Skip to content

6 Best High-Risk Payment Processors of April 2024

Small businesses that are considered high-risk often have a difficult time finding payment processors that are willing to work with them. Here’s a list of some of the top high-risk payment processors.
By Whitney Vandiver, Karrin Sehmbi
Last updated on January 2, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 6 minutes

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

High-risk payment processors provide merchant accounts and payment processing services to businesses that operate in high-risk industries. Businesses in industries that are age-restricted, like gambling and tobacco, or have high rates of fraud or chargebacks, such as dropshipping, nonprofits and web design, often struggle to find payment processing companies that are willing to work with them.
The best high-risk payment processors can offer competitive pricing and popular integrations and accept a variety of payment methods; some even offer point-of-sale (POS) solutions or easy integrations with POS systems.
Here are our recommendations for high-risk payment processors.

Best High-Risk Payment Processors

Loan calculator icon

Calculate your monthly cost estimate

Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best value
Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

Product
Cost Estimate
Payment processing fees
Cost Estimate
Learn more

National Processing

Learn more

on National Processing's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
5.0/5

Best for Overall high-risk payment processor

2.5% + $0.10

for Basic In-Person Package.

$9.95

for Basic In-Person Package.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on National Processing's secure website

PaymentCloud

Learn more

on PaymentCloud's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Software integrations

2.4% + $0.10

to 3.5% + $0.25 on average.

$0.00

to $50.

Learn more

on PaymentCloud's secure website

Payline

4.5/5

Best for Transparent pricing

In-person: 0.4% + $0.10

Online: 0.75% + $0.20

Plus interchange

$10.00

in person; $20 online.

HighRiskPay.com

Best for Adult-themed businesses

2.95% + $0.25

May vary with credit or transaction type.

$9.95

Inovio

Best for High-risk online payment processing

N/A

Quote-based.

N/A

Quote-based.

Soar Payments

Best for Variety of high-risk industries

N/A

Quote-based.

N/A

Quote-based.

Our pick for

Overall high-risk payment processor

National Processing

Learn more

on National Processing's secure website

Payment processing fees
2.5% + $0.10

for Basic In-Person Package.

Monthly fee
$9.95

for Basic In-Person Package.

Our pick for

Software integrations

PaymentCloud

Learn more

on PaymentCloud's secure website

Payment processing fees
2.4% + $0.10

to 3.5% + $0.25 on average.

Monthly fee
$0.00

to $50.

Our pick for

Transparent pricing

Payline

Monthly fee
$10.00

in person; $20 online.

Our pick for

Adult-themed businesses

HighRiskPay.com

Payment processing fees
2.95% + $0.25

May vary with credit or transaction type.

Monthly fee
$9.95

Our pick for

High-risk online payment processing

Inovio

Payment processing fees
N/A

Quote-based.

Monthly fee
N/A

Quote-based.

Our pick for

Variety of high-risk industries

Soar Payments

Payment processing fees
N/A

Quote-based.

Monthly fee
N/A

Quote-based.

Our picks for best high-risk payment processors

Payline Data: Best overall high-risk payment processor

Why we like it: Payline Data offers competitive pricing of interchange plus a low per-transaction rate. Depending on the types of credit cards you accept, such as Visa or American Express, its rates could save you money compared with competitors’ rates. Read our full Payline Data review.
Type of transactions: In-person, online and recurring payments.
POS: Integrates with third-party POS systems.

PaymentCloud: Best for software integrations

Why we like it: PaymentCloud stands out from the competition with a large set of software integrations, a free terminal for qualifying merchants and tools dedicated to preventing fraud and managing chargebacks (although chargebacks come with a $25 fee). PaymentCloud claims to have a 98% approval rate for high-risk merchants. Read our full PaymentCloud review.
Type of transactions: In-person, online and recurring payments.
POS: Third-party options available from companies like Clover.

