Custom underwriting and processing for businesses in high-risk industries — with clear answers on rates, timelines, and reserves.
Businesses like travel, nutraceuticals, subscriptions, CBD, or high-chargeback categories need a specialized underwriting approach. Harbour works with an accepting bank network to place high-risk merchants with custom pricing, rolling reserves, and dedicated risk support.
What "high-risk" means, and what to expect during underwriting.
Banks and card networks classify a merchant as high risk based on factors like industry (e.g., travel, nutraceuticals, subscriptions, CBD, adult, firearms), a history of high chargeback rates, large average ticket sizes, delayed delivery of goods or services, or a shorter operating history. It reflects the statistical likelihood of chargebacks and fraud, not a judgment about the business itself.
High-risk applications go through manual underwriting rather than automated approval. Underwriters review your business model, financials, processing history, and industry-specific risk factors, which typically takes several business days to a few weeks instead of the standard 48-hour approval.
High-risk applications typically require more due diligence: 3–6 months of processing statements, business financials, proof of fulfillment or delivery process, chargeback and refund policies, website and marketing material review, and sometimes personal or business credit checks.
A rolling reserve holds back a percentage of each transaction for a set period (commonly 90–180 days) as security against future chargebacks or refunds. It protects the processor and acquiring bank against the higher chargeback risk associated with high-risk categories, and the withheld funds are released to you on a rolling schedule.
Yes, typically. High-risk pricing reflects the added underwriting cost and chargeback exposure the acquiring bank takes on. Rates and reserve terms are quoted individually based on your industry, processing history, and risk profile.
Yes. As you build a clean processing history — low chargebacks, consistent volume, and time in business — Harbour can reassess your account and often move you to standard rates and reduced or removed reserve requirements.
Common categories include travel and timeshares, nutraceuticals and supplements, subscription and continuity billing, CBD and vape products, adult content, firearms and ammunition, debt collection, and tech support — though classification depends on your specific business model, not just industry alone.
Not necessarily. High risk simply means a business needs specialized underwriting and bank placement, not that it’s ineligible. Harbour works with a network of acquiring banks that specifically accept high-risk merchants, so most well-documented businesses can still be approved.
Your account is monitored against card network chargeback thresholds on an ongoing basis. Exceeding those thresholds can trigger a review, higher reserve requirements, or in repeated cases, termination — so keeping chargebacks low is important even after approval.
It depends on the underwriting bank’s criteria. Personal or business credit history is one factor among several — strong financials, clear fulfillment practices, and reasonable processing volume can offset a less-than-perfect credit history in many cases.
Harbour can place many international and offshore high-risk merchants through its acquiring bank network, though terms, available currencies, and reserve requirements vary by jurisdiction — contact our team to review your specific situation.
Reserve funds are not forfeited. They continue to be released on the original rolling schedule after account closure, once the corresponding holding period for each batch of withheld funds has passed, minus any outstanding chargebacks or fees owed.
Keeping chargeback ratios well below network thresholds, maintaining clear refund and fulfillment policies, growing a consistent processing history, and promptly resolving disputes all help build the track record needed for reduced rates and reserves.