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What Are High-Risk Industries? Do I Have A High-Risk Business?

High-risk businesses often have more trouble finding payment processing options, lenders, and business insurance. Learn if your business is high-risk, and what you can do about it.

    Shannon Vissers
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Matt Sherman
  • REVIEWED BY

    Matt Sherman

    Lead Staff Writer

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Key Takeaways
  1. High-risk merchants are businesses that financial institutions and payment processors consider likely to fail, often because the business's industry has a high risk of chargebacks or fraud.
  2. Some high-risk industries online gambling, adult entertainment, cannabis dispensaries, vape shops, and businesses that sell health supplements.
  3. Merchant services for high-risk merchants are expensive and tend to lack transparency. Reputable high-risk merchant account providers exist, but you have to watch out for red flags.
Shannon Vissers

Shannon Vissers

Lead Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.
Shannon Vissers
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Shannon Vissers

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Get in touch with a real human being on the Merchant Maverick team! Send us your questions, comments, reviews, or other feedback. We read every message and will respond if you'd like us to.