National Processing: Best for ACH payments

Why we like it: National Processing offers in-person and online payment processing plans, as well as an ACH one for businesses that get paid mostly via e-check. And if your business processes at least $10,000 per month, the company promises $500 if it can't beat your current rates. Read our full National Processing review.
Type of transactions: In-person, online and recurring payments.
POS: Integrates with third-party systems, including Clover.

HighRiskPay.com: Best for adult-themed businesses

Why we like it: HighRiskPay.com clearly outlines its rates for all types of businesses, including those with bad credit. It also shows the rate for high-risk businesses as well as those offering adult-themed products. Although that industry has a higher rate, it’s only 25 cents more per transaction and gets the same percentage charged as other high-risk businesses.
Type of transactions: In-person, online and recurring payments.
POS: None.

Inovio: Best for high-risk online payment processing

Why we like it: Inovio stands out with its excellent online payment processing options. It offers secure checkout pages, customizable payment gateway APIs and the ability to manage multiple locations. And because the company will handle your gateway and processing along with the POS, you only have to contact one company for support.
Type of transactions: Online and recurring payments.
POS: Inovio virtual POS solution available.

Soar Payments: Best for variety of high-risk industries

Why we like it: Compared with competitors, Soar Payments' website includes the most extensive list of industries served, with over 50 industries listed. For businesses that are nontraditional or are having trouble finding a processor that serves their industries, it's a strong option.
Type of transactions: In-person, online and recurring payments.
POS: Integrates with third-party POS systems.

What are high-risk businesses?

The “high risk” category encompasses a wide variety of business types and industries, and some of them may come as a surprise. Perhaps more obvious high-risk businesses include those that deal in firearms and ammunition, cannabis and CBD, pawn shops and tobacco and vaping products. However, the high-risk label can also apply to subscription-service businesses, nonprofits, advertising agencies, software as a service (SaaS) companies and others.
A primary factor that contributes to being considered “high-risk” is whether the business model lends itself to higher rates of chargebacks. For example, subscription-service businesses where users are billed on a recurring basis are more likely to receive dispute charges when a user signs up for the service not realizing it will auto-renew and charge their card each month. Other factors can include whether transactions primarily happen online or over the phone (these card-not-present transactions are more susceptible to credit card fraud), whether a business sells internationally or the sales volume size.

Learn more about high-risk merchant accounts

Dig into why your high-risk business needs a merchant account on top of payment processing services, as well as tips on finding the right one for your business.

How to choose a high-risk payment processor

Here are several factors to consider while searching for the best high-risk payment processor for your business.
  • Chargeback fees: What does the processor charge for each disputed charge that results in a refund to a customer? Typically payment processors charge in the range of $15 to $25 for each chargeback, while some charge significantly more and a few don’t charge for them at all.
  • Accepted transaction types: Consider the types of transactions your business processes and whether the high-risk payment processor will accept those. Some may accept only online transactions (such as Inovio), whereas others will accept credit card payments both in-person and online.
  • Services offered: Some high-risk payment processors offer only the payment processing service, which means you’ll need to secure a high-risk merchant account through a separate provider. Others offer both payment processing and merchant accounts and additionally may offer POS systems. Consider your business needs and whether you prefer a single point of contact or finding the best deal across multiple providers.
  • Integrations: Most payment processors provide at least a few integrations with third-party applications and business software. It’s helpful to choose a processor that integrates directly with tax and accounting software, and if you sell online, you likely want a processor that integrates with popular e-commerce platforms and marketplaces.
Last updated on January 2, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s ratings of payment processing providers reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including overall cost, hardware and software options, system capabilities, customer service, contract requirements and integrations. Learn more about how we rate payment processing providers.
These ratings are a guide, but fees, hardware, software and contract requirements can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Close
Business software made simple

Compare features, pricing, and expert reviews for your business software needs - all in one place.

Close
Business software made simple

Compare features, pricing, and expert reviews for your business software needs - all in one place.