Card payments on your own merchant account.
*As long as you stay within the agreed terms. Approval and terms depend on the provider's underwriting.
- Account holder
- Your company
- Industry
- Industry code
- Approval rates
- Mainstream level
- Fees
- Mainstream level
- Payout
- After 3 days
- Rolling reserve
- None*
Compared
What changes compared with a typical high-risk provider
| Term | Typical high-risk provider | The terms regular online merchants get |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling reserve | 5–15 %, held 90–180 days | None* |
| Processing fees | ≈ 4–6 % effective | Mainstream level |
| Payout | Minus reserve, sometimes in crypto | After 3 days |
| After termination | Funds held for months | Your own account, your company's name |
*As long as you stay within the agreed terms. Typical high-risk values: public pricing and fee guides of high-risk providers and ISOs, as of September 2026. Effective fees assume a $50 average ticket.
Process
How it works
Check fit
Seven taps. You see right away whether your business fits, and you book the call in the same step.
The call
15 minutes. We go through what the provider will ask for: company documents, recent processing statements and your industry's compliance evidence.
Application in your name
You learn who the provider is and sign with them directly. Your website shows exactly the business you declare.
Go live
Once approved, you take card payments on your own merchant account, under your real industry code.
Requirements
Who we work with
The provider underwrites every application. These are the basics it will look for.
Fits
- A registered company that will hold the account
- At least $50k in monthly card volume — or none yet, if you're applying for a first account
- iGaming: a licence for every market you serve
- Adult: age and consent verification for everyone in your content, reviewed before publication
- Peptides: lab documentation for every product, no health claims
Doesn't fit
- Gambling without a licence for the target market
- Adult content without age and consent verification
- Anyone who wants to process under a different business description
- Processing for other merchants through your account
- Anyone a mainstream processor would accept — go there instead, it's cheaper
- Dropshipping, or any store built on suppliers you don't control
- Accounts that were terminated over chargebacks rather than over the industry
Two minutes
Check if you qualify
Seven questions, most of them one tap. If your business fits, you pick a call slot on the next screen.
Questions
Before you ask
Who is the payment provider?
You'll learn the provider's name and full terms before you sign anything. You contract with them directly, in your company's name.
Do payments run through you?
No. The merchant account is yours and payouts go to your company's bank account. We don't process or hold any funds.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. The provider underwrites every application and keeps reviewing accounts after approval. We prepare your application so the review has everything it needs.
When does "no rolling reserve" apply?
As long as you stay within the agreed terms, especially the chargeback and fraud thresholds. If you exceed them, the provider can set a reserve, like any acquirer.
What does it cost?
A one-time setup fee and a monthly retainer, both based on your volume. You get both in writing before you commit.
Why not simply use Stripe?
Stripe's terms list gambling and adult content among its prohibited businesses. We place you with a provider that accepts your industry explicitly. Cleared Merchant is not affiliated with Stripe.
And if a mainstream processor will take you, take it. It is cheaper and simpler than anything we can arrange. We exist for the businesses they turn down — not as an alternative for the ones they accept.
I'm not gambling, adult or peptides. Is this for me?
Possibly. What matters is not the label but why you keep getting turned down. If it's your sector — the classification, the regulator, the goods you sell — that's what we work on. If it's your chargeback rate, your refund complaints or the products themselves, a new provider won't fix it; the same numbers will surface there within a quarter, and you'd be back where you started with a second termination on your record. Tell us in the form why the last provider said no, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth a call.