The Best Adult Merchant Account Providers

If you operate a business in the adult entertainment industry you will benefit from offering multiple forms of payment to your customers, including credit, debit, online or mobile payments.

To offer cashless payment options to your customers, you will need an adult merchant account.

A merchant account operates like a bank account for your cashless payments. It can provide you with physical equipment for in-person transactions, as well as a payment gateway for online transactions.

Our Top Picks for Adult Merchant Service Providers

Easy Pay Direct
This merchant account provider works with all kinds of businesses, including those considered high risk.
Domestic accounts have zero early termination fees.
Variable contract terms.
High risk tolerance.
Single point of contact for multiple merchant accounts.
Public pricing is available.

summary

5/5

Best for

E-commerce companies, SaaS companies, "high-risk businesses", & established small/medium businesses ($500,000+ in annual sales)

Specializes in

Easy Pay Direct has unique gateway software and banking solutions to optimize payments for eCommerce, SaaS, information products, supplements, and CBD amongst other verticals.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee:  $99

Monthly Fee: $24.95

Swipe Rate: 1.59% + $0.17

Keyed-in Rate:  2.39% + $0.29

Early Termination Fee: $0 (domestic accounts)

Contract Terms:

1 Year 3 Years
Bank Associates Merchant Services - BAMS
Nationally recognized, client-focused merchant account services provider.
Takes a personal approach to each merchant account.
Primarily works with low-risk businesses.
They have a value-added service to help small businesses secure growth loans.
They accept all major payment types.
Quick setup for their integrated software.

summary

5/5

Best for

Merchants in various industries, including e-commerce, restaurants and many types of retailers in need of payment processing services for multiple payment types.

Specializes in

Bank Associates Merchant Services specializes in Level 2 and Level 3 payment processing solutions through its own proprietary software. This company also offers chargeback defense and dispute assistance to help merchants keep their chargebacks as low as possible.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: N/A

Monthly Fee: N/A

Swipe Rate: Unknown

Keyed-in Rate: Unknown

Early Termination Fee: $595

Contract Terms:

Unknown
Dharma Merchant Services
A merchant account provider serving small, medium, and large-sized businesses with fair pricing and transparent business practices.
No early termination fee.
Month to month contract.
No annual fee.
Interchange plus pricing offered.
Discounted pricing for qualified non profit companies.

summary

4.5/5

Best for

Dharma's website caters its services to small-sized businesses with up to twenty employees, in verticals such as restaurants, non-profits, and e-commerce platforms.

Specializes in

Dharma Merchant Services provides mobile phone processing and tablet-based POS options for merchants courtesy of Clover. Moreover, Dharma offers the Clover Mini station, which includes Clover's PRO software set. The company also resells the Clover POS solution, including a full cash drawer, built-in fingerprint scanner, and printer.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: N/A

Monthly Fee: $20

Swipe Rate: N/A

Keyed-in Rate: N/A

Early Termination Fee: None

Contract Terms:

Month-to-month

Unique Problems for Adult Entertainment Businesses

Unfortunately, many merchant account providers shy away from doing business with anyone operating in the adult entertainment industry.

It’s not that these businesses are not profitable. The adult entertainment industry is one of the most lucrative industries to be in.

Rather, it’s the type of product being sold that carries a stigma as well as enhanced risks of fraud, payment disputes, and questions of legality.

Adult entertainment businesses can include strip clubs, porn sites, sex toy shops, dating apps, books, movie and magazine stores, and more.

Because of the type of product being sold, the adult entertainment industry is classified as high risk by banks and credit card institutions. Many banks and merchant accounts will not do business with high risk industries to avoid tainting their reputation.

If you’ve got all the necessary permits and licenses for your business, you know it is completely above-board and legal. However, some banks and financial institutions may still discriminate against you.

Do not give up hope. There are perfectly sound and reputable businesses in the adult industry seeking merchant accounts, and luckily, there are many merchant account providers that can meet your needs.

What is an Adult Merchant Account?

