High Risk Credit Card Processing & Merchant Accounts
Stripe, Square, and others, are closing merchant accounts…
They likely have restrictions on your business vertical.
Important: Scroll down to learn more
Our competitors shut down millions of accounts last year and held millions of dollars from business owners just like you for months on end…
Over 30,000 businesses trust us in the USA & Canada.
RAVING FANS
High risk businesses accepting credit cards need a reliable merchant account.
Last year, millions of merchant accounts were shut down by processors like Stripe, PayPal, and Square.
Why?
Because their business model is built on speed, not stability.
These platforms are called PayFacs, they approve accounts instantly without underwriting, meaning they know nothing about your business when you sign up.
That’s a problem.
PayFacs have long lists of restricted and prohibited industries, many of which would surprise you.
You could be flagged simply for:
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Processing over $50,000/month
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Offering subscriptions
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Making bold marketing claims
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Or triggering one of their vague, arbitrary policies
Since there’s no upfront underwriting, they only discover these things after you start processing.
You might be able to process for a few days, a week, or a month, but when they finally review your account, there’s a high chance they’ll freeze your funds or shut you down.
And it gets worse…
Even if you follow the rules, a competitor in your industry could trip a flag, prompting them to look at every business in that industry, freezing funds, and closing accounts.
How are we different? How do we keep high risk merchant accounts stable?
It starts with thorough underwriting.
Our specialists take the time to understand your business and marketing model upfront, so we can match you with a back-end bank that supports your industry.
This dramatically reduces the risk of account issues down the road.
Here’s what you get with Easy Pay Direct:
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Stable, high-volume payment processing
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A single, dedicated point of contact
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Recurring billing support
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And more (see below)
We don’t just set you up and walk away.
We work with you over the lifetime of your account to:
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Lower decline rates and increase revenue
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Monitor and reduce chargebacks
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Optimize your payment flow at every stage
EPD understands the challenges of businesses like ours, it’s 100% worth working with them. They will tell you how to save and make more money plus prevent shutdowns so everything runs smoothly.
Hal Elrod
Before Easy Pay Direct we had a $750k launch and $156k of that money was held. EPD has been super helpful in a bunch of different areas that none of our other processors provided. Highly recommend them.
Roland Frasier
I am a very happy client of Easy Pay Direct, working with them was very professional. Everybody was in touch with my team every step of the way and I am very happy to recommend them to everyone.
Frank Kern
What Other Features Does Easy Pay Direct Offer?
Transaction Routing → learn more
We’ll automatically route your transactions across multiple accounts. That way if anything ever happens to one, your others are still up and running.
Decline Recovery → learn more
We’ll help you improve your approval ratios and reduce decline rates. That way, you put more cash back in your pocket and process more payments.
Hosted Checkout → learn more
Quickly create checkout links and landing pages with a few clicks. Email them, DM them, or text them to your clients for payments on the fly.
Mobile Payments → learn more
Process payments on the go with our easy-to-use mobile payment solution.
Nearly Every Vertical → learn more
We offer merchant accounts for almost every vertical, including high-risk merchants and much more. Get approved today.
White Glove Service → learn more
You’ll have a dedicated point of contact that you can reach any time you need them.
Chargeback Mitigation → learn more
Stop chargebacks before they begin with our chargeback alert system. Greatly lower account issues and improve customer satisfaction.
Recurring Billing → learn more
Built-in recurring billing for subscription purchases with multiple payment options available.
250+ Integrations → learn more
Integration to nearly every shopping cart, plus we integrate to most apps and software. If you need something specific, our in-house development team will make it happen.
Unlimited High Ticket → learn more
Worry-free processing of high ticket transactions and high volume.
BENEFITS OF HIGH RISK PAYMENT PROCESSING
Operating a high risk business comes with a number of challenges, but having reliable credit card processing doesn’t have to be one of them. A high risk payment processing account that is tailored to your company provides peace of mind knowing your processor is prepared to flex with your business needs.
High Risk Merchant Account FAQ
A merchant account is a special type of business bank account that allows you to accept credit and debit card payments from customers. When a customer makes a purchase, the money is first deposited into your merchant account, then transferred to your business bank account after settlement.
It’s the foundation of how online and in-person payments work — and choosing the right type of merchant account is critical for long-term stability and growth.
Types of Merchant Accounts
There are several types of merchant accounts. Each one serves different types of businesses — and some are far more stable than others:
🔹 1. Aggregated Merchant Accounts (a.k.a. PayFacs)
Examples: Stripe, PayPal, Square
With an aggregated account, you’re grouped together with thousands of other businesses under a single master account.
- ✅ Fast approval
- ❌ No upfront underwriting
- ❌ High risk of shutdowns, fund holds, or account freezes
- ❌ Not suitable for high-risk or high-volume businesses
🔹 2. Dedicated (Traditional) Merchant Accounts
These accounts are issued just for your business. You receive a unique Merchant ID (MID), and your business is underwritten upfront.
- ✅ Built for long-term stability
- ✅ Can handle high volume or complex business models
- ✅ Better support and control
- ⏳ Slightly longer approval process
🔹 3. High-Risk Merchant Accounts
Some industries are considered "high risk" due to chargebacks, regulations, or business model complexity. A high-risk merchant account is a type of dedicated account matched to banks that specialize in your industry.
