logo
logo
Sign in

What are high risk merchant services?

avatar
michael bedwell
What are high risk merchant services?

High risk merchant services is a term used to describe an industry that is thought to be at high risk for chargebacks. That means when accepting credit cards online or offline the processor will most likely decline the transactions resulting in fines and penalties due to these higher risks. It can also mean that merchants are classified under less than desirable terms allowing processors to charge merchants with high fees and less than optimal rates. Either way, when a merchant is categorized as high risk it's usually for good reason.

What factors influence a merchant to be categorized under high risk merchants?

While it can be said that any one business is at high risk for chargebacks, there are many factors that influence this category. Some of the most common reasons are:

  • Very low average transaction amount
  • Too much personal information being obtained from customers ie; social security number, address etc. (this should only be required if selling a product or service that's tax related)
  • Using a non-SSL secure connection to receive credit card information from customers
  • Shipping items overseas or internationally which can result in high return rates and/or an increase of fraud cases.
  • Online businesses accepting payments for adult products & services, pharmaceuticals, supplements, pharmaceutical or adult websites.
  • Not having SSL certification on checkout page (look for the padlock symbol in the address bar)

These are just a few of many factors that can cause your business to be categorized as high risk merchant services, but it's definitely safe to say that any one of these factors alone could make you ineligible for merchant services.

What are some benefits of high risk merchant services?

While there are certainly reasons no business would want to be categorized as high risk, there are some cases where being labeled as such may have its advantages. Since not all processors will accept these high-risk merchants, the pricing is usually much better than that of traditional businesses. Another benefit of high risk merchant services is that in some cases, the terms and conditions are much more flexible.

What if I am categorized as a high risk merchant?

If you find that your business does fall into any of these categories then it's safe to say you will have a very difficult time finding a processor to work with your business. With that being said, there are still a few options you can explore such as:

  • Finding a digital wallet or prepaid card company like PayPal (although not the best option as they also charge high fees)
  • If your business is eligible to apply for merchant accounts without having an SSL certificate, check out companies like Site Merchant Accounts.
  • If your business is already selling products or services with recurring billing, it may be possible to alter the terms within your agreement. This can result in you being categorized as low risk and thus having access to merchant services without all of the hassles that go along with high risk.
  • If the above suggestions aren't applicable to your business then it may just be time to consider a different type of business or product/service you can sell.

The benefits of high risk merchant services aren't always easy to find, but if you're able to take advantage of them they can definitely help your bottom line.

collect
0
avatar
michael bedwell
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more