Internet acquiring for high risk businesses features and nuances

Nikita Veremeev

30.08.2025 | 6 min read

Updated: 30.08.2025

In 2025, according to Juniper Research, the global online payment turnover exceeded $11 trillion, and the share of high-risk businesses in internet acquiring grew by 18% over the year. However, behind these impressive figures lies a worrying reality: more than 60% of entrepreneurs face refusals from banks and payment providers when trying to connect acquiring for high-risk companies.

Why does a legal online business, whether it’s gambling, cryptocurrency services, or cross-border e-commerce, find itself in a high-risk zone? How to ensure stable payment acceptance online, minimize chargebacks, and comply with international AML/KYC requirements without losing time and money on endless checks?

I see daily how even experienced entrepreneurs get lost in the intricacies of company registration for acquiring, choosing payment solutions, and building a reliable compliance architecture. The COREDO team has found in practice: success in high-risk acquiring is not only about technology but also about strategy, legal literacy, and risk management skills in different jurisdictions.

This article is not just analytics but a practical guide to help you build an effective internet acquiring system for high-risk business, avoid critical mistakes, and scale your project on an international level. If you want to get unobvious answers and real tools, read to the end.

High-risk Internet Acquiring for Business

Illustration for the section 'High-risk Internet Acquiring for Business' in the article 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Businesses – Features and Nuances'

High-risk business: it’s not just a formal label but a set of characteristics by which banks and payment systems assess potential risks of cooperation. Classic examples of high-risk niches: gambling, cryptocurrency services, forex, adult industry, betting, online casinos, and cross-border e-commerce. Acquiring such companies involves increased risks of chargebacks, a high level of fraud, complex refund schemes, and particular attention from regulators.

In practice, COREDO has encountered situations where even an innovative startup with a transparent structure ended up in blacklist merchants due to an incorrect MCC code or unobvious risks for the acquiring bank. That’s why detailed risk profiling of clients and competent onboarding of high-risk merchants are key steps for sustainable online payments acceptance.

How Banks Determine High-risk Business

High-risk criteria for banks and payment providers include:

Use of specific MCC codes (Merchant Category Code), such as 7995 for gambling, 6211 for brokerage services, 6051 for cryptocurrency services.
Geography of operations: cross-border payments, working with clients from countries with high sanction risks.
High percentage of chargebacks and refunds.
Lack of a transparent KYC/AML policy or weak Due Diligence.

In one of COREDO’s cases, a client was refused the opening of a merchant account due to non-compliance with the bank’s internal KYC/AML policies, despite the legal status of the business. It is important to remember: banks use their own blacklist merchants and automated risk profiling systems, so even individual violations can lead to account blocking.

Legal Risks for High-risk Companies

High-risk businesses inevitably face increased regulatory requirements: strict adherence to AML (anti-money laundering) and KYC (know your customer), regular audits, and the presence of a compliance officer. Sanction risks are especially relevant for companies working with clients from different countries. Violations of due diligence procedures or insufficient automation of AML processes can lead not only to fines but also to the complete cessation of service from payment providers.

COREDO’s practice confirms: competent legal support, automation of compliance procedures, and constant transaction monitoring are not just formalities but the foundation of the long-term sustainability of high-risk acquiring.

Internet Acquiring for High-risk Business

Illustration for the section 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Business' in the article 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Businesses – Features and Nuances'
Acquiring for high-risk companies fundamentally differs from standard solutions both in terms of commission structure and operational and legal nuances. High-risk businesses must consider rolling reserves, increased commissions, complex onboarding procedures, and special attention to fraud prevention.

Commissions, Rolling Reserve, and Hidden Payments – What Are They?

Commissions for high-risk acquiring vary from 3% to 8% per transaction, and the rolling reserve can reach 10-20% of turnover, withheld for up to 180 days. This is due to the need to cover potential losses from chargebacks and refunds. In one of COREDO’s projects, it was possible to reduce the rolling reserve from 15% to 7% by implementing automated transaction monitoring systems and improving KYC procedures.

