Home » Shopify High-Risk Payment Processors in 2026 [Reviewed & Ranked]

If you run a high-risk Shopify store, choosing the right payment processor is one of the most important decisions you will make.

Shopify makes it easy to launch an online store. However, Shopify Payments (their integrated payment system) is not available to most high-risk merchants. Its prohibited business categories vary from country to country and include regulated, restricted, or higher-liability products and services.

Despite that, many high-risk merchants still use Shopify as their main ecommerce platform. They do that by signing up for a high-risk merchant account and a Shopify-compatible payment gateway — then connecting them to Shopify through its “Alternative Payment Provider” settings. 

In this guide, we review and rank popular providers of high-risk merchant services for Shopify based on what matters most: Shopify compatibility, high-risk underwriting, pricing structure, support quality, and overall fit for high-risk ecommerce businesses.

What to pay attention to when comparing providers

Not all high-risk payment processors are a good fit for Shopify.

Some providers work well for ecommerce, but not for high-risk industries. Others support high-risk merchants, but do not offer a Shopify-compatible gateway. Before you apply, compare how well each provider supports your business model, risk profile, and checkout setup.

Focus on the following:

• Shopify gateway compatibility: Confirm that the provider offers a payment gateway that can work with your Shopify store (if you are looking for both a high-risk merchant account and a payment gateway for your Shopify store).
• High-risk underwriting experience: Look for a provider that has experience with your niche (or focuses on high-risk processing in general). They are more likely to get your account approved with reasonable terms.
• Domestic and international account options: If you sell across borders, check whether the provider can support domestic accounts, international accounts, or both. This matters for approval odds, settlement currencies, and long-term scalability.
• Supported industries: High-risk does not mean every provider accepts every business type. If you want to speed things up, send a quick email to confirm that the provider supports your product/service before you spend time on an application.
• Pricing model: When you get a contract offer, double-check whether the provider uses flat-rate, interchange-plus, tiered, or custom pricing — and what the exact fees are.
• Reserve requirements: Some high-risk merchants must maintain a rolling or a capped reserve. Ask how much the reserve is, how long funds are held, and when reserve balances are released.
• Customer support: Payment issues can stop revenue fast. Prioritize providers that offer robust email and phone support.
• Contract terms: Review contract length, settlement speed, early termination fees, monthly minimums, PCI fees, and cancellation rules before signing. A lower advertised rate is not always better if the contract is restrictive.

9 Best high-risk payment processors for Shopify

The best high-risk payment processor for Shopify is the provider that can support your industry, risk profile, processing volume, location(s), and checkout setup. 

For this comparison, we focused on providers that are commonly used by high-risk ecommerce merchants, offer merchant account support, provide or work with payment gateway solutions, and have services that may fit Shopify sellers. 

As with most things, no single provider is the best choice for every merchant. Use the comparison below as a starting point, then confirm supported industries and contract terms directly with each processor before you apply or sign up. 

1. SecureGlobalPay

SecureGlobalPay is a high-risk merchant services provider that offers high-risk merchant accounts and a payment gateway for Shopify merchants. The company helps hard-to-place, high-volume, and high-risk businesses that may not qualify for standard payment processing.

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk merchant accounts: You can get a domestic or offshore merchant account. Support for supplement sales, CBD merchants, firearms & ammunition, tobacco products, and other popular high-risk industries.  
• Shopify-compatible gateway support: SecureGlobalPay provides a modern payment gateway option for Shopify merchants that cannot use Shopify Payments. The gateway offers advanced fraud protections, hundreds of integrations, numerous payment options (including subscriptions), over 150 currencies, a multi-MID setup with smart payment routing, and much more. 
• Domestic and international options: SecureGlobalPay provides complete payment processing solutions with local acquiring for merchants in the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK.
• US support: Merchants get personalized setup and ongoing support, provided by industry veterans who are available via phone or email.

Best fit: SecureGlobalPay is a strong fit for merchants that want an all-in-one payment processing solution for Shopify, combined with knowledgeable customer support and fully transparent pricing.

Potential limitations: While SecureglobalPay offers broad coverage across high-risk verticals, there are a few industries it does not support. Those are: casinos, online gambling, sports betting, kratom, multi-level marketing, and timeshare.

2. Easy Pay Direct

Easy Pay Direct is a merchant services provider that works with e-commerce and high-risk businesses, including Shopify merchants. The company offers both merchant accounts and a payment gateway. Plus, its own Shopify help documentation explains how merchants can connect Easy Pay Direct to Shopify. 

