With a high-risk merchant provideraccount, your payment processor has identified your company as having a higher risk of chargebacks or fraud. To offset the risk the payment processor is taking on, high-risk merchant accounts pay higher processing costs. This article discusses the reasons behind a merchant account’s high-risk designation and what it entails for your company.
Your status as high-risk may be determined by a payment processing platform for a number of factors, some of which may be more covert than others. The requirements for high-risk merchant accounts vary according on the provider, but generally speaking, the following are what you may expect to be high-risk.
A company may be considered high-risk if it conducts many transactions or has a high average transaction rate. If a business processes more than $20,000 in payments each month or if the average transaction is $500 or more, it may be deemed high-risk.
Even if a merchant has a flawless history, they may still be deemed high-risk since the industry they serve is seen to be more prone to fraud, refunds, and chargebacks. Businesses that rely on subscriptions, for instance, are categorised as high risk since many clients sign up for a trial period only to forget to stop paying. When they analyse their invoices and find the forgotten expenses, they typically charge the money back.
When you apply for a merchant account, you must provide business and tax data. After evaluating your application, your payment provider will decide if you are a high-risk or low-risk merchant and will then modify their approach accordingly.
Some payment processors are better suited for high-risk customers, so it’s a good idea to compare service providers and pick the one that most closely matches your company’s needs. Forbes Advisor has compiled a list of some of the top high-risk merchant account providers for your reference.
Before choosing a payment processor, you should carefully read the contract because every bank and payment processing platform is different and has different regulations for the merchants they classify as high risk.
When choosing a high-risk merchant account service provider, be sure the vendor allows your type of business because not all businesses are accepted by account providers who focus on high-risk merchants. Additionally, be sure you have the money on hand to pay the expenses associated with working with one of these suppliers because these companies frequently charge higher fees than low-risk merchants would. Check that your credit score is correct and as high-quality as it can be last but not least. A low credit score may affect the chance that your business or the primary owner would be accepted for a high-risk merchant account. If you’re having trouble receiving credit in the future, you may need to raise your credit score.
