Top 7 High-Risk Merchant Account Providers in 2025 (Compared)

If you’ve ever had your merchant account shut down by Stripe, PayPal, or Square, you already know how tough it is to find a high-risk payment processor you can actually rely on. This guide breaks down the top 7 high-risk merchant account providers for 2025, so you can compare features, pricing, and transparency—all in one place.

Whether you sell CBD, kratom, vapes, delta-8, nutraceuticals, or anything considered “hard to place,” this list is built to help you find a processor that won’t hold your funds, ghost you, or stick you with hidden fees.

1. High Wire Payments – Best for CBD, Kratom, and High-Volume Brands

High Wire Payments stands out as one of the most transparent and hands-on high-risk merchant processors in 2025. They specialize in hard-to-place verticals like CBD, kratom, delta-8, tobacco, and vape products. What makes them unique is that you get direct access to an agent (not a call center), and custom pricing with no contracts or cancellation fees.

Recently, High Wire was able to save a major distributor over $10,000 a month in fees by negotiating custom rates. That’s over $120,000 annually! High Wire Payments works with multiple banks and plugs into common gateways like NMI and Authorize.net, making onboarding fast and smooth.

Website: https://highriskleah.com

2. BankCard USA – Established Processor For CBD and Firearms

BankCard USA, AKA the Gun Bank, has been around since 1993 and is one of the few legacy processors that still takes on high-risk merchants directly. They power the back end for many independent agents and white-label providers. While they serve a wide variety of businesses, their high-risk division—High Wire Payments—offers more flexible, hands-on support.

Website: https://bankcardusa.com

3. Easy Pay Direct – Best for Scaling Mid- to Enterprise-Level Merchants

Easy Pay Direct is well known for its “load balancing” system, which splits volume across multiple MIDs to reduce risk of shutdown. They tend to focus on businesses doing $50K/month and up, and can be a good long-term solution if you’re scaling fast.

Website: https://easypaydirect.com

4. PayKings – Heavily SEO-Optimized, Mixed Reviews

PayKings shows up in a lot of Google searches for high-risk processing, but merchant reviews are mixed. They support a wide range of niches including CBD, firearms, and adult content. Good to compare rates, but read the fine print carefully.

Website: https://paykings.com

5. SMB Global – Offshore + Domestic Options

SMB Global offers both domestic and offshore high-risk merchant accounts. This can be a good option if you’re based outside the U.S. or have trouble getting approved through traditional banks. Response times can vary based on volume.

Website: https://smbglobalpayments.com

6. Durango Merchant Services – Long-Running Industry Player

Durango has been around for over a decade and supports many niche industries, including crypto and adult. Their application process is longer, but they’re known for helping merchants that have already been declined elsewhere.

Website: https://durangomerchantservices.com

7. Soar Payments – Simple Setup, Mixed Niche Support

Soar Payments offers an easy online application and works with verticals like credit repair, coaching, and eBooks. They don’t support all high-risk niches (like kratom or THC), so double-check your category before applying.

Website: https://soarpay.com

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right high-risk payment processor can save you thousands in fees and headaches. Make sure you’re not locked into a bad contract, and always ask about things like reserve requirements, hold times, and real effective rates. If you’re in a niche like CBD, kratom, or delta-8, working with a specialist like High Wire Payments could give you the speed and savings that general processors miss.