Region	Commission (from)	Rolling Reserve	Retention Period
EU	3.5%	5-10%	90-180 days
Asia	4%	7-15%	120-180 days
CIS	5%	10-20%	90-180 days

Optimization of acquiring commissions for high-risk is achieved through a transparent business structure, selecting loyal PSPs, and implementing risk management tools.

Chargebacks and Refunds – How to Manage?

Chargeback, refund at the client’s initiative: one of the main threats to high-risk acquiring. In some niches, the chargeback level exceeds 2%, which can lead to the termination of the contract with the acquiring bank. The solution developed at COREDO includes the implementation of chargeback management systems, automation of client notifications, and integration of anti-fraud algorithms, which allows reducing the number of disputed transactions by 30-40%.

Minimizing chargebacks in high-risk e-commerce requires a comprehensive approach: transparent refund conditions, staff training, regular analysis of refund reasons, and the implementation of transaction monitoring tools.

Multi-currency and International Payments

For high-risk companies, multi-currency processing and acquiring for cross-border payments become a competitive advantage. International internet acquiring allows accepting payments in EUR, USD, GBP, SGD, which is especially important for online casinos, betting, and cryptocurrency services. In a COREDO case for a forex client, a white-label payment gateway was implemented with support for 8 currencies and automatic payment distribution by country, which increased conversion by 23%.

Payment Solutions for High-risk Business: How to Choose?

Illustration for the section 'Payment Solutions for High-risk Business: How to Choose?' in the article 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Businesses – Features and Nuances'
Choosing a payment provider (PSP) and acquiring bank for a high-risk business: a strategic decision affecting the project’s stability and scalability. Key criteria: Licensing of PSPs, the presence of international regulators (FCA, MAS), flexible API integration, and experience working with high-risk niches.

Provider	Region	License	Commission	Rolling Reserve	Features
Paysafe	EU	FCA	3.9%	7%	Multi-currency, anti-fraud
Paydentity	Asia	MAS	4.5%	10%	KYC/AML automation
Ecommpay	EU	FCA	4.2%	8%	White-label, API
PayRetailers	CIS	Spain	5%	12%	Localization, chargeback mgmt

Documents for Opening a Merchant Account

To open a merchant account, a high-risk business will need:

Incorporation documents (legal entity registration)
Licenses (e.g., PSP licensing for payment services)
KYC files on beneficiaries and directors
AML policy and procedures
Financial statements
Business model description and risk profiling

In one of COREDO’s cases, a client from the online casino sector managed to speed up the onboarding procedure for high-risk merchants by preparing a complete AML/KYC package in advance and integrating an automated due diligence system.

What to Do if Refused a Merchant Account

Refusals to open merchant accounts for high-risk companies are common. Reasons: non-transparent structure, insufficient due diligence, suspicion of bypassing payment blocks, or working with blacklist merchants. In such cases, the COREDO team recommends:

Review the legal entity structure and registration jurisdiction
Strengthen KYC/AML procedures
Consider alternative PSPs or payment aggregators
Implement white-label acquiring solutions

Acquiring in CRM: Integration and Automation

Modern payment systems for high-risk businesses support API integration with CRM, allowing for the automation of transaction monitoring, rolling reserve management, and AML system implementation. In one of COREDO’s projects, acquiring was integrated with CRM and an automated compliance officer, reducing the time spent on processing suspicious transactions by 50%.

This solution was a key step toward the successful integration of company registration and acquiring in the EU and Asia.

Company Registration and Acquiring in the EU and Asia

Illustration for the section 'Company Registration and Acquiring in the EU and Asia' in the article 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Businesses – Features and Nuances'
Choosing a jurisdiction for company registration under acquiring is a strategic stage determining the availability of payment solutions and the loyalty of regulators. The most popular countries: Cyprus, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Dubai.

