High-risk payment processing, without a merchant account.
Declined by your bank or dropped by your processor? Let customers pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay and receive every payment as USDC in your own wallet.
- No merchant KYC
- No rolling reserve
- No chargebacks to you
- USDC payouts
Rolling reserve
$0.00 held
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Payout received
+229.08 USDC
0%
Rolling reserve
0
Chargebacks to you
$0
Setup & withdrawal fees
15+
Card providers
The problem
Why high-risk businesses struggle to accept cards.
A merchant account is a bank's bet on your business. When your industry looks risky on paper, the terms get worse or the answer is no.
Underwriting and category codes
Banks sort merchants by category code (MCC). Forex, adult, nutra, gaming and IPTV are flagged before anyone reads your application, and the answer is often no.
Rolling reserves
High-risk merchant accounts commonly hold back a share of every sale for months as a reserve. That is revenue you have earned but cannot use.
Chargeback thresholds
Card networks monitor dispute ratios. Cross the threshold and you pay fines, enter a monitoring program or lose the account entirely.
Frozen balances
A processor that holds your balance can freeze it during a review. For a high-risk business that can mean weeks without cash flow.
How PayLio works
Card payments in, USDC out. No merchant account in between.
PayLio connects your checkout to licensed card payment providers. They take the card payment and verify the customer when required; you receive USDC.
- 1
Create a payment link or connect your store
Send a payment link, embed the hosted checkout, or install a free plugin for WooCommerce, WHMCS and six more platforms. No merchant KYC to get started.
- 2
Your customer pays by card
Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and regional methods through over 15 licensed payment providers. The provider verifies the customer when required.
- 3
You receive USDC in your own wallet
Each card payment is paid out as USDC on Polygon directly to your wallet. PayLio holds no balance, so there is nothing to freeze and nothing to withdraw.
Compare
High-risk merchant account vs. PayLio
What a typical high-risk merchant account involves, next to what you get with PayLio.
| High-risk merchant account | PayLio | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Application, underwriting and documents; days to weeks | Free account in minutes, no merchant KYC |
| Rolling reserve | Common for high-risk categories | None |
| Chargebacks | Merchant is liable, plus dispute fees | Card payments cannot be charged back to you |
| Fees | Rate plus per-transaction, monthly and dispute fees | 8% on Starter, or 5% plus $59/month on Catalyst. No other fees. |
| Payout | Bank settlement, usually days | USDC on Polygon, typically within seconds to minutes |
| Frozen funds | Possible during a risk review | No balance is held, so nothing can be frozen |
Merchant account terms vary by provider and business. The left column describes what is common for high-risk categories.
Comparing specific providers? PayLio vs. Stripe · PayLio vs. PayPal · PayLio vs. BitPay
Industries
Built for the businesses banks call high-risk.
High-risk does not mean unlawful. Legal businesses in these categories can accept cards with PayLio; illegal products and services are not allowed.
Forex, brokers & prop firms
Deposits and funded-account challenges without bank freezes on trading payments.
Adult & dating
Memberships, credits and subscriptions for legal adult content and dating platforms.
Gaming
Top-ups, in-game items and accounts for gaming platforms and communities.
Supplements & nutra
One-time orders and repeat purchases for supplement and nutraceutical stores.
Streaming & IPTV
Recurring plans and one-time top-ups for streaming and IPTV services.
AI & SaaS
Subscriptions and credit top-ups for AI tools and apps in restricted categories.
Good to know
What changes when you switch
PayLio removes the merchant account, and with it a few things you may be used to.
- Payouts arrive as USDC on Polygon, not as a bank transfer. You decide when and where to convert.
- Refunds are sent by you, from your own wallet. Please handle customer disputes fairly.
- Each payment can be between $0.01 and $10,000. Some card methods have their own minimum.
- Which card methods a customer sees depends on their country and the payment provider.
What is high-risk payment processing?
It means accepting card payments for a business that banks classify as high-risk, for example because of its industry, chargeback rates or regulation. Traditionally that requires a high-risk merchant account with stricter underwriting, higher fees and a rolling reserve.
Do I need a high-risk merchant account to use PayLio?
No. Your customers pay by card through licensed payment providers and you receive the payment as USDC in your own wallet. There is no merchant account to apply for and no merchant KYC.
Is there a rolling reserve?
No. PayLio does not hold balances. Every card payment is paid out to your wallet, so there is no reserve and no balance that can be frozen.
Can customers charge back a payment?
Card payments cannot be charged back to you. If a customer asks for a refund, you send it from your own wallet, and we ask merchants to handle disputes fairly.
What does high-risk payment processing cost with PayLio?
Starter is free with an 8% fee per card payment. Catalyst costs $59 a month with a 5% fee per card payment. There is no setup fee, no monthly minimum and no withdrawal fee. Direct crypto payments cost 1.5% on both plans.
Which high-risk businesses can use PayLio?
Forex brokers and prop firms, adult and dating, gaming, supplements and nutra, streaming and IPTV, AI and SaaS, and many other online businesses. High-risk does not mean unlawful: illegal products and services are not allowed.
How fast are payouts?
Card payments are paid out as USDC on Polygon, typically within seconds to minutes after the payment completes. There is no payout schedule and nothing to withdraw.
Which payment methods can my customers use?
Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus regional methods such as SEPA, iDEAL, Revolut and Cash App where available. Customers can also pay directly in crypto, such as USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH and SOL.
No KYC · No rolling reserve
Accept cards today, without the merchant account.
Create a free account, send your first payment link and receive the payment as USDC in your wallet.