Merchant Account for Adult XXX Business

Adult Merchant Accounts are impossible for local banks or traditional card processors to approve. But we can do them! Adult services, adult entertainment, online adult websites, etc. require high risk merchant accounts!

• Adult XXX Sexually Explicit Websites
• Sex Toys Adult Book Stores
• Erotic Entertainment Cruise Ships
• Strip Clubs, Gentleman Clubs, Cabarets
• NightClubs, Liquor, Bars, Restaurants
• Nude Clubs, Nudity Events, Ticketed Adult Events
• Phone Sex Phone Line Entertainers
• Sexually Oriented Events, Conferences, XXX Clubs
• BDSM / S&M Event Providers
• Escorts, Escort Directories, Companion Classfieds
• Domestic and Offshore Solutions

Adult services, adult entertainment, online adult websites, etc. are very high risk merchants for credit card processing companies and require high risk merchant accounts. Charge-backs can be high in this niche. Most credit card processors will not do any business that is adult oriented. Many high volume adult business merchants use offshore merchant accounts. Although for many people the adult entertainment business is controversial, it is a very profitable business for many online entrepreneurs. But among other potential problems, most credit card payment companies consider adult businesses extra risky because, as mentioned, these businesses have a much higher chargeback risk. This higher-than-normal chargeback risk represents an additional risk to the credit card merchant service provider so they usually just avoid accepting adult merchant accounts.

Back in the 1990's in the early days of the internet, it was pretty easy to get approved for an adult oriented merchant account. But those days are gone now and it has become very difficult to get merchant services for adult oriented businesses. Unless, of course, you know where to go. That said... you have come to the right place to get your own adult merchant account.

Swiped Retail vs. Online Merchants

Different Types of XXX Merchant Accounts

Most all adult businesses need to accept credit cards to be competitive and to grow. But every business is different. Some businesses do transactions strictly face-to-face whereby the customer hands the merchant a credit card for payment and the card is swiped through a credit card terminal or through card reader attached to a computer.

Other sexually oriented businesses take mostly phone orders. In these cases, the merchant takes the credit card information over the telephone and then enters (or keys in) that information into a credit card machine (or credit card terminal) or computer.

And, of course, today many erotic entertainment businesses operate online and internet business sales totals billions of dollars per year and it is growing daily. More and more businesses classified as sexually explicit or erotic oriented are operating online including business types we never thought possible. Who would have thought in the early of the internet in the 1990', for instance, that prescription eyeglasses could be sold online? But, today that, too, is a reality.

So there are various types of merchant accounts available to accommodate the various types of businesses.

Here is an overview of the 3 Basic Types of Merchant Accounts:

Swiped Merchant Account

These accounts are for face-to-face transactions where the credit card or debit card is present and are also called "card present" transactions or swiped through a credit card machine. Credit card terminals and machines are often used at Adult Book Stores, Sex Shops, Erotic Entertainment Conferences/Conventions, Nude/Nudity/Clothing Optional Campgrounds and Cabaret Gentleman Clubs. This type of merchant account will offer the lowest discount rates and transaction fees because they represent the lowest risk to the credit card processors and banks. Traditional swiped merchant accounts, where the merchant is face-to-face with the cardholder require that a high percentage, usually around 75% , of the credit card sales that take place are done with the actual "card present" and that the credit card be "swiped" by passing it through an actual credit card machine, or POS terminal.

Online Merchant Account or "internet merchant account"

These accounts do transactions using either a virtual terminal or a shopping cart system on the merchants website. Since the card is not present during online transactions, the risk of fraud is higher, especially for adult and xxx companies, so the rates are higher. The risk of excessive charge-backs is also higher, so the credit card processing banks charge higher fees to compensate for this increased risk. So, the higher the volume on non-swiped merchant accounts, the higher the risk to the credit card processor. Online merchant accounts use either a virtual terminal or other software system that is integrated into the merchant's website and which allows transactions to be done automatically and in real-time over the internet. This often includes the use of an internet "gateway" which enables credit card transactions to be done on a "secured" basis.

MOTO

MOTO, which stands for mail order/telephone order, are also non-swiped transactions. These older style non-swiped MOTO or Mail Order/Telephone Order accounts have higher rate and higher transaction fees just like Online Merchant Accounts. Both command higher rates than swiped merchant accounts. These type merchant services are for when credit cards are not present and are not swiped through a credit card machine. This would be the case in such circumstances as when the order is taken over a telephone or through the mail. In the past, merchants that had a MOTO merchant account would process the transaction by keying-in the credit card information directly into an old style credit card machine. But these days most of these type credit card transactions are done on either "credit card processing software" or on a "virtual terminal" on a computer.

Remember, the primary difference between these types of accounts are the discount rates and transaction fees which are charged to the merchants, and, of course, the way in which the actual transactions are submitted. Swiped transactions present less risk to the credit card processor so the rates are lower than with non-swiped accounts.