It would be nice if all businesses were treated equally when it comes to payment processing, but the fact is they aren’t. Businesses are often treated differently depending on the degree of financial risk they present to a processor.
High-risk merchants here in the U.S. can have difficulty finding the right payment processing solution. Many businesses may not even be aware that they are considered high risk until searching for a merchant account or credit card processor. The level of risk is often determined by a variety of factors, including the industry they are in, average revenue per product or service sold, future deliverables, or even the risk of financial failure. Some examples of high-risk industries include eCommerce, nutraceutical or supplements, tobacco products, gambling, financial services, travel and hospitality, or software.