A merchant account is necessary for any business that wants to process cashless transactions. Cashless transactions include ACH/check, credit, debit, online, mobile, or gift cards.

A merchant account provider can set up businesses with physical equipment to process credit card transactions, such as a POS system, credit card processor, or virtual terminal. They can also provide a payment gateway to use for online transactions.

It is nearly impossible for any business to succeed in today’s shopping culture without offering cashless payment options and this is especially true for the adult entertainment industry.

Offering multiple options of payment will increase the ease and convenience of how customers pay for your product or service.

Customers want to know their sensitive data is secure and immune from hackers or other threats. An adult merchant account can provide that security and peace of mind.

Any business operating in the adult entertainment industry, whether it’s a porn site, strip club, online dating app, sex toy shop, etc, may face prejudice when it comes time to seek a merchant account.

You may need to specifically seek out an adult merchant account from a provider that accepts high risk businesses.

Why Do I Need an Adult Merchant Account?

Many benefits come with your merchant account, including:

Increased Convenience

A merchant account will allow easy and convenient payment processing whether in-person or online. Get your credit card terminal or POS system through your merchant account provider, and set up your payment gateway on your website.

You can also consider offering subscriptions, gift cards, or loyalty programs to your customers. A merchant account makes this all possible.

Security and Anonymity

Due to the nature of the adult entertainment business model, many people are more comfortable shopping online or anonymously when purchasing pornography, sex toys, and other paraphernalia.

It’s very likely offering online and other forms of cashless payments could skyrocket your business.

An adult merchant account can provide you with one or multiple payment gateways to facilitate online payments and keep your customer’s data secure.

Through your online gateway, customers can also set up recurring payments or save their credit card information for faster checkouts.

Reduce Fraud and Chargebacks

Anytime an online or card-not-present transaction occurs it amplifies the risk of fraud.

Adult entertainment businesses are also more prone to chargebacks, payment disputes, large transaction volume, and questions about legality.

A merchant account can help reduce instances of chargebacks by sending out clearly labeled e-receipts for every purchase. They can also notify the business of disputed charges so the business can reach out to offer a refund or otherwise resolve the issue.

Digital Trail

All cashless payments, whether check, credit, or through a mobile app, are tracked digitally when deposited into your merchant account.

Any chargeback or refund will have a digital trail as well. This digital record makes resolving payment disputes with your customers extremely easy.

The information can also be easily uploaded into tools like QuickBooks to simplify accounting come tax season.

Offer Customer Incentives

A merchant account will allow you to offer discounts, loyalty programs, or gift cards to customers. This can increase return visits, make your customers happy and generate more revenue for you.

Types of Adult Merchant Account Providers

When it comes to merchant accounts, there are two ways any business can go. They can use a payment aggregator such as Stripe, Square, or Paypal, or they can set up a dedicated merchant account with a merchant services provider.

Many businesses in the adult industry are at high risk and have a high volume of transactions. These types of businesses will almost always want to go with a dedicated merchant account.

Although most adult entertainment businesses will likely want their merchant account, it is worth understanding how payment aggregators work, so you can make the right choice for your business.

Payment Aggregators

A payment aggregator is also known as a third-party payment system. Companies such as Square, Stripe, or Paypal are payment aggregators.

When you sign up with a payment aggregator you are not getting your merchant account. Instead, you are sharing a merchant account with many different businesses.

Payment aggregators will technically accept some high risk businesses, but they have a low tolerance for chargebacks and payment disputes.

If your business has too many chargebacks a payment aggregator may freeze or terminate your account without warning. They do this to protect the other businesses that share the merchant account service.

Dedicated Merchant Account

A merchant account provider will set your business up with its dedicated merchant account.

A merchant account provider offers enhanced security and other bonuses such as more customization and personalization options, such as personalizations of receipts for example.

Sensitive customer information will be secure through enhanced security.

A dedicated merchant account will be familiar with your business model, and can even reduce instances of chargebacks and payment disputes.

What’s the Difference Between a Payment Aggregator and a Dedicated Merchant Account?

