High Risk Merchants
Services

High risk merchant services involve the establishment of merchant accounts for businesses that banks, card brands, and processors deem as high risk of generating a loss, or who deal in business types that are deemed less desirable or brand-damaging by mainstream processors. Host Merchant Services is the premier provider of high risk merchant services.

Some reasons a business might be classified as high risk include industry type, financial stability, chargeback rates, international sales, legal or regulatory concerns, reputational risks, or "continuity" subscription services. At Host Merchant Services, we can establish high risk merchant accounts for businesses who fall into any or all of these categories.

When providing a merchant account, the merchant services company assumes the risk of loss if the merchant is unable or unwilling to pay. This loss can be generated by chargebacks, unpaid fees, or fines levied by card associations. Since high risk merchant accounts carry a higher risk of loss, the associated fees are necessarily higher to compensate. Rest assured at Host Merchant Services we still work diligently to provide the lowest rates possible for all high risk business types.

High risk merchant accounts may receive additional scrutiny in the underwriting process. In addition to examining the financial health and stability of the business (which is normal for all merchant accounts), underwriting may also scrutinize marketing materials, chargeback ratios, business practices, and the merchant's website in order to ascertain the risks associate with an approval. At Host Merchant Services, we have the highest approval rate in the industry for high risk merchant accounts. If you have been declined elsewhere, even by multiple processors, we can still help.

Personal credit matters when applying for a high risk merchant account because you are responsible for the losses associated with your account. However, poor personal credit does not mean you cannot obtain high risk merchant services. While it may result in additional scrutiny for the business during underwriting, it is completely possible to obtain a great high risk merchant account with a low credit score, and sometimes even without providing a personal guarantee. At Host Merchant Services we are experts in getting approved accounts for business owners with low credit scores, as well as for non-US owners, and companies that may not be able to provide a guarantor.

Too many chargebacks can result in negative actions, including and up to loss of our merchant account and being placed on MATCH/TMF. While these vary by card brands, it is important to note that programs for adverse actions related to chargebacks start at 0.9% and 100 chargebacks/month for Visa (VDMP), 1.5% and 100 chargebacks/month for MasterCard.

Host Merchant Services has been consistently rated by multiple independent third parties, including Card Payment Options, Merchant Maverick, Forbes, Nerd Wallet, and more, as the best high risk merchant services provider for rates, approvals, and customer service.

Host Merchant Services has a high risk merchant account approval rate over 98%. This claim leads all high risk merchant account providers, and we are consistently rated as giving high risk merchants the top chance for approval. Don't risk a decline working with another provider! Although some providers use similar banks and high risk processors, our unique application process insures much higher approval rates. When you have been declined working with another high risk merchant account provider, we can still get an approval, but it is more difficult to repair the work done by other providers who don't understand the process like HMS.