High Risk Credit Card Processing

Choosing the right merchant account

Setting up a profitable business is quite the challenge, and an even bigger challenge is figuring out a way to accept payments from people who are using different modes of payment. Not everyone who walks into your store or buys goods from your online store, would like to pay in cash or by just a visa credit card. The object is to offer as many payment methods as possible while maintaining a profitable margin for yourself. This is where choosing the right merchant account comes into play. No merchant account today is free from transaction fees, or additional fees for utilizing the service.

There are few parameters that will influence and aid your decision in choosing the right account. First things first, you should know the various types of merchant accounts that are available, there are in essence 3 basic types of merchant accounts, the first is a regular or basic merchant account, this account does not come with any special privileges and the charges involved are decided based on the volume of transactions carried out and the volume of business you are generating.

The second type is high end or what is popularly called a high risk merchant account, such accounts are useful for people who are in a designated 'high risk' business category, for examples online casinos etc. Such accounts are more exclusive as approval criteria are stringent. The final type and rarer are specialized merchant accounts that are created for a particular type of business or special transactions.

The next few questions are designed to help you make a easy decision as to what type of merchant account to choose:

What volume of your business will be dependent on credit cards and EPOS transactions?

If you plan to offer the credit card facility as an additional convenience or a majority of your customers pay by cash, then you will in all likely hood be provided with a regular merchant account, with fixed monthly charges, and a minimum monthly limit. So then what do you have to get a high risk merchant account? Well think more like Walmart, okay you don't have to be that big either, but you should have a very good case to apply for a high risk merchant account, preferably have a good credit history and decent standing in the market.

Is there no way I can get a high risk merchant account if I have poor credit history?

Once you have decided that you need a high risk merchant account, and if you were declined a high risk credit account, the next step is to usually carrying out overseas processing of transactions, in countries like St. Kitts etc. Also spread your merchant accounts across multiple locations and vendors, not only does this step increase your chances of getting a high risk merchant account, but it also ensures all your transactions are not dependant on a single merchant account.

Can I do all this on my own?

There are specialized companies that offer their services and drastically improve your chances of getting a high risk merchant account. If you are not confident maybe you can get in touch with these companies online and let their professional expertise aid you.
Features of a high risk merchant account A high risk merchant account is a specialised and a much desired merchant account. Such merchant accounts are usually reserved for businesses that handle a large volume of transaction, or carry out transactions with risks like charge back, cancellation and non-authorization involved. High risk merchant accounts have been in use for a long time now, and are usually with sites like online casinos, adult sites etc. Not just online sites, even organizations like wal-mart and other stores, who deal in millions of transactions every day have the option to use high risk merchant accounts. There are a couple of features that one should look for before one decides on a high risk merchant account. The features that are offered with most high risk merchant accounts, and have fast become industry norms for any high risk merchant account are mentioned below:

Jim Johnson the author of this article on adult merchant accounts. Find more information about credit card processing here.

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