For anyone considering running a business that would be considered a ‘high risk’ platform, it is essential that you have the right support structure all around you. The modern-day practice of making sales and progressing a business, especially through digital sales and transactions, shows no signs of slowing down. However, if you are someone who is in what would be considered a ‘high risk’ industry, you might find it hard to get the same kind of support and solutions from those in other industries.
A high-risk merchant is often not someone who would be considered for a traditional processing agreement. They are often required to take on more liability and responsibility and they would get with a normal processor. However, this comes with the territory. Since the industry you are working in is deemed to be a volatile and dangerous industry, there has to be some kind of safety taken by any processor who is willing to work with you.
Just because there are some limits, though, does not mean that you have to accept and agree to the most restrictive of high risk merchant account options. Pick the right payment processor system, and experts believe that you can get the specialist support that you need without having to accept so many potential liabilities and repercussions.
What is a high-risk merchant?
The term can change depending on where you are based and who you are speaking to. Typically, though, someone who is considered a high-risk merchant will be someone who works in a particularly risky or otherwise dangerous industry. Every payment processor, though, will have their own regulations and ideas. So long as they are European Central Bank regulated, though, you can expect that they will have relatively high bars for regulation.
Typically, though, you will find that a high-risk merchant is someone who works within an industry with a high risk of fraud and/or chargebacks. The more chargebacks you have suffered, the ‘riskier’ you will be deemed. However, the actual quantity of what is deemed to be high risk will be determined by the payment processors when they evaluate your condition and your ability to trade.
High risk payment processing is something that you can use today, as it will provide you with some benefits that you might not get elsewhere. For example, you can benefit from increased sales volume allowance, easier billing, and more options regarding currency.
If you pick a high-risk payment processor that allows you to open a high-risk merchant account, you should consider all of your options. Some platforms can make it much easier for you to get the kind of results that you would have been hoping for, ensuring that you can see more consistent results for your business moving forward.
Others will help to ward you from and minimise the risk, ensuring you have a much higher chance of getting an account that benefits you, your business, and your long-term opportunities. So, don’t settle for the first solution you see; choose the right high risk merchant account, and you’ll benefit from it moving forward.