High Risk Industries

While this list doesn't cover every single possible high-risk business, it does include the categories that are most often regarded as high-risk. Remember that every provider has their own criteria, so while you might be considered a high-risk business by one provider, you might be approved for a regular, non-high-risk account by a different provider. Here are the most common types of high-risk businesses:

  • Airlines or airline charters
  • Amazon, Yahoo or Google Stores
  • Auctions
  • Casinos, gambling or gaming
  • CBD
  • Check cashing services
  • Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or vape shops
  • Coins, collectible currency, or autographed collectibles
  • Collection agencies
  • Coupons or rewards-based programs
  • Credit protection, counseling, or debt repair services
  • Debt collection services
  • Discount health or medical care programs
  • Debt consolidation services
  • eBay stores
  • eBooks (copyrighted material)
  • Electronics
  • Event ticket brokers (unlicensed or non-registered (ie., Stub Hub-style merchants))
  • Extended warranty companies
  • Fantasy sports websites
  • Finance brokers, financial consulting, or loan modification services
  • Furniture sellers
  • Indirect financial consulting (ie., "How to Save Money by Lowering Your Electric Bill")
  • Financial planning, strategy or advising
  • "Get rich quick" book, programs etc.
  • High average ticket sales
  • "How-To"-type websites. )ie.,"Learn How to Make Money on The Internet")
  • Horoscopes, astrology or psychic services, fortune tellers
  • "Hype" products or services
  • Hypnotists or self-hypnosis services
  • International shipping, cargo, or import/export
  • Investing firms, strategy, or books
  • Life coaching
  • Lingerie Sales
  • Lotteries or sweepstakes
  • Magazine sales and subscriptions
  • Mail or telephone order salez
  • Membership organizations (contracts over 12 months)
  • Modeling or talent agencies
  • Multi-level marketing (MLM) sales tactics
  • Music, movie, or software downloads or uploads (ie., copyrighted digital products)
  • Pawn Shops
  • Prepaid calling cards
  • Prepaid debit cards
  • Replica handbags, watches, wallets, sunglasses, etc.
  • SEO services
  • Social networking sites
  • Sports forecasting or odds-making/betting
  • Subscription based services
  • Telemarketing services
  • Third-party processing, factoring merchants (ie., payment processors, vacation rental brokers)
  • Tour operators
  • Travel clubs, services, or agencies
  • Vacation planners
  • Vacation rentals (unless the property is owned by the merchant)
  • Vitamin and supplement sales (ie., diet pills, prescription pills, health supplements, pharmacy products)
  • VoIP services