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk merchant account support: Easy Pay Direct positions itself as a payment processor for high-risk e-commerce businesses, including merchants that have had payment accounts closed by Shopify.
• Shopify integration: Merchants get integration instructions that involve installing the Shopify app through the Easy Pay Direct dashboard and connecting the gateway to the store.
• Dedicated support: Each merchant gets a dedicated point of contact. Useful when you need help with onboarding, decline ratios, chargebacks, or account optimization. 
• Recurring billing: Easy Pay Direct supports subscription payments and recurring billing.

Potential limitations: Easy Pay Direct may not be the fastest option if your priority is fast approval. Trustpilot reviews show a mixed review profile, so you should review contract terms, underwriting expectations, and setup timelines before signing anything. 

3. Adyen

Adyen is a global financial technology platform used by large e-commerce, retail, marketplace, and subscription businesses. For Shopify merchants, Adyen can be a solid option for medium-risk merchants who need global payment processing, local payment methods, advanced reporting, and enterprise-grade risk tools.

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• Merchant account and gateway in one platform: Adyen provides payment acquiring, gateway functionality, risk management, and reporting through one global payments platform.
• Shopify compatibility: Adyen supports Shopify through its Adyen Payments app, and Shopify says merchants must install the Adyen credit card app before adding Adyen local payment methods.
• Global payment coverage: Adyen supports a wide range of cards, local payment methods and currencies, which can help Shopify merchants sell across multiple countries and regions.
• Transparent pricing structure: Adyen uses a processing fee plus a payment-method fee, with no setup fee or monthly fee listed on its pricing page. Pricing varies by payment method and region.
• Risk and dispute tools: Adyen offers fraud and risk management features that may be useful for merchants with higher transaction volume, international traffic, or complex payment flows.

Potential limitations: Adyen is not a traditional high-risk merchant account broker like some providers on this list. It publishes a detailed list of prohibited and restricted products and services, so some high-risk Shopify merchants may be declined or require additional approval. 

4. EMB (eMerchantBroker)

EMB, also known as eMerchantBroker, is a high-risk merchant account provider based in Los Angeles. The company works with many high-risk industries, including gaming, adult entertainment, CBD, nutraceuticals, vaping and e-cigarettes, travel, and other hard-to-place business types. 

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk merchant account support: EMB specializes in merchant accounts for businesses that traditional processors often decline.
• Shopify payment processing: EMB has specific guidance for Shopify merchants and says high-risk Shopify stores can integrate payment processing through gateways such as Authorize.net.
• Public pricing: They state $0.10 per transaction revenue + 0.6% fee on all EMB volume (with a $50 monthly minimum). High-risk rates start at around 3% and scale based on your risk profile and processing history.
• Reputation in high-risk processing: EMB states that it has an A+ rating with the BBB, and its Trustpilot profile shows a 4.0 rating at the time of review.

Potential limitations: EMB appears to rely on gateway integrations such as Authorize.net for Shopify setup, so you should confirm the exact gateway, Shopify connection method, and approval path before you apply. Independent reviews also note that high-risk pricing can vary widely, so merchants should ask for a full fee schedule, including monthly fees, gateway fees, chargeback fees, reserve requirements, and early termination terms. 

5. Payment Cloud

PaymentCloud is a merchant services provider that focuses heavily on high-risk payment processing. The company offers dedicated merchant accounts, gateway support, chargeback tools, and onboarding help.

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk merchant accounts: PaymentCloud can set you up with dedicated merchant accounts for a wide range of high-risk businesses.
• Gateway support: PaymentCloud doesn’t use a single in-house gateway. Instead, it underwrites your account and pairs you with compatible third-party gateways — such as Authorize.net. 
• Hands-on onboarding: Their public review profile often highlights support and onboarding assistance, which can be valuable if you are searching for a replacement for Shopify Payments or another processor.

Potential limitations: PaymentCloud appears to focus primarily on the US market, so international Shopify merchants should confirm supported countries and banking options early in the application process.

6. Bankful

Bankful is an online payment gateway and payment processor built for e-commerce businesses, including merchants in complex and regulated categories. They have integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Square, and other platforms. 

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk payment support: As with all providers on this list, Bankful can help you open a high-risk merchant account.
• Shopify compatibility: Bankful specifically lists Shopify as a supported shopping cart platform for high-risk payments.
• Gateway and processing platform: Bankful describes itself as an intelligent online payment gateway and payment processor, which can help merchants manage payments through one platform.
• Fraud prevention tools: Bankful offers Fraud Shield on the Shopify App Store, which includes fraud detection, customizable fraud rules, statistical fraud scoring, and its Omniscore System.
• Subscription support: Their blog features content focused on Shopify subscription use cases for CBD merchants, including recurring orders through Seal Subscriptions.