Jurisdiction	PSP License	AML/KYC Requirements	Tax Rate	Registration Time
Cyprus	Yes	High	12.5%	2-4 weeks
Estonia	Yes	Medium	20%	1-2 weeks
Singapore	Yes	Very high	17%	1 week
United Kingdom	Yes	High	19%	2-3 weeks

Registering a Legal Entity for Acquiring in Asia and the EU

In Asia, for example, in Singapore, company registration requires a local director and corporate secretary, as well as strict compliance with AML/KYC procedures and an annual audit. In the EU, for instance, in Cyprus and Estonia, the registration process is more flexible but requires a PSP license and a transparent structure of beneficiaries.

The solution implemented by COREDO for a cryptocurrency client included registering a company in Estonia with subsequent PSP licensing and integration of multi-currency acquiring for cross-border payments.

Thus, when choosing a jurisdiction, it is essential to consider compliance requirements, which directly affect AML/KYC procedures and tax regulation.

AML/KYC and Taxes

Compliance with AML/KYC is mandatory for all high-risk companies, regardless of jurisdiction. Regulators in the EU and Asia require the implementation of automated transaction monitoring systems, regular updating of KYC files, and the presence of a compliance officer. Taxation specifics depend on the chosen registration country, but COREDO’s practice shows that proper business structuring allows for tax burden optimization and transparency for regulators.

Fraud Protection in High-risk Acquiring

Illustration for the section 'Fraud Protection in High-risk Acquiring' in the article 'Internet Acquiring for High-risk Businesses – Features and Nuances'
Fraud prevention and risk management are fundamental elements for the sustainability of high-risk acquiring. The use of modern anti-fraud systems, PCI DSS compliance, and client risk profiling minimizes fraud and chargeback losses.

Tools for Fraud Prevention

COREDO’s arsenal includes the implementation of comprehensive anti-fraud systems, PCI DSS compliance automation, integration of blacklist merchants, and real-time transaction monitoring. Example: for a betting client, a risk profiling system was implemented, reducing fraud transaction levels by 35% in the first quarter.

High-risk Acquiring Metrics

To assess the effectiveness of high-risk acquiring, the following metrics are used:

Chargeback ratio (share of returns)
Approval rate (share of successful transactions)
Fraud rate (level of fraud)
Rolling reserve turnover
Acquiring ROI (return on investment in payment infrastructure)

The COREDO team recommends implementing regular audits of these indicators and building analytics based on integration with CRM and payment gateways.

International Internet Acquiring for Business

Scaling a high-risk business requires a strategic approach to choosing payment solutions, jurisdictions, and technologies. International internet acquiring allows for market expansion, organizing multi-currency payments, and integrating white-label solutions for different regions.

COREDO’s practice has shown: successful scaling is possible only with a flexible architecture of payment systems, automation of compliance procedures, and competent management of the rolling reserve. Long-term consequences of choosing the wrong PSP: account blockages, loss of clients, and reputational risks.

Practical Conclusions and Recommendations

Risk/Problem	Solution/Tool
High commissions	Optimization of structure, choosing PSP
Frequent chargebacks	Chargeback management, anti-fraud
Complexities with KYC/AML	Automation, due diligence
Refusals in acquiring	alternative jurisdictions, PSP
Fraud	Fraud prevention, PCI DSS

Tips for Entrepreneurs

Conduct thorough business risk profiling before applying for acquiring.
Prepare a complete set of documents for the merchant account, including AML/KYC policy.
Choose PSP and acquiring bank with niche experience and international regulator licensing.
Integrate acquiring with CRM and automate transaction monitoring.
Regularly analyze efficiency metrics and adapt rolling reserve management strategies.

Checklist for Launching Acquiring for High-risk Business

Analysis of jurisdictions and selection of the registration country
Preparation of incorporation documents and licenses
Development and implementation of AML/KYC policies
Selection and integration of PSP/acquiring bank
Implementation of anti-fraud systems and PCI DSS compliance
Staff training and regular audit of processes

Acquiring for high-risk business is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for growth if you build a strategy based on a deep understanding of risks, legal requirements, and modern technologies. COREDO’s experience shows: a comprehensive approach, transparency, and flexibility are key to sustainable development and scaling international projects.