The main difference between a payment aggregator and a dedicated merchant account is when you sign up with a payment aggregator you are sharing your merchant account with other businesses.

There are several other factors to consider.

Price

Payment aggregators typically offer a flat transaction rate for all purchases, while merchant accounts offer variable rates.

The flat rate may be more affordable for low volume businesses, while businesses with high transaction volume may benefit from the variable rates.

Security

Payment aggregators offer the same type of security as a dedicated merchant account, but they have a lower tolerance for chargebacks and/or disputed charges.

Because the payment aggregator has to protect the merchant account for other businesses, they may freeze or terminate an account with too many chargebacks without warning.

Time to Approve the Account

Payment aggregators offer near-instant approval, while merchant accounts typically take 2-4 business days to process an applicant.

The reason for this is payment aggregators have one application form for every business and don’t ask specific questions about your business model.

While instant approval is nice, a longer processing time means getting a merchant account that is familiar with your business model, and supportive of your individual needs.

Tolerance of High Risk Businesses

Many payment aggregators, such as Square, outright do not accept businesses in the adult entertainment industry. Before applying to any merchant account, read their policies carefully.

How to Choose the Best Adult Merchant Account

Some of the factors to consider when it comes to choosing your adult merchant account include:

Accepting of High Risk Businesses

Some merchant account providers and payment aggregators do not accept businesses in the adult entertainment industry. Be sure to read the fine print to make sure your business can be covered.

You may want to specifically seek out a merchant account provider that has experience working with adult entertainment businesses.

The right adult merchant account can help reduce instances of fraud and chargebacks. This is more likely if they have a good understanding of your business model.

Price Structure

Any merchant account you go with is going to charge you per transaction rate. However, not every merchant account has the same price structure when it comes to other types of fees.

Some fees to watch out for include:

  • Set-up fees
  • Statement fees
  • PCI compliance fees
  • Early termination fees

Scour your contract for any hidden fees before signing on the dotted line.

Customer Service

It’s important to have live 24/7 customer service available from your merchant account provider. When you run a business that offers online sales you never know when a problem may occur. You’ll want to be able to reach someone any time of day, any day of the week.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Before you apply to any adult merchant account, consider the following tips:

Improve Your Credit Score

Make sure you don’t have any late payments or outstanding debts. Contact the credit card companies to make sure they know your payments are up to date so they can remove any black marks on your credit score.

Be Transparent

Be open and honest about your business model from the get-go. This will help you find the merchant account provider that wants to work with you and can help your business succeed.

Make Sure it's Legal

Operating a business in the adult entertainment industry can sometimes feel like murky territory. Something legal in one state may not be legal in another.

Before you apply for any adult merchant account, make sure your business is complying with any local laws, and you have all the necessary permits and licenses.

Knowing your legal structure is rock solid before you apply to a merchant account provider will make everything run that much smoother.

Prepare for Your Application

When applying for a merchant account, you may need to provide the following:

  • Details about your business model, including what you are selling
  • Financial history and current statements
  • Tax ID number
  • Any permits or licenses your business requires

Don’t Be Discouraged

If you are turned down by one merchant account, don’t be discouraged. There is still some stigma surrounding adult entertainment businesses, but there are still plenty of merchant account providers that will work with you.

Review all of our provided tips and try again. Just because you were turned down once does not mean you cannot find an adult merchant account that is a good fit for your business.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re launching a new business, expanding an existing business, or simply switching merchant account providers, this is an exciting time for you.

The right merchant account provider can provide the tools and equipment you need to super-charge your business. They can give your customers the convenience to pay in-person or online, with all types of cashless payments.

A merchant account can also offer security, protection from fraud, and make it easier to offer customer refunds and replacements to reduce instances of chargebacks.

Most adult entertainment businesses will want a dedicated merchant account due to the enhanced security it offers, as well as a higher tolerance for chargebacks.

Be cautious with payment aggregators and be sure to read their policies surrounding adult entertainment businesses.

Once again, here are our top picks for the best adult merchant account providers:

 

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