Potential limitations: Bankful’s public review footprint is limited and mixed. Trustpilot shows a low score based on a small number of reviews, while BBB lists Bankful as accredited since 2020 and says the business focuses on multi-currency processing and online payments. 

7. PayCompass

PayCompass is a payment services provider that offers high-risk merchant account solutions, e-commerce payment support, fraud tools, and chargeback support. 

Key selling points for Shopify merchants:

• High-risk merchant account support: PayCompass says it provides tailored high-risk merchant account solutions for businesses with higher chargeback, fraud, or compliance risk.
• Gateway access: PayCompass offers easy-to-integrate payment gateway solutions that should be compatible with your Shopify store. 
• Fraud and chargeback protection: PayCompass highlights fraud and chargeback management tools for high-risk merchants, helping you screen risky transactions before they create chargebacks or account issues.
• Fast underwriting: PayCompass says high-risk merchant account approval can be completed in 3–5 days, depending on the business and documentation.
• Pricing guidance: Their high-risk rates vary by business type, industry risk, and transaction volume. Transaction fees are often between 3% and 5% for high-risk merchant accounts.

Potential limitations: PayCompass has a very small public review footprint so it is hard to evaluate long-term merchant satisfaction from third-party reviews alone. You should confirm whether your business qualifies for the advertised underwriting timeline and what reserve or settlement terms apply to your account.

8. SoarPay

SoarPay, also known as Soar Payments, is a high-risk merchant account provider for e-commerce and hard-to-place businesses. The company offers merchant accounts, payment gateway access, and related payment technology.

Key selling points for Shopify merchants: 

• High-risk merchant account support: SoarPay specializes in merchant accounts for high-risk and non-traditional businesses.
• Shopify compatibility: SoarPay says its high-risk merchant accounts are compatible with platforms including Shopify, and it lists third-party gateway options such as Authorize.net.
• Broad industry coverage: SoarPay lists many supported mid-risk and high-risk industries, including CBD, subscription products, credit repair, debt collection, travel, fantasy sports, furniture, and other e-commerce categories.

Potential limitations: They do not have a great score on Trustpilot (3.7/5), with multiple customers complaining about technical and communication issues. However, their support team does provide detailed feedback for most complaints, so you can judge things for yourself. 

9. Trust Payments

Trust Payments is a global payment service provider that offers payment gateway, acquiring, ecommerce, in-person payments, and fraud prevention solutions. For Shopify merchants, Trust Payments provides access through a Shopify setup powered by Apcopay, which allows merchants to accept and manage Visa and Mastercard payments on Shopify. 

Key selling points for Shopify merchants: 

• Merchant account and gateway support: Trust Payments offers payment acquiring and gateway services for Shopify merchants, with global and local acquiring options.
• International payments: Trust Payments says its ecommerce gateway supports payments in more than 160 currencies, which can be useful if you sell internationally.
• Fraud prevention and risk tools: They promote payment security, fraud prevention, and e-commerce risk-management features for online merchants.
• Positive public review profile: Trustpilot shows Trust Payments with a 4.3/5 rating based on hundreds of reviews, which gives merchants more public feedback to review than some smaller high-risk providers.

Potential limitations: Trust Payments is not focused on “hard-to-place” business industries in the same way as SecureGlobalPay, EMB, PaymentCloud, or SoarPay. Its Shopify setup also appears to run through an Apcopay app rather than a direct Trust Payments-branded Shopify gateway, so you should confirm how the setup would work for you and if there are any added fees.

Started selling on Shopify with SecureGlobalPay

When you run a high-risk business, payment stability and reliability matter more than anything.

SecureGlobalPay specializes in high-risk payment processing and provides a modern, Shopify-compatible payment gateway that helps merchants stay online and get paid. We’ll help you set everything up so you do not have to manage multiple providers or disconnected integrations.

Over the last few years, we have onboarded dozens of Shopify merchants with the same story — sign up with Shopify, launch the store, start processing, get a notification that the account has been suspended or terminated.  

That situation is stressful, disruptive, and avoidable.

If you know your business is high risk, it is better to work with a high-risk payment provider from the beginning. We provide the technology and support you’ll need to get started.

👉 Apply today using our online application, or reach out to partners@secureglobalpay.com if you have questions about setup, eligibility, or Shopify compatibility.