Choosing a PSP for a high-risk merchant

What "high-risk" means

Acquirers classify industries like forex, crypto, gaming and CFDs as high-risk because of chargeback rates and regulatory exposure. Expect higher fees, rolling reserves and stricter underwriting.

Questions to ask a PSP

• Which acquiring banks and card schemes do you use?
• What rolling reserve and chargeback thresholds apply?
• Which countries and industries do you actually accept (get it in writing)?
• What settlement currencies and timelines?
• What KYB documents will you need from us?

Redundancy matters

High-risk merchants should never rely on a single PSP. Build redundancy across at least two providers so a sudden account freeze doesn't halt your business.

Compliance is not optional

A PSP that doesn't ask compliance questions is a liability, not a convenience. Strong KYB up front protects you from sudden terminations later.