyour sector, history and volumes. No judgement, no obligation.
- Application built properlywe present your business the way underwriters need to see it
- Specialist acquiringunderwritten deliberately for your sector, never by exception
- Live and protectedfraud rules tuned by your Risk Analyst, chargebacks actively managed
Sector: regulated ✓
History: prior decline ✓ not a barrier
Underwriter: matched ✓
Status: approved
High risk questions, straight answers
What makes a business high risk?
Industry category, chargeback exposure, average transaction value, subscription billing models, regulatory oversight or simply selling products that card schemes monitor closely. It describes the processing profile, not the legitimacy of the business.
I have been declined before. Can you still help?
Yes, and you are in the majority of merchants who come to us. A previous decline usually reflects a poorly presented application rather than a problem with your business.
Will my rates be much higher than a standard account?
High risk rates reflect the underwriting involved, but they are tailored to your actual volumes and history rather than a flat penalty. Many merchants moving from aggregators end up paying less, not more.
How long does approval take?
Straightforward cases complete in a few working days. Heavily regulated sectors can take longer because underwriters review documentation properly, and we manage that process for you throughout.
How do you reduce chargebacks for high risk merchants?
Prevention through 3D Secure 2 and AI screening, active dispute management when chargebacks land, and Open Banking as a zero-chargeback payment route. Our guide on how to minimise chargebacks covers the full playbook.
Written by the eCom Pay team. Reviewed August 2026. Last updated August 2026.
Declined elsewhere? That conversation ends here.
Judgement-free, discreet and answered by a person who has approved your sector before.