High-risk merchant accounts
Here's the rate, the timeline, and the paperwork.
No sales call required to get a number. 12 verticals underwritten. Most decisions inside 48 hours. Underwriting wants 24 to 48 hours on a complete file. Reserve terms published below.
- 12 verticals underwritten
- Most decisions inside 48 hours
- Rates published on this page
Why banks decline you
A decline is a category rule. Not a verdict on your business. The bank matches your industry against a list. It stops there.
A profitable business gets declined. A weaker one in a safer category gets approved. The category settled it before anyone read your numbers.
- Account frozen. No notice. No reason you can act on.
- Settlement withheld or delayed. Revenue you earned, out of reach.
- Decline, reapply, decline. New processor every few months.
What you get
Six things. Every approved account. Day one. A merchant account in your name, not a referral to one.
Merchant ID and gateway access
Your own merchant ID. Your own gateway credentials. Not a slot on an aggregate account.
Chargeback monitoring and representment
Ratio checked daily against network thresholds. Representments filed for you when the evidence supports it.
Multi-currency and international acquiring
Multiple settlement currencies. Acquirers outside Canada where your customers are.
Recurring billing and subscriptions
Rebills, retries, dunning, mid-cycle plan changes. Supported directly.
A named account contact
One named person. Direct email and phone. No ticket queue. No rotation.
Reserve terms disclosed up front
Percentage and hold period in writing before you sign. Not after.
Verticals underwritten
- CBD & hemp
- Nutraceuticals
- Subscription boxes
- Online gaming
- Travel & ticketing
- Firearms & accessories
- Adult
- Debt relief
- E-cigarettes & vape
- Dropshipping
- SaaS with high refund rates
- Telemedicine
The process
Submit the form
7 fields. About 2 minutes. No document upload at this stage.
File goes to an acquirer
Same business day. Sent only to acquirers that already underwrite your vertical.
Underwriting review
24 to 48 hours on a complete file. Documents requested once, in one list.
Approval and first settlement
Gateway credentials the same day. Reserve terms in writing. Settlement on the acquirer funding schedule.
Pricing
| Risk profile | Rate from | Per transaction | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard risk | TODO: real rate | TODO: real rate | TODO: real reserve |
| Elevated risk | TODO: real rate | TODO: real rate | TODO: real reserve |
| Maximum risk | TODO: real rate | TODO: real rate | TODO: real reserve |
Rates start at the published figure. Final pricing varies by risk profile, volume, chargeback history, and vertical. Pricing is set at underwriting. Approval is subject to underwriting.
Questions
What makes a business high-risk?
The networks or the acquirer expect elevated chargebacks, refunds, or regulatory attention. The label attaches to the category first. Your own record comes second. Profitable, well-run businesses carry it constantly.
Declined elsewhere already. Does that hurt?
Not on its own. Prior declines are standard in these verticals. Chargeback history, volume, and complete paperwork carry more weight. A decline elsewhere tells us about that acquirer, not about you.
How long does approval take?
Most decisions land inside 48 hours on a complete file. Some come back same day. The clock starts when we hold every document. Incomplete files are the main cause of delay.
What is a rolling reserve?
A percentage of each settlement, held back for a fixed period. Released on a rolling basis. Whether you get one depends on vertical, chargeback history, and acquirer. If one applies, the percentage and hold period are stated before you sign.
What documents do you need?
Incorporation documents. Government ID for every owner. Three to six months of processing statements. Bank letter or void cheque. No processing history means projections instead of statements.
What if the chargeback rate climbs?
You hear it from us first. Ratio checked daily, flagged as it approaches network thresholds. Above threshold the acquirer can raise your reserve or your rate. It can also close the account. Accounts do get closed. Better to know the mechanism now than at the time.
Can I keep my gateway?
Usually, if it supports the acquirer we place you with. Compatibility is checked before you commit. If it does not support them, we provision one and move the integration.
What is the total cost?
Discount rate, per-transaction fee, and any reserve. Gateway and statement fees, where they apply, appear in the same quote. Nothing gets added afterward. The full structure is in writing before you sign.
Credentials and integrations
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Gateway integration
Not confirmed yet.
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Gateway integration
Not confirmed yet.
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PCI DSS compliance level
Level and scope not confirmed yet.
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Card-network registration
Registration not confirmed yet.
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Processor relationship
Processor name and agent wording not confirmed yet.
Get your rate
7 fields. One business day. A real number for your vertical and volume. Not a range.
