High Risk Merchant Account Providers: RoxPay's Guide to Every Sector Served
Running a business in gambling, cryptocurrency, CBD, or forex trading usually means hitting the same wall: most generalist payment processors decline the application outright, regardless of how solid the underlying business is. High risk merchant account providers are specialist processors that underwrite each sector individually instead of applying an automatic rejection based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) alone. This guide covers the sectors RoxPay actively serves across Europe, what approval requires, and how IC++ pricing compares with the flat-percentage fees common in these markets.
High risk sectors covered by RoxPay
| Sector | RoxPay status | What approval requires |
|---|---|---|
| Gambling and online casinos (EU licensed) | Case-by-case review | Gaming licence, player KYC, 3D Secure 2.0 |
| Cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges | Case-by-case review | AML/VASP registration, proof of source of funds |
| CBD and cannabis-derived nutraceuticals | Case-by-case review | Certificates of analysis (COA), EU regulatory compliance |
| Forex, CFDs and online trading | Case-by-case review | Financial regulator authorisation, risk disclosure |
| Travel agencies and tour operators | Case-by-case review | Insurance policy, consumer refund guarantees |
| Fintech and payment infrastructure | Case-by-case review | EMI/PI licence where applicable, security audit |
Classification based on RoxPay's accepted business categories page (Merchant column); every application remains subject to individual due diligence.
What makes a sector "high risk" to an acquirer
"High risk" does not describe how legal a business is. It describes the statistical likelihood of chargebacks, fraud, or regulatory exposure as estimated by card networks and acquiring banks. Visa's monitoring programmes trigger once a merchant's chargeback ratio passes 1% of processed volume: in gambling, forex trading, or crypto, crossing that threshold is statistically more likely than in a physical-goods e-commerce store, which is why many generalist processors decline the whole category upfront rather than underwrite each merchant individually.
That blanket approach also penalises businesses with a clean processing history and solid fraud controls, purely because they operate under a Merchant Category Code (MCC) classified as risky. A high risk merchant account provider instead reviews the actual documentation, operating licence where required, and processing history before deciding, which lets solid merchants in these sectors get realistic terms instead of an automatic decline.
How RoxPay underwrites applications in high risk sectors
RoxPay's payment infrastructure is certified to PCI DSS Level 1 (certificate number QS83A47X629, verifiable in the official PCI SSC registry), registered with OAM at the Bank of Italy for payment services, and certified to ISO 27001 for information security management. These certifications are the prerequisite that lets RoxPay underwrite sectors many generalist acquirers will not touch.
For a complete application, with company documentation, an operating licence where required, and processing history if available, RoxPay typically returns an underwriting decision within one to two business days. Incomplete applications, or a missing licence for regulated sectors such as gambling, forex, or financial services, extend the timeline, because underwriting cannot approve live processing access until every required document has been verified.
The IC++ pricing model in high risk sectors
Most processors that accept high risk sectors use blended pricing: a single flat percentage on the full transaction value that can run to 3-6% depending on the sector, regardless of card type or the individual merchant's risk profile. RoxPay instead applies the same IC++ model used for standard merchants, €0.15 + from 0.35% to 0.85% (IC++), where RoxPay's markup stays separate from the interchange and scheme fees set by Visa and Mastercard: the exact markup for your category is set during underwriting based on risk profile, processing history, and chargeback rate.
That transparency has a specific practical advantage in high risk sectors: a merchant with a low chargeback ratio and growing volume can renegotiate the markup component after a few months of demonstrated history, while a flat blended rate stays the same regardless of how the risk profile improves.
The specific sectors RoxPay serves
Each high risk sector has different operational characteristics, covered in the dedicated guides linked below.
Gambling and online casinos: MGA and UKGC licensing, plus deposit-specific KYC requirements, covered in our [gambling payment gateway guide](/en/resources/gambling-payment-gateway) and [gambling merchant account guide](/en/resources/gambling-merchant-account).
Cryptocurrency: from Bitcoin acceptance to broader blockchain infrastructure, covered in [crypto merchant account](/en/resources/crypto-merchant-account), [crypto payment gateway](/en/resources/crypto-payment-gateway), and [Bitcoin payment gateway](/en/resources/bitcoin-payment-gateway).
CBD: EU regulation on cannabis-derived products and the certificates of analysis required, in our [CBD payment gateway guide](/en/resources/cbd-payment-gateway).
Forex and online trading: regulatory authorisation and risk disclosure requirements, in our [forex merchant account guide](/en/resources/forex-merchant-account).
Travel agencies: refund guarantees and insurance requirements acquirers look for, in our [travel agency merchant account guide](/en/resources/travel-agency-merchant-account).
Fintech: payment infrastructure that often requires EMI/PI licensing where applicable, in our [fintech payment gateway guide](/en/resources/fintech-payment-gateway).
How to choose the right provider for your sector
Before signing with a high risk merchant account provider, check these points: many providers advertise accepting "all high risk sectors" and then apply undisclosed restrictions once you actually apply, or quote a blended rate that ends up costlier than a transparent IC++ structure on your real transaction volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a high risk merchant account provider?
It's a payment processor that actively underwrites sectors generalist acquiring banks decline at the category (MCC) level, such as gambling, cryptocurrency, CBD, and forex trading. The difference from a standard processor is not the payment technology, it's the underwriting process: a high risk merchant account requires an individual review of the operating licence, processing history, and chargeback profile of the business, instead of an automatic decline based on the MCC code alone.
Which specific sectors does RoxPay evaluate as high risk?
RoxPay reviews on a case-by-case basis EU-licensed gambling and online casinos, cryptocurrency and crypto exchanges, CBD and cannabis-derived nutraceuticals, forex and CFD trading, travel agencies and tour operators, and fintech infrastructure. The table at the top of this page lists the documentation required for each sector.
How long does high risk merchant account approval take with RoxPay?
One to two business days, provided the application is complete from the start: incorporation documents, beneficial owner identification, and any operating licence ready at submission. In practice, what extends the review is rarely the sector itself, it's documents supplied after the fact, since every follow-up request restarts part of the verification.
Are fees higher for high risk sectors?
RoxPay's markup for high risk categories is higher than for standard categories, reflecting the elevated acquiring risk assessed during underwriting: the model is still IC++ (€0.15 + from 0.35% to 0.85% (IC++)), with markup and interchange shown separately, instead of the 3-6% blended rate many generalist processors quote for these sectors. A merchant with a low chargeback ratio and growing volume can renegotiate the markup after a few months of demonstrated history.
What documentation is needed to open a merchant account in a restricted sector?
RoxPay reviews these requests on a case-by-case basis and requires additional documentation. Contact the team to check your eligibility. Generally required: incorporation documents and company registration, identification for beneficial owners, three months of bank and processing statements where available, and, for regulated sectors, the relevant operating licence (gaming licence, financial regulator authorisation for forex, or equivalent). To check whether your specific sector falls under restricted or standard categories, see RoxPay's [accepted business categories](/en/general-information/accepted-business-categories).
What happens if I've already been declined by another processor?
A previous decline does not automatically rule out approval with a specialist provider: many generalist processors reject the entire MCC category without reviewing the specific business. RoxPay considers prior processing history, including the stated reason for closure, as part of the review rather than an automatic reason to decline, unless the merchant appears on Mastercard's MATCH list (Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants) for a for-cause account closure, in which case the review requires additional documentation about the listing.
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