Payment Gurus
POS Systems Terminals Card Processing Cash Discount ATM Programs Recurring Billing Gift & Loyalty High-Risk Processing About Contact
Help Sign in Get started
Home/High-Risk/Adult Processing

Adult merchant accounts built to last.

Stable credit card processing for adult content platforms, cam sites, creator subscription services, and adult retail. Underwriting that won't terminate you after a card-brand portfolio review.

Apply for an account Talk to us · (888) 556-7356
48hr
Initial approval window
$0
Application fees
5–10%
Typical rolling reserve
24/7
Dedicated rep access
Adult industry

Why mainstream processors won't touch the adult industry.

The adult industry is the highest-risk category in card processing. Visa and Mastercard classify adult content as MCC 5967 (Direct Marketing — Catalog/Retail Merchants) when not explicitly coded as adult, and apply heightened registration and monitoring requirements when it is. Most retail acquirers refuse to board the category entirely. Stripe, Square, Adyen, and PayPal all prohibit adult content in their acceptable use policies.

The pattern most adult businesses experience: get approved on a mainstream processor by miscoding the MCC, run smoothly for a few months, then face a sudden mass termination after a portfolio review. Frozen funds. 180-day reserves. No path to appeal.

Payment Gurus boards adult accounts the legitimate way — properly registered as adult with sponsor banks that have an established adult vertical, with the Visa and Mastercard high-risk registration fees paid up front and a sustainable rate structure that won't get reset every six months.

How we structure your account

The Payment Gurus approach.

Each high-risk account gets a custom placement strategy — not a one-size-fits-all retail boarding flow. Here's what that looks like for adult.

Visa & Mastercard high-risk registration

Adult merchants are required by Visa and Mastercard to register as high-risk (the Visa IRIS program and Mastercard's similar registration). We handle this registration as part of boarding so you're compliant from day one — not running a miscoded account that gets shut down at the first audit.

Discreet handling, real human contact

Our high-risk team works with adult operators across the spectrum — content sites, cam platforms, OnlyFans-style creator businesses, subscription products, adult retail. No judgment, no awkward conversations, just an experienced underwriter who's seen it before.

Subscription & recurring billing infrastructure

Adult businesses live on recurring revenue. We pair every adult account with a robust gateway (NMI, Authorize.net, or custom) configured for tokenization, automated card updater, dunning, and chargeback alerts — so your subscriber base doesn't bleed out from involuntary churn.

Chargeback mitigation that actually works

Adult chargeback ratios run higher than retail because customers often dispute charges they don't want on their statements. We deploy descriptor optimization (clear, non-explicit billing descriptors customers recognize), Verifi/Ethoca alerts, and 3DS2 to keep ratios below card-brand thresholds.

What's included

Every account comes with the full stack.

Coverage

All adult subverticals

Content sites, cam platforms, creator subscriptions, fan platforms, dating, escort directories, adult retail, novelties, and adult eCommerce.

Volume

From $5K to $5M+/month

We board accounts at every scale — from new creators just starting to take payments to enterprise operators processing seven figures monthly.

Funding

Daily funding available

Once you're past the initial reserve window, settled transactions fund daily into your business bank account.

Frequently asked

Adult Processing questions.

Why do Stripe and PayPal terminate adult accounts?

Stripe's acceptable use policy explicitly prohibits 'pornography or other obscene materials,' and PayPal's user agreement prohibits 'certain sexually oriented activities or materials.' Both platforms use automated portfolio review to identify and terminate adult merchants — even those who initially got approved by miscoding their business. The only sustainable path is a properly-registered high-risk merchant account.

What chargeback ratio is sustainable in adult?

Visa's high-risk threshold is 0.9% and Mastercard's is 1.0%. Adult merchants typically operate in the 0.5–0.9% range with proper chargeback alerts, clear billing descriptors, and 3DS2. Above 1.5% triggers mandatory remediation programs (Visa VAMP, Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program) and risks termination.

Can I process for OnlyFans-style creator subscriptions?

Yes. Creator-monetization platforms are one of our most-boarded subverticals. The keys are proper age verification (typically Yoti, Persona, or Veriff), clear consent and 2257 compliance documentation, and billing descriptors that customers recognize.

What's the typical pricing for an adult merchant account?

Adult processing costs more than retail. Expect 4–6% all-in on credit transactions depending on volume, average ticket, and chargeback history. We price interchange-plus so you can see the math, and we'll quote real numbers within 48 hours of receiving your application.

Do you require a rolling reserve?

Most adult accounts start with a rolling reserve (typically 5–10% held for 180 days). After 6 months of stable processing, we can often negotiate reductions or removal of the reserve depending on your chargeback performance.

Get an answer in 48 hours.

Send us your business details and 3 months of processing statements. We'll tell you whether we can board you — and what your real rate would look like.

Apply for an account Call (888) 556-7356
Related industries

Other specialty merchant accounts.

Subscriptions

Continuity & subscription billing

Gaming & Gambling

Sweepstakes, fantasy, & gaming

Peptides

Research peptide processing

Supplements

Nutraceuticals & continuity