- ✅ Designed for high-risk verticals (e.g., coaching, supplements, subscriptions, etc.)
- ✅ Includes tools for chargeback prevention, multiple MIDs, and more
- ✅ Offered by providers like Easy Pay Direct with 30+ bank partners for added protection
🔹 4. Offshore Merchant Accounts
If you can’t get approved by a domestic bank, you may consider setting up a merchant account with an international (offshore) bank.
- ✅ Option for hard-to-place businesses
- ❌ Higher fees and compliance risks
- ❌ May complicate settlement times and currency exchange
Why It Matters
Many businesses start with an aggregator like Stripe… only to have their accounts shut down later. At Easy Pay Direct, we provide dedicated, high-risk-ready merchant accounts with thorough underwriting and access to 30+ bank partners — so you can scale with confidence and avoid shutdowns.
Easy Pay Direct works with entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses across nearly every industry.
Whether you’re running a fast-growing eCommerce store, coaching business, digital product, subscription offer, or something totally unique — we’re built to support you.
We work with:
- Online businesses and eCommerce brands
- Coaches, consultants, and digital product creators
- Agencies and service providers
- High-ticket and recurring billing models
- Event companies, info products, SaaS, and more
Even if your business doesn’t fit into a neat box — or other processors have said “no” — there’s a good chance we can help.
With over 30 back-end banking partners and deep experience across industries, we can tailor a payment solution that supports your business model and goals.
Need a merchant account that works for your business?
Start accepting payments today or reach out to our team to see how we can support you.
Easy Pay Direct is a custom gateway and merchant account provider.
But we’re much more than that, we act as your dedicated payments partner.
With Easy Pay Direct, you get a single point of contact who knows your business and is always just a call, text, chat, or email away. No phone trees. No outsourced support.
Think of us like your payments liaison, your translator, advocate, and advisor when it comes to banks and processors.
We help you:
- Navigate chargebacks and dispute resolution
- Optimize your approval rates and reduce declines
- Review and improve your processing fees
- Avoid communication missteps that could trigger risk flags
You can “unsay” things to us, but once something’s said to a bank, it’s permanent. That’s why our role is so important: we protect your relationship with the banks so you can focus on growing your business.
Fill out our quick form, it takes about 7 minutes. Once you finish, you'll be connected with a New Client Specialist, they will walk you through everything.
We can get your account live and processing in as little as 24 hours, this is contingent however, on how quickly you get us your documents for underwriting.
We will handle all of the heavy lifting for you! Start the form today, chat, email or call us to get started.
You might, even if you don’t think you do.
Most business owners don’t realize they’re considered “high risk” by payment processors. But platforms like Stripe and PayPal can flag your account for all kinds of reasons, including:
- Processing over $50,000 per month
- Selling informational products or online courses
- Being a content creator, coach, or consultant
- Offering products with subjective results (like fitness or mindset programs)
- Running a business that’s card-not-present (eCommerce or digital sales)
Even if you’re running a legitimate, compliant business, these factors can tip the scales.
Card-not-present transactions in general are seen as riskier because they have a higher rate of fraud and chargebacks. And many industries fall under internal “restricted” or “monitored” categories at big processors — often without clear guidelines.
That’s why it’s smart to talk to a provider who understands the nuances and can place you correctly from the start.
At Easy Pay Direct, we specialize in both standard and high-risk merchant accounts — and we’ll help you determine exactly what you need to stay stable and scale with confidence.
Just as all merchant accounts are not created equal, not all high-risk payment processors are suited to every business profile. Many high-risk processors prefer to work with one type of industry or business model over another.
It’s crucial to work with an experienced high-risk payment provider who can help match your business with the right back-end bank. We are equipped to leverage our extensive industry relationships and processing knowledge to help make your high-risk payment processing journey safe and easy.
As you consider which high-risk payment provider is the right fit for your company, it’s important to be informed about what the provider is really offering. Just because they are ‘high risk’ doesn’t mean they offer the specific features your high-risk business needs.
World Class Support
It’s essential to have a support team that is experienced and knowledgeable. From solving your processing dilemmas to integration support and helping to handle a processor risk inquiry, you need a team that’s there for you throughout your processing journey.
Industry Categories and Business Models
Be sure the processing partner you choose can support your industry and business model. The right provider knows which processors are actively accepting applications for businesses like yours.
Secure Payments
Your processor must have proper industry security certifications and be equipped to help you obtain them. Verify that your partner has strategic fraud prevention tools and chargeback mitigation options.
Custom Integration
Integrations can be a headache. It’s important to choose a provider with a wide range of integration options to help troubleshoot hang-ups along the way.
Easy Pay Direct is a one-stop merchant account provider and payment gateway. We offer direct integrations to the top shopping carts in the industry, as well as documentation and support to make your custom integrations easier.
With our patent-pending transaction routing system, not only is your processing safe and secure with Easy Pay Direct, but it’s also easy to manage multiple merchant accounts all in one place.
I WANT TO ACCEPT PAYMENTS NOW